The End of a Chapter

Good Monday morning! I’ve been doing some thinking over the last several weeks about my little space here. I have always maintained that I wanted to blog for the sake of inspiring and helping others. I have genuinely loved sharing our meals, creations, lives, our sweet babies, our triumphs and struggles as the blogging community has shown me a great deal of love and compassion. But pretty often now I feel a lack of inspiration. I never want to dread writing a post, and while I’m very proud of my content, I acknowledge it’s pretty redundant. I also want to be protective of us and be perhaps a little more cautious about what I share.

While I didn’t think last Friday’s post would be my last official one, I think that’s almost better. I just gave it thought and realized I would like to close this chapter for now. Who knows if I may ever restart it. Never say never. I want to thank everyone for choosing to make my blog a part of your day. Comments on here and messages that people have sent stating how much my words have helped at times meant the world to me. Sometimes we forget just how much we can help others even with just a simple act of sharing a post.

I want to wish everyone well, and again, thank you for all of your support!

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Friday Finds + Favorites!

The weather finally feels like spring again! Well, a bit like summer if we want to be technical, but anything is better than the cold snap we experienced. I have saved up some things I’ve been enjoying lately, and I hope they prove to be interesting and inspiring to you!

First up is this delicious apricot syrup by Kodiak Cakes. I’m a member of their RD Program, and they send me samples to try and review. Matt and I think this is like a thinned jam that can be drizzled over pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, oatmeal muffins, in dressings, etc. It’s full of flavor!

For breakfast on Wednesday, I had half a baked sweet potato with Fage TruBlend Vanilla yogurt, cinnamon, tahini, whole meal ground flax, hemp hearts, and the apricot syrup. It was an awesome combo! It made me think of Mack and her love of sweet potatoes for breakfast. 🙂

They also sent these buttermilk pancake boxes that I’ve been giving out to family and friends to spread the Kodiak Cakes cheer!

I found these Canyon Bakehouse GF English muffins at Wal-Mart of all places, and while they aren’t technically English muffins in texture, they’re very good! They’re more like an English muffin-hamburger bun hybrid, if that makes sense.

I made Alexis’ Fluffy Orange Muffins after work on Monday, and all I can say is make these as soon as you can!! I substituted with Bob’s Red Mill one-for-one GF flour, and they are phenomenal. I enjoyed my first one with her healthy cream cheese frosting, and it tasted like a delicate, special wedding cake. So good!

On Monday morning, I decided to enjoy the last of our Adopo Pizza appetizer for breakfast along with an over easy egg. I had a grapefruit half with cinnamon on the side, and this breakfast was so good!

Dr. Praeger’s Black Bean Quinoa burgers are one of my fav go-to’s. So good! We had them with a huge salad full of color and flavor. I had poppyseed dressing plus blue corn chips.

I love trying new products, and something I find fascinating is all the creative ways to consume legumes. Something to note, though is that even if you like this type of product, legume-based pasta, and cauliflower rice for example, it does not mean you are engaging in disordered or dieting behaviors. The key is to not feel afraid of  or restrict the original foods. If we have cauliflower rice, we also add a carb source to the meal. Just a little tidbit of info to ensure my thoughts behind choosing some products is from a curiousity, having-fun-in-the-kitchen mentality. 🙂

Speaking of delish carbs, I wanted to get a facnier rice, and this sounded like it fit the bill! I love rice medleys.

We enjoy everything from poultry and meat to seafood and vegetarian. I thought this sounded so good and would make for a quick meal one weeknight.

I splurged on this half roundbrush to see if it would help my not-a-pixie-not-yet-a-bob hairdo. Ha! It added some more volume and brought out the layers so far as I could tell.

Kaci kindly let me borrow her Not Perfect Linen MAMA dress, and it was so comfy and fun! I just love their flow-y clothes.

Fresenius Kidney Care provided a t-shirt for us all to show our “FKC Strong” pride. I wore mine with my black pixie pants and my silk neck scarf to add a little retro vibes.

I ordered these products to help with pesky hairs and am hoping they are effective!

I ordered this digital pet feeder for Jackson in the hopes that it would help him to eat his meals throughout the day rather than having to wait until we get home to have his food. Plus he wakes us early some mornings, so we’re hoping he’ll understand that he will be fed at a set time. Poor Jax just doesn’t have great hunger/fullness cues that I attribute to him not being weaned properly. Figuring out the settings has been tricky, and we felt he would probably be the first cat to break into it given how much he dug at it and nearly flipped it over! He could smell the food, so we felt bad that it was like a tease. We’re hoping this routine will work for us all. I’ll try to report back after giving it more time!

