11.25.2013

Life Lately

Happy Thanksgiving Week!!

I have to admit that I actually don't like Thanksgiving food at all but I do love me some apple pie and pecan pie so I eat a little turkey and stuffing so I can reward myself afterwards.

Speaking of pecan pie I made my first homemade pecan pie last week and it turned out amazing and was so easy!  I used this recipe I found on Pinterest

cooking away in the oven
(my oven door is old so the picture looks awful)

If you saw my instagram then you saw that my mom, my sister, and I had a very successful outlet shopping trip on Saturday.  

If you a MD/DC/VA resident we go every year to the Leesburg, VA Premium Outlets the week before Thanksgiving and they had the best sales!!    

Here are an example of some sales that I took advantage of: 
50% off everything at Kate Spade
40 % off one Jcrew item, 50% off two items, and 60% off three or more items
25% off Vineyard Vines
40% off almost everything at Brooks Brothers
30% off everything at Ralph Lauren Kids 
60% off every at Carters
30% off Restoration Hardware

A week and a half ago Kyle and I went to Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore for his birthday dinner. This was our second time there and let me just say it did not disappoint!!  The menu is all local/homegrown within a certain milege range and it changes every single day.  

For all the locals wondering:  
We started the night off with some Gov't mules,  Caputo Bros Mozzarella and a Crab pot.   Gov't/Moscow Mules are my favorite cocktail because they are good but not too sweet.  The mozzarella and crab pot were both equally good.  The crab pot is best described as a lighter version of crab dip- not quite as heavy.  

I had the Cap May, NJ scallops with butternut squash and celery root.  They were amazing- I would say hands down some of the best scallops I've ever had.   
Kyle had the Chicken and Biscuits- which is actually the only menu item that is on their menu everyday and has been on since day one.  It was a lighter version of  what you think when you hear chicken and biscuits- basically not fry but the skin left on the chicken and baked and then the skin is crispy pan seared.   The biscuits were rosemary biscuits and they were so good and I'm not even a biscuit fan.  
We ended the night with the famous C.M.P. dessert which stands for fresh cream ice cream, chocolate sauce, marshmallow fluff, wet peanut.  

My baby is getting so big... 


He's trying to sit up and always has a death grip on his bottle so when he gets to the end we just let him hold it himself.  Everyone says the time goes by so fast and they are so right.  I can't believe he's going to be 5 months old this week!  


SHARE:

11.20.2013

Workout Update + Eating Plan + Sexiest Man Alive

Hi y'all! Happy Hump Day!

 Here is my workout update for the past week: 

Wednesday 11/13- walked 2.85 miles

Thursday 11/14- ran 1.09 mile and did 25 crunches

Friday 11/15- walked about 1 mile- forgot to track it

Saturday 11/16 & Sunday 11/17- no workout- my weekend ended up being much busier than planned and we were up in PA for part of it 

Monday 11/18- walked 2.12 miles

Tuesday 11/19- no workout but I did rake leaves for 1.5 hours during naptime so that could count as a workout

As you can see I didn't quite complete the workouts that I listed last Wednesday, you can find that post here.  I'm finding that the hardest part is carving out the time to actually get the workout done!  I'm still home with the baby all day and my husband doesn't get home until well after 8pm each night so I have to try fit the living room workout/crunches workout during naptime which means sometimes it falls behind dishes, cleaning, laundry, etc.  My runs I try to do at 5:30/6am before he leaves for work and the walks I do with the dog and baby during the day as long as they both cooperate.  I use Map My Run to log all my workouts.  It's super easy to use and just uses your GPS location. 

I'm going to give it a try again this week so let's hope that I can pull it together and really workout this week.   I'm going to try my best to set aside time for exercising even if chores have to be neglected until later. 

