HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLIS & FINN!

A few weekends ago we celebrated two birthdays in the family. Ellis' second and Finn's (our nephew) fifth. People always say that time flies after you start having kids and are they right. I cannot believe two years have passed since Little Miss Ellis Averee entered our lives. She has brought us so much happiness and we just couldn't imagine life without her. It kind of feels like she has just been here all along.

It was a great weekend filled with friends and family. We celebrated both the kiddo's birthdays together with an underwater themed party. Ashley and I had fun crafting the silly underwater creatures for the decorations. We both just pulled together stuff we had around the house and in our crafting supplies to make them. (It probably helps that I hoard crafting supplies.)

We had smoked chickens, pulled pork, homemade buns, pasta salad, ceasar salad, caprese salad kabobs, deviled eggs, chips and dip, taco dip, veggie platter, cheese tray, pickles, olives, home brewed beer, lemon cake, chocolate cake, trix treats, and cake pops! You name it, we had it! ;)

After a celebration like that, I cannot help but feel so truly blessed. We are so lucky to have so many friends and family who love our little girl.

ELLIS' BIG GIRL ROOM - INSPIRATION BOARD

As most of you know, baby #2 is a BOY! This means we need to start thinking about switching up rooms. Ellis will eventually move into her 'big girl' room and we will make a few changes to the nursery to make it a bit more boyish. Here is my inspiration board for E's new room. Who knows if it will actually end up looking anything like this, but it is where I am headed with it at the moment. :)

This weekend we are starting on the triangle wall and Logan is adding some shelves and cubbies to the closet to make it more useful for all of her tiny clothes.

Anyone going to IKEA within the next few weeks??? I need a large picture frame and possibly some shelving! ;)

THREE LITTLE BIRDS

Last night we put Ellis to bed as usual and as she often does, about 10 minutes later she starts yelling "Mommy...Daddy... Where are youuuuuuu?????" as she stands in her crib with her arms stretched out ready for one of us to sweep her up and rock her back to sleep. Last night, that person was me. As our routine goes, I grab her and 'baby', wrap her in her fuzzy pink blanket, and rock her as I sing Bob Marley's 'Three Little Birds' until she falls asleep.

As I was singing, I asked her to sing with me to see if she actually would. To my surprise, she belted out the words in the most adorable way I could ever image. You know, in the way only two year olds can "Don Wowwy, bout a ting" bc they really can't say their R's quite yet. So, there we were, rocking in the dark, both singing Bob Marley, and my heart just about melted. I almost couldn't sing with her b/c I was trying so hard not to laugh. Then I thought to myself, this is what life is about. This is the good stuff. This is the stuff I never want to forget.

Then I started to think that I wish I would have had my phone so I could take a little video of her singing b/c moments like this I do not want to forget. I do not want to forget how sweet her little voice sounded, how content and happy she was to just rock with me, and how she needed me. Because the truth is, kids grow up. They do not stay this sweet and innocent forever. I know there has been, and will be, so many moments like this with Ellis and Baby #2 that I will want to capture so I can look back and remember their little voices and sweet little faces, but you just can't capture them all. Some moments were just meant to be just that - memories that live in your head.

But I CAN write down a few things about Ellis that I want to remember at the age of {almost} 2 years old. Part of the reason I write and post pictures in this blog is b/c it is a way for me to document our lives. Logan, Ellis and I can look back on these posts when she is older and remember these moments. So, here they are. The little things I do not want to forget...

1. Her sweet little voice as she sings her favorites - Three Little Birds, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Pat-a-Cake ('leaving on a jet plane' is a soon to be favorite - we are working on it ;)

2. How her hair curls in little ringlets after a bath

3. How she runs to me and grabs my leg when something scares her on TV - Yes, even Disney can be scary to a two year old

4. How she shakes her finger at me and says, 'No Mama!' (Yes, I know it is naughty, but it is just too cute not to love)

5. How she proclaims she is done after everything (eating, getting dressed, brushing her teeth, etc) with a big "ALL DONE!"

