Fools Rush In: January 2012

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Six Years Ago...

Six years ago, our first little baby joined our family taking us from two to three. Ella has been nothing but a pure joy and the last six years has just flown by. When I look at this image, I just can't believe she was ever that little and I can barely remember her at this stage. Sometimes I miss Ella at this age and I wish I could have her stay my little baby forever. But I am glad to have the privilege of watching her grow up too.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Healthy Recipe 1: Green Smoothie

Green Smoothie

1 handful of spinach

1 handful of Kale

1/2 of a frozen banana

Juice from 1 orange

1 handful of strawberries

Blend all of these ingredients in your blender and enjoy!

This is my own version of a couple of different recipes that I have tried. you cannot taste the spinach or Kale, although it does have the texture of really thinned out pesto. It is totally refreshing and I love knowing that I am getting some veggies into my diet.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

The Wonder Years: Some of My Childhood Memories

These are some of my favorite things from childhood. If these images don't put a smile on your face then you must not be a child of the 80's!

Come on, tell me this didn't just make you feel all warm and fuzzy?

What are some of your favorite childhood memories?

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Time For Some Change

I have always known that stress can have a huge effect on our bodies, and I know that it can do some crazy things to us, but it wasn't until about 18 months ago that I saw with my own eyes what stress can really do. Going through such turmoil while also being six weeks postpartum wreaked havoc on my poor body, and I am still recovering from it.

I have experienced everything from hair loss and brittle nails, to insomnia and exhaustion. My physical being is just not the same and I need to something about this.

For the first time I really feel the need to have balance and to take care of myself a little more.

And of course with the beginning of a new year, this is the perfect time to come up with some goals for myself.

Here are some changes that are coming:

Better sleep for 2012. I need to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier
Drink more water
Take my vitamins
exercise more regularly
Eat more fruits and vegetables
Stretch
Calming periods of meditation

I will keep you updated on my progress and let you know how these changes affect my body in a positive way.

Here is to better health in 2012!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Disneyland 2011

Two of my favorite things in this world are Disneyland and Christmas, so you can only imagine how magical it is to have Christmas AT Disneyland! The crowds were a little more then we were used to, but the castle, the fireworks, and huge Christmas tree were worth seeing.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Christmas 2011

This year we had a really great Christmas. It was a little different because we headed to southern California rather than sticking around, but it turned out to be such a great trip and we had a blast. We stayed at the hotel that Mike's mom manages and the kids loved it! It was such a relaxing fun two weeks, that it was really hard to come home.

Here are the highlights from our trip:

At Mike's house the fire trucks come around the neighborhood with Santa on the back. They all wave hello and pass out a bag of treats to the kids. It was really cute and of course the kids loved it!

The kids played Just Dance for about six hours a day. We hardly even saw Ella for about five days of our vacation. She had fun sleep overs with cousins and told me numerous times that Nini's house is the best because "you can do whatever you want". Now thats what I call a vacation.

On New Year's Eve we went to a pizza/arcade place. It was such a step up from Chuck E Cheese, that even the adults were having a good time!

Stay tuned for more pictures from our trip to Disneyland...

Saturday, January 7, 2012

52 Recipes Completed

I completed my goal of trying 52 new recipes in one year and I learned a few things in the process:

1. I like to bake more than I like to cook.

2. I like to try making new things when there is no stress or time crunch involved.

3. My kids are really picky eaters!!!

4. I don't include enough fruits and vegetables in our daily menu.

5. You can omit and replace a lot of spices and flavors with what you already have on hand to keep from spending a lot of extra money on things you may only use once (there were times I left out things like parsley or replaced garlic with garlic powder).

6. I really enjoy making things from scratch and that putting a little extra time and energy in to making something rather than buying it, because it usually ends up being a healthier version.

My goal for 2012 is to try 52 HEALTHY recipes in the year. The only requirement is that it has to include healthy ingredients like whole grains, fruit, or vegetables and it has to add nutrients to our daily diet. I really want to find recipes that force us to eat more fresh produce and are enjoyable.

Wish me luck!