oh hey, friday! | spice things up

Friday, January 29, 2016

...in the kitchen.

spice things up in the kitchen. 

i'm in a cooking rut. my poor farmer. i can only expect him to eat a burrito bowl full of romaine and quinoa so many nights a week. ya know? 

so i decided to dig deep this week. deep into my pinterest boards (<---you can totally follow my boards!) to find five recipes that i'll be excited about preparing for my farmer and my two best gals. 

but before we all start drooling at 8 am (let's at least wait for lunch)...get linked up! you know the drill...

1 | grab this here snazzy fall-themed button and link back to Sept. Farm.
2 | link up your post at the bottom of this post.
3 | tell all your friends + have a fantastic friday.


M Y  F I V E - spice things up...in the kitchen

1 | brie + bacon grilled cheese with fig jam
source
we'll start the week off unhealthy and then work our way out of this brie and bacon heaven. but doesn't this just look amazing? brie = love. bacon = love. get in my mouth.

2 | teriyaki salmon with sriracha cream sauce
source
i have to admit...i grilled this recipe up this past summer...and i've been dreaming of it ever since. i've never done salmon in the oven, so we'll see how it goes.

3 | blackened chicken with cilantro lime quinoa
source
yep. sign me up! i'm always looking for new recipes for a good baked chicken breast...and this is it. double bonus that it's on a bed of flavorful, healthy quinoa! i also love that the avocado cream sauce topping the chicken is made with a greek yogurt base. that's a win!

4 | roasted butternut squash and bacon soup
source
the other day at costco i noticed for the first time pre-cut butternut squash. yes please. sign me up. have you ever tried to cut a butternut squash yourself? #notworthit i mean...the recipe i made was good, but not worth potentially losing a finger or maybe even an entire hand for. so anyway...pre-cut squash - that i can get on board with. i snagged it up. i'll be making this recipe for sure.

5 | shrimp tacos with cilantro lime sour cream
source

and lastly...this deliciousness. i'm a big big fan of fish tacos. there's a restaurant in boise that serves a myriad of yummy dishes...but i always order the fish tacos. can't help myself. this means its about time i make them at home. i know they won't be as yummy because i'll be using whole grain tortillas and subbing out the sour cream for greek yogurt, but these look wonderfully flavorful and i'll get extra high fives if i can get kaye to eat the shrimp.

that's it! i'm totally going to get things jazzed up in the dinner arena. my farmer will give me extra kisses for all my domestic goddess-ness...or something like that.

now go get linked up! and after that...if it suites your fancy, find me on instagram and snapchat (@karli-bell) where i'll be documenting all sorts of fun while we hit the slopes! (i'm totally going to do some jumps.)

link up!

how is my farmer going to top that?

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

the other day i off-handedly mentioned to my farmer how much i looooove the diamond earrings he got for me.

and i do. i REALY REALLY love them.

i'm a simple girl when it comes to jewelry. i only wear one band (my engagement ring). i rarely wear necklaces. i always have my diamond stud earrings in...like 95% of the time.

i already spend too much money on clothing and furniture. i don't need one more habit to sustain.

so anyway...i told my farmer how much i love my earrings. his response...

oh crap! i got those for you for valentine's day. my response...

yeah, how are you going to top that?

(eh-hum...new car...cough cough...new boobs...cough cough.)

just suggestions.

but let's say a new car or new boobs wasn't in his shopping cart for me this valentine's day. what other tricks might my farmer put up his sleeve? (let me make it easy for you, farmer.)
keychain // mrs. // sodastream // watch // running shoe
coincidentally...these would also be great gifts to maybe...say...just buy for myself? i'm not above it.

let's start with the sodastream. i'm not sure what's gotten into me, but lately all i want is sparkling water. just plain. no flavor. flavoring makes my teeth feel gross. so instead of buying pallets of san pelagrino at costco...maybe just a cute sodastream sitting on my kitchen counter would do the trick? there is also a kitchenaide option.

new runners - i'm already on the hunt for a new pair of running shoes. my last pair did me so so well. they were lightweight (but not too lightweight). i can't have anything without some structure because i've had two surgeries on my left knee. but as i was saying...these are lightweight, breathable, and so so cute. my last pair were a vibrant blue...so maybe i need a contrasting pink. looooove these, and they're on sale!

i'm not one to wear a watch, but this one i could get on board with. it's so gorgeous. i love the soft, gold color, the handwritten out numbers, and the pink...almost nude band. it's so feminine and lovely. and it would look so beautiful on your wrist while you hold your keys with your new keychain. currently...i don't use a keychain. i just have one key that i leave in my car...at all times...unlocked. (farm-living, people. farm-living.)

and if everything else fails...how about this darling kate spade mrs. necklace. granted...all the single ladies (all the single ladies - thanks queen B) might skip this gift...but it's still lovely! i'd wear it.

