SPRING WEEKEND

Even though we didn't have any big plans for this weekend, it turned out to be very pleasant.  I really like it when we have nothing major planned and we can just go with the flow.  Matt took Quinn out to dinner at the mall for a daddy-daughter date on Friday evening.  The exhaustion from the week hit me all at once on Friday and I needed a break.  Needless to say, Quinn had a wonderful time with her daddy.

Saturday was cold and rainy.  Everyone slept well so we had a lazy morning.  French toast has become a new favorite.  It's so easy and yummy to make (3/4 cup milk + 1 egg + 1-2 tsp. vanilla + dash of cinnamon, stir, dip bread in mixture and put it in the frying pan!).  Saturday evening, Quinn had a babysitter so that Matt and I (with Emma in tow) could go out for dinner.  Dinner went well, but the car ride there and back was a little painful...non-stop crying from Emma.  Why do all my babies dislike the car seat?!  I did end up buying this super comfy "OHIO" shirt while we were out though.  Yes, we ended up at the mall two days in a row...

The work on our patio/deck started this weekend too!  I can't wait for the space to be done.  I've been looking for ideas on how to do flower pots outside (I've never done one before!).  I found a picture I like from Joanna Gaine's instagram (from the show Fixer Upper on HGTV). 

I also found a little time to read this weekend.  Maybe I will share my thoughts about what I'm reading in a post.  So, that's about it!  Hoping for some warmer weather this week so we can get outside.

By the way--I only have one child at home at the moment  and it still took me about two hours to finish this post between the nursing, rocking, diaper changing, laundry, and warming up my coffee (3 times)!  That's just how things get done with little ones at home :)  I'm still determined to keep posting though!

Wheaton Girls Weekend

 A few weeks ago I reunited with some of my best friends from college.  We haven't been great about making plans to see each other but we finally made it happen!  We met up in Little Rock and stayed at Lindsey's house.  Lauren flew all the way from California with her little guy, Walker.  We literally did not stop talking all weekend.  It was so nice to relax with friends who know me so well!  We had fun eating out and exploring Little Rock a little bit.  But, my favorite part of the trip was staying up late and talking.  Although, not much has changed since college...I had a pretty hard time staying awake past eleven...haha

 

We couldn't get enough of sweet Walker.  He was sooo good!

 This was the first time I have left Quinn for more than two nights, and the first time I have flown without her since before she was born.  It did feel a little strange at first but I snapped back into being my own independent person pretty quickly...haha  The break was refreshing and I think we all left the weekend feeling encouraged and recharged.  Matt did a great job taking care of Quinn.  He drove with her to NY to stay with his parents for the long weekend.  He made it look so easy.  Well done, Daddy!

 



labor day weekend

Normally we are with my family at the lake this weekend.  Labor Day weekend up north always means one last hurrah before the cool, fall air begins to sneak in, and school starts.  Some years the fall air sneaks in a little sooner than we would like.  We usually try to pack in as much beach time as we can.  On Labor Day, my mom would be busy cleaning up the cottage and getting things packed up to head home and start another school year.  It was always sooo sad to leave the lake for the summer, and say goodbye to family and friends.  It gives me a pit in my stomach just thinking about it! 

It felt strange not being up north this weekend, but we tried our best to make it fun (even in this heat!).  Matt and I were very thankful to find a sitter and go out on a date.  We went to dinner and then played put put :)  We did our usual church routine on Sunday.  I had to take a picture because I am in love with this outfit from Target that Grandma P bought Quinn.

We even got our act together enough to go to the pool.  It's literally a two minute walk to our neighborhood pool but we haven't really gone much this year.  We made our picnic lunch, put sunscreen on Quinn (and Matt....I prefer to get a little crispy and skip this part...shame on me), and went straight for the shady part of the pool-haha.  It was actually really fun because it was only about 82 degrees, instead of 91 :)

 Quinny loves the pool!

Of course, we went to Target.  As you can see, my little ragamuffin needs a haircut but I am too scared to cut it!  We also gave Quinn her first puffs and blueberries.  It was so cute to watch her grab the pieces of food with her pudgy little fingers, and try to put them in her mouth.

We have learned that sometimes you just have to make your fun, especially on holidays away from your family.  Dinners out, put put golf, swimming, Target, family time....I would say we managed to make it one lovely weekend at home!

favorite snacks + weekend recap

Since we didn't have any plans, our weekend turned out to be very laid back and restful.  In fact, making this list of my favorite healthy snacks was definitely one of the more productive things I did.  Yes, "low key" would be an understatement to describe our weekend ;)

ANYHOW....If you are looking for some new and interesting snack ideas, these have been my "go to's" for a while now.

1-Quinoa with chopped tomatoes, avocado, feta cheese, ground pepper and lemon juice (cilantro adds a nice touch too).  I have been toasting my pita pockets and eating them with hummus and the quinoa mix.  I will make a batch of this stuff and eat it all week.  It's so fresh and yummy!  Plus, it fills you up.

2-Greek yogurt (I am a big fan of Stonycreek Farms low fat plain) with slivered almonds, berries and bananas (you can also add some honey if you aren't quite ready for straight up plain yogurt ;)  I often eat this as a late morning snack.

3-Basically, I turned my breakfast yogurt snack into a dessert :) Just substitute the greek yogurt for low fat vanilla frozen yogurt (Publix brand is my favorite), or really any frozen yogurt would be delicious with berries.

4-PW's My Mom's Farmhouse Muffins have continued to be a favorite.  I have made these several times since my friend Mary introduced them to me.  They are perfect to freeze and warm up as needed.

 

Okay, enough about eating...let's talk more about how lazy we were this weekend, shall we?



Lazy/bored enough to actually play Bananagrams.  Why do I even try to beat Matt?  I think I have maybe won once when playing against him.  Although, if you can read upside down you might notice that some of his words were a little questionable.

 I cannot believe how big she is getting!  She sat up with all of the other munchkins on the playmat this week at church nursery.

I FINALLY bought Shauna Niequist's new book, Bread and Wine.  I was too lazy to order it online, and Barnes and Noble finally had it in stock.  So far, it has made me really hungry and want red wine...

 

If you have school aged kiddos, I am guessing you were a lot busier than us this weekend.  I made the mistake of going to Target on Sunday.  It was busy busy with back to school shoppers.  Anyway, whatever the weekend was like for you, I hope were able to rest a little too!