"They'll probably just talk about labor and birthing babies"

That's what my mom told my 17 year-old brother when she asked him if he wanted to come out with us to the big play date at the park we had planned with several other moms and their kiddos. 

But mostly it's true. That is a frequent topic of conversation. And he didn't want to go, for the record. 

Going to a park with a bunch of toddlers? That isn't fun for a teenage boy? ;-)

We went back to Liberty Park today in Salt Lake, this time with more friends! We actually didn't get to talk a whole bunch because in case you didn't know, watching a flock of babies near a water source is actually quite consuming. But it was still fun being out together! These are some of the hippest ladies I know, my Mom included (hippest as in coolest and not as in having big hips).

 The 3 hour nap Jillian took after this play date made the 1 hour drive to get to this park (darn traffic) totally worth it. 

Also, after seeing pictures of myself in those sunglasses, if anyone wants them let me know. I stole them from my sister before she moved, and no one has told me how awful they look on me. You're all terrible friends. 

park after park after park

A few mornings each week we make it over to one of the 5 million little parks around here. Since having a toddler, we frequent the park scene much more often.  They definitely don't build those things with moms in mind, do they? Like, is it too much to ask for a more conveniently located bench with a little more shade? Maybe a water mister? 

Too much?

And why aren't more snow cone stands at parks? They're always randomly on the side of the road or in gas station parking lots- because that's definitely where I want to hang out with my toddler.

Anyway. We found a fun one this morning (park, not snow cone stand- unfortunately). 

Jillian already has a BFF and I think it's adorable. They follow each other everywhere, like to hold hands, and take each others share snacks. Today they just walked over to a patch of grass, sat down together with their handfuls of wood chips and were talking to each other about who knows what...probably gossiping. 

I definitely CANNOT get enough of summer. It's going by way too fast. 

 

In other news, My family comes out from Florida this weekend and I am over the MOON excited.

facelift

I think I've had a paint brush in hand almost all summer. ..I'm totally okay with it. I get all these ideas during the school year and finally have time to DO during the summer- so I do, almost nonstop until August.

Last week's project (one of them anyway) was to give my main floor closet a facelift. It was kind of a catch-all place for Jillian's toys, cleaning stuff, coats, swimming pool gear..total dumping ground. Because all of Jillian's toys are in it, the doors stay open most of the day so she can get to them, which means everyone who comes over could see the total wreck it was. 

The basket in there (or collection of random baskets) was not a great storage solution at all. It was way too deep, so the toys at the bottom never got played with. Random things would also fall down there...like a half-eaten piece of Mickey Mouse shaped cheese from who knows how long ago. Did you know they make Mickey Mouse head shaped cheese cubes? I do not lie.

o_0

One night I finally decided I had enough with this space. Time for a facelift:

The paint was old and dingy, so it got new stripes! By the way, painting stripes is WAY easier than I thought. Don't be intimidated at all. Follow this advice and you'll be golden. Now I want to paint stripes on everything.

The frame is from Ikea and that print is up in my Etsy shop here! 

I also scouted out a better toy storage solution from Ikea that separates and organizes all of the toys so Jillian can actually get to them all, and I stay sane in the process- always a bonus.

The coats (which aren't in the before picture, but there were like 20 coats in here) got moved to a downstairs bedroom closet (after all, we're not using them right now), and the vacuum cleaner found a more practical home. 

(We also got new floors since the "before" picture, hence the different look there).  

Now when I pass that closet I say aahhhh (like a relaxing "ah") instead of AAHHH!! (terrified "ah"). 

Much better. 

I'll eventually get a little rack to hang the broom and Swiffer on...as soon as I can get over putting screws into my pretty, neat stripes.  

the 4th

I LOVE the 4th of July. Ever since Jillian was born though, our celebrations have been pretty tame (I think she would probably pass out if we went to see a fireworks show). 

Our day started veerrryyy early. We went with friends and family at 6 a.m..six FREAKING a.m. to go see what was supposed to be a hot air balloon launch with many different shaped hot air balloons. We got there bright and early, donuts and juice in hand, only to find out it was cancelled due to too much wind! I was pretty let down. If Jillian would have known what she was missing, she would have been let down too. But we still had a good time eating our breakfast on blankets.

The rest of the day was..exhausting. We had to take advantage of the fact that James and his dad had off of work to rip out our flooring to prep it for the install (that is happening RIGHT now! Eek!). Did you know they staple carpet to the floor A MILLION AND SEVEN times? Furthermore, did you know that when old hardwood is nailed AND glued down  it's a real pain in the profanities to get out? Well...now you know. 

We had full intentions of grilling up some burgers and chowing down on watermelon and key lime pie, but when lunch time rolled around, we decided take out would be..less tiring than cooking. So we ate quesadillas and taco salads..very American of us.

I watched Jillian most of the day while they did the really hard stuff. We did a few sparklers (or "karklers" as Jillian calls them) outside in the blazing heat and played at the playground. 

Because of our ridiculously early day, Jillian went to sleep at 6:30. James brought home some In-N-Out and a redbox and we ate on our bed and watched the movie on my laptop (because we're slobs because all of the furniture is in the basement until the floor is done). 

