Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend. Our Saturday was very slow but it was also just what we needed. We’re in the process of transitioning out of naps which is good in one way {earlier bedtimse}, but also harder in other ways {more challenging afternoons}. And then we’re adding in the time change which was maybe not the best plan. Wish us luck this week!

WHAT WE ATE

my plan is to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning.

MONDAY- Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup with sourdough – we love starting our week off with a  comforting soup night. It just feels so right, especially during our cold season.

TUESDAY- Taco Skillet Bake- This was so easy and a nice mix-up from our typical taco night. We sauteed zucchini and bell peppers, added ground beef and seasonings, and then topped it with cheese and baked until bubbling. We served it with avocado, cilantro, and salsa and the kiddos dug in with tortilla chips.

WEDNESDAY- Kale and Mint Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette– This recipe is so delicious! We love the vinaigrette so much! You could serve it with shredded chicken or even sauteed shrimp.

THURSDAY- Salmon Milano with Lemon-Basil Pesto- I love an easy dinner! We just topped salmon with a lemon-basil pesto and roasted it for 12 minutes. Served with a salad, this was a healthy and easy dinner.

FRIDAY- Skinny Chicken Parmesan with Brussels Sprout Salad with Anchovy Tahini & Za’atar Chickpeas– This recipe is similar to what we made although I used almond flour and tapioca starch with parsley for the breading.  This brussels sprout salad was so yummy for the adults and I’m planning on making it again this week since I have leftovers of the tahini. The kids weren’t the biggest fans but we’ll see what they think when they try it next time.

SATURDAY- Date Night Pork Chops with Rosemary Roasted Sweet Potatoes- These pork chops are one of Matthew’s favorite meals ever! We’ve made it a handful of times. Don’t skip the fennel and lemon zest and herb salad – both are musts!

SUNDAY- Clams in White Wine with toasted bread- It will be very similar to this recipe, minus the pasta although that looks so yummy!

For breakfast one morning, I made the most delicious baked oatmeal recipe for the kids. It was inspired by this recipe I found online and I’ll definitely be making it again!

WHAT I WORE

My hair has been growing like crazy these days and I’ve been needing to keep it up and out of reach from baby Beatrice. I bought these claw clips on Amazon and love their neutral color options and the larger size. It’s been so nice to have something that easily holds all my hair.

I’ve been loving basics from PACT. Their pieces are made with organic cotton and they’ve held up so well. I got this shell in oat along with the matching joggers and cardigan.

SALES TO NOTE

Speaking of PACT, they’re having a Daylight Savings Sale (there’s a sale for everything!). Use code LONGDAYS to save up to 25%!

There’s a denim sale going on at Everlane. I love this style right now in Vintage Indigo or Folsom Blue.

ON MY MIND

Friday night we had a game night which was so fun! We played a few new games, Otrio and Bird Bingo. Both were so fun!

Pi Day is this week (Tuesday 3.14), so I’m planning which pie to make. Since we’re trying to be lowish carbs these days I’m looking in my Sweet Laurel cookbook for inspiration. I heard the pecan pie recipe is really good, Augustine wants pumpkin pie, I’m tempted by the s’mores pie, but Matthew is a huge fan of coconut cream. We’ll see what we decide!

I’m starting to put together a spring edit of favorites but I wanted to share some of what I’ve found on Shopbop. Looking at spring pieces makes me so excited for the warmer weather to come!

Have a lovely week everyone!

xox

Happy Sunday! What a busy but special week! My parents, their dog Zoey, and my brother came into town to celebrate Corinna’s 4th birthday. We cooked up some yummy meals and had a few special birthday celebrations! They left today and we’re all missing them dearly. There’s just never enough time. Since we’ve moved out of California our time together is even more precious so we try to savor it all. We’re thankful for their drives to visit though, especially in this season when it’s more challenging to travel with a newborn.

WHAT WE ATE

my plan is to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning.

MONDAY- Winter Vegetable Chicken Noodle Soup– I loved that I could use leftover chicken from our Sunday dinner, as well as other veggies in our fridge.

TUESDAY- Classic Beef Bourguignon– ok I had no idea how complicated this recipe was so it was a little ambitious of me to make without an extra set of hands but thankfully it turned out well! The recipe needs to be rewritten to include times of cooking, and also when to add in the shallots, but everyone loved it. It was a good hearty meal when my parents and brother arrived in town.

WEDNESDAY- Taco Bowls – this is becoming a weekly staple around here! We’re learning that chopped lettuce on top (not on bottom) is a must!

THURSDAY- Spicy Chipotle Honey Salmon Bowls– We made these again (second week in a row) Whether you make it with rice or cauliflower rice, it’s a hit!

FRIDAY- dinner at The Warehouse – This was our first time visiting the new food hall in downtown Boise. It was fun to get out for dinner for the first time in a while.

SATURDAY- Cripsy Oven Pulled Pork with Coleslaw from this this cookbook – Another repeat two weeks in a row! Love how relatively easy this meal is to put together and it perfectly serves a crowd.

SUNDAY – Leftovers and this Winter Salad– this salad looks so delicious, and healthy too!

leftover birthday cupcakes with coffee.. yum!

