One of my favorite Christmas Traditions

This post is in partnership with Minted.  Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible! 

Isn't Christmastime the best?!  I just love the lights, the spirit, the magic and community that comes with Christmastime.  Last year, as you can imagine, was a rather crazy Christmas season as we were figuring out twins and toddler with new 'big brother' status.  We had a fabulous holiday(snowfall included!), but the one thing we didn't get to was sending out Christmas cards, and I was so sad that we didn't make that happen.  

A few days ago, I was looking through some family photos and found our Christmas cards from the past three years (last year was missing, of course).  I love having a record of how our family has changed from year to year.  And I really love being able to send them out to friends and family each year. 

One of the most challenging parts of ordering and sending out Christmas cards is choosing a design.  This year, I am partnering with Minted to make some gorgeous cards, and they have SO many amazing designs!  I mean, how do you even choose one? I think I had 20 tabs open at one point. 

Minted also has so many customizable options that I am a big fan of.  I am thrilled that they let you do text on the back (I am planning on doing a little family update on the back of ours), they have lots of paper choices including 100% recycled (super exciting for my inner environmentalist).  They will print the addresses you are sending cards to for free, which is such a time saver.  And, the designs are from independent artists, which I think is amazing.  Seriously, they are doing great things with Christmas cards.  I cannot wait to order ours! Getting ours in the mail is always a highlight of my Christmas season.

Now, leave a comment telling me which of the two following designs you like best for our card!  I always struggle to decide what to do.  I might have a winner, but want to see what you think, too!  And while you are at at it, check out Minted's amazing selection of Holiday cards! 

Option 1 (Blessed Christmas):  

Things I love: 

- The font.  I think it is classy and fits well with the photo.  

- I love that the photo takes up the entire card, but there is still some sort of holiday greeting from our family. 

- Those three little boys 

Things I am not sure about: 

- Do I want a text overlay?  Does it look too basic, when there are so many other options? 

Option 2 (Understated Pines):

Things I love:

- The leaves. It isn't a super Christmasy photo, so I thought the leaf watercolor on the card was a nice accent.  

- I love how simple the card is, but that it isn't plain (I will be adding all our names to the card at the bottom by 2018.  I just didn't do that here for privacy reasons).  

Things I am not sure about:

- Is it too simple for the photo?  Is the photo too small?  

Option 3 (Bountiful): 

Things I love: 

- The pretty watercolor! 

- the framing of our family photo. 

Things I am not sure about: 

- The text... I kind of wish it only said Merry Christmas, but you can't adjust that, from what I have been able to tell.  

- Is it too busy?  With all the foliage behind us, I worry it is too busy.  

***Minted also has a special running on their website for 15% off with the code MERRY and free shipping on orders over $100 with code FS100.  It runs until 11/20/18.  

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Butternut Squash and Fontina Soup

I had a few reasons to be excited about moving into a house last summer (no downstairs neighbors, no climbing a flight of stairs with groceries, a garage to park in, four seasons...) but one of the things I was looking forward to the most was the garden.  

My mother-in-law has a remarkably green thumb and can grow almost anything.  In the spring, dozens and dozens of tulips and daffodils come up out of nowhere, and there are waves of flowers that come throughout spring and summer in different parts of the garden.  Then she has garden boxes for planting vegetables.  

In the past, Adam told me there was an enormous garden plot in the backyard and they used to grow most of their summer vegetables there, but since only two people have been living here for many years, it shrunk down, and is now fairly small, but there was still room for me to plant tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, peas, squash, some greens, pumpkins and a few other things.  It was a delight to wander around the garden on warm summer evenings, looking to see what was ready for picking.  

I really was looking forward to getting a few butternut squash out of the garden, because it is my favorite winter squash, but sadly, one of the vines ended up producing pumpkins (my fault or the seed packet? We will never know), and the actual butternut squash vine only produced one small squash.  I had envisioned squash soup through all of fall, and was a little disappointed at the lackluster turnout.  Thankfully, kind friends and neighbors came to the rescue and we ended up with a few butternut squash.  

I had never found a butternut squash soup recipe that I loved (although I had eaten some delicious ones, so I knew it was possible), so I was thrilled when I threw a few random fridge leftovers in with the butternut squash and made a creamy, rich and thoroughly delicious soup.

This is very likely to become the staple butternut squash soup in our home.  It was so good.  I hope it helps fulfill your fall squash dreams, too.  

