Lookin' Good...Summer Clothing and Accessories Edition

Normally I'm really excited for summer and the warmer months to get here.  Don't get me wrong; I still am looking forward to it.  However, with a baby due in May, I'm not exactly going to be swimsuit ready right away.  Not like I'm planning on parading around in a bikini all summer but 90% of my pregnancy weight always goes to my butt and legs.  Seriously can't do anything about it but I still hate it.  I'm honestly just hoping to be shorts ready come July.  Bring on the self tanner!  With that little rant out of the way, I do love some of the super cute summery clothes and accessories that are out there.  A little roundup of it shall we?

I have this suuuuper cute pom pom coverup myself.  It is more of a poncho style coverup with no sleeves but if you're even remotely crafty, you can add a couple stitches under the 'arm' area to keep it from slipping around like I did.  It's $11...definitely no room to complain about it moving around.  This is another similar cute one as well.

Another super cute one as well.

And if you're just not quite up for spending $60+ on a swim coverup (which I totally think could also double as a dress if you're daring), there is this option:

Yes, it is coming from China (although we all know how I feel about buying stuff from China...I'm okay with it) but you can't really beat the price for a swim coverup.  Especially when no one in Colorado has a pool in their backyard and it's seriously lacking in outdoor pool options.  

Last summer, I'd been on the hunt for the perfect pair of distressed jean shorts for well over a year.  I take that back.  I'd found a pair that I loved.  And they were $200.  I'm sorry but I am not spending $200 on a pair of jean shorts.  I'm of the 'just because you can afford it doesn't mean you should' mentality.  So on a trip in to my local H&M store one day last summer, I found THE shorts.  Heavy on the distressing without being trashy, lower rise (I'm sorry but I can't get on the high-rise denim anything bandwagon) and the perfect inseam.  Not much I hate more than having to constantly dig my shorts out of my ahem, 'area' because they're too short and are riding up with every step.  Nice mental image for ya there ;)  I bought these shorts 2 sizes too big because I wanted a baggier fit to them but in hindsight, probably should've just gone 1 size bigger.  

These are another cute pair I found at Target.  Not sure how they'd look on as they're considered a high rise and I certainly can't squeeze myself into them right now.  But still, pretty dang cute with that crochet piece on the edges.

So it wouldn't be cute summer attire without some sandals, amiright???  As much as I love the look of lace-up sandals, I also know I don't have the ankles to pull them off.  These sandals (and all the others I'll list below) would look super cute at the beach.  Can you say 'Mexican beach vacay'?

These sandals come in 3 different colors and they're all equally cute.

These and these are both wins from Target, in my book!

Now, if all these will just stay on shelves until I can have this baby and lose the weight so I can fit into some of these in non-maternity sizes! ;)

What I'm Loving Now

Do you ever come across something during your days that has you all, 'this is awesome!'?  I definitely do not lead a glamorous life and I get excited over things like new socks and contact lenses.  Watch out now.

So I'm sure I'm not the only mom out there that loathes the dreaded fall-asleep-five-minutes-from-home car nap.  You know the one that basically ensures that your kid will not be taking that glorious afternoon nap and instead you'll be listening to your toddler revolt in their crib with faux energy.  You know what I'm talking about.  Harrison is not the best napper so I try to offer up major distractions if we're close to home and I can tell he's getting sleepy: my wallet, my water bottle, etcetera.  And when those are no longer viable options, I whip out a lollipop.  Yes, I give my kid a sucker so he won't fall asleep.  Winner over here but I figured if I was going to be giving him sweets, the least I could do was try to make it as 'healthy' as possible.  I came across these YumEarth Organic Lollipops by reading a fellow bloggers (The Honeybee) post (can't remember the one now) about these and I had to give them a try.  

They don't contain any corn syrup, artificial colors, and are allergen free.  You can find them online here but being that I was a tad impatient to give these a bad boys a try, I ran into my local Sprouts and picked up a couple bags and keep them in my purse.  The flavors are really yummy and at just about 23 calories per sucker, they're a good fix for the sweet cravings I have in the afternoon.

I'm not sure if this is the case at all Old Navy locations but the one I usually frequent has the most amazing/ridiculous/overwhelming selection of last minute purchases in the register line.  Makeup and makeup brushes, face wash, snacks, coloring books...you get the picture.  Last fall I was there and saw these awesome little lunch boxes made by Sistema.

One side is divided in two and is perfect for fruit and snacks but the best part is the sandwich compartment has a lid to keep it from touching the other side and potentially ruining your sandwich.  Because there's nothing I hate worse than soggy sandwich bread.  I've used ours a ton for recent trips when I knew we wouldn't be home for lunch today.  These compartments are small in size but hold a lot.  In case your Old Navy doesn't carry these, they can be found here.