I wish you all the very best Friday and weekend ahead!! Please pop in and share any fun finds in the comments!

Mother’s Day Weekend

Hello, and happy Monday! The sun is shining here, and our forecast calls for it to get back to the 80’s by Thursday. I’d settle for temperatures in the 70’s, but bring on the warmth again! Let’s get on to the weekend recap.

Friday

This was quite an epic bagel sandwich! I toasted a K Brew jalapeno cheddar bagel that I then layered with a soft cooked egg, avocado, wilted greens, and strawberry jam. Stellar combo of sweet, savory, and a little bit of spice! The raccoon on our calendar looked like he wanted a bite. Ha!

We had leftover caprese pasta salad for lunch, and then for dinner we had rotisserie chicken with sauteed seasoned green beans, and I had mine with Aldi salt and vinegar quinoa chips dipped in salsa.

Matt mixed his chicken with poppy seed dressing and had it with a Canyon Bakehouse English Muffin.

Day-sert included yogurt, kiwi, mixed roasted nuts, and granola. Naturally I sipped on my lemon ginger tea with honey. Still a fav and going strong! I haven’t been in the mood to watch anything, so I relaxed with a word find.

Saturday

Matt kindly got up and fed our sweeties, and then we slept in for a bit. It felt marvelous. I chose to have an oatmeal muffin with cottage cheese and Kodiak Cakes apricot syrup that they sent for free (!) plus half a banana with crunchy pb on the side.

Matt has been cooking his eggs in our small saucepan, and it seems to make them extra fluffy. I’ll need to try it this week! He had them with melted cheddar and avocado on an English muffin.

I completed a longer Unmeasured workout that felt very challenging in a great way. I took modifications and breaks as needed. Then I got showered and put on my comfy casual best. I live for joggers. They are the right level of casual while still being able to be worn out and about.

Despite it being a little chilly on Saturday, I was craving a smoothie. I blended the rest of my banana, frozen cherries and mixed fruit, fresh frozen spinach (thanks to Simi’s tip!), vanilla yogurt, and vanilla cashew almond milk. I topped my bowl with tahini and shredded wheat.

I went by K Brew for my last free coffee thanks to their offer then over to Kaci and Drew’s. They’ve started the process of moving some of their belongings into storage, so we took several loads and began to organize it. They are handling this so well, and I’m so proud of them!

I wanted to treat us to Adopo Pizza, and they’ve been offereing what they call a “trust fall”. They choose two pizzas, an appetizer, a bottle of wine, and gelato for a set price. I loved being surprised!

I placed the order online then went to sit in their pickup line. The sky was beautiful. I cannot wait to dine-in one day.

I wore this mask just for when I unrolled the window to get our noms.

This whole meal was said to serve two, but it was plenty filling. The appetizer included bread, housemade pickles, sweet salty olives, mozzarella, cured meat, and pesto.

After one more trip to the storage unit and then to Target, we all enjoyed dinner together. Kaci made us deeelicious salads to start.

The ‘za! They gave us a tomato and pesto variety as well as a pepperoni pesto. They also included stracciatella cheese to put on top of the tomato pesto, and peppers + honey for the pepperoni. Both were stellar! All we had to do was reheat at 400 degrees for five minutes. They have switched from their sourdough base to be able to still provide during this weird time. They explained more about the crust here.

They included Cinnamon Toast Crunch gelato. YUM.

We split it, and Kaci and I had a sugar cookie with it.

Sunday // Mother’s Day

I got up and fed the babies, then we slept in again. I still like to get up by the nine o’clock hour so as not to sleep away the day, but even sleeping until then feels glorious. I had a simple bowl of cereal that mixed shredded wheat with Multigrain Cheerios, hemp hearts, crunchy pb, milk, and an apple on the side.

This memory brightened my heart! I’m so grateful to be their mama.

Rachel’s snuggles melt my heart.

Sweet Jax decided to soak up those rays of warm sunshine.

I miss my mom so much and wish more than anything she and I could have one girls’ day together. I was a baby (18) when she passed. I have so much to tell her and ask her, but I feel comfort knowing she lives on in my heart as well as Kaci’s. She was selfless, hardworking, strong, and loving.

I’m also so grateful for Karin for being a mother to me for over half my life! She has helped me out of some dark times, and despite not being blood-related, I feel so very similar in many ways.

