Thursday Day Dates

Every Thursday we take Audrina to a daycare that she absolutely loves and my hubby and I will have a day date. This is a great way to have alone time with Jake and be ourselves without having to parent. Some may feel this seems selfish, but Audrina is at daycare for 4-5 hours and this is a great way to have a moment where we can focus on one another and not have to worry about every move our child is making. I believe this helps my relationship with my husband also, because we can enjoy outdoor activities, sometimes we even just stay home and just clean the house and hang out. Our Thursdays have been very similiar lately though, we drop Audrina off, work out at the gym for an hours, go home, shower, then go out to lunch. We either play frisbee golf or watch a movie after lunch. I noticed that when I spend my one on one time with my hubby I focus more on him and we laugh like we are little teenagers again. When you have a child you take a lot of focus off your significant other because you have someone that you are devoting every little moment to, so the significant other will sometimes come second. The dates help spark a little flame in your relationship and you can enjoy your love and appreciate them more. I always tell my mama friends how great these dates are and I believe it keeps my relationship with my hubby romantic. I am looking forward to summer time when the weather is nicer so we can go golfing, swimming and have outdoor picnics. I always think of different ways we can enjoy our time together. I suggest to all the parents out there to have day date or evening dates at least once a month. Have a friend or sitter take care of your little one and go on dates, I'm sure your significant other would have a deeper relationship if you do this :) Now I can't wait for this Thursday!

Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

I am not a vegan and I don't think I could be one just because I love cheese a lot. Most of my breakfast and lunches are vegetarian and I will have meat for dinner. I was looking up some vegan recipes because I love experimenting in the kitchen new recipes that will challenge the way I eat. I came across this vegan cookie recipe online on a blog called Hell if I Gnaw. I made it because it is 1. good for you and 2. sugar and egg free. Every ingredient in it is something I already had in my cabinets which is an added plus. So here it is;

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Banana Cookies (Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free, and Vegan)

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup raw peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 and 1/2 cups rolled oats or quick cooking oatmeal
• dash of cinnamon (optional)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

Preparation Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork until smooth.
• Add peanut butter, non-dairy milk, vanilla, and maple syrup and mix well.
• Add oats, flour, and cinnamon and stir until well combined.
• Drop spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 13-16 minutes, or until done.

The end result came cookies that were tasteful. They are not at all sweet so if you are looking for something sweeter then you will have to find a different recipe. These cookies are packed with nutrients and this was my first time baking without eggs. Audrina liked them a lot. She doesn't have a sweet tooth, which is awesome for me because I have cut a lot of sugar out of my diet. Whats funny is that its true, if you don't eat it you won't crave it. I love candy and I use to eat a lot of it, but I can't tell you the last time I had a piece of candy.  I never deprive myself from food or sweets, I just learned that most the foods that you eat should be something that will nourish it. I've been working out 5-6 days a week and I'm loving it. I have a routine with Audrina and the gym and I have been feeling so much better about myself and my body. I can't wait for Summer!

Green Smoothie

I'm loving the green monster smoothies. I usually like to blend all my greens with almond milk, flax seed and wheat germ. Basically I like to take anything I find in my refrigerator, which I usually stock up on fruits like grapes, kiwis, apples, pineapple, bananas, frozen or fresh and I just throw whatever I have in the blender with spinach. Today I made a smoothie with a kiwi, green grapes, spinach, avocado, water and ice and of course flax seed and wheat germ. I just blended it all together and it was delish. Perfect breakfast or snack. I have been bugging the hubby to get me a Vitamix. I want to start juicing the heck out of fruits and veggies. A purchase I hope will be made soon. Now what's your favorite healthy smoothie?

Is Age Just a Number?

As I was putting makeup on my face I noticed something that I never realized I had before, lines. Actual wrinkle lines under the outer corner of my eyes. Now, I never expected to see lines on my face for another good 10 years, but sure enough there it was, wrinkles. ughhhhh Ever since I had A I have felt as though my looks and my energy level have taken a hit. I don't sleep 8 to 10 hours through the night. I feel like I look older, when I see pics of myself I see age. I still have tons of energy, but it is also very easy for me to feel fatigued too. With keeping up with an almost two year old, cooking, cleaning, and also going to work, I feel like sometimes I am pulled to the limits. I feel this way and I am only 26 and have only one kid LOL How do all those parents that have 2 plus do it? I guess you just go with the flow and live each day one by one and if you don't get something done that day you always have tomorrow. I see all these super healthy and toned women at the gym that are probably 10 years or more older then me just hardcore working out and they look amaaaazing. I hope that I can be like that. There's a specific mom at the gym that has a 9 month old and she walks around the gym in just a sports bra and booty shorts, she is sooo toned and has a six pack. To that mom at the gym, kudos to you. You are my inspiration. I guess I just have to accept that every year I will have a birthday, and every year I will be older. All I can do is embrace it and invest in some good wrinkle cream :)

My not so diet...