Being pregnant and going to the store right before a mealtime is a seriously bad combination.  Like, watch out I'm buying a hundred dollars worth of off the wall random snacks.  But a recent trip actually had me walking away with some decent finds that have become a staple in the kiddo snack department.  When you have human garbage disposals who have bottomless pits for stomachs, having an arsenal of snacks wherever you go is a must.  Try reasoning with a 4 year old that you don't have any snacks on you and they just had breakfast an hour ago.  Cue whining and 'i'mgoingtodieofstarvation' reactions.  So not only did I find these awesome nuggets of awesomeness for me and for me alone (sorry kids...not sharing these),

I found these mini Lara Bars in a variety pack.  They also have a peanut butter chocolate chip and peanut butter cookie variety but I decided 'no' on those because chocolate chip equals chocolate mess in my car.  Not happening. They're the perfect size and reasonably mess-free.  I say 'reasonably' because Harry can make a mess out of anything.

Another snack staple for us are the awesome GoGo Squeeze Yogurt Pouches.  They're great for those days when we have to be out the door early in the morning and I don't want to give the kids McNasty's.  (Judge away...we got breakfast sandwiches there earlier this week but it had been a couple months since going there).  And they don't take up a ton of room in a bag and don't have to be refrigerated so that's a plus.  Selah particularly likes the banana flavor but the strawberry and berry flavors are a hit too.  Harry doesn't care as long as it's food.  He's a guy...he's easy ;)

Yes, these are all things that are pretty much for the kids but when the kids are happy, mama's happy...am I right???

3 Brown KIDS and Counting!!!

Let's just ignore the fact that this poor blog has had radio silence for several months.  I have a semi decent excust

We always knew we wanted more than 2 kids when we started down that road and toward the end of the summer, started talking about adding numero tres to the mix.  Being the overthinking analytical Type A person that I am, I had planned out starting the 'let's pull the goalie' process for October/November-ish because it worked well with the timeline I had.  We've been renting our house until we figure out where we want to move and with our lease being up at the end of April, I didn't want to move A)with a newborn or B) hugely pregnant.  My October/November goal fit both those requirements but my sweet, loving husband seemed to have forgotten that little conversation we had and oops...wouldn't you know it?  I got all sorts of knocked up last August.  Which gave me a due date of early May.  What's that saying?  If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.  Yeah...pretty much.

Once I find out I'm pregnant (at least with both Selah and Harrison), I (usually) get a couple of weeks of not feeling any different.  You know, enough to make one think they're not going to feel bad.  Then it all kinda goes downhill.  And boy did it go downhill this time.  Wow.  I was soooo much sicker this time; and for far longer than with either of the kids.  Whereas I was pretty much done and feeling better by 10 weeks with both kids, this time I was still feeling like death up until about 15 weeks.  And 'morning' sickness is a total crock.  It's all day sickness folks.  With Selah and Harrison, I was just really tired for the first few weeks and had that constant carsick feeling.  Nothing too horrible.  This time, it was the world's worst hangover ALL DAY LONG.  For 3 months.  I cried a lot.  And looked downright awful 95% of the time.  And let's not forget flying with the kids to Florida to see the in-laws right at the start of all the craptastic feeling period.  Picture Harrison strapped to me in the Ergo, me pushing the stroller with his car seat in it and hoofing it through the terminal with Selah running behind as I'm dry heaving and gagging, trying to find the bathroom.  Luckily, I didn't barf all over the poor kid's head.

So here we are, mid February and I have a little under 3 months left to go.  Seriously no idea where the time went on this one.  I've been so insanely busy the last few months between homeschooling Selah, photography sessions, working for the hubby's business and trying to keep up with 2 small people who have an endless supply of energy.  Before we know it, this little lady (yes, it's a girl...the only time I accurately guessed our kids' gender) will be here and hopefully I'll still have some sanity left to go with it!

Our family photos for this year.  The kids were originally supposed to be holding a 1 and 2 balloon, respectively, but the 2 exploded in the car on the way up the mountain so just the 3 it was!  Which probably worked out for the best because by the time we took this pic, it was 45 degrees out, a few meltdowns had already happened and no one was going to cooperate and hold the other 2 balloons.

Who doesn't like dragging their kids to the middle of a corn field when it's 20 degrees out to take a gender reveal photo?  Totally worth it for just that 1 photo.  Every mom knows exactly what I'm talking about ;)

Welcome to the family Baby Girl Brown!