PSA (for my farmer) - just some super casual ideas. don't overthink it.

xoxox kiss kiss smooch smooch

sawyer | 15 months

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

in the blink of an eye my sawyer-bitty-boo-muffy-mc-muffs is one and a quarter...also known as 15 months.

this past weekend my farmer took kaye on a daddy-daughter outing and i had the pleasure of staying back with sawyer. friends...i was not looking forward to this. our sweety-bear is no longer a sweety-bear. she's a whiny, complainy, cry-all-the-time, clingy-master 5000.

i was like, really? why don't you take sawyer. i'll keep kaye.

that didn't happen and sawyer and i were left to fend for ourselves. but you guys...i think it's just what i // we needed.

it was wild - as soon as kaye was gone, all of a sudden i realized what a little girl (no longer a baby) my sawyer had turned into. she was funny, adventurous, independent, and definitely had opinions. i was like, where did my baby go?

now, i don't want to take anything away from kaye, but it's so obvious - kaye bulldozes sawyer. kaye's personality is so large and in charge sawyer gets muffled...and it's probably really frustrating for her. when kaye and our farmer hit the road, sawyer's outgoing personality shined.

the craziest bit lately, though - sawyer has been beyond obsessed with her farmer. like...nobody else on this earth may as well exist. if she even so much as thinks he might be leaving...she immediately starts crying and begging to go with him. she'll stand at his feet crying until he either picks her up or he really does leave. but let's say he actually does have to get some work done and sawyer has to stay with me...she stops crying with in 10 seconds of the door shutting. out of site out of mind? i guess so.
so usually i'm just begging our farmer to leave so she'll stop crying. just go! i say. get out! i urge...but you know...super lovingly.

i think this little-sister gig is paying off for our gal. she's a MUCH earlier talker than kaye. i don't even think kaye had any words but mama and dada by this age. sawyer is yammering up a a storm. and when she's not saying gibberish, she's communicating real words - mama, dada, hot, no, wow and she signs, more, cat, dog. (we never worked on signing.)

her favorite word to say is hot. she'll walk up to anything that might be hot, put her hand out, pull her hand away, close to her body and say hot! she'll repeat this action 28834 times, super proud of herself.

S T A T S
height - definitely growing! she's even reaching the ends of her 12 - 18 month clothing. i'm excited to see her stats at her appointment on the 1st of february.

weight - heavy. 

teeth - in the past three months my poor gal has busted out three molars and three teeth. it's safe to say she was less than pleasant...and she's getting more. save us.

words - mama, dada, wow, hot, no

shoe size - 12 - 18 months...and she's absolutely obsessed with any sort of running shoe. 

favorites - putting shoes on, getting naked, showers, the booty dance, playing with any toy kaye has, her farmer

favorite food - still a big fan of food...lots of food. sawyer will really eat anything, and i'm going to ride that train until it stops. because we all know it will. (don't get me started on the nightly battle with kaye.) sawyer has started feeding herself with forks and spoons and gets extremely irritated if i try to more cleanly and efficiently do the job...so our table and chairs are covered in yogurt, enchiladas, oatmeal, fruit, etc. yum.

i'm so so excited for the next few months. i can remember kaye so very very vividly at this age and it was absolutely amazing to watch her bloom into a little girl. watching sawyer will be the same. i have a new, additional partner in crime and my farmer isn't going to know what to do with the three of us.

oh hey, friday! | how to be a runner

Friday, January 22, 2016
did this week fly by for anyone else? i swear i blinked and now it's friday.

that would explain the exhaustion.

if i could just have like...four more hours in a day i'd use one of those hours for sleep, one of those hours for more cuddles, one of those hours for more play time, and the last for silence. glorious glorious quietness where i would sit alone and everything would be still and peaceful and calm. ahhhhh.

can i get an amen?

but before i begin my daydream of a 28 hour day...

1 | grab this here snazzy fall-themed button and link back to Sept. Farm.
2 | link up your post at the bottom of this post.
3 | tell all your friends + have a fantastic friday.


