All we need now is some Bob Marley and brownies.

Penny loves her shrooms.

Barley and Mushrooms that is. 

This recipe was a fan favorite with Olive as well. And mine too. I looove it. Even Chris, who doesn't really care for mushrooms, likes it.

And it's pretty quick and easy to throw together. Bonus!

If you have a little one who is ready to try something a bit more substantial (or a grown up who wants to try something amazingly good), give this recipe a whirl. It makes a great side dish! 

Enjoy! 

Wow.

Long time no blog! Blogger was being beastly and then life just kind of got in the way. Sorry about that.

Big doings going on in this part of the internet. 

Olive celebrated birthday number 3. 

 (Favorite gift? A nightgown. Clearly she is not my child.)

We had several small celebrations with different family groups. Fun was had and cake was eaten. Good times.

My dad got a new lung. Wait, let me say that again. MY DAD GOT A NEW LUNG!! How freaking cool is that?! We are beyond happy and so excited at what this means for him (and us).  Sorry no pictures. Everything went well and he feels great though!

Penny sprouted a tooth.

And then another. And is working on another. She likes to bite me with said teeth. It's tons of fun. She also hit 9 and 10 months. Which means she will be one in less than two months. *sob*

Let's see what else. Golf season is in full swing which means we see less of Chris. But that also means summer is upon us and we can be outside all day long! Yay! 

What was that? 

Hasn't it been cold and rainy here? High in the 40s? Gale force winds? Torrential down pours?

Oh yes, that's right. I must have blocked the last few weeks from my memory. It's always sunny and 70 in my mind. Or maybe that's San Diego...

Let's just say we've been playing a lot of Candy Land lately. A LOT. 

 

(Notice the nightgown. She wears it 24/7.)

Which I am ok with. Actually, I kind of like it. I mean, who wouldn't want to go to the Candy Castle? King Kandy is kind of kute.

Clearly the recent bout of being stuck inside has left me delusional.

I think that's about it. So really, even though I haven't posted in over a month, I still don't have much to say. Huh.  Clearly, I need a life.

OH! I ran a 5k! 

I know! I am as surprised as you are.

It was a midnight 5k and although I was slower than molasses in January (or June with the weather we've had) it was a blast. It was a beautiful night (we were actually hot!) and there was a sprinkling of spectators along the way. I ran it with one of my BFF's and she didn't complain one bit when I slowed her down.

She was great at keeping me motivated.  Heck at one point she even smacked me in the butt to get me moving. I liked it. We're planning on doing it again next year. And looking into other 5k's to do this summer. 

I am still rocking my FitBit everyday. I love this little gadget more than I care to admit. I forgot to wear it a few weeks ago when I went out of town and I was heartbroken over the lost steps. Ok, not heartbroken but I was pretty bummed. If you like stats and/or need a motivator to get moving, FitBit is for you. So go get one and then we can be FitBit friends and compete against each other. Nothing like a little friendly competition to get your ass off the couch! (And no, I am in no way shape or form associated with FitBit. I just really like it!)

Well, I think that's it for now. What have you been up to my dear readers? Fill me in!

Hope all is well! 

I think I am in love.

Angela of Oh She Glows has done it again.

Vegan Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce

So good. So, so good.

Plus, Chris made them. So that makes them EXTRA good.

Photo courtesy of moi. You're welcome. Now, wipe the drool off your keyboard.

Wordless Wednesday

It's in the bag.

I am a faithful follower of the blog Enjoying the Small Things written by the talented (and beautiful!) Kelle Hampton.  I love her frank, tell it how it is writing. And her photography is great. Doesn't hurt that her children are adorable.

I was reading her post today on her Bag of Tricks that she always has on hand for her girls. A bag that contains little trinkets and treasures that occupy, soothe and delight her girls. I am sure every parent has something similar and if not, should. Kelle then went on to talk about her personal bag of tricks and asked her readers to share what's in their bag of tricks. What lifts you up when you're down? What are those go-to things/places/people you can count on to bring you happiness?

For me it's chocolate milk. Plain and simple (and very sadly missed these days). If I am crabby, angry, sad, tired, stressed or just blah, a big glass of cold chocolate milk is all I need to bring me back to the here and now. It's happiness in a glass. Sanity in a glass. Love in a glass. Patience in a glass. Strength in a glass.

A few other things in my bag include:

Fresh air. Spring or Fall air is preferable but I am not too picky.

The smell of freshly cut grass

Gummy bears/worms

A good book 

Driving with the windows down and the music turned up

A spritz of my favorite perfume

Cheetos

Music. Lots of music

A walk or run with the company of a four legged friend

Tequila+lime+salt+good friends

and so much more. 

On this cold, wet, SNOWY spring day I needed to think about the simple, good things in life. Remember way back in January (seems like a life time ago!) when I told you my word for the year is abundance? The things I just listed are my daily abundance reminders. Every day items/occurrences that remind me of how abundantly full my life is. Full of life, love, laughter, challenges, struggles and triumphs.

Sounds like an excellent reason to keep Cheetos in the house. And tequila. 

What is in YOUR bag of tricks? 

I take that back.

Apparently Mother Nature didn't like the shout I gave her the other day. We currently have several inches of snow on the ground. 

But hey, at least the wind died down! 

Plus the snow moisture will give the grass a boost once it melts.

And it's made my 2.5 year old more willing to wear pants; "Uh oh, snow Mama! I guess I better wear pants today".

So take that snow, we're happy you're here! Ha!

Signs of Spring

There is no doubt about it, Spring has officially sprung.

We have tulips poking their heads up in the garden, chalk art gracing our sidewalk, the beginnings of a sand collection outside the front door where we dump shoes/boots after trips to the park, daily requests (if not hourly) to go to said park, windows thrown open to let in fresh air and spring-y smells and claims of "but I don't need to wear pants, it's SPRING out!".

Welcome Spring, we missed you. Now be a dear and don't go all crazy on us. And by crazy I mean daytime temps below 40, nonstop rain or (dare I say it?) snow. 

That's my girl.