Blueberry & Banana Muffins

Lately I have been on a bit of eating clean kick.  Partly because I was feeling run down and exhausted by 5 pm.  Could be the fact that I have been getting up with a teething 18 month old, at the butt crack of dawn.  Taking care of two rambunctious boys, continuing with Will's school work (last week-thank goodness), and doing my thing.  It totally has taken a toll on my body.  So..I am focusing on me more.  Squeezing it in when I can, no MATTER what.  Hopefully adding yoga, along with my regular exercise routine will help when the boys are driving me crazy.

I have been pinning a lot of recipes, but this one just happens to be one of my favorites so far.  Super easy too. All you need is a blender!  So..into the blender in this order. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees and line with foil liners.  Must be foil or else muffins will stick.

1. 2 1/2 cups of oats blended into a flour before adding other ingredients 2. Add 1 cup vanilla greek yogurt, 2 very ripe bananas, 2 eggs, 1/4 honey, 1/4 cup of coconut oil-melted (trader joe's or whole foods), 2 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1 tsp of vanilla bean or real vanilla extract.  Then blend.  

Note...you will have to mix a little to get it going and you want to make sure all the oats at the bottom get incorporated.  Once all is blended, use an ice cream scooper and scoop one spoonful into each muffin liner.  It should take between 12-15 minutes depending on your oven. 

They are super moist and totally yummy!  I store mine in the fridge, just to keep them extra fresh. Give them a shot and tell me what you think.  Clean eating doesn't have to taste like card board, believe me because I have a major sweet tooth.

Happy Memorial Day friends.

spring is here...almost

Feels like I am always playing catch up, but I guess that is the life of a parent.  We've been busy trying to bring on spring here.  Chicago is completely different from Annapolis.  By now in MD it would be hot and humid, flowers all in bloom.  Here things just started blooming, and it's only 55 today!  Crazy. 

We planted flowers, raspberry and blueberry bushes.  So far, the raspberry bush is doing wonderful but the blueberry is lacking.  Probably because the temps.

Will is signed up for camp and swim lessons, we are signed up at our pool.  Unfortunately, it's a little too cold to go.  Never thought I would say that.

We have trips coming up and a new addition coming to our family!  No, not a baby.  I have my hands full with two boys!  We are going to get a puppy!  I am so excited.  I keep telling Lew, that being here will finally feel like home, once we have a puppy.  He just laughed. We are going to get a Rottweiler again.  We just love the breed and it's all about how you raise them.  Our Ella was amazing, such a sweet girl who loved the boys and was such a great protector.  Plus, I get to name her.  I am thinking Hartley Grace.  

As for the trips, the boys and I are going to VA for my sister's birthday in June.  Then in July we are headed to Door County, Wisconsin.  Lew grew up going there in the summers, and it is something that we want the boys to experience.  So...we are going to be busy!

1.boys at daddy's favorite restaurant on my mom's birthday. 2.wondering if I look like my mom. 3.someone is not too fond of his bike helmet, safety first, buddy. 4.getting into mischief and getting so big. 5. a little luigi's mansion with daddy. 6.getting good at writing his abc's. 7. sunny day wagon ride 8. oreo cookie mistake? nope. 9. bike ride with the boys, hoping willsy is brave enough to lose the training wheels this summer.

1.baby boy loves the slide! 2.evening walk with some bubble fun 3. slide racing, he won. 4.dare devil running  down the hill, yes he did end up face first, but got up smiling. 5.chasing big brother=one tired baby 6.hill rolling and of course getting all itchy. 7.boys play dress up too, just in cute puppy dog forms 8.who can make it to mommy the quickest? 9.after dinner binki walk, the only one to do it.

Happy weekend friends!

Meaning of a Mom...

1. Loves you the moment she finds out about you

2. Dreams of your future when she feels you kick from inside

3. Knows what kind of child you will be by how active you are in her womb

4. Is the first one who gets to hold you close to her heart

5. Feeds and nurtures you from the very beginning

6. Takes care and snuggles with you when you get the sickies

7. Tucks you in at night, even if you are in high school

8. Is proud of every accomplishment, small and big

9. Shares her dessert with you, even though she was hiding it from all her kids

10. Scratches your arm while watching Thorn Birds

11. Gives the best advice, even if it doesn't sink in right away

12. Makes the best tacos and frozen pepsi's

13. Takes you on adventure you will never forget

14. Works hard and still manages to keep it all together

15. Helps with homework, even after a 12 hour work day

16. Makes you laugh when she says, Ni-Ten-Do

17. When you know what a wonderful daughter she is

18. Teaches you how to drive and tells you it's okay, we won't tell dad you almost took of the mirror

19. Calls you Boogie, because you are her very last baby

20. Teaches you that you love with your whole heart and do it, unconditionally

Happy Mother's Day Mom.  Love and miss you so much.

And Happy Mother's Day to all my bloggy mom friends.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with all things beautiful.

Ft. Myers 2013

Trying to get back into the groove of every day life after an amazing trip is no easy task!  But, we are slowly getting there.  Unpacked, clothes washed, and beach pictures ordered.  If I didn't do it the second we got home, it would never get done.

Willsy of course, is my water baby through and through.  He loves the beach, pool and fishing with daddy.  He also wanted to save every piece of marine life he saw.  Sand crabs, Hermit crabs, Star fish, Sand Dollars and the little shiners daddy would use as bait.  He would pick it up and put it back in the ocean.  Because it needed the water.  Totally melted my heart.  The only fish that was eaten, was a sea trout.  The boys catch and release everything.  I asked Willsy if he was going to become a marine biologist and he told me he still wants to be a paleontologist, so he can dig up dino bones.

*One of many star fishes saved by willsy, love that smile, and the only catch that was eaten

*Mommy and Willsy having some time together on the beach, making silly faces

*Another star fish saved, making peace with the trout, and getting close

Baby boy Eli was not as fond of the beach/water.  He loved it the first day, then quickly changed his mind.  If you went in the ocean, he wanted to be held.  If you let him go on the beach, he would run everywhere!  Needless to say, when he was on the beach, we were always on the move.  He did like the pool but would go from the pool to dipping his feet into the hot tub.  At one point, I put him in his stroller and just walked around the pool because, he was just so hard to handle.  Hoping next year he will enjoy it a little more, and make my life a little easier.

*last night on the sand, tuckered out with thomas, always checking something out on the beach
*selfies with mommy, baby boy is getting some serious teeth lately, love him
*touching the sand for the first time, literally fell asleep at the lunch table, loving the ocean on day 1

*Daddy and Willsy making a trail of sand castles, digging a giant hole because that's what you do, one of many fishes they caught together, matching shorts and toys..love my boys

All the pictures from this vacation were taken with my iphone because someone stole our camera one morning when Lew was fishing on the beach.  We were totally shocked!  It had two days worth of pictures on it that hadn't been downloaded yet...boo!

Tell next year, Ft. Myers!