Happy Cooking!  

Butternut Squash and Fontina Soup

1 large Butternut Squash, roasted

1 onion, diced

1 Tbs olive oil

6 - 8 fresh sage leaves, chopped into small pieces (or 1 tsp dried sage leaves)

1 cup shredded fontina cheese

1 cup cream

1 tsp salt

2 cups veggie broth

To roast the squash: 

Preheat oven to 400°F Chop the squash in half vertically from the stem to the bottom.  Scoop out the seeds in each half and discard them.  Pour a small amount of oil on a rimmed baking sheet, lined with a silicone baking mat or foil.  Place squash fleshy inside down on the sheet and bake for 40-50 minutes until it is very easily pierced with a fork.  Remove baking sheet from the oven and let squash cool.  Then use large spoon and scoop out the flesh and discard the skin.  

To make the soup:

Sauté onions in the oil for 5-7 minutes, until they are translucent and soft. Add sage and squash and cook for another 1-2 minutes.  

Add the broth and salt and stir.  

Cover and bring mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat and let the soup simmer for 8-10 minutes 

Remove soup from the heat, and put it in a high speed blender.  Blend up until it is very smooth and then put back on the heat, add the cream and the shredded cheese and then heat until the cheese is melted.  

Enjoy!

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5-Minute Artisan Bread

A few months ago, I happened upon a book called "The Kitchen Counter Cooking School."  It was a truly terrific book, and inspiring in a lot of ways.  The basic premise is that the author (a graduate of Cordon Bleu in France), decides to hold a free series of workshops for people who can't cook, and help them learn the basics in order to improve their eating lives.  

They all happen to be women (she had a man involved initially, but he dropped out before it started),  of all different ages, and many backgrounds, and then she and a few other chef and culinary friends teach them all sorts of skills from chopping vegetables, to making bread, to not wasting as much food in the kitchen.  

One of the recipes that she includes is this 5-minute artisan bread recipe.  Perhaps you have heard of it before (I had), but I felt like it would be a good fit for my current life.  So I tried it out!  It isn't the best loaf of bread I have ever made (that would be the super buttery brioche that I made for Christmas Morning...), but it was very tasty, and SO fast and easy.  Even I can squeeze in 5 minutes to throw together this loaf.  

It makes a smallish loaf (Actually 4 smallish loaves, total), but it is perfect for our little family to eat with a soup for dinner.  Sometimes there are leftovers, and sometimes their aren't.  Either way, it is a great way to get a homemade bread out in record time.  

Super Easy Artisan Bread

From The Kitchen Counter Cooking School & Artisan Bread in Five

3 cups lukewarm water

1 Tbs yeast

1 Tbs Salt

6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (you can substitute up to 1/2 of the flour with whole wheat flour)

In a large bowl, or container with a lid, combine the water, yeast salt and flour, and mix with a spoon until the flour is incorporated (it will be a wet dough, and quite lumpy). Cover lightly, but do not seal, if you are using a lidded container.  Put in the refrigerator overnight (you can also use after two hours.  See this article for directions on how to do that). 

The next day, lightly flour the top of the dough in the container, and pull out 1/4 of the dough.  

Form it into a ball, and place on a cornmeal sprinkled silicone mat or parchment paper.  Let the dough sit for 40-90 minutes.  The dough will not rise a lot during this time, and that is okay.  

Preheat your oven with a baking stone in it, to 450°F and place a heat-proof pan (like a cast iron or metal pan) on a rack below the stone.  

Slash the top of your bread with a very sharp knife.  

Carefully slide the loaf onto the hot baking stone and pour a cup of water into the heat proof pan below.  Quickly and carefully close the oven door, and let it cook for 30-35 minutes until golden brown, and hollow sounding when you tap it.  

Remove and let cool until it reaches room temperature, then serve.  

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Zucchini, Beet, Apple Bread

The older I get, the less I am liking sugar.  My dad has never really liked sugar, in my lifetime (although apparently he did used to eat a Three Musketeers bar everyday in his lunch in high school), and I never understood that.  But these days, the less I eat sugar, the better I feel, and the less I like it.

In all honestly, I just really don't like the way eating a lot of sugar makes me feel.  I typically end up feeling foggy, headachy, or sick, so we have been cutting out a lot of sugar in our diets.  Also, there have been a lot of studies lately that show how terrible eating sugar is for our bodies.  We just don't need it and it is causing all kinds of issues with our bodies.  