Summer Sandal Fun

I'm seriously schizophrenic when it comes to the weather I like.  August rolls around and I'm complaining about the heat like a toddler.  'I don't wanna be hot anymore!' Cue whining and potential rolling around on the floor. (Let's be honest...I'm probably complaining about it in July).  Then comes winter and a couple mild days and I'm all, 'I'm so tired of the cold...where is summer?!' Yeah, it happens every year without fail.  This year, I think I was over winter in late January.  A new personal best for me ;)

(This is a pretty accurate description.)

Our 'spring' had a string of really mild days; some even in the low 70's.  Heck, throw in 50 degrees and people in Colorado are walking around in their shorts and flip flops.  When we get even a hint of warm weather returning, I'm dreaming of shorts and flip flops.  So now that summer is (un)officially here (and I'm already cursing the 15 day forecast of upper 90's), I figured a little roundup of some of my favorite sandals would be appropriate.

Not Rated Keep the Peace Sandal

1) I saw these super sweet and unique sandals on a girl I Instagram stalk last summer.  (Don't judge...you know you do it too.)  I spent an unGodly amount of time trying to find these sandals online because I had no idea what brand they were; only that they had fringe.  So when I finally found them in my size, I realized that while this particular store carried them, you couldn't order them online and I'd have to go into the store to order them.  And that meant going to the mall.  I hate the mall.  Target, Old Navy...those are fine but the mall sucks.  I finally gathered up the cajones to drive to the mall and order these hadtohave sandals.  So after getting accosted by one of those smarmy makeup kiosk guys for my 'uneven skin and wrinkles' (yeah, definitely not buying your overpriced crap now dude), I got talked into buying some socks so I'd get the free shipping.  Big side eye there because I think I ended up paying $15 for 3 pairs of gym socks.  I was in a hurry to get out of there and avoid super flattering makeup guy.  Long side note but yes, I hate the mall but these sandals were worth it.  So lucky for you, Zappos now has these sandals in all kinds of sizes and now in 4 different colors!  They're really unique and different than a lot of sandals out there right now.  Your uneven skin and wrinkles thank me ;)

2) I have long been a lover and wearer of flip flops.  They're easy to put on in a hurry and usually help that fresh pedi to look cute.  I've been known to hold onto flip flops that are possibly 12 years old because they not only remind you of your raft guiding days but they've also been discontinued.  I even wore them today. That being said, it is possible to dress up your flip flop!  After seeing several bloggers rocking the insanely cute rubber Valentino bow flip flops, I went on a search to find something similar in a price point that wasn't heart attack inducing.  Call me crazy but I have an issue with spending $300 on a pair of flip flops.  $300 for glorified pool shoes.  They're super cute but just no. So, I bought this pair instead last summer and they're seriously freaking cute although I'd advise against wearing them around water because your feet will slip right out. But fashion can be dangerous at times ;)

Rubber Bow Flip Flop

3) Okay, so I may have gone on a rant above about paying $300 for a pair of flip flops but hear me out on these next shoes!  I'd had my eye on these little lovelies for awhile and finally pulled the trigger on the Tory Burch Miller sandals as a 'Happy Birthday to me' present.  I got the Dulce de Leche color and black and I have worn them both no less than a dozen times already.  They go with everything and while they may be 'basic', they definitely dress up an outfit. And they're on serious sale right now too!  There are tons of other colors too but I'm totally happy with these two and don't really see any need to get another color.

Tory Burch Miller Sandals

Now, off I go to slap a bandaid on my foot because I wore the 12 year old flip flops today and got jabbed with a stick because the soles are super thin now! ;)

Winter Tubing Fun at Copper Mountain

Winters here in Colorado can be kind of hit and miss.  Some months are milder than normal and then some are colder and snowier, thus making for some real nice levels of cabin fever and stir crazy attitudes ;)  We'd had a few heavy snowstorms recently followed by some pretty cold temps so it kind of made playing outside long enough to burn some energy off a little difficult.  We were all itching to get outside and do something but it was clear going to the neighborhood playground for 10 minutes before we froze to death was not going to cut it.  

The husband was going out of town for a few days and I thought it would be a perfect time to hang out with a good friend of mine and get the kiddos together.  Kiddos playing together = tired kiddos = happy moms :)  One of our local ski areas that I love (and was a former employer of mine) has a fantastic tubing hill, as well as something for the little ones.  So off we went to Copper Mountain!  

While Selah is tall enough for their big tubing hill, Harrison was not so we decided to take them all into Critterland.  Okay, I'll admit that I was bummed we wouldn't be visiting the real tubing hill but this ended up being pretty cool too.   For $10 for the entire day (yes, you read that right), the kids got to play in this 'playground'.

There's even a mini tubing hill.  Good thing I've been working out because walking up and down the hill at 9700 feet above sea level tests the ol' lungs out!