I don't know if my title makes sense, but it makes sense it my head. I came up with it because I don't want to be on a diet and never will I ever want to. I feel that every time I claim I want to be on a diet, I would basically fall out of it in less then a month. I eat lots of vegetables and fruit and love to eat lean meats. I stay away from processed food as much as I can, although I do use canned organic tomato sauce and many other canned items, but they are all five ingredients or less. If you read the back of the food label and you can barely pronounce the word to one of the ingredients, you probably shouldn't eat it. I do admit, I do like Sun Chips and will have a few items that are not so healthy, but hey I'm human and I get cravings. I did this blog because I have a lot of friends and moms that ask me how I stay so small and if there's any particular meals or foods that I eat that keeps me this way. I honestly am 10 lbs less then I was prepregnancy weight. I believe nursing and keeping up with a toddler helped a lot. But, I think because I have a pretty regiment eating habit, it helps to maintain my weight. I do believe that if you get fruits and veggies, try your hardest to keep them organic. Read about the dirty dozen foods. I know its quite expensive to do ALL organic, but try with things like blueberries and strawberries. I don't completely go all organic, but I try my best to fit it in my budget. I love to find blogs and take recipes from them and sometimes make them my own. Here are some meals and snacks that are super yummy and nutritious. Oh by the way when I make my food I don't measure that often, usually I just eye it. Always eat breakfast in the morning! Even if its something small, you got to kick start that metabolism some how!


Breakfast
- Smoothies- frozen fruits such as pineapple, peaches, berry medleys are great to blend with bananas, apples, spinach, greek yogurt, all natural peanut butters, almond butters and almond milk. The sky is the limit. Just find things in your fridge and blend away!
-Hard boiled eggs
-Greek yogurt with fruit topping
-Oatmeal with raisins, almonds, again the sky is the limit on this one
-Peanut butter toast with touch of honey and banana slices

Lunch
-Salads with every possible raw veggie I can find. Carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, etc
-Turkey sandwich with lots of veggies inside and spinach
-Salmon and cous cous

Dinner
-Chicken tacos with blk beans, avocado, cilantro, onion
-Chicken sandwiches
-Love homemade soups and stews

Snacks
-Everyone should try this if they love avocado. Half an avocado with salt and pepper, smash together and put it on top of a piece of toasted wheat bread. Its like heaven!
-Crackers with cheese
-Apple, banana, grapes

Hope you guys will try some of these in your meal plans!

$$ Dollar Tree Fun

I try to find inexpensive crafts that I can do with Audrina on a daily basis. I always go to Michaels and I feel like sometimes their are certain items you get there should be a lot cheaper then they are. To make a long story short I decided to hit up the dollar tree. I found these foam pads and stickers and little wands for A to play with. She loved the stickers and they are great because if she sticks it on the wall or anywhere else it will come off easily. The little wands can be decorated with the stickers also, although A didn't want any stickers on them and she flipped out when I try to put one on it lol Dollar tree is awesome and there's a lot of great crafts you can create with their items. I also got cute Valentine tins there for my baking :) Less then $5 and your kid can be crafting for a good hour.

Budget Bites

Since we have been on escrow I have been finding ways to budget our income and bills so we don't end up broke. I would say the biggest issue we have is our grocery bills. I admit Jake and I suck at meal planning and we always have. We would have a planned 5 day dinner and then after that week we would end up the way we were in the beginning. Jake and I have always planned dinner that day, yes that means going to the grocery store everyday. It's a routine we have, I take care of Audrina during the day until 4 then he takes care of her from 4-9. I usually get the groceries for dinner and he will cook it right before I come home. So yes we eat dinner at like 9:30 sometimes 10 at night. Some days I will make a crock pot meal or prepare things ahead of time so dinner will be done right at 9. Either way I am still ending up going to the grocery store almost everyday. With that said you spend waaaaaaaaay more going grocery shopping everyday. I have the issue of finding fun interesting things I want to bake or cook for lunch and it always ends in me spending more then $20 on groceries for that day. Instead of planning ahead I am basically throwing money away on unnecessary purchases. So my goal for this year is to budget. Budget my food. We are three tiny people and we should not be spending that much on groceries. Now tell me what do you do for budget and how do you stick to it? My budget plan is $125 a week on groceries, we home make all our dinners and maybe go out to eat 2-3 times in a month. I try to eat less processed items, but not all. A and I eat A LOT of fruit and trail mixes, dried fruits and yogurt. Please give me some advice on budgeting groceries. I would coupon, but a lot of coupons are for crap processed food and sodas, and we don't eat much of that stuff. I was thinking of going to the co op, still haven't been in there before. Advice PLEASE!

Home Sweet Home

It's just like when you put on your dream wedding gown, you just know its just right and THE ONE. That is how I felt with our new home. We walked in and it had everything I wanted for a house, not too big,  not too small, just perfect for my family. The kitchen opens into the living room so I can cook or bake and watch Audrina play. My room and Audrinas room have walk in closets, which is a HUGE deal to me. The kitchen cabinets are cherry wood and the house is a 3 bedroom 2.5 baths. I couldn't ask for a better location, right next to Wildwood and Hooker Oak park, close to schools and upper bidwell park. This is a home that I will be in probably forever, unless I have 3+ more kids which I don't see happening. I can actually call this place my home and do anything I want to it. If I want to paint the door red I can! I have a great yard for my dog and for A to run around in. It has covered patio so I can entertain guests. I have been looking up decor and different ways to make the house more homey because original owners have no style whatsoever. We are going to paint the inside of the house. 11 more days and we close on escrow. Thank you mom and dad for letting Jake and I  borrow money for a generous down payment and my mortgage is almost the same as my rent! Jake and I worked hard for the down payment portion we are putting in and hard work pays off because our dream will be coming true soon :) Home sweet home.