This bread is a wonderful way to have something slightly sweet and tasty feeling without getting the sugar rush.  Plus it is a great way of incorporating more vegetables and fruit into your diet!  

Chocolate, Beet, Zucchini Bread

Adapted from Kitchen Matters

1 loaf

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

3/4 cup shredded, unpeeled zucchini

3/4 cup shredded, unpeeled apple

3/4 cup shredded, peeled beet

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Grease a standard sized bread loaf tin.

In a medium bowl, mix the oil, yogurt, syrup eggs and vanilla until combined. In a large bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones.  Fold in the zucchini, beet and apple and pour it into the pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out lean.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then let it cool.  Eat within 3-4 days.

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Life-Saving Items for the first 3 Months of Twins

Let's face it, having twins is just hard.  It is also completely wonderful and amazing, but there are a bunch of things that make it pretty difficult (two babies, not sleeping, trying to nurse in tandem, or bottle feed two... you get the picture).  So, today I wanted to share a few items that made having twins a little easier for me.

Twins are more common than they used to be (I read a statistic somewhere that said 1 in 30 children born is a twin now!), so maybe you are having twins, or you know someone who is having twins.  Here are a few items that made a big difference those first three months!

Life-Saving Baby Items for the first 3 months of Twins

Rock 'n Play - We had borrowed one from a friend, but only having one was super inconvenient, so my kind mom bought us a second one.  We still use them almost every day(babies are almost 6 months), and used them constantly for the first 3 months.  We haven't ever used the vibrate feature (I have heard that can make babies dependent on it, and I certainly didn't need that), but it can vibrate, and I think some of the fancier models can play music, too.

Munchkin Pad - This is silly, but these were amazing.  A friend gave us a beautiful crocheted Moses basket, and these were the liners, but I ended up using them long after the babies grew out of the Moses basket.  We had a number of episodes where I would set one of the babies on the couch for just a minute while I was getting ready to nurse them or something (I couldn't hold them both at the same time very well at the beginning) and very often, they would spit up, or leak through their diaper at that exact moment!  So inconvenient!  These are small, portable, waterproof and washable, so they were terrific for taking around the house and using to change diapers or just set the baby on, if you are worried about the couch or carpet (which I am, because both belong to my in-laws).

Tubby Todd's all over ointment ($10 off your first order through that link) - We LOVE Tubby Todd, and my babies have truly terrible skin.  They have eczema, they peeled like crazy (pretty much every doctor we saw during their most peely stage was shocked at how much they were peeling), and are dry and red most of the time.  This ointment hasn't solved the problem (it is doubtful that much could, honestly), but has helped keep a lot of the redness and chapping under control.

Baby Car Seat Cover - These are the best.  We went to the hospital at 2 1/2 months, when the babies got RSV, and I was so grateful to have them over each car seat when we were sitting in the waiting room with tons of other sick, coughing people.  They are also so good for nursing, can double as a blanket, if needed, and are light, but not sheer.  They are amazing.

NoseFrida the Snotsucker - Another necessity if you have a wintertime baby.  When the babies got RSV, their case was mild enough that they didn't need oxygen, but they did need to be suctioned out regularly, to help keep them comfortable.  It was amazing to be able to do it at home (not quite as effective, but still fabulous), and to know I could clean the whole thing out.  Those bulb syringes, while wonderful, can be really disgusting after a good cold.

Baby Socks - One of the unexpected things about twins, is that not only do they scratch themselves as infants, they also scratch each other.  We still have them wear socks on their hands regularly to protect them from each other.  My favorite pairs that we have were a gift from some of Adam's professors from Austin, and they are by SmartWool.  They are warm, stretch, are machine washable and stay on so well.

Cloth Diapers Burp Rags -  One of our neighbors gave us a huge stack of these (she had twins about 30 years ago, and they were still sitting in her garage), and they have been my favorite.  I love how absorbent they are, and that they are a super neutral color, and that they are all the same color (the minimalist in me, maybe?).  They are better than any other burp rag we own, and I am so glad I have about 15 of them, because they get used all the time.

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A Few Things I have Learned...

