Life Lately
Rule #81: “Travel changes you.” – Anthony Bourdain
It’s been crazy town around these here parts lately. Lots of cooking, shopping (sorry, not sorry), baseball, and new car buying! Here’s a little of our life lately.
I was SO excited to finally wear this dress! It’s not a maternity dress, but it does the job just fine for now. We met some good friends at one of our local faves, Willie’s Grill & Icehouse for dinner. I was a tad overdressed, but hey, when you’ve got a chance to wear a dress you’ve had for months, you take it! I just hope I didn’t stretch it out too much because I definitely plan on wearing this one a TON after Baby G #2 is born.
Also: Maternity Spanx are glorious. I’ve also been switching out these thigh shapers, too.
I’ve also been waiting to wear THESE SHOES out! Pay no mind to my non-pedicured toesies. They’re not getting the attention the deserve these days.
I also got a chance to wear some new earrings from JJ Leigh Designs. I’m in love with their sassy yet classy-ness.
Love the sweet tassels on these bracelets, too!
I’m also rockin’ my latest Amazon find nonstop: my new apple watch band
(only $12 and it stays latched super tight)!
My sweet friend had a baby sprinkle last weekend, which gave me the chance to try out my new wedges. I stayed in them for over four hours in my biggo pregnant feet, and I didn’t want to cry at the end of the day. They’re super comfy and pretty darn cute, too. The zipper detail makes them extra sassy.
Michael Kors Berkley Platform Wedge
Now on to the new car buyin’… my dad’s old Suburban (affectionately named Juanita) finally went into retirement last week. As a family, we’d put over 117,000 miles on her, and she’d had MORE than her fair share of trips to the shop recently. We actually took her in two days before selling her to get these old windshield wipers fixed. In this picture, Jon Boy decided to test my, “Hey babe. Don’t use the wipers because they’re not working for some reason,” warning. Sure enough… the. wipers. didn’t. work. So, we drove for about 30 minutes with our windshield wipers flipping the bird to everyone driving by. It was not my favorite moment with good old Juanita.
It was so, so hard to say goodbye to my Daddy’s old truck. It felt like I was losing a little part of him all over again. He bought this car when it was the brand new model (over 10 years ago…), and I’ll never forget the look on his face when he brought her home. Juanita has given us more road trips than I can count, especially trips to New Mexico to see our family. We’ve got so many memories with this old truck, but it was finally time to let her go. Why is saying good bye to cars so tough? I hope I’m not the only one who cries whenever selling an old car.
I am very excited, however, to get to drive this beauty around now! I’ve never had a new car, and this big gal is blowing my mind. (Seriously, my brain hurts. I spent over an hour in the car with the manual in one hand and Google in the other trying to figure out the media system.) I’ve decided to name her Adele after one of my favorite talented, sassy mamas!
Also: loved wearing this dress ($28) and my Jack Rogers jellies. I was super comfy during the always dreaded car buying process.
I saw this adorable onesie on Etsy, and I just couldn’t help myself. Too stinkin’ cute.
Big Man started baseball class last week, and he is even more obsessed than he was before! It’s a great setup: two coaches, six kiddos (all 2-3 years old), and a TON of great activities. The class teaches them basic baseball skills in a very two-year-old-friendly way.
Jon Boy is really getting on board, too. He may or may not have ordered these bases
to help Corey practice running through them. And… they may or may not be in our living room right now. We’re hardcore, y’all.
It’s summer at the Farmer’s Market, y’all! We snagged all of these yummy, organic veggies for just $20 last weekend. The Tomball Farmer’s Market is always a great, hoppin’ place on Saturdays.
I’ve officially hit my Happy 2nd Trimester boost of energy! I’m so grateful because I never feel more like myself than when I’m in the kitchen. Here’s what I’ve been whippin’ up lately:
Easy Chicken Enchiladas (just subbed cooked, shredded chicken for turkey in the original recipe) | Mexican Veggie Medley
We had some friends over for some homemade pizza last weekend, too. We haven’t made homemade pizza in at least 3 years, so it was a HUGE hit with Jon Boy (and me for that matter). I made the crusts using the recipe below, but store-bought pizza crust does the job, too!
Homemade Pizza Crust
½ cup warm water, (100 – 110 degrees)
½ tsp. sugar
1 packet dry yeast
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 tsp. Morton table salt
2 tbs. EVOO, plus more for coating bowl
Pour the warm water into a small bowl (if the water is too hot the yeast will die, and if the water is too cold the yeast will not activate). Stir in the sugar and dry yeast to combine and let sit 15 minutes. The top of the water will bubble and smell very yeasty – this is what you want.
Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the olive oil and yeast water. Gradually stir the flour into the liquid, using a fork. Once most of the flour has been incorporated, turn the dough out onto a smooth, clean work surface dusted with bench flour. Use your hands to knead the dough to a smooth consistency.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour 30 minutes.
Portion the dough and stretch to the desired size.
Hers: marinara, sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil
His: marinara, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, turkey pepperoni, candied jalapeñoes, and Italian sausage
Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Meatballs
I went ahead and froze a majority of the batch because they hold up so, so well in the freezer! I looooove my freezer. Have I mentioned that lately?
I had to snag a picture of our big boy (seriously… he looks 16 here) chowing down on some yummy pancakes at brunch on Sunday. We went to a fave, Mia Bella, and had a great experience!
I went for my favorite, Mezzaluna pasta with mushrooms and goat cheese. I also had half of the house salad, which is divine! Jon Boy tried the Italian Breakfast which includes an eggs benedict, and I was so, so envious of all the runny-egged goodness!
Corey tried Miso soup for the first time at Sapporo, and I’m pretty sure I would’ve lost a finger if I’d tried to take a slurp for myself. Those eyes mean business. And yes, as you can tell, we make our kid wear napkins like bibs at restaurants. Mama hates stains.
If you’re looking for an interior decorator, Jon Boy is now accepting clients. He decided to decorate our Ficus tree (named Frankie) with some very ornamental coke tabs. I didn’t notice for a good 18 hours, which is kind of insane considering my OCD personality. I usually notice crazy thinks like the angle of picture frames, how many pens are in each drawer, and when someone has sat on the couch. It’s kind of creepy, I know.
I can’t finish this post without acknowledging the passing of Anthony Bourdain. He was hands-down one of my top five favorite chefs of all time. I loved his outlook on life and his easy-going personality. He always taught us (as my aunt says) to make the unknown known. Food is a great way to learn new cultures and people and mindsets. It’s the bridge between faiths. It’s a path to healing. Bourdain knew all of these things and lived his life teaching them and bringing them into our homes. He will be so greatly missed.
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