Mommy's Little Dancer

My girl has a gift...

Show was just starting! Go DoodleBops! 

I am positive Marley is meant to dance, sing, entertain, create.  She danced before she could walk.  As soon as she could sit up on her own she started grooving.  I really think that we are born with a little purpose, a natural passion.  Marley's is to dance.  Tonight we went to our first musical production ~ Strawberry Shortcake and the Doodlebops.  Just watching the look on her face made the hour long drive well worth it.  She moves so naturally to the music.  She attempts to sing the songs they sing.  She claps, smiles, wiggles ~ and looks so unbelievably happy.  So satisfied.  So fulfilled.  When we wake in the morning she asks for "muqik"~ music to dance, spin, hop.  She says "mommy try" after every cool little move.  It is so adorable and makes me smile.  She likes all kinds of music and she loves watching dancing on the computer/tv/etc.  It's almost like she was a dancer or performer of some sort in a past life ~ she is an old soul, not yet two but seems to be so sure above her dance.  You can tell she is so amazed when she tries something new ~ so impressed with her ability.  I will encourage her ~ if dance/performance makes her happy I will make sure I support her in that.  I think too many kids get "cut off" or directed away from something like the arts.  I will make sure she can experience what she feels so happy doing.  I love this girl so much.  She is a toddler with such confidence, enthusiasm, love, curiosity, sweetness and intuition.  She's my little dancer<3

Strawberry Shortcake happens to be a old highschool friend of mine ~ we used to do theatre together!

I can't wait to do it again!  We are so hitting up Broadway in NYC when she gets a little older!  She would love it!

Gitter done!

I am not one of those "special" cases ~ you know those ladies that have a second baby and a couple months later look as fit and lean as they did before they were even pregnant.  I was probably in the best shape of my life (and happiest with my body) right before I was pregnant with my daughter Marley.  I had just completed a life-changing 12 weeks doing bootcamp at a local gym and was so excited with the very fit and healthy me.  My very last week is when I took a pregnancy test due to some common prego things and voola I was pregnant!  That was a wonderful moment!  I have always been an active girl ~ my weight has gone up and down slightly from about mid-teens til now.  I really enjoyed pregnancy because I didn't feel self conscious like I once did ~ who cares if my tummy sticks out now!:)  It was a freedom I have never experienced since hitting puberty even when I was in great shape.  I gained about 35 or so pounds with that first pregnancy and the weight came off fairly easily ~ I started back at my gym (Excel Fitness Vernon BC ~ http://excelfit.ca ~fitness class based sort of like bootcamp) at about 6 months post partum and became pregnant again 9 months post partum.  I was about 8 pounds shy of my ideal weight at that time but still happy with the progress I had made.  So here I am now 5 months post partum, round 2 and the weight is coming off slow as a turtle.  I started back at my gym at 5 weeks post partum but didn't really focus on food/nutrition until about 3 weeks ago.  Having two babies is no excuse but the fact of the matter is that I am tired and busy busy busy.  At the start when I was getting into the groove I would look at the clock and it would be two in the afternoon and I had not had a bite to eat yet!  Of course my kiddos were fed and happy as clams.  I am making a conscious effort to take the time to eat, drink and be merry even if one of them is crying.  So a few weeks ago I signed up for a 60 day fitness challenge ~ pledged to take minimum 4 classes a week, eat super healthy, no coffee, no alcohol, etc.  I am sticking to it ~ eating great, drinking a ton of water, exercising and I am feeling great.  I am down 5 pounds already and am very satisfied with that.  I gained about 30 pounds with this last pregnancy and it seems like it is just lingering so I am glad to have an action plan set in motion.  Of course sleep aids in weight loss but I can not change that:)  At least there are a couple things I can control like what goes into my mouth, exercise, etc. and that will get me closer to my goal.  Other than being a healthier me, my main reason for wanting to drop pounds is to fit into my damn clothes! :)  Nothing worse than having a bunch of nice pre-baby clothes sitting in your closet just starring at you!  Can't wait to pull on that one pair of nice jeans and zip them up without sucking it in:)  Here's to success and health!

Ground Turkey Quinoa salad with homemade hummus guacamole

Oh and a small organic whole chicken in the slow cooker with veggies is a to-die-for yummy recipe ~ just pinterest it!

Jonah ~ 5 Month Update :)

My little man is so sweet!  Jonah has such an easy going personality.  I love how much he loves me ~ he is getting so expressive now ~ when he sees me he waves his arms and gives a squeal.  He has starting rolling over from back to tummy but gets stuck.  Poor little guy!

He laughs so hard at Marley and is constantly watching her every move in complete astonishment.  She is so good with him and always asks to "hob him" ~ she is gently and loving.  Jonah is sleeping thru the night and naps around three to four times a day.  He nurses often throughout the day ~ probably every couple of hours.  He loves tickles and raspberries on his belly.  He is a giant of a baby and is off the charts in height and weight.  I love this stage he is coming into ~ cute, chubby baby body, learning to sit up, trying out solid foods, playing with toys.