The last three months of being a parent of twins (and a toddler) has kinda rocked my world.  I remember hearing parenthood was hard before I had Fox, and then Fox was born, and it totally changed my world, but you can't really imagine what being a parent is like until it happens.  Same is true with twins.  People tell you it will be difficult, but you don't really know what that means until you do it.  Can you do it?  Sure, but it is still difficult.  So I have spent a lot of time thinking about what is important, what makes my life better and easier, and things I am grateful for.

This is a semi-random list, but these are the things I have learned since becoming a parent:

- Treating a shower like a treat makes every day as a mom better.

- Routine and good habits makes parenting 100% easier.

- Almost everything you need to do can wait until tomorrow (except loving your family).

- Staying in for dinner is easier than going out (especially when we have eggs).

- Getting outside improves my mood (and Fox's mood) by at least 50%.

- Imperfect isn't always bad.  One of my favorite sweaters is missing a button.  The mess of toys on the floor means Fox had a happy day.

- Gratitude for life and a little mascara makes for a beautiful mother.

- Making cookies always makes the day better.  Eating more than one cookie always makes the day go worse.

- Family dinner is insane, but totally worth it.  Do it every night and it will pay off.

- There is no such thing as doing nothing with your kids.  When I am sitting on the floor, holding my twin boys and listening to my 3 year-old, I am doing something important. They need me, and need my time, hugs, and listening ears.

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Badger and Bear: One Month Old

Okay, so this actually happened at the end of December, but I love how I have a photo record of Fox's first year (didn't do so great on monthly photos after that), and decided I want to do the same thing for the twins.  It is so fun to see how much they grow and change through that first year.

(What so much of twin life looks like)

So, a few things about them at one month:

- They are still sleeping most all of the day.  We get eyeballs here and there, but for the most part, they just sleep.

- Definitely not sleeping through the night at all.  They are getting up to eat 2-3 times a night, sometimes more.

- Their fussiest time of day is typically between 7 and 9PM, where they take turns screaming for an hour or so.  Sometimes longer.

- They are intensely snuggly.  They love being held, and are so happy to snuggle up right into you to nap.

- A few people have asked about their twin connection, and at this point, I don't really see it.  They don't mind being around each other, but there is no calm that comes when they are together.  More likely they will accidentally whack the other twin in the face.

- They are still super thin and small, and make me want to protect them in a real way! Saggiest little leg skin.  It is SO sad.

- Badger is the squeakiest baby around.  During the night, we hear tons of little squeaks from him.  We always know who is awake, based on that.

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Apple Cider Muffins

We are currently living in my in-laws house, and they happily have 3 or 4 large apple trees in the backyard.  This was one of the things I was most looking forward to, for moving into their house.  Then, last spring, a late frost killed almost all the blossoms on the trees, and we hardly got any apples last fall.  The few we did get had worms, and I was sort of crushed, since I had been envisioning apple pies, dried apple slices and frozen apple sauce to take us through the fall and winter.  

But, my in-laws had a good apple haul in 2016, and had juiced a ton of apples, and frozen the juice.  This is no apple juice from concentrate.  It is a truly transcendent experience to drink this apple juice. But once you defrost it, you have to drink it sort of quickly, so in trying to find ways to use up some leftover juice (because I almost never drink straight apple juice, so it is a little overwhelming in large quantities), I discovered these delicious (and decently healthy) muffins.  They are crumbly, sweet and really tasty.  Definitely worth a try, if you are looking for a semi-healthy snack.  

Apple Cider Muffins:

Adapted from Genius Kitchen

yields 12 muffins

Muffins:

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup wheat flour

1/3 cup turbinado sugar (or granulated sugar)

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

3/4 cup apple juice or apple cider

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Streusel:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

3 Tbs wheat flour

2 tsp cinnamon

3 tbs cold unsalted butter, chopped into small pieces 

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Grease a muffin tin.

For the muffins: 

In a medium bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. 

In a small bowl, melt your oil, then add apple cider and the egg. 

Add all at once to flour mixture and stir until just moistened.  

For the streusel: 

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a small bowl.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives.  

Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin tin.  Sprinkle some streusel over the top of each.  Add another tablespoon of batter on top, and finish with streusel. 

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let cool slightly, and remove to cool on racks.  These are best the first day.  Enjoy!

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Weekly Menu Plan

Last week, I decided to skip my normal grocery shopping trip in order to go to the library and plant nursery for spring seeds. We had some food left in the house, and my mom was coming, so I figured I could wing it for a day or two and then sneak out when she got there.