I promise we're more patriotic than this year let on. 

Happy 4th! I'm so grateful to live in such a blessed country!

snip, snip

We took Jillian over the weekend to get her very first haircut! I'm not sure what I was more nervous about- the fact that there would be a pair of sharp scissors near her very wiggly head, or that she freaks out anytime I try to do her hair and hates strangers, so the combination of a stranger cutting her hair could have been a very nasty one.

 Fortunately, she was a rock star (she inherits this from me ;-). The lollipop I gave her definitely helped. I also told her she was going to get "princess hair" and she was all over that. 

She only got a little snipped off just to trim her bangs and the wispy pieces in the back, but I think we can successfully check this "first" off the list! 

(The pictures are terrible, as was the lighting in that joint)

James was also getting his haircut at the same time (see him in the background?) :-) It was a family affair.

i am not a camper

I think it's fairly common knowledge that I'm not the camper type. I'll totally go on the occasional hike, sit by a fire, load up on s'mores...but when it comes to full-on ruffing it in the woods, sleeping in a tent camping- no thanks. 

Or give me an RV. I could totally do camping in an RV. 

Like I said, occasional fire and s'mores- I'm all in. We went up with James' aunt and family for just that. Jillian LOVED it. When she wasn't poking the fire with a roasting stick, she was playing in a pile of rocks. Her khaki pants came home brown, covered in dirt. If that's not a sign of a good time, I dunno what is. 

I was completely reminded why I don't like camping full-on camping when the water bottle I drank earlier needed to make a swift exit (something happens after you have kids and all of the sudden you can hold your pee for a grand total of 5 minutes). The 30 minute drive home meant I had to use the campground bathrooms. Egh...Apparently I need to work on my squatter position because I totally peed down my leg. 

Yep. Not a camper. :-)

But bring on more s'mores this summer! I'll just drink a little less next time...

25 stay alive

I turned 25 last week...TWENTY FIVE!!!! A quarter of a century. Officially in my "mid twenties"...when did that happen? 

Here's what happens when you turn 25:

1. You go through concealer faster than any other makeup product. 

2. You notice a wrinkle on your forehead that isn't just there when you smile...

3. Teenagers you know make references to groups like "No Doubt" like they are SO old school.

4. Your presents start to get more practical.

5. You realize turning 30 is a lot closer than it used to be.

All in all though, 24 was a great year. No complaints (except maybe that one darned wrinkle). And loads of good memories.

To celebrate, James and I went to see the community theater outdoor musical, Tarzan (can you tell I picked what we were doing?) :-p I thought it was cute. James? Well, he stayed until the end. We topped it off with In-N-Out, which has quickly become my favorite burger joint.

My birthday present was a new light fixture! See what I mean about presents becoming more practical? It's all good...I'm totally obsessed with home decor, so it's exactly what I wanted.

I am officially old and boring...but never better!

Adios 24! Bring on the anti-aging cream!

happy father's day!

Father's day gets me emotional..like more emotional than Mother's day..weird? But I'm incredibly lucky to have so many great father's in my life! 

 I think one of the reasons my Mom married my Dad is because she knew he'd be an amazing father. One of my parents' first dates was a "study date" (super productive I'm sure). My Dad danced frosted animal cookies across my Mom's books before eating them. Right there she probably thought, "This guy is a total dweeb, and he's also pretty endearing and hilarious." That's exactly how I'd describe him anyway- endearing and hilarious..and maybe also partly dweeb ;-) Today as we were face-timing with him back home, I couldn't help but giggle to myself as he and my Mom were singing "I love you a bushel and a peck" to Jillian in silly, off-key voices just to provoke a smile out of her.

I've also loved watching my father-in-law grow into a Grandpa, or "Gumpa" as Jillian says. Today at dinner he was trying to coax Jillian into eating a bite of her chicken by pretending to feed it to her pet fishy, but telling her the fishy didn't like it, so she had to eat it.  Jillian was kind of slow to warm up to him at first, but now she begs to see him! 

And of course, last but not least, the father of my own child and other future kiddos. Even though he's pretty busy between school and work, he will always squeeze time in with her- and boy does she soak it up. I think Jillian defines a new level of "Daddy's girl". Every day when he gets home from work, she squeals and runs to the door to give him a hug. Then she immediately says "go get mail?" Their latest ritual is going to the mailbox together, haha. I love the way he looks at her- it's still the way he looked at her when they first met! I always say this, but I knew James would be a good father, but he has far exceeded any of my expectations- and for that, I am so grateful!

Happy Father's Day! 

goin' green

My little sister is officially in the mission field!! For any non-Mormons out there, that just means she has left the Missionary Training Center in Utah and is now in her assigned area to start teaching and preaching as a missionary for our church. And where is that assigned area? Martha's Vineyard! I'm beyond jealous...she said it's gorgeous! 

When missionaries are new, they're called "greenies"...I'm not really sure why, haha, that's just their nickname. So this week I made Michaela a GREEN package to send her. At first I thought finding all green things in the store would be tricky, but when you're looking for a certain color in the grocery store, suddenly EVERYTHING is that color! I wonder if the cashier noticed...

