Three cheers for...

...cauliflower?

Yes.  It might sound a little bit strange, but seriously, as of late its made me so happy.

See, for the last six months or so, I've been trying to cut out grains in an attempt to lose the gut.  Well, that clearly didn't happen as I'd still sneak them in (and my sneak them in I mean over indulge).  However, about two weeks ago, I finally caved and signed up for Isagenix and their 30 day program in an attempt to lose the gut before San Diego...

...and so far, I a really loving the convenience of Isagenix.  But when two of your three meals of the day are shakes (and please don't think I am complaining, as I actually love the taste and how great I feel after), the third meal really needs to be good.

And that's were cauliflower comes in.

In the form of Cauliflower Paella.

 

Recipe here (and photo credit too!)

Sunday night dinner for the win.

I made a few minor tweaks (most notably omitting the chicken, subbing mussels for oysters, and cooking in about 25 minutes not the supposed hour) and it was SO good.  So good in fact, I am thinking about eating the leftovers, which I normally won't touch with a ten foot pole, for dinner tonight.

And while we are talking about the amazing-ness of cauliflower, here are a couple other "go-to" recipes using this star ingredient.  My only tip is to cook the cauliflower a bit more than most of the recipes call for as in my opinion it makes the cauliflower a bit softer, more rice like and more flavorful.

Mexican Cauliflower Rice

Recipe here (and photo credit too!)

Shrimp & Grits

 Recipe here (and photo credit too!)

Do you have any recipes that you are loving?

Enjoy!

Weekend Recapping

Y'all.  I totally meant to post about our weekend on Monday.  I went so far as to upload my awful iPhone pictures into the Blogger app.  I just never got around to writing. 

Not Monday.

Not Tuesday.

And not this morning.  Even now, I should be working.  But something in my brain is nagging me.  Nagging me to write.  Nagging me to share.  Nagging me to blog what we've been up-to, which of course is lots.  Nothing earth shattering (I promise) but lots of stuff going on in life.  Hopefully, I'll be able to do a better job of sneaking away a few minutes here or there to post (something).  Even if it's not a lot of words.

So that's what I am going to do today.  Post the pictures I previously uploaded.

All of them are from a birthday party that we went to this past weekend at the Sea Life Aquarium.  In the past, I would have said thanks but no thanks as Little Miss hadn't mentioned this particular friend a ton of times.  However, when we got home from our parents-weekend-away, she begged me to go.  I guess she's officially at the age whereby they "get" birthday parties and want to go.

So I RSVP'ed yes.  Even though I quickly realized that our morning of back-to-back-to-back gymnastics, birthday party, and soccer game was going to be next to impossible.

And it was.  Thankfully, the Husband agreed that we could skip soccer (under the strict agreement that it was just this once), which was so worth it as not only did the girls learn all about fishies, but they had a great time bonding with their friends.

Other than the party, we actually had a low key weekend -- a goodbye dinner with Papa, dinner with the family we went to Florida with the past summer, church, errands and hanging out together.

Weekend Recap

Before I recap this weekend, let me just apologize.  Y'all these pictures are awful.  For the longest time either I (a) took really good iPhone photos or (b) just thought they were really good.  But as I post these pictures and try to summarize our weekend, I realize just how bad these are.  Maybe this will finally be my wake up call to pull out the DLSR camera...hmmm...we'll see about that...


...it's just so big. 
...and bulky...
...and heavy...
...and let's be honest, I am lazy and its not at all convenient.  But at the same time I would like better quality photos.  Any quick fixes out there?


Regardless, I digress. 


Back to the topic at hand. Our weekend. 


It was busy, busy, busy.  As in I took over 18,000 steps yesterday either cleaning or chasing around the girls.  As in nonstop and I need a day to recover. But never the less fun.  So here are just some of the things that kept us on the move

Friday

Because of rain Tuesday, soccer practice got rescheduled.  Not sure which Little Miss spent more time doing -- actually practicing soccer or practicing gymnastics.  Hmmm..

After soccer, we headed over to a neighbors house for some much needed friend (and wine) time.

