Favorite Things: Favorite Nail Polish

Today I'm linking up with Erika and Andrea to share my favorite things!  Today, the topic is favorite nail polish.

I am partial to Essie nail polishes.   I usually pick them up at Target or CVS.  I used to be a big fan of OPI, but I find that the brushes are too large for my fingernails (although they work OK for my toes).  Essie brushes are thinner, giving me more control; I also think that the consistency of Essie polish is thinner.  While this sometimes requires an extra coat, it means that it goes on more smoothly (less globs), dries faster, and shows my poor painting skills less :)

Here are some of my Essie favorites. 

Essie's Good to Go Fast Dry High Gloss Top Coat does exactly what it claims to - it helps nail polish dry super fast and is really shiny.  It's the perfect top coat.  I've tried lots of other brands, but this one is by far the fastest drying and the shiniest.

Essie's Chinchilly is one of my favorites for any time of year, but especially the colder seasons - it's a gray that has undertones of purple and taupe, depending on the light.  It's one of those nail polishes that people will always ask you what color you're wearing, but at the same time is tame enough to wear on an everyday basis to work.  Love!

I love Essie's Bahama Mama for the fall/winter season!  It is a great plum color that isn't too dark (sometimes I'm not in the mood for one of those almost-black dark polishes).

Essie's Mademoiselle has become my go-to nail polish.  This color is great - it's super sheer, so it doesn't show smudges or chips at all; it is truly one of those "your nails but better" colors that makes it look like you just happen to have very shiny and healthy-looking natural nails.  It's a must for busy moms!

Essie's Cute as a Button is a fave for spring/summer - it is a bright coral color; the perfect balance of orange and pink.  

Essie's Turquoise and Caicos is one of my favorite pedicure colors for sping/summer - a perfect blue-green!  

Friday Favorites

I'm linking up with Momfessionals, Grace and Love, and A Little Bit of Everything to share my Friday favorites!

1.  Kendra Scott on sale!

Tuesday was A DAY...like, one of THOSE days.  It was a crazy busy day at work - I missed a pump time, left work an hour late, there was terrible traffic on the tollway and I nearly ran out of gas, I was an hour and a half late picking up C from daycare (within 4 minutes of getting charged), and Blair's conference call ran like 2 hours over, meaning that I couldn't make it to the Moms ministry speaker and dinner at church.  Soooo naturally I did what all responsible adults do....retail therapy online, in the form of new (and on sale!) Kendra Scott earrings.  I have 3 pairs of the Elle earrings (Cobalt, Maroon Jade, and Yellow) and have had my eye on the Alex style...so, since they were on sale, and I had some money leftover on a Nordstrom gift card, obviously I needed them.  I got the slate catseye and the magenta magnesite...I'm not sure whether I'll keep both or only one, but since Nordstrom offers free shipping and returns, I figured I needed to snag them both before the sale ends!

2.  My New Wreath!

I love the look of burlap wreaths and have been wanting one for a while, so I finally took advantage of all my time on "house arrest" (due to a baby with a 7:30 PM bedtime and a husband working busy season hours) to make one.  I picked up the supplies at Hobby Lobby and made the whole things in less than an hour - so easy!  I used the instructions from this blog to do the burlap (it took 3 15-foot rolls), and then just modge-podged some scrapbook paper onto a wooden P (because who doesn't love a monogram?)  I plan to change out the Easter egg picks for various season/holiday-appropriate accents throughout the year!

3.  Google+ App

The vast quantity of photos and videos of C on my iPhone far exceed the 5 GB of free iCloud backup space, so I keep getting annoying pop-up windows suggesting that I buy more storage from Apple.  While researching options, I found that I can just download the Google+ app and it will auto-backup all of my photos and videos for free...which is even better because I can access Google from anywhere (I don't have iTunes installed on my work computer).  Score!

4.  Finally, springtime weather in Dallas?!

Can it possibly be true?! Is it FINALLY going to be spring weather in Dallas?  I'm pumped about the forecast for this weekend and can't wait to break out the short-sleeved shirts and maybe some sandals!!  Perfect weather for a walk on the Katy Trail with C!