M Y  F I V E - how to be a runner

umm...hello! i've been getting my fitness on and it's been glorious. my forever most favorite type of cardio is running. love it. can't get enough of it. must have it. but this hasn't always been the case! it's been a long, hard journey of about 12 years - 25 pounds + 2 pregnancies + a lot of treadmill miles. oh! and about 12 pairs of running shoes. i love running shoes...almost as much as my beloved frye booties.

what i'm saying is this - if you're not a runner or just a beginning runner or want to be a better runner, i'm here to share some of my strategies on how to act like a runner which will hopefully trick your body // mind into performing the act of running with ease...or something like that.

1. fitbit
first of all...do you have a fitbit? i do. add me! (karlib83 [at] gmail [dot] com)

this strategy is super simple. you have your fitbit or pedometer. you set your goal. you don't quit moving until your goal is reached. it doesn't matter if you have to stop and walk for 30 seconds or a minute here and there. the important thing is that you're constantly moving until your goal is reached!

2. be consistent
this one is totally hard, but will be the maker or breaker in your running relationship. i always shoot for 3 - 4 days of running a week for at least 30 minutes...but never more than an hour, unless i'm training for a half marathon.

this doesn't mean i just hop on the treadmill, bust out my 30 and call it a day. sometimes running is hard. even after 12 years. so if my legs are feeling heavy or i didn't get a great night of sleep...i totally take it easy. i give myself a break! i'll tell myself, "okay...run for five minutes, walk for one minute."

you will be totally amazed at how fast the time flies by. just those subtle change-ups in your pace make the time zoom.

3. running collateral
my name is karli and i have a problem - i'm addicted to running shorts. i'm telling you what, the lulu lemon 4-way stretch speed short is where it's at. i own five pair.

plus...there is totally nothing more motivating than new running gear. also...when it comes to running, your clothing can play a huge role in your performance! what i'm saying is...ditch the cotton shirt and cotton socks. get some ridiculously cute and comfortable duds...and get your sweat on.

4. trick yourself
oh my gosh. this one is kind of embarrassing to admit, but there really is nothing more mundane than running on the treadmill. one of my tricks is to just turn the iPad on and go for it. but sometimes that doesn't even work. that's when i start playing mind-games with myself. hear me out...

the following is a literal internal conversation with myself -

guh. i don't want to run. okay...just run until you get to two miles then you can take a five minute walk break. (this conversation works for me about 95% of the time.)

guh. i don't want to run. okay...just run another half mile. (i reach half mile) okay...now just run until you're at 15 minutes. (i reach 15 minutes) okay, make your mileage a good round number. (i reach that round number) okay...you're almost to 20 minutes, just run to 20 minutes...

the conversation goes like this the entire run and usually i end up getting a solid amount of mileage in. it happens a lot. yes...i'm crazy.

5. we all have "off" days
oh friends. we all have off days. it kind of seems like most of my running days are off days. i'm just not a natural talent. but i love it. so i keep at it. my point is...we all have off days, but it's rising above your head and just doing it. (not a nike ad.)

so my next trick is - get dressed! yep. put your running clothes and shoes on and i'm telling you what, you'll probably go running. i mean...getting dressed is half the battle, right?!

and my final trick - run for 10 minutes. no seriously. run for 10 and if you still feel like garbage and don't want to go on, stop. today is not the day for a run. however, if you manage 10 and you aren't feeling too shabby - keep going! you're on the road to put some milage on those shoes!

and that's that. my tricks to be a runner. i hope at least one or some of these help you! happy trails.

oh, and one more thing! i'm still running a few ad sales...

4 x feature (get your gal-face on) - 40% off - use code FRIYAY40

individual feature (get in there, girl) - 30% off - use code FRIYAY30

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR SPOT!

now, link up!

get fit | update 2 weeks in

Monday, January 18, 2016
no fun before and after pictures this week ladies. i'm not even sure what happened. that's a lie.

i'm exactly positive of what happened.

last year i participated in a little challenge. the challenge lasted eight weeks and basically, the gist of it is, you work out every day and your nutrition is on point...for eight weeks. let's think about that time frame.

+ eight weeks pregnant - not far along at all.
+ eight week old baby - that's a brand new baby.
+ eight weeks in the big picture of life - that's a blip.

so why did eight weeks of eating well seem so impossible? i've done it before. i know the benefits. my clothes fit better, my belly feels better, i have waaaaaay more energy...and definitely some other things i wasn't even aware were happening.

that brings me to the first day of this challenge. boom. i nailed it. workout and nutrition on point. i woke up tuesday morning sick. head // nose // chest grossness. i kept my nutrition going, but there was no way i had the air capacity to get any sort of workout done. my energy was shot.

finally, a week passed and i was feeling better. i kept things going until thursday after the girls went to bed. talk about an unraveling. i grabbed myself two giant handfuls of animal cookies and snacked away. they were delicious.

