Book Club Updates

Time has flown by and reading has just not happened in the past month. I always have the best of intentions on reading the book club books and reading them in time for the discussion, but lately this just hasn't happened. Life has truly just been way too crazy! I barely read the last book selection 'The Great Gatsby' and really just skimmed the book in order to keep up with the discussion. The discussion about the book at book club was mixed, some of the ladies loved it and some didn't really enjoy it. I was just excited to see the movie the following weekend. Most of the time movies stray too far from the books, but the recent release of 'The Great Gatsby' movie seemed to stay true to the original book with a hip modern take on the storyline. I wished they would have stayed with the original music of the era but oh well, overall the movie was fun to see. 

The next selection for book club is a popular read right now and topping the bestseller's list... it is 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn. 

My mom just finished reading this book in her book club in Salt Lake and raved about it. She couldn't get enough of this book and could not read it fast enough! I still have about 3 weeks till our next book club and have the best of intentions on reading this book. Stay tuned to see if it happens... Happy Reading!

6 Months Old

Where has the time gone?! My little baby is 6 months old and already so grown up. It makes me kinda sad to write this post because I would love to turn back the clock and shrink her back down to an itty bitty baby again. Olivia has been such a happy girl lately and loves exploring her world. She is so close to crawling and gets so frustrated when she tries to crawl and just can't seem to coordinate her little legs. She has been eating lots and lots of baby food and has loved everything we have given her. She seems to love mangos and butternut squash the best! Unfortunately she is still not a great sleeper and sometimes I wonder if I will ever truly sleep restfully again... maybe when she is 5.

I am so excited that summer is coming and we can spend loads of time outside with Olivia and I can't wait for her first experience in a pool.

Here are a few pictures of Olivia in her 6 month onesie...

To my sweet baby girl... I love seeing you grow and explore your world. Your daddy and I can't wait to teach you so many things and watch you grow up. I am so blessed to be your mommy!

Happy Mother's Day

This year Mother's Day is extra special now that I am the momma to our sweet Olivia. I am so blessed to be her mother and take care of her each and every day. This morning was wonderful for so many reasons... Olivia slept till almost 8am, my husband brought me coffee in bed, I received the most amazing cards, texts, and phone calls from loved ones, and I have a beautiful purple orchid plant sitting on my counter. I am truly blessed and spoiled with love.

I will always say that I have big shoes to fill and an amazing role model in my mom. She has been the most amazing mother and friend throughout my 27 years of life and continues to be an amazing support and influence in my life and for Olivia. She will always be the sweet Nana to my little one and truly my best friend. To my mom... you have set an amazing example for me on what it means to be a great mom, you have taught me, guided me, supported me, and loved me through so many things and times in my life. I cherish our relationship more that you will ever know and thank the heavens for you daily. Love you!

The other amazing mother figure in my life is my mother-in-law Carlene. She is the best when it comes to mother-in-law's and I am truly blessed. She has been so supportive and helpful for us this past year as my husband and I have journeyed into parenthood. She is great listener, a great friend, and a wonderful grandma to Olivia. Love you Carlene and thank you for being an amazing support to me during the good times and the bad.

To all the moms out there, we should pat ourselves on the back for a job well done in taking care of our children and our families. Motherhood is a 24 hour a day and 7 day a week job and the most rewarding thing possible in life. Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Mexican Fiesta Dinner

I have been meaning to post for a few days and just can't seem to find the time. I really wish I could add a few more hours to each day and definitely some extra sleep for me at the same time.

This past weekend, my Dad visited and we always find time to cook a few new recipes. The recipes we chose to cook on Sunday matched perfectly for a Mexican Fiesta theme on Cinco de Mayo. I only wish we would have made magaritas to go with dinner :) 

These recipes were found on my Recipes Pinterest Board and turned out fantastic and would be great for a family dinner or even a potluck. Hope you enjoy!

these stuffed peppers were delicious and super easy to make

this corn salad had lots of flavor and makes great leftovers

Next Book Club Selection - The Great Gatsby

At book club a few weeks ago, we made our next book club selection The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The girls wanted to choose a classic and with the upcoming movie coming out on May 10th, this book seemed like a good pick.

The last time I read this book I was in high school and I don't remember enjoying it much. Since that has been about 10 years ago, I am willing to give this book another chance. I also love reading a book and then following it up with the movie. Our book club girls have planned a girl's night out to go see the movie on May 11th, which gives me extra incentive to read the book in time. I plan to start reading the book this weekend and will be posting a recap in a few weeks. Happy Reading!

Book Recap - 'The Timekeeper' by Mitch Albom

I finally found some time to finish last month's book club selection, The Timekeeper by Mitch Albom. 