5.  Women's Small Group Saturday

Tomorrow is our monthly small group with the girls from our Sunday school class at church -- one of my favorite times of the month!  We started this small group last fall after collectively deciding that we wanted to have a Bible study/small group, but that the constraints of working, being moms of littles, and having busy lives meant that it would have to be low key and flexible - so, we have it at 8:00 AM one Saturday morning a month, because that is the frequency that we can commit to at this stage in our lives, and 8:00 AM is the only time we aren't otherwise booked up.  The theme of our small group is "come as you are", which means that coming in PJs, no makeup, with or without babies in tow (depending on if husbands are home to watch the kiddos) is the norm.  No homework, no fuss (even for the hostess - the only expectation is coffee).  Love it!!!

Baby 101: Breastmilk Storage

When C was only a few weeks old, at the advise of my lactation consultant, I started pumping to slowly build a stash of breastmilk in the freezer.  Now that he's 8 months old, I have a sizeable freezer stash, which has been great now that my milk supply has regulated and I no longer overproduce like I did in the beginning.  The freezer stash has been a lifesaver on days when my supply dips, like if I don't drink enough, miss a pumping session at work due to meetings running over, or once my period returned.

Storing, labeling, freezing, and organizing/storing milk has been a learning curve, for sure!  Luckily, we have 2 freezers (no standalone freezer - just the freezer on our normal fridge, both in the kitchen and the one in the garage that we inherited from the prior owners of our house).  Still, the frozen milk takes up the majority of the space in both freezers and has the tendency to avalanche when you open the freezer door!  

Here is what works best for us:

1.  Storing Fresh Milk in the Refrigerator

After I pump, I usually store the milk temporarily in the refrigerator in the bottle that I pumped into, with a plastic cap.  I label the date on the cap with a Vis-a-vis "wet erase" market (I refer to these as "overhead markers" - you know, the kind teachers use(d) to write on transparencies in school).  The date washes right off with water when you wash the bottle.  Breastmilk is good in the fridge for ~5 days (it will smell "off" when it spoils, just like cow's milk).

I usually keep 1-2 bottles' worth of milk in the refrigerator (to use when my in-laws babysit and on Sundays when C goes to the church nursery).

2.  Storing and Labeling Milk in Freezer Bags

If I have more breastmilk than I need to keep fresh, I freeze it in breastmilk freezer bags.  Refer to my post here on my brand recommendations on freezer bags!  I use the "cone" (flange) piece of the pump as a funnel to pour the milk into the freezer bag - you don't want to get any milk in the seal of the bag or it can leak when you thaw it due to the milk expanding in the freezer.  I freeze milk in consistent volumes - when C was a tiny baby, I started freezing in 4-ounce quantities (he started taking 4 ounces by 3 weeks old); since he was 4 months old until now, I've been freezing in 6-ounce quantities.  Try to keep the volume of each bag consistent with how much you typically feed in a bottle - that way, you won't waste any when you thaw it, since you have to use milk within 24 hours after it's thawed.  I use a Sharpie to label the freezer bag with the date it was expressed and the number of ounces.  If I'm mixing milk that was expressed on different days, I use the OLDEST date.  Milk is good in the freezer for 6 months (longer with a deep freezer), so it is important to know when it was expressed!

3.  Freezing Milk Flat

After pouring the milk into freezer bags and labeling, it's time to freeze!  In order to use space most efficiently, freeze each bag laying flat on a box of some kind (Lean Cuisine boxes work great for this!)  You don't want to lay the bag directly on the white "wire" shelves in your freezer because the milk will sink between the wires and get stuck when it freezes and expands!  Freezing the bags flat saves SO much room in the freezer!