the next morning i finally talked my farmer into taking before pictures. i looked at them...and they weren't that bad. i think that's why the weekend went so poorly. i had the images of me and i wasn't disappointed in them.

the rest of friday went well, again, until the girls went to bed. i always get weak when i see my farmer mowing down a giant bowl of ice cream. so i made myself some healthy popcorn (healthy-ish - olive oil + popcorn on the stove)...and then i ate some more animal cookies. get it together, karli.

saturday - same story, different day. i worked out. i ate well. the girls went to bed. animal cookies.

sunday - i ate donuts. so many donuts. donuts are my love language. oh, and i didn't work out.

thank god it's monday and i feel refreshed by the start of a new week. we're back in mccall so i have every intention of skiing my calories off and skipping the beer and burger in the lodge. be strong, karli. be strong!

i've started my day off in the right direction. i've had a conversation with myself - yes, the before pictures aren't that bad. yes, i fit in all my clothing just fine. but i do want to continue to feel great. i do want to continue to tone up. i do want to see changes in the pictures from the start to the finish. and i do want to look smoking hot for my farmer on valentine's day.

so here we are again. monday. let's keep things on point.

oh hey, friday! | a few random bits and bobs

Friday, January 15, 2016
we did it. we made it to another friday.

blessed be the fridays. i swear that's in the bible...isn't it?

not only is it friday...but our mountains also just got a TON of snow! you know what that means!! we'll be escaping the farm, yet again, and heading up to get our ski on.

another ski date with my farmer? sure...twist my arm.

but first...

1 | grab this here snazzy fall-themed button and link back to Sept. Farm.
2 | link up your post at the bottom of this post.
3 | tell all your friends + have a fantastic friday.


M Y  F I V E - a random bit
1 | fiiiiirst...did you guys see the $250 giveaway going on? i wrote about it on wednesday in this post...but to make a long story short...the glorious glorious september farm sponsors banded together for some serious cash. and if you were wondering how to spend it...we suggest using your resolution as inspiration! orrrr...if you just want to get yourself entered, do so below!


2 | oh my mercy. do you follow me on instagram? if not...that's okay. however, you missed an absolutely stunning picture amy took for me on tuesday. and that wasn't the only one! i had amy over to the farm to take a series of staged shots for my website that's being built for Karli Bell Branding & Design.

oh! did you miss that bit of info? yep...i'm thiiiis much closer to getting this little business of mine launched! i'll still be doing the invitations and party suites...but i reeeaaaalllly wanted to put a focus on small businesses looking for a serious pop when it comes to creating something absolutely gorgeous for their branding. i mean...it's so important to portray an organized, cohesive message to your client...blah blah blah. i'll talk more about that another day. but in the meantime...i'll be leaking out these pictures that amy took...and then droooooooling over them every day from now until my website goes live.

3 | tone it up - for the past two weeks (so far) i've been working on the tone it up challenge. the gals came out with a new set of workouts that you were encouraged to purchase ($25). they also have three other at home workout series (i own 2, 3, and 4 now)...so i thought, why not. 2 and 3 were good...i'll go for their latest.
guys - if you're looking for a good at home workout...this is it. you have the option of downloading them to both your computer and your phone + they give you some pdf printables you can take to the gym. i know it sounds like i'm getting paid to promote their goodies...but i swear i'm not. i just loooove their workouts. i also love that they tell me which workout to do every single day. it takes the guess work out and i never get board. for example...yesterday was a HIIT workout and today i'll be doing 30 minutes of cardio + their ab workout. done and done!

4 | you guys! baby gap. they KILL me every single time. every TIME! they already came out with their spring 1 collection...and even though i feel like i just beefed up their winter wardrobes how can i say no to a few more matching dresses? the answer is i can't. i just can't. by best gals would look ADORABLE in this bird dress. and i saw this dress styled in the store with a little denim jacket over it. the cutest.

5 | in other news...it's FRIDAY! see how i did a full circle there? also...i'm looking for two more gals to be a part of a feature post later this month. if you've been thinking about sponsoring a blog...i have 2 discounts for you!