My "green" package included: lime flavored wheat thins, green PostIt notes, cherry limeade drink mix, lip balm, mouth wash, Trident mint gum, pocket sized Kleenex, mint Oreos, travel size Clorox wipes, War Heads sour candies, Mike and Ike candies, cocoa roasted almonds 100 calorie packs, lotion, Clinique face scrub and moisturizer, a pocket sized mirror, hand sanitizer, and sour cream and onion Pringles (not pictured).

I also found this awesome poem that I typed up a copy of and tossed in as well:

I'm so proud of my sister and I'm excited to send her more fun packages in the future!

one amazing cake and a birthday

Today is James' birthday! I can't believe he's already 28! (That's two years away from THIRTY!!!!) We are getting old. 

According to him, the highlights of year 27 were: getting accepted into grad school, and getting a new job with Goldman Sachs. In his 28th year of life his goals are: "to make it through school and work." :-) Awe, he's cute. (I'm hoping he makes it through too!)

I asked what kind of birthday cake he wanted me to make for him, and he requested German chocolate cake. Wouldn't of been my first choice, but it's not my birthday. I found a recipe that looked promising (and a little tricky) on Pinterest, and since no plans were on today's agenda, we (Jillian and I, but mostly I) got to bakin'. 

Of course I sampled as I went, and about two "tastes" in I knew I'd been converted to German chocolate cake...because HOLY CRAP this one is DELICIOUS. Usually when I think of German chocolate cake, the cake is dry and the filling is overly sweet with waayy too much coconut. THIS one couldn't be any different.

If you're not a believer, give this one a try.

German Chocolate Cake

(recipe from Sass & Verocity) 

For the cake...
2 c. sugar
1-3/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. natural unsweetened cocoa
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 lg. eggs
1 c. whole milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. boiling water
 

For the filling...
7 oz. sweetened shredded coconut (about 2 c.)
4 oz. chopped almonds (about 1 c.)
14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 T vanilla
1/4-1/2 c. heavy cream

For the topping...
2-1/2 sticks unsalted butter (1-1/4 c.)
10 oz. semisweet chocolate
3 T light corn syrup

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread the coconut on one baking sheet, and the chopped
nuts on another. Bake for about 15 minutes or until coconut is just beginning to brown and nuts are aromatic. Remove from oven, and stir, then set aside.

Turn the oven temperature up to 350 degrees F and prepare two 8" x 3" cake pans by lightlyoiling, lining the bottoms with parchment, oiling again, then lightly dusting with flour. Set them on a large cookie sheet if you can. Heat some water to the boiling point -- you'll need to add it to the batter.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, and salt. Whisk a few times to blend well. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla to the dry ingredients, and beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Pour the boiling water into the mixture and mix well.
Pour batter into the prepared cake pans and place them in the oven to bake for 40-45
minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center is clean after removed.

Cool the layers in the pans on a rack for 15 minutes, then remove them and cool on the
racks completely. When the layers are completely cool, cut each in half horizontally to
create four layers. Remove all parchment.

To prepare the filling, after removing the cake layers from the oven, turn the temperature up to 425 degrees F. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a casserole dish that will fit inside a larger pan. Pour hot water into the larger pan to reach half way up the sides of the casserole. Cover the entire set up with foil and seal well. Bake for 45 minutes. At that point, remove the foil with extreme caution as steam will be released, and check the water level. Add more hot water to reach half way up the sides of the casserole again, seal well with foil and place back in the oven for an additional 45 minutes. The milk should be thick and the color of a rich caramel. Stir, and keep warm and covered.

To prepare the topping, melt the butter in a sauce pan. Remove it from the heat and add
the chocolate in small pieces, stirring until the chocolate is melted. Stir in the corn syrup.
Reserve 1 cup in a bowl and place it in the fridge to thicken, about 1 hour. Stir well
occasionally until it reaches a spreadable point. Keep the remainder of the chocolate mixture at room temperature.

To assemble the cake, mix the dulce de leche, most of the coconut (save some for
decoration if you wish), nuts and vanilla and stir well. The mixture must be spreadable. Pour in just enough heavy cream to achieve the desired consistency and mix well.
Place the first cake layer on a piece of cardboard cut for the cake, or the removable metal bottom of a cake pan and place it over a baking rack set above a baking sheet to collect excess glaze when the topping goes on. Divide the filling into three equal quantities. Mound 1/3 of the filling onto the first layer and spread with an offset spatula that has been dipped in water. Continue until all layers are assembled.
 

Cover the sides and top of the cake with the chilled chocolate. If it's too firm, put it in the microwave for 5 seconds and stir until it softens, but do not over use the microwave or you'll ruin the chocolate. Make sure the warm chocolate is pourable, reheating over an extremely low flame briefly, and then stirring until glossy and smooth. Pour over the center of the cake, and with an offset spatula, gently push it to the sides and over, smoothing as you go as little as possible. Warm water to dip the spatula in works wonders for this. Allow to sit until the chocolate is finished dripping, and remove to a cake platter then refrigerate until serving. To slice, warm a knife in hot water.