Kaci decided to try Manime, but her sets didn’t fit her nails as well as they should. Thankfully, their customer service is great, and they are sending her another order for free. She gave these to me to try. I botched the application because I didn’t think to use nail clippers to trim the excess. I ordered a set of my own to try.

For lunch, I mixed roasted garlic and caramelized onion hummus varieties with mashed avocado and shredded parm from Adopo. I dipped carrots into it, and I had the last two slices of pizza. I also ate some more of my Cruze Farm coffee toffee churn that I had in the freezer. So good!

I took my car through the carwash, and despite her fair share of dings and wear and tear, she was sparkling.

I went by Stanley’s Greenhouse and, along with half of Knoxville, chose some new plants for our front porch! I’m just hoping to keep them well. I certainly will put forth more effort to care for them.

I hung out with Kaci and Drew, and we all made a quick trip to Home Depot together. I found the foaming wall cleaner we’ve wanted, but so far, it’s not doing much. I’ll keep trying because I want our place to be as nice as possible.

Matt was so kind and found a way to hang my plant! I love how the other one drapes down the garden cart. I also bought a hydrangea that I think is just so pretty. We need to touch up the chairs and clean the porch, but this makes me smile.

I love hydrangeas! They almost look unreal with the colors they can take on from the pH of the soil.

I completed an Unmeasured workout, and then Matt got home in time for us to make dinner together. I loved it! We made lasagna roll-ups using leftover roasted tomatoes, steamed artichoke hearts, sauteed yellow squash/onion/garlic, pesto, and mozzarella pearls. We also cooked mild Italian sausages that we cut into fourths and rolled inside. We added pesto to the top, but without a sauce, we realized we should’ve covered the dish in foil. The tops of the pasta were chewy, but we’ll nail it next time. They were still so delicious! We had a salad on the side.

I had half a grapefruit with a sprinkle of muesli, granola, and nuts plus my tea. I was still hungry, so I had a baby mug of the remainder of the muesli with some granola, nuts, and cashew almond milk. It did the trick and satisfied me.

Monday

Today marks nine years ago that I graduated from undergrad. So hard to believe!! Jackson hadn’t even been born yet. Mason and Rachel were and always will be our sweet cheerleaders!

Have a wonderful day and week ahead! As always, please feel free to share any fun things you did or ate this weekend!

Friday Finds + Favorites!

Happy Friday! It’s that time to share my current finds and favorites that give me joy. I sure hope this sparks inspiration, and I would love for you to share any of yours in the comments!

Kaci and Drew sold their precious home, but they are in the process of finding their next with the market not being that great in terms of selections. They will be moving in with his parents’ temporarily, so they’ll need to find a storage unit. She so kindly chose to give me her Pioneer Woman measuring cups and spoons rather than to put them in storage. She has displayed rather than used them, and she wanted me to be able to enjoy them. I’d like to think I’m babysitting them because if she wants them back, that’s absolutely fine. Aren’t they so pretty? I love all of Ree’s products and designs!

I bought this sweater from Sarah @etcbysarah on Instagram. I highly recommend you follow her! She has wonderful content and clothes. I love how unique this sweater is with the embroidered flowers.

While it’s not a huge difference or fancy style, I just love how much better my hair looks and feels to me now that it has been cut. It looks fuller and better syled in my opinion now when I pin it back.

I also bought this bag from her. So cute!! I’ve wanted a bag like this for a long time now, and I’m glad I waited. She said she believed it was made in Bali, and I love the addition of the pom poms.

I invested in another Not Perfect Linen piece, and this time I chose one of their jumpsuits. I adore the color and fit! It’s so comfortable, flattering, and versatile.

I dropped off some donations at Goodwill and found this teal+mustard Loft top for only $2.99. It is so comfortable with a fun print! One of my friends at work said it looked, “grown up”. I knew what she meant – a pretty blouse that is mature.

I paired it with a pair of my statement earrings to highlight the green from the print.

So funny story: as I was walking back up to our front porch from an evening walk last week, something purple in the bushes caught my eye. The bushes you see to the right of my photos were concealing this never-opened 53-piece Hyper Tough tool kit! It was obviously gross for being outside for who knows how long, but I cleaned it up and organized all my tools. I just pretend it already looks “tough” and used. 😉 I am not really sure how to use half of these or what I’ll need them for, but ya girl is ready!

Kaci ordered more razors and soap bars from Harry’s, and she received three soap bars. She chose to give me one, and it smells so lovely. I also appreciate how cute the inside of the box is – the details really matter to me.

