Ice cream for dinner?

Tonight I had ice cream for dinner.
Not the healthiest choice but a damn good one. 

When you're still living in a hotel & your lights have to be out when baby goes to sleep & that also means no cooking... You have no choice but to eat what's in the freezer.
That's the nice thing about being pregnant... You don't really look fat. You just look pregnant & more pregnant.

{It's always a good idea to not feel guilty or regret decisions like this. Embrace them & be happy.}

Hello, Toledo

Just like most other good things, they sometimes come to an end. LK got sent down from the major leagues a couple days ago so yesterday Levi & myself made the journey from Florida up to Toledo, Ohio. Luckily, husband was there to travel with us yesterday making things a lot easier for me since flying with a 1 year old & 6.5 month baby bump proved to be a little challenging- the climbing all over me while sitting in our seat part was not cool.
In coming up to Toledo I knew that we did not have a place to live. We are staying in a hotel for the next week in hopes that we can find a more permanent place to live In the mean time. Finding a month-to-month or a short term lease has been quite the challenge. It's not looking good so far but we are keeping our fingers crossed. Living in a hotel suite that includes a sitting area with a small kitchen & refrigerator wouldn' be so bad, especially since they have a laundry room & breakfast buffet every morning. Insert a baby & that makes things a lot more complicated. Last night we ate our dinner huddled up on the floor in the bathroom area, we used a laundry basket as our table & hid from Levi so that he would go to sleep. It took him an hour and a half. After standing up in his pack-n-play, talking to us & laughing at us he finally fell asleep. I'm really hoping tonight goes a lot smoother.
While half of our belongings are still in storage at the baseball field & we have no toys to play with, you can just find us taking frequent walks around the outdoor shopping mall across the street. Thank goodness there is a Starbucks & children's play area.

Yours truly,
lk

For the love of the game.

Days like today are extra special. Husband got the exciting news that he made the Tigers opening day roster! News like this makes my heart explode with happiness for that guy of mine. His dedication & perseverance is on some kind of other level. I don't really know how he does it, but I admire him for it. Hard work pays off.
I couldn't be more proud of the father that my children have as a role model.
For the times that I'm frustrated with our situation...
Half of our stuff at my parents house, half of our stuff on a truck to Detroit, some of our stuff packed in our Tahoe. Trying to keep the white tile in the rental clean that we are moving out of with a drooling baby that gets into everything now & his dog sidekick, Rowdy. Packing- with a little boy that kindly helps me unpack at the same time. Trying to load a car with a tired, crying baby & an anxious pup. Hot (not the sexy kind), sweaty, and just wanting to get this done & be in the car with the AC blowing in my face. All of those frustrations so quickly fade when I get the news that I got this morning.
This is why he still plays baseball season after season. This is why he has so much love for the game. And this is why we will always be by his side supporting him & cheering him on. 

amber teething necklace

i've notice over the last couple of weeks that Levi seems as though he's beginning the teething process. mostly just because he chews on his hands & toys all the time now & has quite a bit of drool. 

i've had a couple of friends that have used amber teething necklaces to help with their baby's teething side effects & say good things about them. 

I did a little bit of research & decided to order a necklace for Levi. 

make sure to get natural, authentic, unpolished baltic amber. 

- amber is homeopathic

- could reduce swelling in gums

- can alleviate teething pain

- could accelerate natural healing process

make sure to get a necklace that is knotted between each bead for safety. 

*Levi does not sleep with the necklace around his neck, we double wrap it around his ankle when he sleeps. 

the kind of mom that i want to be

             i found a note on my phone from a few months back, before Levi was born that said, 

"the kind of mom that i want to be... balanced"

i'm not sure if i'm doing this but i thought balanced was a great word.

here's why.

I went on a 4 month hiatus & this baby boy is my reason why.

He's also the reason i am so excited to get out of bed every morning. The smile that he flashes me when I walk in his room to get him out of bed... melts. my. heart. like crazy. 

