Whirlwind

Happy Monday ya'll.  I can't believe the weekend is over already.  I was thinking this morning that we should change the name of weekends to "whirlwinds" because that's what they feel like.  I wait all week for Friday evening, I blink and it's Monday.  I had a seriously fun and busy weekend...I think...it all happened so fast.

Rowan and Dad, Rylie and her teacher Ms. Giles, Rylie walking the halls of her school and Rylie and Mimi on the train.

Friday evening we went to the Fall Festival at Rylie's school.  Since the program Rylie is in is at her future elementary school, it was a for real Fall Festival at a school put on by the PTA, which we are members of =)  It was festive, fun and busy!  We ate cafeteria concession food, let Rylie jump in the bounce house (her first time) and we got to spend time with her teacher.  The activities and games were mostly for bigger kids (bigger than 3) or the lines were too long but we had a fun time chatting with her teacher and letting the kids play on the school playground.

Contemplating the slide.

Saturday morning we relaxed and cleaned as usual and then geared up to drive to Montgomery to see our cousins at a birthday celebration for my cousin Leanna's little boy Elijah.  We had so much fun and the kids were in heaven because we were outside the whole time.  It was MUCH colder than expected but we had a blast.  I love love love my cousins.

Rylie on the hayride, Chloe and Rowan playing with hay, Auntie, Mimi and Rylie on the hayride.

Fun fun fun in the cool fall air!

Sunday I got no pictures but I went to Christmas Made in the South with my Mom and Amy.  We go every year but I had a blast this time because I went kid-free and had fun shopping all the vendors with my Mom and Amy alone.  It was a rare treat and I loved every minute of it!  I also got 2 gifts and an art print for the kids bathroom.  Yay!

Well I have to run because this is another super busy week and it starts now!  I know sometimes my blog seems like a brain dump, but I hope to have the time to do more thought out posts soon.  Hey, the blog name alone tells you I'm optimistic!  Have a great Monday ya'll!

I've Missed This

Kissy kissy.  He ADORES her.

The past few months I've opened up the blogger dashboard a dozen times, written half a post, saved the draft and let it sit for another few weeks until it's irrelevant and started over.  Why stop doing something you truly love? No big reasons, only little silly ones.  Blogging on the ipad is not ideal, my free time is so limited that when I have the time I'm too brain dead to make coherent sentences and also sometimes you just get in a funk.  Have any of these things changed? No, but I'm ready to build a bridge, get over it and use the bridge to help me do something that I really enjoy, despite the challenges.  With that said, I'm moving on.

Happy and free and dancing in the cool fall breeze.

Things here are busy.  Rylie goes to school 2 days a week (only a little over 3hrs each day) and still cries for 50% of the time she's there.  She has good days where she participates and engages with activities and bad days where she's angry or sad or just asks for Jason and I the whole time.  I have no idea when this will change or when we'll have more good days than bad days consistently.  Sometimes this utterly depresses me and other days it doesn't phase me.  Rylie has 2 amazing teachers and 3 amazing therapy teachers (occupational, physical and speech therapies), her school is within walking distance of our house and she has SO many people praying for her.  I have to believe that in time it will get better.  Did I think it would take LESS time, totally, but Rylie does things on her own time =)  On a more positive note, Rylie continues to amaze me at her ability to read and spell.  She can read ANYTHING.  We also have wooden letters that she enjoys spelling with.  I even go video of her spelling.  I asked her to spell a random word (I picked Friday because it happened to be Friday) and she totally spelled it.  She has a true love for all things words and books.  She also talks in full sentences (when she wants to) and is becoming more independent, hooray!

Rowan continues to entertain and amaze me everyday.  He is a total ham and repeats everything we say.  He's currently obsessed with pumpkins and any kind of light. Christmas trees are going to be a HUGE battle for him, he'll want to play with the lights. He is super friendly and gregarious and is just the most precious little ray of sunshine.  On a daily basis I feel super lucky to have both of the babies that I have.

Pumpkin patch with Mimi

Rowan and Papa. These two remind me

so much of each other!

October-January is a very busy time for us in the Griffith household.  Just the next 2 weeks alone will include Rylie's Fall Festival at her school (and I'm the Class Mom), a fun fall get together in Montgomery with cousins and Aunts and Uncles, Pumpkin Patch at Rylie's school and trick-or-treating.  It's amazing how slow time went by before I had kids and how I have to struggle to not make time seem like a blur.  I want to enjoy all the moments but sometimes they fly by SO fast.

I hope you all are doing well and I hope to get back to this...this blogger dashboard, blurting out all the things in my head and adding in a few pictures, it feels like ME.

March Foodie Pen Pals

Hi friends! It's time for another Foodie Pen Pal post! This was my second month participating in the Foodie Pen Pal's program and it was so much fun. This month I was paired up with Ashley the Unintentional Vegan!  I was excited to try some of the vegan and gluten free goodies that she sent to us.  I consider us pretty adventurous, so we were ready to see what Ashley sent!

I'm always excited when my foodie pen pal box arrives!

