Things That Make Me Say Yeay

A smoothie date with my little man.  He always gets super excited, drinks it way too fast, gets brain freeze and then starts screaming.  Happens every time.  Pavlov's Law must not apply to my child.

Saturday morning tradition.  My husband makes a giant batch of scrabbled eggs and we all sit down together and eat breakfast while we plan out our weekend.  It is such a simple pleasure that I look forward to every single Friday night.

The softest kabuki face brush!  It is from the ELF line found at Target and it was only $6.  It makes your loose powder look flawless and makes such a difference with makeup application.  P.S... My thumb needs lotion.  It looks a little wrinkly.
 

Cute packaging plus creative marketing on this delicious blend of coffee.  One of my husband's employees sent us a bunch of samples from his wife's coffee shop in Rhode Island.  I will be ordering more for sure.

My two men looking quite dapper (the bigger one looking pretty hot if I don't say so myself).  This was taken at my little sister's wedding a few weeks ago.  Max was doing a little hop + a skip at this exact moment. 

Have a wonderful weekend!  Do you have any fun plans?  We are heading to the farmer's market tomorrow to stock up on fresh veggies for our very first juice cleanse next week.  Actually, the husband just informed me (as he glanced over at my blog post) that he does not want to go the the Farmer's Market (lame) so it looks like Ronin and I have a date! 

Please Do Not Feed The Fears + Comment Moderation

I remember when I first started blogging I would visit and leave comments on blogs that I admired.  Some of the blogs had over 200+ comments on every single post.  Sometimes I wondered if they really read my comments, but I left them anyway.

I recently decided to start moderating comments, which means I have to read them before they are approved and published on my blog.  I did this for a couple of reasons...

1) I was getting SO many spam comments it was outta control.  So how much you ask?  Like 20-30 comments per day that were purely spam.  That seems like a lot.  The funny thing is the spam comments were for links to things like, "How to remove man boobs" and "Where to buy Viagra cheap."  I mean if you are a real spammer you obviously are targeting the wrong crowd here.

2) I wanted to really read each and every comment.  I understand that we live in a world where everyone is busy and when someone takes time out of their day to comment and leave their opinion or thoughts I want to really read it.  Plus, if it wasn't for my readers I wouldn't have much of a blog.

On a recent post I received a comment that was too good not to share.  

Here is the comment (she is talking about her tattoos):

"I have my husband's name, exactly as he wrote it on 2/14/11 - my last valentines day with him - on my inner right arm. He passed away 12 days later. I also have a dragonfly on my right shoulder. The dragonfly story was very meaningful to us as we were going through his illness. Do I regret them? Not for one second. I would like to get another that says "Feed the right wolf". An old Indian was sitting with his little grandson. He told the boy he didn't feel well. The boy asked, "Why?" The old grandpa said he had two wolves fighting inside him. One was good; one was evil. The little boy asked, "Which one will win?" The old Indian looked at his little grandson and said, "The one that you feed." That story was told by my pastor after my husband passed away, and it changed my life. I always try to remember to feed the right wolf."

Even reading this again for the 20th time my stomach still gets those little nervous butterflies.  Such a powerful reminder and I want to thank this person for taking the time to share such a wonderful message.  

DIY Rejuvenating Green Tea Matcha Mask

A new year means a fresh start.  A fresh start not only to your health but also to the way you take care of your skin.  Incorporating a mask into your skin care regime is a great place to start.  Maybe your skin needs a New Year's boost.  This incredible mask will do just that.

Matcha powder is a powerful antioxidant that will stimulate dead skin cells and improve tired, dull skin.  This is one of my favorite "secret" (not so secret anymore) masks.  It makes your skin feel and look like silk.

What you will need:

• Matcha green tea powder -- I purchase mine from a local Asian Market.  You can also find at a specialty health food store or online here. 
• Water

* You can use aloe vera gel instead of water if your skin is dry.

  Directions:

1. Mix one tsp of matcha powder with a few drops of either water or aloe vera gel until you have a paste.  If your mask is too watery add more powder.  If it is too sticky add more water.
2. Apply the mask to your face with a soft facial brush.
3. Leave on for 20 minutes and then remove with warm water and a soft washcloth. 
4. Follow up with a moisturizer.

For optimal results, this mask should be done 2-3 times per week .

Please come back and let me know what you think if you try this!  If you have any questions pertaining to this post please leave them below and I will do my best to answer.

Things That Make Me Say Yeay

A quote on my notebook that I could not agree more with.

Baby shoes.  They have absolutely no purpose but they are cute (and seem comfy) and that's all that really really matters :)

The coolest fire pit.  I would love something like this in the backyard of our next house.

My favorite beer.  It's called "Sunset Wheat."

A colorful beanie for Max.  I found this hat at the most random store and I think it fits him and his little personality perfectly. 

Have a wonderful weekend!  We are doing some home improvement stuff and I have a hot date with my husband...can not wait! 

On a side note:  Ronin got to be a little scarf model for my sweet friend's Etsy shop.  And how cute are these boot cuffs?!  LOVE.

The Benefits of Nutritional Yeast + 10 Ways to Use it

As some of you may know I gave up dairy about 6 months ago.  This means no cheese and no milk.  Since I have cut it out I feel amazing.  Some of the benefits I have personally noticed are, I no longer have that bloated feeling,  my skin does not break out, I have more energy and I don't get crampy stomach aches like I used to when I would drink milk or eat cheese.