After getting my hair cut, my sweet stylist used this product, and I loved how it looked and held. I have been using Aquage since getting my pixie, and I intend to continue to do so. Love their products, and again, their packaging is so pretty!

Kroger was nearly all wiped out of cleaning supplies, but I chose this all-purpose cleaner by Method. It smells amazing! It isn’t harsh or bothersome to my nose, and it cleans well. Dare I say it makes cleaning more enjoyable?

I bought this shower curtain in December 2018 but tucked it away only wanting to use it once we found and bought a home. I realized it is ridiculous to not enjoy it now. Just like one doesn’t have to wait to do x, y or z until he/she has the “perfect” body, I can choose to love our townhome now instead of only thinking of buying a home one day. I love how our “bird on branch” theme has taken flight. Haha.

This fabric flower we’ve had for a while now in a vase on Matt’s side of the vanity even matches nicely!

I love humorous memes and the Golden Girls!

For Cinco de Mayo, we had sweet potatoes over wilted greens and stuffed with Amy’s medium vegetarian chili, freshly shredded cheddar, avocado, pickled jalapenos, and Greek yogurt. I followed Anne’s microwave technique to cook the sweet potatoes rather than to turn on the oven for just two. Dinner came together in no time! Also, how adorable is Jackson?

I then enjoyed the rest of the chili for breakfast warmed over wilted greens and a Cracker Barrel buttermilk biscuit, all topped with a sunny side up egg. So good!

Kath shared a recipe for a Caprese Pasta Salad, and I immediately knew I would make it this week! We used Ancient Harvest chickpea elbows, and it was fantastic.

During an evening walk, I snapped these two photos. The roses are at the entrance to our complex. Color and blooms really make my heart happy.

As always, I love to end on a positive note as we go into our weekend. Have a great one!

Fresh Hair + Good Eats

Hello and happy Monday! The day started very dreary and rainy, but the sun is out in full force, so I will definitely be heading out for a walk once I hit “publish” on this post.

Friday

I started the day with an egg-cellent breakfast. I sandwiched a fried farm fresh egg and sautéed spinach between whole grain bread toasted with turkey deli meat and sharp cheddar. A delicious kiwi on the side.

My look for the day.

My hair before getting it cut later that day!

K Brew so graciously is giving free drip coffee to all health care workers until sometime later this month, so I popped over and got a spectacular roast, Marble City. A light roast with a medium body/flavor.

Post-haircut selfie! I am pretty close to having a graduated bob my amazing stylist, Nancy said. I love it!

She trimmed my neck and bangs then removed some extra weight with her texturizing shears.

Kaci had her appointment after me, so we were fresh-haired twinklets.

We both placed a to-go order at Surin of Thailand, but it took quite some time to be prepared. Matt and I split a tuna sushi roll, their coconut soup with chicken, and one of their curry duck entrees. It was all so good!

We watched two episodes of Ozark then crawled into bed late. We were party animals. 😉

Saturday

I slept in nicely then made a Flapjack cup topped with cottage cheese and pb plus an apple on the side.

Coffee in my cat mug plus snuggles with Jax!

That face ❤

I then got to work on dusting, vacuuming, organizing, decluttering, scrubbing the toilets, washing laundry and washing the dishes. It felt so good to clean our home!

For some reason, breakfast held me over much longer than I normally can go between meals, but I finally sat down to eat because despite lower hunger cues, I knew I needed food. I enjoyed cucumber, carrots, and crackers with avocado and caramelized onion hummus. It was so flavorful. I then had the last chocolate almond biscotti with our unsweetened almond-cashew milk.

Rachel helped me big time with the laundry! She tucked herself into the towels. She’s so damn cute!

I quickly got ready and went fresh-faced for my errands.

My first attempt at styling my new cut. I want to get a round brush, but my paddle brush seemed to give it nice volume.

I dropped off donations at Goodwill and found one cute top. I then shopped at Kroger and put away all of our goods.

For dinner, we enjoyed simple 90-second brown rice, rotisserie chicken, and roasted green beans and mushrooms topped with caramelized onions sautéed with artichoke hearts, spices, and GF bread crumbs. A mixture of store-bought and homemade that gave us a tasty, quick meal.

For a late snack, I had a banana with Fage unsweetened vanilla yogurt and granola. We finished the last two episodes of Ozark, and for anyone following, that ending was crazy!! Excited to see where it heads in season four.

