Meal plan for the week :)

I don't know about you but sometimes its hard to come up with new recipes to try each week.  I find that I fall into a rut of making the same meals over and over (especially if they are a husband/toddler hit) and then we get burnt out on them.  With that in mind I thought it might be fun to list my meal plan for the week in case you were needing a little inspiration in your cooking life too :)

Monday:
Cauliflower gnocchi with pasta sauce and a side salad

Tuesday:
Ahi tuna steaks with arugula, watermelon, and feta cheese salad

Wednesday:
Pork chops with broccoli/brussel sprouts mix

Thursday:
Grilled/baked (undecided) chicken with mango salsa and sweet potatoes

Friday:
we usually eat out this night to give us a little break from cooking, cleaning, etc. - almost like a mini celebration that we made it to Friday - ya feel me?

Saturday and Sunday always vary from week to week... sometimes we cook and sometimes we take those meal times as opportunities to meet up/catch up with friends and family (which could look like cooking, bringing a dish, or meeting at a restaurant). 

Breakfast: 
this also looks different week to week but some favorites in the rotation include: overnight oats with fruit, cereal (not often though), avacado toast with salmon, egg muffin bites, plain greek yogurt with fruit/cottage cheese with fruit.

Lunch:
Adam has been taking the same 4 things to lunch every day for the last several months and says he loves it :) - peanut butter and raspberry sandwich, apple, rx bar, and 3 boiled eggs. 

I typically take leftovers from the night before or I make a salad with a fruit or bring hummus with cut peppers.  Depends on what we have in the fridge. 

Hope this gives you a few ideas! 

What I'm Loving Tuesday!

To be totally honest with you I just typed "What I'm Loving Wednesday" in the title headline when in reality its Tuesday haha - way to go Jess!  It's been a busy day playing catch up with some work around the house and a million loads of laundry that I have been procrastinating to complete.  But, I thought it would be fun to do a little "what I'm loving" post.  I always enjoy reading these on other bloggers sites. 

1. A co-worker (thanks Bettina!) of mine had this lip gloss on the other day and it looked great on her so she gave me the name and I immediately went to target to grab it (I love lip gloss.. and have tried so many - I might do a blog post on all of those I have tried and review the ones I like and didn't like - would there be any interest in this?).  Anyways,  I was super impressed with the quality of this inexpensive gloss.  I think I paid a little under $4 for it.  It applies super smooth and glossy unlike the matte finish.  Personally I am not a fan of the matte finish glosses - they leave my lips dry and cracked - almost chalk-like.  I definitely prefer the glossy finish and this gloss gives that with a little hint of color.  I went with the cherry flavor which leaves a reddish tint on your lips but there are several other flavors/colors to choose from.  Worth the purchase!!

 
2.  My mother and father in law were in town this weekend and brought us the most delicious tomatoes (thank you Mimi and Grandpa!) from the farm.  I have been enjoying making fresh mater sandwiches for lunch!

3.  A blogger I follow (@styledsnapshots) posted a video of one of her go-to quick and healthy dinner recipes a few weeks ago and I am excited to try it tonight.  Most of the time by the time Adam and I get home from work we are hustling to get supper prepped so we can all eat together and have time to play with Norah before bath and bed.  For this dinner recipe all you have to do is throw the riced cauliflower in a pan on the stove as well as the tempura cauliflower and saute both. Then place the broccoli in the oven to roast.  Once all done, serve together and you have a great meal.  I will be sure to update you as to how it turns out but I bet its delicious.  You could also add a meat (chicken or chicken sausages if you prefer to have a meat at dinnertime).  Interested to see how my meat loving husband does with this non meat dish ;).  Love you babe! 

4.  I've heard about the Quay brand sunglasses from the blogger community for awhile now and then I saw my sister- in-law, Lauren, wear this brand a few months ago and wanted to try them out.  I am typically a gal who doesn't splurge on sunglasses because I am usually hard on them, meaning I drop them a lot, misplace them, and scratch them up.  However, I got tired of going to target every few months for a new pair because mine had broken.  These glasses were about $60 and I love them!  More sturdy than your typical under $15 dollar brand from target, old navy, etc but still not too expensive to break the bank.  They sit nicely on the face and don't fall off when bending down to grab something or looking down to see/read something.  That is one of my biggest pet peeves - I do not glasses that fall down the face onto the nose.  Luckily these don't do that!  Also, it's important to day that there are many different styles and colors so there is a pair for everyone.  Definitely worth checking out if you're in the market for a nice pair of sunglasses that don't break the bank.     

5.  I'll finish this edition of "What I'm Loving Tuesday" with this rug from target.  It's actually 2 rugs (both from target) but I got the one you see on top last night.  I am into rug layering these days (even though my hubby thinks it's silly).  I love the way it gives dimension to the space and I also love the way you can really play with the patterns and colors.  If you're interested, let me know, and I can post the link.  

And finally a picture of half of the completed laundry (that still needs to be put away) - just in case you thought it was all fun and games over here.... :) 

Hope everyone is having a lovely Tuesday!  It is currently raining, which is supposed to bring cooler temps to the area.  Hallelujah!!!!  

Top 5 places on my list to visit

I thought this would be a fun little intro to my blog!  And hey, look at me, two posts in one week!  There are several places I would like to visit so I will split it up with - "places I want to visit in the US" and "international places I would like to visit".  What places are on your list?

Top 5 in the US:

1.  Napa Valley - I have always wanted to drink wine in a for real vineyard.  Plus, I hear that this place is absolutely beautiful.  

2.  Maine - Two words: lobster rolls.  Not only is the seaside calm and stunning but the seafood is out of this world.  

3.  New Orleans - Adam has been there several times but I would love to head on down to the bayou for some live music, alligator air boat tours, beignets, and touring the french quarter. 

4.  Glacier National Park - Honestly, there are several national parks I would like to hike/visit. But, Glacier is high on the list.  Other parks I would like to see are: Yosemite, back to Yellowstone (went here on our honeymoon), Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyon.  I would also like to hike in the Redwoods in California one day.  

5. Chicago - Deep dish pizza, big city and live music - who would want more.  

Top 5 Internationl:

1.  Greece - Blue water and white houses everywhere - Take me there!

2.  Italy - Pasta and Gelato.  Yes, please.  

3.  Japan or Peru (can't make my mind up) - I've always wanted to visit Japan but I would also love to see Machu Pichu too.   

4.  London - duh, gotta see how the royals live ;)  

5.  Somewhere Tropical - Tahiti, Bora Bora, the list could go on.  Basically very blue water and little tiki huts.  

Now, what other places should I add to this list? 

Here we GO!

I've been on again, off again with this whole blog thing for years.  I love reading blogs but can't seem to follow through with regularly posting on my own.  So now that I have more time (hahhhaa - yea right!)  I figured I would try blogging again.  There is no telling what you will find in this creative space - definitely some family fun, probably a few DIY projects, maybe a few drug store beauty finds, perhaps I may even post some yummy recipes.  Thanks for following along and Welcome!  Glad you are here!