Menu Plan Monday...on Tuesday!

The boys and I spent the last 5 days in Georgia visiting my family. We just got back yesterday--with a sick Griffin--so I am a day late with meal planning! 

Tuesday: Burrito Bowls (Chicken, brown rice, tomato, avocado, black beans, corn, & cilantro)

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: Taco Cups

Image via Plain Chicken

 

Friday: Grilled chicken, roasted broccoli, & baked sweet potato

Saturday: homemade pizza (I'm using the Publix whole wheat crust)

Sunday: Oven-Baked Fajitas

image via Real Mom Kitchen

Reasons I Love My Kids #3

• I love that Grayson is such a helper & actually thinks it is fun to help throw away diapers, retrieve wipes, & feed the dogs. 
• I love how Griffin is totally content just to hang out with us. He needs no real entertainment; he just wants to be near. 

 

• I love that when Griffin starts crying, Grayson notices and immediately tells us. He loves going in after nap time to check Griffin's crib & say, "hey baby Griffin!" So sweet.
• I love that Grayson only needs a yard full of grass, leaves, & mulch to be entertained.
• I love that Griffin is a mama's boy. 
• I love how Grayson talks SO MUCH right now but has some language confusion. It cracks me. "Me did it!" "Me do it!" 
• I love G's sweet & kind heart. He's not an aggressive boy and always gets concerned for his friends when they are crying.

 

• I love how Griffin stops eating once in a while just to smile at me. 
• I love how Grayson can just about always make Griffin laugh in the bath tub by tickling his feet.
• I love how Grayson loves to jump & always lands on both feet. 
• I love how G randomly approaches Griffin & gives him hugs and kisses. Makes me so happy.  
• I love how Griffin adores his big brother. adores. He gets so excited when we go in Grayson's room every morning. He giggles & squeals and it's awesome. 
• I love how Grayson is such an observer. He tells me every detail of his day after school & that child notices everything.

So What! Wednesday

This week I am saying SO WHAT if...

• I physically can't get past minute 33 of Bob Harper's Total Body Transformation? I. Am. Done.
• I never return our library books on time?
• my toddler asks where I'm going when I am not wearing work out clothes? Hmmm...does that mean I rarely wear real clothes? (guilty.) (I do work out though.)
• my eBay addiction has returned and now I CAN'T STOP buying cheap necklaces from China?  Can't stop. 
• blueberries are permanently stuck to my kitchen floor under Griff's seat?
• I look at houses online constantly with no intentions of moving?
• I clean my car out before I visit my parents so the inside doesn't stress my dad out? I'm still 16, apparently.
• I think the majority of teenage clothing right now is tacky & awful? I think that makes me old.
• I have no desire to start planning Griffin's birthday party? I feel like we just had Grayson's and it was 6 months ago.

Build 'em up: Friendships

 

Today is another Build 'Em Up link-up! The topic for today is friendships. Immediately when I think of friendships I remember sitting in a circle in my Brownie troop & singing that friendship song. "Make new friends, but keep the old...." Please tell me I'm not the only one who now has that stuck in my head?!

Friendships change so much with every new stage of life. I am lucky to still keep in touch with so many high school & college friends. We may not talk on the phone all that often, but when we do, we always pick up right where we left off.  

When Ben & I moved to Nashville as newlyweds, we knew no one. I began teaching 1st grade and was so lucky to work with a great group of girls. They quickly became some of my best friends. 

I decided to quit teaching & stay at home when Grayson was 9 months old. I had the entire summer to hang out with my teacher friends. Then, all of a sudden, they went back to the classroom & I had to figure out how to meet other friends.  I needed people in my life that were in the same stage as me.

 

One of the first things I did was find a playgroup. I had heard about Meetup & that is what I used. I found quite a few playgroups in my area & joined one. I was a member for about a year & met so many other moms with kids around Grayson's age. I'm still friends with quite a few! It was so much because there were activities Grayson & I could pick and choose from each week. It was a great way to meet moms & kids AND learn about fun places around town!

 

Another way I met some awesome friends is joining MOPS. MOPS has been such a blessing in my life! It's a Christian organization for mamas that have young children & they have them nationwide. You can go on the MOPS website & look up groups in your area. My group just happens to meet at our church & it has been such an awesome way to meet other people in our church.  The friends I have made through MOPS are friends that I can share my heart with & they won't judge me. They hear the good, bad, & ugly of motherhood and they love me through it. I could go on & on--but MOPS is a seriously awesome organization! Grayson also loves it because he gets to spend 2 hours with some of his favorite kids! 