Sunday

Sunday was rather uneventful because I had to stick around the house. I have had IBS since I was about 13 or 14, and I wanted to be sure all was well with my GI. So I elected to have a colonoscopy, which is a pretty big deal for me. Several years ago, I developed/realized how much anxiety I had around health, and I hated to go to the doctor. I went to my dental, vision, and female appointments but struggled to find a PCP I trusted. I found one last year who is phenomenal, and I decided to pursue a GI evaluation. I am proud that I did it, but the prep was no joke. It wasn’t bad on my stomach – no cramping or discomfort – but having to fast and drink copious amounts of water and a laxative isn’t for the faint of heart. 😉 I know for whatever reason, it seems taboo to talk about this procedure, but we’re all human. So I wanted to share as I have no shame in wanting it done.

The babies kept me company. ❤ ❤ I didn’t get a photo with sweet Rachel, but she was my girl. Stayed with me as I walked around the house to keep from feeling a tad stir-crazy. The day was so beautiful that I felt a smidge gipped not getting to enjoy it. Matt went fishing with two friends, so I was glad he got to soak up some sun!

I also repurposed this candle holder into a pot for another faux succulent arrangement. Really happy with this one!

Monday

I didn’t sleep well but had to be up at 4:45 to finish my prep. Ooph. Matt had to drop me off at the endoscopy center but couldn’t come inside because of Covid-19. They were really prompt and polite. I was thankful for all who tended to me. I was in and out of the building in two hours. I’m really grateful that my results were very good! My doctor did take some biopsies of my large intestine to thoroughly check, and I’m hoping all is well there too. It does give me peace of mind.

Once in the car, I ate a cranberry almond Gluten Free Bar that curbed my hunger for a bit. I then sipped on coffee when I got home. It was so warm and comforting.

After I showered, I felt much better. Although my nose has been really runny and sneezy. Ugh! I hope it’s nothing. I had to wear oxygen, and I at first thought it dried out my nose. But the sneezing worries me. Geez. Matt had enjoyed breakfast at Cracker Barrel while he waited on me, and he brought me back two biscuits. So thoughtful! I had a cheesy scrambled egg with the last of my turkey burger over wilted spinach, biscuit with concord grape jelly, avocado, and a cutie. Hit the spot!

That pretty much catches y’all up to speed. I’m going to put on my sandals and sunscreen and head out for a walk now. I hope you all have a fantastic day and week ahead! I’ll be back on Friday for another round of my finds + favs.

Friday Finds + Favorites!

Hello, and happy Friday!! It’s sunny, Matt and I got to have breakfast and enjoy time together this morning, I’m getting my hair cut this evening, and Kaci and Drew will be joining us for dinner. Can I get an amen for a stellar end to this week? So grateful! Also, Simi’s Beautifully Imperfect group officially kicked off today, and I’m very thankful I finally joined. It’s time I put some more time and effort into healing my perfectionist traits and unhelpful beliefs.

Onto some fun finds and favs as of late! These are the GF ice cream waffle cones I found, and Matt really loves them. I’ll be trying one soon as well. They are small but still a great product to have discovered.

Aldi always has their hummus game on point. Love caramelized onions, and I have yet to find Sabra’s caramelized onion hummus again.

Kaci told me about Aldi’s carrot cake hummus, and I can vouch that it is scrumptious! Perfect with apple slices, toast, waffles, yogurt, oatmeal, etc.

It doesn’t look pretty, I admit, but this breakfast was 100. I toasted a GF thin bagel, spread cream cheese, added sliced cucumber, and then I added pan-seared leftover Everything Bagel Ahi Tuna. Cuties on the side for a bright, juicy compliment.

Another morning I cooked muesli with water and oj then topped my bowl with thawed cherry medley, cottage cheese, hemp hearts, and tahini. Any fellow tahini lovahs out there?

Matt’s 37th birthday was on Wednesday, so I made a nostalgic meal for us that we used to make a lot in the early part of our relationship. I changed it up some for fun. I cooked Beyond Meat’s Hot Italian “Sausages” with caramelized onion and sauteed peppers. We enjoyed it over simple 90-second white rice. We loved this meal, and I think it was even better for lunch the next day! The sausage was very tasty. But since we know what pork sausage tastes like, it was different but still totally satisfying.

I picked up two desserts from our GF Free Reign Bakery. This was two chocolate chip cookies sandwiched with chocolate frosting in the middle. Jax photo bomb!

Their strawberry cobbler bar.

