Cool and Not Cool

Yesterday, after a morning at MOPS, we hit up Target for some diapers and apple juice.  They have a pretty good deal going on right now where if you buy two of the jumbo boxes of Pampers, you get a $20 Target gift card.  I had a couple of coupons too so I ended up scoring 292 diapers for about 15 cents a diaper, all discounts considered.  Cool, huh? It's a hard deal to beat...especially when you get a bonus toy in the form of a giant box along with your purchase...  The boys kept telling me it was "cool."  I guess I say that word too often.

They tried to figure out how to close themselves up in the box.  It was pretty cool stuff.

After that got old, Mason discovered the tape which he pretended was a snake while Colton practiced his high and low motions.  We do normally wear pants in our house but we had just changed diapers and they insisted on not putting their shorts back on and it wasn't worth the battle to me to put them back on.  Worse things have happened...

I had planned to get in some cardio on the elliptical at they gym after naptime but the boys hardly napped at all today, I had time to pay bills, fold some laundry, and do my devotion before they woke up with some seriously runny noses AGAIN.  I didn't think their noses would be appreciated at the gym's child care center, (in fact, we're pretty tired of tolerating them ourselves this winter) so we opted for some snuggles while watching Thomas the Train and turning trucks into trains...

before heading out for a quick little run in the fresh air which turned out to be much more eventful than I anticipated when at least 5 dogs came charging at us out of a house and a big white one nipped me in the leg.  I was not a happy camper but glad I was able to keep the boys safe.  I got progressively angrier as the night wore on and ended up filing a report with Animal Control.  I am by no means an animal hater, but people need to control their pets.  What if they would have nipped the boys??  Not cool!  They called today to let me know they found the dogs and owner.  The dog has been quarantined for 10 days and he's current on his rabies vaccine.  Thank goodness!

You know what else is not cool??  The neighbors' new building project in their back yard...

We don't live in a trailer park, people!!  Really?!?  An addition to the trailer that your son lives in in the back yard is RIDICULOUS!  Is that even legal?  Check out the rest of the neighborhood.  There's nothing that resembles that even a little bit.  

I called it a night early after making myself some yummy almond milk ice cream.  I'm addicted!  It's VERY cool stuff and I love the fact that it's only 60 calories for a GIANT bowl.

Today is produce day and I always like to make sure I get in my workout before the unpredictability of the rest of my day sets in.  I was feeling pretty unmotivated this morning, perhaps because of the dreary weather, and decided to skip my endurance reps workout and opted for some cardio on the elliptical with my kindle instead.  Maybe I'll feel more motivated this afternoon, but if not, there's always tomorrow.  I was actually a day ahead of schedule anyways.

I'm super excited about the brussels sprouts and berries in my produce share today.  YUM-O!

I'm going to try out this recipe for balsamic brussels sprouts tonight.  

The boys played so nicely with their trains while I got everything sorted which was a nice change of pace from their usual trying to help me but really getting in the way activities.    

Check out their new Thomas shirts compliments of Mimsy and Grandpa.  They are VERY proud of them.  Apparently Thomas the Train shirts are cool too.    

They got a kick out of pretending like they were leaving, just like all the people coming and going with their produce.  They kept telling me "bye" and closing themselves between the screen door and the front door.  Too cute!!

Here's to hoping the boys call it an early night tonight so I can catch up on my really "cool" shows-- The Bachelor and Parenthood--before calling it a night myself.  I have a feeling there will be some more almond milk ice cream consumed while I'm watching my shows.  YUM!

A Busy Tuesday

Thank goodness the rain held off this morning and we were able to squeeze in Story Time.  Today's featured stories were...

I am definitely going to be on a Jane Cabrera kick.  Her illustrations are beautiful and her stories are based on songs children already know with nice, sweet twists.  

I'm also a big fan of Mem Fox.  My boys loved this one and it helps teach lots of great vocabulary.

We had a fantastic time at music class with Miss Rabe, as always, but decided to keep the camera tucked away today.  We got to see some wonderful friends right after music class as I got back to my tutoring routine.  What a treat!

