Moments of Brooke's First Christmas

The very first conversation I had with Joe on the phone, was early in January.  For some reason, Christmas came up and he was telling me about his house.  He said when he bought it, he loved that you could overlook from the second story into the living room.  He envisioned his children being so excited to look out and see the tree, all full of presents...

That dream came true this year.  The moment was so perfect, and yet our camera was not on the right setting!  That's ok, the memory will live with us always.

[fixed the setting]

Brooke was so adorable Christmas morning! We had our fire going, Christmas music playing and all was calm.  She so delicately opened her gifts, so we had to help her for the majority of them.

Holly photobombing.

This little soap--from my mom--she just insisted on carrying it around.  So funny!

This photo makes me laugh....my mom and her boyfriend got Joe this for cooking!

Sadie photobombed.

And then mama got her gift, well one that we can all use, a big girl camera! The quality is amazing and I cannot wait to really use it and figure out all of its amazing abilities!

After our little family Christmas, my mother in law stopped by for breakfast and presents. [Note: for next year, make a breakfast casserole to stick in the oven--too much to cook for a hungry and sleepy baby who opened up all her gifts!!]  It was so nice to have her over.

Next up, we got ready and traveled about an hour to my dad's house.  I was a rather obnoxious mommy and really pushed hard about the picture taking!! I loved how we had some Easter photos and I so badly wanted to preserve Christmas Day as well.

Hubby figuring out the camera.  {note the gourmet shrimp cocktails in the back! I need to get better for photographing for real now!}

The girls.  I love this photo---Brooke dropped the hat the second Joe snapped the shot.

I love my babies in blue--makes their eyes stand out!!

I love it!

My family!

My sister and her husband and doggie.

Sister sister!

Obvs we need to work on our skills, but she's so cute!

Brooke taking a bottle from Uncle Ty Ty

My sister and her nieces

Me practicing my photography...ya know, trying to be artsy and all that.  I believe that is one of my grandmother's ornaments; I used to love decorating her little tree with her.  We'd eat mint ice cream christmas trees afterwards.  I miss her.

It was such a fun day and I cannot believe next year she'll be almost 2!!

Any tips {aside from lighting, I know about that} to get good shots with a DSLR? I also need to get a cute strap haha!

Christmas Eve: Re-cap

Seriously, the best, Christmas, EVER.  I had so much fun with our little baby girl, I kept {keep} tearing up about how awesome it truly was.  So awesome, I need to blog about every stinking minute! Haha

First things first, I got my cardio on.  My elliptical won't fit down the stairs, so it stays out in the garage.  I knew I had to bust a move with all the yummy treats coming my way.  It's a tad cold out there, but hubby let me have a space heater. It works. 

Boom.  I love watching You Tube videos, so that's what I do now. 

Christmas Eve:: Iphone Photos-

I opted for a red sparkle top and straight hair.

We visit Joey's grandma and his mom's side of the family.  Obligatory round one selfies:

It was a white Christmas!

She had so much fun crawling around with everyone and playing!

Uncle Frank!

Then our "real" camera...Grandma Maria!

Brooke and her great aunt Milly!! Books & her first Barbie!!

I love Joe's family.  A bunch of loud Italians---I seriously couldn't have asked for a better fit!! I always get jealous that I am not Italian, but now my daughter is, and well, I'm close enough!! It was the best Christmas Eve ever!! 

Focus on What Matters

TGIF...even though I am not very thrilled about how this weekend is going.  I usually love the snow, but although I'd probably be fine, I did not and am not driving to Success School.  I'm not going to sit and cry about it [any more] it is what it is, and I just have to accept it and move on.  Right now it just isn't meant to be, and I can't be upset.  I have a lot of wonderful things in my life and starting off the new year feeling a little defeated, like I'm letting myself down, is just not OK with me.  I have baby girl's first birthday to get ready for; I'm fighting a cold, and life will go on.

