- photo editing -

I have tons of patience and ambition to learn about photography and my camera, but not as much patience or ambition to learn about the photo editing side of things. I know the basics, and I have the tools (I own both Photoshop AND Lightroom). But for some reason, there is nothing enjoyable to me about sitting down to learn more about this software! And that frustrates me to no end because I am not an accomplished enough photographer to not rely on photo editing software yet. All of my images always seem to need some sort of fixing or editing.

It's not that I hate taking the time to edit my pictures. I just don't know how to fully utilize the editing software, and when I try to replicate what I have learned from other experts it never looks as good. I am very proficient with computers, so it definitely isn't a fear of computers...I just have no desire to take a class or learn more about the software. I'm an instant gratification type of girl...what I really want, is to just click one button to make my pictures all pretty and clean! (and yes, I know all about actions and presets, but even those never seem to just be a "one button" click).

I have found a couple awesome photographers that will also edit pictures for other photographers. It's such a great service...send your pictures to them, and they will send them back all prettied up! It comes with a cost though, and I just can't pay someone to do that to all of my pictures.

Even though I'm not too keen on taking a photo editing class....just doesn't sound like fun to me...it might be necessary someday soon! Until then, I will fumble my way through it.

Any photographers out there have any easy tricks to share with me when it comes to photo editing?? I'd love to learn more!

(My two nemeses...I have to figure out how to conquer them!)

- 8 years of marriage today...yeah, they've been pretty amazing -

It's our 8 year anniversary today! I just wanted to say happy anniversary to my best friend, the man who completes me. We've had quite a journey over the past 8 years, and every bit of it has been wonderful. We've traveled all over the world together, had so many fun outdoor adventures, survived job and career changes, and have brought a perfect little girl into the world. We have laughed together, cried together, fought with each other, and loved each other with all we have. We have met lifelong friends, and have watched other friends slip out of our lives. And we have done all of this hand in hand.

Some years have been tough, some have been easy, but along the way we have learned so much from each other, and grown stronger. Today we celebrate not only our marriage, but our friendship.  We celebrate the memories we have made, and the memories that are yet to come.

To celebrate 8 years of happiness, here are 8 reasons why Matt is so incredible (although there are many more than just 8):
1.  He is the most passionate man I have ever met. I fell in love with all of his passion on our very first date (well, it wasn't really a date per say, but we'll call it that...ha ha!)
2.  He truly is a family man. He always, always, always puts Ellie and I first. I am so lucky!
3.  He challenges me to be a better person, and gets me out of my comfort zone.
4.  He is such a great daddy! I fall in love with him all over again every time I see him dancing or playing with his little girl.
5.  He is so supportive of me, and my interests and hobbies. 
6.  He eats everything I cook for him...and truly enjoys most of it!
7.  He loves to have a good time, and is always up for anything!
8. He loves me unconditionally and accepts me for who I am, even with all of my flaws, shortcomings, and imperfections. That alone, is all the reason I need to love him.

Matt, you are my world, you balance me so well. You are my husband, and my best friend. You are my love and my strength. You give so much of yourself every day for our family and I am so grateful for everything you do.

Happy Anniversary to us! Here's to another marvelous year with the man that I love!

- quick recipe of the week -

I am so so excited about this week's post! First of all, this is a double recipe post. Yep, double the recipe fun today! Both of these recipes compliment each other so well. And even more exciting for me, both of these recipes are totally toddler friendly...Oh, and perfect for the summer! Have I mentioned how excited I am for these two recipes?

Let's start off with a great smoothie recipe from Kristal over at Mama at Home . I have been following Kristal's blog for quite a long time now. Her son Isaac is adorable, and Kristal is quite the amazing mother! They just recently moved and have a new house that Kristal is busy making their home. Kristal has an amazing garden and they even have their own family chickens that give them fresh eggs! She describes herself as "A SAHM with one amazing husband, a perfect little boy (that has become quite the dare devil lately), and one adorable dog. Check out her blog to meet her and her family!

This is a great recipe for your picky kiddos that aren't fans of veggies. A great way to "sneak" in those greens!

Green Smoothie
1.5 cups of frozen fruit - suggestions- combo of strawberries, peaches, blueberries, and blackberries, depending on what you have on hand.
1 ripe banana (if you aren't a fan of banana, just use half.  It serves mostly to sweeten the smoothie)
1 cup of milk (more or less as needed, depending on how thick you like your smoothies)
a large handful of either spinach or kale

Toss it all into your blender and blend until smooth.  Serve with a big straw!

(Image credit Kristal)

(Image credit Kristal)

Printable Recipe

 So refreshing for the summer! And so healthy for your kiddos!

After you are done making your fruit and veggie packed smoothie, it's time to make some sandwich kabobs brought to us by Tomi over at Three Boys and an Old Lady. Tomi is a fab mommy who loves trying new products and sharing her views and reviews with her readers! And she has some fun recipes on her blog that you have to go check out! These sandwich kabobs look like so much fun for toddlers, especially for a summer time picnic!

