Does this even count?

Can you even say you have a blog when you only post once a year? Sure. Why not. That's what I'd say if anyone asked me, so that's what  going to believe for myself as well. 

My obligatory yearly post, then. To keep it going. 

I'm still here. Still taking it day to day and trying not to allow the panic that sets in when I start to think too far in advance take over. 

Loving my little family and constantly questioning if I am doing it all "right". 

Trying hard to ignore the housework that is always staring at me. (I'm pretty good at this one.)

Constantly communicating with God to find and see and know what it is and exactly how He wants me to be. 

Examining friendships and appreciating even the toughest relationships for every good thing about them. 

Remembering it's ok to question and reevaluate "who you are" often. Because we are always being molded into new and incredible beings. 

That's about it. Maybe that's why I only post once a year, hmm. What about you? Are you still there? What's good? 

Oh, in case you don't want to wait a year  to read another blog post, check this gal out. She's incredible and awesome and spot on. I like to think if I had a real blog it'd be like this, I'd write like this and be spot on. www.kbaer.com You're welcome. 

Until next time, 

What we've been up to...

 ...a little bit of this and a little bit of that. It seems like Summer is quickly getting away from us. In an effort to hold onto it as much as possible I've been trying to get outside with the babe more and snap shots of the things we are loving lately. Here's just a snippet of what's been filling our evenings and weekends. Days are filled with work and school, when the sun goes down there are dishes and laundry to be tended to...in between we are trying to soak up as much of the Summer sunshine as we can.

 

Pool time with cousins!

 

"Working out" with Daddy, so tough.

 

Inhaling the peacefulness of Summer sunsets.

 

 

Making it through big guy haircuts with plenty of stickers and a little LOT of Jungle Book bribery.

 

Playground fun!

 

Bike!

 

And this...to him the old stump is probably like a mountain. He was so proud. Such a little guy, but I can only imagine the so many big, big adventures running through his mind. <3 p="">

 

Hope you are all have been enjoying your Summer as well. What have you been up to lately?

Until next time,

 

 

Lazy days

Not a lot going on these days. Time with the babe, growing a babe, work, laundry and sleep. Hit repeat. 

Hope you're all taking time to slow down and enjoy the little things. Like an evening outside with the pup, neighbors who are constantly thinking of you, or just a lovely sunset. 

Here's to another week gone by! Until next time! 

-Heather

Fun Find Friday!

Welp, it's 9:00pm and I just remembered I never posted my cool discovery for the week. Here it is...lame, maybe...but I am in love with it - nail polish!

 

Neon seems to be the "it" thing when it comes to the Summer fashion world right now. However, as much as I drool over the beauty of all things bright and "pop"-ish, I hardly feel awesome enough to rock it (as they say).

 

We've had a few cooler days which have started allowing my thinking to turn towards Fall (more drooling), which means not only a shift in weather but also in fashion. I didn't want to miss out on all the neon fun, so when some of the girls and I went to get pedicures yesterday I decided to go for it! I scooped up a bright, pop color, fitting the mold of the neon madness and didn't look back. I questioned myself several times, silently...but I didn't back out!



China Glaze - "Shell-O" to be exact.

In. Love.

Retro carpet - see I told you I wasn't awesome enough to rock the neon.

 

I loved it so much I decided to go back for a manicure today. A splurge - yes...but every once in a while doesn't hurt.

 

So there it is, my fun find - China Glaze "Shell-O"! What are your favorite colors for the Summer season? Do you have a go to? Switch it up or stick with the same shade all Summer long?

 

Hope everyone had a lovely Friday and the weekend is just as amazing.

 

 My Friday view - Heaven.

 

This too...equally as Heavenly. xoxo

 Until next time,

 

 



Time...it goes too fast...

...seriously, too fast. So bake. And eat. 

 

The weekend disappeared before I had a chance to even think about getting half of the things I wanted to done. BUT, there was a lot of good family time had with those we see far too little AND I was able to get some baking done. I feel like baking is my go-to option for a "no stress-no need to think-instant gratification" escape these days. Not a bad option, considering I get to enjoy the time it takes to bake whatever goodness pops into my head and then chow down on it after!

 

The goodness from this weekend was a Fresh Peach Pound Cake recipe I discovered on the beloved Pinterest. Get it here...RECIPE!!