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
As I've mentioned before I can't do diets.  I pretty much spent ages 13-25 on a diet and I used to be very strict with my eating.   My biggest downfall is that I would binge on whatever I was depriving myself of.  I have also been known to be horrible drunk eater too.  In college I would live on salads during the day and then after a night out on Friday night I would go to Ratsie's our local pizza joint and eat half a pizza and an order of curly fries in like 5 minutes.  I would literally leave parties and bars early to get in line for pizza that's how bad I was. 

I also been known to consume pints of ben & jerrys, boxes of cookies, boxes of donuts, large orders of french fries, etc when I've been in a "diet",  so I decided a few years ago that I couldn't deprive myself anymore because the binging was not good.  
 
Other than my binge eating I've always eaten pretty healthy and when I'm trying to lose weight or get healthy I use Livestrong My Plate to track my calories. There is a website and app and they are both very easy to use.    This way I can stay within a specific calorie count without depriving myself.  I also try to eat every 2-3 hours to keep myself from binging when I'm hungry 

Here is a typical day right now:

Breakfast:
1 egg sandwich with cheddar cheese on a whole grain english muffin
1 or 2 cups decaf coffee with creamer 

Morning Snack:
Kind bar or protein bar

Lunch: 
-Salad- my go to right now is spinach, tomato, mozzarella with balsamic dressing
-3 cookies 
or
if  I'm super busy then I will eat a frozen Amy's meal.  I know they have two times the calories of a Smartones but I prefer the natural ingredients so I'll take the extra calories.  If I eat a frozen meal I try not to have a lunch time dessert

Afternoon Snack:  
Consists of one of the following: 

-greek yogurt with granola or honey
-hummus and pretzel chips
-cheese and crackers
-celery and peanut butter
-rice cakes and almond butter

Dinner:
- this varies every night but we've been trying really hard to eat most meals over a salad and avoiding heavy carbs/starches at dinner
-Dessert- I'm trying to eat those fruity popsicles or sorbet but I don't love them and then I still feel like I need dessert so I try to buy something delicious but only have a small portion.  

I would love to hear of any healthy snacks or dinners or desserts that you all love or live by- I'm always looking for new ideas!

********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Moving along to something fun and delicious...

I'm pretty sure this year is my favorite Sexiest Man Alive...


If you've followed my blog or instagram long enough you've probably seen me post about my crush on Adam Levine.  He's not my normal type with all the tattoos but there is just something about him that I love.   If you've been watching The Voice this season he's been rocking a new clean cut look that makes him look even hotter!

Hope you all have a great Wednesday! 
SHARE:

11.15.2013

Five on Friday

TGIF!!  Here are my five things this week...



1. Date Night-  Today is Kyle's birthday and we are going on our first date night ever since we've had Miller!!  We've been out about 4 times without him but this will be the first time just the two of us at a restaurant without a baby.  We might be able to actually have a non-baby conversation, and enjoy our food and cocktails. 

2. Coffeemate Thin Mints Creamer-  Yes I drink the disgusting fake coffee creamer but the flavors are sooo yummy and it keeps me from hitting up DD or the Bucks every day of the week. 

3. January 6, 2014-  The day our kitchen renovation officially begins!! To say I'm excited is an understatement.  We signed the contract this week and dropped off a boat load of money for a deposit so it's really happening!  Our next step is to pick out appliances and then floors.  So I will be spending my weekend Pinteresting hardwood floors and googling/consumer reviewing the crap out of appliances. 


4. Pecan Pie-  Can I tell you all that I've never had pecan pie until about 2 weeks ago?   Kyle loves pecan pie and had been raving about it for years and I for some reason just assumed I would hate it.  Well he finally convinced me to try it and now I'm obsessed.  It's just basically pecans soaking in a sugar butter mixture and it's pure heaven. 
I'm going to attempt to make one this weekend to see if I'm any good and then I will make one for Thanksgiving at my in laws.   It's looks really easy so fingers crossed it turns out. 