A tubing carousel is perfect for those kids that want to be pulled on the tube...and mom doesn't want to do it ;)

I was a little worried that Harry would not be a fan of being in the snow given his first attempt earlier this year (complete and utter meltdown.  I'm talking 'neighbors checking to make sure I wasn't stealing someone else's kid' type meltdown).  However, you can see he was loving it.

Still loving it.  Maybe not loving the fact that I made him wear a pair of his sister's old boots because I kept forgetting to order him his own pair.  Well, the kid hates shoes period so it was a given he wouldn't like the size too big, pink argyle boots I shoved on his feet.

Mountain girls. 

I'm not sure why the random sinkhole is in the snow but I do know I had to haul Harry out of it a good dozen times.

The day could not have been more beautiful weather wise.  That's the thing I love about (some) winter days in Colorado.  It was in the 30's up there but it was so warm that we were all shedding layers early on and no one was have a hypothermic meltdown.

Seriously cannot recommend Copper Mountain enough, especially for families.  It's not as big as nearby and more well-known Breckenridge but it's top notch and still my fave all these years later.

Winter Health : Staying Healthy Naturally

Winter has arrived and that means that it is the start of the dreaded cold and flu season.  Yay.  (slow clapping).  Having a cold when you're an adult is one thing but having a cold when you have small children makes it that much worse because when mama is sick, it just plain sucks.  As much as I'd love to spend all day in bed with Friends, popsicles, and an endless supply of Kleenex with lotion, the little people require being looked after.  So, short of putting boxing gloves on your kids to keep them from touching a slimy grocery cart and then inserting said hand into their mouth or in my case earlier today, attempting to eat a very stale leftover peanut butter sandwich that was hiding out in the corner of our Target cart (dear Lord, I wish I was kidding on that), what can you do to try and keep the snotty nosed infestations to a minimum?  Getting some kind of sickness is inevitable but I feel you can lessen the severity and duration with some of these products.  

1) Last year (and by last year I mean 2014 because I'm still stuck in 2015), Selah came down with a bad cold.  They tend to come out of nowhere with her.  One minute, she's be-bopping around and the next, she's got this juicy cough and copious amounts of snot.  This cold came when I was about 8 months pregnant and I'd already spent the majority of the month before getting over some freaky virus so I was mildly freaking out about getting sick yet again.  I spent a couple nights sleeping in Selah's bed with her after she woke up crying in the middle of the night.  Which meant I was getting zero sleep.

(This is a pretty accurate depiction of how Selah sleeps.  Good luck sleeping in a bed with that.)

And I was also getting coughed and sneezed on directly from about 6 inches away.  Pretty hard to escape that one and holding my breath until I thought the germs had floated on by wasn't too successful.  Laugh all you want, I actually did this.  Multiple times.  Big shocker, this method didn't work and I started feeling that itchy, phlegmy feeling in the back of my throat a couple days later and I freaked.  I did not want to be sick again so the first thing I reached for was this apple cider vinegar. 

I'd done some reading on the benefits of drinking this stuff when you're sick and it's kind of hard to argue with the results.  You want the organic, raw, unfiltered and with the 'mother' kind; the gallon jug of store brand apple juice looking stuff is not going to do anything.  I started taking 2 tablespoons, 4 times a day and the cold never progressed into anything other than that itchy feeling in my throat.  Hard to imagine since I don't think I've ever escaped a cold.  I'll warn you, this stuff tastes as nasty as it looks.  You're drinking vinegar for crying out loud!  My body even involuntarily shudders when I'm even walking to the fridge but hey, I'll take one for the team if it means I won't get sick.  You technically don't have to refrigerate this after opening it but I think drinking it cold makes it a little better.  You can find this at any natural health store (Vitamin Cottage, Whole Foods, Sprouts) and some grocery stores do carry it (King Soopers).

2) Okay, these are something we take every day no matter what.  Having a healthy gut and flora is key in staying healthy.  Your stomach has a lot of good bacteria so if you ever wonder why people get sick after taking antibiotics, it's usually because everything has been wiped out.  Everyone in the family is on some kind of probiotic daily, even Harrison.  You're not going to find a good quality probiotic on a random shelf in the middle of the pharmacy; they'll be in a refrigerator case in a natural health store or area.  Selah takes 2 of these every morning before her breakfast, Harrison gets 1/2 teaspoon of this one in his bottle every day, and I take 1 tablespoon (more if I'm fighting something) of this mamma jamma before breakfast as well.  I like the berry flavor best.  This bottle runs around $13 and lasts me at least a month. 

