Thankful Thursday

Okay, I'm going to try this again...

Today I am thankful for...Lizbeth! Or as most of you know her, Liz. If you don't know her, go check out her blog!

I met Liz my sophomore year in college while working on the new student orientation committee. Or wait, maybe we met in a class, Philosophy of Coaching? Clearly I am getting old. Anywho, it wasn't until our senior year that we really became friends.




Senior year

The DAY after we graduated from college, Liz and I set off with a group from college to Kenya for a mission trip. It was the experience of a lifetime and I'm so glad I got to experience it with Liz!




In Kenya

After graduated, Liz moved back to Roanoke and I stayed in Bristol. The next year Liz had moved to Charlotte and I back to Strawberry Plains. Unlike most long distance friendships, Liz and I still talked a ton! I visited her in Charlotte a couple of times and fell in love with the city!




First trip to Charlotte!

After Liz's wedding in July 2010, I decided to take the plunge and in October of that year I moved to Charlotte!




With the beautiful bride!

Anyway, back to why I'm thankful for Liz! She's an awesome running buddy, motivator, and she never skips a beat when I send her some ridiculous text! I'm so thankful to have a friend to chat with throughout the workday or I would go crazy! Liz is also the only friend I know who will have an Olympic party with me...




Very pregnant me with Liz and our Olympic goodies :)

I'm a big believer in everything happening for a reason. If I had never became friends with Liz, I never would have moved to Charlotte, and I never would have had this amazing creature...




(Had to sneak him in somehow)

So, this wasn't very well written, but it's so full of photos that I think it makes up for it!

Who are you thankful for in your life?

Love,
Jess

Weekly Chase

So I almost didn't post this week because again I failed miserably. However, I did have a few awesome things happen so I can't very well pretend the week never happened!

Recap of last week:

1. Complete all of last week's goals.
I did a little better with reading this week, most nights I was in bed by 11, and I made a ton of baby food on Saturday thanks to Clay's dad washing up the dishes after! I didn't run because: Wednesday my friend Leah was in town, Friday we had ice, Sunday I was at the beginning of a stomach virus (I would rather go through labor again). I know, excuses, excuses.

2. Organize Clay's clothes.
At this point I'm excited that all of our clothes are clean.

3. Be a better running buddy.
Although I failed at the running part, I was good about helping Liz stay accountable with her diet and she lost 3.5 pounds. I am SO proud of her!!

4. Make a calendar and stick to it.
Let's see: stomach virus, baby, surprise visit from a friend, ice, baby, life.

5. Make a shopping list and stick to it.
Confession: it's been a week since I've been to Target. Not on purpose, purely accidental, but it still counts, right? Anyway, since my friend Leah was in town we ate out a couple of nights (cringes). Between those meals, leftovers, and not eating for two days I really didn't have a need to go grocery shopping this week which is even better!

On to this week's goals:

This is going to be a very short list because I'm still recovering from the stomach virus but here it is...

1. Rest
This may mean only walking this week but my body needs to heal.

2. Take a bubble bath
I'm serious about this resting thing.

3. Make skillet lasagna
I've had the ingredients to make this recipe for three weeks and can't wait to try it!

4. Spend at least an hour working on my maternity scrapbook for Clay and his baby book!
I only have to finish the last two weeks in my pregnancy. I can't wait to have it completed!

5. Decide which photos I want to print out to frame.
In our new hallway I want to do a collage of Clay's newborn portraits and in Clay's room I am going to do a collage of family photos so Clay can see them everyday and learn their faces! I am very excited about this!

As always, good luck to all of my fellow chasers!

Love,
Jess

Weekly Chase

(Hangs head)

Recap of last week:

1. Read to Clay each morning
We did this...one morning. Wednesday I woke up to a baby with a 102 fever and that just threw off the entire week.

2. Continue with the plank a day and do all 7 this week
Umm, I did three. I know.

3. Read for fifteen minutes a day
I read for five minutes one day.

4. Run three times this week
I'm gonna blame my sick baby again... Wednesday was one of my running days and on Friday I got stuck at work then a nap prevailed. However, I did get my run in yesterday.

