Category Archives: Life

The Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist- Free Printable!

There’s something about crossing items off a to-do list that is just soooo satisfying. If you’re anything like me, you find yourself making lists for pretty much anything and everything just so you can have the pleasure of crossing everything off of them. Making lists like this is also handy for keeping track of things that need to be done when you’re already super  busy. (Any other stay at home moms in the house?) 

And since it’s that time of year again; you know, Spring cleaning time, I thought I would make a checklist for all my fellow busy bees out there to help keep things organized. And the best part? I’m offering it as a FREE printable!

This Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist includes everything (that I could think of) in your home that may need a good cleaning- categorized by room. And because I’m mother to a toddler and expecting my second in just a few months, I’ve included the “Play Room” and “Nursery” categories, which I thought would be handy for all my fellow mommas to use.

I’ve already printed this checklist out for myself and plan on using it in the next couple months to get our house all nice and squeaky clean for when Baby gets here! Did I mention that I’m already entering full-on nesting mode? The only problem  now is mustering up enough energy to actually do the cleaning!

Since this is my first ever printable, I’d love to hear what you all think of it! Leave your feedback in the comments below.

The Importance of Cousin Time

Hallelujah, another sunny day here in Washington! After a very stereotypical week-long plague of nothing but rain, rain, and more rain, we managed to have one nice, sunshine-filled day, which came as a bit of a surprise to me. So for that reason, I was sure to enjoy every single second that I possibly could! Hadley and I had a good old time replanting some of our flowers on the front porch, and we got to play outside in the -freshly mowed- backyard (thanks, Michael!) 

It’s seriously difficult to get a clear shot of this girl! There’s always at least one part of her that’s blurry in pretty much every single photo I manage to get of her. I do love that she’s so active, though. Now that I’m feeling better at just about 26 weeks along, it’s not as much of life or death decision to get off the couch and actually get out and do something. 

Since we moved last December, one thing that’s been super awesome about our new place is that my sister, Kendall, and her little family live literally five minutes away from us. It’s the easiest thing in the world to just send her a “hey wanna hangout” text and then let the kiddos play while we get a moment (literally a moment) to ourselves.

This. guy. 

Meet Brodie, my little cutie-patootie nephew. And although I say “little”, never underestimate this guy! He may be small, but he’ll keep you on your toes. Having just recently learned how to walk, dude will be there one moment, then gone before you even know what happened. And yes, he’s getting into something of yours. That one thing that you can’t live without, that can’t get ruined at all costs. But it’ll probably still work with a few teeth marks in it. 😉

One of the nicknames we’ve given him is “Mr. Serious”. Can you see why? 😉

Hadley just loves being around her cousin. Ever since he was born, they’ve just been best friends. Since neither of them have a sibling of their own to play with, the time they spend together is very special and extremely important. Being around Brodie has taught Hadley some very vital lessons about being the older child; she’s able to show him how to do certain things, and is also learning what one can and can’t do with someone younger and smaller than themselves. (i.e. saying “hold on tight” and then wrapping her arms around his neck and trying to ride him. We’re still working on that one!) 

On the other hand, Brodie has had the privilege of having someone around who’s been around the block and can show him how to do all kinds of cool stuff. Seeing Hadley run and jump and climb helps him to learn how to do these things on his own and encourages him to try new things. It’s also good for him to hear Hadley use her words to tell us what she wants and engages him to do the same. For only 15 months old, he’s quite the bright little guy!

These two really are quite a pair. When put together, there’s no stopping the fun (as long as everyone’s fed and well rested, that is). It has been such a relief to see how well Hadley plays with Brodie; getting a first look of what I can -hopefully- expect from her as a big sister. We’ll see! 

Cousins are pretty much some of your first friends growing up, though. Family get-togethers were always so much fun getting to see everyone and catch up and then just play together until it was time to go back home. I know Hadley and Brodie will have this special bond for life- they’ll always remember their first BFF! ♥

A Story of How I Lost My Cool + Tips for Staying Calm With Your Toddler

This story is very personal and extremely honest. I wrote it in hopes that other moms (and dads) out there who may be feeling the same way will know that they are not alone. We’re all in this parenting thing together!