5. Family Christmas Pajamas-  Yup. I'm going to be one of those people.   I got the Hanna Andersson catalog and decided that we had to have matching striped family pajamas for Christmas.  Including the dog. 

See how happy this family looks in their matching pjs!
 
You can get your own family set here.  They are expensive but I've heard they will last forever.  I have some HA sleepers for Miller and they are so soft and awesome quality. 

SHARE:

11.14.2013

Bookworm

I love reading.  I usually go through phases where I will read a ton of books at once and then slow down to one a month or so.   For the past year all I've been reading is pregnancy and baby books and I'm so over them.     I'm on the hunt for some good books I may have missed this past year.

So far here are two that I have on my Kindle but I would love to hear your suggestions for more to read.  I'm hoping to try to knock out 3-4 by the end of the year.  

Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand 


Allegiant by Veronica Roth

This is the end of a trilogy and I haven't heard the best things about it sooooo it better not be as disappointing as Mocking Jay 

So have you been reading anything good lately?  Let me know what I'm missing!
SHARE:

11.13.2013

Working Out and a Shoe Addiction

I wanted to start documenting my workout progress.  Not because I have anything mind blowing to teach you all but because I want to start holding myself accountable for my diet and exercise and actually get my body somewhere close to it's pre-baby state. 

I decided to create a workout schedule but I knew that I needed to keep it realistic so that I wouldn't panic after 2 exhausting days and just quit completely. 

Workout #1
Days: Monday, Wednesday
2-3 mile walk with the stroller and dog
Living Room workout (posted here)

Workout #2
Days: Tuesday and Thursday (if Kyle is out of town this will be modified)
1-2 mile run
50 crunches

I decided to only have 4 days of a set workouts and then I'm going to try to do two of the following below on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday depending on how I feel.

- 3 mile walk
- 2 mile run
- Yoga
- Pilates
- 30 minute swim  

I am giving myself one day off to choose between Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. I am going to check back every Wednesday to give you all an update on how I'm doing.  I will also share my new eating plan with you then too. 

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

I've recently become a shoe addict and my drug of choice is Tory Burch.  It's an bad, bad expensive habit. 
I actually never owned any TB shoes until earlier this year.  I have never been a shoe person really and just wore pretty cheap shoes.  
It all started when some of my girlfriends gave me a pair of thin enamel flip flops to wear this past summer post baby. 

The shoes that started it all... 

They are so comfy for basic flip flips that I plan to get them in a few more colors next summer.

Then I decided that I couldn't live without the Miller sandal because of the name and how cute they were and then it was a slippery slope from there.   I added some Revas and Carolines and I'm constantly thinking about what to add to my collection next.

Here are some shoes I'm currently eyeing for my next purchase:



(currently onsale for $157.50)





 Are you a Tory Burch fan?  

 
SHARE:

11.11.2013

Life Lately

We're working on crib sleeping this week...
So far we've gotten a 45 min nap this morning which is much better than I expected sooo let's hope this good streak continues.  It's either going to be an awesome week or a long week around here.  #willprobneedalotofwine  #ilovehashtags

We had a great time at the wedding this weekend.  We took one picture of ourselves but we both look puffy and like we need to lose 20lbs so it got deleted and now we both know we really have to step up the good eating and exercising.  
Of course I couldn't resist the dessert table...
 The cake balls and s'mores cups were amazing!  Clearly I'm never losing the weight or getting back in shape since I have no self control :)

We stayed at my parents house after the wedding since they were babysitting Miller and my grandmother was there visiting for the weekend so it was great that Miller got to spend time with her. 
He looks less than thrilled but he was smiling right before I snapped the picture!

We are finally working on our basement.  It flooded right before we had Miller so it's been a disorganized mess.   We finally got new carpet installed which has made a huge difference and I'm working on cleaning it out and just throwing away/donating the stuff we don't need anymore. 
Here is a before pic...
I will keep you updated as we get it organzied and finished.  It's going to be a tv room/play room.