4 x feature (get your gal-face on) - 40% off - use code FRIYAY40

individual feature (get in there, girl) - 30% off - use code FRIYAY30

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR SPOT!

okay...get your link up on...then get your friday on!

babies "r" us | baby registry made easy

Thursday, January 14, 2016

attention all mamas and future mamas and people thinking about being mamas or friends of people who have had a thought about becoming a mom. did you follow?

to get to the bare bones of this post - i'm here to tell you about Babies "R" Us and getting yourself registered for all your baby needs.

when i was prepping to have my first best gal, kaye, i was - oh, what's the word - lost. and with all the online forums, opinions, top 10 lists, pinterest...it can feel like a nightmare trying to find the best of this, the most natural of that, organic, breastfeeding, poo bags, nursing pillows, 47 strollers, softest, non-toxic...i could go on and on.

it is so overwhelming. almost more overwhelming than having a newborn. almost.

so instead of reading anymore so-called advice online i went to our local Babies "R" Us store so i could get my hands on some products. i knew that was going to be key in selecting the majority of the products i wanted to swaddle, cuddle, nurse, gawk, etc.

it was 100% the right move and i was no longer lost in the black hole that is baby registry hell.

but here's some even better news. now Babies "R" Us has made it even easier.

how many times have you thought to yourself - i could really use a personal assistant.

(says me every day.)

Babies "R" Us will now provide you with a Personal Registry Partner at their registry desk AND Category Experts for all of your baby needs - Gear, Nursery, Wardrobe, and Baby Care.

what i'm saying is - you get to drag a helper around the store, ask all the questions you could ever have, and probably learn things you never would have thought to ask...without stumbling upon someone's blog telling you you're going to be a bad mom if you register for the wrong things.

if this sounds like it could be up your ally, you can reserve your Personal Registry Partner by visiting the Babies "R" Us events page. that way you're not stuck waiting in line when you get to the store.

sheesh...this mom thing is tough. but registering for all of your baby's gifts doesn't have to be...in fact, it can be EASY!

speaking of easy...after you pop around the store with your personal assistant (Personal Registry Partner), maybe you later realize you forgot to register for baby shampoo and lotion? or you realized you would actually like a different set of swaddles. well all you have to do is pop onto your Babies "R" Us registry app (for iOS) and add, delete, switch...whatever edits you need to make. you can also share your registry via the app with friends and family so they can love on your expected bundle of sweetness too. love that! (especially since we live so far from a Babies "R" Us at 1.5 hours away.)

what i'm saying is this - registering with Babies "R" Us can be a ridiculously easy solution to the stress that comes with prepping for a baby. and as a mom of two, here is what i know about being pregnant and stress - it's not pretty and it's not fun. so stay happy and glowing...and eat ice cream every night. that's what i did!

beyond eating ice cream every night - i have some more good news. no, i'm not pregnant. that would be bad news.

the good news is this - Babies "R" Us is having a free Registry Party on January 16th from 11 am to 12 pm at all their standalone locations! you can register at the event with all their experts on hand and also participate in games, baby trivia, giveaways, and raffles! hope you're feeling lucky!

there's more! Babies "R" Us also offers up pre and postnatal classes. you can reserve your spot by visiting their site! i love that. so so very helpful.

and the last helpful bit i'm going to discuss today - Babies "R" Us is gifting a $100 gift card to one lucky September Farm reader!

all you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling me what your favorite baby registry item is! (don't forget to leave your e-mail address and first name so we can contact you if you're the winner!)
Entry Instructions:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
  1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
  2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
  3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
  4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 1/13/16 – 2/11/16.
Be sure to visit the Babies”R”Us brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

did someone say $250 cash giveaway?!

Wednesday, January 13, 2016
when it comes to new year resolutions i'm pretty much garbage at it. except for one year when i vowed to have better posture...and it actually worked. i now have pretty fantastic posture. it was all because i saw on oprah that it could make you look 10 pounds lighter...i digress...

i'm pretty bad at resolutions because i feel like i'm making resolutions all day, errrrrrr day. like...

i resolve to keep a cleaner home.
i resolve to not watch so much tv this.
i resolve to work out.
i resolve to only eat healthy.
i resolve to not eat popcorn.

(seriously...i eat popcorn every day.)

what i'm saying is this - i imagine there are quite a few of you in my shoes. it's like...so many goals all the time! it can get a little overwhelming.

so for january's group giveaway i thought it would be great to encourage entrants to think about what they would use the mula for to help reach their resolution(s).

obviously, i would spend my money on a complete new workout get up + new running shoes!

or i would buy an updated fitbit!

ooooo...what i've really been wanting is the fitbit scale! i know it's probably not super accurate, but it's definitely pretty.

or maybe i would use the money to buy a ticket to see my sister. (and we would work out together...gotta stay true to the resolution!)

or maybe the money could go towards stocking my kitchen with wonderfully healthy foods! hello grocery bill. eating right is sooooo not cheap.

another option - how about some new kitchen gadgets? like one of those things that makes zucchini into noodles! or a mandolin!

or...what about throwing some dough into your blog - like a new design or sponsoring your favorite blogger...cough - sept. farm - cough cough.

options, people. with $250 bones...you have options.

you know the drill.

