Friday Favorites

Yippee Skippy, it's Friday!!  Allllll of the praise hands for this.  For real.  This week kicked my behind, so this weekend is very much welcomed with open arms!

Any who, it's time for another edition of Friday Favorites and it's shaping up to be a pretty good one, if I do say so myself! ;)

Let's get started, shall we??

It is T-minus one week until we leave on our cruise, so that's got my mind thinking about all things warm and tropical...more importantly what I am packing in my bag, or hoping to pack in my bag before next Friday morning!

First up, this top.  I am head over heels in love with this.  I mean, how adorable would this be dressed up, paired with some white skinnies and a cute pair of wedges?   Or you could dress it down and pair it with some high waisted destructed jean shorts and flip flops...It is so versatile, and the details on it are beyond adorable.  I will be needing this.

Speaking of high waisted destructed jean shorts, I've had my eye on these bad boys, and they may be on their way to me as we speak...I just think that they will be on repeat all summer, paired with flip flops, converse, or even with some cute wedges if I want to dress them up a bit.  But imagine them with that cute top up there.  I mean adorbs, right??  Plus, they are high waisted, because #justsaynotocrack 

Now, if I could gut the price tag on this dress, it would totally be going in my bag with me...I just can't justify spending $240 on a casual dress.  But if you have some money burning a hole in your pocket from a birthday, or maybe you are one of the lucky few who hasn't spent all of their Christmas money yet, you need to get your hands on this!  If I could find a similar version under $50, I'm all over it!

So I don't know if you've realized this or not, but Valentine's Day is on Tuesday.  As in 4 days.  The fact that it falls on a weekday is a blessing and a curse.  It's a blessing because that means that I get to help with Madden's classroom Valentine's Party!  There is nothing quite like seeing little people all excited, passing out their "love cards" to each other.  It's a happy holiday that everyone can get on board with and celebrate something the world needs more of right now: L.O.V.E.  That said, this sweater is what I will be wearing during the party (And all day long)  It is even more adorable in person...I'm planning on pairing it with these destructed girlfriend jeans, and taupe booties.  It just screams Valentine's Day, am I right?

Now, the curse to Valentine's Day falling during the week, means that my hubby will be out of town for work again. :(  But, I still have two little dudes that call me their Valentine that will be home, so I am going to make them my dates for the night.  I am planning on picking up this heart shaped pizza, along with a heart shaped ice cream cake from DQ for dessert.  They will be in heaven.  Who are we kidding, I will be too! 

Last, but not least, I'm thinking these Valentine's Day inspired chocolate covered pretzels would be an amazingly easy, yet tasty treat that the boys and I could whip up together after school.  I may lose my mind with the mess they make, but I know they will love it.  #makingmemories 

Well, that's all I have time for today.  I'm wishing you all a fabulous weekend, where you get to do something you enjoy!

Until next time...

Thoughts for Thursday

So if this post seems like a brain dump, it's because it totally is.  So I apologize in advance if it seems like I'm rambling...I just needed to get these thoughts out!

So if you saw my post on Instagram on Sunday, you saw that Aaron left that afternoon for the week for work.  It is crazy busy for him right now, so it's not uncommon for him to be gone 3-4 days in a row...sometimes more.  It's not usually a big deal, but this is the 3rd week in a row for him, with 3 more weeks to go. :(

How I feel most days I'm single parenting it ;)

Like I said, I don't have an issue with him being gone most of the time, but yesterday was just one of those days.  A day where I could. not. catch. a. break.  It all started early in the morning.  I woke to snow, which meant that school drop offs would take twice as long because people forget how to drive as soon as a little snow hits the ground.  So I planned our morning around the fact that we would have to leave at least 15 minutes earlier than normal to make up for the inevitable traffic we would be dealing with.

The next step was to get Linden up to get him ready for preschool like I always do.  It's always a crap shoot as to how he will wake up.  Some mornings he is the happiest, snuggliest little nugget, and others he will throw a tantrum if I put the wrong socks on him.  Yesterday morning it was the latter.  He threw a fit because he didn't want to take his batman jammies off.  Which then became a screaming match when I took them off, got him in his school clothes and I tried putting his socks on him.  Who knew that shark socks were so terrifying?

We survived that scenario, to just turn around and have him spill his oj all down his shirt 5 minutes after we came downstairs.  Turns out, that batman jammy shirt got to be worn to school after all. #youwinsomeyoulosesome

As he was contently eating his breakfast and watching bubble guppies, I let our dog out with strict instructions for Madden to watch where he did his business because we needed to collect a "fecal sample" for his vet check-up later that morning.  He was not excited about it, but that's one of the perks of being the Mom...you can make your kiddos do the chores that you don't want to, am I right? Haha!

