Recipes The Life

summer strawberry salad

Posted on July 1, 2015

strawberry salad

Just when I thought eating healthy was getting boring my friend Sara introduced me to my newest salad obsession.  She created a strawberry salad after eating one at Panera Bread.  She took the idea and made it her own.  Then she told me about it.  And I couldn’t stop thinking about it.  I didn’t have all the ingredients in the fridge that she put in her salad, but I had enough ingredients to whip one up with my own spin on it.  An obsession was born.  Since I made this salad 2 weeks ago I have eaten it 9 times.  Lunch.  Dinner.  With chicken.  Without.  Doesn’t matter.   I seriously think it is the greatest salad ever and it just feels so..Summer.

Please make one.  But make sure to grab a lot of strawberries at the store first.  Because I promise you will not just eat this salad once.

You can thank me (or Sara) later.  Enjoy!  XO

Ingredients

Romaine

Spinach

Strawberries (sliced)

Slivered almonds

Goat Cheese (optional)

Grilled Chicken

Poppy Seed Dressing (get the Panera one from the grocery store.  Amazing)

Throw all the ingredients together in the bowl and toss with the poppy seed dressing.  Seriously.  That’s it.  Can’t get any easier.  You have no excuse not to make this salad.

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The Life

#Minisbirthdaybash // Weekend Recap

Posted on June 23, 2015

This past week has been so eventful it is Tuesday night and I climbed into bed at 7pm.  I’m still recovering.   We were so excited to have houseguests for the week and to celebrate Mini’s 4th birthday and Father’s Day with family.   My sister-in-law Nicole, brother-in-law Dominic and niece Milania arrived on Wednesday and we went non-stop for 5 days.   Literally non-stop.  I spent yesterday in my pajamas walking around the house like I’d been hit with a semi-truck.  And I would do it all again tomorrow if I had the chance.

Our week kind of looked like this:

blueberry muffins // trip to the museum // swim lessons // family style dinners // birthday preparations // diy pancake muffins // late night pool session // mojitos // father’s day bbq // wandering through target // mini’s 4th birthday party // playroom shenanigans // johnny rockets // girls only pool day // princess movie night // smore’s // taboo // margaritas // birthday dinner // little ceasars // late night story time // specialty donuts // camel rides

And I don’t even know if that’s the half of it.

It was so much fun seeing the cousins spend so much time together.  The girls acted like twins, playing one minute and fighting the next.  The arguing was always short lived and followed up by them telling each other how much they loved each other.  Oh to be 3 and 4 again.  There was never a dull moment.

Mini’s birthday party was just perfect.  She wanted a gymnastics party and got to run and tumble with some of her sweet friends.  She had an absolute blast.  I wanted to do a neon theme and found most of the décor items at Target and the Dollar Store.   We had pizza, fruit and cupcakes.  Well, Mini requested an actual cake.  To quote..”but mama, every birthday girl needs a cake!”.  How could I say no to that?   That night she told me how much fun she had and that I was the best mama ever.   She makes everything I do so worth it.  I can’t believe she is 4 but I guess I have to stop saying that now.

Father’s Day was quiet and relaxing as it should be.  We had a nice day and celebrated with a BBQ and smore’s.  We celebrated Mike and Dominic and I hope they enjoyed their day.  It was strange being the first Father’s Day without my dad and I may or may not have burst into hysterical tears in the Publix parking lot while running out for hamburger buns.  But all is well, time marches on and heals all wounds.   Mini’s actual birthday was on Sunday so there were plenty of distractions all around.  It was a day full of celebrations.

Here are about a billion pictures from our crazy long weekend.

XO

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Dear Mini The Life

Dear Mini,

Posted on June 21, 2015

To Mini on your 4th Birthday.

Sometimes I am overwhelmed with it all.  I can’t possibly imagine how I got so lucky to become your mama.  You give so much reason to my life.  I try every day to teach you and point you in the right direction but in truth it is you that is helping me grow.  Teaching me new things.  Being honest, the days aren’t always full of sunshine.  Sometimes the clouds come and that is ok.  We survive even the darkest of days.  My love for you is as strong as the sun and we can always count on the sun to rise.  I feel incredibly lucky to get to share my life with you.

Happy 4th Birthday.

To the moon and back.

Mama.

I love you like the sun loves you.

Bright and warm surrounding you.

Even in the darkest of times

Come rain, wind or clouds.

I love you like the sun loves you.

Limitless and without boundaries

As far as the eye can see

In even the worst of times.

I love you like the sun loves you.

Without question or hesitation

A love so strong it ties us together

Nothing can break its strength.

I love you like the sun loves you.

A love that is not to be questioned

A love that will not be conquered

A love that outweighs them all.

I love you like the sun loves you.

XO mama.

 

Popular Posts The Life

To the defeated mama.

Posted on June 5, 2015

I see you.  Pulling into the parking lot.  Your car door swings open.  You are 2 minutes behind schedule.  Not a big deal.  Still on time.  But 2 minutes behind the time you wanted to get there.  Feeling like you can’t ever just get it right anymore.  You open the back door to survey the damage.  The damage done so quickly on a 5 minute car ride.  Granola bar wrappers tossed onto the floor.  Milk from a shaken sippy cup splattered on the back of the passenger seat.  The doll that you searched for while your toddler had a meltdown at the front door has now been abandoned.  Pushed under the seat surrounded by stale cheerios.

