It is summertime!

::::hides head in shame:::: I know, I know, I've been so neglectful of my blog.

Summer is here, Lucy has finished school and just finished her very first real Ballet Recital which was SO Much fun, if you are local and want a great dance studio for your kids check out beautifulfeetofchandler.com you won't be disappointed!
Here is a picture of Lucy before her performance ;)

So now that Lucy is home and Hannah and Piper are obviously home, I knew I needed to make some type of schedule for the summer so we all didn't go crazy ;) I'm posting mine below, so far it is going really well and it gives the girls stuff to do and still leaves room for fun trips and a little tv/screen time without them being "bored".

Here is mine, feel free to copy/edit as needed https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9eg6NVP00xIZGVFRzNjUXcxcTg/view?usp=sharing

And if you need some free (or almost free) stuff to do with your kidlets this summer, here is a pretty awesome list by another blogger! http://www.freebiefindingmom.com/free-summer-activities-for-kids/

Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Soup (in the crockpot!)

So, let me just tell you, I love Cauliflower! Blanched, raw, roasted (my fav), mashed, in soups, whatever, I love it.

However, my hubby, well not so much, he thinks it is bland and boring. So I have to find creative ways to use it.

(picture from Peas and Crayons, link below)

I personally love cauliflower soup but I have to find ways to jazz it up for my husband, I stumbled upon this recipe and thought it would be great for us!

So you know when you just don't know how you are going to get dinner done with everything you have going on, or in my case with 3 kids around? Sometimes, it is easier to just throw something in the crockpot and this is the perfect soup for this!

Toss everything except the Cream cheese and Milk in the crockpot making sure that the chicken broth covers most of the ingredients, it doesn't have to cover it all the way because they will release some liquid and we'll be adding some more liquid later.

Let it cook for the day 8 hrs on low or 4 hrs on high.

When it is about 30-45 min before you want to serve get out your immersion blender (or your regular blender) and blend it smooth. Add your cream cheese and milk of choice and finish blending. Leave in the crockpot to warm while you prepare your toppings.

My kids (and who am I kidding, me too) like to choose toppings.

We put bacon bits, cheddar cheese on ours.
Hubby added jalepenos and goldfish to his!

Everyone enjoyed this soup and we had enough for leftovers later in the week. I loved that the sweet potato gave it some beefy-ness that cauliflower alone can't do!

On the next day you need a crockpot meal try this soup and add some garlic bread for a yummy meal.
Recipe:
2 Heads Cauliflower
2 Large Sweet Potatoes (skin on, cubed)
1 Quart Chicken Broth
1 Large Onion, Diced
Fresh Garlic (I did about 6 cloves, we like garlic here, adjust  it down if you don't want to keep the vampires away)
1 tsp Italian Seasonings
1 tsp Paprika
4 oz Cream Cheese
1 cup Milk (or coconut milk)


recipe adapted from Peas & Crayons

Big gulp, Eh?

Welp, sorry! I have just been neglecting blogging! I'm hoping to share a few recipes over the next few weeks.

Hopefully I won't be gone so long!

Week #2- Holiday Fit Challenge with Preggercise

Short and sweet today, go get your weekly workouts for the Holiday Fit Challenge with Preggercise here.

Silver white winters that melt into spring...

...these are a few of my favorite things, continues. Day 1 is here, Day 2 is here, Day 3 is here and Day 4 is here if you missed them.

Today is Black Friday and I'm sure many of you are out shopping. I'm glad you are because it is SO not my style. I don't love to shop in general and really don't like crowds (or grumpy people in them ;) ) so I prefer to hang here at the house.

I taught spin this morning and took the girls to the park. Now it is nap time for the girls and I'm finally getting to eat lunch before I go back to some housework. 

Let it be known that college football is on right now, that means it will be on 2 days in a row. This.is. awesome.

Anyway, back to Day 5 of my Favorite things!

So, today being that we are in full fledged ick season I am going to share my favorite Hand Sanitizer. I just read this article about Antibiotic Resistance (here). It was talking about how we have superbugs that are virtually untreatable because they are antibiotic resistant because we use antibiotics so often. Scary stuff. I don't want to think about a world where we can't treat someone with antibiotics, because even though I like to go the natural route, there is definitely a time and a place for antibiotics!

My favorite is Thieves Hand Sanitizer! You can buy it ($5 for one or in a 3 pack, but a little goes a long way). I make mine, because it is super easy and affordable and I already have Thieves oil in the house anyway! I also make Homemade Thieves foaming hand soap too! If you want the recipe I am happy to share ;)

I know that everyone wants to keep the ick away and this is my favorite way to do it, bonus, it smells like Christmas.

Enjoy your Black Friday everyone!

Brown paper packages tied up with string.....

.....these are a few of my favorite things, continues .Day 1 is here, Day 2 is here  and Day 3 is here if you missed them.

Today I'm going to give you a 2 for 1 because, well, I'm kind of a lip balm junkie. And I can't choose one favorite!

Up first Vaseline Lip Therapy in Rosy- I LOVE this stuff. It has a nice pinky hue when you put it on and is thick so a little goes a long way. I love that it is an easy way to dress up my lips quickly and it smells awesome. Like ROSES (hence the name ;) ), who doesn't like to smell like roses? Something else awesome? It is less than $2, I pick mine up at Target, but it can be found at pretty much any drugstore, this makes a great stocking stuffer for your favorite lip balm junky!

Up next is my other favorite lip balm. Young Living Grapefruit Lip Balm. I love it's fresh, invigorating smell and its light silky smooth feel. I keep one of these in my purse at all times! Coming in at $4.25 it is another great stocking stuffer idea, or you can get a trio (including Cinnamint and Lavender, which I also love) for $11.50 and split them up for multiple people. 

There you have it, confessions of a lip balm junkie and what she keeps with her at all times! Have a great day and enjoy your Thanksgiving!

A Healthy and Whole30 "dessert"

So we are coming up on that time of year where there are yummy treats all over the place. On top of that we are a little more stressed and are probably sleeping a little less, which is a recipe for disaster for our bodies.

While doing the Whole30 in October, I realized that when I am tired I crave sugar. We typically are good about getting to sleep at a decent hour, but I still have an infant who wakes up 1x a night and well, we have life too. So, yeah at night sometimes I am tired.

I found that making this "dessert", yeah I'm using that term loosely, was really helpful. It was satisfying and just slightly sweet.

The original recipe from ( here ) has a non Whole30 option, but I never made that. I did adjust the recipe slightly and never made it into cookie dough balls, I just ate it straight from the bowl!


Healthy Cookie Dough
2 handfuls Raw Cashews (or Almonds, if that is your thing)
1 Ripe Banana
1/2 Can Pumpkin Puree
Pumpkin Pie Spice  ( to taste)
1 Handful Coconut chips (unsweetened, shredded or desiccated also works)
2-3 Tbsp Coconut Milk (add more if needed to process)

Put all ingredients in a food processor, process until it turns into a "cookie dough" or "thick pudding" consistency. It isn't going to be completely smooth, but that is ok!

Then grab a spoon and enjoy! This is one serving but I couldn't eat all of it, because it is super filling.

This is a great way to enjoy a treat, without killing your diet. Remember, enjoy the holidays with your friends and family, enjoy your treats in moderation and stick to your healthy diet the rest of the time. Life is to be enjoyed!