1. O, Hello Blankets Etsy Shoppe After finding out that we were expecting a boy, I wanted some items different than what I had for Adalyn. Luckily, the nursery was painted a neutral color so I didn't have to change that but I wanted some items that were a little bit more for a boy- not so much the pink crib sheets and changing table covers that I had for Adalyn. **Keep reading for a fun giveaway!
I got the idea for this post when I was getting nervous for the upcoming craziness of having a newborn and a toddler at home while trying to breastfeed, blog, take care of my house, be a good wife and mother, etc. I am definitely someone to get nervous for any big life changes coming up so my way of dealing with this is to prepare for these changes as much as possible. I was thinking about how busy that I remember mealtimes being with a newborn. Breakfasts were eaten in bed while trying to answer emails and were usually Greek yogurt or oatmeal. I don't even remember what I did for lunches. Dinner was often meals from family, dinner at my parent's house or whatever I could throw together. I have a bunch of freezer meals made which I will talk more about soon but I really wanted to think about having some quick, easy and healthy lunch solutions on hand for when hunger strikes despite being busy. I thought about what I truly enjoy eating because there is no point stocking m
10-Minute Huevos Rancheros make the perfect flavorful breakfast with black beans, eggs, tomatoes, green onions, creamy avocado and feta cheese and are ready in no time! Mexican-style breakfasts are always appealing to Troy and I and when they take only 10 minutes to make, they sound even better! We love making loaded chilaquiles for breakfast, egg tacos, salsa eggs and more. I have always wanted to make huevos rancheros and when researching what ingredients go in them, I found all kinds of results. I found both refried beans and black beans. I found using sauteed onions and peppers, avocado, fresh tomatoes, green onions and more. I decided to use the ingredients that sounded the best to me and I was very happy with the results. One thing that was always the same time and time again is all of the huevos rancheros recipes used a sunny side up, over medium egg.
Banana Split Parfaits make the perfect nutritious 5 minute breakfast with Greek yogurt, fresh banana, strawberries, mini chocolate chips and cereal! Breakfast is my favorite time of the day. My daughter is a morning person like I am and wakes up in the best mood and is always super chatty and comes up with the cutest things. We love breakfast foods and enjoy making breakfast together. I often let her choose what we are going to eat since we like the same things and then, we make it together. I have some tips for cooking with a toddler to make it fun and go smoothly:
1. HouseHoldWords Vinyl Decals I had to wait to post this review until after baby boy was born because I was not ready to reveal his name until then! For some reason, I did not realize how large this decal was until it arrived but am very happy with it. It covers the entire length of Oliver's crib and looks great. It took Troy and I about 5-10 minutes to put on which is nothing. It went on easily and I love the font and clean white color. **Keep reading for a HouseHold Words decal giveaway!!
10 years ago on April 1st, I walked into a fraternity house at about midnight or so ready to dance and enjoy a college party. Little did I know that within the next little bit, I would meet my future husband and that we would be together ever since. Looking back on the memories of how Troy and I met makes me so nostalgic. I shared the whole story of how I met my husband on the blog if you are curious. First Christmas together- in matching pajamas! It is so hard to believe that we have been together for 10 years. Today, April 20th, is our official dating anniversary. Ten years ago, that cute frat guy asked me to be his girlfriend and of course, I said yes! Now, we have been married for almost 8 years, have two kids and two dogs. Wow! A lot can change with time. I am so excited to see what the following years bring.
I am so excited to be sharing this post today with you! It could easily be part 1 of a 10 part series because there is so much to talk about when it comes to teaching your toddler and kids about nutrition. As a dietitian, even before I had children, I knew how important it would be to me to teach my kids about nutrition one day. I remember being at Troy's cousin's house when they were just three years old and they knew that there was vitamin C in orange juice. I was seriously impressed and knew that I wanted to teach my kids all about nutrition when they were the right age. Today, I want to share some of the things that we are doing to teach Adalyn about nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle.
Tropical Overnight Oats take 5 minutes to make and are loaded with delicious flavors of toasted coconut, pineapple and mango for a nutritious, easy breakfast! I am a huge fan of overnight oats. It took me forever to finally try them when they first became trendy but now, I cannot stop making new versions. The flavor combinations are endless and they are so simple to make. Overnight oats make the easiest breakfast because they just require a few minutes of prep time the night before and you will have a delicious breakfast ready to go in the morning. I had this tropical overnight oats on my must-make list and with the weather getting nicer, decided that it was time to give it a try! You can use either frozen or fresh fruit- whichever you can find easier or for a better price. I was considering topping these overnight oats with some toasted nuts- macadamia would be awesome, but decided to keep it nut-free for those who cannot have nuts. It would be really tasty with them though!
Spicy Peanut Asian Slaw is loaded with crisp and delicious vegetables that are topped with a creamy spicy peanut dressing, chopped peanuts, green onions and sesame seeds! Asian style salads are my favorite. Especially when they are loaded with a flavorful, homemade dressing. I whipped up this spicy peanut dressing in no time and am thrilled with the results. It is creamy, rich tasting, yet quite light and healthy. I chose to use a variety of my favorite Asian inspired vegetables for this dish which turned out well. If you want to make the sauce thinner, you can by adding a bit more rice vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil or water. I liked mine thicker for this recipe but switch it up from time to time. I love whipping up a quick peanut dressing because it tastes so much better than store bought dressings.