I have always wanted to be a momma. And I have looked forward to receiving this job title for as long as i can remember. Hands down, amazing. Just as amazing as I have always known that it would be. 

There is no greater feeling in the world than being a new mom. It can be tiring sometimes, especially in the beginning. But I was never too tired to complain. It can be challenging but I look at is as more of a learning experience every day. Learning each other is part of the greatness. 

 I absolutely love spending every day with my munchie bear. I keep waiting for the day that I want a break from my baby: i don't think it's coming any time soon. 

Levi turned 4 months old a couple of days ago. He is so much fun right now & I keep hearing that it gets better & better. He can roll over & is so proud of himself when he does. He's more interactive with toys these days. And I love the way he tries to communicate different things with us with his different sounds, gestures & cries. The little noises that he makes are so funny- the vowel-y coo's, his laugh thing that sounds like a dolphin, he's beginning to giggle. 

... this is what i've been up to lately.

LK

baseball & babies

a lot of the time, when baseball couples are trying to start a family they try to plan the birth of their babies around the baseball season. we all want an 'off-season' baby for obvious reasons... we're at home & the guys don't have to work. 

makes sense, right?

well, in our case, it didn't quite work out like that & our baby boy will be arriving right around the beginning of the baseball season. 

due date: april 17th

all of us in baseball are used to any kind of unique, spur of the moment, plan-ruining, plan- changing  situation. 

so when we hear a different 'birth plan' we don't even bat an eye. 

from everyone else... i get the dreaded 'you poor thing' tone of voice & the question always follows, "so what are you going to do?"

welp... here it goes. the plan. the plan that i know can be changed & rearranged at any given moment by our baby or baseball. 

we aren't 100% sure where we will live this baseball season until the end of march. since baby boy is due april 17th & i need to be in one place for the last four weeks of my pregnancy, instead of going to a new city alone, we have decided that it's best that i go to my parents house in florida.

i fly to florida on march 16th. 

i have a dr that i will see for the last month of my pregnancy & who will deliver the baby. logan gets 3 days off for maternity so as soon as i go into labor he will be on his way. 

a few days after we go home from the hospital, my mom & dad will drive baby boy & i to meet logan wherever we will be living. 

to me, this plan sounds perfect! i get to be at home with my mom & dad, as soon as labor starts logan will quickly fly to florida, we'll go to the hospital together and a few (...) hours later baby boy will hopefully be here. if the plan works out as planned it'll be perfect. 

and if it doesn't...? 

well friends, that's what i'm worried about. that's what i think about when i can't sleep at night.

what if my best friend doesn't make it there, to hold my hand during the biggest event of my (our) life?! 

but it will... it will work out exactly how it's supposed to. 

and however it works out, it's going to be wonderful! 

what should i register for?

what should i have on-hand to be baby-ready?! 
what products do i need?! 
what should i put on my baby registry?!

these are questions that were at one point haunting me. i am by no means a baby expert... duh, i haven't even delivered my first one yet! but i did do a ton of research & asked a lot of questions when i was trying to compile a list of must-haves.

i didn't start thinking about what i would need for our baby until around my fourth month, but when i did start thinking about it, i thought about it a lot. i thought about it a lot because being a first time momma i want to do this the practical way. what is practical for our family might be different for yours.
 i did a lot of reading & research on a variety of different products, read mommy blogs, i was even creepy enough to ask strangers what they thought about their stroller if i saw them using one that i was considering. i'll admit, i was overwhelmed, very overwhelmed.
 i was kind of hoping that i'd wake up one day & everything i needed would be sitting in a pile in the living room- that obviously didn't happen.

my list comes from recommendations from friends & family & from the research that i did. 

 i cant speak to personal use on any of these products yet because baby boy isn't here to experiment.

- stroller: we (i) decided to go with the uppababy vista. i wanted a travel system, lightweight, nice size storage & a stroller that could grow with our baby & our family. i read a lot of great things online about this stroller & spoke to a few women that absolutely love it. truth is, there are so many options out there, do your research & find a stroller that will fit your lifestyle needs. 