I helped him watch for him to do his deed, and when he did, I sent him out to collect it with a gallon sized ziplock baggie (more surface area as to not touch the poop).  He came back in 2 minutes later and when I asked to see it, he started crying "I DIDN'T WANT TO TOUCH IT!  I COULDN"T PICK IT UP!" As I held back the laughter, I made a deal with him that if he picked it up, he could get a little extra time on the iPad after school. #momwin

After everyone was finished with breakfast, I loaded up the boys, the dog, grabbed my thermos of coffee, my dog poop and ventured out into the wintery hell wonderland.   Madden's drop off, which is only two blocks from our house mind you, took 10 minutes.  It then took us 20 minutes (only 10 minutes longer than usual) to get to Linden's Preschool.   Whew!  "That wasn't that bad" I said to myself after I dropped him off.  

Wrong.

Here is where things took another turn for the worse.  All, and I do mean all of the roads in town were at a stand still.  Nobody was moving.  It seriously took me 20 minutes to move 1/4 of a mile...I wasn't exaggerating when I said that people forget how to drive when there's even an inch of snow on the ground.  Getting to our vet normally only takes us 15 minutes from where we were.  Yesterday, it took us an hour.  45 minutes longer than normal.  And the best part?  I had a hot, steaming bag of dog poop sitting in my passenger seat.  Sweet.

We finally get to the vet, I drop him off, and head to get a quick workout in, before I have to turn around and pick up Linden again...I mean, 1 whole hour of my 3 hours of alone time was down the drain.  Fortunately, I didn't have anything else planned for that morning.

I pick Linden up, give him his juice box and crackers that he depends on to get him home (because heaven forbid he not have a snack for 15 minutes) when suddenly he tells me from the backseat: "Mommy, my tummy full. My tummy hurt."  No.  Just no.  But it's just wishful thinking because he is my kid that can puke if you look at him wrong. (High gag reflex)  And just as I turn to hand him a bag (because you learn after your child pukes in your car every other day, to be prepared) he projectiles crackers and juice all over himself, the carseat and my car.  :(  There literally is nothing I can do except wait until we get home to clean him up, so as a punishment he gets to sit in his own stinky puke for the next 10 minutes.

This picture doesn't do the amount of puke justice, but his face says it all!

We couldn't get home fast enough.  I stripped him down, (note, this is his third outfit change for the day) sanitized the carseat and my car, just in time to have the vet call to say that our dog was ready to be picked up.  We loaded back up, picked up the dog, swung through Dunkin Donuts because it's right next door, treated the baby to munchkins and mama got herself an XL coffee.  I felt I deserved it at that point.

Fast forward to getting home, where Linden proceeded to run to me in the kitchen, all while holding his bottom, saying "I gotta poopy! I gotta poopy now!"  We rush to the bathroom and make it just in the nick of time.  Whew.  that was a close call.  But the best part?  It wouldn't flush.  Who would've guessed that a 2 1/2 year old could clog a toilet?  Well, mine can.  So, I got to finish off my morning by plunging a toilet to avoid dirty toilet water flooding my bathroom.  Gross.

The day slowly but surely got better from there, but I swore up until that point that I was living my own version of "My no good, very bad day."

Mom life, am I right?

Until next time...

Workin' it Wednesday...How We Work on Our Marriage

Happy Wednesday, lovelies!  I am still trying to find my groove since coming back to thee ol' blog...I am figuring out that Tuesdays are hard ones to fit a post into because of our hectic schedule.  Hopefully I can do a better job of scheduling posts ahead of time so that Tuesday isn't left out.

Buuuuut, today should make up for yesterday, as I'm joining the lovely Erika and Shay for their new series "Workin' it Wednesday" where we focus on different topics every month.  I missed last month's New Year's Resolutions, but this month's is a good one.  We are talking about how we work on our marriages.  I am always looking for new ways to spice up our marriage.  Because just like anything, if you don't add new and exciting things, your relationship can become stale...or you could fall into a rut.  Something that can quickly spiral out of control if you don't take hold of the reigns right away.  That said, let me give you a little history into mine and Aaron's relationship...

We met in jr. high.  Yep.  We literally have known each other well over half of our lives.  Granted, we didn't date then (he was the cool cat who always had a "girlfriend") but it was only a few short years later that we did.  Fast forward to Valentine's Day, sophomore year (so 16 years ago next week :O ) and he asked me to our high school's Sweetheart Dance.  He proceeded to ask me to be his girlfriend exactly one week later.  I was head over heels for him from the get go.  He opened doors for me, only held my hand outside of school, burned me CD's of love songs, took me to nice dinners, movies, gave me sweet little gifts to let me know that he was always thinking of me...I mean you get the picture.  He was the definition of a true gentleman. He waited almost an entire year of dating before he told me that he loved me (while listening to a mushy Nelly song).  It may sound weird, but at that moment I knew I would be with him forever.

