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.

Uncrafty mom

I've never really been into crafts ever, but since I had A I always felt like I needed to be crafty in some way. I guess when you think of a mom you think of someone who knows how to cook, bake, clean, sew, makes everything from scratch and can build and craft anything and everything. I'm a mediocre baker, an ok cook, cleaning is not my forte, I can only sew a little, and I am uncrafty. I want to be better at ALL of these things, I want to be the modern day Martha Stewart, but without the apron. I have made it a goal of mine to bake more goodies, take on some new crafts and cook as many different recipes as possible. I've been looking up many fun crafty blogs lately and there are a lot of new projects I want to start. I started making hair clips and headbands already from felt and it may be a project that can easily be done by a child in Elementary school, it is just a start for me. My mom also taught me the basis of crocheting and I would post pics of my projects, but they are a bit embarrassing. But, look forward to some pics of yummy desserts and hopefully some pretty crafts soon :)

Thankful

As I read all of my friends fb posts I decided to write a blog of things that I am thankful for. There's a million things that I am thankful for, but I will only write down the most important things. Today when I was having lunch with Audrina at home I decided to let her hold my cup with a straw in it. Before she took a big sip she took the straw and gestured for me to take a sip first. Not going to lie, I cried. I cried because this little 16 month year old baby is so thoughtful and loving. I feel that through my unconditional love I have raised a baby that is not at all selfish and so caring. I am thankful for her and the many happy memories she has given me. To become a parent has been the best gift in the world and I am thankful for her well being. I am also thankful for my family. Without them I would not exist. I have a family that loves each other so much and we are all so close, that's probably why we all work together lol. I am thankful for my husband who is the best father to Audrina. It use to take lots of nagging from me to get him to hang up Christmas lights before Thanksgiving, as soon as we have a daughter he is the one that puts them up without a question. I love the way he looks at Audrina in awe, I don't think he knows that I sometimes catch  him staring at her in peer bliss :) I am very thankful for my store The Watchman. This store has taught me the world of retail like no other and I am thankful for all of those who support my local business. So many things to be thankful for and I thank everyone who has been in my life that have shaped me into the person that I am today. :) Happy Thankgiving, gobble gobble