We split them both and had Greek yogurt with it. I saved the cobbler bar for the next day. This dessert was very sweet, but we both agreed the yogurt balanced it so perfectly.

I have no idea why I ever put a mat at our back door because we always come in through the garage. That mat was disgusting, so I had to throw it away, and I got this beautiful one on sale from Target. So bright and cheerful!

The rose bushes around my second dialysis clinic are blooming beautifully.

And my manager at that clinic made this for the back door. So fun and pretty!

Snuggles after work with Jackson are so uplifting and warm my heart!

Kaci and Drew ordered a new dining table and chairs that she had delivered to our home since they’re in the process of finalizing the sale on their precious home. Jax had to test out the boxes, naturally. His face is so floofy and smoochable! And those paws. ❤

Rachel was such a mood this morning, and I absolutely adore snuggling with my girl!! She loved having both of us up to hand out with, and clearly she was feeling good.

I couldn’t resist and on impulse got them this toy. At first, they were not impressed. But they’ve both become very playful and have used it quite a bit!

One outfit I loved this week complete with a baby bun. 😉

Another outfit included my polka dot red midi skirt, knotted black top, silk handmade scarf, and animal print shoes. So love combining different patterns!

I don’t know who, but someone nominated me to win a gift from Rigazzi Wellness, a local business. I received a free massage, and I could not be more thankful!

Ending with a powerful message by MHN. ❤

 

Quarantine & Chill

Hello, and happy Monday, friends! I don’t know about you, but for us, the weekend weather was rather rainy and chilly, but of course today it’s sunny and mild. Go figures. 😉 Let’s jump into a little weekend recap, shall we?

Friday

I started the day on a very deeeelicious note. I had the last of my carrot cake baked oatmeal with cream cheese frosting and raisins with fluffy scrambled eggs over greens with avocado. This plate had so much flavor!

I’m slowly bringing my pixie pants back as I change out my clothes for spring/summer.

Matt and I took our engagement photos four years ago from Friday, and it was so fun looking back at some of them!

We basically laugh like crazy in all of our photos. 🙂

I made this and was admittedly really proud of it. We have it displayed in our upstairs hallway. ❤

I so love where we took our photos because it had the perfect vibe. I mean, this purple wall was so fun!

On a whim, we decided to photograph us eating the banana muffins I had made and brought just in case we wanted a snack. So perfect for us as we love to cook together, and he introduced me to my love of cooking!

Field of clovers.

Alright, so back to Friday. A drug representative catered Olive Garden for us, and it was very tasty! Chicken parmesan, cheesy pasta, spaghetti, salad, and a breadstick.

Plus a mini cheesecake cup.

I finally hung our skeleton, and we made him first demonstrate the importance of protecting ourselves from Covid-19. Our patients are being asked to submit name suggestions.

Matt came home earlier than I expected, and it was such a treat! We relaxed for a bit before I made dinner. I had the last of our Dr. Praeger’s burgers with a thin GF bagel spread with garlic hummus, roasted broccoli, and baby carrots. It hit the spot.

I snacked on a mug of shredded wheat with pb and milk plus an apple and my tea with honey while we watched Ozark season three. It’s getting so twisted and crazy! Anyone else a fan?

Saturday

I made a really enjoyable oatmeal muffin topped with thawed fruit, cottage cheese, pb, and local honey.

I think my favorite thing about this photo is the plunger and toilet bowl brush. 😉 The babies were rather naughty, so I was up earlier than I expected to be. I was rockin’ some stellar bedhead.

Jax is so bad but so damn cute!

Rachel always wants to talk about allthethings at very early hours of the morning. But they’re just so cute and precious.

We miss our baby boy so damn much!! Look at those paws. ❤

A cat cafe that is set to open later this spring/early summer shared this fun cat bingo that I had to play.

And Barre3 shared a word find.

Kaci came over as I was finishing an Unmeasured workout, and then I heated this frozen butternut squash ravioli entree for lunch, and I had it over wilted greens plus an apple for a sweet finish.

I got showered and put my “quarantine look” together. Kase and I watched The Office bloopers and had some really good laughs!

We snuggled with the babies, and then she left to go back home and help Drew with some tasks. I tried my hand at whipped Dolgona coffee. Nailed it! Next time I’ll boil the water on the stove because I think microwaving it may have had an effect. I used my electric frother wand, but it just didn’t want to cooperate. I had it over unsweetened vanilla protein almond-cashew milk, and it still tasted really good!

