Summer time... and the living is easy...

Well,  I am officially a slacker.  It has been multiple months since my last post, and I do not have a good excuse, other than SUMMER!

This has been our weekends:

  

Yep, swim lessons at the YMCA.  Our little shrimp successfully completed her first swim lessons of the summer.  We participated in the Parents and Child class.  We did the same class last summer, and she seemed like a natural swimmer.  However, this summer's classes were the opposite last year.  She started off slow and clung to her dad and I most of the time, but by the last couple class she was loving it.  Another plus?  The 30 min classes are just long enough to set her up for a long nap, giving me time to clean and start laundry.  Oh, the exciting life of a mother...

Things have been getting a little crazy in our kitchen...

 In an effort to eat healthier, my husband and I are making most of our meals from scratch (almost). So far we have been pretty successful.  One of the hard parts about eating healthy is finding foods that do not sacrifice taste in the name of health.  Another issue is the amount of time it takes to make everything.  After working all day, I want to come home and spend time with my daughter, not spend it slaving away in a kitchen. Luckily I stumbles upon Danielle Walker (Against All Grain) Instagram about a year ago.  I purchased her first book, but found that many of the recipes I was intrigued by took a lot of time.  I recently purchased her second book "Meals Made Simple" and so far everything I've cooked has been fairly fast and delicious. My favorite part is that at the top of each page there are icons listing important information, such as if the recipe contains eggs.  Since I have a daughter with a sever egg allergy, the icons come in handy when I am looking for something to make.

Fish tacos with mango pineapple salsa.

Also, ground beef tacos (I'm a big fan of tacos...)

The downside of all of this delicious cooking, is the dishes.... but that is a problem for another day.

Easter Eggs

Today I went to Target to get some fruit and yogurt pouches for the little one (she is obsessed) and of course my mind wanders and I start wandering through the whole store.  I saw that they have started to put out Easter items and this made me think of what I wanted to do for Easter. I have always loved dying eggs.  I like to get creative and I normally think of a new design/theme each year.  Since now I have a toddler, I started to think of toddler friendly ideas.  But then it occurred to me... Riley is allergic to eggs... and while I might be able to boil and dye the eggs with out her having any reaction, I do not want to take that chance.  So I guess it will be plastic eggs for us.  Now I will have to start thinking f interesting little trinkets to put inside the plastic eggs.

New Year, New Me :)

I told myself I would blog in the new year :)  Easier said than done.

My intention behind this blog is to organize my thoughts and ideas and to have document this year.  It seams time really does fly when you are having fun.  I can't believe 2014 is over and my little noodle is already one year old.  She is starting to understand and copy my words and actions. Therefore, I want to make sure that I am being the best version of myself that I can be to provide a good model for her to look up to.

My goals for this year are:
1.  When I am with my family, I want to make sure I am with them.  Not playing on my phone, watching TV, or day dreaming.  
2.  I want to be more creative.  In particular, I would like learn to take better photos.  (I have the camera, now I just need to invest in a class) and create crafty projects
3.  Eat healthier.  Prior to being pregnant, I ate mostly Paleo.  Since having Riley, I've eaten pretty much anything and everything (I'm a sucker for sweets).  Riley is allergic to eggs, so a Paleo diet would be difficult.  So instead, I am aiming for a diet that is well balanced.
4.  Get in shape!  Who doesn't have this as a goal when the new year comes along??  I used to be in better shape because I was more active.  I do not need to be in perfect shape, but I would like to be in better shape than I am now.  I want Riley to see her parents as active and healthy.

That is all that I can think of for now... This list is by no means complete, as I am sure that it will grow as the year goes by.