- jogging stroller: BOB
- infant car seat & base: make sure you have a head support for the car seat. most will come with one.

- fisher price rock & play: we haven't gotten one yet but people rave about them.
-exersaucer
- pello floor pillow

- ergo baby 360 carrier

- medela 'instyle' double electric breast pump: before you invest in this fine piece of machinery you may want to check to see if your insurance company will cover one or a portion of one for you.
- medela nursing bottles
- lansinoh hands free pumping bra
- pack & play system
- humidifier: we decided not to get one of these until we need one but a lot of mommas suggested having one on hand.
- nose frida
- bottles: tommee tippee is what i have been recommended the most.
- pacifiers
- dishwasher basket for bottle nipples & pacifiers
- boppy feeding pillow & cover
- burp cloths
- bebe au lait nursing cover
- swaddle blankets: aden & anais muslin blankets. velcro blankets to make swaddling easy.
- receiving blankets
- bumbo seat
- diaper bag: petunia pickle bottom seems like a favorite
- formula dispenser for diaper bag
- insulated bottle tote
- thermometer & first aid kit
- sophie the giraffe
- hamper
- highchair
- boon grass bottle drying rack
- diapers: from what i've learned, your baby will most likely dictate what brand of diapers you use.
- wipes 
- bath tub for baby
- washcloths
- hooded towels: look for real terry cloth, seems like you get what you pay for here. a lot of momma's like the pottery barn kids towels.
- bath products & lotion
- mustela foam shampoo for cradle cap
- a&d ointment
- desitin
- changing pad & 2 covers
- mattress pad x2
- crib sheets x2
- mobile
- feeding bibs & teething bibs
- belly band for post pregnancy
- nursing tanks & bras
- video monitor: we have decided not to use a monitor in the beginning & see how we do, but parents LOVE the motorola
- infant gowns: baby gap
- white noise or sound machine: sound b sleep sheep

i hope this little list can at least help you in some way!
please feel free to add any recommendations that you have in the comments section.

bumpdate: 33 weeks

{33 week bumpdate}

if there is ever a good time for a selfie, now is it, i guess?!
i know, i know, the bathroom wallpaper is great too.

a week ago we left home in texas & began our drive to arizona for spring training. it should be a quiet few weeks since we are living in a 55 & up community.

today marks 33 weeks of pregnancy & i can tell that baby boy is getting bigger. he's moving around a ton, i can feel his little hiccups (cutest thing ever!) & i can definitely tell where his feet are because they tend to be in my ribcage. with a growing baby comes a growing bump which makes for more discomforts...  uncomfy sleeps, an itchy belly & not being able to bend over all the way. i'm still not complaining though, because i have had a very easy & pleasurable pregnancy so far- added bonus: i haven't had to buy any maternity clothes.

with sleepless nights comes a lot of time to think. there are a couple of things that i'm beginning to get anxious about. the first, is knowing that Logan & i will have to share each other with a new little life.
 having a baby is an exciting time & believe me, i am so excited to meet this baby boy & fall in love with him, but i'm also starting to mourn the fact that life will not be just Logan & i (and Rowdy) anymore. since i'm heading to florida on march 16th to get ready to have the baby, these are the last few weeks that we have as just us. in the meantime, i'm really trying to enjoy & savor every single moment that we have together.  

a halloween baby announcement

i'm a "mummy" to be!

since this halloween is full of new beginnings for husband & i, we are more than excited to welcome the spooky holiday!

 this is my first halloween here, in texas. we'll be spending the evening trick-or-treating with our friends & their little kiddies. 

