Soup Sundays

November 19, 2020

 Cooking soup is my favorite because it typically involves 3 simple tasks: chopping, pouring and stirring. Soup is also a great way to eat a ton of veggies while tasting delicious. We started soup Sundays in October and it has been so fun sampling a ton of different recipes. Some of the recipes are staples from years past, some new, and some were going to leave off the list because they were not winners (looking at you sweet potato soup). 


photo via Gimme Some Oven 

Autumn Wild Rice Soup: Leading off strong with my personal favorite. This dish will leave you full and satisfied. This recipe gives you the option to add chicken but I have yet to add it because it's so flavorful with just veggies. Pro tip: add the canned coconut milk instead of making a cream sauce. You will thank me later. So creamy and healthy!


Sausage and Red Pepper Soup: If you love a good noodle this is your soup! The flavor is savory and the recipe is simple. The thick egg noodles and subtle spice from the Italian sausage make this recipe a repeater for our fam.


Chicken Pot Pie Soup: This was a new recipe and we were not disappointed! Mark and I were impressed by just how good this one is for being so healthy. Don't let the recipe freak you out, it is way simpler to prepare than it looks. The blended steamed cauliflower is the MVP in this dish. It packs in all the nutrients while tasting like a creamy mashed potato. 


Stuffed Pepper Soup: Last but not least I give you stuffed peppers in soup form. :) Whole30 compliant if you sub the rice for cauliflower rice. This one had Mark going back for seconds so you can rest assure it's good. 


Don't forget to pair with your fav crusty bread or baguette! Bon' Appetit! 

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Jack's 4th Birthday + Birthday Interview

November 11, 2020


And just like that my baby is 4! It's so wild and fun watching this little human become his own person. That sounds ridiculous because yes he is a growing kid, but when it's your kid it just hits you in the feels. #proudmom

This boy is obsessed with Pokemon. Everything from his party to his gifts were Pokemon related. He goes all in for whatever he loves and I love him for it. We hosted our immediate family and his closest friend over for a pre-birthday bash. We served a creamy penne pasta dish with a side of mixed salad and homemade breadsticks. 

The birthday cake was a pre-made cake from Eston's bakery (because I waited last minute to decide I was going to buy one.. go Mom!). Ya'll if ya know, ya know.. Eston's is GOOD. 

Jack wanted a strawberry cake so that meant I had to get their strawberries and cream cake which came topped with their signature pink flowers (another "go Mom!" moment for waiting last minute). Mark came up with the idea to scrape off the flowers, mix red food coloring and make a pokeball on the top. I love that man, he's a genius I tell you.

Since Jack is old enough to communicate (even though this kid was speaking full sentences at 2) I wanted to start a new birthday tradition! I was inspired by Em for Marvelous' Birthday Interview! This is a list of simple and fun questions to ask the birthday kiddo each year. I simply copied the list of questions and made a new note in my phone labeled "Birthday Interview" so that I have easy access to the same set of questions for each birthday.

I created this festive graphic to be easily saved to any phone for quick reference for when it's time to interview!



While he is little I plan to record his answers as a voice memo until he eventually can write them out. I just know hearing his little voice for years to come will be a treasure to me! Plus kids say the FUNNIEST things and Jack's were hilarious. In his own words...

Favorite color: Orange
favorite animal: Monkey
favorite book: Pokemon one
favorite thing to watch: Pikwick Pack
favorite thing to wear: Clothes.. Pokemon clothes
favorite game: Yeti in My Spaghetti
favorite song: The commercial from Yeti in My Spaghetti
favorite breakfast: Bacon and eggs with ketchup on it
favorite snack: Goldfish
favorite fruit: Cherries
favorite treat: I just like every one of the candies
favorite place to eat: Chick-fil-A
favorite thing to do outside: Play on the swings
favorite thing to do inside: Play with my Pokemons
favorite toy: Pokemons
favorite stuffed animal: Bongo ( a beanie-baby monkey)
favorite holiday: My birthday!
favorite best friend: Peyton
i am really good at: Playing when I hit the baseballs from the baseball shooter
where i want to go on vacation: Chicago and then come back home
what i want to be when i grow up: Nothing I suppose. I want to be myself.
what we did on my birthday: Went to Nina's, got donuts, and the bowling alley!