4.  Storing and Organizing Frozen Bags

After the freezer bags are frozen solid, I store them in gallon-size freezer Ziploc bags.  This serves 2 purposes: one, it keeps the individual bags from avalanche-ing out on you when you open the freezer door, and two, it helps me to organize the milk by date so I can make sure to use the oldest milk first (first in, first out).  I can typically fit 10 6-ounce bags of frozen milk into each Ziploc bag; I store one right-side up, and the next one upside down, in order to "file" them most efficiently.  I then stick a post-it in the bag that has the date range of the milk in the bag, as well as the sequential order (#1, #2, etc.)  This way, when I finish using the milk in Ziploc #1, I know I need to look for Ziploc #2.  I use post-its instead of writing on the Ziploc itself because I re-use the Ziplocs (since they don't get dirty)...but I'm cheap like that.  Write directly on the Ziplocs if it's easier for you :)  Make sure to store frozen milk on the freezer shelves, NOT in the door - the temperature of items stored in the freezer door fluctuates much more than the items on the shelves, which is not good for breastmilk!  You don't want it partially thawing and re-freezing over and over each time you open the freezer.

5.  Thawing Frozen Milk

When I need to use frozen milk, there are a few different ways I thaw it, depending on how much advance notice I have and how quickly I need the milk to thaw.  The fastest way to thaw milk is to run the frozen bag under warm water until it thaws; this only takes a couple of minutes, and then you can pour the milk from the bag into a bottle (I use a small funnel for this).  If I have 30 minutes to an hour before I need to use the milk, I'll just set the frozen bag on the counter and let it thaw at room temperature.  Finally, if I don't need the milk until the next day, I thaw the milk in the refrigerator.  This takes 12+ hours to fully thaw.  If I need it slightly sooner than that (like 8-10 hours), I will put warm water in a Tupperware container, put the frozen bags in the warm water, and stick the Tupperware in the fridge.  This helps the milk to thaw a little faster than it would just sitting in the fridge.  Whatever you do, make sure to use the milk within 24 hours after it is fully thawed; after milk is frozen, it loses some of its anti-bacterial/anti-microbial properties, so it can grow bacteria faster than fresh milk (which is good at room temp for several hours).

6.  Rotating the Freezer Stash

Frozen breastmilk is good in a regular freezer (the kind connected to your refrigerator) for 6 months; I think it's up to 12 months in a deep-freeze.  So, you'll want to continuously rotate your freezer stash to maximize its "shelf life".  Obviously, using a "first in, first out" method will help with this - labeling the bags helps you to always use the oldest milk first, rather than reaching for a bag at random.  Also, I have a weekly "routine" to ensure my freezer stash stays current; since I work part-time, I have to pump at work every day to have milk to send to daycare.  

On Mondays, I send previously-frozen milk; I take the appropriate number of bags out of the freezer on Sunday night and use the warm-water-in-a-Tupperware thawing method mentioned above to thaw the milk in the refrigerator overnight.  On Monday mornings, I pour the thawed milk into bottles for C to drink at daycare during the day.  Tuesdays through Fridays, I send fresh milk to daycare using the milk that I pumped at work the previous day.  For instance, on Tuesday, C is drinking the milk that I pumped on Monday.  I don't need any bottles on the weekends since I'm home to nurse, so on Fridays, I freeze all of the milk that I pump at work on Friday, as well as any excess milk from earlier in the week that may be sitting in my refrigerator. 

Using this routine each week ensures that my freezer stash stays within its 6-month expiration, since I am using (older) frozen milk every Monday and freezing (newer) milk every Friday.  This routine is important to keep milk from expiring in the freezer; the milk I pump on Friday would still be good to send to daycare on Monday, but I have to consistently use frozen milk and freeze new milk in order to keep the expiration current.

From the Kitchen: Lasagna Soup

I love lasagna but hate the effort of layering all the pasta, sauce, and cheeses...which inevitably falls apart when I cut into the lasagna, anyway.  A recent snow day provided the perfect opportunity to try out this lasagna soup, which has all of the flavors of lasagna without the assembly effort!

Lasagna Soup

Adapted from Cooking Classy

Ingredients:

Soup:
1 lb ground beef or ground Italian sausage
1 small or 1/2 large onion, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 5.5 (or 6) ounce can tomato paste
1 3/4 teaspoons dried basil
3/4 teaspoon dried oregnao
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
8 lasagna noodles, broken into bite-sized pieces (err on the small side!)