Sandwich Kabobs

1 pkg cubed cheese

1 pkg cubed or rolled meat (deli meat, grilled chicken, etc.)

8 slices favorite bread (use a variety for color & taste)

8 grape tomatoes

If desired: pickles, lettuce, or any other sandwich toppings

Stack bread and slice into cubes. Slide bread cube onto skewer and then allow kids to pick cheese, meat and veggies. Slide onto skewer. Repeat until skewer is filled (about 1 in from either end).

Try preparing dipping sauces like BBQ sauce, honey mustard, ketchup and mustard and let the kids dip away. 

Serve with fresh fruit and let the kids use skewers to pick up fruit for extra fun.

(Image credit WholeFoods.com)

Printable Recipe

 Thank you so much Kristal and Tomi for these fun summer recipes!

- stuffed bunny -

I think we all need our very own stuffed bunny that can bring a smile to our face every time we give it a great big hug!

(Image copyrighted by Nina S)

- an extraordinary mom -

Meet my mom...she's amazing! I mean, she is seriously amazing! She has always been the best mom ever, but after having Ellie, she has become even more incredible. She is always there for us no matter what we need....always!

My mom watches Ellie three out of the four days a week while I work, and she also babysits on the weekends or evenings whenever we ask her to. I mean, seriously, how lucky are we? Most of our friends with children are paying for sitters if they want to enjoy a night out, but not us...we have my amazing mom!

What makes it all even better? Ellie absolutely adores my mom. She is seriously obsessed with my mom! No one else can get Ellie to laugh like my mom can. It's so adorable to watch them goof around and play together. In the mornings, when she sees my mom, her eyes just light up. Whenever she wakes up from her nap, she calls out for her "Yaya" (what she calls my mom because she just can't say Lola yet...it comes out Yaya), even if it's a day that my mom is not over watching her. There are even times when she wants nothing to do with her mommy or daddy. She only wants to be with "Yaya".

Last week when my mom left our house for the day, Ellie started crying as she pulled away. I quickly diverted her attention by playing with her. About 5 minutes later, Ellie started walking down the sidewalk in the same direction my mom had driven away in...then all of a sudden, she started running and calling for "Yaya" with the saddest look on her face. It was so heartbreaking to watch her. She was so desperate to find her "Yaya"!

As miserable as it was to watch, it also made me feel good to know how much Ellie loves the person that watches her so very often. There is nothing more assuring to me as a mother than knowing my daughter is in good hands when I am at work or when Matt and I go out. Ellie is not just in good hands, she's in amazingly loving hands...the hands of her "Yaya", otherwise known as my extraordinary mom!

- fun in the sun makes for an outstanding weekend -

We've had absolutely beautiful weather here lately, so we spent this past weekend almost entirely outside....BBQing, sitting around our fire pit until late into the evening, eating outside at restaurants, playing in our backyard, running around by the water, and of course showering our love on the best daddy ever! It all made for a fabulous weekend!

While eating dinner at a local restaurant in our neighborhood on Saturday evening, Ellie decided to plop down on the ground to play. This is my daughter who hates getting dirty, and hates the feeling of sand or gravel in her shoes or even touching her feet or her legs...we have no idea what got into her, but she had a blast!

And let me tell me what a huge hit this is around our house lately! The water table was a wise purchase this year! She begs us to go outside to play with it everyday. And how can we resist a chubby toddler in a bathing suit?

We spent the late afternoon on Father's Day with our friends down by the water. The daddies got to relax in the sun while us mommies chased the kiddos all around. And even though it was Father's Day, we got a great shot of the kids with us moms. It is one of my favorite pictures of the whole weekend!

My wonderful friend Lisa, and her son, B, Ellie's best buddy in the whole world!

It took us so many shots to finally get both kids looking at the camera. By the time we were successful, we were all laughing so hard! The outtakes were hilarious to look at, but there were way too many of them to post! I'm not kidding, it took us forever to get this shot! Not perfection by any means, but that kind of sums up life with a toddler doesn't it? Never, ever perfect, but so much fun and entertaining!

- quick recipe of the week -

 This yummy recipe is one that I rely on quite a bit. I really love making this meal. Talk about just a few ingredients and quick prep time. If you are busy during the week, then this is the perfect recipe for you to try out! (And there's nothing better than veggies already cooked into the meal!)

Italian Sausage and Zucchini
1 1/2 lbs Italian sausage links ( I usually substitute this with turkey sausage to make it healthier...it's still really good! )
2 small zucchini, sliced
1 small yellow squash, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the Italian sausage until the inside is no longer pink. Cut sausage into 1/4 inch slices, and continue cooking until browned. Stir in the zucchini, yellow squash, and onion; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes, with liquid. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve over rice or pasta. 

Printable Recipe