1 | check out all the WONDERFUL women below who brought you this great giveaway! you'll find some new great reads // pinterest boards // instagram accounts // etsy shops...lots of goodies.

2 | get yourself entered below via rafflecopter.

3 | cross your fingers and toes!
jessica | katie
sarah | krista | vicki | hannah | liz
samantha | karli | michelle | danielle | libby
alexis | penny | tawnya | shelly | mae
lauren | jenn | beth | lindsay | jess



and lastly...if it strikes your fancy and you're thinking you want to get in on february's group giveaway...check out your options HERE! question? send me an e-mail!

if you knew me in high school...

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

oh mercy. get to know you posts are my favorite. it's like a little sneak into the past that you didn't get to be a part of and also a crazy reflection exercise. i mean...when was the last time you thought about the person you were in high school?

if you knew me in high school...
i had loooooong blond hair that my sister highlighted for me.

if you knew me in high school...
i had two jobs - mowing lawns and i worked at a chinese restaurant.

if you knew me in high school...
i played two sports for all four years - volleyball and softball. i loved volleyball but i was better at softball...and even then, i wasn't that good.

if you knew me in high school...
i was on the speech and debate team! i totally loved it and competed at state competitions. i even have a few trophies...nerd alert.

if you knew me in high school...
my older sister and i weren't really friends. now we're best friends. she went to parties and i was petrified of ever getting into any sort of trouble. needless to say...

if you knew me in high school...
i didn't drink. or do anything against the rules.

if you knew me in high school...
i totally thought i was cool. like...popular. now that i think about it...i'm not sure i was. but what a nice world to live in. completely oblivious. however...

if you knew me in high school...
i was my senior class vice president. granted...i ran the previous two years and didn't win. see...oblivious.

if you knew me in high school...
i had body issues. my boobs were too big. if i could go back i'd slap high school me. i'm sure i had a cute figure i just didn't know how to dress it.

if you knew me in high school...
i ate a slice of pizza and drank a frutopia for lunch every single day. it's a good thing i was so active in sports. again...if i could go back, i'd slap myself.

if you knew me in high school...
i drove an '85 cherry red subaru. i loooooved that little car. the muffler needed replaced so it sounded very similar to a motorcycle.

if you knew me in high school...
i took AP classes and was in the National Honor Society. but i wasn't one of those naturally smart kids. i had to work really hard.

if you knew me in high school...
i was boy ca-razy. however...i was viciously shy. i think i made it out of high school only having kissed one boy...i think. and even that kiss was not a real kiss. it was just awkward at my front door. i'm not even sure what that guy was thinking. it's funny the things we remember.

if my farmer knew me in high school...
he said he never would have dated me. rude! supposedly he was smokin' hot and much desired.

my 15 year high school reunion is looming. it's this summer and i'm 39% sure i'm supposed to be a part of the planning process. (we never had a 10 year reunion.) did any of you attend a reunion? yay, nay? what activities were planned? how was it organized? this is a call for help. h - e - l - p.

kaye + sawyer hit the slopes

Monday, January 11, 2016
good morning! happy monday!

this past weekend my farmer, the gals, and i escaped baaaack up to mccall to squeeze in a bit more skiing. we heard a rumor that conditions were going to be perfection if you wanted to maybe take your very best gal and get her on the slopes for the first time this season.

no, i'm not talking about sawyer. we'll wait until she's two (next season)...although...things are looking promising for her. i'll explain later...
anyway, we headed up the mountain and promised kaye all the hot cocoa if she would take a few runs. she enthusiastically complied (i mean...it was a win/win) and we suited her up. now, you can imagine all the ways things could go wrong when suiting up a three year old in her first layer, her ski coat, her ski pants, her wool socks, now the ski boots, another jacket, now your helmet, next your goggles...top it all off with some goggles. i was cringing with each layer expecting an explosion. but you know what, she did great! she just wanted to get on the sticks.

kaye popped in her skis and my farmer and she were off. up the hill on the chairlift they climbed while i patiently waited with my iPhone and big camera at the ready on one side. my farmer's mom on the other...also with a camera. did someone say paparazzi?


they started down the hill and all i saw was kaye turning from side to side with a smile on her face waving to everyone they passed. "hi! hi!" she takes after her farmer...and farmer's dad.