Topping:
1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
8 ounces ricotta cheese
Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Directions:

In a large saucepan, brown the ground beef or Italian sausage with the diced onions and garlic.  Drain and discard the fat.  Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dried herbs, sugar, and fresh parsley.  Simmer for 20 minutes, then salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate pot, prepare the broken lasagna noodles according to the package instructions.  Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water prior to draining the pasta. 

Add the drained pasta and 1 cup of pasta cooking water to the rest of the soup.  

In a mixing bowl, stir together the mozzarella, parmesan, and ricotta cheeses.  

To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl; top with a large scoop of the cheese mixture, and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.  Serve immediately while still very hot so the cheese mixture will melt into the soup when stirred.

Friday Favorites: Baby Easter Basket Edition

I'm linking up with Momfessionals, Grace and Love, and A Little Bit of Everything to share my Friday favorites!

Holidays are my FAVORITE!  I absolutely love having a kiddo so that I have an excuse to go all out on holidays!  This will be our first Easter with a little one - C will be almost 9 months old!  I've been scouring Pinterest and the internet for Easter basket ideas for him -- I want to include things that are useful/practical (he does not need one.more.toy, ever) and Christ-centered.  He's too young to understand Easter yet, but over the years I hope to bring fun to Easter (and Christmas) while still keeping them centered on Jesus!

Here are some of the things that C will be getting in his Easter basket this year -- I won't lie, several items are things he already owned, things recycled from his Christmas stocking that he hasn't used yet, or things he needs...but he's too little to know!

1.  Jesus Storybook Bible

In the fall, I contacted a friend of mine (he's a pastor at our church, and a dad to a 3-year-old boy) to ask what children's Bible he used with his son.  He recommended the Jesus Storybook Bible, which we actually gave C for Christmas and have been reading from every night (this is one of those 'recycled' Easter basket gifts I mentioned above - shhh!)  It reads like a storybook (i.e., it is paraphrased Bible stories) and has chapters, rather than books of the Bible/verses.  The illustrations are great (although we're still too young to appreciate them), and it tells the Bible stories in a way that I think young kids will understand.  At only 8 months old, our nightly Bible story is more of a routine than a meaningful experience for him, but we wanted to go ahead and set the habit of Bible stories and prayers at bedtime from a young age.  Eventually, we'll replace this with an actual children's Bible (that has the normal books of the Bible/verses), but this is a great version for younger kids who aren't ready for that yet!

2.  Fisher Price Sunday School Sing-Along CD

My friend Whitney recommended the Fisher Price Sunday School Sing-Along CD - her 3-year-old loves it and can sing along with all the songs.  In our Sunday school class, we have been discussing "Raising Godly Children", and how our time in the car can be a great opportunity to connect with them about their faith.  I listened to the clips on iTunes and realized I knew all of these songs as a child and had totally forgotten most of them!  I'm hoping this will be a CD that we can sing along to in the car for years to come!

3.  The Story of Easter Book

I have no idea where we got this The Story of Easter book, but I found it on C's bookshelf and it will be re-gifted in his Easter basket :)  Ours is a board book and tells the story of Easter in a simple format that young kids can understand.  

4.  Bowtie

We attend the 6:45 AM outdoor "sunrise" Easter service at our church; since it's early and outdoors, the dress code is very casual, so C won't be wearing a suit and tie this Easter. However, I still want him to have something a little bit special to wear on Easter, so he'll be sporting a button-down shirt, khakis, and adorable baby bowtie for the occasion.  Cuteness overload!

5.  Sunglasses

I feel terrible every time C is squinting from the bright sun in his carseat or stroller; it's definitely time for some baby-iators!  This pair from Carters is adorable!

6.  Puffs

Since he's too little for Easter candy, I figured C needs some snacks in his Easter basket!  He'll be getting these Happy Baby puffs in the purple carrot and blueberry flavor (because the package is purple, duh).  He loves these and, while these are the only thing he eats that aren't homemade, I don't feel to bad because 1) it helps him practice his pincer grasp, and 2) they are organic and soy, dairy, gluten, wheat, tree nut, peanut, egg, and corn-free (i.e., no potential allergens).  Also, they are super convenient to have in the diaper bag and will entertain him for a good 15 minutes (he is still slow getting them into his mouth!)