 

I had half-dozen peaches leftover from a stop at a local market on the way home from the beach that needed to be used before they turned to mush...this was the perfect recipe. It was super easy to whip everything together and then just bake and cool. It's a delicious summer dessert (or mid-day snack) with a little vanilla ice cream thrown on the side.

 

 

My only critique for the recipe is that I feel the peach schnapps is a little strong. I am not a fan of being able to taste any liqueur in cakes. I prefer the sweetness that comes from either the fruit or the sugar! I'm not sure how you might change this...leave the schnapps out, add more milk, etc. But other than me being picky about the schnapps, this was definitely a hit with all who ate it.

 

Soooo not my cake. I wish my turned out like this...

 

If you're looking for an easy summery cake to take to your next cookout, I recommend this one paired with a tub of vanilla ice cream!

 

What are some of your favorite, go-to Pinterest recipes?

 

Until next time,

 

 

Not really a "Fun Find" Friday

I didn't really "find" anything this week that I think is cool enough to share as "fun". So, here's to it just being FRIDAY. Hope everyone survived the heat wave that has been this week. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend filled with lots of relaxation and fun times!

 

I'm planning on spending some QT with lots of family (particularly my little guy who seems to be getting SO big lately) and starting the prep for "Operation BIG Boy Room". (I'm sure I'll throw something on here about all that fun, so stay posted.) 

 

  

 

It's time to make way for little Miss, who will be here before we know it, eek!! Twenty-three weeks today and counting!!

  

Happy Friday, happy weekend!

Until next time,

 



"True Wuvvv..."

Seven years, one babe, one on the way, a pup, a home, and quite a few wild adventures with this guy...wouldn't change it for the world.

 

Happy Anniversary Lovey!

 

xoxo,

 

Fun Find Friday!

I'm not sure I can say I discovered this Friday's glorious "find", it was really just handed to me by some pretty awesome neighbors/friends of ours, who have a pretty awesome garden. Every year the hubs and I talk about putting in a small garden of our own, but with friends who continually supply us with freshness all summer long, we really don't need too. We are so blessed.

 

My "find" for this Friday - Spaghetti Squash. I know, I know....I have been living under a rock. It's not like spaghetti squash was just invented, but for me it is totally new! And delicious. And healthy. And easy....a huge plus when you are scrambling to find a dinner option with t-minus 1 hour until go time.

 

Of course, when I saw this on my counter I had no idea what to do with it.

 

 

But thanks to Google....I found literally thousands of different ways to prepare my squash.

 

Everything I read said roasting or baking the squash was the best way to lock in flavor and moisture, so that was the route I took. I wanted simple. Since this was the first time eating the squash I wanted to be able to taste it's flavor, not a lot of other toppings. So, I sliced it in half (long-ways), scooped out all the goop (aka stringy seeds), and gave each half a good layer of olive oil, mineral salt and cracked pepper. Then I baked it for 1 hour at 400 degrees.

 

 

Fresh out of the oven.

 

After it cooled a bit, I threw some shredded cheese on it (because who doesn't love cheese?) and went to town! The hubs and I each ate a half, which was probably more than either of us needed. You could probably get 3 servings out of one squash.

 

 

YUM!

 

It was so good! We will definitely be having this again - and maybe throw a little more pizazz on it to switch it up. I highly recommend trying this yummy gourd if you haven't already.

 

What are some of your garden favorites?  

 

Until next time,

 

 

 

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice....

We're 22 weeks in (tomorrow) and it's hard to believe I've been able to keep this from the blog this long. (Not really, considering I'm averaging about 5 posts a year....) BUT.....Baby Leake #2 is due in November, the 15th to be exact. Which means OWL will be a big bro in just about 4 months (ohmygosh!). Crazy, so crazy. I am still having a hard time imagining 2 rug rats running around. We are so pumped, bring on the chaos!

 

"Hi!"

 
 To make things even more interesting, Baby Leake #2 decided it was going to rock our world this past Tuesday and let us know it is in fact a little GIRL! We knew our chances were 50/50...but once you get used to being "Boy People" hearing, "It's a GIRL!" catches you off guard and totally changes the game.

 

I'm a GIRL!

 

I'm not gonna lie, I am excited for the bows, dresses, and pretty shoes. But thinking about how different that is going to be from the t-shirts-shorts-sneaks and "here's a ball" way of life, is mind blowing.