I catch your eye and wave.  You quickly pull the sunglasses over your eyes.    You didn’t want anyone to see the circles under your eyes.  From yet another sleepless night full of teething babies and toddler night terrors.  I hear you apologize for not having any make up on.  Struggling with the baby carrier while the others argue from inside the back seat.   You scoop up the baby.  Run your fingers through her hair in a hasty effort to comb it.  I know the look on your face.   As you mentally punish yourself for not grabbing that bow off of the counter as you raced out the door.  You are joined by the others and I watch as you corral them through the parking lot.  I see you taking deep breaths as one reaches to pick a flower while the other looks to step fearlessly off of the curb without speaking.

It is not even 9 am and you have let them win.  Your eyes are emotionless.  You are just going through the movements.  Survival mode.  I know what you are thinking.  Just get me through this day.  Just get me through this morning.  Just get me through this preschool dropoff.  You promise yourself a naptime treat.  A trip through the starbucks drive-thru.  A slice of leftover birthday cake.  It’s well deserved right?  How is it possible that every other mom has gotten out of yoga pants.  Wearing mascara?  Talking happily on their cell phones while their freshly scrubbed children hold hands crossing the street.

I know you feel like you are always one step behind.  That if there was just an extra hour.  Or even an extra minute.  The amount of things that could be done in that time would be tremendous.   Every second of your day has a purpose.  Each one is carefully planned out.  Your entire day has been accounted for before your feet even hit the floor in the morning.  And you are simply exhausted.  How is it possible to get ahead when you always feel behind?  So you struggle.  Day in and day out.  You turn on auto pilot.  Scramble eggs.  Brush teeth.  Tie shoes.  Just keep moving.  Surviving.  Hoping along the way to avoid any possible meltdown and tantrums.

I’ve been there.   Honestly, I’m there a lot.  I know the feeling of defeat all too well.  I have felt its black cloud surround me before I even had a chance to drink my coffee.   Leaving the promise of a day that I will be wishing away before it barely started.

You are not alone.

Being the mom of young kids can feel like the loneliest job in the world.  But you are not alone.  And you are an amazing mom.  I wish you could see the “you” that others see.  Watching you expertly unloading 3 kids from the car in under a minute.  Speaking sternly to one child about not staying with the group while instinctively your hand grazes the shoulder of another making sure they don’t take that step off of the curb.

You can do this.  I know that because I watch you do it.  Everyone watches you do it.  And you do it well.  So well.  And you are winning.  Every single night when those little arms wrap around your neck with their slobbery good night kisses.  You are winning.  When your sassy 4 year old says she doesn’t need a bedtime story but then finds herself in your arms in the middle of the night whispering that you are her best friend.  You are winning.  When the baby wakes up with teething pains for the 5th night in the row and you sit quietly in the rocking chair humming her back to sleep.  You are winning.

You often get kicked down.  You have felt exhaustion that you didn’t think was possible.  Nothing ever seems to pan out the way it did in your grand plans.  But you are winning.  Take a good look around.  You are doing everything right.  You may feel defeated, as we all have.  But you are not.   Snuggle those babies and gear up for tomorrow.  I can’t promise it will get any easier.  But I can assure you that you are not alone.  And when you look into the eyes of your beautiful children just remember, you are winning.

XO Danielle

Feel free to share this post with a mama that might need some words of encouragement.

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The Life

When I’m Ready…

Posted on June 1, 2015

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Joey had his last bottle tonight.  At almost 15 months old.  I know the recommendations.  I have read the books.  I spoke with my pediatrician.  I know it was advised that I take the bottle away at a year.  But I wasn’t ready.

I wasn’t ready to give up that 10 minutes of snuggle time each night.  In a room lit only by the soft glow of his lamp.  My sweet boy in fresh pajamas.  The smell of baby lotion can be intoxicating to a tired mama.  It was my time with him.  His time with me.  Our time to just be the two of us.  We rarely get moments like those.  So I’ll admit, I clung to them.

The nighttime bottle is one of my favorite times with my children.  It’s the wind down time.  The sprawl out in mama’s arms time.  When I could just look at their little faces and hold their little hands in mine.  Their eyes searching in my own.  Too young to speak but their eyes say a thousand words.  Their little mouth drinks so eagerly.  In the spot they are most comfortable.  My arms.

In the past months every night Joey would get his sippy cup of milk with his dinner.  He would splash in the tub and get scrubbed clean.  Clean of marinara sauce, mashed potatoes and if he was lucky, a taste of chocolate pudding.  Into his pajamas he went and we would climb into Mini’s bed for a story.  Afterwards, like clockwork I would head to the kitchen and fill a bottle with milk.  Knowing that it wasn’t necessary.  He wouldn’t cry for it.  I knew my sleepy boy would just lay down and fall asleep.  But I needed it.

I was the one who needed that moment.  Likely more so than him.  To stare at his soft skin and be reminded of when he was just big enough to fit in the crook of my arm.  To think that now his head fits where his whole body once sat.  Legs dangling over the side of my body.  Tiny toes wiggling as I hum to him.

Tonight we sat in that big chair, just me and my boy and I realized I am ready.  I am ready for what’s to come next.  I can’t keep him my baby forever.   Although I sure would love to.   And it’s nice to do things on my terms.  Not according to some textbook.  I felt that we needed that extra three months of nighttime bottles.  And that’s o.k.  I’m the mama and I make the rules.  And that feels good.