6. How she almost always wakes up happy and jumps up and down in her crib with excitement

7. How her little feet turn in as she walks

8. How she runs into our bedroom after I get her out of her crib and yells "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!!!!" Oh that one just melts me every time. She then climbs on the bed and plays with the dogs and giggles as Logan tries to sleep. I let it happen and find it quite amusing.

9. The way she says 'Gamma' and Gampa' when she sees my parents. AGAIN, 'R's are hard ;)

10. The way she gives kisses and says "wove you Mommy' before bed

11. How she gets excited when one of us gets home from work. She runs and gives hugs. :)

12. How she says our dog's names (Emma & Oliver (Olie-Vair) - in a British kind of accent)

13. How she copies what we say when we give the dog's commands. "Emma! hurry up!" and "Emma! Get in here!"

14. How she uses 'baby' as a pillow when she's tired

15. How she looks when she sleeps. We like to sneak into her room at night to watch her sleep before we go to bed.

16. How she is sleeps with her head on the mattress and her butt in the air

I just love this little girl more and more every day. I know I say that probably way too much, but on the other hand, can you really say that too much? :)

10 RANDOM THOUGHTS ON EXPLORING SAN DIEGO, CA

I am finally getting to this post...

If you follow me on Instagram, you are already well aware that Logan and I just spent a few days in San Diego, CA. I only posted about a million pictures of our adventures and probably way too many pictures of the fantastic food we devoured. It was the first time we had both been away from Ellis together for more than a night or two. We missed her like crazy, but thoroughly enjoyed the time away, just the two of us. I am confident that we explored all that is San Diego, CA! Here just a few of my random thoughts on our get away:

1.  Traveling is something I need. YES... NEED. Some people have no desire to travel and I think that is 100% pure craziness. I think about it almost every day. Now, if I only had a money tree in my backyard that paid for plane tickets... hmmmmmm

2.  Even though it is so nice to get away, there is something so wonderful about coming home. When you have a little one you have missed like crazy, it makes it even better. AND there is just something about sleeping in your own bed...

3.  Public transportation is NOT a germaphobe's dream - no sir. We got over it quick, but it took a minute and a little bottle of hand sanitizer.

4.  THE FOOD. OMG, the food! We were there to not only site see, but to try the best Italian in Little Italy, the best Mexican in Old Town, etc. I would have to say, San Diego did NOT disappoint in flavor!

5.  I consider myself lucky to have a husband who shares my passion for exploring. I think we make a pretty fantastic little travel duo.

6.  If you are going to travel while pregnant: #1 - Make your travel partner well aware of the fact that you will have to pee at least every two hours. #2 - Travel while in your second trimester. I would have never made it in my first.

7.  California Dreamin'. Yes, I felt like La Jolla and Coronado Island defined my idea of what that really meant. I have NEVER in my life seen so much money. The cars, the houses, all the stores (that we couldn't afford)! As we were walking down the beautiful cobblestone roads looking up at the amazing houses along the shoreline and peeking into the driveways to catch a glimpse of their fancy cars, it blew our minds that people actually own these things and yes, many of the houses were people's second homes. I guess THAT is California Dreamin'.

8.  After a few days in San Diego, I started to notice a trend. Logan and I were drawn to every little girl we saw around the age of two. It's like we spotted them from a mile away. Little boys - nope, didn't care too much about them. lol We would usually ask the parents how old she was and then we told them we had a little girl at home and that we missed her. It was just so funny to me. It made us miss her every time.

9.  I think I might be a 'vacation narcoleptic.' After every big meal we ate, I fell asleep for a good 20 minutes about a 30 to 45 minutes after we were done eating - didn't matter where we were. I fell asleep on the SD Zoo trolly tour and the city bus, not to mention, I pretty much crashed every night we got back to the hotel. It was seriously the strangest thing!