>> sans alcoholic bevy's for this chick<<  

for me, halloween always marks the beginning of the holiday season, it's when i start to get really excited for sweater weather & lots of family time. 

i hope everyone has a safe & happy halloween!!

a few of my favorite things

{new halloween hand towels} 

{skull bathroom napkins}

 {chevron pumpkin!!}

{candy corn: my weakness}

simple tricks to a happy marriage

since husband & i have been married for coming up on two years in november, we're still pretty new at this game & i tend to take in all the advice i can on how to have a happy & successful marriage. i'm always humbled by the couples i meet that have made things not just "work" but who have made their relationship fun-loving throughout, the couples who have been married for years & fall more in love with each other every day. 

one of the best pieces of advice that i have ever heard, i heard years before i got married, but it has never left my mind, 'you & your spouse come first, your children come second.' a challenge to uphold, i'm sure, but it seems like a bit of advice that makes the most sense if you can work at it everyday. annnnd... what's life without a little challenge anyway, right?!

the reason for this post is because i read these few simple tricks to a happy marriage on huffington post & wanted to share since i have a lot of friends & family that have been married for a long time, i have a lot of newlywed friends & family, and a lot of friends & family that may need a little relationship inspo! 

1. be nice. "choose kindness whenever you can-- you should be at least as nice to your spouse as you would a stranger or you were when you started dating."

2. enjoy each other's company. "my wife & i are each other's best friend. we like each other's company. we like having fun. we like doing stuff together. we are honest & direct with one another."

3. say "i love you" as much as possible. "overuse 'i love you'. seriously."

4. be honest. "be honest about shit that pisses you off, don't sweat the small stuff, and have good sex."

5. limit outside influences. "out of state in-laws."

6. small tokens of love go a long way. 

7. distance can & will make the heart grow fonder. "have alone time. i believe that it helps if you or your partner go away for a couple of hours, a weekend or maybe a week once in a while."

8. be realistic. "me & my wife constantly acknowledge what we love about one another, but we also never forget about the 80/20 rule. no one person will ever give you a 100 percent of what you need, we estimate that we give each other about 80 percent of what the other person needs in a relationship. recognizing this allows you to see the reality of your partnership and not over romanticize it."

9. cherish each other. "don't forget how important the little things are, like a hug or compliment. don't take each other for granted."

10. be your own person. 

11. build a strong foundation of friendship. "you have to be friends. your husband or wife should be someone that you want to hang out with. of course you have to have the sexual aspect but that's not enough to sustain a relationship. you're going to go through hard times and you need to have someone who you want to spend your time with."

12. know that relationships are a two way street. "be honest about what you want and need and listen to your spouse about what they want & need."

13. lastly, no marriage is perfect-- and that's okay. "understand that nothing is perfect forever. there are going to be disagreements. there will be times when your partner says or does something that hurts you. the happy relationships will talk about it and work through it. the bad relationships will let it stew until it becomes an even bigger problem."

what advice do you have for a healthy & happy marriage or relationship?!

portobello lasagna roll-up

lately, i've been craving ( < more on that later! ) pasta at least once a week. my experience with cooking italian dishes is very limited... it usually consists of lots of vegetables, sauce that i doctor up & whole wheat pasta. pretty simple. i don't like to order italian food at restaurants because i'm really picky about how i like my stuff. weird, i know. 

* all of the above ^ does not include pizza. i love pizza, make it at home, eat it out & am willing to try pizza from almost anywhere! pizza, to me, falls under it's own category, not under my italian food category. 

back on topic...

i was scouring the recipe websites for something different to make at home & came across this portobello lasagna roll-up recipe. 

yes, i felt like martha stewart while i was making them. rolling up stuffed lasagna noodles, are you kidding me?! i felt really good about myself after making this dish. 

you should try it!

please feel free to share any great recipes you have!

