A Day in the Life...

Hi! I'm still here! I feel like I've been stuck on the proverbial hamster wheel of life lately...unable to jump off! Last week was a fun and busy one. I had some family in town and had a wonderful time seeing and spending time with them. We also had two very fun play dates...and Wednesday Elliot had his 4 month doctors visit. Being a stay at home mama is by far the most difficult job I've ever had but even on the hardest day there's still nothing else in world I'd rather be doing. I feel so very blessed to be able to be able to stay at home with my sweet boy!

My sis did a great "day in the life" post the other day. I love seeing a little birds-eye view into people's lives, don't you? Does that make me a Nosy Nellie? Oh well. So here is a teeny glimpse into my day...in pictures. Here we go!

My favorite breakfast lately- oatmeal with half a sliced banana and 1/2 a tbsp of almond butter. YUM. Sometimes I get to eat this before the baby wakes and sometimes I eat it sitting on the floor in front of the baby's bouncer...after feeding him first!

Coffee and Google Reader. Is there a better combo? Again- sometimes I can get to this before Elliot wakes up and other times I don't.

 

This is what I see when I go in to get my boy when he wakes up...the top of his purty little head =)

Hi. I'm a sleepy bear. 

Time to eat...he has a bottle 5-6 times a day. Our Boppy has paid for itself a billion times over. After he eats, Elliot is awake for a good hour and a half to two hours...during which time we:

Watch Mama clean the kitchen

 Put everything in our mouths!!!

Play on the floor

 Sometimes Mama gets on the floor too.

Eventually I wear him out enough and it's time for a nap...for him, not me (don't I wish!). While he's napping I clean house, get dressed, eat, sometimes work out. My how the time he's asleep FLIES by. When he wakes up we usually get down to business...

This boy is a food monster, watch out ya'll!

Occasionally I get to do some crafty things like:

Make an Easter wreath...

or sew a bag (one of the projects in my sewing e-course). 

The rest of the day goes on like the beginning, eat, play, sleep. Lately, in the afternoon, we've been really enjoying going outside. Unless the sun is in our eyes:

Eventually I cook dinner and Matt comes home (YAY!) and it's time for Elliot's bath. 

Oh but this kid loves a bath!

A little bit of chill time with the Dad and then this little boy goes to bed! 

Me and Matt spend about an hour or two together and then we go to bed as well...exhausted!

And that's my day ya'll! Long and tiring but boy am I blessed!

Have a wonderful Monday everyone! Monday is my day to put my house back together after the weekend. Tell me it's not just MY house that spins out of control between Friday night and Monday morning!

~Amy~

Make this now!

Doesn't this look scrumptious? Believe me, it is! The best part about this recipe is that it's SUPER simple and the ingredients are things I usually have in my kitchen.  I found the recipe here and instantly knew I had to try it out. 

Here's what you'll need:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie Recipe from Nestle (found over here)
Preheat oven to 325

1 unbaked pie crust, homemade or store bought
2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter softened (1 and 1/2 sticks)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup pecans or walnuts (optional)

 First you beat the eggs until they're foamy (I used the whisk attachment of my mixer for that part). Next you add the sugars and flour and mix until it's well blended. After that, you beat in the butter. 

Next you fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts and pour it into the pie crust. I don't have the patience to make pie crust ya'll. I've done it several times and it just isn't my thing. I used Pillsbury and it was oh so good!

Fold over the edges of your crust and pop this baby in the oven for 55-65 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

Have a great weekend everyone! We have a door to finish putting up in our hallway, a new mailbox to put up...I'm making dinner for family tonight...having coffee with my sister-in-law in the morning...in other words- BUSY! What are ya'll up to? Whatever it is you're doing MAKE THIS PIE =)

Amy

Help Me Rhonda

If you've never heard of The Pioneer Woman (Ree Drummond)...you must have been living under a rock. I'm not quite sure how I came across her blog about a year and a half ago, but ever since I have I've LOVED it! Not only is Ree a blogger...but she's also written a cookbook and a novel (both of which are wonderful!).

Well, yesterday me, April and our friend Kathlyn drove up to Atlanta to go to meet Ree at a book signing for her book Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. Now, I must say we had a great deal of fun before the main event even started! We shared tapas for lunch, drank more coffee than I probably should've and browsed Phipps Plaza for a few hours (who can actually afford the stores there??)

Me, April, Rowan and Kathlyn waiting in the looooong line!

When it was time for the signing we ventured back to Borders to get in line (we'd gotten wristbands to make sure we even got a spot in line earlier in the day). Have you ever wondered who stands in line and waits and waits and waits...to have a cookbook signed? Yeah, I have too. But that'd be me. It was totally worth it though. When we finally got to have our books signed Ree was just as precious and warm as she could be. She took time to chit chat with us and take a picture with us...and I couldn't be happier about it!  

There she is!