10. After our visit to SD, Logan is now having a 'turning-30-life-crises' and has the urge to wear skinny jean, backwards hats, grow his hair out shaggy and buy a long board. ;) kidding, but he did buy a sweet hat with a hula girl on it. Oh, and he does own a longboard. ;)

Our list of 'must try' restaurants in the San Diego area include:

Hash House A Go Go: (Brunch) Get the sage fried chicken - I have never tasted so many flavors in one dish!

Snooze: (Brunch) They have cage free eggs and serve tons of healthy options like quinoa porridge, but are famous for their eggs benedict.

Buon Appetito in Little Italy: (Dinner) Delicious pasta, seafood, and steak - Our Italian server was so sweet! The service and food were both fantastic. A local elderly Italian man who lived the neighborhood recommended it to us. (Always ask the locals, never your concierge.) 

Filippi's Pizza Grotto in Little Italy: (Lunch or Dinner) You have to walk through a little Italian deli to get to the restaurant and the entire ceiling of the restaurant is covered with bottles of their house Chianti hanging in little straw baskets. I wouldn't say the pizza was truly authentic thin crust Italian pizza like we had in Italy, but it was more of a pan style pizza that was just as amazing. 

The Prado at Balboa Park: (Lunch or Dinner) Logan had a burger with the most amazing french fries (I know this b/c I stole half of them) and I had a Farmers' Market Salad. They also have great outdoor seating.

Cafe Coyote in Old Town: (Lunch or Dinner) for great Mexican food. They hand make their own tortillas right out front in the outdoor seating area.

MooTime Creamery on Coronado Island: for a milkshake or about a million other different options for ice cream treats. AAAMAZING!


Our list of things to do in the San Diego area include:

La Jolla - the shores to see the seals, walk the beach, and walk through the beautiful neighborhoods to look at the houses. It might not be your thing, but it is totally ours. 

The San Diego Zoo - It is just a must see. It is over 100 acres and it takes a good five hours to go through. Make sure you grab a map when you first get in. It will make it much easier to navigate and you can make sure you see everything. 

Coronado Island - Go inside and explore the famous Hotel del Coronado - walk the beach and go to all the adorable little shops. 
Balboa Park - museums and restaurants. 

The Gaslamp District - great restaurants and clubs if you are not pregnant and feel like going out. ;)

The Border of Mexico - We also headed down to the border (almost to Tijuana) to hit up the Las Americas Premium Outlet Stores in San Ysidro. Now I wouldn't exactly recommend outlet shopping for a tourist b/c, let's be honest, you can outlet shop anywhere. We just wanted to go and see the border and well, we like outlet stores I guess.

BANANA | COFFEE | CHOCOLATE CHIP | WHOLE WHEAT MUFFINS

I made these today and they were fantastic! I am curious if using espresso vs. coffee would bring out the coffee flavor a bit more, so I will have to try that sometime and report back.  I was surprised at how soft they were. I was expecting them to be possibly a bit dense b/c of all the whole wheat flour, but they are actually super moist! I will be making them again for sure!

 

2 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk (I didn't have any on hard, so I made my own using whole milk and lemon juice - super easy and I am sure any kind of milk would work)
3/4 cup olive oil
1 cup banana mashed, plus 1 cup diced (2 large bananas smashed and 1 diced)
1/4 cup strong coffee, room temperature
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips or cacao nibs
sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line 2 muffin tins. (Makes 24 muffins)

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together, and make a well in the center. Combine the oil, milk, mashed banana, coffee, vanilla, maple syrup, sugar, and egg. Whisk the wet ingredients together and pour over the dry ingredients. Stir the ingredients together until almost mixed. Add diced banana and chocolate chips and finish mixing until just combined, being careful not to over mix. (Remember, lumpy is good!)

Scoop the batter into the prepared pans, filling the muffin cup about two-thirds full. Sprinkle with a bit of sugar. Bake until the muffin edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out with the very tiniest bit of crumb, 16-20 minutes.