We dated all through High School, and even though we went to different colleges, we stayed together.  Now, I'm not saying it was all sunshine and rainbows during college.  I mean it was tough.  There were rough patches.  He was very focused on school, and even though I wasn't an awful student, that just wasn't my main focus.  I got jealous when he would rather stay in and study than come and visit me.  We both had a heart to heart after nearly calling it quits our junior year.  It was in that moment that I knew that I needed to grow up and realize that I couldn't be so selfish.  That he was driven to be one of the top students in his class, and that may mean that I might have to come second sometimes.

We spent that next summer living in different states, as he had an internship in Seattle, and I had an internship here in Nebraska.  It was the longest 3 months of my life. But also the biggest growth our relationship had ever had.  Absence does truly make the heart grow fonder!  I flew out to drive back with him the end of that summer, and that was where he asked me to be his wife.  We were married the summer after we graduated college.  Mere babies at 22 years old.

Neither of us knew what we were doing when we got married.  We had never lived together, so that was a REAL wake-up call.  Neither of us had nailed down "big girl/boy" jobs yet, so we were together non-stop.  It sounds like a dream, but it was rough.  Living on Costco hotdog meals (because hello $1.50) because we couldn't afford anything else.  Things finally turned around for us when Aaron accepted a position with a financial firm and I accepted the position of Assistant Manager at a local retail store.

Things were good, but not fantastic.  I still relied heavily on my Mom for advice, calling her everyday and filling her in on every detail of our life.  That was the cause of 95% of our disagreements.  I was telling her more than I was telling my own husband, and it needed to be the other way around.  Once I figured that out, things amazingly turned a corner in our relationship.

Two years into our marriage we became parents, at the exact same time that we moved out of state for a new job for him.  If you want to really grow your marriage and your bond with your husband, move somewhere that you only have each other to rely on.  With a brand new baby.  Yikes.  I look back to those days and although they were extremely lonely, (I was a new mommy, who was staying home full time, with no family to help) we grew more in love and matured faster than we ever would've without that move.  We still talk about it to this day that God knew exactly what he was doing in that moment.  And we are forever grateful for that year that we had away from any of our support system.  It was a pivotal turning point for us and our family. We now always put each other first, along with our kiddos.

Fast forward to today.  8 1/2 years of marriage and 2 little dudes later, and we are happier, our marriage is the strongest it ever has been and although we aren't perfect, we literally work on our relationship every single day.

We plan bi-weekly date nights.  We have found that with the rush and hustle and bustle of kiddos, your marriage can easily fall to the wayside.  Date nights are our chance to reconnect.  We go to dinner, slow down and enjoy a nice long meal.  We try to limit the discussions on our boys, and focus more on us.  What we feel each other could improve on, what we are doing right, and goals for the upcoming weeks.  We have found that if we are on the same page, the ship sails a lot smoother ;)

We do random acts of kindness for one another.  Aaron's favorite way to feel loved is by acts of service.  Little things like packing his lunch and laying out his clothes for the next day.  Or buying him his favorite deodorant without asking.  I am serious when I say that he feels more loved when I do those little things than if I were to buy him tickets to a Cowboys football game.

My love language is gifts, so I of course love to give gifts, but in turn also love to receive ;)  It doesn't have to be big, but if you thought of me when you saw a cute coffee mug while you were at Starbucks, that means the world to me.   Words of affirmation are also a love language for me.  He knows that by him telling others that he couldn't do what he does, or be as successful as he is if I wasn't at home manning the ship, will more than likely bode well for him later ;).  That always gets me right in the heart.

And finally, one more big thing for our marriage is going to church together.  We can always tell that our marriage isn't clicking or chugging along as smoothly as it should when we miss a few weeks of church.  We truly leave each service with a sense of renewed love for one another.  More simply, if God isn't at the forefront of our marriage, you will find us in more arguments than if we were regularly attending church.

Whew...what a post!  I didn't expect for it to be so long, but I feel like you needed to know our history (it's a long one) before I told you how we got to where we are today.  It isn't always sunshine and rainbows, but we work for it and it's worth every ounce of effort.

Tell me...what do you do to make your marriage work?  Big or small, I wanna hear!

Until next time...

Weekend Rewind

Well if I didn't know any better, I would truly believe that we missed a day in the weekend...because holy cow, did those two days fly by!

This weekend was pretty laid back...kind of reminds me of last Monday's post.  Hmmm....maybe we should actually be productive this upcoming Friday-Sunday?? Ha!

