Why I run with my kids

Pushing a stroller carrying 60 lbs of kids is hard! I love the days when I go out alone, listen to music and peacefully run alone. But it's not the peaceful runs when I am alone that make me stronger, it's the times where I push my two little babes along in front of me that do it, so bring it on! They add obstacles that help me break through mental barriers and they add weight that makes my legs burn. Some days are harder then others with bickering and yelling at me to take them to the park while other times they sing to me and encourage me with sweet words. But even if I had the option to always run without them I wouldn't take it. Through these times together I am showing them the importance of fitness to us and hope that one day in the future they will be running along side of me and my husband.

To keep them protected from the rain and wind today, I had to get creative and make my own white trash stroller cover. I used clothespins to secure a blanket all the way around the stroller and while I'm sure we looked ridiculous, it worked great and was one of the best runs I have been on with them. They snacked, sang and napped away in their stroller nest while I pushed through 7.5 miles of wind and rain, it was awesome! As a reward for being my running buddies I always stop at the park at the end of our run to let them play and dig in the dirt and it gives them something to look forward to each time we go out. When we got home today they both practiced their running then Scarlett stretched along with me and talked and talked about exercising like mommy, what a reward for me!

Ruffled butterfly apron

Yesterday was a stress filled day with a trip to the ER for my little man, you can read about it here, but all is well today and we are back to normal thank goodness.

Now on to crafty business. I was asked by one of my hubby's coworkers to make an apron for his gal for Valentine's day. He told me some of her likes and then left it up to me to pick the fabric and style of the apron. Instead of making the same style I usually make, I decided to challenge myself this time and try something totally out of my comfort zone. I chose a ruffled halter style that was feminie and retro and went off a pattern which I don't usually do.

 This baby was a lot of work!! With all the ruffles it took me about 3x longer then I planned but I am really glad I did it. I'm not likely to make this one again because of how long it took me (unless someone pays me a lot, hehe) but I learned a lot from making it and it's already helped me in developing patterns for some of my own ideas.

 There is also so much satisfaction in finishing projects that challenge you. I don't ever learn anything new if I am always working on stuff I already know how to do, I need to step out more often to better myself.

James coworker was kind enough to send us a picture of her in her new apron cooking a Valentines dinner, how cute is she?

Dino Car Seat Canopy

I'm always so flattered when someone asks me to make a custom order for them. I love when people appreciate handmade items over a store bought version. I've been working on a few custom order projects recently and now that they are finished and delivered I wanted to share them with you.

After I made my sister her car seat canopy she had been a walking advertisement for me, it's awesome!

One of her friends wanted one for herself, so after she picked out her fabrics, I put together this fun dinosaur one for her.

 I love the colors of this one, so bright and fun! What kid wouldn't love to stare at all those funny dinos!

 The underside is done in a solid green and is perfect for blocking sun from little ones faces.

 I really enjoy making these, so if you are interested in one for you or a friend contact me and I will be happy to make you one!!

Wine Cork Letter

We have been saving our wine corks for the past few years in a tall vase in our kitchen. Many of them had dates and special events written on them like James 30th birthday, Valentines Day and Rough Day with the kids. Our jar was starting to get a little too full and I wanted a way to save them and display them so I looked around our house for something to cover and found the perfect thing. We had this black A hanging in our living room and while it was super cute I thought it would look even cooler covered in corks.

 I hot glued like crazy all over that thing, making sure to face all the written ones out. I had to cut a few to stick in tiny nooks but for the most part it was just gluing in straight lines, super easy.

We love the way it looks, little memories all on display, now I will have to figure out what I'm going to cover next time the vase gets full.

How Pinterest saved my cooking

We have always cooked a lot around here but lets face it, things were getting boring around here and I take full blame for that cause my husband is an AMAZING cook. I was stuck in a rut, making the same few things over and over and some of them weren't even that great. I'm not a natural cook, I'm terrible at just winging it and I've been known to screw up a recipe or two, bad. When I first joined the Pinterest community I was mostly interested in DIY and craft stuff but then I started noticing healthy recipes floating around and was interested in trying some out. I started giving them a try and got excited about cooking again. I was compiling entire shopping lists on ingredients needed for Pinterest recipes. I was putting together things I NEVER would have thought of on my own. My hubby got excited about the new things we were trying and the kids started eating things I never thought they would like. I would say 5 nights of the week are Pinterest recipe nights now and I really look forward to trying new things. I have added new gadgets to my cookware so I can try new techniques and the food is tasting good! I love knowing what is going into our meals and being in control of what my family is eating. I thought I would share some of our favorite recipes that I picked up from Pinterest so you can try them too and you can always follow me on Pinterest to see what I've been pinning.

Breakfast Quinoa

We had this just yesterday for breakfast and my kids devoured every last bite of it. It was a nice twist on oatmeal.



Lasagna Soup

My hubby does not like soup. He LOVED this recipe! This was hands down the best soup I have ever had, I called my family members the next morning and told them they had to make it.

Brussels Sprouts Pizza

This was a tasty twist on your traditional pizza and it even tasted good cold the next day.

Avocado Spinach Egg Salad

The kids loved this, I loved this and James said it was the best post workout meal. This will be a regular on our lunch menu.

Cumin Lime Chickpeas

Oh boy this recipe gave us stinky breath from all the delicious onions and garlic and it was totally worth it.

There you have it and I will continue to share when I come across something epic.