One thing I have learned since having kids is that you can definitely keep all of your friends, but you also need to find friends that can relate to you.  How do you find friends as a mom??

Make sure you check out Courtney, Erin, Kelly, & Jennifer's blogs today!

Happenings

It's been quite a while since I've done a basic update. We've been pretty busy around here lately! 

• About 2 weeks ago I left both boys for the first time to fly to Louisiana. My cousin, Robyn, is getting married in June & I surprised her for her bridal shower! She lives in Albuquerque & I don't see her much so it was a fun weekend. I love my Louisiana fam!

 

• While I was gone, that sweet baby of mine starting crawling. Officially. He had mastered going backwards & he is now a full-fledged crawler! Life has definitely gotten a little crazier. Griffin never stops moving & is trying to pull up on every thing in sight. He's a busy boy!

• Nashville finally got the memo that it is in fact spring! It's actually been pretty hot this week.We've practically moved out to the front yard. We've been outside about 6-7 hours every day. That's insane! I've got the tan lines to prove it. G has had that plasma car since he was 1 & he has now mastered it. Like a typical boy, he flies down the hill going so fast that it nearly gives me a heart attack.
• Are y'all watching The Voice? We've been faithful viewers every season. I really love the fact that I don't have to stare at Christina's chest this season--I also love Usher! However, nobody on it has sparked my interest yet.  Who do you like?
• I've come to the realization that this body is just not going be wearing a bikini...ever. Darn c-sections. SO, where can I buy a cute tankini? (besides Target because they never fit me) Help a mama out!

So What! Wednesday

This week I am saying SO WHAT if...

• if I have an amazing tank top farmers tan?
• my legs are still a pasty shade of white and look ridiculous compared to said farmers tan? 
• we don't have grass? You read that right. We have only weeds. Hopefully Trugreen will help us out a little. 
• I think people look ridiculous doing "flex breaks" on Instagram? 
• my dining room stayed clean for only one week? Now I have a bunch of frames for our gallery wall waiting to be hung sitting on it. Oh, and our dog's cone for his head. 
• my baby is now crawling & I wish he would just hurry up and walk? Call it wishing life away, BUT? I feel like I need to keep my floors insanely clean when he is on his hands and knees. Impossible. 
• my child goes to Publix in his pajamas & snowboots on a regular basis?
• our dinner was awful earlier in the week & we picked up Taco Bell after the kiddies went to bed?

Menu Monday

We did NOT do well this past week with our menu. We ate out too many times. I'm ready for a fresh start this week! 

Here's what we are having this week:

Monday: Grilled chicken (using this marinade), cous cous, & zucchini tots

Tuesday: Burrito bowl (chicken, spanish rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro)

Wednesday: Chicken & cheese quesadillas with Black Bean Salad

Thursday: Crock pot Pepperoncini Beef sandwiches & roasted sweet potatoes

Friday: Cajun Chicken Tortellini Bake

Saturday: out to eat

Sunday: Taco Cups

Because Everyone Loves the Outtakes

Taking pictures of both of our boys together is becoming increasingly difficult as Griffin gets older. I mean, that child is crazy. He never stops moving. Ever.  Grayson? Well, he always sticks his arm up in the air like a pirate and screams, "CHEEEEEEEEESE!" It's no surprise that I ended up taking approximately 86 pictures for their Easter card this year. EIGHTY SIX. Y'all, that's insane. Here is what I am having to work with:

It's a shame that these 2 have zero personality.

Build 'Em Up: Keeping My Identity

This week's topic for Build 'Em Up is all about remembering who YOU are & not losing your identity once you become a mama. I know there are many ways to talk about this (making sure you get adult time, spending time with girlfriends, going on dates with the husband, etc), however, I will be talking purely about the physical aspect of this. This topic is near & dear to my heart because this is something that has been a struggle for me & is something I am taking care of as we speak. 

I'm the mama of 2 young boys. I had my boys within 22 months of one another. 

I was 25 years old when I had Grayson. Having a kid definitely changes your body. I immediately lost all my baby weight. However, it still wasn't the same. I didn't feel as young anymore. I didn't really try to change anything, I just bought different clothes. I retired my bikinis & bought tankinis. My clothes were, in general, bigger than they were when I was a newlywed. I wasn't thrilled about that, but I just went with it. 