Saturday

We were up and at them early.  Saturday morning gymnastics followed by the first soccer game of the year.  At least Little Miss (and apparently Littlest Miss) were excited to go.  Or maybe it was the excitement that they stole a Valentine's Day treat.  The husband was kind enough to give Mommy a much needed break so I can't let you how well she played, but either way, they were all smiles both before and after the game.

After soccer, we quickly piled into the car for a playdate with Little Miss's sweet friend from school  Not sure how she had the energy, but needless to say they bounced and played for the better part of the afternoon only stopping to take photo booth pictures and chow down on some dip-and-dots.

And then it was time to head home.  Thankfully, before heading off to work, the Husband was able to get Littlest Miss down for a nap, which gave Little Miss and I time to hang out.  Selfie party and volcanos anyone? 

We finished off the evening with a quick run to Target -- why, I am not entirely sure -- but in pure Target fashion we left with much more than we planned including Playdoh and several baskets for the laundry room.  (More on that later, but out of no where I had sudden motivation to finally finish that room!) -- dinner and some Disney shows.

Sunday

After the typical Sunday morning activities (i.e. church and grocery shopping), the Husband headed back to work while the girls and I went to a birthday party.  After a few frustrating minutes of them refusing to join in the fun, they finally did.  Needless to say, they had a blast doing various "sports" activities and burned off even more energy.

And then it was time to wrap up the day and get ready for the week -- which this week entailed more than normal as Papa is coming to town for the week!  So this coupled with the house cleaner coming today and my sudden urge to finally put away the Christmas sheets, meant a few extra chores for this Momma, but that's A-Okay...especially since its a couple of things checked off the to-do list and hopefully a fun few weeks with our visitor!

Five on Friday: Flowers

Just a quick Friday post as somehow the day is over halfway done (and let's be honest, since I am working at home today, I'd love to sneak away at 3:30 or so and get some me shopping time -- especially since we have a vacation coming up!)

No family updates today.  Why?  Because I'd actually have to think about that one.  Rather, this 5 on Friday is all about flowers.

Seriously, my house is full of flowers right now due to a combination of Trader Joe's flowers that seriously do not die, my successful attempt of growing tulip and Valentine's Day.

And I don't know about you, but fresh flowers make me happy.  So rather than a boring update on US, why don't you just imagine that these are around your house too?!?

1. Tulips

I've considered buying a tulip bulb vase for a very long time now.  But let's be serious, I don't have a green thumb.  Rather, I kill plants.  Thus, to me, its seemed like a waste of $15+.  However, when I saw this at Trader Joe's for $8.99, I figured why not. 

And look-y.

Tulips!

Now what happens when these die?  Anybody?

2. Trader Joes Batch # 1

Every Sunday I buy 2 bouquets of Trader Joe's flowers for the kitchen and the breakfast nook.  However, when I got home this week, I realized that the two previous ones still look great.  Thus, this bouquet is chilling in the Living Room.

This was the second bouquet I got Sunday.  It is a little sadder than most.  Maybe because it got stuck in the powder room?

3.  Trader Joes Batch # 2

Seriously, y'all.  This bouquet is almost two weeks old.  So in love with all the colors!

5.

4. Valentine's Day Roses

From one of the littles

5. Valentine's Day Roses # 2

From the other little

Seeing Hearts

If you thought the daddy-daughter dance and valentine's day cards were all we did to celebrate Valentine's Day, boy are you wrong.  Somehow along the way, Valentine's Day has morphed from a borderline Hallmark Holiday to more than a week long celebration.

Am I complaining?  No, not at all.  However, for both the size of our wallets and our waistlines, its probably a good thing it only happens once a year.

But regardless, it was a great week celebrating love:

Aside from the dance, we officially kicked off celebrating with Parent's Night Out at Trulucks.  Talk about yummy...good wine, oysters, crab...who wouldn't be happy.   Thankfully, we won a $75 gift which helped take the sting out of the bill this time as we'll definitely be back...


Other than that, we really laid low until the actual day.  Sadly, I had a super busy day at work so I couldn't sneak away for the girls Valentine's Day parties at their schools, but based on the pictures that school sends out, it looks like they had a blast making treat bags, decorating cookies, and exchanging Valentines with their friends.