(Recipe slightly adapted from The Vanilla Bean Blog)

FOR ALL THE MOMS WHO LOSE THEIR SH*T

In a world now driven by social media, you now have a look into everyone's lives. You get to see their accomplishments, their new homes, their growing families, their job promotions, their fancy vacations and sometimes, ok, maybe more than just sometimes, it can make you feel inadequate - like your life isn't quite as glamorous, shiny, and beautiful as everyone else's. As a mom, you feel like you are drowning in a pool of water as the 'moms who have it together' do the backstroke in the water above you. Not to mention they are probably wearing some expensive designer bathing suit and sipping on some fancy homemade cocktail, as they do it.

But really, can you hate these people? These moms whose lives seem perfect? No, because you would hate a lot of people, including yourself. You can't blame people. They WANT to share the happy parts of their lives (who doesn't?) and really, in most cases, you want to see it. It is fun and you are happy for them.

Even though it is fun, sometimes you cannot help but compare your life to everyone else's. I think it is just human nature. But when you do this, just remember, people do not share the bad stuff. You have a glimpse into their happy moments, not the ones where they fight with their husband or worry about money.

Yesterday, I wanted to write a facebook post that said "I LOST MY SH*T TWICE TODAY AND I AM MENTALLY UNSTABLE." I wonder how many 'likes' that would have gotten? I am sick, pregnant, and just unable to cope with life at the moment. Every little thing is a big thing for me. I cried in the car twice yesterday, ate cereal for dinner, and blamed all my life problems on my husband when he got home from work. I feel like I am drowning and something in our lives needs to give. Something needs to bend.

And then I sit and wonder... How do "those" moms do it. How do those moms work and get their family fed, stay in shape, have a social life, and keep the spark in their marriage? HOW? What's the answer?  The answer is they do probably just as well as I do. What I am feeling or experiencing isn't odd or out of the ordinary. To think I am the first mom to fly off the handle or like I said above, "lose my sh*t," would be crazy. Lots of moments in our life are great - the cutesy play kitchens, the homemade bread, the husband who plays the guitar and tosses our daughter in the air. But for every time there is a sweet, loving moment that we show the world through our instagram or facebook page, there is a moment when we loose it that no one sees. Well, someone sees it and it is usually those who are the closest to us and love us the most. They are the ones who get to see the real - the real good and the real bad.

Now, I know days like yesterday are not every day. You know that quote - "It is a bad day, not a bad life." Well, I need to remember that at these moments in my life. Today I am sitting here writing this, Ellis is napping upstairs, the house and my mind are calm and I am feeling a bit more normal and ready to resume all my grow-up responsibilities. All is well again... for the moment. ;)

I have a new resolution for 2014. Actually, let's call it a goal. My goal is to slow down, learn to appreciate what I have, stop holding myself to such high standards, breathe, and enjoy the little things just a bit more. I am going to take on less, relax more, and not worry as much. This life is good and we are lucky. I do not have to be perfect and as much as we think other people or other moms are... they aren't. We all struggle in one way or another. We all lose our sh*t. :)

WHAT'S COOKIN, GOOD LOOKIN?!: PLAY KITCHEN REFINISH

Remember this sweet little find from this post over the summer? Well, here is the promised 'after' picture. I would like to claim this handy work as my own, but I cannot. It is the work of the talented Kriza of Oak + Olive Home.

I wish I had gotten a picture of it with the oven door closed. Krizia painted a chalkboard window on the front of the oven so Ellis can draw things with chalk that are in the oven. She also painted the right side of the oven with chalkboard paint so Ellis can write her grocery list! You know, like wooden sandwich meat and maybe a few plastic pears! YUM! ;) Now Ellis just needs to learn how to write! We will work on that one...

I put a small cafe tension rod under the sink and sewed a little curtain out of some vintage fabric that I had.

We gave the oven (along with all of the kitchen goods) to Ellis for her Christmas present. She loves it and plays with it constantly when we are home. Her favorite is the Melissa and Doug cookie set. She pours us tea, 'cheers' with her cup, and shares all of her wooden cookies with us! We taught her to say "nom nom nom" as she pretends to eat her cookies. I love it!