I ended up putting together a grocery list with a truly tiny amount (maybe 6 items?) of items to purchase, and it was all thanks to the huge amount of beans we had in our pantry.

I love beans and with my new instant pot (thanks, Janssen!), they are a cinch to whip up.

Here is what we ate:

Chickpea and Carrot Salad:  I make this almost every time my mom comes, and it is almost always a coincidence.  But it is a good one.  Quite easy to whip together, super tasty and really cheap.  I like to use peanuts, and only use cilantro half the time (and never use mint).

White bean and bacon soup: This was a new one, and it was GOOD!  I made a couple adaptations, and will post it later this week.

Pesto Pizza: Homemade pizza crust, store-bought pesto and cheese.  So easy, so yummy.

Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Cabbage Bowls:  When do I ever NOT make these?  I make them almost every week, because they are always a win, and so easy and healthy.  I have 3 or 4 variations of them on this website.

Hoisin Stir Fry: This is another go-to super easy meal of mine.  The sauce is so delicious.
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Delicious Dump Granola

A number of years ago, I decided to try my hand at making granola.  And I never looked back.  It has been the breakfast of choice for years and with the occasional exception, we almost always have a jar of it around.  I have had many variations, but this is the latest, and very easy, and can be adapted as much as you.

Basically, you dump it all in a bowl, stir it, spread it on a cookie sheet, cook it and you are done.  It is VERY easy and wonderful.  It really takes about 5 minutes, and it isn't too sweet (Adam's favorite), and has some nice chunks (my favorite), and tastes great when you add dark chocolate chips to it.

I have been doing the Daily Dozen app everyday for a few weeks, which asks you about a series of foods everyday to see if you have eaten them.  This checks a number of the boxes, and always makes me feel good.

Delicious Dump Granola

6 1/2 cups of rolled oats
2 Tbs millet
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chopped almonds
2 Tbs ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil (I like coconut)
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine oats, millet, seeds, nuts and vanilla, cinnamon and salt.  Pour the oil and sweetener over the top, and stir until it coats all the oats.

Spread onto a cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat and flatten with a spatula.  Cook for 25 minutes, until golden brown.  Let cool for 1 hour or so and store in a glass jar or tupperware for up to 2 weeks.

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Weekly Menu Plan

It has certainly been a while since I posted one of these, so I decided since I have actually been cooking lately, I might as well.  My mom was here for 6 weeks (bless her!), and I did almost no cooking while she was here.  But now she is gone, so it is up to me.  I have done a lot of simple meals, and so far, I haven't felt too overwhelmed.

Honestly, it has been nice to be back in the kitchen, and making food for my family.  Well, until one or both of the twins starts crying.  So some days are better than others (and some days I want to call Adam to pick up food on his way home), but overall, the cooking is going okay!

Butternut Squash Soup - This had great reviews, but I was actually not a huge fan.  I have mixed feelings about butternut squash (I used to love it, and the last few years, my love has tapered off).  Overall, I didn't love it and will try a different recipe next time.  If you have a recipe you love, let me know.  I would love to try it.
Spring Pea and Quinoa Salad - This is one of my favorite salads.  We have been cutting back on meat again (after a pregnancy where meat seemed necessary to get the iron/protein for twins, plus having a freezer full of my in-laws meat to finish), so I splurged and bought some high quality bacon for us to put in it.  It was terrific.
Southwest Quinoa and Grilled Corn Salad - This was really good.  I would totally make this again.  Also, we really love bowls like this one, so it was right up our alley.  I also used frozen corn and cooked it in a skillet with cumin.
Lentil and French Onion Soup - I like the idea of onion soup, but it just had too many... onions... but really (Don't ask... mom brain/post pregnancy problems) Not sure if I will make this again. The flavor was great, but I just didn't love the texture and onions.  Lame, I know.
Black Bean Bowls - Fox requested these for his birthday this week.  I love that I can mix it all together for Adam and me, and Fox can eat all the things in little piles and dip them in ranch as he likes.  It is the perfect meal for us.  Cheap, vegetarian, delicious, customizable, and great for kids.
Leek, Bacon and Potato Quiche - I love quiche, and this one was delicious!  Good flavors, and somewhat easy. It was a liberal adaptation from this Smitten Kitchen tart.

