Blog Dump

Welllll after all my big talk about not worrying about the month of August where Wyatt has no school, it is only Tuesday and there is no school for this one week and I might not survive. Whewww.  I mean, don't get me wrong. He is mostly well behaved.  He plays independently. But the time to sit down and do uninterrupted work during Kate's nap NAWT gonna happen.  Kate is recovering from fever, congestion, croupy cough so maybe I have to keep that in mind too.  A few days in a row, she fell asleep while sitting at the table eating lunch.  She fell asleep while playing playdoh at the table.  She fell asleep on a bike ride. Her body is just tired but she can't get good rest because congestion and coughing nonsense.

Not even apple juice could keep her awake.

Also, I survived 36 hours with only half a phone. I could see that I had a new text or a missed call but that was about it. I had to make up half of the key pad and my camera stopped working and blah blah blah first world problems. Anyways, I went to get a new one and I am so enjoying the iPhone 6 Plus for the 5 seconds I had a chance to mess with it today.  And it feels so wasteful to buy the Apple Care plan, but I did because I drop my phone 1 to 3 times a day.


Speaking of technology, it is so funny to watch Wyatt try to use a real computer. With a mouse and a keyboard.  He gets so frustrated because it is not touch screen. 

I need to invent a glass / cup / tumbler that children abhor. All of my cups that I fill with water in an attempt to keep me hydrated look like exactly what my sick kid wants to drink out of.  She sneaks it somehow someway.  She will drag a stool over to the kitchen counter. She will find it in my secret hiding spot.  Luckily I am only sipping straight ice water all day so this is not too big of a deal. Something without a straw is less tempting but is more spilly all over my living room.

I am on a mission to eat all of the food in my freezer before buying more.  I am so stocked that I cannot even find what is in my freezer.  I am really good about freezing leftovers and making doubles of recipes and throwing them in the freezer but I am horrible at remembering to use them...until now hopefully.  My newest freezer item to stockpile is handfuls of spinach in individual portions.  You know those big tubs of baby spinach that you don't ever quite finish before they get mushy stinky...throw handfuls into the freezer and green smoothie it.  Yup...still addicted to smoothies.  I bought these lollipop thingies from a Tupperware party, and I am making smoothie pops now.  Next up, I am going to try the adult alcoholic margarita or daquiri pops.   Yeahhhh.

So we are attempting a lake trip for the 4th of July.  Wyatt will probably get sick the day before we are supposed to leave, but maybe not.  Maybe we will actually be able to go and play!  Maybe Kate will even sleep while not in her own bed?  Maybe the lake house neighbors won't play Kid Rock on repeat all night long while blasting the fireworks.   Happy red white and blue to you!

Five Fact Friday

1. Remember how much I love the Wen cleansing conditioner but the price stopped me from repeat purchasing?  Well, now Herbal Essence has a copy cat.  You can buy it on Amazon for around $5 a bottle. I am happy with the results, but the smell could be better. It is a bit medicinal.

2. I am sort of anti sunscreen.  I mean obviously I am about sun protection and blocking the skin cancer, but I cannot handle the sunscreen on my face. The burning. The breakouts. The chemicals even. I have turned into a hat girl. UNTIL..a friend sold me some of her Soothe Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 by Rodan +Fields.  Now, she sold me this for $15 and it is usually $45 so I am really going to have to debate about a repeat purchase but this feels so good. And it doesn't stink. And it doesn't burn. And it works. I could even say I enjoy putting it on in the morning.

 
3. I have done 2 more weeks of Blue Apron (3 total). I couldn't stop myself.  Yes, the price is expensive, but I had 2 busy weeks and to my door and fun recipes and pre measured could not be beat.  We made the Salmon Po Boy Sandwiches with Remoulade and the Calzones this week.  Hunter has been happy with all 6 meals I have cooked.  I have too.  They are easy to modify and make kid friendly.  I am going to exercise self control and skip the next few weeks and do my own grocery shopping and meal planning.

4. I was getting myself all pumped up to do some "school" type of activities from home for the month of August because Wyatt doesn't have school that month and I am dreading how I am going to get my work done.  So I went off researching activities, and I came across this home schooling mom website that had an article that I randomly read. The article is titled "What Curriculum Should I Use for My 4 Year Old".  And it made me check myself.  Settle down. You are already doing the things you should be doing.  Just have fun.  Don't be all school up in his face. Whew.  Ok. Relax. I won't be printing out little packets for Wyatt. To summarize...

eschoolmom.com/what-curriculum-should-i-use-for-my-4-year-old/#sthash.ap3LLoeg.dpuf

• Read to your child
• Play with Legos
• Go for a walk
• Go to the library
• Walk in the woods
• Visit museums
• Go to the zoo
• Play at the park or in the back yard
• Play with maps
• Play with Playdoh
• Play dress up
• Play games
• Listen to him

Halleluiah, I do these things just about every week so we are doing something the same as this lady and maybe even right?  Now, go play your legos so I can get my work done Wyatt!!!!! 

5. My nephew came to visit us for a few days this week.  So far we have made ice cream, played outside, destroyed the house, splashed in the kiddie pool, busted $10 of water balloons in 5 minutes, gone on walks and bike rides and gator rides, visited a splash pad, eaten popsicles, watched a minecraft video or 3(this is all new to me), done some toy bickering, and had a fabulous time.