5. Have all of my "stuff" done and be in bed by 11.
This past week is a huge blur but I'm fairly certain I did well with this.

6. Make baby food
Done! Peas and green beans are in the freezer! See my other post about this here.

As you can see, I wasn't nearly as productive with my goals as I wanted to be. However, I did accomplish a few things that were from previous weeks. I am completely caught up on laundry (except for the loads in washer & dryer because let's face it, as a mom there is ALWAYS a load going), I organized my clothes/room as best as I can until my dressers arrive, and I made time for Clay and for ME each day.

That being said, on to this week's goals:

1. Complete all of last week's goals.
I feel a teeny bit like I'm setting myself up for failure but I think that I can do this.

2. Organize Clay's clothes.
This needs to happen ASAP. I'm digging through clothes baskets every morning trying to find him an outfit and it KILLS me.

3. Be a better running buddy.
Liz and I make plans to run together three times a week and it usually only happens once, maybe twice. This week I am determined to make it to all three! Also, Liz and I have decided to create our own kind of Weight Watchers. Basically we weigh in once a week and be mean (and supportive) to each other and discuss what we're eating.

4. Make a calendar and stick to it.
I thought after the holidays life would be less hectic. Wrong. So this week I am going to sit down and make a schedule and stick to it!

5. Make a shopping list and stick to it.
Each weekend Clay and I load up and make our weekly grocery run to Target. Each weekend I come home with a ton of stuff that wasn't on my list. This week my goal is to make a list and a budget for our trip and stick to it. NO EXTRAS!

Well now that I've piled my plate so full that I'm sure to experience post Thanksgiving dinner regret, I shall close. What do you have on your plate this week?


As always, good luck to all of my fellow chasers!

Love,
Jess

Homemade Baby Food

I kept going back and forth...to make Clay's baby food myself or not? I had known families who had and said it was super easy and families who had and said it was too much work for a working mom. Finally, I decided to do it. Armed with a bag of frozen peas and green beans from my grandparents' farm, I started and it was...easy. Like too easy. Haha. Basically I steamed the veggies, cooled them, blended them, poured them into ice cube trays, then transferred them to freezer bags.








I made over 30 servings for a little over $2 (the green beans were free so the only cost was for the peas).






I'm sure it will get a little more complicated once we get into mixing things and meats (!), but I'm determined to stick with it!

Questions you may have:

Why did you decide to make your own baby food?
It's better for Clay, it's cheaper, and no plastic or glass baby food containers being used. Win, win, win.

Why did you use frozen peas instead of fresh?
Frozen peas are much easier to deal with than fresh and are just as good nutritiously since they are frozen soon after they are picked.

Did you add any liquid to make the veggies easier to blend?
With the peas I had added a little of the water I had steamed them with but also ended up adding breast milk because they were so thick. I had already dumped the rest of the water or I would have used that. The green beans needed a very small amount of the water I used with them and they were good to go.

Those are all the questions I can think that you might have but if there are more please don't hesitate to ask!







Just a little cuteness for your day!

Love,
Jess

Weekly Chase

I had really high hopes for this week and did fairly well at the beginning of the week...

Recap of last week:


1. Spend at least fifteen minutes a day playing with Clay...
I did this most of the week. There were a couple of days where the only real playtime I got was stopping in at daycare for a few minutes.

2. Spend at least fifteen minutes a day on myself.
I definitely did this plus some. And felt guilty about it :(

3. Do a plank a day.
I missed three days but my longest time was 45 seconds!

4. Run 3 times this week!
I ran twice this week. I missed Friday because I didn't want to run with Clay in the rainy weather on Friday and honestly much more enjoyed extra time cuddling with my little man.

5. Get our clothes organized!
FAIL. I got all of our clothes folded and put away but not organized and now I'm back to square one with a pile to fold when I get home.

