And the winner is...

Meghan Cavas!!

Congratulations! Meghan is the sweet mom of Caden and Kailey. She and her husband, Troy, were some of the first people we met here in Austin through a small group. They have since moved and are now enjoying life on the sunny shores of Florida. She loves to work out and was a great inspiration to help me get back in shape after having JD! And I know she loves coffee too!  Hope you enjoy this little treat! =)

(Meghan, message me your address and look for your package later this week!)

Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway! I thought it was super fun and am already thinking about the next one...

My Current Obsession Giveaway!!

NOW is definitely the time to be outside in Austin! The weather has been amazing for at least a month now. Highs in the low 80s, beautiful, sunny, and green- thanks to a good amount of rain so far this spring. The bluebonnets and wildflowers are incredible! Needless to say, I've been trying to squeeze in as many outdoor activities as possible (before these breezy warm weeks turn into stifling, dry months that are only fit for water related activities - preferably in the early morning hours before it reaches 110 degrees)! We've been hitting up all the neighborhood parks, we've been jogging (well ok, I've been walking - briskly!) the trail by the lake in the afternoon (which would be asking for a heat stroke in a few short weeks), Jonathan and I took JD canoeing two Sundays ago, last Sunday we played at Zilker Park - flew a kite, dug in the sand, kicked a soccer ball, climbed the big rocks, and played fetch with Kip. This Sunday the family field trip is to the fun little par three golf course (dogs, kids, and coolers are all welcome). JD and I are hitting up the Farmer's market tomorrow afternoon and the zoo on Friday. Anyway, you get the idea. We are taking advantage of this weather and storing up lots of good outdoor memories to be remembered from the air conditioned interiors of the children's museum, the library, the bounce house, and most afternoons our own house once the thermometer starts inching toward 100.

Anyhoo, all of this gorgeous weather talk leads in to one of my most favorite things of all time.

ICED COFFEE.

It is kind of an obsession of mine lately. A nice sunny afternoon in the park (the perfect temperature is warm but not sweat inducing) with my little man is super fun. Top that off with an iced coffee and it is downright divine. Even our tiny little back patio feels more festive with an icy tumbler of coffee balanced on my belly - which is now the perfect size to hold drinks and/or snacks (looking on the bright side).

So, I'd like to try something. A Giveaway!

Just leave me a comment here on the blog or on my Facebook post by the end of the week and I'll enter you into the random drawing. The winner gets this:

A 5 Pack of Starbucks Via Iced Coffee and a BPA free tumbler (with, I might add, a straw that can't be pulled out should you happen to have your iced coffee in one hand and a grabby baby on your hip!) Plus, there will be a little bonus item as well! Can't wait to see who I get to send this to! =)

March Revisited

How did I let the entire month of MARCH slip by without even one post? Oh dear. I am sadly very lazy in the blogging department. Well, here's what we did last month...

I cooked up a few gluten free treats for the fam:

Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins (w/ a rough draft of the recipe)

 Chipotle Chili with Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

I was a huge fan of this hearty stew, but Jonathan deemed it "all right." The recipe is from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's vegan cookbook Appetite for Reduction which I highly reccommend if you are interested in thinking outside the animal product box...

Ingredients:

1 t. olive oil

1 red onion, diced small

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. coriander seeds, crushed

2 t. dried oregano

3 chipotles in adobo, seeded and chopped

2 average sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces

12 oz. Brussels sprouts, quartered lengthwise

2 t. ground cumin

1 T. chili powder

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 c. water

1 16 oz. can black beans

1 1/2 t. salt

Freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions:

In a 4 qt pot over medium heat, saute the onion in the olive oil for 5-7 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, coriander seeds and oregano and saute for a minute more. Add the remaining ingredients (except the lime juice). Mix well. The sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts will be peeking out  of the tomato sauce, but don't worry, they will cook down.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer and cook for about half an hour, stirring ofter, until the sweet potatoes are tender but not mushy. Squeeze in the lime juice to taste. Let the chili sit uncovered for at least 10 minutes before eating.

And, of course, I couldn't have done any of this without my little helper.

Mom came to visit:

 Of course, I kept her hard at work sewing for me! She whipped out a rocking chair cushion and cover, four  throw pillow covers, and two crib skirts. =)



She barely had enough time to squeeze in some kisses from JD! We also picked out material for Emily Claire's quilt, and took a trip to IKEA which is always a good thing!

Story Time at the Library:

JD and his buddy Oliver. Very proud of these newspaper hats they "made" at the local library toddler story time.

JD turned TWO:

We had a small family dinner on JD's actual birthday and gave him his gift from us - the little red tricycle. Check FB for a hilarious video of him trying to figure it out... Then, on Saturday morning, we invited all of our friends to the park for homemade breakfast tacos (thanks Ashly Stacy!!), Starbucks coffee and cupcakes. I'm happy to say that we had fabulous weather and the kids and adults had an equally great time. I  was way less stressed about this party than I was last year about his first birthday party for some reason. Maybe I've given up some "control issues" about trying to make everything picture perfect (a two year old tends to have that effect on one, I hear). Or maybe I'm just lazier. Either way, it was super fun to host and see JD have such a great time surrounded by all his Austin friends.

We enjoyed the great outdoors:

 This is the sign of true tiredness. Laying down on the playground!

 We took our first real "family adventure" to Pedernales Falls State Park, about an hour away. JD thouroughly enjoyed himself. We ate at a local outdoor BBQ place with live music afterwards and you can bet, we heard some loud snoring from the back seat on the way home! We hope to establish a family culture of being active, getting outside, and exploring nature early on! March was a beautiful month, and we are trying to do as many things outside as possible before the heat of summer sets in.

So that was a little snapshot of March, I promise to do a better job of blogging in April!  This month should include other fun stuff like a maternity photo shoot with Whitney Runyon, a giveaway, more tasty gluten free treats, an update on the kids' room redecoration process, and more! Stay tuned!