Here's an interesting tidbit from the Inner Eco website: 'Did you know.... the human gut contains around 100 trillion bacteria which is 10 times the number of cells in the human body? Ideally, for optimum health, we want to maximize the growth of the 'good' (health-promoting) bacteria while minimizing the growth of the 'bad' (health-harming) bacteria. inner-ēco™'s Fresh Coconut Water Probiotic is lab tested to average over 100 billion active probiotic cultures per serving* which essentially overwhelm our disease-promoting bacteria thereby forcing them from our body. This life "force" process impacts virtually every aspect of our wellness and promotes the optimum health we so desire.' Sign me up!

3) These 3 supplements are also good at boosting the immune system.

• Elderberries are great at helping your immune system and also reducing the longevity and severity of a cold when you have it.  I take these capsules daily and then take this syrup when I'm fighting something.
• Vitamin D is something that a lot of people are lacking these days because somewhere along the way, getting sun was considered a bad thing.  Stay indoors! Slather yourself in 5000 spf sunscreen!  Yes, getting bad burns and skin cancer are a bad thing (I've been there with both, thankyou) but your body needs to get vitamin D for many reasons!  Trust me, it's hard to get good sun exposure when it's 20 degrees and windy outside.  I seriously hate the wind.  It doesn't bother Selah too much but I will make up any excuse I can think of to keep her from dragging me outside on a windy day.
• There are really only natural things you can do to boost your immune system and Cod Liver oil is one great way to do that.  The Carlson brand has two great options I like: one for Selah and one for moi.

 4) Over the past couple years, I've become a huge fan of essential oils.  If something can be treated naturally in our house, then that's what we're going to do.  Don't get me wrong, there's definitely a time and place for modern medicine and certain medications.  Having been hospitalized for asthma attacks in the past, I'm definitely thankful for just such medications.  That being said, I know that natural things have definitely helped us out of some illnesses.  The world of essential oils can be kind of daunting because it seems like everyone and their brother has a specific favorite brand.  Some brands that we tend to use are Aura Cacia, Mountain Rose Herbs and Young Living.  For the sake of this post, I'll be showing Young Living examples.

• Thieves oil is kind of the be all, end all of oils.  Inspired by the legend of four 15th-century French thieves who formulated a special aromatic combination composed of clove, rosemary, and other botanicals to protect themselves while robbing the dead and dying.  Young Living has a ton of Thieves products: the oil itself, cleaning products, toothpaste, etc.  I like to diffuse Thieves throughout the house, particularly after going to the grocery store or some other germ infested public place, because diffused Thieves has been shown to kill up to 99% of airborne bacteria.  Um,  sold!
  
• Our society has become one of over medicating for the littlest thing.  Again, don't think I'm saying don't take a prescribed medication that could keep your heart beating or lungs clear because I definitely am not but we've got a bunch of doctors over prescribing, and patients asking for, antibiotics for illnesses that don't need antibiotics.  This is how you end up with drug resistant infections that mutate and don't get me started on taking antibiotics for a cold!  So if you feel that suspicious, tell-tale scratchy throat of a cold coming on, what are you supposed to do other than cry and wait for it to hit you?  Oregano oil my friends!  When you're surrounded by grimy surface touching, hand-in-mouth inserting little people, they're bound to get sick and more than likely, bring you down with them.  Not the kind of sharing I was hoping to teach them ;) Oregano oil is a powerful antibiotic and antiviral.  If you want to watch a pretty compelling video on the effect of oregano oil versus traditional antibiotics, check this one out.  Spoiler alert...it killed all of the E.Coli bacteria while the antibiotic only killed traces around the swabbed area.  

• So whenever I feel a little something coming on, or one of the kiddos are coming down with something, I bust out the oregano.  Now, giving the correct the dosage and application of this particular oil is important because oregano is considered a 'hot' oil.  If it's applied directly to skin without diluting first, it's gonna burn like fire and your skin will turn red.  God forbid you grab this stuff and slather it all over your face thinking you've grabbed the Frankincense instead.  Let's just say it doesn't end well.  So, don't do what I did.  Seriously...it's freaking awful.  Okay, dosing!  What I do for myself and the hubby is different than the kids.  For the kids, I have a bottle of 1:2 ratio - 1 part oregano oil to 2 parts diluting oil (I use sweet almond oil) in a roller bottle and run some on the bottom of their feet and up their spine once an hour.  For us adults, I put 3 drops of oregano oil in an empty capsule and swallow with a TON of water.  There's nothing worse than getting one of these bad boys stuck in your throat and having it dissolve there.  Remember me saying oregano oil is considered hot?  Yeah, it burns and tastes super nasty.  And this is important to note: you should not take oregano oil when you're pregnant or breastfeeding.
  