7.  New Pacifiers

C's also getting new pacifiers in his Easter basket; he's still using the 0-6 month Mam pacifiers, even though he's 8 months old.  The shield and the teat on this 6+ month size is bigger, which I figure will be more comfortable for him, as well as harder to fit the entire pacifier in his mouth.  We only let him have his paci in the carseat and in the crib, but it is a lifesaver -- it puts him right to sleep!  In the past month or so he has learned how to look for the paci and put it back in his own mouth if it falls out, which is amazing - no more late night pacifier re-insertions from mom and dad!  I'm also pretty excited that these are glow-in-the-dark, since that will make them easier to find in the middle of the night (he has a tendency to kick them out of this crib onto the floor, since we don't use bumpers in his crib).  

From the Kitchen: Quick Amish Friendship Bread

Growing up, there was a family that lived on our block that always brought over loaves of Amish friendship bread.  It didn't last long in our house!  They made it the legit way too, using the "starter", which I don't fully understand but I think it's similar to making sourdough bread.  

I don't have the patience for that, so I was excited to try out a cheater recipe that doesn't involve use of the starter!  Even better, this can be made with ingredients most people always keep on hand, which means you can whip up some delicious quick bread whenever you want!  I love how the top gets a crunchy cinnamon-sugar topping!  This bread is great for breakfast or just for a snack!

Quick Amish Friendship Bread

Adapted from The Semisweet Sisters
Yield: 1 large loaf, or 3 mini loaves

Ingredients:

Bread:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice (or 1 cup buttermilk if you happen to have that on hand...but who does?)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cinnamon/sugar swirl and topping:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Grease 1 - 9"x5" loaf pan or 3 - 5.75"x3" mini loaf pans.

Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and egg until light and fluffy.  Add the milk, flour, and baking soda, and mix until combined.  

In a separate bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon for the swirl/topping.

Pour half of the batter into the greased loaf pan(s) and use a rubber spatula to smooth the top (the batter will be thick).   Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the batter.  Top with the remaining half of the bread batter.  

Use a butter knife to swirl the batter around in the pan to swirl the middle cinnamon-sugar layer.  Smooth the top of the batter with a rubber spatula, and top with the remaining cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes (mini loaf pans) or 50-60 minutes (9"x5" loaf pan), or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Friday Favorites

I'm linking up with Momfessionals, Grace and Love, and A Little Bit of Everything to share my Friday favorites!

1.  Starbucks Gold Card

I don't know why I am so excited about this (my husband is notably NOT excited that this means I have been to Starbucks THAT MANY TIMES).  I think it's because I equate it to a mommy badge of honor, in that I didn't begin frequenting Starbucks quite so frequently until after C was born, when I was on maternity leave and looking for somewhere, anywhere, that I could walk from my house with a stroller.  Insert Starbucks, sitting on the patio holding my tiny baby..  That, and the fact that that it's glittery (unlike the one shown above).  With my uptick in Starbucks frequency I have branched out and tried a few new things, but I still haven't found anything that tops my grande-decaf-nonfat-one-pump-white-mocha-no-whip. (Note: the new Tiramisu latte was awful.)

2.  Walking to Run Errands

Via

On the same strain as #1...I love walking to run errands whenever I can.  It helps me justify my jogging walking stroller.  Before C was born, the thought of walking to the grocery store, or Starbucks, or Homegoods, would never have even crossed my mind.  After my C section, when I wasn't allowed to drive, walking to these places was the only way I could get out of the house during the day when Blair was at work.  Now, I love walking anywhere and everywhere if I have the time.   On Wednesday, my day off, we enjoyed the beautiful weather with a 6-mile roundtrip trek to Hobby Lobby.

3.  Dallas St. Patrick's Day

Via

St. Patrick's Day in Dallas is one of my favorites!  We used to live close to the parade route on Greenville and met up with a bunch of friends to stand in the beds of pickup trucks and watch the parade.  However, if we're being honest, it is a crap parade and a total zoo.  Hanging out with friends + babies at a house party in the M Streets is much more our speed - especially because it involves the best North Carolina-style pulled pork EVER on the Green Egg.  This year we'll be skipping the parade but hopefully enjoying beautiful weather in our friends' front yard...and there should still be plenty of crazy parade-goers walking down the street for our entertainment.

