Smoothie Time!

I posted a picture a few days ago on FB of the newest addition to my family smoothie regiment and some of you lovely ladies requested a smoothie post, so here goes..... Keep in mind, I am NO expert. In fact any "healthy" information I learn usually comes from one of my super healthy, in the know mom friends OR my sister in law who is BIG into nutrition. Usually they tell me things they've bought into and then I go and do some more research to decide if I'm going to jump on the bus or not. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't....  but here are a few things that I find beneficial to sneak into our smoothies especially since my son basically only consistently eats broccoli for a vegetable, I have to find other ways to get this boy his vitamins. Plus, truth be told, my husband could honestly take or leave a veggie, he's a meat and potato kind a guy. So smoothies are essential in keeping my family heathy! So here goes.... as far as sneaky ingredients, here are the basics----

1. Chia Seeds- from what I've read these little suckers are ridiculously nutritious. Packed full of nutrients and antioxidants and even better? they can be digested whole (unlike a flaxseed). They also help to fill you up. So,  while the smoothie is a "snack" for my kiddo, it's my breakfast and keeps me full until lunchtime. TIP- do not use more than a tablespoon of them in your smoothie or the consistency will get a little gooey. 

2. Flaxseed- contains a boat load of omega-3 essential fatty acids, often found in fish. Since we now live in TX, we don't eat seafood nearly as much as we did when we lived in Florida, so an extra boost of this? Why not? TIP- You've got to buy the "cold milled" otherwise the seed isn't broken down and your body will not be able to break down the nutrients (meaning it's of no use to you at all).

3. Blue Agave- this naturally sweetens up your smoothie, which for a picky toddler, works wonders. I alternate between this and Raw Local Honey. I tend to use more Raw Local Honey during allergy season bc it really seems to help reduce the sneezing and itchy eyes. Seriously! TIP- Agave goes a long way! You don't need nearly as much agave as you would honey. 

4.) Coconut Oil- I could go on and on about this. My friend Debbie is in love with this stuff and I learned quite a bit about this on our beach trip, if your friends with me on FB, you saw we dubbed it the "Eighth Winder of the World," because it's THAT good. There's a great article about the health benefits of coconut oil, here. TIP- The hotter the temp in your house the "soupier," more "oil-like" it gets. Which will dictate how much you use in your smoothie. When we were at the beach, the temp in the house must have been cooler bc it was sort of the texture of yogurt, but in my house in TX, it's very similar to oil. 

Alright enough about the vitamins, supplements, and oils, now on to the good stuff.... My basic smoothie ingredients are kale/spinach (one every other day), strawberries (the whole deal, stem included) , a whole banana, greek yogurt, and frozen blueberries. I usually always buy frozen blueberries bc its typically a better buy. you can get a huge bag of organic blueberries at Costco for 12 bucks! The bag pictured is only half full, so, in my opinion, that's a pretty good buy. Everything else is fresh.

What you don't see pictured are my "cast offs," which are any veggies or fruit that look like their going to turn before we get around to eating them,  so I'll just toss whatever in the smoothie. This could be a carrot, some leftover broccoli, a pear, a red apple (tried a green one and it didn't really jive well). etc. I haven't met a veggie or a fruit that I haven't liked in a smoothie, so I saw try whatever you've got! But there's my "go to" smoothie recipe. I'll give you an estimate of measurements below but keep in mind I make my batch for three people and honestly it's more of an eyeball thing, but this morning I tried to be more aware of how much of what I was putting in the blender, so here goes.....

1 Tbs. Chia Seeds
1Tbs. Flaxseed
1Tbs Agave
1 heaping Tbs. of Coconut Oil (if it's the consistency of yogurt) or if it's runny just fo 2 Tbs.
1 C. Greek Yogurt
3/4C Blueberries
3-4 Strawberries
1 Banana
2 Large handfuls of either Kale or Spinach
1 Cast off
1 12 oz. cup of water
1 12 oz. cup of ice

Enjoy!

Ok, ok, I cannot wait.....

So remember when I posted earlier this week about the "piece," Dada was still working on for Miss Marcelle's room, the one waiting to be hung above her rocker? 

Well, my plan was to wait until we had it professionally framed and hung to show you, but I just CAN'T WAIT! It's too cute and too sweet not to share, right now! He finished it a few weeks ago, we've just been taking our sweet time to have it pressed and framed. 