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Goals for 2018

If you know anything about my family, you know we are big goal-setters.  Most years, you can see Janssen and Merrick's posts about their goals for the New Year, and I am no different. I love setting goals.  My dad is a huge goal setter, and we would always have a family night before the New Year to make and talk about our goals and our game plan for making them happen.  

My mom was here for many weeks (thanks, Mom!) when the twins were born, and she and I talked a lot about goals and goal setting, because of the upcoming year.  She had sorted hers into some categories (family, personal development, spiritual, etc), and while I was putting mine together, I did that, too.  

Then a few nights ago, I was thinking about typing up a final version of my goals, when I realized that sorting my goals with this method wasn't the right fit for this year. I just couldn't get them to look and sound the way I wanted.  Almost immediately, I had a stroke of inspiration.  I quickly wrote down the categories that I wanted to use instead: names.  

Using names to associate with my goals suddenly made my goals feel much more personal and important.  I also put the names in order of importance to remind me what my priorities need to be.  

Not completing a goal that has specific person in mind seems like a significantly bigger failure, and thus should help me actually complete my goals for this year.  I am hopeful that it will also help me remember my goals (I usually print out a copy and put it somewhere where I will see it everyday.  It helps to put it somewhere like the bathroom mirror where I look at it while I am brushing my teeth). 

I also have a few focus words picked out to give direction to some of these goals.  

So here are my categories:

God

Landen

Adam

Fox

Badger and Bear

Family

Home

Travel

Here is a little explanation about how these goals will work for me: 

I am very religious (I am Christian/Mormon, if you didn't know), and I want God to be the center of my life, so those goals are focused on how to strengthen my faith and to help me come to know God better.  I believe that knowing and loving God makes me a better person and will help me accomplish all my other goals.  

Then, I need to take care of me, so I have some goals about getting ready every day, and getting my hair cut regularly. Potentially superficial sounding, but I am a total procrastinator, and typically get it cut only when it is getting ridiculously long, and I despise it. 

Next, I want to strengthen my relationship with Adam, and make sure that we are taking time for us together.  We are planning on scheduling a date night in once a week (more on this later), and a special dinner in every week (because we are probably not ready for a babysitter for a while).  

Then I have my boys.  I have some goals related to helping Fox particularly grow and develop this year, despite my having two infant babies. I also have a goal or two about getting the babies on a regular sleep schedule so that I can still make dinner, blog occasionally, clean the house and spend quality time with Fox.   

Next we have some family goals for making some traditions, getting outside, and doing a few things in Utah, like hiking, going to the park regularly, etc.  

I have some things that I want to do around our house (make a lumbar pillow for my bed, clean out a few cabinets, techniques for keeping the house tidy, etc).  Those are lower priority, but I would still like them to be done.  

Traveling is my last category, because we are planning on doing a few trips this year.  We have a family reunion, would like to visit both of our parents, and take a trip into the Utah Mountains (NOT camping, although, I would like to do that eventually).  

How do you structure your goals?  What are some of your goals for the New Year?  

And, if you would like to try this kind of goal setting yourself, click here for a printable version.

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A Last Look at 2017

This year has been a big one.  This time last year, Adam was still in grad school, didn't have a job, we were in an apartment, we were still in Texas, and only had one kid. Fast forward one year, and this is a snapshot of our lives now: 

- Adam received a shiny graduate diploma

- We now live in the lovely Salt Lake Valley in Utah

- We live in a house with room to run, a backyard and a clothesline

- Adam has a good job (glory be! This is SUCH a blessing!)

- We have three beautiful children (did I mention THREE children?!?)

This has been quite a year.  Because of this, my life will look very different in the New Year, when Adam goes back to work, and I am on my own with three little people every day.  This has made me pretty nervous (because sometimes they all end up screaming for me/at me at the same time.  So, I have a few different plans for this next year, to help me still feel like a human, for trying to keep my life in order, and for coping with everyday life.  I will share those in a few days, but today, I wanted to do a little review of 2017, just for fun.  

First our 'sugar-free month' in January 

My 'Curated Closet' posts where I worked on finding my perfect closet (still working, but feeling pretty good about where it is at. If... I can get back into my jeans).

Our move to Utah (sort of in two parts)

Finding out and announcing we were pregnant with twins and many subsequent twin pregnancy posts (I really do look enormous here, don't I?  You sort of lose sight of that in the day to day.  No wonder my jeans still don't fit!)

