Swoon Worthy

Another week has blown by in a blur, and it here it is Saturday morning again.

 If you follow me on Instagram, then you might have seen that I had the good fortune of taking all three of my kids to Theo's two month check up yesterday morning.  My husband ended up having a meeting, so I decided that I was feeling brave and could get all three of them out of the house before 9:00 AM and to the appointment without any major issues.

The good news is, there weren't any major issues and that Theo is healthy and growing.  The bad news is, our pediatrician likely never wants to see us again.  Kidding of course, but it was a bit chaotic (shocker, I know).

So... as always, I am happy for the weekend and to have Mike home for a few days to help with the child wrangling.

We have big plans to fire up our new smoker today, and smoke some sort of meat.  Turkey, pork, brisket, I'm not sure what yet, but either way, I'm sure it will be delightful.

Okay, enough talk about smoked meat, here are all of the things that I am currently swooning over...

1.  Fellow s'more lovers... add this recipe to your must-make list!

2.  I recently picked up this little number, and I love the style and fit for summer.

3.  I finally tried the infamous "pink drink" that everyone was talking about, and for me, it was totally worth the hype.

{photo via}

4.  After leaving the Country Living fair last weekend, the hunt was on for a rack like the one pictured above. I went with this one, and I'm totally obsessed!

5.  Since I can't get to the city for the real thing, the box mix version will have to do. I came across these at Target, and they are amazing!

6.  This dress... Totally swoon worthy!

7.  I've become totally pro baby wearing ever since Theo arrived... Adding this gorgeous sling to my wish list!

8.  Summer sun is the perfect excuse for a new pair of sunnies!

9.  If I could cook every meal on the grill this time of year, I totally would. These kabobs are right up my ally.

10.  Someday I'm going to learn the fine art of contouring... This kit might help me on my way.

Wishing you a restful and fun weekend!

xoxo

Chocolate Mint Iced Coffee

If you know me at all, you are well aware of the fact that I am coffee-obsessed.  As in don't-even-talk-to-me-until-I've-had-a-cup obsessed... I mean, hello, I have three kids ages three and under, so without coffee and wine, I'm honestly not even sure how I would survive.

Over the last few years, I have become particularly fond of the iced variety.  I generally like to start my day with a hot, freshly brewed cup, then it's onto the iced stuff by the afternoon.

In the summer months, iced coffee rules my world, and I love to experiment with different flavors.

Recently, we planted the potted herb garden that resides on our back deck for the next few months. This included basil, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, and mint... which got me thinking about some fun new ways to use these plants, besides the more obvious uses for them.

I've really taken a liking to infusing things... infused water, infused liquors, and then it dawned on me, why not attempt an infused simple syrup.

Simple syrups couldn't be easier to make, and they're a lot of fun to experiment with and use in different ways... cocktails for one, and then of course, in my favorite iced beverage.

So, out to the deck I went, where I grabbed a small bunch of fresh mint.  I wasn't specific with measurements here, because the way I see it, if you want things extra minty, grab a big bunch of mint... prefer just a hint of minty flavor? Go with a smaller bunch then.

Then it was on to making the mint infused simple syrup...

what you need

1 bunch/handful of fresh mint leaves

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of water

instructions

Literally, throw all 3 ingredients into a saucepan (wash the mint first of course) and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved.

Allow to cool, and then remove the mint leaves from the syrup.

Transfer into a container, and store in the refrigerator.

Okay, so I had my minty simple syrup, and now it was time to make something with it.  What pairs well with mint you're wondering?  Well, chocolate of course!

So here's how I threw together the chocolate mint iced coffee...

what you need

ice cubes

cold coffee or your favorite cold brew

chocolate syrup

mint simple syrup (recipe above)

creamer of choice (milk, half and half, almond milk, what have you)

instructions

Throw some iced cubes into a glass (I prefer pint sized mason jars).

Drizzle in some chocolate sauce.

Add some of your minty simple syrup (use your judgement here. How much you use depends on how sweet you like your coffee.  I use about a tablespoon, because the chocolate sauce adds some sweetness already).

Pour in the coffee

Add the desired amount of creamer, and if you're feeling really fancy, garnish with a couple of fresh mint leaves.

Sip and enjoy!

I have been drinking this concoction for about a week now, and I'm already brainstorming some other fun flavors to test out in terms of infused simple syrup.  I'll be sure to share if I come up with some good ones!

What's your favorite way to drink coffee?

xoxo

Binxy Baby Cart Hammock Review

Disclosure- This post is sponsored by Binxy Baby, however all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

It's pretty safe to say, that after giving birth to three children over the course of the last four years, I have tested out my fair share of baby related products.

With our first baby, I thought that we literally needed EVERYTHING when it came to baby products, and I went a little crazy when it came time to register for our baby shower.

Once Max arrived, I quickly learned which items were totally necessary, made life easier, and were worth every penny... And which items were a total waste.

By the time baby number two (Ella) came along, we were pretty well equipped, but naturally there were a ton of newer, cooler, and seemingly better items on the market, so a few upgrades and new purchases were made.

Enter baby number three, and It's safe to say that we could probably purchase a second home to house all of the "stuff" we have accumulated.  I'm about 90% sure, that much of it is unnecessary, however, there are a select few items that have been total game changers in terms of making my life easier and keeping my babes happy...

The Binxy Baby Cart Hammock is, without a doubt, one of those items.