Hope you all have a great Monday!




SHARE:

11.08.2013

Five on Friday

TGIF!!  Are you all ready for the weekend?  I know I am.   We have a wedding and my parents are watching Mills for the day so I'm excited to get dressed up, hang out with friends, and have some drinks!

I'm changing things up this week and I have some questions and would love to get some advice from you all!


1.  Does anyone have the Land's End Large Canvas Tote? 


I'm looking for a gigantic easy to clean, affordable bag that I can use as a diaper bag.  I like my bags HUGE and deep and this one looks like it fits the bill because it also has 5 pockets lining the bottom so I could keep some organization in my life.  Does anyone have one of these bags, any opinions?  I have a LL Bean large tote but it's lacking the pockets so it won't work.  I was using my LV Neverfull but Mills has busy little hands and knocked my coffee all over it so I think it's time to put that away for a little while and the Pottery Barn kids diaper bag I have just isn't fitting my needs. 

2.  Does anyone have any good tofu recipes?   or any advice on cooking tofu? 
I love the balsamic toasted tofu at the Whole Foods salad bar but I just can't seem to recreate it at home and would love advice or any good recipes for cooking tofu or any advice. Thanks!

3.  Is Lululemon really worth it's price tag?   
So I'm finally getting my lazy self back into exercising and I'm itching to get some new workout gear.  Everyone constantly raves about Lulelemon but I'm not sure I can justify $92 on a pair of yoga pants.   Do they last?  Do they lose their elasticity after you wash them?   Could I wear the WonderUnders in the winter outside? 

4. Any fun cocktail suggestions?  It's been over a year since I've had any form of liquor and next week Kyle and I have our first real date night at Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore for his birthday.  My go to is a Moscow/Govt Mule but would love to hear about any fun ones I might be missing!


5. Can anyone suggest a good BB cream that won't break the bank?   I have the Origins CC cream and while I like it, I don't love it.  Before I try an expensive BB cream I would to hear if you all have any good drugstore recommendations.  

Have a great weekend everyone!

SHARE:

11.04.2013

Baby Mills: 3 Months and 4 months



As of his 4 month appointment on 10/29/13:
Weight:  15 lbs 1 oz (50th percentile)
Length: 26 inches- (80th percentile)
Clothes:  Mills been in 3-6 month clothes since about 10 weeks due to his length but he is still wearing them and I'm thinking we might be able to make it through November in them! This makes me so happy to get about 3 months in one size!   We are still in size 2 diapers which we've also been in since about 10 weeks. 
 
Health: In general he's been very healthy.  We did experience our first cold right after his baptism in early October but besides the stuffy nose he was still his happy laid back self.  We have had a lot of issues with spit up but he's a "happy spitter" meaning he spits up a lot but doesn't experience any pain or reflux.   I'm not sure if changing my diet would change this or not- my pediatrician doesn't seem think that will help and that some babies just spit up. 

Diet: We went 3 months with exclusive breastfeeding!  Right over the 3 month mark in early October he tried his first bottle of formula because I was having major supply issues and I was supposed to be away from him and was worried he would starve if I couldn't pump.  He drank the formula down like a champ and didn't seem to care at all (which made me half happy and half sad).  Thankfully everything worked out and I was able to pump enough for that day but he's had a few formula bottles here and there since then.  Unfortunately ever since he hit 12 weeks my supply has been awful.  I have tried making milk cookies, fenugreek, mother's milk tea, excessive amounts of water, and tons of extra pumping.  Let's just say it's been an exhausting few weeks.   My goal was to make it to 6 months breastfeeding and I'm hoping to be able to keep that up to some extent but I think I'm going to have to start supplementing or adding in one bottle of formula a day.   I had a ton of guilt over this at first but I'm starting to come around to the idea that formula will probably keep all of us happier.  
*I never knew I would feel such guilt over having problems with breastfeeding and I see nothing wrong with formula I just never realized how hard it would be if I had problems breastfeeding*