Having the Twins, who are healthy, lovely and are totally wonderful.  A healthy pregnancy and babies has been SUCH a blessing for us!

It has been a wild and crazy year, and really so so good.  We feel very blessed and look forward to this next year!  Thanks for sticking with me in my lack of posting!  I am so grateful for all of you!

Happy New Year!

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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you!  I hope it is a great one for you!  

Much love from our family of five!

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Twin Baby Birth Story

On Saturday morning, I packed up my last few items for my hospital bag and headed to the hospital for a scheduled c-section.

While we drove to the hospital, we continued our tradition of listening to "The Final Countdown," by Europe (we did this on the way to Fox's induction, too) and talking over baby names again.

I was feeling surprisingly calm when we got there and hardly had a jitter when I checked in. They got us to a prep room and I got changed into a hospital gown and they took my vitals and asked me lots of questions about my health history and such. Then my doctor came in to let me know she was on her was to another C-section before mine and that she would be in soon for mine, but that it had been pushed back an hour.

The anesthesiologist also came in to answer any questions, and told me a little bit about his part in my procedure. I was starting to get a little nervous, especially when they came in 5 minutes later and told me the procedure would be half an hour sooner than they had said.

Very soon, we were walking down the hall to the operating room, and I laid down on the very narrow operating table. They got me prepped and the anesthesiologist began to get me numbed with local anesthetic and then placed a spinal in my back. It was pretty uncomfortable, but in a moment it was placed and almost immediately my legs got very warm and within a minute or so, I couldn't feel a thing. They hung up the curtain, my doctor came in, and they got started.

She did an ultrasound one last time to make sure Baby A was still breech, and he was, so they carried on with the procedure.  

As they began cleaning my stomach to prepare for the incision, I started feeling nauseated, lightheaded and started seeing spots. Despite voicing my discomfort, they carried on, telling me that it was not abnormal. In retrospect, what were they going to do?  If I blacked out, it probably would have been easier to deliver, and it wasn't like they could stop at that point.

I was feeling pretty lousy, but within about 5 minutes, they pulled out Baby A.  He was the breech baby, and smaller of the two.  He came out screaming and bloody, and when they held him over the curtain so I could see him, some blood dripped onto my face. My arms weren't working very well because of the anesthetic, so Adam wiped it off for me.  

After some tugging, they got Baby B out, as well, and he also came out screaming.  The doctor said that he was a really big baby (at least by twin standards).  Adam said they held him up, too, but I couldn't see him.

As I laid on the table for the next 30 minutes or so, while they cleaned me back up and put me back together,  I watched them weigh and assess Baby A, but Baby B had been handed to a NICU team through a window in the operating room for assessment, and I couldn't see him at all.  Adam had brought in our camera, and took some photos of each of them, since my interaction with them had been so brief.  I wish that I could say that things got better for me as they stitched me up, but I started dry heaving about 10 minutes before they were done, and felt completely terrible.

Finally they finished up, and had me roll onto a hospital bed. I was feeling slightly better, but overall I was still feeling pretty terrible.  

Baby B was perfectly healthy, and could come with us, but Baby A had a low heart rate (or something... I can't remember exactly what), and they wanted to keep him in the NICU for assessment.  As long as he improved, they said he could join us in a few minutes.

We went back to the labor and delivery room, and I continued to feel terrible, all shaky and freezing.  I think it was shock?  Not sure, but they brought me warm blankets and half an hour or so later, I started feeling a little better, and was finally able to hold Baby B.  Baby A passed his assessment, so he got to join us a few minutes later.  It was so great to have them both with us.  We texted our families and sent some photos and just enjoyed the babies for a few minutes.  

I nursed both babies, and they were terrific at it from the get go, which was a huge relief.  After about two hours in the recovery room on the labor and delivery floor, they took us up to a room upstairs, and we were able to spend some time as a family, holding our babies, and enjoying them.

Later that afternoon, my parents and brother were able to come over and hold them as well, which was really wonderful.  My dad hasn't ever been able to come to the hospital the day any of his grandkids were born, so it was pretty special to have him there. 

Fox had been really sick on Thanksgiving, and Black Friday, so we opted to have him come and visit on Sunday instead, just in case he was still contagious.  His visit was terrific, and he ended up being so sweet and lovely with the babies, and I was so pleased.  I had been really worried about how he would do.