Baby Joe's eyes are staying blue and his hair is looking lighter and lighter.  He is currently in swimming lessons as a Starfish (and Marley is a Duck).  He falls asleep pretty easy in the car and is not a big fan of his carseat just yet.  It will be nice when spring rolls around and we can do way more things outside.  He has grown out of so many pieces of clothing (he is wearing 9-12 month stuff)!  Jonah is not a soother baby or a thumb sucker yet ~ I don't know if that will become a thing like it was and is for Marley.  He is my angel baby and I love my big "baby man":)

More Babies is Better

People typically ask questions about having two kids ~ especially so close together (18 months).  I say it's great but can be very hard sometimes.  Having one baby is busy and as they get older and gain more independence the busy-ness stays but just changes.  Throw another very dependant little being into the mix and you are super busy.  Days are full of diaper changes, feeding(solids to one, breast to the other), kissing boo boos and making them smile.  Time becomes almost invisible except for when nap time rolls around or you just really need your partner to come home from work so you can go pee.  Being a parent has a lot of rewards like the intense eye contact I have with my little man Jonah ~ it is such a wonderful conversation without words.  He eyes tell me how much he loves me, how funny he thinks I am, how amazing and interesting the world is.  My daughter is a little old soul who seems to know so much for someone not yet two.  She can read body language and facial expressions like you would not believe.  Subconsciously I may look tired, stressed, worried and she will call me out on it.  There is no hiding with her:)  She already displays so much empathy, sympathy and love.  "You ok mama?" head tilt, bright blue eyes with a little smile ~ this alway brightens the moment even if I haven't even had a chance to brush my hair and change my baby puke clothes and it's already pass noon.  It is a whirlwind and sometimes it can feel overwhelming ~ babies both crying, needing you at the same time, house is a mess, your clothes have spit up on them, and the dog needs out and you just want to go have a nap:)  But the good times easily surpass these crazy moments.

You never know what to expect ~ tomorrow Jonah might learn to roll over from his tummy to his back or Marley might throw out one of her 5 word sentences.  It is like no other "job" I have ever done before.  I love being a part of so many amazing moments everyday ~ I love the adventures we get to go on ~ Marley is such an excited, animated, social, funny girl ~ a trip to the library to get a book receives a big "oooouuu yay!"  It is hard sometimes like I said and I think I would have to be either super human or a liar if I acknowledge that.  It is great though and I would not change it for anything.  I am very lucky and my babies are the epitome of love.  Next time (I hope there is one much to my husband's dismay :D ) I would wait a little longer to have another baby ~ maybe 2-3 years apart ~ mainly for my body's sake with all the changes and stress pregnancy and birth have on a body.  But for sure it is worth it to have them somewhat close together ~ the bond Marley and Jonah have is amazing already<3<3 I love being a mom and I am so thankful that I live this life everyday<3<3

Best Ever HEALTHY Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie

Since this past Fall I have become SUPER excited about cooking and baking in general ~ I received a swaaeeet Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer for Christmas (thanks Mom:D ) and recently also purchased a really nice Hamilton Beach Food Processor (thanks post xmas sales at Canadian Tire:D ) ~ needless to say I have been whipping up a storm of yummies in my kitchen.  I love creating and changing recipes to suite the needs of my little family ~ my husband and I have always been super into organic and local ~ always keeping in mind that what you put into your body is simply fuel.  Since having my daughter (almost 2!) and another baby recently (almost 5 months!) I have discovered a new passion for making sure what we are eating is good for us.  I would never want my daughter to run on processed food and we are so lucky to have a great market in our town which sells mostly organic, natural and local foods (thank you Nature's Fare<3).  We have been buying these yummy organic cookies and I figured I might as well try my hand at a few recipes to see what I can come up with.  After doing a bunch of research I found a good base recipe that I have altered to fit our family.  These are the yummiest Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies that I have ever had and I hope you enjoy them too!

Here's the ingredients you'll need to make some magic happen(I included the brand in italics ~ if I write NF it just stands for Nature's Fare organic brand):

1/2 cup Coconut Oil (Omega Nutrition)
1/2 cup organic Peanut Butter Smooth or Chunky (New World Natural Foods)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (Sunny Boy)
1 1/2 cups DARK brown sugar (NF)
3/4 cup rolled oats(NF)
1/4 cup oat bran(NF)
4 tbsp Vanilla Almond Milk (Earth's Own Almond Fresh)
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract (Frontier Vanilla Extract Fair Trade)
1 tbsp corn starch (NF)
1 tbsp Raw Coconut Vinegar (Coconut Secret)
1 teaspoon baking powder (NF)
1 teaspoon baking soda (NF)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tbsp Golden Flax Meal~ground (NF)
1 tbsp Hemp Seeds~"hearts" (Manitoba Harvest)
3/4 cup chocolate chips~dark bittersweet 71% + cocoa (Cuisine Camino Fair Trade Chocolate)

OPTIONS:  to make gluten free use brown rice flour, apple cider vinegar instead of raw coconut vinegar though raw coconut is proven to be a healthier alternative, to add omega oils you can add 1 tbsp of Vega Antioxidant Omega Oil Blend :)

HOW TO:
1.  Heat oven to 350F
2.  In a bowl combine peanut butter, coconut oil, sugar and vanilla extract (I used my stand mixer but this could easily be mixed by hand)
3.  In another bowl combine flax seed, almond milk, corn starch and raw coconut vinegar.  Stir it up then pour into bowl with peanut butter mixture.  Mix it up!
4.  Can use the same clean dry ingredient bowl used for step 3 and mix flour, rolled oats, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and hemp hearts.  Mix it up by hand!
5.  Take wet ingredients bowl from stand mixer (if you used one) and stir in dry ingredients.  Then add your chocolate chips and mix it up:)
6.  Use parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  I like to swipe a tiny little fingerprint of oil in each corner for my parchment paper to stick too.
7.  Roll up cookie dough balls (1 inch diameter) and place on cookie sheet about an inch apart.  Bake for 12 minutes (this is about the perfect time for the cookie to be soft on the inside and just the perfect crunchiness on the outside)
8.  Cool for 5-10 minutes
9.  Enjoy a warm cookie with a cold glass of vanilla Hemp Bliss milk! :D
10.  Leave the kitchen so you don't eat them all!

In the picture above I had also packed some cookie dough into a heart shaped silicone muffin cup ~ it turned out great ~ maybe an idea for Valentine's Day <3

Enjoy!