{i was able to make 12 roll-ups following the recipe}

apple crisp

happy fall!!

it's been a little while (two months) since i've shared anything on the blog, mostly because we took our sweet time getting internet since we've been back in texas. yep, just got it a few days ago. how did we live without it, you ask...? not sure. but... we have kept ourselves really busy around here. since our week long road trip home from washington we've been to florida to visit my parents, gone to new york for a wedding, cleaned out the house & had a huge garage sale. my favorite part about being home in texas has been catching up with friends & family that we haven't seen in months. 

the weather has been beautiful here the last couple of days, warm afternoons & chilly evenings. the drop in temperature has me excited for fall & in lieu of, i decided to bake a fall favorite.
i followed this recipe & it turned out to be exactly what i wanted.
serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

homemade granola bars

have y'all ever tried making your own granola bars?

i made my first batch recently & they turned out to be the perfect snack!

i got this recipe from @feelgoodfoodie on insta.

no-bake enery bars:

1 cup oats (i used organic rolled oats)

1/3 cup dried tart cherries

1/2 cup all natural peanut butter

3 tbsp honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

mix ingredients together in bowl & then spread mixture in pan & refrigerate for 2 hours. 

slice & enjoy

________________________________________

since i wanted to make these little gems right away i had to use the ingredients that i had at home. here is how i modified & they came out great!

1 cup oats

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (hey, dark chocolate is good for us!)

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

3 tbsp honey

3 tbsp flax seed

i found that putting the bars in the freezer made them stick together a little bit better. 

enjoy,

LK

words of wisdom

i am a big believer in living a happy life. 

sometimes this means being selfish & living for yourself, but that's okay. 

everyone deserves happiness

do what makes you happy. 

a few of my favorite things

 {homemade blt's}

{mt. rainier showing her beauty}

 {legendary doughnuts}

{early morning sunrise}

sleep is good

sleep is the most important part of recovery.

our body needs a lot of rest & sleep which i am so happy about because i'll gladly sleep as long as i can!

5 benefits of sleep:

- better health

- better sex life

- less pain

- lower risk of injury

- better mood 

lemon water

a few months back, my friend & i decided to try the master cleanse.
it sounded like a wonderful idea while we were reading about it. if you don't know what the master cleanse is, it's a cleanse where you drink a lemon water concoction that includes water, fresh squeezed lemon juice, organic maple syrup & cayenne pepper. while on the cleanse you are allowed to drink h2o & the lemon water- that's it, no food!
 the cleanse typically lasts anywhere from 3-7 days and then there are those people who have great mental control and push for a longer time frame: 10- 30 days << those people are insane! 

so here we come thinking we're all mentally strong & can handle just drinking water for 3 days.
epic fail. 

we lasted a half of a day.
we called each other crying, begging to eat a piece of chicken before we ate our arm off & completely threw in the towel because we felt like we were going to die.
literally, die.

this chick needs food.

what i did end up doing was starting my day with a lemon water to cleanse my system & jump-start my metabolism.

since moving to washington i had gotten out of the habit of drinking lemon water.
lately, i've been feeling kinda blah & my skin has been gross. for the last few days i've made lemon water apart of my morning ritual & have noticed a huge difference. my skin looks better & i feel better.
you should try it!

here is what i do:
8oz water
half of a lemon squeezed
about 2 tbsp grade a or b organic maple syrup or organic raw honey
1 tsp cayenne pepper or cinnamon

it's delish warm or chilled.

eating colors for health

 we all know by now that eating clean & organic is always the way to go when possible. processed foods, fast-food & sugars are just not healthy for us.

what is healthy? 

a moderate amount of lean protein, tons of fruits & veggies, a moderate amount of healthy carbs. 

eating clean tends to make us feel better about our bodies, gives us energy & is good for our skin & beauty. add in some exercise & you're living a healthy lifestyle! 

side note: carbs release serotonin so do not cut carbs out of your diet completely. you'll get very sad. it's a fact. there are studies that prove this. 

 eating colors for health:

{white = immune support}

examples: cauliflower, mushrooms, garlic, onion, potato, beans

{green = detoxification}

examples: edemame, spinach, broccoli, cucumber, peppers, limes, green apples, green onion, green beans

{yellow = beauty}

examples: pineapple, squash, banana, lemons, yellow peppers

{orange = cancer prevention}

examples: oranges, grapefruit, orange pepper, sweet potato, carrot, mango, papaya, cantaloupe, pumpkin

{red = heart health}

examples: strawberries, cherries, red pepper, radish, apple, tomato, berries, beans