Our Tuesday morning craziness usually makes for a lovely naptime and today was no exception.  While the boys napped, I was able to get some cleaning in before tackling my Best Body Fitness Boot Camp workout.  I brought my "A" game today and kicked some butt with the my dumbbells.  It felt good!!  I like the concept of doing as many rounds of a circuit as possible in 15 minutes...keeps things interesting   Thanks, Tina.  I also got my core work in with a little Fit2Be totally transverse.    

To top the day off, I got to spend the evening with some of my favorite ladies.  We had a great time grabbing dinner and playing trivia all while another wonderful friend of mine and her lovely daughter watched the boys for me.  It's such a treat to eat without adults!!  I am so blessed by my wonderful friends and don't know what I'd do without them!!  What a fun night!  We definitely need a rematch to redeem ourselves in the trivia department.

The smiling faces of two women who are getting a break from motherhood.  Yes, as a matter of fact I AM wearing that scarf AGAIN.  Love it!!

  It was a gorgeous night for trivia at Blue Door.  Check out the panoramic view!!

Time to drink some tea and head to bed.  Looking forward to a pretty mellow day tomorrow.  

Monday Special

The boys spent their morning at their play group making these masterpieces...

Mason's

Colton's

You better believe they're hanging in their bedroom already.  So cute!

While they were there, I had the honor of spending my morning with my dearest student who invited me to be her special friend at Grandparents and Special Friends Day at her school.  It was an honor and a privilege to join her.  She's an amazing kid!

It was the perfect opportunity to wear my scarf from Mickey (pardon the self-portrait while at a red light on my way to the event)...

Afterwards, I picked up two fired up kiddos who had no interest in napping whatsoever.  They were much more interested in turning all of their toys into trains...

They did play with their regular trains too by the way.  It's not like they are deprived of the real thing...

They spent a lot of time making music too.  They initiated all this musical play but I have to admit there's a photo contest coming up with their music teacher and I might be snapping away every chance I get in hopes I snapping the perfect shot that wins her contest.  

We managed to squeeze in a quick run with the stroller followed by a cool down with the wagon.  It was too gorgeous outside to resist their pleading.  Check out these cuties...

When we got home, they caught up on their reading...

while I made up this yummy pizza which we devoured...

Kale, roasted red peppers, goat cheese and marinara on a lavash bread...I must say, it was the perfect Meatless Monday dinner and I just may be making myself another one with the leftovers tomorrow.  

On top of everything, we got word from two very special people who experienced answers to prayers today.  What a awesome reminder of how blessed we are!  God is good...ALL THE TIME!

Sunshine Days

What an incredible day!

My day kicked off nice and quietly with my favorite coffee, just as I had hoped...

...especially when it's the GOOD stuff...

You better believe I had two cups and talked myself out of a third.  YUM!  I made another one of those grain free english muffins to go with it this morning.  This time I turned it into an sandwich with egg whites, garlic and spinach.  YUM!

The boys and I squeezed in a quick trip to the gym for some killer cardio on the elliptical before spending the rest of the day predominantly outside.  It was GLORIOUS!

The boys had a BLAST finally playing with water in this water table.  

I must say, it's a pretty darn cool toy and kept their attention for a LOOOONG time!  So fun!!



Once they tired of that, it was time to finally try out the finger paints.  The boys had fun with it and created a couple of masterpieces.

They still don't love getting their hands all messy so we had to wash them off frequently.  It's funny that they have no trouble making a complete mess at dinner time but are particular when it comes to paint on their fingers...

We also shot some hoops ...

and just goofed around...

 

Those charming smiles and smirks never seem to get old.  

We even waved hello to all our friends who read this blog.  "Hi there!  Thanks for reading!"

While the boys napped, I took advantage of the quiet time and read a little, listened to the Joyce Meyer devotional for today, and did some Fit2Be yoga for my core.  I also threw a chicken, some sweet potato wedges for the boys and some rutabaga for me, into the oven to slowly roast until dinner time.   After naps, we took a leisurely walk around the neighborhood before giving in to the impending darkness and our hungry tummies.  I should slow roast whole chickens more often.  YUM! I even took the time to make chicken stock from the bones after dinner since I had the time and energy to do it.  This rest day did us all a world of good. 

Now, the boys are snuggled up in bed, tuckered out from a fun day, and I'm having another glass of this wine I opened up last night, compliments of my dad who has a knack for finding all the good, cheap wines.  

Apparently it's from Aldi and I must say, it's surprisingly yummy!  Cheers!  Hope your Saturday was as lovely as ours.  