I lost my cool the other day. Now, on any given day, I can get upset with my toddler over a lot of different things; creating a yogurt masterpiece all over the table (and herself), throwing the contents of my purse all around the house like confetti, or that mystery stain on the new couch- could it be chocolate? (Oh please, let it be chocolate!) What makes this time different, though, is that I was having a pretty crummy day and was already on-edge. It wasn’t going to take much to set me off. 

For one thing, I just completely woke up on the wrong side of the bed. We all have those days, right? We had just sprung forward with Daylight Savings, and that lost hour of sleep was just not boding well with me. Mind you, I am six months pregnant. Sleep is extremely important to me! Aside from that, I had been attempting to make some cute Easter egg cake pops and it just. wasn’t. working. I don’t know if you’ve ever attempted to make cake pops before, but it takes some serious skill, creativity and above all, an enormous amount of patience. (And if you have a toddler at home, you probably know very well that patience isn’t always easy to come by.) Of course, Hadley was totally interested. I informed her that it was a mommy only project and that she could help me decorate the pops in a little while. Although this bought me some time, she proceeded to come into the kitchen at 5 minute intervals for the better part of two hours. 

Two hours of cursing (quietly, of course), slamming things around, and overall misery later, I managed to make one decent pop. It wasn’t by any means, good -and far from Pinterest perfect- but it was… okay. I set it out to dry and stepped out of the room to use the bathroom. Again, pregnant! I came back to Hadley holding the cake pop, which was about to fall off the stick and onto the floor. I’m not 100% sure what it was- a combination of sleep deprivation mixed with surviving the depths of cake pop Hell most likely- but right then and there, I lost my cool. I snatched the pop from her, took her by the shoulders and said, “Why can’t you just let Mommy have some time to herself? All I ask for is just ten minutes. Go watch your videos!” 

To this, she quickly scurried away as I was immediately overcome with the horrible feeling of *gulp* mommy guilt. I collapsed to the floor, put my head into my hands and just starting sobbing. Pregnant or not, it had been a good long while since I had just let it all out. After a couple minutes, I noticed some teeny tiny toes appear on the ground in front of me. I looked up to see Hadley standing there staring at me. “Mommy cry,” she said. I could tell she was slightly confused- Mom doesn’t normally lose her cool like this! After a moment, she trotted away again and I was alone. Feeling a bit light-headed, I decided to take a quick lie down in my room to relax and calm down. 

After about 20 minutes, I had simmered down and was ready to give my Goober a great big hug and tell her I was sorry. I came out of my room to find her completely passed out on the couch. Not wanting to wake her, I scooped her up and brought her back to my bed. As I laid there next to my beautiful baby girl, I just felt so awful about the way that I had acted. She didn’t know what she was doing. She’s just your typical curious two year old. What was I thinking? After a nice long nap, we both woke up refreshed and I told her I was sorry and that I loved her so so much. Seeming to have forgotten about the whole thing, she responded with “cake?” and I gave her the lone cake pop I had promised to her earlier. 

The moral to this story is simple; bad days happen, but just know that your toddler is only this age for so long, so just stop to think: is it really worth getting mad over? None of us are perfect. We’re all in this parenting thing together, and I’m sure there will be many more moments like this, but we just have to move forward and remember what’s important. ♥