5) And last but not least, honey.  Not the bear shaped jar I'm sure you're envisioning right now.  No, I'm talking about raw, unfiltered honey.  This type of honey hasn't been pasteurized (heated) and still contains all the wonderful goodness the bees put in there.  We get a honey that's made locally; local honey has even more added benefits, particularly when it comes to seasonal allergies.  When Selah had a particularly bad cough from a cold a couple years ago, the first thing her doctor suggested when I called was giving her a teaspoon of raw, unfiltered honey 3 times a day.  *Please do not give babies under 1 year of age honey due to the risk of botulism.  Raw honey is a great cough suppressant and unlike the over the counter 'cough medicines', you can't really overdose on honey. 

This may seem like a long list of things to take but I don't do it every day and even if I did, I'd much rather be filling my body with something natural than something with a long list of chemicals in it, most of which I couldn't pronounce.  Happy Winter and stay healthy peeps!

Recipe : Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

This shouldn't come as a surprise but we're big on football in this house.  Typically once football season rolls around, Sunday nights usually mean pizza for dinner but we had some friends over to watch the game recently and I decided we should do something a little different for food.  (So while I wrote all the ingredients and directions down on a piece of paper, I cannot for the life of me remember where I found the link.)  The husband pointed out the recipe for Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs looking mighty fine so that's what we did!

Can we discuss the amazingness that are slow cooker bags?  Discovered these things recently (yes, I'm slow to the game) and they're so awesome!  I'm no longer gagging while I clean the overnight soaked remnants out anymore.  Moving on!

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients

• Fresh mozzarella (I used a 'brick', for lack of a better term, that was about 7-8 inches long and that was definitely too much.  I had way more mozzarella than meat.
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 C Parmesan.  Use the shredded or flaked Parmesan, not the powdered canister kind...you know which kind I'm talkin' 'bout ;)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C milk
• 1/2 C parsley
• Jar of spaghetti sauce.  I used the homestyle marinara by Emeril.

Directions

• Cut the mozzarella into roughly 1" cubes.
• Put the remaining ingredients all into a large bowl.
•  Combine with your hands.  Yes, it's kinda gross.  You could probably use a mixer to do this but I went the old fashioned 'by hand' route.
• Form the meat mixture into about plum size meatballs.  Take a cube of mozzarella and sort of smoosh it into the middle of a meatball and bring the edges back over it so it still looks like a meatball.
• Put a layer of sauce on the bottom of the crock pot and then add a layer of meatballs.  Keep doing this until you've used all your meatballs: sauce, meatballs, sauce, meatballs.  Et cetera ad nauseum.
• Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 2 - 2.5 hours.  

I ate mine plain but the husband cooked up a little spaghetti to go with his.  Either way, these things are tha bomb.  Enjoy!

Harrison : 12 Months

So this post has just been waiting for me to get my act together and add like one sentence so I can hit publish.  Poor Harry...at least I don't neglect the kid like I did the last couple monthly update posts!

Weight & Height: He had his 12 month check-up on his actual birthday.  Thankfully he's young enough that he won't remember Mom wasn't thinking clearly when she scheduled a doctor's visit and vaccines on his birthday.  I won't do that to you next year bud.  (Yes we vaccinate...it's an informed decision we came to as a family for OUR family).

He had a bad cold for about a week before his birthday and wasn't eating a lot due to his nose being so stuffy so his weight at his appointment was only 22.6 pounds putting him about the 66th percentile for weight but his height is at the 94th percentile, just like big sister.  We make tall, skinny kids :)

Health & Milestones: Poor Harry had a bad cold the week before his birthday that thankfully I was able to manage pretty well with natural remedies: steamy bathroom, humidifier, essential oils and natural vapor rub.

Still no signs of him wanting to walk.  He's taken a couple steps here and there but then again, Selah didn't walk until she was 13 months either.  

Sleep: Harry has been having some weird habits at night that were not only odd but were also waking me up.  After talking it through with his doctor at his 12 month appointment, I learned he has parasomnia which is a category of sleep disorders.  This can include nightmares, sleep walking, etc.  Both Selah and Dan have this so it's definitely genetic.  After going into his room a couple times thinking he was in distress, I learned that he's actually asleep and waking him up only upsets him.  So I'll be trying some essential oils on the little guy here soon and fingers crossed that they help!

Personality: He is such a sweet little guy.  We think he may be a little more laid back and quiet than Selah.  And he definitely loves to be held and likes it when you give him kisses.  If you ask him for a kiss, he'll jam his forehead into your mouth and keep doing it over and over.  I'll take it as long as he wants to give it!

Diet:  He is now getting 2 cups of milk a day (breakfast and bedtime) after doing a 50/50 mix of that and formula to wean him off the formula.  He tolerated the change well and is certainly a big eater of all things solid.  Harry will usually end up eating more than Selah at each mealtime as well.  I love this stage where they'll eat pretty much whatever you'll give them!