A wonderfully sweet note from Ashley!

These are all the goodies she sent!I was so excited because I had seen some of these products but I had never any of them yet.

These were just as delicious as they sound.  Sour apple chips!  I will definitely be picking these up again. Rylie and I opened these one afternoon and shared the whole bag.  Love the sweet-tart flavor.

Rylie noshing on sour apple chips and playing on the ipad.

We had this tasty treat for dessert on the very night that we got the FPP package.  Rylie was a huge fan of the texture and I was a huge fan of the rich chocolate flavor.  Plus, as a parent you I love the fact that it was sweetened with fruit juice!

This was another huge hit with the kids.  I opened it to eat one afternoon and they both helped me gobble it up.  Mama=2 bites.  Rylie and Rowan=the rest!  Want to see the ingredient list?  Its on the front package there.  Awesome, right?  If I see these out I will definitely get some for the kids, especially Rowan.  Who knew?

This bar seemed intimidating.  Look at all the descriptions.  Vegan, kosher, uncooked, no refined sugar, non GMO and soy free.  Plus it says LIVE FOOD BAR on the front.  Then I opened it up and saw this.

It was a blue-ish green.  I took a bite...awesome!  I am not just saying that either.  It tastes like a cashew cookie flavored Lara bar, but even better.  Richer and nuttier.  I was amazed and excited.  It has spirulina in it (which likely gave it the green color). Spirulina has all kinds of awesome benefits, I found some info on it HERE.

Meatless jerky you say? How can this possibly taste meaty.  Well for many years now I've enjoyed meatless products but I've never had meatless jerky until now.  Despite my years of experience and enjoyment with meat free "meat" I was a little scared to try these. I think it was the texture.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The flavor was awesome.  SO smokey and spicy and the texture was SPOT on.  Definitely felt like I was gnawing on beef jerky.  The hot and spicy was a clear favorite, but I just love anything spicy.

 Dairy free chocolate bar was a WIN.  The texture was a little dryer than most chocolate bars but the flavor was the same, if not better than many chocolate bars I've tried.  This was another huge hit with Rylie.  She believes that this is HER chocolate bar.  She's eating her way through it piece by piece.

Last but not least a Zico coconut water.  I had tried coconut water before (different brand) and not cared for it.  This time I put this one in the fridge and made a Zico cocktail after a long morning run.  Zico + apple juice + a splash of Sprite Zero = a delightful and hydrating morning drink.  Perfect post-run to re-hydrate me.

Thanks so much Ashley!  We really enjoyed trying all of the goodies you sent.  Ya'll hop on over to Ashely's awesome website and blog.  She has amazing recipes for delicious and healthy vegan food.   Come join us, it's SO much fun. Here is some information on Foodie Pen Pals if you want to participate!

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!

If you’re interested in participating for April, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. You will also find contact information on that page for the UK branch of Foodie Penpals if you’re a blogger across the pond!

You must submit your information by April 4th as pairings will be emailed on April 5th

Lastly, hop on over to Cupcake Kelly's to see who I sent MY FPP package to.  I love reading Kelly's blog.  Plus she has an adorable baby boy!!  Have a great weekend ya'll!

Weekend Countdown

It's Friday! So happy the weekend is here. What have you got planned? We don't have much besides sleeping in and a date on Saturday night thanks to my little sis Julianne. No clue what we are doing Saturday evening, but I can't wait for time alone with the most handsome man in the world :)

I thought I'd kick off the weekend with a little countdown. I see these posts on some of my favorite blogs and had to join in. So here we go! 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...weekend!

5 Pictures I Took This Week

Just having a little fun at Hobby Lobby with my girl.

My cute little baby boy.

You've got to love technology.  Rylie thinks MY ipad is her new toy.

When I vacuum Rowan pulls out his baseball bat and vacuums the rug too.

Every week after speech we go to Starbucks and get Rylie a cake

pop if she does well.  It is the highlight of her week.  Just look at

the excitement! I think she believes it an edible wand.

4 Observations From Bootcamp Week One

1. Planks are no joke. I'm not kidding. There are a million different variations and they are so good for your core. I did a few Straight Arm Planks with Leg Lifts on Monday and my abs were feeling it the next day. Try doing some of THESE planks today.

2. Stretching will have to be a must everyday. I have been loving the awesome variety in the bootcamp workouts, but every single muscle in my body is sore and tight. Stretching makes my muscles happy. I always forget to stretch until I'm so sore I can't walk. Must remember to stretch. For good stretches check out THIS link. I bookmarked it!

3. Strength is in numbers. I check the Facebook Best Body Bootcamp page several times a day for tips, awesome discussion and motivation. These ladies are like me, small kids, busy lives, sleep deprived, and we are all rocking the bootcamp one day at a time! It's a wonderful thing!

4.  Thank God I workout at home.  If people were to see attempting to stay balanced while doing a split squat or bear crawling across my floor I'm sure they would get the laugh of their week in.  In other news, my looser jeans will probably thank me for those moves in a few weeks.

