Hi, friends! Happy 2024. I am so looking forward to this year as I leave crazy postpartum days (hair loss, anxiety, pumping, all the fun things) behind me! Max just turned 3 and Charlie is 7 months. How??
It’s been the greatest gift watching Charlie grow and seeing the love between him and Max blossom each day. Built in best buddies!
It’s crazy knowing his milestones are “lasts” since we’re done having kiddos. I’m soaking up every moment of him being a baby! I’ve also been feeling more passionate about work lately, which feels amazing after months of feeling pretty blah. Brighter days ahead!
Lovely Meals
Cookie dough protein bars! So so delish. I love them right out of the freezer.
Overnight steel cut oatmeal for breakfast with chopped 72% dark chocolate, strawberries, whole milk Greek yogurt, and peanut butter drizzle. All the sweet and salty vibes!
Another winning combo is my oat milk latte overnight oats with yogurt and cacao nibs. Really digging the oat + yogurt combo. (And yes, there is a giant hair in the pic…the postpartum hair loss problems are real!)
I’ve made too many batches of Milk Bar chocolate chip cookies to count! Finally, I’ve found my favorite cookie ever. Chewy (the milk powder is a must), salty (I don’t do any salt on top), crispy edges, honestly perfection in texture and flavor. I have frozen dough balls on hand at all times!
I made my friend Jamie’s salmon tacos with avocado crema and OMG, they were phenomenal. We served them in corn tortillas (unpictured). I doubled the salmon and crema and it lasted two nights for me and my hangry husband!
Banana oatmeal chocolate chip breakfast cookies are Max’s new go-to breakfast! And I adore them as an easy snack. Have you made them?!
Salmon salad is really coming through for easy no-cook lunches! I enjoy it with Mary’s Gone Crackers and cucumber slices.
I’ve been roasting frozen veggies a lot (broccoli is my fave) because it’s so easy with no prep. My favorite way is to roast for 20 minutes at 400F from frozen with just salt, then after 20 min, mix and add oil. Roast for another 10 min and you’ll get that nice browning!
Shrimp curry for a fun blast from the past weeknight meal served with jasmine rice (I live on this microwave one, can’t lie).
Leftover grilled chicken marinated in Frank’s red hot, melted butter, onion and garlic powder, plus leftover roasted veggies for a quick mini lunch.
This cauliflower chickpea salad with creamy honey mustard is the bomb!
I don’t often roast beets but I had some on hand (with the peel!) and blended them with frozen banana, frozen pineapple, peanut butter, frozen peas, and almond milk and it was divine.
Stuff I’m Loving Lately
- We got this wooden train set for Max’s third birthday and he plays with it daily. It’s so well made! We also got the expansion pack (definitely worth it to be able to build bigger tracks) and this blue remote control engine is the absolute coolest. A must!
- I got these mountain whiskey glasses for Jeff and I can’t rave about them enough. They are gorgeous and so well made, and the drink only fills the mountain part (hard to explain), which looks SO cool!! I did the Rockies, but they have all the mountain ranges.
- We needed new humidifiers for the boys’ room and we love this one!!
- This black dress is everything! Wear it as a workout dress or dress it up with a cute jacket. It’s sooo flattering, comfortable, and versatile. It’s currently majorly on sale!
- I have this cozy waffle shirt in cream and I wear it at least once a week. Adorable unbuttoned over a tee shirt (current fave, I have size M) or buttoned as an oversized shirt!
- Me Before You is a book I’m so hooked on! I had no idea it was made into a movie, and I’m already so pumped for the sequel
- A worthy podcast listen: Self Care Without Candles: redefining wellness for parents. Taking care of myself after the crazy year that was 2023 is a big priority for me in this season. I’m continuing to learn what that means for me.
- Mark Kroos is my go-to feel good, calming music artist. “Be Still and Know” is on repeat.
Have the best week!
