Virgin Harvest

I have a goal... this is the summer that I'm going to preserve fruits, veggies and jams! I have attempted to grow gardens in the past, but have never seemed to yield much. I think that the soil in my green house is old and not very nutrient rich. Brandon and I are going to put new soil in it, get fertilizer and start working it. I know that my garden will not provide me with as big of a variety of produce that I desire to have so I'll hit up the Tanana Valley Farmer's Market as well. I love the farmer's market. In years past I've usually gone to the farmer's market to take in all the smells and people watch. This year I'm going to PURCHASE all those market wares!
I bought Ball Blue Book of Preserving and have been reading recipes and plan on picking my mom's brain. She's been canning for years! A friend of mine is also going to be canning this summer so we'll be able to bounce ideas off of one another.

I have been following a blog called Dig This Chick. She has a challenge on her page;

This is the year you start a garden. Or, this is the year you grow heirloom tomatoes. Or, this is the year you put up enough carrots to feed your family through the winter. Or this is the year you grow basil on your window sill.

Anything, everything. Pick a thing, or a few, and grow it for the first time. Why not? It's guaranteed excitement and satisfaction coupled with epic nutrition and unrivaled flavor. Do it.

I am going to accept this challenge. I am going to stock my cupboards with nutrient rich edibles that will nourish the bodies of my family.

Three Months Old

My son is 3 months old. These two pictures show what changes 3 months can bring.

Magazine Junkie

I'm addicted to reading health/fitness magazines. I love Fitness Magazine, Shape Magazine, Women's Health Magazine just to name a few. I like to look at the pictures of everyone working out. I like to read the success stories. Though I don't consider myself to be "Overweight", I like to tell myself that if these women can lose weight by simply changing their eating habits and exercising more, I can do it too. I write down recipes that I find in the magazines with hopes of trying something new, most times these recipes just get tossed into the trash though. The workouts are always inspiring. I have tried some and get an awesome feeling of achievement after the workout is over.
I haven't renewed any of my subscriptions in a while, so I've been checking out the online sites for these magazines. The websites are just as good, if not better!
They are all great inspiration and help to motivate me to do better!

Milestones

Tanner has never been a baby blob. Some babies just seem to lay around and sleep all the time. Not Tanner. Tanner has always made eye contact or followed shadows on the wall. Tanner has now progressed to interacting with Brandon and I as well as his toys. Tanner sits in his bumbo and watches as I do things in the kitchen or watches as I put my makeup on or do my hair. He no longer freaks out when I lay him down on the floor. He'll look for the toys laying around him or smile up at me, waving his pudgy little arms around. There is nothing more adorable when he mimics my facial expressions. He sits in his bouncy chair while I shower or while I do little things around the house. There are toys hanging from the bar on it and normally he just stares at them. He has now gotten past the stare phase and actually PLAYS with those toys! He bats them around with both of his hands and grabs them and holds them to his mouth! It's so exciting to know there is more to come!

Served with coffee... BLACK PLEASE!

I love a good breakfast! We always hear that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day", I'm sure it is, but this much I know is true, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I'm not the type of eater that can eat a bowl of cereal and feels satisfied. I like cereal for a snack, usually in the evenings. (I'm trying to get out of the habit of eating snacks in the evenings, I think my evening snacks are preventing weight loss) My favorite breakfasts are the ones that Brandon makes for us on the weekends. He is awesome at making homemade buttermilk biscuits, with gravy and then he always fries me an egg yoke up. He serves this with bacon or sausage! So delicious. Another favorite breakfast of his, is when he cuts potatoes into little pieces and fries them up, then fries up some eggs, over easy, and we have bacon and whole wheat toast with it. The method to eating this meal is putting the egg directly onto the potatoes. By mixing the eggs and potatoes together and then adding catchup and hot sauce to the mess, a tasty treat is formed!!!
Now that I'm home all day with my Tanner, and am breastfeeding, I really try to focus on nutritious meals. My typical breakfast consists of cottage cheese or yogurt, fruit and either an english muffin or cinnamon raisin toast. Scrambled eggs in a tortilla with salsa with a side of OJ. Another favorite is oatmeal with peanut butter, and banana cooked in with it. Top this with honey and skim milk! YUMMO!

Tired Tanner

Tanner's bedtime routine goes as follow;
1. Momma feeds him
2. Daddy changes Tanner's diaper
3. Daddy gives Tanner a massage
4. Daddy puts Tanner's jammies on
5. Daddy swaddles Tanner
6. Daddy bounces on the exercise ball with Tanner until Tanner falls to sleep

For the last the few evenings Tanner has gone to bed incredibly early and totally not followed his little routine. Friday night he drifted off at 6:15pm, Saturday night was 7:45pm and this evening was 5:30pm. His usual bedtime is 8pm. He has been getting up at his usual time which is between 4-6am. I'm happy for Tanner that he's getting so much sleep. I miss him though. I miss his sweet little smiles. I miss his noises. I miss feeding him. I even miss his fussing when he isn't satisfied with how he's being handled! Right now I'm wishing he wouldn't sleep so much... I'm sure a day will come when I'll wish he would sleep more... here's to living in the moment. haha

Tid Bits

My life during the day seems to revolve around 4 things... iPhone, MacBook Air, Tanner and my Camera... I told this to Brandon, he was like, "What about me?" During the day he's off at work and not able to assist in making the day slip by!




Tanner and his friends always have a good time!!! This summer will bring even more fun.




My little boy is growing. I love his sweet little smiles and his big eyes. Those eyes have been green for over a week now!