I went to Aldi and then to Kroger for a few things before getting back home.

I snacked on the last of our fan-say potato chips with carrots and hummus.

For dinner, I made Julie’s Everything Bagel Seared Tuna with sauteed green beans tossed in the dressing from this recipe. We also enjoyed Aldi’s 90-second rice-quinoa blend, and we both loved this meal! I bought the sushi-grade Ahi tuna from Aldi, and it is very high quality. Highly recommend this!

I enjoyed yogurt with some thawed cherries, shredded wheat, and roasted nuts. We watched one episode of Ozark then called it a night.

Sunday

I was on an oatmeal muffin kick, but this time I made it with savory spices, cheddar, greens, and a sunny side up farm fresh egg. If you have not tried an oat muffin or savory oatmeal, this is a must!

Matt and I relaxed while we sipped our coffee, then I got ready for the day. His birthday is this Wednesday, so we went to Cruze Farm for an early birthday treat. I found him GF waffle cones that we brought. He tried their Lemon Custard-Blackberry swirl and loved it! I had my first churn, their Coffee Toffee. We both saved what we didn’t finish, so now we have more to enjoy with those cones.

My handsome husband.

He joined two friends to fish while I hung out with Kase. Since we ate ice cream at lunchtime, I a late snacky-lunch of Red Hot Blues, hummus, carrots, and tomatoes.

Kase gave me a wannabe topknot, and I’m really excited to get to a point when I can wear one!

She also used her curling iron to add waves to my locks, and I need to get one and start practicing! I’ve never felt great about curling my own hair, but I’m determined to learn how.

I loved the volume it added.

For dinner, we each enjoyed a simple salad and the last of our shrimp alfredo. Easy peasy.

I ate a Kodiak Cake Strawberry Chocolate Chip muffin out of our vanilla yogurt tub with pb and an apple on the side. We’re over halfway through the third season, and I’m anxious to see what happens!

Monday

Kaci kindly let me borrow this top, and I love it! The collar and tie is so fun.

Have a great week!

Friday Finds + Favorites!

Hello, and happy Friday! Today I have a random assortment of things that have made me happy and that I would love to share with you all. I hope your week started and is ending on a good note!

Eat Healthy Designs are selling these adorable masks that are well-made, fashionable, and will provide protection. I would love the avocado one in Mason’s memory. ❤

I love this account, and I feel like this speaks to me, if only I kept plants alive.

I thought this filter, ‘Comic Book, on Insta was fun, so I took a snapshot of my favorite area in our home.

Half-caf iced latte with oat milk from Mahalo gave me such a pep in my step on Tuesday! Also, hello party pants. I’m slowly switching out my clothes for spring/summer. Going through to see what I still want, what fits, and what I want to donate.

I FINALLY have a hair appointment for May 1st, and I am *so * excited. While I’m not getting much cut at all as I am growing it out, just having my neck and bangs trimmed plus some of the weight removed will feel so fresh. This is how much it grew from early February from my one and only cut since starting this process to now. I’m proud of how quickly it seems to be growing!

I took these while on a long walk on Tuesday. Sunshine, warmth, and a walk always boosts my mood so much! It’s therapy by nature.

I had wanted to try Ragu’s cauliflower-based Alfredo sauce since seeing it in the Food and Nutrition Magazine, but I hadn’t found it. I did see this one from Kroger’s brand, so I decided to try it.

We tossed it with GF pasta, roasted broccoli, and sauteed wild shrimp with Old Bay. Turned out really well!

“Pattern Play” – I love combining polka dots and animal print.

I needed new tweezers, but y’all, the cost of some are ridiculous. $17 for one I saw at Kroger. Big fat nope. I found this set that I thought looked well-made and cute. Can’t go wrong with some color!

I have wanted to be a member of Simi’s Beautifully Imperfect group for a while now, and I decided it would be the greatest gift to myself. Some old fears and thoughts resurfaced recently that made me realize again that growth is not linear. So I proudly registered and am excited to address and work through areas where I need to focus on breaking down these thoughts and beliefs. I thought it was perfect that MHN’s message on the day I registered spoke about letting things go i.e. perfection, worry, fear, and so forth.

I’m hoping Matt and I can celebrate his birthday early this weekend with a trip to Cruze Farm! He doesn’t like to make a big deal about his birthday, but I always try to. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Ice Cream Date + The Great Outdoors

Hello, and happy Monday! I thought it was going to mostly be an ugly day, but so far, the sun has been shining, and the temperature is supposed to warm up to the low 70’s. It’s the little things that are making me happy. I sure wish we could have stayed home today. Matt’s boss bought a new shop, so they’re in the process of moving all of their inventory while continuing to ship parts that people have purchased, so he went into work both Saturday and Sunday. He definitely needed the day, but life doesn’t hit pause.