while we waited for them to go up and down the hill bitty managed to tromp around the snow as i obsessively hovered over making sure she wasn't going to get nailed by some out of control kid on a snowboard. however, it got to be too much. each time she saw my farmer and kaye go by...or grandpa...she would flail around and whine and grunt. it was so obvious she was over the sidelines.


on the next run, halfway down the hill, my farmer let go of kaye's harness started to snag sawyer from me. meanwhile...kaye started flying down the mountain...by herself. naturally, i freaked and started chasing after her, sawyer in tow. there wasn't a chance in hell i was going to catch her, but i was sure going to try! grandpa soon passed me (on skis) and managed to catch up with kaye by the time she was nearly to the bottom...without falling. i turned around and my farmer and his mom were in hysterics. i guess it was pretty funny to see me holding a giant camera and sawyer sprinting after a three year old on skis. long story longer - sawyer wanted to go skiing too, so my farmer grabbed her and skied off to the chairlift with grandpa and kaye.


on the next run all i saw was sawyer gliding down the hill with a giant smile on her face. my once sweet, sweet muffin has turned into a fearless go-getter.

it was such a proud mom moment to see both my best gals on the slopes. in the very near future i fear they're going to be yelling at me to, "keep up, moooooom!" as they fly by spraying my face with snow.

oh hey, friday! | there's not enough time

Friday, January 08, 2016
don't get me started. i've been thinking so much lately about how there's just not enough time.

i want time to workout.
i want time to shower.
i want time to clean my house.
i want time to do my design work.
i want time to sit down.
i want time to work on my blog and write a meaningful post.
but most of all...
i want time to spend with my girls...when i'm not trying to complete another task.
oh...and then there's that farmer of mine. i want more time with him too. always.

how do people do it all?! it's maddening.

oh lord. did i just start our first oh hey, friday off with a suuuuper negative tone? let me start over...

yay! hey ladies! so so SO glad to have you back! i hope we're all feeling rested and focused and ready for the weekend...because we've so clearly recovered from the holidays. i mean...it's been a week since the new year!

if you're new or need a reminder...here's how this works -

1 | grab this here snazzy fall-themed button and link back to Sept. Farm.
2 | link up your post at the bottom of this post.
3 | tell all your friends + have a fantastic friday.


M Y  F I V E - S N A C K S  T O  S T A Y  O N  T R A C K

1 | greek yogurt + fruit
you guys - yesterday after i finished hobbling on the treadmill i was a little hungry. i so so badly wanted to just not eat so i didn't have to think about eating something healthy, but i forced myself to open the fridge and figure something out. i knew i needed a mix of protein and carbs and i had just purchased a giant tub of greek yogurt from costco...so i grabbed that, some blueberries, agave (natural sweetener - it's delicious!), and walnuts. i ended up with 1/2 c plain greek yogurt // 1/4 c blueberries // a smidgen of agave // and 2 tbsp walnuts. it was delicious! it was about a 200 calorie snack and totally satisfying and filling. eat up!

2 | avocado toast
you know that time after lunch // before dinner when you're feeling snacky? you should probably just drink water but you would prefer putting something in your belly? avocado toast is your jam. i LOOOOVE dave's killer bread (sprouted). i toast that up and put 1/4 sliced avocado on top. sprinkle that with salt and pepper and you're in business. if you're feeling extra crazy slice a tomato and put that on top. sooooo yummy. (and if you want to know more about the health benefits of sprouted bread click here.)

3 | apple + cinnamon
have you ever sprinkled cinnamon on an apple? then you're missing out. not only is it delicious, but it apples are full of dietary fiber and cinnamon helps lower blood sugar levels so you're not spiking all over the place. if you're looking to add protein to this snack add a tablespoon of almond butter. yuuuuuum. (i've found you can get almond butter for the least expensive at costco.)

4 | hummus + anything
the trick with hummus is you need to pre-scoop it. it's soooooo easy to overeat because it's so damn delicious. so do yourself a favor and grab a little plate. next scoop two heaping spoonfuls of hummus onto that plate. now pick what you're going to dip in that hummus - bell peppers // celery // rice crackers // carrots // snap peas...or if you're like sawyer...you'll just eat the hummus with a spoon.