I have been so stretched on time lately, that finding time for reading has been pretty non existent. Overall, I would give this book a B... it was okay at best. I have enjoyed this author's other books and thought I would enjoy this one more. The overall concept in the book about time and how precious it is was enjoyable to read, but the various story lines were difficult to stay interested in. The most important lesson I learned from this book is that you cannot control the amount of time you have on this earth and you better make the best of it. I have already begun to learn this lesson with Olivia and have realized just how precious the moments are with her and doing my best to live in the moment. I hope I have decades of time with all of my loved ones and will be here for many years to come, but God will decide the timetable for all of us and in the meantime, we shall live in the present and enjoy the moments!

Chicken and Rice Stoup

I have been under the weather the past few days with having my wisdom teeth out yesterday and a cold for the past few days. My mom is visiting for an extended weekend and made this delicious recipe today for me. There is nothing better when you don't feel good than having your momma make you some soup and take care of you! This Chicken and Rice Stoup is from Rachael Ray's magazine, called EveryDay with Rachael Ray. 

This soup (or stoup as Rachael calls it) is the perfect comfort food for treating a cold and easy to eat considering I just had my wisdom teeth out. I can see myself making batches of this soup during the fall and winter seasons and for my little Olivia when she is older and has the sniffles. Hope you enjoy!

Cloth Diapers

We made the plunge a few months ago and tried cloth diapers for Olivia. So far so good! My mother in law set us up with a trial at the local baby store and we were able to try ten different styles of cloth diapers for three weeks. After the trial, it was clear which brand and style of diaper we liked and wanted to use. We currently have a set of a dozen cloth diapers made by bumGenius in two different styles, the all in one and the one size diapers.

these all in one diapers are super easy to put on Olivia

these one size diapers fit Olivia great and will expand as she grows

 

The quality of this brand is excellent and they fit Olivia's little bum so nice! We use the cloth diapers part time on the days Olivia is home with either Michael or myself and I wash a load after a day or two of use. The washing of the diapers is my least favorite part, but it saves money and isn't too bad with a great washing machine like ours. I have found a few resources (listed below) with great tips on cloth diapering and maintaining the diapers long term. Our hope is to use this set of a dozen cloth diapers for the next 18 months or so and then possibly again with the next baby. I hope by using them part time, we can save some money and do our part to help the planet at the same time. Here are a few links and resources if you are interested in cloth diapering your little one...

• How To Strip Cloth Diapers - a great instructional on stripping the diapers from the cleaning/detergent residue and getting them brand new clean.
• Cloth Diaper Routine - this mom of six gives a step by step routine of how she does cloth diapers for her kids. I have learned some great tips from her! 
• Colorado Baby - this is the store that we bought the diapers from and the owner has been a huge help in answering my questions and helping me get used to the cloth diaper routine.

Using cloth diapers is a total learning process and I have found some great tips that work for me. The Colorado Baby store sells some liners that you lay in the cloth diaper to catch solids and they easily flush in the toilet. I also use a waterproof zipper bag that hangs on the side of the changing table to hold wet diapers till it is time to wash. It is best if you double wash the diapers (or use a prewash setting on hot) and then I line dry the diapers to help preserve the velcro. 

All in all, it has been a good experience for us and I hope to continue to cloth diaper part time. And because I have a hard time posting without pictures of Olivia, here are a few pics in her pink cloth diaper :)
 

5 Months Old

Our sweet little girl is 5 months old today and getting so big! She sits up on her own, has started eating rice cereal, loves playing on her play mat and in her bouncy seat, and is snugly and cuddly most days. Olivia is still not a great sleeper and seems to only want to cat nap during the day and sleep off and on throughout the night. We have tried the crib, bassinet, and even co-sleeping and some nights work better than others. I am hoping to transition her to the crib in the next month and hope and pray she will start sleeping through the night. Here are a few pictures of our sweet little 5 month old...

To my sweet daughter... I love you so much I think my heart might burst. You have turned into the most sweet, loving, and happy baby. I love the days we get to spend together and I just wish you would stay little. I look forward to our many days of snuggles, walks in your stroller, and soon to be crawling. You are my world! Love you sugar!

Book Club Menu - Appetizers and Wine

This week has been insane... like crazy insane! And of top of my crazy schedule, I am hosting book club this month. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to host book club with a 5 month old and a house covered in baby clothes, play mats, and toys in every shade of pink?!! I have exactly one day to pull my house together and pull off a delicious menu. I decided to keep it simple and just make two appetizers this time and offer wine and limeade for our beverage options. The two recipes listed below are from my Appetizer Board on Pinterest and seem pretty easy and quick to pull together. In  addition to these appetizers, I am going to serve hummus and pita chips... delicious and easy!

these cucumber feta cheese bites are gonna be perfect for snacking

this garlic feta cheese dip has all of my favorite ingredients and perfect for pita chips

I am only about half way through the current book club selection and I doubt I will finish by tomorrow. It has been a great book so far, so I plan to finish it soon and will post a review when I do. Even though the week is crazy, I am still looking forward to getting together with my girlfriends and have a good time!