Before I gave birth to Theo, I was having serious anxiety about how I would leave the house to run routine errands with three kids by myself.  The thought of grocery shopping with all of them alone petrified me, and I couldn't help but wonder where in the heck I would even put all of our groceries if I had three tiny humans taking over the cart.

I came across the Binxy Cart Hammock on Instagram one day and thought to myself, "I have to have that!", so when they generously offered to send one over for us to test out, I was thrilled and couldn't wait for it to arrive.

You guys, this product is one of the most genius baby inventions that I have come across thus far...

I finally have room in the cart for all of my kids AND my groceries!!!

Let me tell you a little more about why I love the Binxy cart hammock so much...

I like to keep the hammock in our car at all times, or roll it up and store it in my diaper bag to use whenever we are out. One of my favorite things about it, is that it can be used in two ways; It holds up to 50 pounds, so if Theo is sleeping when we arrive at the store, I use the hammock to hold his entire car seat, and rather than having the car seat take over the cart, I now have room for items underneath it.

If he is awake, I take him out of his car seat, and let him lounge in the hammock... which he loves, because he gets to check out everything as we cruise through the store. The other day, he was so comfortable during our trip to Target, that he even fell asleep in the hammock.

Every time we use it, I get stopped multiple times by moms asking about it, or commenting that they wished that they had had one when their kids were young, making it my new go-to for a baby shower gift, and one of the products I would recommend most to other moms.

The Binxy Baby comes in four colors, and is super easy to use. It simply clips over each side of the cart, and then you secure it with velcro straps (you can see how it works here).  It's lightweight, but sturdy, and really and truly makes for a better shopping experience, whether you have one child or more.

To sum things up, I think it's pretty obvious that we LOVE this product, and it has been added to my list of items for babies, that are worth every penny (and then some, in this case)!

If you are looking for a unique gift for someone who has, or is having a baby, the Binxy hammock is it!  If you have a little one, you should purchase one yourself. I promise you, you will love it!

xoxo

Weekend Recap

I'm pretty sure that it was just last week that I was rambling on about how I haven't been doing weekend recap posts, because our weekends usually just aren't that exciting... But this past weekend we actually did some things that were worth posting about! So, low and behold, another weekend recap my friends!

Swoon Worthy

Happy Saturday you guys!  Is it just me, or do the months seem to be flying by?  How on earth are we already half way through 2016???

Even though the time is passing a little faster then I'd prefer, I'm pretty pumped that it's June and it finally feels like summer.

This weekend we're planning on heading to the Country Living Magazine fair, which I am super excited about.  Fingers crossed that my kids behave and that we find some great stuff.

I hope you all have something fun planned for the weekend, but in the meantime, grab those cups of coffee, tea... bloody marys... and check out what I'm swooning over this week...

1.  Where are my fellow curly haired girls at? This stuff is amazing if you're looking to achieve soft, frizz free curls.

2.  If you are on the hunt for the softest and most beautiful lovies and blankets for little ones, this shop is where to find them.

3,  What goes together better than warm weather and watermelon?  Making this sweet treat ASAP!

4.  Swooning hard over this gorgeous floral dress.

5.  In the warmer months, I pretty much always have a bowl of this pasta salad in the fridge.

6.  I wish I knew about this fun app while I was still pregnant, but I totally plan on using it now that Theo is here!

7.  I am obsessed with this adorable one piece bathing suit.

8.  We had this summer chicken recipe for dinner last night... one word, AMAZING!

9.  Ever since little miss Ella arrived with her crazy head of hair, I became a total bow lover.  This shop is a new favorite for finding great accessories.

10.  Dying over how cute these outfits for little guys are... Time to stalk up for Theo's summer wardrobe!

Enjoy your weekend!

xoxo

Quick & Easy Taco Lettuce Wraps

I love Mexican food.

If it was up to me, we would seriously have it three times a week for dinner.

Unfortunately for me, my husband doesn't share the same feelings about it.  He tolerates it.  So, occasionally it makes its way into the weekly menu rotation around here.

Whenever he is away, I like to take full advantage, and whip up a bunch of my favorites to indulge in in his absence.

Recently, I was inspired, when my friend Erika posted a photo of some taco lettuce wraps on her Instagram feed.

Seeing as I'm currently attempting to work my way back to some form of a pre-baby bod, these totally appealed to me, so I decided to whip up a batch of my own.

This version honestly couldn't be quicker and easier to throw together, they're low in fat and calories, are totally versatile when it comes to toppings, and they require minimal ingredients.

Here's what you need...

Ingredients:

1 pound of lean ground turkey or ground beef

1/2 of a small yellow onion, diced

1/2 cup of frozen yellow corn

1/2 a can of Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles

1 package of taco seasoning

1 pkg Hearts of Romaine

1 Tbs olive oil

additional toppings of your choice (I went with diced avocado and a few dashes of hot sauce, but you could totally throw shredded cheese, cilantro, sour cream, etc. on top)

Instructions:

In a skillet over medium heat, add diced onion to olive oil and sauté until soft and translucent.

Add in ground meat and cook until no longer pink.

Add the taco seasoning, following the directions on the package, as well as the Rotel and corn.  Allow to cook for a few minutes, until sauce thickens and corn is no longer frozen.

Clean and separate Romaine lettuce leaves.

Spoon taco meat mixture onto lettuce leaves and top with desired toppings.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Summer Styles for Nursing Moms