Tips for Staying Calm With Your Toddler

  • Communication. We often forget that our little ones are learning -very rapidly- and absorb everything that we say and do like a sponge. Losing your temper is only going to encourage bad behavior and promote similar reactions from them in the future. When your toddler disobeys, be sure to explain - calmly, and in words that they can comprehend- what they did wrong and how they can fix it. 
  • Be consistent. Telling your child one thing one minute, then something completely different the next can be confusing. If you don’t approve of them doing certain things, be sure to enforce the same rules every single time and don’t give in!
  • Get them involved. It’s important to set time aside in the day for you to have some exclusive one-on-one time with your little one, but sometimes there’s things you need to get done that distract you from this. If possible, find a way to get them involved rather than trying to occupy them with some other activity while you try to bust it out as fast as you can. If you’re doing the dishes, get the step stool out and let them “help” you (aka play in the water). Or if you’re paying bills or working on the computer, give them a weekly ad to look at tell them to find the deals and circle them or list certain products for them to search for. 
  • Step away if you need to. Toddlers can be very stubborn (believe me, I know!) and trying to handle a temper tantrum can be overwhelmingly frustrating at times. If you feel yourself starting to slip, don’t hesitate to step away for a moment to calm down. This may also give your toddler a chance to do the same! After a minute or two, you can try again and you’ll find that it’s a lot easier to communicate with a clear head. 
  • Remember that it doesn’t last forever. The toddler years are some of the hardest times you will encounter as a parent. (Besides maybe the teenage years? I’m not 100% sure on that one- I’ll let you know when we get there ;).) But just know that you only have them this young for so long and then it’s gone. What irritates you now, you may end up missing the most later.
  • Ask for help. If you’re like me, and you prefer to solve problems on your own so as not to “burden” others with your troubles, then this one might be a little difficult for you. One thing you have to realize, though, is that your family and friends want to help you! If you’re uncomfortable with asking for help, just call up a friend- a fellow mom or maybe even your sibling- and invite them over for a play date. Or ask if they can just watch your toddler for even an hour or two while you run a few errands so you can get out of the house for a bit. 
  • Breathe. In and out. You’re doing great. At times you may feel like you’re failing, but like I said before- we’re all in this together! Just take it one day at a time and the rest will fall into place.  

Our Morning Routine + Tips for Juicing With a Toddler

As I’ve mentioned before, one of our resolutions for 2016 was to begin our journey toward a healthier lifestyle. Three months into the year, I’d say we’ve been doing pretty well. I mean, we do have our moments of weakness here and there (aka late night trips to Taco Bell), but overall we’re still very determined and motivated to keep on keeping on. 

A few years back, Michael and I had stumbled across a documentary on Netflix called Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. The film follows Joe Cross as he embarks on a journey to try and cure his chronic disease by going on a 60-day juice fast. Yes, 60 days of nothing but juice. The results are nothing short of amazing! After watching and becoming completely inspired, we decided to go out and buy our own juicer to give it a try. It wasn’t anything special (only 30 bucks on clearance at Macy’s) but it got the job done. 

This past Christmas, though, I took advantage of the sales and got us the gift of a brand new juicer. After doing some research, I ended up going with the Kuvings Silent Juicer SC Series . What sets this apart from other juicers is that its low-speed motor is extremely efficient at extracting juice while still retaining important nutrients; also known as a masticating juicer. On the other hand, we have centrifugal juicers that use high-speed motors that tend to heat up and destroy key nutrients. Whichever option you choose to go with, you’ll still end up with a tasty juice, but it’s definitely worth the money to go with the masticating in my opinion! 



 
Our morning juice routine usually starts off with one of us (usually Michael) giving all the produce a good rinse and quick scrub with veggie cleaner. I’d recommend this natural veggie wash, which comes in a bundle pack to save you some money! Then it’s off to the cutting board. It’s important to make sure that everything is in small enough pieces to fit into the juicer.

Typically, we like to use tropical fruits to provide a sweeter flavor to our juices and help to mask some of the not-so-tasty ingredients. (Personally, I’m not a huge fan of how kale tastes; only the fabulous nutrients it provides!) Once everything’s all ready to go, we put it all into bowls and then it’s on to the fun part!

Lately, Hadley has taken interest in helping us to prepare our morning juices (much to our surprise). We’ve tried several times in the past to get her involved, but this time she’s sticking to it! When it’s time for her to help, she grabs the step stool and starts putting stuff in.

This is a great way for toddlers to practice naming their fruits and veggies, as well as colors. Hadley likes to say both as she puts them in (i.e. green kiwi, orange carrot, red watermelon, etc.) 

What a ham! She just loves posing for the camera. 😉

The end result -after a bit of mixing, of course- is a nice, delicious juice:

Green pretty much dominates as the primary color in most juices. But don’t be fooled! Depending on what’s in it, the taste is oftentimes the opposite of what you’d expect! 