Friday

I started the day with trying this frozen entree complete with avocado and jam toast and cuties. It was okay but not the greatest in flavor. But you never know unless you try!

My ensemble for the day. 🙂 I bought this top at Shandi’s Boutique, and it’s so soft and comfortable. Plus I just love the pattern.

Sweet Jackson wanted snuggles and to be held after I got home and fed them! Look at that swishy tail.

Dinner was cajun seasoned baked salmon, simple salad, and pasta salad for me leftover from my lunch from Shandi’s while Matt had Bird’s Eye lentil pasta that is a great go-to.

I just had a banana with cinnamon and pb with tea and honey while we watched Ozark. It’s getting so crazy in season two!

Saturday

I went ahead and made these mini frittata muffins on Friday evening, and I scored our grapefruit. I used a bag of frozen Mexican mixed vegetables, spices, and Tillamook thick cut shredded Mexican cheese blend. Easy and delicious.

I topped my white grapefruit with cinnamon.

We completed our breakfast with avocado toast + EBTB seasoning.

I relaxed with my coffee and cuddled with our sweeties. I loved this daily message by MHN. I finished a word find, which I enjoy doing to relax.

Simi led the first Unmeasured live workout, and it was so invigorating!! I sweat and shook and felt challenged in a great way. Rachel kept me company too. Also, my hair has entered a very shaggy stage. Just rollin’ with it because no reason to fight it. I can’t get it cut for about two more weeks, but I’m very much looking forward to it!

Lunch was a salad with the last of my pasta salad and some of our salmon.

Then I got myself ready to spend the day with Kase!

I hung out with her while she finished getting ready, then she accompanied me on my errands. I finally took our glass recycle to the recycling center, and I dropped off our batteries to be recycled. Then it was off to Cruze Farm!

I chose their Lemon Custard Blackberry Swirl in a waffle cone with sprinkles, and it was the best combination! These are two “vintage” flavors that they brought back for spring. Kaci went with their amazing chocolate with sprinkles.

Taste the rainbow.

Awkward selfie of me to document our twinklet time. Kaci looks so pretty! I think we look pretty similar here, which I love.

I then went with Kaci, Drew, and Axl to hike at Sharp’s Ridge. It was a beautiful day! Just a tad chilly.

You could see the World’s Fair Sunsphere through the trees, which I thought was neat.

Kaci kindly took these of me on her fancy phone.

I later discovered this hitchiker in my hair! I released him outside.

Dinner was leftover soup I had shared in Friday’s post, and I had a tortilla warmed and stuffed with hummus to go with it.

Snackage while watching Ozark included a mug of Greek yogurt with some shredded wheat, pb, and an apple + my delish lemon ginger tea with honey.

Sunday

Unfortunately, Matt had to leave for work before breakfast was ready. I ate a small apple with some pb and raisins while I waited.

I made Alexis’ Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal with her Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting. I absolutely love it! It’s like spring in oatmeal form.

I adore these memories, but they feel so long ago. 😥

He looks annoyed, but he was purring and loving these snuggles! I miss our angel baby. That sweet face. ❤

Rachel chose to nap like this. She’s always been such a silly girl!

I follow the Insta page @vintage, and they shared these two of Lucille Ball. I will always be a huge fan.

Each message just speaks to beautifully to me.

I vacuumed the house then felt like doing an Unmeasured workout. It was stellar, as always! I then made this tasty lunch of greens, hummus, sauerkraut, sweet and spicy pickles, Dr. Praeger’s black bean quinoa burger, avocado, and fancy potato chips.

Thin Mints and milk for a sweet finish.

I took my time getting ready then donned my mask to shop at Kroger. For dinner, we went simple with a sweet kale salad topped with salmon and some baby carrots for more colorful crunch.

I gave myself my second quarantine mani with a new OPI polish I got at Kroger. It felt really nice to do this for myself.

I enjoyed a small mug of Cheerios with pb powder, cinnamon, almond cashew milk, and a small banana while we just relaxed. I didn’t feel like an episode of Ozark since it sometimes wakes me up from the action. Ha.

Monday

“Rainbow Bright” look.

I love this color and can see it being a staple for me this summer.

Have a beautiful week!