Anyway, the weekend started with my Mom coming into town to spend the afternoon with the boys and I.  It had been almost a month since we've seen her, so the boys were beyond excited.  Especially since I didn't tell them she was coming.  Needless to say, when we picked Madden up from school that afternoon, he buzzed right by me and gave her the biggest hug.  My mama/daughter heart burst into a million pieces.  It doesn't matter how long it's been, they always pick right back up where they left off with her.  It just made me realize that we need to do a way better job of making time for one another...my parents only live an hour and a half away from us, but sometimes it feels like 500 miles.

We all hit up Sonic Happy Hour after school, before hitting up Target for a few randoms...including some darling swim tops for me for our upcoming cruise.  Including this one and this one.  Mama needs padding because I need all the help I can get in that department. #pushupforthewin

After dinner, where I served this, the boys played hide and seek with Grammy until Daddy got home from being gone the last few days, which meant my Mom headed back home.  Many tears were shed, but it was also bedtime, so exhaustion had also kicked in...

Saturday morning was the gym for the boys and I while Aaron headed into the office and did his personal training session with his trainer.  The littles and I went straight from the gym, to the starbucks drive thru, to the hair salon for long overdue haircuts.  Any other mamas out there have to literally pin their child down the entire haircut?  Holy sweat session.  I thought I had already gotten my workout in for the day, but goodness gracious, Linden gives me a run for my money every single time.  You would think he's getting a shot, not just his hair trimmed...

We proceeded to hang out the rest of the afternoon, before Aaron and I were off on little date night!  It had been months since our last date, so we were long overdue.  We had dinner at a (new to us) restaurant here in town called Tavern 180.  It was pretty tasty.  I started with a Moscow mule, we shared two apps: the crab and shrimp stack, and the kobe beef lettuce wraps.  I had the sea bass and baby veggies with a side of burgundy mushrooms (because I LOVE mushrooms).

We left there with intentions of seeing a movie after, which didn't start until an hour later.  So we stopped by Paradise Bakery for coffee and dessert beforehand.  And oh my heavens...I had a piece of their carrot cake.  And I am not joking when I say that it was quite possibly the best carrot cake ever.  You just know that when you have to use two hands to hold the plate it comes on, because it's so heavy, that it's going to be amazing.  You guys, I'm still dreaming about how dense and delicious it was.  I ate the whole piece myself.  Did I mention that my husband is doing a body transformation challenge at his gym?  Yeah.  Try eating out with someone who is on a strict meal plan.  It sucks.  Hence the healthy food at dinner...but I said screw being nice once I saw that carrot cake.  I didn't even care as he watched intently as I licked my spoon after every bite. #wifeoftheyear

So we had made plans to see LaLa Land afterwards.  Knowing nothing about the movie except that it has won a lot of awards already and is well on its way to winning a few oscars as well, it had to be amazing, right?  Um, maybe we are just not artsy or musical enough to understand it, but after the movie started off with a big music production, we just looked at each other and both go, almost in unison, "is this a musical?!"  Oh boy was it ever.  You guys.  My husband was literally sweating from every inch of his body, he was so uncomfortable.  And for the first time in my 30 years of life, we walked out of a movie after 30 minutes.  We just couldn't do it.  I mean, when Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone began flying through the air at one point, we lost it.  That was our cue to peace out.  Lesson learned.  Do your research before seeing a movie.  There goes $25...and we couldn't even enjoy any popcorn (the best part of going to the movies) because of Aaron's diet.  Boo.

We called it an early night after that and went home.  On the bright side, we woke up feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed Sunday morning!  I had a little sous chef (Madden) helping me make breakfast, while we jammed out to some music, sipped on coffee and hung out as a family in the kitchen before we finally changed out of our jammies around 10:30.

We loaded up the car to go with Aaron to his office and scope out his new space...His company has grown so much in the last couple years that they had to add another floor of office space to fit everyone, and he chose to move up with them.  It's not finished yet, but it was still exciting to see the new space and new concept for their office.  You could tell he was excited and proud and the boys loved running around a nearly empty floor.  It will be fun watching those two grow up visiting Daddy there.

Aaron left yesterday afternoon for the week, so the boys napped and then we hung out, watching the Super Bowl before calling it a night.

Another weekend is in the books, and now it's survival mode this week while Aaron is out of town...say a prayer for me that I don't lose my patience or mind! ;)

Until next time...

Friday Favorites

Hey, Hey!!  Happy "Yippee Skippy Friday" you guys!!  Congratulations on making it through another long week!  When's the next long weekend??