Sitting here typing on my laptop, sipping tea, hoping my immunoguard kicks in....all while my husband keeps the fire going in the fireplace.  I know things could be a lot worse, but this isn't how I pictured the weekend going.  I really wanted to go to school....but sometimes you just have to stop. Breathe. And just do what you can do.  Not what you want to do.

To me? It's my health.  If I'm not feeling great, nothing falls into place.  So I do spend a good deal of time reading about things to keep me healthy and I sometimes have trouble falling asleep, and so I will watch You Tube videos.  It's weird because I watched a ton when I was pregnant and then I stopped for awhile.  Now I have found some more channels that I love, and one girl has got her act together! I don't even think she's 18 yet, and she's pretty mature.  She even shares healthy fun [and easy] recipes! I totally tried her "CinnaMug" recipe last night.  It's pretty tasty!  I hadn't tried almond flour before, and so the texture was a little more mealy "nutty" than I would have thought.  I got used to it though and actually want to make another!

I know healthy eating can get a little boring, ok eating anything the same time gets boring, who am I kidding!?  So she has some interesting little recipes here to try!

CinnaMug
2 Tablespoons Almond Meal/Flour
1 whole egg
dash of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of baking powder
pinch of nutmeg
2 tablespoons almond milk
1 tablespoon honey
*mix & place in microwave for about 2 mins

ICING
1 tablespoon almond milk
1 tablespoon coconut butter
1 teaspoon honey
*mix and heat. pour on top of the CinnaMug

In case you'd like to see her other yummy ideas, feel free to check her vlog out below!  

Share a healthy recipe with me; I'm always looking for new ways to enjoy good for us foods!  And remember to focus on what matters most!!

Healthy and Simple Meal Idea

Happy Thursday!  I am not very happy about all this snow! I usually love it, but I am supposed to hit up Success School [4 hour drive to Scranton, PA] and right now, it doesn't look good. I am not going to risk driving in terrible weather, but I was really looking forward to this.  I hope it clears up!

I have been getting some requests for what I take when, what to eat, etc. So I thought I'll try to be a better blogger and share some of my simple go-to recipes and simple solutions.

Morning routine!

Wake up between 6:30-7:00

Make a Spark-- Fruit Punch is my favorite at the moment!

Take first packet of MNS

Drink a glass of water.

Start breakfast--I make Joe and Brooke's scrambled eggs first, then do mine up. [Hence the messy pan]

***Eat within the hour of waking up to rev up your metabolism!!!***

This can be perfect for lunch or dinner too!

Spinach
Few tomatoes

2 eggs

I use the spatula to squish my tomatoes!

Cook until the eggs are done and the spinach wilts.
Add 1/4 avocado and when I'm not cleansing, a little feta.

You can literally throw any veggie in the pan and scramble the eggs; whatever you have on hand, go for it!! Nikki really inspired me to do this and I am obsessed. Thanks girl!!

I then try to drink 2-3 glasses of water.

By 11/11:30 I'm hungry for a snack.

Snack 

If I'm busy--I grab a meal shake! Otherwise I'll grab nuts and a veggie or fruit.

Around 2pm my hubby comes home for lunch and once in awhile I'll have a whole wheat wrap.  20 minutes prior to my lunch, I take the 2nd MNS packet and then I take the rest with my lunch.  This gives me energy to finish my day strong; I don't crash, I don't need anything else the rest of the day for a pick me up!

I always try to use balance---mostly grab my greens first! I saw this and wanted to share.  I always try to eat from the left side and only in moderation from the right.  

You know, the whole 90/10 rule!

90% clean 10% not so great!  Because?  Life is crazy, busy, hectic and we can't be PERFECT 100% of the time.  And for me, when I would feel like I "failed" because I ate something not great, I'd fall of the healthy wagon. 

Not not more! haha

Notice how I eat every 3-4 hours?  Your body is made to work at its optimum abilities when you fuel it like that. If I throw a workout in, I also make sure I get a little extra protein.