At 27, I had our sweet Griffin. This time, the baby weight didn't fall off. It stuck like glue, actually! I started Weight Watchers soon after he was born but didn't stick with it. Over those first 5ish months after Griffin was born I put on a few pounds. I hated the way that I felt. I wasn't taking care of myself. I wasn't eating right. I wasn't exercising at all. I felt sluggish. I hadn't always felt this way. Somehow during those chaotic first few months as a mom of 2, I kind of lost sight of myself. I put myself last.

About 6 weeks ago I was showing Grayson pictures from when Ben & I were dating. I about did a double take when I saw a picture of us on the beach when we were 20 & 21.  I was shocked at how in shape I looked! (the sad part is that when I developed that picture a gazillion years ago, I remember thinking how awful I looked!)  That picture was the motivation that I needed. I taped it to my mirror in our bedroom & I look at it everyday.

Inside I still feel like that girl. I want the outside to reflect that.

I have made a lifestyle change. I've changed the way that I eat & really the way that our whole family eats. I am exercising daily during the boys' afternoon nap.  I'm seeing results but I just feel so much better.  It's not about just being "skinny." At this stage in my life I just want to feel good in what I am wearing & be a good example to my kids.

  I am mad that I let myself get to a point where I would look in the mirror & not really recognize who I saw. I have definitely realized recently just how important it is to take care of me. I feel like I'm a much better mom when I am taking care of myself, too. I have so much more energy & I'm just happier. And what's that saying? 

If  mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

Be sure to go check out Erin, Kelly, Jennifer, & Courtney!

Menu Monday

I spent the weekend away from my boys (for the first time!) & now it is time to get back in our routine! I'm having so much fun looking up new recipes & trying new foods each week. It's keeping me from getting stuck in the "we eat the same thing every week" rut. Sure we have our staples (hello, Taco Cups!), but I enjoy broadening our food horizon. 

Here is our menu this week:

I like my lunches to be simple & things that I can sometimes make ahead. I've pretty much given up carbs (wah) so I've been eating lots of salad. This week for lunch I will be making this Grilled Honey-Orange Chicken salad. I'll cook 3 chicken breasts ahead of time & use them throughout the week!

Monday: something easy--probably a Morning Star spicy black bean burger

Tuesday: pancakes & bacon

Wednesday: Herb-Crusted pork chops, sauteed squash, & potatoes for the hubby

Thursday: grilled chicken (YAY FOR GRILLING WEATHER!), roasted garlic cous cous, & roasted veggies (zucchini, squash, & onion)

Friday: Spaghetti (made with spaghetti squash)

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: BBQ chicken pizzas

So What! Wednesday

This week I am saying SO WHAT if...

• my 8 month old still doesn't sleep through the night? I give up. Griffin hates sleep. 
• I want to hire a night time baby nurse? (see above)
• my dining room is clean for the first time in probably 5 months?
• I forgot to get G's haircut before his school pictures last week? I got the proofs back today & it looks like he has a mullet. Won't be buying those! 
• I'm so far behind on my DVR shows that I'm overwhelmed & don't know where to start?
• I legit got mad at The Voice last night when that Audrey girl sassed my boy, Adam? RUDE. 
• I keep getting tempted by Facebook auctions to buy summer clothes for Griff when he clearly needs nothing? His closet is literally packed to y the brim. But baby boy things are so cute!
• sometimes I wake up in the morning & the baby monitor is turned off? oops. 
• I have eaten 2 dozen dyed Easter egg over the past 2 weeks? Stick a fork in me...I'm done. 
• giving up carbs is way harder than giving up sugar?

an Easter recap

I spent all week having a pity party about Easter because this was the first year that Ben got unlucky and had to work Easter morning.  I was dreading getting both boys ready & making sure we got to church early.  Then it dawned on me that this weekend wasn't about me. Less of me, more of Him. That was the attitude that I needed. 

Our Easter Sunday was rainy, and we missed Ben, but it was nice! I've just come to realize that taking pictures of two busy boys is impossible. I may have had to bribe Grayson with a starburst at 8:30am to get these pictures.

I was so glad that Griffin could wear this because it never fit Grayson once it was warm. I need y'all to know that is a size 3 MONTH. Ha! Yes, it runs big, but Griff is such a peanut! I thought my boys looked so handsome! 

After a classy Easter lunch of McDonald's, the boys took naps & waited for the "Easter Monies." We waited to do the baskets until after Ben got home & I think I liked it that way. 

 Griffin was the most thrilled about the empty eggs I put in his basket. Of course!

All this boy needs is pez to be happy!

I'll leave you with this awesome picture of G "hugging" his brother. Ha! 

It was a happy Easter, indeed!