Anyway, I am joining in on another edition of Friday Favorites because it quite possibly may be my favorite link-up ever!  So are you ready for a bunch of randomness?  Good.  Because I have a lot for ya today! ;)

• So, I saw this floating around on instagram the other day, and it was too good not to share on my own account ( @jennaschaben ) because it is so. dang. true!  Anybody that's a parent out there, can TOTALLY relate!  And if you can't, then you are a super hero.  It was like someone was reading my mind that day, too, because I had just tried implementing "No Technology Tuesdays" that day and I was beat.  Joke was on me! ha!
  
• These two.  Oh my goodness they know just how to bring to my breaking point, just before they turn my heart to mush.  Case in point, this picture.  It was 54 degrees that day, so I let Linden walk with me to pick up Madden from school.  Most of the time I have to push him in the stroller because he tends to get distracted, but on this day I let him take his dear sweet time, because it was so amazing to get some fresh air!  And I'm not lying when I say that they walked the entire way home like this!
  
• This nail color.  I have allllll the heart eyes for this nail color.  But the sad thing is, I couldn't tell you the name of it if I wanted to.  Because the color it said on the sample "nail" at my nail salon was (wait for it...) pink.  Yep.  That was the name of the color.  They were really clever when they named that one!  But, the best part?  It isn't a polish.  It also isn't acylic.  It's dipping powder.  Have you guys ever done this??  I started getting my nails dipped about 6 months ago and I haven't looked back.  I used to be a die hard shellac girl for years, but I always hated the gross peeling and snagging of my hair when I washed it. #cringe So when a friend of mine introduced me to it, I tried it and was hooked!  My nails are the strongest they've ever been (thank you vitamin enriched powder) and they stay perfect like this for 3+ weeks...I was having to go every 2 weeks for shellac.  Saving money and looking better??  Sold.
  
• Rent The Runway.  I'm sure you all have heard of this amazing service, but I have to tell you that I may be one of their biggest fans!  Seriously.  I rent a dress from them for every single event we have to attend.  I've even used them for birthdays and vacations, because they do rent more casual looks as well.  But you guys.  My latest rental?  I die.  Hands down, my favorite one yet.  I felt amazing in it and I received the most compliments I have ever had when I wore it to a cocktail holiday party two weekends ago.  Love, love, love!!  Makes me even more excited for my next rental in a few more weeks!!  To be continued...
  
• Last but not least, I leave you with this favorite from a few weeks ago.  The night that I got to meet my all-time man crush, Keith Urban.  I have loved this man since I was in grade school, so when I got the chance to meet him before a charity event that he did, I was speechless.  But also in high heaven.  Not only is he ridiculously good looking, he is genuinely one of the nicest guys I have met.  It didn't hurt that he called me baby;)  I told Aaron that I could die a happy girl, now that I've met him!
  

See?  I told you this Friday Favorites was random!!  My mind is all over the place today!  Anyway, I hope you all have a splendid weekend, doing things that you fully enjoy!

Until next time...

Things I Cannot Live Without

Happy Friday Eve you guys!  The weekend is so close, I can almost taste it!

Speaking of taste, do you have any food items that you just cannot live without?  I'm talking, items that you ALWAYS have on hand, even if you have to go out in the middle of a snow storm just to make sure you don't run out of said item?  Well, I know this is going to seem completely random, but these are my "must-have" pantry and fridge items that are 100% always in my pantry or fridge.

• Blueberry Muffin Quest Bars & Salted Caramel Power Crunch Bars
• I know that I shared my love for the Salted Caramel bars last week, and I never, ever run out of those, but I literally cannot live without my Blueberry Muffin Quest Bar every single morning.  I seriously wake up craving one...that and my coffee of course. ;)
  
• Donut Shop Regular Medium Roast Coffee K-Cups
• As long as we are on the topic of breakfast items, I thought I'd throw this in the mix.  I mean, it's not just a morning necessity, but a morning/midday/and early afternoon must for me.  I used to do lots of fancy flavors, and I don't know if it's my age, but just a non-flavored coffee, two splendas and some sugar free french vanilla creamer and I am a happy camper!  So I would definitely have to add the sugar free french vanilla creamer to my must-haves...and it has to be coffee mate.  I can't do any other brands.  Tried them all, but coffee mate has my heart!
  
• Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla Greek Yogurt
• I have one of these with every single lunch.  But my favorite thing to do with them?  I take sugar free pudding mix and dump about a tablespoon of it in with the yogurt.  I am not exaggerating when I say that it tastes just like dessert.  A healthy mousse, if you will. My favorite flavor goes to chocolate, but butterscotch is a close second.  If you've never mixed pudding mix with greek yogurt, try it.  It will blow your mind!
  