Hadley’s definitely a fan. Some days, she’s not as excited about the juice, but we’re just happy that she’s involved with it now!

Tips For Juicing With a Toddler

  • Get them involved. The first step is just to get your little one interested and keep it that way. Letting them help you wash the produce (Hadley just loooooves playing in the water) is a great way to make them feel included and most toddlers enjoy being mommy’s/daddy’s little helper!
  • Start with fruit. Initially, Michael and I would make Hadley plain apple juice and then we would juice everything else for ours. Slowly but surely, we started to incorporate more variety, eventually leading up to leafy greens like spinach and kale.
  • Keep it simple. Trying to include too many different things can be a bit overwhelming for your little one. Start with one ingredient that you know he or she likes, then expand from there, trying different options until you have a combination that works. 
  • Make it fun! Hadley’s favorite thing to do when we drink our juice is to “cheers!” so we made a game where every time we cheers, we all have to take a sip. Since she loves to do this pretty much constantly, it’s a sneaky way to get her to drink as much juice as possible. 

My beautiful girl! Luckily, we got to enjoy some more sunshine this past weekend before the rains started again. Ugh.

One of the best parts about juicing -for me- is the energy that it gives me. Every time I juice, I just feel so much more awake and alert than on the days I don’t. Some days are more difficult than others (oh the joys of pregnancy), but I just have to tell myself that it’s not only for me, but for baby as well.

Stay tuned for more of our juicing adventures and recipes!  

A Busy Weekend With My Loves

Nowadays, it seems like a normal weekend for us isn’t complete without a big ol’ list of things we have to get done (and this time was no exception). Oh, adult life… 

Our weekend started Friday night with a newly founded tradition in our house known as “Fajita Friday.” Basically, we just so happened to have fajitas for dinner on a Friday and that was that. It really gives us something to look forward to after a long week and Hadley has taken an interest in helping us out in the kitchen which makes it even more fun!

I have been using the same recipe for months now, which can be found here on Healthy Recipes. I’m a huge fan of how simple it is to make and how much flavor it packs despite having so few ingredients. The end result is nothing short of amazing!

Yum! In my opinion, steak fajitas are the only way to go. Especially when Safeway has their B1G2 promo every couple weeks! (Yes, that’s buy one, get two free.) 

Hadley’s definitely a fan as well! We’re always trying to expand her diet, and every time we have something new, she usually has no problem at least trying a few bites. 

Saturday consisted almost entirely of working on our most recent project, with several trips to our local Home Depot. I won’t give anything away, but expect a post about it in the next couple days. 😉 We took a break in the evening to have a nice, quiet movie night for Michael’s birthday, which as very much needed. Then it was back to work on the project… till about 2:30 in the morning. Overtime!

And then came Sunday. Despite being a bit hectic, we were able to successfully pick up our new couch that I bought from my very good friend, Clarice. I am just so in love with it! We used Michael’s work truck to transport it and were almost home when it decided to pour down rain. Luckily, we were able to get it inside with only a couple soaked spots. (Oh, the joys of Washington!)

Nice, right? One of my favorite parts about getting a new couch was that it gave us an excuse to completely rearrange our living room. Our old couch was a little awkward for our layout, so the way we have it now makes so much more sense. It’s also a much lighter color, which brightens the room and makes it seem a little bigger.  

And since we were already doing a bit of a makeover, I took the time to update a bunch of our picture frames and hang them up! The wall where the TV used to be was completely bare and needed a little something, so I made a little collage. I think it turned out super cute!

Sunday night, my sister stopped by with her squad to surprise me with a bunch of adorable little outfits for our girls! I’ve already told her a million times that she doesn’t need to spoil my children (especially since one of them has yet to be born), but her excuse this time was that JCPenney was having a huge sale on baby and toddler clothes. 😉

Ugh, too cute!

Our weekend came to a close with us cuddling up on our new couch, relaxing for a little bit before finally crashing into bed at 10:00 (which is pretty early for us). Life can get pretty crazy at times, but that’s what family and friends are there for! And also…

GIRL SCOUT COOKIES. Let’s just say I know someone who knows someone… 😉