Giant Alligators and Yummy Food

What a gorgeous day we're having.  I can't wait for the boys to get up so we can get outside and take advantage of it.  I'm glad we were able to squeeze everything we had to do today into our morning so the rest of our day is smooth sailing.  In our list of outings, we managed to squeeze in a trip to the library for the family place.  The highlight of today's playtime was the giant alligator puzzle.

                   

This thing was huge and so much fun!  The boys even fed him some milk and pizza since he looked hungry.  Too cute!

We also managed to find Thomas the Train and an airplane.  SCORE!  

After the boys got their playtime in, it was time for me to get my playtime in at the gym.  I did today's scheduled Best Body Bootcamp workout and LOVED it.  Weeks 3 and 4 are SO much better than weeks 1 and 2.  Thanks for the heart-pumping, full body routines Tina.  100 reps of each exercise--it's no joke!  I was happy to discover that I could complete all 100 reps with the weight I normally use for my other workouts.  Looks like it's time to up my weights.  YAY!  I'm pretty sure I'm going to be sore tomorrow.  I squeezed in 20 minutes on the elliptical as well, trying out some of my moves from yesterday's workout again.  Apparently it made some people laugh...Try it out, I dare you, may look goofy but it's no joke.

We all came home famished from the gym and I got a little carried away with my salad.  It was a BEAST!  Romaine, craisins, almonds, a pink lady apple, and grilled chicken topped with a yummy raspberry vinagrette from Whole Foods.  It hit the spot! 

Speaking of food, I've got a butternut squash in the oven and plans to make some yummy soup using this recipe for dinner with a few modifications.  I don't have an onion so I'll just leave it out.  Also, I roasted the squash without any oil, just halved it, scooped it, and stuck it in the oven cut side down.  Less fat, and much easier than cubing the whole thing.  It just scoops right out when it's done.  I'm planning to pair it with a grilled steak.cho You heard that right, bring on the meat!  It's grass-fed and organic and was on SALE.  Can you tell I'm excited for dinner?

I've also got the fixings for almond milk ice cream in the freezer.  I'm anxious to see how this super-low-calorie treat will turn out...and excited that it's dairy free too.  

Happy Friday.  Hope your weekend is as beautiful as ours looks like it's going to be.

Thursday...

What a full day we've had!  Our house started out as a circus this morning with these little daredevils and their stunts...

Apparently riding the rocking horse on the ground isn't daring enough.  We need to take it up a notch and ride it on the couch.  Silly boys!

I knew I wouldn't make it through the day without making sure to squeeze in some exercise.  I had a FANTASTIC workout on the elliptical using this workout from Peak313...

I loved the squat and single leg components of it.  I ended up adding an additional 15 minutes to it, just to get more bang for my buck.  I do love my cardio!  I will definitely be trying that one out again sometime soon.

We swung by Starbucks to get my January tumbler filled for free before heading home.  I'm going to be sad when January is over and I have to for over money for Starbucks again.  Good thing I'm stocked with Intelligensia coffee at home.  I'll survive and stick to the budget too.

We got home in time for some chores before our Thursday produce routine.  The boys were quite helpful...

At least it kept them busy while I got some laundry going. the dishes done, and my paperwork ready to go for pickups.  The most exciting item in my share this week was this lovely acorn squash...

I can't wait to roast it.  I think the boys are most excited about the blueberries and strawberries.  SOOO glad it's berry season again.  

We got a lovely package from our favorite man this morning.  The boys were thrilled with their rhino and frog...

They knew to use his horn for ramming things like giraffes right away.

 

Mason was even protecting his poor frog from the rhino.  I think they've got the sound effects for each animal down, don't you?

I got 4 BEAUTIFUL scarves from my favorite man and can't wait to wear them.

My man has style!

You can hardly see the best one in the right corner.  I'll have to model it sometime to show it off on here.  I'm a lucky gal!!

Our next stop of the evening was the local high school basketball game.  The boys were quite the cheerleaders...

 They love cheering for Sam!  I think he's their hero...especially now that they know he makes cookies and cream milkshakes.  His mom is my hero for serving me yummy cocktails and helping to entertain my boys.  

We just finished up our evening with the fastest bedtime routine ever.  Time to kick back and catch up on some reading...