• Dried Dates
• Oh my word you guys.  Have you ever had these?  I started eating them after I read one of Mix and Match Mama's posts, where she says she has a few as an afternoon snack, and I haven't looked back.  They almost taste like candy to me, so I have to be careful or I could eat the whole Costco sized bag in an afternoon.  I don't care if they are better for you than a cookie, if you eat the whole bag, you are worse off than if you would've eaten that cookie! ha!
  
• Dried Figs
• While we are talking about dried fruit, these bad boys rank right on up there with dates!  Now, I know they aren't everybody's cup of tea, and they weren't mine at first either, but I found the trick to making them taste amazing: refrigeration.  Not kidding.  Toss the bag of them in the produce drawer in your fridge and you won't eat them any other way.  So, so good!
  
• Peanut Butter Cup Halo Top Ice Cream
• Stop what you are doing right now and go out and get yourself some.  Seriously.  This stuff is legitimately the absolute bomb.  There are some amaaaazing flavors out there, but Peanut Butter Cup is my fave.  I mean, most pints are 320 calories and under.  Not just for the serving, but for the WHOLE pint!  I have been known to easily put down a pint in one sitting.  Who am I kidding?  That's the only way I eat it!
  
• String Cheese
• Ok, I know that I sound like a little kid when I say I can't live without string cheese, but don't you all remember how amazing these things were when you were growing up?  I mean, I don't pull it apart string by string anymore, but it's still just as tasty and I have at least one a day as a snack with my dates and figs ;)
  

Alrighty folks, now that I am STARVING, I'm going to go raid my fridge and pantry to snack on some of these goodies...cause Lord knows I have them ALL on hand!

What are some of your "must-have" food items?  Anything that I need to run out and buy this minute?  Do share!

Until next time...

What's Up Wednesday

Hey there Hump Day!  For some reason, I secretly love Wednesdays...I don't know if it's because it means we are halfway through the week, or the fact that we are closer to Friday than we were two days ago?  Whatever the reason, I am just so happy to be here!

Now since I brought the old blog back last Thursday, I missed out on another one of my favorite link-ups, "What's Up Wednesday" so I figured I would bring it back today...just a few days late ;)

We get to answer these fun, random questions that I love, because as I mentioned a few days ago, I'm nosy and I enjoy reading these quirky things about people...even if it seems monotonous, I find it interesting! So here are the questions I will be answering:

1.) What we're eating this week...

Monday - Chicken Tortilla Soup
Being that it's winter, we love ourselves some soup!  And when it's made in the crockpot, it's even better because that means after a little bit of prep, it's ready when we walk in the door!

Tuesday - Venison Meatballs over sweet potato mash
We received some ground venison from our good friend who loves to deer hunt, a few weeks ago, so we are putting that to good use by making a family fave!

Wednesday - Blackened Salmon and roasted broccoli
One of our all time favorite meals is salmon...and even though this version isn't the kiddo's fave because it's a little spicy, they will still eat it, but I usually end up making pb&j for them after they've only taken a few bites :D

Thursday - Aaron is out of town, so I got a babysitter and am meeting up with some girlfriends for a sushi night!  Jimmy Johns will be feeding my boys that night ;)

Friday - Since Aaron doesn't get back until late, the boys and I will probably just heat up some of the leftovers from earlier in the week!

Saturday - Date night!! Holla!! The boys will be getting pizza delivered...

Sunday - Super Bowl Sunday!  And unfortunately Aaron leaves again for the week that afternoon, so it will probably be cereal/mac and cheese/sandwiches...I get really creative when it's just me and the boys! Ha!

2.) What I'm Reminiscing about...

Our family ski trip to Park City, Utah last month...I don't ski, but Madden and Aaron have a blast, and this mama doesn't mind some shopping/spa/eating alone time :)

3.)  What I'm Loving...

Ok, I am not just loving, but am OBSESSED with  "This is Us" on NBC.  Anybody else addicted like I am???  Holy cryfest.  I literally do not make it through an episode without shedding at least a few tears.  So, so, so good!

4.)  What we've been up to...

Well this time of year is just cold, grey and flat out gross.  Plus, it doesn't help that there is nothing to look forward to, so we have been hermits and literally staying home and soaking up some family time.  And honestly, after the holidays and whirlwind of December, I'm quite ok with that!

5.)  What I'm working on...

I am currently working on Madden's Valentine's box for his school party!  We were sent home a note from his teacher to 'be creative' and if I know the other moms in his class, that means it will be a battle of who finds the best idea on Pinterest.  So I searched for a couple hours (no joke) the other day, and I think we found a winner.  But I will save the big reveal for the day of his party.  He's pretty excited about what we have up our sleeve, so that's all that matters!