Obviously I have one more snack and then dinner.  I'll share more of my eats with you soon; I miss being in the kitchen and taking photos! 

What are some of your go to breakfast ideas or snacks?

The First

SI hope you all had a fantastic New Year's Eve! The last two years we stayed in and so I was MORE than ready to get dressed up, eat a fancy meal {that I didn't have to cook or do the dishes for!} and spent some quality time with the love of my life. 

It was beyond perfection.  Our meal was exquisite and the rest of the evening just unravelled itself beautifully.  We dined at Tapas and had a 5 course dinner---it was all so good! I worried I would get really full, but the portions were small and manageable and packed so much flavor! 

The restaurant was decorated with a billion silver and white balloons that floated to the ceiling with sparkly ribbons hanging down.  It was so cozy inside with candlelit tables, white twinkle lights and the seating itself, with big long booths for one person to sit at the table, to tucked away adorable nooks for couples to sit.

We immensely enjoyed trying each other's dishes and got lost in our conversations.  It is so easy to forget, how simply important a date night is.  I can honestly say that my husband and I fell in love all over again.  That is powerful, and that is the truth!!

After dinner we scooted downtown, and even though it was only 9:45 on a Tuesday evening, we were ready to hit the club.  We went to One and sat in front of the fireplace waiting for the upstairs to open.  Before long, we were up stairs on the dance floor, my step-brother Tyler stopped by to say hello, and then my girlfriend and her boyfriend came watch the ball drop to midnight!

We left shortly after that and on the way out, this guy asked me why I was so happy.  He kept saying what a big smile I had on my face, and it was awesome to see such a happy person; truth is?  I was beyond happy.  I took a lot of nights out for granted before our wee little bundle came along, and now I cherish each second my hubby and I get!  It was everything I could have wished for in a New Year's Eve and for that, I am so fortunate.

And today?  I still have that same smile---I feel like I am in a spot where I have all that I have ever wanted.  Our little girl is turning one next week.  Our health is good all around. Our home is wonderful.  The dogs are well.  Life is grand!! It's not perfect; I have some of "Christmas" yet to pack away, clothes to fold, dishes to do, yadyada....but overall?  I am so excited to see what 2014 brings.

I have resolutions, or goals, whatever you wish to call them.  I know that I need to write them down and hold myself accountable for them to happen!

My Motto this year? A mouthful!  "Mess Free, Stress Free---Clutter Free 2014!"

Seriously. I am going to have less junk around these parts, so far I've thrown away a whole garbage bag of stuff in our cupboards and fridge that were expired, not good for us, or just never being used.

#wayoverdue

That feels so awesome to have more room and less stuff!

Of course if any of these happen more than what I'm hoping for,  that'd be awesome, but I'm being real.

Once a month:
Try a new recipe
Read a book
Get to Zumba class
Date night out
Organize a closet, room, space, whatever!
Donate a box of stuff
Massage, & Chiropractor to help with my Tinnitus & arthritis.  It really helps!
Acupuncture with Joe!!

Weekly Goals:
Workout 3-4 times
Get Brooke & I out of the house to socialize {Baby Signing class is ending soon!}


Daily Goals:
Aside from what I already do on a daily basis, these are things I really want to throw in!

Clutter Free--set a timer 15 minutes in the morning and de-clutter, and again 15 minutes at night.

Write [blog] I love writing and writers need to write.  I spend so much time thinking about what I could write, you know some elaborate post and all...but really?  Sometimes, I just need to write.

Meditate -- Giada's new cookbook is AWESOME and she revealed some things she does to stay "healthy".  One is a meditation app.  I downloaded it [free!] and used it Christmas Eve Day. I even steeped two black tea bags and then stuck them outside to get really cold, THEN I meditated. I felt so refreshed!

I also have "work" goals, but I don't really know if anyone here wants to read about that!  I will write them down and share them with my leaders though!


What are your goals?  Even if it's to drink 10 cups of water a day, I'd love to hear them!!