Summer Dresses and my cooking challenge

Some friends of ours were visiting this weekend, and while they were here I talked with them about cooking. This tends to be a topic of choice for me in a lot of occasions due to the fact that I don't cook much and probably should if I want my family to eat something other than Pita Jungle.

Although, I personally could eat Pita Jungle every day and be a happy happy girl.

Chicken lavosh pizza and pita bread with cilantro hummus...and my homemade diet coke of course.(which you can read about here)

 

I like asking people what they cook, what they keep in their pantry as staple ingredients, etc.

I keep the TV on The Food Network in hopes that while I'm doing things around the house, the information will find its way into my head, subliminally.

When I first started I didn't even have EVOO in my cupboard. Actually, it took me a few episodes of Rachael Ray's cooking show to realize EVOO was extra virgin olive oil.

I tell you this in confidence believing you will not make jokes about my complete lack of domesticity (big word, I know.)

 

I have a lot of recipes on Pinterest that I think are easy enough for a beginner like me. I managed to make a few without poisoning us or turning the hubs off to my cooking entirely. This is good.

 

All of this to say, I've decided to start planning out our meals for the week.

I tend to make a grocery list and that list consist of the same exact things, every time. Which means I end up cooking the same exact meals, every single week. The reason is because I'm comfortable with those things. I've tried them. They worked. Its easy. 

 

So, in order to mix things up, I'm challenging myself to cook something new every week! Monday I'll pick one or two things from my Food board on Pinterest, put the ingredients on my grocery list, and make those dishes! Boom!

 

First on the list: Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups

(You can find the recipe here)

 

And now for one of my favorite summer dresses!

Which has absolutely nothing to do with this post.

 

 

Dress: H&M

Clutch: Thrifted

Sandals: DSW

Bracelet: Forever 21

 

Happy grocery shopping!!

This hat is different

I love hats. I love them so much that I buy them all the time. I buy beanie's. I buy big Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's hats. I buy baseball hats. I buy weird furry white hats that have ears (seriously, I did...its cute)
I just love hats.
However, I never wear them. I'll put one on, think it looks good, then right before I walk out the door, insecurity rears its ugly, most likely hatless head, and I take it off. What's worse, I don't have room for hats! Where do you store them? how do you store them? I'm working to organize and find room for them, and for what?
So frustrating.

I love headbands too! The kind girls wear around their forehead. Can't do it. I feel like a dork.

Every time I pick up a hat in a store and try it on, the hubs says "you'll never wear it". He's right.
We made a bet once, he bet that I wouldn't wear this one hat that "I absolutely had to have and would definitely wear".
He won.
I knew I would lose a bet to my husband, and I still couldn't bring myself to walk out the door with the stupid thing on my head!! Pathetic.

I tip my hat to you girls who wear cute head accessories so effortlessly.
(Ha! See what I did there)

I think all the time I've spent on Pinterest, and blogging, has broadened my taste for fashion, and because of it I'm having more fun with my clothes.
Which is how I've justified why this hat is different and why I will most definitely wear this one.

I'm sure of it...

 

 

Hat: Target

Shorts: Thrifted

Tank: Forever 21 (old)

Shoes: DSW

Necklace: Forever 21 (old)

 

Happy Wednesday!!

Pictures from our weekend and my white on white, completely impractical, outfit

I tell you, this mom thing, its pretty amazing. I know now why people do this. I've always wanted to be a mom, always felt like it was what I was meant for, always dreamt about what it would be like, and you know what? It didn't disappoint. Its all of those things I imagined, and more. My days are better (more work, but better.) Every weekend is more fun, because every weekend B does something new. He discovers a thousand new things, he reveals more of his personality than the week before, he snuggles more, laughs more. He makes my heart skip a beat with every gummy smile.
Oh how I love those gums!

It seems like, to me, he no longer feels like he's in a strange place. He knows that he is home. That I'm mom, Todd is dad, and we are his safe place.

Its the bees knees, this mom stuff.

Here are a few (definitely more than three so that's a lie) pictures from our weekend with the coolest baby ever.
...and if you are friends with me on facebook, you may have already seen most of these. Sorry!
But lets be honest, this baby is worth a second look ;)

 My little (big) brother

 

  "More of a guideline than an actual rule"

These are the moments I dreamt of

 

Long day of moving mimi

 

You can never be too safe when it comes to the AZ sun...



 

P.S.
My very good friend, Courtney (you can find her blog here), took some pictures of B and I a few weeks ago. I've been wanting to post them, because I really like the whole white on white thing I've seen so much of lately, but mostly because Court is an amazing photographer and I always love the pictures she takes. I'm always surprised when she sends me the disc of our pictures, because there will be shots that I didn't know she took. She has a way of capturing real moments. Those make for the best pictures.
However, I kept getting distracted by date night posts, anniversary posts, this post - I may have a slight case of blogger ADD - So here are the beautiful pictures taken by my very dear friend and an outfit that is not at all practical when toting around a 7 month old.

Thank you, Courtney. We had so much fun spending time with you. I love you, friend.

 

Don't you just want to eat him?! I kiss this little guy hundreds of times every single day. I cant stop!

Its a miracle his face isn't chapped.

Do they sell chapstick for your face?

 

Knit shirt: Target (old)

White skinnies: TJ Maxx (or Marshalls?)

Sandals: Target

Bracelet: Bealls Outlet

Earrings: Gifted

Belt: Kohls

 

Happy chapped face cause your mom cant stop smothering you!!!