6.)  What I'm dreading...

If I'm being honest, my annual exam.  It falls in February every year, and it doesn't matter how much older I get, I feel like a kid the night before a test...I mean, I love my doctor, but there's just something about that exam that sends chills down my spine.  Please tell me I'm not alone!

7.)  What I'm excited about...

We are headed out on a cruise over President's Day!  I've never been on a cruise before, so I am stupid excited about it.  That said, I literally have no swim suits that fit me right (thank you breastfeeding) so I need to do some major shopping to find some that fit correctly.  Nothing worse than trying to make a pancake look presentable.

8.)  What I'm Watching/Reading...

Well, considering that I'm not a big reader, I'm currently not reading anything at the moment...but I need some suggestions for good "poolside" reads.  Let me know what I should be reading!
Now, as for watching, I have so much on my DVR it's ridiculous. But, one show on Netflix that I never watched, but am totally addicted to now is Parenthood!!  #cantstopwontstop #teambraverman

9.)  What I'm Listening to...

I am slightly embarrassed to admit this, but the "Sing" soundtrack is currently playing on my computer as I type this...#momlife

10.)  What I'm Wearing...

All the layers.  Because seriously you guys, I will go from hotter than hot, so one minute I will be in a tank top, to freezing cold so I will put on a sweatshirt and a cozy robe.  Is it too early for menopause??

11.)  What I'm doing this weekend...

Well, like I said above, Aaron is out of town until Friday night, and then leaving again on Sunday, so we are soaking up some family time on Saturday, by hitting up the children's museum with the boys during the day, and then a little adult time with a date night that night.  Sunday will be church and brunch before Aaron heads out again.  :(

12.)  What I'm looking forward to next month...

Ok, I was about to say our cruise, but today is February 1st, so that would mean our cruise is this month!  That said, next month is March, and my birthday is in March...and I'm one of those crazy psychos who has a birth-month, not just one day, so I will be celebrating all month long ;)

13.)  What else is new...

This isn't technically new, but since being back here, it is new to you all!  We are officially diaper free in this house, as of last month!  Linden was potty trained in October, but #2 was still an issue...well, all of a sudden it just clicked for him, so shortly before Christmas he no longer needed a diaper!  Yes, we still sleep in a pull up, but this mama will never buy diapers ever again!  Yes, it's bittersweet, but I couldn't be happier!

Weekend Rewind

Well would you look at that...the weekend absolutely flew by and here we are again, back at Monday.  The start of a new week.  #givemeallthecoffee

Let's rewind back to Friday to see what happened this weekend in our little neck of the woods, shall we?

I had asked Madden Friday morning when he woke up what his plans were for after school that day.  His response was "I'll probably get a snack, then play in the snow, and then hang out and work on legos once it gets dark out." {a man with a plan;)}  I then asked him if he wanted to go on a date with me instead.  And if you follow me on instagram ( @jennaschaben ) then you already know his response, but if you don't it went just like this: "Mommy, I would love to, but I think I'm a little bit too little to go on dates." #blesshisheart  I just hope he always feels this way...

So, after school pick-up, and once the hubby got home from work to take care of Linden, Madden and I snuck out to a movie.  We have wanted to see "A Dog's Purpose" since we first saw the previews, so that's what we saw.  Word of advice if you decide to go see it.  Bring the tissues.  Because holy waterworks.  Also, it's probably a little more appropriate for kiddos aged over 5, as it does get pretty deep in some parts!  But overall, it's such a great movie with a fabulous message for us all!

We hit up DQ afterwards for some ice cream before calling it a night.  In bed before 9 on a Friday?  Perfection.

Saturday morning was spent with the boys and I hitting up the gym while Daddy went into the office. No better way to start the weekend than with a good old sweat session, especially knowing that I tend to let my eating habits get a little more lenient on the weekends. #balance ;)

Followed up the gym with a little Starbucks reward for all of us!  And question for you all...am I the only weird one who drinks frozen or iced coffee in the winter time??

We laid low the rest of the day, watching Trolls on repeat, binging The Office on Netflix, and working on Legos and playing games.  Such a laid back day, but the perfect way to end a very (sick filled) week.)  If I never have to clean up another puke mess, I will be perfectly fine with that!

Even though we were extremely lazy on Saturday, we were all in bed by 8 that night and slept in until 8 on Sunday morning!  Holy cow...I cannot remember the last time I slept for a solid 12 hours! But man, oh man did it feel great!  I made a breakfast of eggs and bacon for the boys and a vat of coffee for myself!  We turned on Apple Music and just danced, played some more games and hung out until nap time.  I whipped up these super easy 3 ingredient banana chocolate muffins for Linden's Preschool class since he has to bring snack this week, and I may or may not have had a couple when they were fresh out of the oven! Seriously so good, and so so easy!