But since I couldn't be there during the day, I did make sure to snap a couple of (crappy) pictures of them as soon as we got home while we were waiting for our dinner delivery.

Little Miss with her school made goodie bag 

 

Little Miss sorting through her loot.  Who knew you got almost as much candy on Valentines Day as you do at Halloween

 

Littlest Miss eagerly showing off her envelope of goodies

 

Real hug or trick hug?  Little Miss may have been trying to steal some of sister's candy

 

We concluded Valentine's Day with a heart shape pizza from Papa Johns and a rare Tuesday night dinner of all four of us sitting at the table at the same time!

 

Hope y'all had a great Valentine's Day!

Resolutions

Going into 2017, we were a little bit exhausted.


Admittedly, we had been overscheduled.  Running around from one activity to another.  Plans too many nights.  Too many commitments and not enough downtime.


Thus, rather than the typical new year's resolutions (you know, exercise more, eat healthier, lose 10 lbs), I made just one.  And a simple one at that.


To simplify.


Everything.  Our house, our calendar, our goals. 


And hopefully, in doing so, we'd have more time for what was important.  Us.  Our little family.  And making memories to last a lifetime.  Even if sometimes we were doing absolutely nothing.


So having said that, my iPhone camera isn't nearly as full as it may have been in the past, but that's okay.  It's been a great few weeks and I can only hope that the rest of the year is as good if not better.  But for all those curious, here are just a few of the things we've done to fill the minutes of 2017.

Catching "snowflakes".  yes it snowed in Dallas this year.  For all of 12 hours.  But given how infrequently we see snow here, judging by the girls' excitement you would have thought it was Christmas morning again

This bar.  Easily the best Christmas present of the year. If they aren't practicing gymnastics (a whole 'nother post) they are sleeping under it.  #eatbreathesleepgymnastics

Playing with sweet friends.  'Nuff said.  Quality time with quality people is definitely part of our simplicity goals for the year.

Mommy-time and Parent-day out.  Sporting events (including a Dallas playoff game), adult beverages and no kids...let's just consider that therapy.

Being silly, goofy and enjoying doing a whole lot of nothing.  This picture pretty much sums up our year so far.  (Including the Dallas weather -- it was 86 degree's last Sunday!)

Valentines Day Cards

Where oh where did January go?  And how the heck is it February already...


...and Valentines Day!


As mentioned last week, we already checked off one of our traditions with the Daddy Daughter dance.  However, another tradition is the actual Valentines Day cards that the girls bring to school for their sweet friends.


Not once, in the all the years (I think its  four years as I was still on maternity leave for her first Valentine's Day) that Little Miss has brought Valentines Day cards to school has she brought the simple, store bought cards that we gave out as kids.


Nope, rather, I succumbed to the pressures of raising kids in Pinterest-Driven-World have made homemade Valentines Day cards, often scrambling to get them done the night before, or even the morning of.  As stressful and unnecessary as this is/was, at least they turned out super cute, right?


Sadly, I can't find the ones I actually made, but use your imagination and just pretend that they looked as good as the originals:

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And in all honesty, I thought this year would be much of the same.  I even started "pinning" ideas a few months ago and had largely narrowed down my choices to these:

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That is until I spent a kid-free Saturday morning wandering around Target. 




And found a bunch of super cute, pinterest looking Valentines Day cards all ready to go.  So I did what any sane mom would do and snatched up entirely too many




And then left it up to the girls to decide which to give their friends.  After much thought and deliberation, Little Miss choose Princesses and Superheros (shocking) and Littlest Miss choose (i.e. was left with) Ponies and Dinosaurs.  Now all Mommy has to do is assemble them...which given my love of procrastination may be easier said and done.  At least it didn't involve late night runs to the FedEx Kinkos store.

It did however require me to stay up WAY past my bedtime trying to tie on 64 different toys to 64 little cards.  Good thing Target pre-cut the baker's twine and pre-punched the cards.  Oh and thank goodness for washi tape.  Any loosely tied toys were easily secured.


All in all, I think they turned out pretty cute, don't you?




But what about you, what are you doing for your kids Valentines Day cards this year?






And lastly, speaking of Target, I saw this mug on Instagram today.  I think its my next purchase as its 100% truth.

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