4. Chick-fil-A Frosted Lemonade?!

  

I just got an email about this today and pretty much can't wait to try it this weekend.....it's basically a lemonade-milkshake (Chick-fil-A lemonade blended with their vanilla soft-serve).  I LOVE Chick-fil-A lemonade, so I can't imagine how this wouldn't be amazing!! Have you tried it?!

5.  These Energy Bites

So maybe I've eaten a whole batch of these energy bites...by myself...in the past 9 days.  Whatever.  I justify it by telling myself they're healthy-ish (although not low-cal) and hey, whatever it takes to keep my milk supply up!!  They taste like cookie dough so I feel like I'm really onto something here.

Happy Friday!

From the Kitchen: No-Bake Energy Bites (lactation boosting!)

Nursing or not, these energy bites are an easy and delicious filling snack to have on hand!  They are super quick to make, since they don't involve baking, and taste ALMOST as good as cookie dough!  As a bonus, they contain several lactation-boosting ingredients (galactogogues), including oatmeal, brewer's yeast, and flaxseed, as well as a dose of protein from the coconut and peanut butter!  If you're not nursing, you can easily omit the brewer's yeast if you'd like.  

No-Bake Energy Bites

Adapted from I Can Teach My Child

Yield: ~30 bites (depending on size)

Ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (rolled oats)

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup ground flaxseed (sometimes called flaxseed meal; you can find it in the bulk section, if your grocery store has one, or in the baking aisle)

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/3 cup agave or honey

1/2 tablespoon brewer's yeast (nutrition/health stores sell it, or you can order it on Amazon)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Put all the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until well combined.  (You could also use a hand mixer or even stir by hand). Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then form by hand into balls.  I made mine tablespoon-sized and ended up with about 30 balls.  Enjoy!

*note: these also freeze well! Make a double batch and keep the extras in the freezer!

Friday Favorites

I'm linking up with Momfessionals, Grace and Love, and A Little Bit of Everything to share my Friday favorites!

1.  LOFT Layering Tees

I find myself wearing long-sleeved tees constantly - that and jeans/yoga pants/leggings is basically my "mom uniform" on days that I'm not working.  This week I ordered a few of these layering tees from LOFT and love them!  They're not so thin that they're see through, like a tissue tee would be; they're a thick enough weight that you don't need to wear a cami underneath (at least in the colored ones...I didn't order the white).  They have a longer fit, which is great so it doesn't ride up when I'm sitting on the floor and leaning over to pick up my kiddo, and it has a seam down the center of the back which makes it a little bit different from your average tee.  These tees will be in heavy rotation!

2. Coral Stud Earrings

The $8 knockoff Kate Spade studs from Nordstrom now come in coral for spring/summer!  I already have both the turquoise and the ivory studs and wear them ALL the time.  They are virtually indistinguishable from my real Kate Spade studs in hot pink, but you can get ALL THREE pairs of the knockoffs for less than the price of ONE pair of the Kate Spade ones. They're backordered a couple of weeks - I can't wait for them to arrive!

3.  Aerolatte

We had yet another snow day this week - 6 inches of snow in Dallas is enough to shut down the city!  Cold weather makes me crave a coffee drink, but I didn't want to risk driving to Starbucks in the snow and ice.  Aerolatte to the rescue!  I microwaved (is that a word?) a little milk and used the Aerolatte (similar to a stick/immersion blender) to froth up the milk in seconds.  I bought one of these for my dad for Christmas, since he loves lattes and was using some kind of manual frothing gadget...this is soooo much easier!

4.  Irish-ish Onesie

I ordered this design in a onesie for C to wear to a St. Patty's Day party!  A childhood friend of mine makes them and sells them on Etsy. I love having holiday-themed outfits for C, and this is perfect for him since my family is Irish....making him Irish-ish :)

5.  Energy Bites

I made these energy bites to be a healthy snack with a bunch of protein - sometimes it is hard to get enough protein and calories since I'm still nursing!  These are super quick to whip up and taste pretty much like cookie dough.  Recipe coming soon!