5 | hard boiled eggs
i know i know. whomp whomp. but really...it's such a great snack to have on hand. you can make a bunch of them at once and just keep them in a bowl in the fridge. grab and go style! except for the fact that you have to peel it and obsessively salt it. don't salt it as much if you want to maintain the health factor.

if you want some other SUUUUUPER good ideas...i found this article on buzzfeed after i finished writing this. wish i had read it first.

okay! so for all of you on the healthy train - toot toot! i hope this was inspiring! stay on track this weekend...even though all those delicious ipa's are going to look so yummy after skiing. okay...maybe i'll have just one. or two.

link up time! so glad to be back!

christmas | gifts that were a hit

Wednesday, January 06, 2016
let's talk christmas one final time.

i say this because i think this post can actually be super helpful!

since my farmer and i didn't get the gals anything for their birthdays at the end of october we pretty much made it rain for christmas.
pig // sawyer nikes // zany zoo
tunnel // laptrec // puzzle

kaye nikes // phone // tunnel
now that we're two weeks post christmas i thought it would be a great opportunity to recap the gifts that were hits and the ones that didn't go over quite like we thought.

K A Y E hits

B. Toys B. Toulouse Laptrec 
this was a huge hit with both girls even though we intended it for kaye. it's also been a hit with any other kid that visits our house! we've taken it in the car with us and it provided a solid hour of entertainment for our older gal. kaye even uses it next to me when i practice my calligraphy. how cute is that? for under $20...that's a win.

Crocodile Creek Puzzle
kaye has very recently took a turn for the artistic. she started coloring in the lines, she enjoys drawing shapes, and don't get me started on the playdoh...granted, it keeps her engaged for long lengths of time. i just hate finding it everywhere...especially when its ground into my rug. oh well.

so santa brought kaye a puzzle and it's a hit! (santa actually brought two puzzles, but i'm saving one for a rainy day.) the crocodile creek puzzles are wonderful! the pictures are vibrant and the pieces are large and easy to use.

they make cute boy puzzles too! dinosaur + farm + tiger

i do most of my shopping online (amazon), but amazon was all but sold out! plus their price was a little higher. i ended up finding both of the girl puzzles in store at barnes + noble, but i know you can get them at target, too!

Nike Shoes
we got kaye a new pair of running shoes since she seems to have slowed her growth spurt. they were a definite hit and she's worn them every day since. the nike free shoes are awesome because they are so comfortable and they are suuuuuper easy to get on your kid's foot. actually...the best part about these shoes is kaye puts them on and takes them off by herself. that's a win.

K A Y E misses

Dollhouse
i knew for months we were going to get kaye a kidkraft dollhouse. i had no doubt in my mind what a hit it was going to be. she always plays with a small dollhouse over at her nana's house and the one we got is three times that size. WIN! high fives all around. not so fast. i don't know if it's intimidating or she's not into dollhouses anymore??? but it wasn't as big of a hit as i had thought it would be. she plays with it here and there for bits of time and sawyer does too, but the lesson learned was - smaller can be better.

S A W Y E R hits

B. Zany Zoo - hittish
this wasn't as big of a hit with sawyer as i thought it was going to be. i really pictured her sitting and interacting with the zany zoo for long periods of time. so much so, in fact, i bought one for my niece (7 months old) as well. apparently she loves it. big hit.

it's also a quasi-hit with kaye. she'll bop over to it several times a day and that's usually when sawyer becomes interested in it as well.

B. Hiphone
HIT. this was a hit. it's just a little, play smartphone. sawyer is obsessed with pushing the circle button at the bottom of my iPhone, so i knew she would love this. it says stuff like, "hi cutie!" and you can record a message, too. super cute.

Nike Shoes
sawyer's very most favorite gift, though, were the little nike runners we got her. as soon as she tore the paper off and made her way into the box she demanded we put them on her. every single morning, i kid you not, she points at the shoes from her crib and has us put them on her. she wears them around the house most of the day. if she's not wearing them, she's hugging them. ?????? best last minute purchase of my life, apparently. again, these shoes are so comfortable and easy to get on...love that.

Rocking Pig
this little rocking pig from land of nod is sooooooo cute! and it's even cuter when i have my sawyer gal rocking and rolling atop it. now, granted, sawyer is too little to climb onto it, so we always have to pick her up to mount her pig, but she can easily slide off when she's done. girlfriend loves her rocking pig and i'm so glad we got it for her.

M O M hit

B. Tunnel-o-Fun
one day, as the farmer and i were browsing the target aisles looking for gifts i saw this tunnel and knew it had great potential. it's just a tunnel...so simple. i snagged it at $19. the reason i like it so much is you can collapse it down. i just shove it right under out couch. then, when we bring it out both girls get excited. kaye usually just puts it over her head and walks around (weirdo), but sawyer enjoys crawling through it and poking her little head out. also...it has a little house you can attach to the end of it...like a little fort. i can definitely see myself ordering that in the next hour. but i'll keep it for a rainy day!


@karlibellmeier