Clothes: He's in mostly 18 month clothes with a few 18-24 month thrown in here and there, just depends on the brand.  As far as shoes go, I love the little fringed moccasins.  They're the best and pretty freaking cute too.

Likes: His food, your food, all food in general, big sister Selah, playing in the toy room, his blanket...can't sleep without it. 

Dislikes: Taking too long to get his meal ready.  You'd think the kid hadn't eaten in days by the way he carries on.  Also doesn't like being buckled into his car seat.  He's fine once he's in the seat; it's just the getting him secured part he hates.

Can't believe I've done a year of these updates!  It's fun to look back on these but also makes me a little sad.  Hard to believe my little man is getting so big.  Haven't decided if I should keep going with the monthly updates now that he's a year...we'll see ;)

Happy 1st Birthday Harrison!

Happy Birthday Harrison!  I can't believe it's been a year since you were born buddy.  If you think time flies when you have a child, try having a second and it goes even faster!  I'll admit, I was a little nervous when I found out I was having a boy after raising a girl but all my fears were allayed when you were born as you are definitely my little buddy and having 'mama' be your first word definitely helps ;)  You have been such a wonderful addition to our family and we can't wait to see the little man you grow up to be.  We are truly blessed to be your parents Harry and love you immensely!

Harrison : 10 Months

Weight & Height: Now that he's a crawling speed machine, he seems to have thinned out slightly.  And when I say slightly, he's still large and in charge and about ready to start paying Selah back for some of her older sister shenanigans.

Health & Milestones: This past month ramped up in terms of teething.  Harrison got 3 teeth in...all at the same time of course because it's more fun that way.  Not.  He has his 2 top teeth in and then one to the left of his bottom teeth.  He doesn't really let me look in his mouth much to check for more without trying to try the chompers out.  He's also all about the 'mama'.  Selah said 'dada' waaay before 'mama' so I'm definitely loving the motherly devotion this time ;)

Sleep: Morning naps have been a little off for him.  He'd better not be thinking about dropping that bad boy anytime soon because I may lose my mind a little.  I do Selah's preschooling during his morning naps so that's a big reason why I'm hoping he's not ditching it.

Personality: He's definitely more sensitive than Selah but also way more rambunctious than she was at this age.  Granted, this was the baby that hardly ever had a still moment in utero, cannot be left on any surface more than 6 inches above the ground, and is usually sporting at least one new goose egg an hour.  Total boy from what I'm told.  I'm scared.

Diet: He will eat anything that you put in front of him, as long as he can do it himself.  He doesn't want you to put it in his mouth, thankyouverymuch.  Just set it down and walk away!  Also, if you're eating something, he will full on pitch a fit to get some of it.  Apparently we need to start a Food Savings Account for this kid.

Clothes: He is now in 18 month clothes with a few 12 month clothes.  This is only because Colorado cannot get its act together weather wise and act like the middle of October that it is.  So Harrison is wearing his short sleeve stuff (which is all 12 month stuff) until it gets below 80 degrees.  We're also flying to Florida this month to visit the in-laws so he'll just have to hold out in the 12 month gear for a few days because I really can't justify buying half a dozen 18 month short sleeve onesies just for this trip.  Yes, I'll spend $30 on one onesie for family photos but not on several pieces for a trip.  Priorities people.

Likes: Puffs, your food, big sister Selah, Remi, stuffed animals, his blanket...can't sleep without it. 

Dislikes: Being walked away from if he's hungry or tired and he'll let ya know it!

At-Home Gel Polish Manicures

Ask any lady if she likes having nice looking nails and she'll most likely say, duh and yes please! I have 3 large cosmetic bags chock full of different nail polishes with around 90% of them being some shade of pink...because, you can never have too much pink for your nails amiright?!  So as much as I love sitting in the massaging pedi chair at a nail salon, I can't really justify spending the extra $120+ a month on weekly manicures and that doesn't even count pedicures!  I can make a pedicure last awhile because I've gotten the right tools and techniques down so that the polish stays put for awhile or until I change my mind and want a different color :)

My fingernails are a different story altogether.  These hands take a beating: wrangling children, bathing children, cooking, cleaning, digging boogers out of writhing noses (don't worry...I wash my hands afterward) and add on to that, our water is beyond awful in this area so that makes them even worse.  My regular polish would last a couple days on average before it started to chip or lose its luster.  I like having my nails painted!  I feel like it dresses at least one part of me up if the rest is a little ho-hum and disastrous looking.  I had my first gel manicure done when I was pregnant with Selah and love love loved it!  However, you were looking at around $35-40 with tip each time and again, I'd rather be spending my money elsewhere.