3 Blog Posts You Should Check Out!

1. Let's Be Honest
Love this post from my dear friend Jessi.  I was amen-ing her all the way through this post.  Let's get real ladies and gents.  It's not all roses, even if my blog (and others) may have you believe otherwise.  Honesty for the win.

2. Snickerdoodle Cake Batter Blondies
WILL happen in the near future.  I even have all the ingredients in my pantry. I just need an occasion in which I can have one and give the rest away.  Gracie always posts THE most amazing sweets recipes, plus she lives in NYC and I like to live vicariously through her on occasion.

3. 3 Steps to Committing to Your Workout Time
I loved this post about committing to a workout time because honestly it's something I struggle with.  Balance is SO hard to achieve for me.

2 Current Faves

1. Essie Turquoise and Caicos Nail Polish

This stuff reminds me of spring and I can't get enough of it. I picked some up at Target last night and rushed home to paint my toes and fingers. Instant spring-tastic fun!

2. Ken Burns: Jazz

This is a documentary that ran on PBS about jazz.  There are 19 hours of it available on Netflix and Jason and I have been making our way through it in the little pockets of time we have to spare.  I started watching it with Jason because I knew he'd like it, but honestly, I have SO enjoyed it!  Right now I can't stop listening to Louis Armstrong on Spotify.  How amazing is this song???

A Kiss To Build a Dream On+ Blueberry Hill

1 Thing I'm Looking Forward To This Weekend

1. A date night with my best friend!  Happiness!

Old pic, but one of my favorites.  This man is perfect for me!

Par-Tay

Good morning! I'm so glad it's Wednesday, it's all downhill towards the weekend from here, right? This week has been great so far! Jason's birthday was on Monday (more on that in a bit), and I have been rocking the bootcamp workouts. I must say, I'm insanely sore. Not sore like I injured myself sore. Sore like I've only been running lately and haven't done any strength workouts in months sore. Today will be another full body weights workout + a little cardio. I'm thinking 20 min of tae-bo might be fun. What's your favorite kind of non- running cardio?  I'm a huge tae-bo fan from WAY back in the day.

So, Sunday night we got together for Jason's birthday and by his request I made a Chocolate Cherry cake. I used THIS recipe that I pinned on Pinterest. So easy and so yummy. I also found a guitar shaped cake pan at Hobby Lobby that turned out awesome! I'm no cake decorator, so I just slathered the cake down with dark chocolate ganache and sprinkles and called it a day.

Jason is the only one in our family that likes the chocolate/cherry combo but everyone else tried the cake (and ate around the cherries) and agreed that it was delicious.  My Mom also got a "regular" cake and for dinner we got Jason's favorite, take out from our favorite local restaurant, Thai House.

Besides a few jazz cd's and some guitar strings, I made Jason this super cute Daddy Star Wars kit from the kids.  I found the printables online for free HERE.  He loved it, as expected.  Plus I added a cool Star Wars shirt in there for him.  It was a great time.  I am SO blessed to call him my husband and my best friend!

Jason said his heart was so full on Sunday night because everyone made him feel so special!  I'm so thankful for my wonderful family, they make these occasions a million times for fun.

Elliot and Rowan wrestling with Papa.

Sooooooo cute!!

Rylie loved reading all of Jason's birthday cards with Mimi!

Ok, I'm off to get breakfast ready for the babies.  I hope ya'll have a wonderful Wednesday!

I'm Going to Bootcamp!

So, how was your weekend? Ours was busy as usual here. Jason and I always stay up too late and get spoiled by sleeping in late too. Thank the Lord, our kids seem to sleep past 8am on most days and we aren't complaining. We also celebrated Jason's birthday last night. He turns 40 years young today!! More on his celebration in my next blog post. Today also starts day 1 of Best Body Bootcamp!

Amy and I have been reading Tina's blog over at Best Body Fitness for awhile now, so when she announced that she would be doing a virtual bootcamp, we were excited! Each week there will be prizes and then a big cash prize at the end of bootcamp. Amy and I had fun reading over this week's workouts and planning some meals together. Each week I'll be posting an update on my progress and how I'm doing on my health and fitness goals.
Any encouragement or tips are appreciated! We are also still training for our Zooma 5k next month too, this bootcamp should be a great compliment to that training!


Well, I'm off to start my first workout. Have a great day friends, and if you know Jason, please be sure to tell him Happy Birthday! He's the most handsome 40 year old I know!

I love him!

February in Pictures (Instagram)

In case you didn't know, I'm a huge fan of this little app called Instagram. I have it on the phone and iPad and honestly it's like a visual Twitter, so fun. In February I joined a challenge on Instagram called Febphotoaday. I had so much fun challenging myself to come up with a picture for each day on the given theme. I thought it would be fun to recap the month of February in pictures on my blog, so let's check out my Febphotoaday Challenge!






This is the list of photo assignments for each day.

It was so much fun to see what everyone came up with for pictures this month. I hope y'all enjoyed a glimpse into my month on Instagram. Have a great weekend y'all!