Random Ruffles

Each week or so, the three of us are going to post some random lists of favorites from our daily lives. It might be links to recipes we want to try, products we love, articles we want to share, snapshots of our week. The sky’s the limit! 😉 Hope you enjoy!

1. I did something kinda crazy this week. I was the birth photographer for Ashley, Jason, and their new little guy. No, I’ve never given birth myself. No, I didn’t get sick. It was actually amazing and I can’t wait to tell you more about it. 😉 Ashley, Keli, and I are planning some posts for a Birth Week series soon, with several birth stories and then other posts about newborn items and new mommy survival. We’re excited! =)
2. I’m on Day 12 of the 21 Day Fix. The first week was hard – especially the workouts! But I’m thrilled to say that they are So Much Easier this week. Whew! I can do waaaay more reps. I’m still modifying exercises here and there, but I can get through a workout without thinking I’m going to DIE. Ha! But really. 😉 I attribute that to the clean eating diet, drinking Shakeology every day, and just powering through the workouts. I’m thrilled that I can tell such a big difference in such a short amount of time. And I’ve lost about 4 pounds so far. =)
3. Jeremy and I totally had a Bob Ross Night last Friday. We’re such dorks, but it was SO FUN for an at-home date night! We got extra supplies, set up our easels on the kitchen island, with Bob Ross on YouTube between us. I made us painting palettes from paper plates (um, we’re gonna need some bigger palettes next time) and we painted and laughed, sometimes pretty hysterically. And paused Bob pretty frequently – he works way too quickly! We ended up with skies and mountains and water and trees…and the realization that we need better tools and a bigger variety of colors…gonna check out this painting knife set and these non-toxic oil paints. Oil paints stay wet longer and blend better, which should be a liiiiittle easier to work with! And we’ll definitely need a fan brush to make those happy little trees next time! 😉
   
4. I’ve been a silver girl for a loooong time, but sometime during the last year I’ve been transitioning to wearing gold, too. I blame Keli. 😉 She always has cute gold jewelry. I’m considering getting this gold bar necklace from Jane.com…I’m a costume jewelry girl myself, so $9.99 is sounding pretty good!
5. Um, so…this Magic Green Sauce has been the best thing I’ve eaten this week. Maybe this month! (And we had some delicious food while we were in Kansas City recently.) We are obsessed. It’s incredible.
6. I’m avoiding chocolate and peanut butter, so of course, THIS looks like the yummiest dessert in the world.

1. So, I had a baby last Saturday. It was wonderful, messy and beautiful and birth amnesia has already settled in making me want just one more. 
   
2. This morning I was so excited to see a SnagMob deal for $10 for $20 of fresh and unique Mexican eats at Burrito Meal. If you live in the Jackson, TN area, you HAVE to try this place out. The Bird’s Nest salad with Gulf Coast shrimp is my new favorite thing. In fact, I’m determined to duplicate it and blog about it later! SnagMob is our favorite way to stretch our tiny date night budget. 
   

   The one and only Birds Nest Salad. I could eat this every day for the rest of my life. Fresh iceberg lettuce, sneakily hiding a nest of flash fried tortilla strips that holds a host of yummy treats: succulent gulf coast shrimp, guacamole, queso, and ripe tomatoes, all drizzled with more queso, a delicious honey chipotle dressing and a sprinkling of grated cheddar. Please go eat this! And get one to-go for me, please =)

3. My husband and my dad are going to smoke a beef brisket tomorrow. Yum!!! My husband has become a smoke master; seriously, dude could open a food truck. Almost makes me want to build him one of those crazy propane tank smokers. I could tackle that, right? Anyone have some welding equipment I could borrow?? 
4. In the six days that I’ve been the mother of a little boy, I’ve learned that I was completely unprepared for the diaper changes. It’s not just the diaper changes. Somehow, little boys can wee all over themselves and you and maintain a dry diaper. What in the round world, Man Cub!? I’m going to work on a little sewing project this weekend that should make for fewer wardrobe changes, for both of us!
5. I’m trying to limit my dairy intake because it really bothered Half Pint when she was a newborn. So naturally, a Dairy Queen opened up in town. It took so much willpower to refuse a Salted Caramel Blizzard today. Sooooo much willpower.

1. Today, while we were going through a closet to sort things for packing, I found my old Funshine Bear Care Bear. I was probably way more excited than a 33 year old woman should be, and I found myself giving it a quick kiss on its nose, quite reflexively. Can’t wait for EJ to play with it one day soon!
2. Y’all. My seven month old has put herself to sleep two days in a row, including naps and bed time. I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but wow. As great as it is, as I was quietly opening the door to check on her I got a little bit sad that she might not need me in that way any longer. And so it begins…
3. We currently have only one squeeze pouch of baby food in the fridge. Yikes. The last time I made a big batch I was hoping that it would last us until we leave Kansas in about a week and a half. Looks like I’ll need to get to pureeing soon! For any of you mommas out there interested in making your own baby food, I highly recommend the Infantino Squeeze Station. It’s a neat little setup that allows you to fill disposable squeeze pouches with your homemade baby food. If reusable is your thing, they make those, too. I would love to get into these reusable ones, but when we move to Cusco we’re not going to have a dishwasher so they might be difficult to really, really clean. I’m think I’ll still order one set to experiment with! 
4. #FlashbackFriday to this super cute six week old face!
5. Before EJ was born I told myself that I wouldn’t let her have any screen time for a good while…maybe even two years. Well, like most things I said I would never ever do with our children, I’ve let it slide. We have a favorite YouTube channel that I turn on sometimes when I absolutely need something to distract her so I can get things done. Check it out…KidsTV123. 
6. Is it weird to already be thinking about one year old birthday parties five months early? I don’t know what kind of theme we’ll go with, but I’m super excited about taking this Wilton set down to Cusco for future cake/cupcake/cookie decorating. The color possibilities are endless with this! 
7. The younger kids’ Bible classes at church raised money for us to buy bilingual Bibles in a “Cash for Cusco” campaign last quarter. This past Sunday they presented them to us after church and I’m loving mine! It’s a beautiful color, feels nice, and ohhhh, that new Bible smell! 
8. Next week’s Random Ruffles goal…expand my thoughts to actual non-baby related things!! 

 

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