I then watched a marathon of Fixer Upper while snacking on these coconut chips.  Oh my word, for being a "healthy" snack, they are Dang good!  {Maybe that's where they came up with the name?}

I know this weekend sounds absolutely boring, but those are some of my absolute favorite weekends ever!  No plans, and just lots of quality time with my boys...just the way I like it.  Some may call me lame, but I know that I'm a homebody and I'm perfectly fine with that.  I know our weekends of nothing to do are limited and will change as soon as the boys become more active in sports and activities.  But until then, I'll be a lazy bum if I want to!

What about you?  Any fun activities from this weekend?  Are you a homebody or do you prefer to have every minute planned??

Until next time...

Friday Favorites

TGIF y'all!  We made it to the weekend!  Or as they say in Madden's Kindergarten class: it's "Yippee Skippy Friday!"  Whatever you want to call it, there are a glorious couple of days ahead...

Well, let's get after it today, shall we?  I figured there was no better way to jump start my blogging return than to join in one of my very fave link-ups to read every week: Friday Favorites!  There are no rules to this, and it's a complete hodge podge of randomness, but that's what I love the most.  I love being nosy and am always interested in what others are loving at the moment.  I know that I walk away from most of these posts with some great new ideas every week.  So let's get to it!  Here is what I'm loving this Friday...

1.}  These Lululemon Align Pants.  I would be remiss if I didn't start my faves with some workout related attire ;)  But seriously you guys.  If you can't seem to gut the price tag that comes along with Lulu gear, I totally get it.  But these pants.  Oh these pants.  They are worth their weight in GOLD!  I received my first pair for Christmas, and let me tell you, I never want to take them off!  I mean, I own my fair share of lulu gear (just ask my husband) but these are hands down my absolute FAVE!  They literally feel as soft as butter and most days when I wear them, I have to do a double take to make sure that I am even wearing pants, because I almost feel naked in them! So.  If I haven't sold you on them yet, just go test a pair out in store.  Then thank me later ;)

2.}  These Power Crunch Protein Bars.  Ok, another "healthy/fitness" fave, but being that it's still technically the new year, I thought you might appreciate these little tid bits of healthy info!  I have eaten a lot of protein bars in my lifetime.  And I do mean a LOT.  But these bad boys are amazzzzzing.  I eat at least one a day.  No joke.  They are usually my after dinner "dessert" to curb my sweet tooth at night.  I don't know what it is about anything salted caramel flavor, but I am drawn to it whenever/wherever it is offered and these guys live up to my expectations and then some.  Delish.  I got mine through Amazon Prime because: hello, 2 day free shipping!  But I've also seen them at my local grocery store and Whole Foods. 

3.}  These CC Beanies.  I'm a hat girl.  I wear hats when I work out, I wear fedoras in the summer time, and floppy wool hats in the winter.  Not only are they adorable and a great accessory to any outfit, the main reason I love me some hats is because they require absolutely zero hair maintenance.  So I haven't washed my hair in four days?  No one is the wiser!  I own a lot of hats, so when I bought this hat for our most recent ski trip, I fell instantly in love!  They legitimately look great on EVERYONE!  And with soooooo many different color options, you can't go wrong.  I may or may not own 3 of them now...

4.}  This Vanilla Snowflake Candle.  Now, there's nothing like Bath and Body Works "Tis the Season" scented anything.  Hand's down my favorite scent from there.  But that's clearly a seasonal one, so when I was on the hunt for something to transition from Christmas to Spring, I found this one.  It is perfect.  Not too sweet and light, which is what I look for in the Spring, but not too spicy like I look for in the winter.  This is the perfect balance.  It gives me the warm fuzzies...and you will find it burning in my house everyday from now until April ;)

5.}  These Ugg Slippers.  I don't know about you guys, but when I'm at home, I don't want to be wearing my shoes, but I also don't want to be barefoot because my feet tend to be the first thing to freeze.  Insert these slippers or "house shoes" as I like to call them.  ;)  I have owned a few pair of ugg slippers and boots in my lifetime, but I just got these for Christmas and they are my absolute favorite ones to date.  They are not only cozy, but they legitimately could be mistaken for actual shoes and be worn out of the house. (Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything...)  So if you are in the market for slippers or shoes that are worth every penny, these are it.  They are literally like walking on puffy warm clouds.  Plus, there are a lot that are on sale right now, so add them to your Valentine's Day list.  Try them on, and decide for yourself...

Ok folks.  That's about it for my Friday Faves!  I hope that each and every one of you has an awesome weekend and get to spend it doing something that you love!

Until next time...