The only pic of all 3 because I haven't had as much time to be on my phone with 3 around.

Five Fact Friday

1. Sometimes your house has power surges for a few months and you ignore it. Then one day, the surges get really bad. Like poltergiest bad. Your appliances don't run. Your lights are super dim.  Then they get lightening bright.  Sometimes your 3 year old will be napping in your bed and your 1 year old wakes up, and you smell fire. AND THEN, you get to have a practice fire drill.  I chose to save my 2 children.  Then I went back inside and grabbed our important paper fireproof-ish box. Then I went back in and got my truck keys, my phone, and my computer (kinda silly).  I was ready to BAIL.  GET OUT.  Then I started doing the what if I am imagining this talk.  If I call someone, they are just going to say yah lady, you don't have enough to do. Sure the lights are flickering in your house and you smell fire.  I made my neighbor come over to smell and vouch for my sanity and she said you are not crazy..stay out.  So anyways, my house didn't burn down, the power company had to come replace / fix a transfomer and all is right.  This is your friendly reminder to think about what you would save in a pinch.  And some pics to prove that I am not that crazy lady.

2. I did a week of Blue Apron.  I was very impressed with the quality of ingredients. I enjoyed the creativity of the recipes.  The recipes were detailed. The packaging could not be easier (no measuring). The price is expensive, but hey it is food delivered to your door and it is FUN.  I might not do many more weeks in the future (because of the price), but this would be a great gift for a new mom or a person who likes to cook but may be a little sick or not able to get out. 

The packaging

Korean meatballs

Chicken, spring quinoa, rhubarb chutney

3.  You should make this coffee protein shake.  I need to follow the Serious Eats perfect Migas recipe. I want to try this quinoa salad since I finally found a quinoa recipe I like (thanks Blue Apron).

4.

Wheeee

5.

Wheee

Happiest Friday.

Five Fact Friday

1. All right stop, collaborate and listen. Ice is back with a brand new invention ......ICED ICED COFFEE.  I, the non coffee drinker, am totally obsessed with iced coffee.  Or iced lattes. I am not sure what the correct terminology is.  Half coffee (sometimes decaf because I am silly like that), half milk, and a tablespoon of some sort of flavor.  My current fave is Amaretto/almond syrup.  How Sweet Eats has 4 DIY flavors so I used her almond recipe. I would like to try some of her other flavors.  Next week perhaps.  When I need to be healthier, I just pour in some almond extract and a tiny bit of Stevia (the only non sugar sweetener I can sorta tolerate) instead of the syrupy syrup.   The cold brew coffee method is necessary. Or you just use Hunter's gourmet coffee leftovers. Or I suppose you can settle for Starbucks or local coffee shop if you are into that kind of thing.  I am not sure how long this coffee love phase will last, but here I am.

2. So most of you know, I sorta accidentally published a swimsuit try on pic to Facebook.  I have mostly recovered from this.  I was really truly horrified when it happened.  Like my body felt like it had been crying all day.  My heart rate was up.  I was super embarrassed. I consider myself to be a moderately tech savvy person, but I took a try on pic to send to a friend and my kids or my butt posted that pic to facebook.  The side of the suit had these lace up things to add some sexiness, and I felt like I could not pull this look off.  I had my undies on underneath the swim suit, no hair done, no sucking in, just raw real life swim suit try on.  One of my friends called me to discuss this later on that day (I heard from soo many people) and had me laughing so hard I started crying.  They so perfectly described my morning of just wanting to find a nice suit to look good in while my kids were running around and crying and sorta eating breakfast.  They challenged me to put it up and own it and be proud because that is life and things could be much worse and all that...so I did.  I let it gooooooo.  Let it goooo. I submitted my story to a Fashion Blog that I follow that actually recommended moms to wear this suit.  I submitted it for 2 reasons.....1. can you imagine many things worse than accidentally publishing a swimsuit selfie and 2. life be crazy, be sorta happy with your life, and your body and all that good stuff. 
     Well, the comments I got from friends and the comments I got from strangers were just so kind and uplifting, I can't even describe them.  It was so much more than the "blah blah you look nice".  I can't really describe it, but I need to save all of the comments and come back and read them when I am feeling blue.  It was like kindness pouring out of people and of course everyone checking their phones to see what pics their kids could accidentally publish too.  You may read my horribly embarrassing story here if you would like to.  If you would like to read the comments, you will find that Angela has a much worse story than I do, and she handled it like a rock star.  #swimsuitselfie #atleastitwasntanudie

3. I have perfected a grapefruit smoothie.   Makes 2. Freeze one. Let it thaw over night and have the next day. 

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 grapefruit segmented
• 6 strawberries
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 6 ice cubes

 4. Kate and her accessories.  She just really really loves shoes, hats, other wearable items.  Check this outfit out.  She WANTED to wear her life jacket.  She REFUSED to let me put shorts on.  She WANTED to wear her winter boots that are too small.   She WANTED to play in the front yard. So we did. And fun was had by all.  And the neighbors can have more things to laugh about and discuss

5. Our summer break so far...