 

*Happy Sigh - ahhh...* Tuesday, we also found out all looked well, we are right on track, and Baby Girl is a mover and shaker just like her big brother. We are excited to meet our little Miss. Can't wait to see her personality develop, watch her brother take care of her (wrestle with her at times, I'm sure) and most of all, shower her with love.

 

Profile shot...love! :-)

 

So, there it is, our little snippet of sugar, spice and everything nice to balance out the snakes, snails and puppy dog tails we are currently accustom too. :-)

 

Until next time,

 

 

Fun Find Friday!

I love popcorn. I'm pretty sure it can almost be considered a problem. I make sure I don't always have it in the house, otherwise that would be all I ate. When I do allow myself to have a stash in the pantry I always have the standard, because who doesn't love good ol' buttered popcorn? Lately, though, there are all kinds of interesting "flavors" out there...and of course I have to give 'em a try! Here are a couple of my favorites that I thought were worthy of sharing.

 

Orville Redenbacher's "Buttery Salt & Cracked Pepper"

I discovered this bad boy the other day! A little spice, a little butter, a LOT of deliciousness!

 

Orville Redenbacher's "Lime + Salt"

So good....I mean, so good. I feel like if there was a popcorn made for summer, this would be it.

 

There you have it. My fun find for the week. I hope all you other popcorn lovers out there give these "flavors" a shot, if you haven't already! What are some of your favorites? I'm always looking for new types to try!!

 

Until next time,

 

 

 

Island Livin'...oh, how I miss you so...

It's been almost a month, but I can't stop thinking about the laid back way of life on the tiny island called Harbour Island ("The Friendly Island") in the Bahamas, we were so lucky to visit this summer. When our good friends, the "M" family, asked if we wanted to join them on a week long vacation to the island, we didn't hesitate. It's our first "exotic" trip as a family, and after our experience it will NOT be our last. We've already been trying to work out how we can get back...ASAP!

Thanks, "M" Family, for opening our eyes to such an a amazing place!

 

Until next time,

 

 

Fun Find Friday

Facial Moisturizer.
It's needed, necessary and has to be just the right balance between creamy and light.
I found a perfect match. For me. And I have to share because it could be the perfect match for you too.

I fell for this brand when I randomly grabbed a tube of Yes to Carrots - Lip Butter years ago. Instant love. So, when I ran out of moisturizer a couple weeks ago and was scoping out the natural aisle in the cosmetics department and saw this little gem - Yes to Tomatoes Daily Balancing Moisturizer - I had to give it a shot. So glad I did. 

I love that I know what is in the lotion I'm using and that it is gentle on my skin. You can check a list of the ingredients in all of the Yes to Carrots products right on their site.

Usually, I'm a skeptic when it comes to all the "promises" on labels. I'm not going to lie, I didn't exactly believe this bottle of lotion was going to make my skin more balanced. But now, after about two weeks of using the lotion as part of my morning routine, I can actually see a difference in "spots" that I never thought were going to go away.

If you're looking for a new product to use as your daily moisturizer I totally recommend giving this a try. No SPF, but I'm OK with that this time of year...come summer I may switch it up to one of their other lotions with  the SPF option. For now, I am more than pleased with this sweet find!

Happy Friday!

Until next time,

 

Revived

Ever since we moved into our home my goal has been to hang things on the walls. Make my house a home. It took me 3 1/2 years...but I finally did it! And it feels so good.

 

While I was digging through my crafting closet a few weekends ago, I rediscovered some old frames my mother gave me years ago. I'm pretty sure they were from her crafting closet back in high school or college.

 

 

I never turn down a good frame, because there is always something worthy of being displayed and frames aren't cheap. So, when she asked me if I wanted them I jumped at the chance to add them to my collection of "to be used" craft items. They did sit in my closet for quite some time...years to be exact...but I knew a time would come for their beautiful reviving! So, I grabbed some paint, a brush, a cup of tea and got to it.

 

 

 

It's amazing what a little TLC and some leftover acrylic paint can do to spruce up an old, forgotten piece. I went with black just to keep things clean and uniformed. I already had a black frame in the spot I wanted to add the "new" frame too.

*The top frame is one of my "new" frames!

 

This free craft (I had all the supplies on hand) was just the thing the entrance to my home needed. Three and a half years of having been ignored so terribly, I am pretty pleased with it. And the best part, I still have 2 more frames to bring back to life...I've been searching for a reason to smarten them up! I'll keep you posted! Hope this inspires you all to get your craft on!

 

Until next time,