1. Halo Top Ice Cream I have heard about Halo Top for years and finally got the chance to try it myself. I have had other "healthy" ice creams before and some are good and most are horrible. I was not sure what to expect but others raved about Halo Top so I knew that I wanted to give it a try. Halo Top comes in many fun flavors including red velvet, oatmeal cookie, peanut butter cup, mint chip, birthday cake, lemon cake and more.
The week leading up to Oliver’s birth, I was going a little crazy. I didn’t trust that my body would go into labor on its own and I didn’t really want to be induced. I wanted him born as close to his due date as possible because Troy as a teacher, had the week off of work for spring break and this would give him more time at home with us to help out and spend together as a little family of 4. I tried the typical eating spicy foods and walking to induce labor with no help. The day before Oliver was due, we went to the zoo with my mom, Troy, Adalyn and I. We walked all around and had a great time. Later that afternoon, we went on a walk with Adalyn and pulled her in the wagon and let her walk the dogs. I made a big dinner that I will probably never forget because I went into labor shortly after.
Fruit, Seed and Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette features a fresh salad with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, mango, dried fruit and seeds all topped with a homemade fruit vinaigrette. I pack my lunch for work four days per week. Sometimes, it is super easy to get ideas for what to pack in my lunch and there are other days when I stare at the open fridge and have no ideas of what to pack. Especially when I was pregnant, I found that if I packed something that I was not that interested in eating, I just wouldn't eat it. Instead, I turned to something less healthy from the kitchen at work and didn't feel my best.
Creamy Bacon Potato Soup is tasty with flavors of bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions, carrots and celery. Made lighter with milk instead of cream and Greek yogurt for a hearty yet nutritious meal! The one thing that kept sounding amazing during my pregnancy was anything made with potatoes. Many potato recipes got pinned during the last 9 months and I am excited to share this creamy potato bacon soup recipe that I came up with. Despite sounding like a super heavy soup, it is actually quite nutritious.
Healthy Cookie Dough Dip has just 5 ingredients and takes 5 minutes to make. A much healthier cookie dough option the whole family will love that is made with a secret ingredient- chickpeas! I am so, so excited to share this recipe with you today because it is a much healthier cookie dough dip that still tastes amazing. I had my toddler taste test it right away and it got her seal of approval as well. It whips up so quickly that you will have a healthier snack or dessert ready to go in no time at all. This dip is made with a secret ingredient that unless you tell people about, they would never know. It contains an entire can of chickpeas (or garbanzo beans)! Surprise! Before you think that this dip will taste too healthy and not be tasty, I urge you to give it a try. Since it only has 5 ingredients (that you probably have around your house) and takes 5 minutes or less to make, you have nothing to lose. **Find more RITZpiration recipe inspiration here!
White Cheddar Horseradish Dip is ready in 5 minutes, has just 4 ingredients and is full of flavor with sharp white cheddar cheese and tangy horseradish! Topped with finely diced vegetables and served with crackers for an easy appetizer. A couple of years ago, Troy and I went to a Christmas party with the teachers that he works with and we had the most delicious horseradish cheese dip there. I asked around who had made it and it was made by one of the male teachers at my husband's school. I was impressed! When he told me that it was made with Greek yogurt, I was sold! A super tasty dip that was made lighter with yogurt instead of mayo? Sign me up! I put it on my list of recipes to make and recently saw it on the list and could not get it out of my head. Unfortunately, that teacher no longer works with my husband so I could not ask how to make the recipe. I had to go by memory and I am happy to say that the dip turned out awesome.
Dr. Adalyn Big Sister on duty! He is finally here! We are in love! Born April 2nd on exactly his due date after a super speedy 3 1/2 hours of labor, Oliver Richard is here!!! 7 lbs 14 ounces, 21 inches long. Full birth story coming soon.
1. BOB B-Safe 35 Car Seat and Accessories I already wrote about how much we love the BOB 2016 Duallie Stroller in the fall. We have used it for almost every single stroller ride since- even though our son is not born yet. Adalyn likes this stroller a lot better than any others and even climbs up in it herself instead of crying because she has to go in the stroller (though that does happen too at times...toddlers!). We love the stroller and I was amazed how through the winter, it would go right through piles of snow and ice. It is the easiest stroller to push and I am happy with our investment.
Piña Colada Green Smoothie is ready in 2 minutes and tastes delicious with fresh pineapple, coconut, frozen banana, spinach and protein for a refreshing beverage! I cannot get enough of smoothies lately! They are just so easy to make yet totally customizable and delicious. I had a delicious fresh pineapple on hand plus some unsweetened coconut flakes so I decided to whip up this piña colada green smoothie for Adalyn and I.
A few weeks ago, Troy and I had the wonderful opportunity to spend the night at MotorCity Casino Hotel located in Detroit, Michigan. We stayed there for a night last January and fell in love with the place and wanted to return for a special night out. With our second baby due so soon, it was the perfect babymoon for us within half an hour of home. This time, I wanted to experience different aspects of the hotel than we had before and we got to do just that.
As a dietitian, heart health is one of the most prevalent and important issues that I see on a daily basis. Many patients that I work with and people I know personally have heart related issues. Heart health is extremely important as some of the top causes of death are related to heart issues. With millions of Americans with heart disease, heart health and prevention of heart issues are of top importance. I compiled some of my favorite recipes that are heart healthy and nutritious! Of course, I have a ton more on The Nutritionist Reviews blog that are heart healthy but these ones are super tasty and pretty easy as well.