Do tell: What are your favorite birthday traditions as a kid? Or what traditions do you do for your kids on their birthdays? 

Which answer of Jack's is your favorite? Mine is most definitely what he wants to be when he grows up. My heart just melted on the spot. That's the best thing anyone can be when they grow up, themselves. :)
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Family Vacation to Lake Michigan

November 4, 2020

The best thing that has come out of cancelled plans this year has been last minute vacations. When Mark and I decided to cancel our 5 year anniversary trip to Seattle we tossed around the idea of taking a fall getaway to our favorite side of the state. I'm so glad we did! Our long-weekend trip will be one I will cherish for years to come. 



One can never go wrong with a trip to Lake Michigan. We joke we live in the worst part of the state (even though it's not that bad), but going west or north is like a whole new place. The air is crisp and smells like pine. "Pure Michigan" 100% lives up to its ad slogan. 





Our family of 4 stayed at a cozy cottage in Union Pier. The neighborhoods in the area were so charming. The town is an hour drive from Chicago and so we easily justified the drive to see our fav city which holds so many fun memories for Mark and I. 




When we were dating I would take Mark with me to visit my sister. Mark rang in his 21st birthday here, we spent weekends riding bikes along lake shore drive, and eating the best food.


We took the boys to Millennial park where we ate our Lou Malnati's deep dish, walked around the block, showed the boys the famous bean, and played a game of mini-golf before heading to our AirBNB. 



Jack was all about the za! If you can't tell Peter was too. ;)


Highly recommend eating at the Stray Dog in New Buffalo. I had the shrimp tacos and they totally hit the spot. Peter loved it especially since there were pictures of dogs all over the wall. He's obsessed.


When traveling with 2 under the age of 3 it is helpful to keep expectations low. We spent most our time playing games at the cottage, visiting the lake (we got lucky with a 70 degree day in October), making yummy food at home, and taking walks around the neighborhoods. I joked with Mark that we will be prospecting for a cottage now because 1) the area is breathtaking 2) the time away is so special and 3) it's fun to dream. :)






The best thing we planned was to have a family session on the beach!! Fall colors + Lake Michigan is a beautiful sight in itself so naturally I could not NOT miss this opportunity. 

Oh my word ya'll, Haley Harris, photographer of Willow Acres Co., captured our little family so beautifully. You would have never guessed Peter had a meltdown because he couldn't splash and play in the water. :P Here is a sneak peak of more to come. Let's be honest these photos need their own post. The cuteness is absurd. I'm so grateful to Haley!!


Vacations with littles is no easy feat. BUT I wouldn't trade any of the sweet moments we experienced together. It literally felt like we came off of a camp trip where we shared inside secrets and memories that left a mark on the 4 of us.  

I might be riding on a post-vacation high, but I already told Mark we could totally take our fam across the pond for a European vacay next!? All for the mems, right? ;)

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November Goals

November 2, 2020



It will be a huge miss to not name out loud even the littlest of joys that came from this year. It matters. It's what keeps me present versus wishing away a really hard year. 

Rachel Kincaid, the creator of #getaftergrateful, says it best:
“We know that God's grace is what compels us to shift His kingdom forward, but it’s also what compels us to put praise on our lips even when we don’t feel like it. When we apply the Good News to our lives in a moment-by-moment way, it literally changes our lives.”

Oh friends, lets bring the good news into our days and moments. 2020 doesn't need another person to agree this year sucked. It needs someone to confidently say there is HOPE.


A look at October goals:

~ Finish reading Bob Goff's Dream Big 
~ Prepare and enjoy our long weekend family vacay
~ Hang up wall art in the boys' bathroom 
~ Sweat with TIU workout series 3x/week
~ Weekend off social media
~ Work on Halloween party details 

Whew, October you were fun and full. Looking forward to slowing down this month and spending quality time with our families.

November Goals
Make Christmas lists and set budgets in time for end of month deals
Order our Christmas cards
Celebrate Jack's 4th birthday!
Put away fall decor and then deck the halls ;)
#getaftergrateful every day this month
Print our new family photos

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