Goals for this week:

1. Read to Clay each morning
Most nights Clay's dad does the nightly routine so I don't get a lot of time with Clay in the evenings so we're going to move story time to the mornings and see if that works better.

2. Continue with the plank a day and do all 7 this week
I would also like to hold one plank for at least a minute.

3. Read for fifteen minutes a day
I used to read a ridiculous amount, like multiple books a week. I think I've only finish 3 or 4 books since Clay was born and that is just not acceptable! Haha...

4. Run three times this week
I have got to get with it! I just registered for another 5k in April with Liz!

5. Have all of my "stuff" done and be in bed by 11.
By "stuff" I mean lunch packed, bottles packed, smoothie and coffee ready to be made, clothes laid out...blah blah blah. Haha. There are a million things to do for each day and I am NOT a morning person so it's much easier if I get it all done the night before.

6. Make baby food
Yes, I am going to attempt to make my own baby food. From what I've read and the friends I've spoken to, I gather it is relatively easy and cheaper. (Any tips appreciated!) My goal is to have peas and green beans frozen by next week.


Good luck to all of my fellow chasers!

Love,
Jess

Thankful Thursday

Beginning today I am going to start a weekly post called Thankful Thursday. I am completely copying this idea from Liz but I'm sure she's okay with that!

If you know me you know how big I am on appreciating the small things in life. It's the little every day things that can sometimes make all the difference in the world. Little things like getting a card in the mail can brighten a bad day. A cup of your favorite tea can calm you down if you're worked up. A garlic press makes cooking Italian WAY easier. I could go on and on but I won't. Instead I will leave you with a list of my favorite little things that I'm thankful for:

-lip balm and hair ties
-cup holders in my car
-my weekly letter from my Mammaw
-text messaging
-scarfs
-scarfs
-bibs
-salted caramel brownies
-slippers

Question: What little things are you thankful for?

Love,
Jess

Weekly Chase

So I'm going to attempt to do the Weekly Chase again. I say attempt because I have a 4 month old and we all know how that goes. :)

Here are my goals for this week:

1. Spend at least fifteen minutes a day playing with Clay...
without worrying about the laundry and the dishes and the bills. Just fifteen minutes of pure playtime. (I know this one isn't about me but it will make my heart so happy to be able to do this!)

2. Spend at least fifteen minutes a day on myself.
On something I enjoy! Reading, crocheting, a quick bubble bath. Lately the only free time I get is while I'm pumping (which is what I'm doing now).

3. Do a plank a day.
One of my yearly goals is to do 365 planks. So far I've done one and it lasted 15 seconds. I know, it's embarrassing.

4. Run 3 times this week!
I already have to play catch up because my Sunday run with Liz didn't happen due to a sickly baby. Liz created a running plan for me and I am determined to stick with it! I've already registered for a 5k in May (at Biltmore!); but I would like to plan another for March.

5. Get our clothes organized!
Since the move at the beginning of December, our clothes have been a mess! I'm still waiting on two dressers from Tennessee for my room and Clay just has SO many clothes. I think (know) I will feel better and less stressed when this is done.

Well, that is all for this week! Good luck to all of my fellow chasers!

Love,
Jess

I'm baaaaaaack

Well, after taking several months off, I've decided to return to blogging and the weekly chase. Why was I gone so long? Well, because of this handsome little fella:





Ahh, and there's another reason I've been gone. I've been making hats for my etsy store. Although Clay is a very willing model now, I doubt he'll be up for trying on girl hats when he gets older.

Here's a quick run down of the highlights of the past few months:
-We moved to a new apartment (pictures to come once we are more settled).
-I'm back at work (so much harder than I imagined).
-I ran my first 5k (a blog to follow about this).
-We travelled to Tennessee twice (you haven't lived til you've travelled with an infant).
-Clay has had some weight gaining issues (hopefully the recent adjustments to his diet will help with this).
-I opened an etsy shop for my crochet goods (another post about this to come later).

I was going to include my yearly goals and the weekly chase in this post but I fear it is already getting long enough so I shall leave you with this for now.

Love,
Jess