momma needs a pink gun

I kind of need this....

mace pepper gun

not even kidding last week while running with a friend we {she} had to whip out some pepper spray and mace a dog who was overly enthusiastic aggressive and not a few feet from our strollers.

scary.

I now carry pepper spray in the stroller.

but that is old news.

because it's not a pink gun. 

as the site states....

makes a great gift for ferocious females.

*************

in other news Maggie's soccer coach returned. 

but Maggie? is over it. for real. 

she told her coach so.

and not even 10 minutes into the game tonight she was ready to go home.

the rest of the game she picked clovers, danced around the goal and randomly hugged her teammates. 

it was insane but soooooo funny.

and because I am a proud proud momma... a little video of Avery saying mamamama :)

and yes, I realize she's probably not directing it at me but I'll take what I can get!

the things kids say

brussel sprouts. I love them.

I've been making them a lot recently.
mostly because I bought a ginormous bag from Costco but who couldn't use a truck load of brussels in their own lives? no one I know.

I've really been enjoying them roasted and found some great recipes via pinterest
this one is a particular fave.... sriracha and lime? SOLD.

Source: acraftylass.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

so funny story...
Maggie was facetiming with Tyler the other night and he was asking her about dinner {quinoa salad and roasted brussels... it's weird when he's not home we eat mostly vegetarian} and he was asking Maggie why I never make brussels sprouts when he's home.

her answer? because they make mommy poop.

awesome.


for the record... when I was preggo with Avery I craved brussels but they gave me some unfortunate side effects.
so for the longest time I was more than a little hesitant to eat them.
luckily that was just a preggo thing and they no longer affect my digestive system in the same way.
 everyone in my house is relieved.

runner

alternate title: the self-gratuitous post where I toot my own horn because I am stinkin' proud of myself

I ran a 5k. 

8 weeks of training with a friend and we did it.

3.1 miles in roughly 30 minutes. 

I did it.

something just for myself... to better myself

I didn't realize how much I needed to do something just for me.

and I loved it.

the girls and I pre-race

I had signed up for this wayyyy before we ever knew Tyler would be in Cali 

and on a slightly selfish note one of the first things I thought was "oh crap, I'm going to have to push the stroller the whole dang race"

luckily a good friend who was walking it volunteered to push the stroller {and chickies!} 

**fun fact: not pushing roughly 45 lbs of kiddos and 30 lbs of stroller shaves almost 3 minutes off my mile

a few of the ladies on our team

next goal? the 6 miler on post next month.I can do this.

pintervention party

have I mentioned lately how much I love pinterest?

because I do. 

seriously though this cartoon is SO true

Source: facebook.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

where was I?

yes pintervention. 

linking up with the lovely nicole for yet another pintervention.

I don't have anything super earth shattering this week although I think this is pretty dang cool.

I saw this pin for re"planted" green onions.

I don't know about you but I'm pretty much the only one who eats green onions in my house and I almost never get through the entire package and when I do? my breath is awesome awful.

but then I saw THIS handy pin. and it changed my life. 

Source: homemadeserenity.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

so a couple mornings in a row after I cut up my green onions I put them in this lovely little CIROC glass I got sometime in college {I think I won it in a bet of some sort? I'm not sure. I do know I only have one and I've held onto it for sentimental reasons I'm still not 100% sure of....}

I took this about 5 days in to the "experiment" if you will


and this one was taken about 5 minutes ago...


I'm impressed.
obviously.
I mean I am blogging about it and even posting pictures.
because for once? I DIDN'T KILL A PLANT.
and this is something to celebrate in and of itself.

Source: someecards.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

so link up lovelies!

please :)

friday funnies

so we're moving... like 650 miles away.it involves quite a bit of internet rental shopping.
and I've realized people post some strange pictures. like 9 of the exterior of the house including three garage door shots and two ever so slightly different angles of half of the front door but not a single interior picture. that's weird, right?
I thought so too until I saw these....
ahhh yes, I see. that's exactly how I imagine sitting in that house with my Orange Crush and RC.plus according to the description "the house is always well light" and there's a sink for the "grease monkeys"well that's reassuring. and the girls? I totally can see them playing exactly like this. or not.


seriously people? what are you thinking??

***********

ignore the crappy quality of this picture it was with my iPhone of a page in Real Simple...while I was taking a bubble bath.but the quote? even 2 weeks later I still giggle.

"beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it may be neccessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye."-miss piggy
***********another Real Simple gem

"a man said he liked my mustache. I was so stunned, I didn't think to slap him."
***********in other news Maggie had her first soccer game this evening.the coach promptly quit.no lie.I'm not sure what she expected out of eight 3 year old girls but I'm pretty sure it was not... half the team playing ring around the rosya quarter of the girls not even on the field but playing a game {tag maybe?} in the field behind our goaland the remaining two kiddos blindly running around while parents yelled.it was brutal.and hysterical.I enjoyed it immensely.

things I'm Loving Thursday

the cookbook edition

this momma is {slowly ever so slowly} learning to cook.

not going to lie, the majority of my recipes these days come from pinterest.

that said there are some cookbooks that I love/adore/rely on

& I would recommend these to anyone.

good housekeeping illustrated cookbook

my mom gave me this when I got married.it was a copy she got when she got married.it is hands down my most used cookbook. groups of pages have fallen out and been tucked back in haphazardly. it never fails to produce perfect recipes time after time.I've yet to bomb a recipe out of here... and trust me I've bombed my fair share of meals.overcooked/undercooked chicken/pasta/beef. you name it. I've scorched it... and surprisingly left the inside raw. it's a gift {curse?} {I've come a looooong way in four years. trust me.}

everyday italian

to be honest I have a sentimental attachment to this cookbook.... 

Tyler gave it to me our first Christmas together

and it started a little tradition. there has been a cookbook exchanged at every Christmas since.

that aside it has got some great {and not so fabulously healthy!!} recipes that are basically quick, easy and tasty.

two of my favorites?

the panna cotta with fresh berries and the pasta carbonara. 

mouth wateringly delicious I tell you!

the flavor bible


this isn't a traditional recipe-laden cookbook.  it's a guide to flavor combination that makes coming up with your own recipes so much easier!it literally lists nearly every ingredient you could imagine and then pairs it with all the flavors that enhance/pair/match with it. amazing
mastering the art of french cooking

julia childs. classic.
suuuuuper detailed. sure there are a few things I would never make {aspic? really? meat in a jelly like substance. ick} but when I want to make a "fancy" meal this is a go to.  and if I'm being honest? it just feels legit.and I'm sure legit is a word the childs would have totally used. 
***go forth and know that if you cook from these you'll do ok***

wordless wednesday

young love.