Tyler cross stitched this adorable sketch of a little girl. You probably can't make it out but on the bottom beneath the frog it says, "Love Dad '13." I die.... This is seriously too cute for words and something Marcelle will have from her Dad for the rest of her life. Such a keepsake. Even more swoon worthy? All Tyler's idea. The Deneault men all know how to cross stitch, something they learned as children. Tyler hadn't done it in years, but when we found out we were having a sweet baby girl, he asked if I thought it was something she'd like and if I'd hang it in the nursery. Um.... duh. 

Seriously, it's true what they say, watching your husband love on your kids, makes you love 'em even more. He's a keeper, a definite keeper. 

If You Make One More Summer Salad......

It should be this one....

Grilled Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad

yum. yum. yum 

You can find the recipe here. Super simple, super yummy, and super filling. 

your welcome. 

Marcelle's Nursery Reveal

Welcome to Miss Marcelle's nursery.... 

Someone once told me, "If your going to go girly..... go GIRLY....."

Well, I took their advice to heart, what do you think?

When I found out I was having a girl, like most women, my heart skipped a beat. Not bc I love sweet Marcelle anymore than my wild man Ford but bc I think, like Dad's feel about their son's, it gave me the opportunity to love on a "mini me," to share in all things "girly," and to have a little human that I knew a thing or two about. And ladies, let's face it! To have a girl, is like getting to play dress up everyday! Who doesn't like dressing a sweet baby girl?

That said, once I knew I was having a baby girl, my wheels started spinning over her nursery. I didn't want something that looked like it came out of PBK, but I also didn't want something that looked like an homage to interior design. I wanted her nursery to be unique, fun, young, and playful, like I hope she'll be one day.

Her room is a complete mish mash of old and new, hand me downs, gifts, keep sakes, and trinkets given to her by some completely AMAZING women. Everything in it has a special meaning that as she grows I hope she'll appreciate even more.

1.)The blanket resting on the back of her rocker was her sweet Meme's as a baby. Such a keepsake.
2.)The ballerina bunny was from her adopted Grandmother Paula, one of the strongest women I know.
3) The silver cup, rattle, and brush were gifts given to me when I was a baby by various family.
4.) The Madame Alexandra doll was a gift to me, from Tyler's Mom (Marcelle's Nani) bc she knows my affinity for antique Madame Alexandra Dolls, something I hope to pass on to Little Bug.
5.) The painting hanging above Marcelle's crib! Ahhh!!! Cannot say enough about this painting. It was a labor of love made by a woman I grew up hoping to be like, the woman I babysat for as a kid. She's amazing and EXTREMLY talented, I love, love, love it!
6.) The adorable doll in Marcelle's crib (her FIRST doll, believe it or not!) From none other than my best friend Brooke's Mom. Who in my opinion is a world class Mother, who raised two extremely ambitious, go get 'em daughters. Marcelle could only be so lucky.

And in case you were wondering here's where you can pick up some of my other finds.....

1.) Large wooden monogram, A League of Letters
2.) Crib sheet and Changing pad sheet, Soren by Angelique
3.) Marcelle Pillow on rocker, Ted and Lucy
4.) Bunting above changing table, FawSewLa Stitches
5.) Chandelier, Overstock
6.) Bumper and Crib Skirt, PBK

I still have a few things to do in here, but it's more or less complete. I'm still waiting on one piece of art for above Marcelle's rocker; a handmade piece that her Dada's been working on for her. I cannot wait to hang it and of course show you, it is the sweetest thing..... ever.

So anyways, thanks for stopping by. I know how much I liked looking at other people's nurseries for ideas when I was planning for both my kiddos; so hopefully these pics may inspire a few of you!

I love a good schedule.....

Let's just say the last two weeks of August have had me all over the place. Schedule? What schedule? Like most Mom's I'm sure, come August I start itching for a routine, for some order.... a schedule!!!

And it's not just the "back to school routine" I love. I love the fact that we have three holidays slammed back to back, it keeps me in motion, keeps me planning; planning keeps this Mama happy! It's because we're so busy that it gets me itching to organize. Organize our weekly meals, organize our bags, organize our days, organize our lives. It just feels.... good.

 Hubs will be smirking as he reads this post and thinking, "Oh your sooooooo not type A." (sarcastically of course). 