I can honestly say that I do not miss milk AT ALL.  It actually grosses me out now when I smell it, but I do on occasion miss cheese.  And lets be honest, some things like pizza just need cheese.

So let me introduce something that I recently discovered... Nutritional Yeast.  It actually is nothing new and has been around forever but to me this is completely new and awesome.  When added to food it has a yummy cheesy/slightly nutty taste that will blow you non cheese eaters away.  Even if you do like cheese but just want to cut back on calories or make your meals just a little healthier this is for you.

So what exactly is nutritional yeast?  
Nutritional Yeast is a deactivated yeast (not to be confused with Brewer's yeast, which has a completely different taste and purpose).  Nutritional yeast is a living microorganism grown on sugarcane and beet molasses.  When the yeast is ready, it is killed (deactivated) with heat and then harvested, washed, dried and packaged.

Nutritional yeast benefits:

• Has 6 grams of protein in just 2 tbs
• Great source of minerals
• Great cheesy taste
• Gluten free 
• Salt free
• A great source of Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid

Where can you find it? 
Check your local health food store.  That is where I purchase mine.  Some health food stores also carry it in bulk.  You can also purchase it online here.

10 ways to use it: 

1. Sprinkle it on top of vegetables or cauliflower poppers before you pop them in the oven
2. Sprinkle it on top of popcorn.  This is beyond delicious!
3. Skip the cheese and use this on top of low carb pizza. 
4. Add it to baked thyme onion rings. 
5. Use it in skinny mashed potatoes. 
6. Sprinkle it on top of kale chips for the ultimate "cheesy" snack. 
7. Add it to skinny spaghetti.
8.  Use it in a creamed spinach recipe.
9. Add it to soups.
10. Use it to make cheesy crispy green bean fries.

Those are just a few ideas!  I plan on sharing some really yummy new recipes that incorporate nutritional yeast soon.

DIY Stenciled Baby Leggings

Sometimes when I get my mind set on something there really is nothing that will stop me from doing whatever it is that I am thinking of.  This can sometimes be a small problem.  Take my latest baby clothing obsession for example.  I have been OBSESSED with printed baby leggings.  I am a weirdo and could not stop thinking about them all weekend long.  I figured it could not be too hard to create my own pair of leggings for Ronin so I headed off to the craft store.  I decided to just "wing it."  I bought fabric spray paint, a few other supplies and headed home.  I ripped open the first package of leggings and began to spray paint over my stencil.  BAD idea.  Turns out fabric spray paint might just be the worst invention ever...at least for what I was trying to accomplish.  I ended up with little black splotches all over the leggings.  So back to the craft store I went and picked up what I should have got in the first place...regular fabric paint.

 This is seriously so easy and the pattern ideas you can do are endless.

 What you will need:

• Baby leggings.  I found mine on clearance at Target. 
•  Fabric paint.  I used Tulip Soft Matte in Ebony. 
• A stencil.  If you can't find one you love you can make your own using parchment paper and an exacto knife.
• Paintbrush
• Cardboard

Here is what you do...

Pre wash and dry the fabric that you intend you use (this will prevent shrinkage once paint in applied).  Put a piece of cardboard inside each pant leg to prevent the paint from bleeding through.

Place your stencil on the fabric and hold down all the edges with one hand while you paint over the stencil with the other hand. 

 Continue to add the pattern all the way down.  After you are finished with the front, wait an hour for the paint to dry and then do the back.  Let the paint dry for 4 hours and then wash after 72 hours.  Read the back of your paint bottle for further instructions.  

And then of course put your baby into the leggings :)  What a good sport he is!  I will definitely be making more of these and the next pair I make I am going to use tight leggings...nothing like a chubby baby with a big ole diaper in skinny stretchy leggings.

Hello 2013! A Few of My Personal Goals are...

A few years ago my husband and I started a tradition that I love.  Around the end of each year we go on a date where we write down new goals for the upcoming year and go over goals that we wrote down for the previous year.  I find that writing goals down helps so much more with obtaining them because that way you see them every day.  I also love sharing my personal goals with my husband because I feel like we hold each other more accountable and help each other accomplish them when they are shared.

A few of my 2013 goals are:

• Complete a half marathon.  I have my very first one coming up in just a few weeks and I have been having dreams where I psych myself out!  I am not going to psych myself out and I wish I could punch bad dreams in the face.
• Eliminate negative relationships.  I do think that friendships and relationships take work but I do not think they should be a constant struggle.  One of my favorite quotes is, "Be who you are and say what you feel because those those mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."  I will be keeping this in mind (no pun intended) during the new year.  
•  Do a juice cleanse.  After I am done nursing (I will be so sad when it is over) I plan on doing a juice fast with my husband.  This means no coffee and no wine, just pure organic fresh pressed juice.  Just typing this out I am nervous (at least about the no wine part ha). 
• Spice things up in our marriage.  I plan on doing a whole post on this but you get the gist. 
 

What are some of your goals for 2013?

Hope you all had a wonderful New Years Eve!  Here is to an even better 2013-- I am cheers-ing you with my giant cup of coffee right now :)