 
Sleep:  Sleep has been rough the past 2 months!  Miller went from sleeping in his pack n play or crib to refusing to sleep flat and was back to waking up every 3 hours a night.  We think this might be a combination of being hungry and his spit up problems.  So he is currently sleeping in the Rock n Play sleeper in his own room next to his crib.   We have started giving him a bottle of pumped breastmilk or formula for his last night feeding and that has helped fill him up and keep him sleeping longer.  I was concerned about still using the Rock n Play but my pediatrician said he will soon grow out of it the more mobile he becomes and won't want to be in it.  We're slowly working on the transition back to the crib. 

Baby Gear Love:   Angel Deal lovies,  FP cradle n swing,  FP rainforest activity mat,  Baby Jogger City Mini, Diaper genie, Rock n Play sleeper, Baby Bjorn, Dr. Brown Bottles, Bumbo seat, Brica Baby in Sight Magical Firefly Auto Mirror, Baby Einstein Take along tunes, Sassy Baby Keys, Sophie the giraffe.

Likes:  Eating, playing on his playmat, the bumbo seat, baths, taking walks in the stroller, his lovies that he has to be holding or on his face when he's sleeping,  he's discovered Layla and loves to reach out to pet her since she's soft (we realized he loves soft things to hold or rub on his face), grabbing on to his car seat toys

Dislikes: Pacifiers and being hungry

Crying: He only really cries when he's hungry, otherwise he is a happy little guy. He seriously never stops smiling.

Milestones: First laugh, Rolled over from back to front, Rolled over from front to back, Got baptized,  starting "talking" more and more and loves to hear himself scream
 Social/Visitors: Now that he doesn't hate the car seat and can be entertained with toys getting out has been much easier.  We've been to PA to visit family and friends, and DC a few times to visit friends. We had Miller's baptism and had family in town to visit. It's also been so much easier for me to get out and run errands or take him anywhere in general now that the car seat doesn't cause blood curdling screams.


Postpartum:  I've been doing well. I still haven't been exercising too much besides walking the dog 1-2 times a day and this exercise I blogged about two weeks ago.  I have lost all the weight I gained pregnant except for 2lbs and I'm just about back in all my pre-baby clothes.  I still have a few "skinny" jeans that don't fit but I'm back in all my tops, dresses and most pants.  
SHARE:

11.01.2013

Five on Friday

TGIF!!

You know the drill...

1. Silver Oak 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon 
My husband was given two bottles of this wine as a gift from a client and it delicious.  We opened a bottle last night to enjoy as we passed out candy and it did not disappoint.  We probably should have saved it for a special occasion since it's so expensive but sometimes it's fun to drink expensive wine just hanging out at your own house doing nothing special. 

2. Valley White/White Spring Granite

I need this granite! I usually don't like granite with that much design in it but after stumbling upon this picture on Pinterest I fell in love.  I obviously need to see it in person but so far it's a great starting point.

3. J.Crew Factory
If you've been following this blog for awhile you know that I love to shop and I love J.Crew.  In the past year and a half I've started shopping more at J.Crew Factory because their prices are so much better and they have sales all the time! If you haven't given them a shot yet you have to.  The quality is the same as J.Crew for half the price. 

Here are some pieces I love from there:

 Artist Tee

 Charley Sweater 

 Neon Tile Collar Necklace

 Polka Dot Popover 

4. Monogram Gold Cuff Ring

 I think this is kind of a fun idea- to have a little cuff ring with your initials on it!  I'm thinking maybe a right hand ring

5. Loaded Candy Bar Brownies
 Need something to do with all that left over Halloween candy?!  I Heart Naptime has these deadly  delicious looking brownies loaded with all sorts of candy!  I may have to make these (and give some away) so I don't just sit around all day munching on the left over candy.




SHARE:
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Blogger Template Created by pipdig