So on my 47th trip to Target one week, I spotted the Sally Hansen Salon Pro Gel Kit and decided to give it a try.  It comes with everything you need, including a color.  Mine came with a deep magenta in Wine Not.  I probably did not do the best job the first time around but let me tell ya, that polish did not budge for a good 10 days before I got sick of the color and wanted a change.  No chips, minimal lifting on the sides, super shiny and that's all due to my sloppy hand at times.  This whole kit is around $60 and is well worth it if ya ask me!

Well, fast forward a ridiculous amount of time and some trial runs with cheaper polishes that were cheap for a reason (can you say all 10 nails lifting off in one piece within the first 4 hours???), I became a little disenchanted with my gel polishes.  I was going through a cheapskate phase where I didn't want to spend the $13ish per bottle of gel color but I was also tired of having hands that were resembling a construction worker.  So I sucked it up and went in search of better quality (and of course higher priced) gel polishes.  The Sally Hansen colors do their job but the color 'swatch' on the box and the lid aren't an exact representation of the color.  Like at all.  Do a Google Image search of the color you have in mind to get a better idea of the color.  Another brand I found that has good coverage, long staying power, a HUGE bottle and around $8-9 a bottle is the IBD Just Gel brand.  I'm seriously impressed with this brand to say the least.

Okay, so on to the deets for getting the best gel manicure possible!  You'll need to gather all your mani items:
* Manicure tools (files, cuticle trimmer, cuticle pusher, orange wood stick for removing stray polish)
* Cuticle remover gel/cream/whatevertheheckitis
* Base coat
* Polish color
* Top Coat
* LED light
* 99% Isopropyl alcohol (I'll explain why later)
* Cotton balls
* Cuticle oil

Ok, so get started on the shape you'd like your nails to be; whether that be with clippers or a file.  My nails grow crazy fast in between manis so I usually resort to the clippers and then file them smooth.  Now on to the removal of the cuticle if you so desire.  I always remove mine because of a few reasons: my skin is super dry, my cuticles are super dry and grow really fast and look bad and thus add to the awesome construction worker look.  I picked up my cuticle remover and softener at Sally Beauty for under $3.  You just rub that bad boy on your nails then take the cuticle pushed and gently push your cuticles back a bit. If you know what you're doing, you can pull out the nippers and remove the excess cuticles.  It definitely takes some practice not maiming yourself with these things but I like the way it makes my fingers look afterward.  Now buff your nails with the buffing block.  Nothing too crazy; just enough to rough up the nails a bit.

Okay, wash your hands and then take a cotton ball and pour a little of the alcohol on it (or one of the nail cleanser pads that came with the kit) and clean off your nails with that.  The alcohol removes any dirt, oil or grimy gunk off them so the polish can better adhere to your nail.  This bottle cost me around $18 and I've barely made a dent in it.  Great purchase.

Nails all trimmed up and less construction worker-ish.

Now it's time to polish up!  Make sure you complete one hand at a time.  This creates less margin for error, trust me.  Add one, thin coat of the base coat to each nail.  Take the pointy end of the orange wood stick and remove any of the base coat that got onto your skin.  Also, make sure you remove any excess off the sides of your nail.  This will help keep the polish from lifting off your nails.  Put your 4 fingers into the LED light and hit the button once.  Each light cycle is 30 seconds.  Then do your thumb for another 30 seconds.

On to the color!  How many coats you do depends on the color you choose.  Darker colors (like the color I chose for this manicure, Sally Hansen Pat On The Black) take 3-4 coats to be fully opaque.  Make sure to run the brush over the ends of your nails to help with chipping and for a more finished look!  Clean up any stray polish and pop your nails in the light after each coat for one cycle.  Do this after each cycle.

Now top coat.  Again, make sure you apply a thin coat and clean up the sides and underneath your nail.  Sometimes I'll add a second layer of the top coat if I'd like a thicker polish look.  Then cure it in the light.  Depending on the color of the polish, you can hit the light again if it's a darker color.

Okay, you're almost there!  Now, take another cotton ball, put some alcohol on it and run this over every nail.  This will help remove the sticky residue that comes with the gel polish process.  You should now have a super shiny and strong gel maincure!  I used the Sally Hansen Pat On The Black color which is a really dark vampy wine color; similar to Essie's Wicked.

Now I know that nail salons tend to apply the cuticle oil right before they put the polish on but I had seriously bad luck when I did that myself.  Even though I washed my hands and used a nail scrubber before applying the polish, I was still having an issue with some of the polish lifting the same day.  So I stopped applying the oil beforehand and instead wait until at least an hour after I've finished.

*I purchased these items myself and reviewed them just because I like them!*