Now that's a bunch of red-heads! =)

We also got to see her husband and two little boys who came with her to the signing. If you've ever read her blog (or her book), you know how much she LOVES her husband and calls him her Marlboro Man. As soon as people started to realize that it WAS in fact Marlboro Man they kind of swarmed him...wanted HIM to sign their books and take pictures with them. Probably NOT something most cattle ranchers encounter on a usual basis! We were definitely too shy to ask for a pic with him...but we did take one on the sly =)

"Marlboro Man" and their 2 sons...before they got swarmed!

I really missed my sweet Elliot all day long (he was WELL taken care of between my Nana, Matt's Granny and eventually Matt), but I had such a great time. I got to spend time with two of my fave ladies (and Rowan!), eat great food and meet someone I really admire! Can't beat that!

(In case you didn't catch it, the title is a reference to The Pioneer Woman...and exclamation she uses from time to time)

March Madness goal update + Fun Friday

It's Wednesday...which means a little update on my March fitness goals. Overall they've been going great! I've hit all of my workouts and walks with my sis so far. The water consumption IS getting better...but right now while it's still a little cool outside- my coffee intake still threatens to takeover. Definitely making better food choices and trying to cut back on the portion size when I do have a high cal choice...but folks I do love food. I've started to follow more healthy living blogs and that's helping me find inspiration for sure. My last goal was to get rid of my all or nothing attitude. I always turn to my sister or husband to help me that one. They both get texts like: I should still workout even though I ate a brownie for snack right? To which they usually both say- of course! I hate working out when I feel like I'm working off what I just ate...feels like punishment for indulging and I'm not into that, yo. So bring on week two!

So what's going to make this Friday a Fun Friday? Me, April and our friend Kathlyn are going to Atlanta on Friday because Ree Drummond a.k.a.- The Pioneer Woman is doing a book signing! If you've never visited Ree's website do it now! It's fantastic. She's also the author of a cookbook and a novel (both of which are outstanding). And while I'm completely excited to have a day of fun, out of town for a bit...I'm also a little sad to leave my boy. He'll be in great hands between my grandmother, Matt's grandmother and eventually his Daddy...but i'm going to miss my boy so much! How could you NOT miss this face?

Oooh, Also- this week I signed up for a sewing e-course and hope to start it this weekend. So very excited!

Hope ya'll are having a fabulous week!

March Madness

This morning I was doing a little Google Reader catch up...like I usually do when I have a few spare minutes with my coffee, and I ran across this post on a wonderful blog I follow. In case you don't feel like following the links, the post is about making some fitness goals for March, writing about them on your blog, updating on progress and sharing them with other bloggers that are taking the challenge as well. As soon as I read this I knew I had to take part. Two things I need to keep me on target with my fitness goals are accountability and motivation and I think this is a good way to handle both! So on Wednesdays, throughout the month of March, I'll be updating ya'll on my progress towards my goals. 

Because I'm just now getting back into working out since having Elliot, my goals may seem meager...but I'm still trying to figure out things like- how to work out in the living room while Elliot naps without waking him up. Me doing jumping jacks and plyometrics on hardwood floors isn't quite as quiet as I'd like =( I'll figure it out though...so here are my goals:

1- Do at least 3 workouts per week. These will most likely be The 30 Day Shred, Jillian's- Burn Fat, Boost Metabolism, one of my many Tae Bo dvds, a run if Matt gets home in time to watch Elliot for me.

2- 2 walks with Elliot (and probably April and her kiddos).  I don't care how few calories you might think just walking around the neighborhood burns...but you add a 15 lb baby in a Snugli and you've a little bit more of a challenge! Plus the weather's been great lately...and we enjoy it =)

3- Up my water intake drastically! No matter how much I think I can survive off coffee alone, I cannot. I'm going to be keeping my Brita water pitcher and my Tervis tumblers busy!

4- Make better food choices. With a husband thats 6'7" and slim and can eat anything...I can't just keep lettuce and whole grains in my house. SO, I'm going to have to eat the good stuff and leave the rest for the occassional treat. I used to use the 80/20 rule. Eat really healthfully 80% of the time and leave the more indulgent stuff for the other 20% of the time. The past few months i've been closer to 50/50...no good. 

5- Defeat my "all or nothing" attitude. If I can't make the workout really good and finish it completely I don't want to do it at all. If I'm going to a fast food place I just get whatever looks tastiest, not even trying to make a healthy choice...it IS fast food afterall. What's the point? That thinking gets you nowhere. ALL of the tiny good decisions I make WILL add up! I have to believe that!

So those are my goals. A year ago, keeping these goals would've been a piece of cake...but that's back when I was the boss and not him:

I've already gotten 1 of my 3 workouts in this week and 1 walk with Elliot, woo-hoo! Workout #2 is scheduled for this afternoon while my "boss" is napping =)

Have a great Wednesday everyone and if you want to join in on the March Madness please do right here!

~Amy~