That said, what better way to stay organized than with the PERFECT agenda? Now ladies, let's be clear I am NOT tech savvy. I own an iPhone and I couldn't even begin to tell you all the nifty things I'm sure it can do. I am just not that girl. Call me old fashioned but I LOVE writing stuff down. So at this stage in my life, I think it's safe to call myself an agenda connoisseur of sorts----I've used them all. To list just a few,  I've tried the basic MEAD organizer, the Lilly Pulitzer organizer, the Erin Condren organizer, the Momagenda, etc. While some were better than others, I never found one that covered it all. They were either too big and bulky, the layout didn't work for me, it didn't have something I wanted, etc. etc. Until now.... 

This year I bought myself a May Book. Have you heard of these nifty little babies? 

Let me count the ways I love this thing..... 

1.) It's small and skinny enough to fit inside my purse. 

2.) It's bound like a book so there's no chance of thing's getting caught in a spiral binding!

  (this is important as I tend to plunk jewelry in my purse to throw on when I'm not carrying a "grabby" baby!)

3. You can design your own AND monogram it! 

4.) The pages contain a monthly calendar and weekly pages, large enough to fit everything

5. The pages make Saturday and Sunday just as big as the week days

(which is nice when your weekends are filled with kiddie parties, dinner dates, barbecues etc.) 

6.) Starting at $15, you cannot beat the cost or the quality! 

So any who, I thought I'd share this little lovely with you as it has quickly become my favorite agenda to date! Check them out! So fun! 

Par-TAY in Marcelle's crib, 4AM!

So, let me first start out by saying I am a huge advocate and fan of "Babywise." It worked like a charm with my first. Ford was sleeping twelve hours a night by the time he was two months old. Naps were a litttttttle trickier but eventually, we got him hooked on two consistent naps a day, one cat nap in the AM  and a longer siesta in the afternoon. He was the perfect Babywise kid and I was one happy, well-rested Mama.

Fast forward to my little bug Marcelle and well, this Babywise thing just isn't working out..... First, could someone please explain to me HOW your supposed to do the Babywise method when you've got a thirty pound ball of energy running a muck in your house demanding your attention 24/7? I mean seriously?!? I have to admit, this time around we've been less than structured and well it shows. Right now the bug generally takes one long three/four hour nap smack dab in the middle of the day, in her swing (worst mother ever), then goes down for the night around 630/7PM, waking again at midnight(ish) and then again at 4AM!!!! And the worst part?!?!? Sometimes when she wakes up at 4AM, she is wide awake and READY to par-TAY! You know what this creates????? Two EXTREMELY grumpy parents! Argh....

She's taking in about 6 ounces of formula in one sitting about every four hours so I'm pretty sure my little piggy isn't hungry. And we definitely have a night time routine down pat. Argh. Is she ready for solids? Am I putting her down too early (she is whiney and fussy starting at about 6PM every night) or is this just typical for a poor ole' second child who sometimes isn't given as much "structure" as the first?

I mean, I love the little stinker, she's a cutie isn't she?

BUT this Mama (hah and Dada!) need their sleep. 

I can't F-U-N-C-T-I-O-N!!!!! So all you parents of two, three, and four (gulp!) help this Mama out- ALL suggestions welcome! 

It finally happened....

I've been on a blogging hiatus for more reasons then I could fully explain in one blog entry. Maybe it was the move, the birth of our new baby girl, the remodel of our new home, a gazillion vacations thrown in there, etc. etc. Or if I'm being brutally honest, my inability to blog positively while dealing with some heart wrenching personal drama in 2012.

But I'm back and ready to share my life with ya'll again--- hah, for the two people that may be interested, since I've left everyone hanging for close to a year :)

But all that said, this morning, while perusing the internet, sipping on my morning coffee, and enjoying this few minutes of solitude, I came across this bible verse and it literally stopped me in my tracks. I am living the exact life I have always dreamed and prayed for, it's here, I'm living it. It's been a long road, so long, and so filled with obstacles, drama and heart ache, that it took a bible verse this morning to say- WOW..... I'm here, HELLO, wake up, enjoy it!

My life is not always perfect, in fact, more times often then not, it's utter chaos, but I have what I've worked so hard to achieve- a loving husband, a working marriage, two beautiful kiddos etc. etc.  To date, they are my greatest accomplishment. God is good.

So, without further ado I hope you'll rejoin me as I talk about our REAL lives, the great, the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. This blog isn't meant to become a part time job, or to chronicle our photoshopped lives. This blog is my way of sharing my family stories, my take on motherhood, kids, and this crazy thing called life. I hope you'll follow along..... again :).

-Crispin