WHAT I WORE

I finally got my jeans from Gap and I’m thinking the winner is this pair of classic straight jeans in high rise. I also liked this pair, although it’s a stiffer style of denim. If you’re into mid-rise jeans (I wish I could right now!), this would be a good pair to try. I’m so happy to finally have a pair of jeans that fits during my postpartum period.

For Corinna’s birthday celebration, I wore this floral maxi dress from D.Ra. We had a surprisingly warm and sunny 50-degree day so it felt so fitting!

SALES TO NOTE

LOFT– 30% off spring styles!

J.Crew– 25% off with code GOSHOP

ON MY MIND

I made Corinna’s birthday cake from the Sweet Laurel cookbook and it was so delicious! If you’re looking for a grain-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free cake, this Vanilla Coconut Jam Cake fits the bill perfectly!

I’m currently reading For the Children’s Sake and really enjoying it. It’s a great book about reclaiming a child’s education, spurring you on to teach your child through daily life, and also goes over a lot of Charlotte Mason’s principles.

How cute is my parents’ puppy Zoey? She’s an English Springer Spaniel, almost one year old, and has the sweetest freckles all over!

I hope you all have a lovely rest of your weekend! I’m thankful everyone is taking naps so I can wrap up this post and then hopefully get back to my book before starting dinner. It’s been a busy week so I know everyone is a little tired, myself included!

xox

Happy Sunday! I hope you all are enjoying your weekend! It’s cloudy and drizzly today and I’m sitting down to write with an iced coffee while the kids play “quietly” during their quiet time. Matthew was in Salt Lake City this weekend so I’ve been taking advantage of lots of cleaning and a huge pile of laundry. I also changed my sheets which is always such a nice way to start the week. Here’s a little of what we were up to this past week.

WHAT WE ATE

my plan is to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning.

MONDAY: Bolognese Pasta

TUESDAY: Ginger Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup (one of Augustine’s favorites)

WEDNESDAY: Taco Bowls (adjusted our usual Taco Tuesday for Augustine’s soup request)

THURSDAY: Mustard Salmon (this recipe is one of our favorites) with salad

FRIDAY: Balsamic Steak Salad with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing  (this was so delicious! The first thing Matthew said is that it could be served at a restaurant. I have to agree! We used blue cheese instead of gorgonzola and it was still so yummy!)

SATURDAY: cacio e pepe for the kids and a big salad for me with leftover salmon and leftover blue cheese dressing

WHAT I WORE

Have I shared this rib-knit nursing dress with you? It’s so soft and comfortable and one of my favorite nursing pieces. I would buy it in another color if I could!

I got this ergobaby carrier and while I didn’t love it for Beatrice as a newborn, I’ve been loving it now. It’s so soft, like a fabric carrier, but has the support with the buckles. The off-white color frequently sells out but keep an eye on it. It’s also available here in some other colors too!

This Amazon dress was a favorite during my pregnancy and it’s been fun to wear without the bump. I sized up according to the recommendation and I got the beige-2 color. It’s so pretty and comes in a bunch of colors.

SALES TO NOTE

I picked up some jean options on sale since I can’t fit into my pre-baby ones just yet. I thought I would try some different straight leg styles including this vintage slim pair, this medium wash, and this classic style. I’ll report back on the keeper! All were on sale plus an additional 10% off with code ADDIT.

ON MY MIND

February 1st started the 75 Hard Challenge for me and Matthew. He’s doing it with some men in our neighborhood and a lot of the wives decided to join in to help motivate them. We’re doing a slightly modified version because it’s a little intense. You’re supposed to go on a structured diet (any diet you want but it has to include no alcohol), work out 2x a day for 45 minutes with one workout being outdoors, drink a gallon of water, and read 10 pages of non-fiction. There are no cheat days and you go for 75 days. If you mess up you’re technically supposed to start back at Day 1. We’re modifying this somewhat with 1 workout 5 days a week and my diet is basically no refined sugar, no alcohol, and low carbs. I’m not trying to be too intense with my diet because I’m still nursing and I don’t want to negatively affect my milk supply. With those limitations though I still feel like I’ll be focusing on clean eating. As you will notice, we got in a few last carb-heavy meals on Monday and Tuesday. So far it’s going well and I’m enjoying my off-workout day. I got a new cookbook, Simply Real Eating, that has a bunch of great healthy recipes that I can’t wait to try.

Corinna’s birthday is coming up and she wants to have a heart-themed party, which is perfect considering Valentine’s Day is around the same time. I’m trying to brainstorm some fun activities for the girls to do, maybe decorating sugar cookie hearts or doing a heart craft. I think I need to make a trip to Target/Hobby Lobby/Michael’s for ideas!

I always get questions about my heatless waves so I wanted to share some info with you about it. I use the Sway which is a heatless velour curling ribbon. It makes getting ready so much easier because I can put in on at night and take it out in the morning. I personally find it very easy to use and I love the waves I get the next morning. It’s comfortable enough for me to sleep in because it’s just a fabric roll. The only downside is that the curls don’t last more than a day, but I feel like that’s still worth it for a less damaging hair curling method. You can use code MARAFERREIRA for 10% off. They even have a kid size too which I’ll have to get for the girls one day!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

xox