Overall, it was a pretty decent birth. Not the spiritual and magical entrance into life that I was secretly hoping for, but with two healthy babies and a good recovery, I couldn't ask for anything more. So many prayers were answered with this pregnancy and delivery and we feel very blessed and are loving our little boys so much. 

Introducing Bear and Badger:

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10 Easy Homemade Dinner Ideas

Knowing you are heading into a few months of little sleeping and little time for cooking means as much planning ahead as possible.  That means freezer meals, stocking up on essential food items and making a list of easy meals that I can make quickly.  These are not freezer meals, but I figured it is helpful this time of year to have some easy options to fall back on.

These are a few ideas that I had, and things that I can easily make when I am dealing with a toddler and two infant twins (at least I think so... If not, please send pizza!).  These are a few favorites, or super easy meals that can be thrown together in less than half an hour.   I need to have a list, because nursing/no sleep may mean I won't have many brain cells left to remember what kinds of meals are quick to make.

Black Bean Soup

Chicken Tacos

Fried Rice

Omelets

Pasta w/ sauce

Homemade Pizza (I have homemade pizza dough stocked in my freezer, and can just defrost, top and cook)

Stir Fry

Breakfast for dinner (waffles, pancakes, hash browns, etc)

Sandwiches (I like toasted sandwiches the most, topped with cheese, bacon, apples or pesto)

Quiche (pre-made crust + vegetarian)

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Fox's Toddler Bedroom Update

I don't know that I have explicitly stated it here, but we are currently living in my in-laws house while they serve an Mormon/LDS mission.  We are really sad to have them gone (especially with the upcoming birth of the twins), but happy that they are doing something that they have always wanted to do.

There are definitely pros and cons to living in someone else's house (more on that later), but one of the big difficulties was the room that Fox sleeps in.  It was the room that Adam had shared with his little brother for just about his whole life, and once he and his brother left for college had essentially become a between-semester dumping ground for papers, boxes, old clothes, and guitars.

I remember the first time I ventured into this room, I could hardly walk in, because there was so much stuff piled on the floor and against the wall.

Adam, his brother and his mother are all quite clean, but because the room wasn't a permanent place for the boys to live, it just never got cleared out (and they were never home long enough to go through most of it).  And his mom was worried about clearing it out, for fear of throwing away something important, so it ended up just sitting in a state of semi-disaster for close to eight years.

Once we knew we would be moving in, I wanted us to sleep upstairs (the idea of having the master bedroom in the basement didn't thrill me at all), and didn't want Fox way downstairs (it is kind of a hike down to those bedrooms), so something had to be done about Adam's old bedroom.

My mother-in-law, Adam and I all spent about a week boxing stuff up, donating and throwing things out.  Then we had to get rid of a few pieces of furniture that weren't going to work, and we took apart the bunk bed and started moving some of his nursery furniture into that room.

After my in-laws left for their mission, I wrestled with whether or not we should tear down the wallpaper.  Both my in-laws were totally fine with it (apparently my father-in-law never liked it anyway), so it wasn't an issue for them, but I knew it would be a big job getting it down and putting the room back together and painting before I was too pregnant to do it.

Finally, in August, my mom came to visit, and told me that as part of her visit, she would help us get the wallpaper down and the room painted.

And once we started on the wallpaper there was no going back.  It took us close to a week to tear it all down.  I have officially decided that I never want to wallpaper a room so that I don't have to tear it down, because it was such a pain.

My mom went home before we finished, and then I spent several weeks trying to figure out a paint color that I wouldn't hate.  This was surprisingly difficult.  The room is pretty small, and the walls were a dark blue with the wallpaper, making the room look even smaller.  Once we tore it down, every shade of grey that I chose looked extremely blue on the walls.

On my fourth or fifth sample, I finally found one that I thought would work.  Conveniently, my mom came back up for a day, and spent the entire day painting that room, bless her.  It completely changed the feel of the room, and I am totally loving it!

We are not totally done yet, but this is the progress report so far! I am still hoping to change the light fixture (anyone know what that kind of light fixture is called?  I am hoping to only replace the glass piece, and not the whole fixture), add a valence over the window, as well as a roller shade to block out the light, and possibly consider getting a rug.  Who knows if that will all happen, but currently I am MUCH happier with the room the way it looks now!

Easy for playing, and sleeping, and much prettier to look at.

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