This Unfamiliar Road

Recently, we enjoyed some time away in the North Georgia mountains-a perfect way to wind down summer and welcome fall! My family frequently uses Sliding Rock Cabins to book cabins. They have lots of homes and options-check them out!

We enjoyed coffee on the beautiful wrap around porch while listening to the creek; Mid-morning walks; Gem-mining; S'mores. We did it all :)












And no vacation is complete without ice cream :)

A perfect and relaxing vacay!

I've had this post floating around my brain for a while now, and it feels good to finally get it down on, er...paper.

As a working Momma of two little ones, it is easy for things to get away from me. I find that from the moment I wake up, I am running non stop. Not a bad thing, in general, but I'm usually just spinning my wheels-going from one task to another. When I finally stop, I take a look around and realize that nothing feels completed. Dishes may be done, but toys are everywhere. Toys might be put away, but laundry is overflowing from the basket. Every task completed comes at the sacrifice of something else being incomplete.
I realize that this is probably the norm in most homes. Honestly, I have learned to embrace the messy house and occasional chaos in my home. My kids are happy and that's all that matters, right?

Right! Or is it?

As mothers, we often sacrifice our own health and wellness to take care of our home and family or ALSO go to work! I get it. Even something like a home fitness video is difficult to do unless kiddos are napping. And please...the last thing I want to do when I finally get that time to myself is exercise. If we're being honest, I want to (and sometimes do) sit on the couch and watch Dateline NBC while eating Cheetos. Seriously.

Diet? I try to eat a well-balanced diet but again, time. Do you know what I had for lunch yesterday? The crust off of my 3-year-old's peanut butter and jelly. Yup.



But this sacrifice of self cannot go on forever. I know what you're thinking- I will sacrifice anything, including my own health, for the happiness and health of my children. Me too. But is that beneficial for our kids? We are not heroes by putting our needs last.
My family is the most important thing to me, and they deserve the best version of me. In order to give them that, I have to make my health a priority. At very least, what an awesome example to set-actually showing them that health and wellness is important!



My nutritional program kickoff begins soon. It's simple to follow, so I won't miss a beat in daily life, which is just what I need! I'm nervous but excited as I think this will be life-changing in more ways than one. I don't quite know what to expect, but hey...I'm just following This Unfamiliar Road and I know it will be GREAT!

It's been a while, y'all! Things are super busy around here, as usual. I wonder when I will stop kidding myself that life will eventually "slow down"..HA!

Here's what I'm loving this Friday!

{ONE} Wunderlist.
Have you heard of it? It's basically a to-do list app. I've been using it for a while as my grocery list, chore list, and projects list. It's super convenient, and you can link with other people and even assign tasks to them! So when hubby is heading to the grocery store on the way home from work, he can just glance at our linked Wunderlist to be sure he's getting everything we need. I just love it :)


{TWO} School Days.
I can't believe it, but my sweet P will start preschool on Tuesday! She is so excited to go to school, and I just know she will thrive in the classroom. She is only going 2 days per week but this Mama will probably be a bit emotional at first!


{THREE} Body Cleanse.
It's time to lose the rest of this baby weight, y'all! After doing a lot of research into different nutritional programs, I've found one that's simple (read: no counting points or hours of meal prep) and very effective. I can't wait to feel better, have more energy, and shed a few pounds in the process!



{FOUR} Strawberry Blonde.
After years of begging me to go red, the husband finally got his way. My amazing colorist used a toner to give my hair an all-over hue of strawberry blonde. It's not extreme, but I think it looks great, especially with my fair complexion. It might stay here for a little while :)


{FIVE} Party Planning.
Well, here we are planning a first birthday party for Eliza. These babies grow up way too fast. We know that "a small gathering" is just not in our vocabulary, so I have been busy gathering inspiration for her big celebration!
Enjoy your Friday!!!

Miss E is learning more and more, and we are starting to see quite the personality!


Eating: Still nursing 4 times per day, and I really don't see her cutting back anytime soon. I guess I should start thinking about weaning, but not sure if I'm ready for that yet! This babe loves to eat for sure-anything and everything I give her.

Sleeping: Still sleeping from 7:30pm-6:30am with 2 naps per day. She doesn't like to be rocked anymore, and will squirm around until I lay her in bed!


Skills: Cruising everywhere! This kiddo is on the move for sure! Eliza loves to give hugs (complete with an "awwww" sound effect), blow kisses, wave, shake her head no, and clap. She has begun to manipulate toys that require fine motor skills. Little Miss calls every animal a "dog" , and I'm pretty certain I've been hearing "Night Night" and "Nana" (banana) from her, too!

Teeth: Two on the bottom, and some incredibly swollen upper gums. Those top 2 are coming soon!

Happy Times: Eliza is still a generally happy baby, but becomes absolutely giddy about her sippy cup, the vacuum cleaner, music, and big sister.

Unhappy Times: Well, we've learned this chic has quite the temper! She is perfectly content until something angers her (taking something away, laying her down for a change, Mommy walking away from her, etc.) then she grunts and screams with anger. Sometimes she and sister get into grunting matches....always entertaining.


Stats: No official height and weight this month, but it seems she has gone through a recent growth spurt. Eliza seems taller to me, and she might be thinning out a little. Some of the 9 mo pajamas I was still squeezing her into are definitely too short now!


Miss Eliza,
You are just absorbing everything right now! Although generally happy, your temper lets us know when you are not joking around. I hope you will always be able to let us know your needs and that we will always be able to meet them. We love you sweet girl!

Ma and Da!

Eliza has really grown up over the last month! It's so fun to watch her take in her world.


Eating: Little Miss nurses 4 times daily and still looooves to eat table food. Within reason, she pretty much eats what we eat. We still have not introduced the high allergen foods. She seems a carb lover so far and always picks the pancakes and blueberries over the eggs :)

Sleeping: Ah, sweet sleep. Eliza wakes around 6:30 or 7:00am, takes 2 solid naps, and goes to bed around 7:30pm. She fully self-soothes, and I love watching her on the camera playing and babbling to herself then lay down and fall asleep.


Skills: Pulling to stand and starting to cruise a little bit. She really interacts with everyone more, and enjoys dancing to music, blowing kisses, and trying on sunglasses and tiaras. So far, she uses her left hand more than her right (when shoveling the food in!).

Teeth: Still just 2 on the bottom!

Happy Times: Exploring her environment, and really excited about being able to reach sister's toys now! She is still a generally happy baby!

Unhappy Times: Thankfully the super clingy phase is passing. She definitely gets sassy if someone takes something away from her, but shakes her head 'no' when she knows it's off limits.

Stats: Eliza weighs 27.8 inches (50%) and weighs 18 lbs 6 oz (50%). She wears 12-18 mo clothing.

(Wow this post is a little late! Let's just say I am super thankful to computer technicians who are far more talented than I and can recover crashed hard drives with years worth of pictures on them!)

Like most 3 year old girls, our P is pretty obsessed with all things Frozen. For her June birthday party, I put a fun twist on this popular theme: Frozen in Summer! We all know how much Olaf loves summertime, and I think our party goers enjoyed celebrating it too.




Our menu included:
"We Finish Each Other's Sandwiches"- Ham & Cheese Sliders/Uncrustables
"Troll Mix"- Chex Mix
"Snowflakes"- Popcorn
"Sven's Snacks"- Fruit Cups & Veggies
"Arendelle Treasure"- Corn Salsa Dip
"Coronation Cupcakes"- Cupcakes
"Glacier Juice"-Juice Boxes
"Melted Snow"- Water Bottles