Monday Communiqué: 06/05/2017
“There are two primary choices in life; To accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them. ”
Good morning friends!
How amazing is that quote? As we enter into a new week I encourage you to look around at the areas of your life or home that you are unhappy with and decide that you will take the steps necessary to change them. You have the ability to change your life and make it as beautiful as you want it to be!
On the Blog this week
Wednesday - "Chasing Culture in Vienna" - I am so excited to share this post from the beautiful Ashley Lowry from dapperdeux.com ! Join me on Wednesday morning as we are magically transported to one of the most beautiful cities in the world!
Friday - "Time Management: Cleaning - Know your Numbers" How long does it take you to complete the smallest, or largest, tasks around your home? In my opinion, half the battle is understanding just how long its going to take you to complete something! On Friday morning I discuss the importance of knowing how long it will take you to perform your cleaning tasks, look over my numbers, and share how I keep my home in top form throughout the week!
Podcast Love
I've discovered some new Podcasts that I am beyond excited to share with you!
The Homeschool Sisters Podcast - This is the kind of podcast you discover and then get addicted to listening to past episodes. Primarily this podcast is about two mom's adventures in homeschooling their kids, but, if that doesn't interest you their conversations about everyday life will! From working through the difficulties of when your husband or partner is traveling and you're left alone with the kids, to how to keep your kids entertained this summer, you will find huge inspiration, laughs and advice from these ladies. (Also, their book suggestion list is incredible and I've already downloaded 5 or 6 on my IBooks app to try out this summer!) Check out their podcast and their website!
Goal Digger Podcast with Jenna Kutcher - I love Jenna Kutcher's podcast! Today is all about "Using Pinterest for your Business"! I'm looking forward to enjoying this as I run Amelia places today!
The Simple Sophisticate Podcast - As always the weekly podcast from Shannon Ables is a delight! This week Shannon is sitting down for a conversation with the author and artist Rae Dunn.
Amazing Reading
I devoured this book by Bunmi Laditan! It is a hilarious read and definitley should be added to your summer reading list! Click the picture bellow to check out the books full description on Amazon!
Video's of the Week
Life Skills: Cleaning a Dishwasher - I found this great video from "Love Meg" on Youtube on how she cleans her dishwasher! I don't use the baking soda, but I do run the vinegar through for a cycle. It's awesome to see how other people clean their machines!
Home DIY: Flower Arranging - A super informative video from Theodore Leaf on how to arrange flowers at home! (Love the french crystal!!)
Simple Pleasures: The Brooklyn Duo featuring the Escher Quartet - Check out this incredible cover of Radiohead's "Creep"!
15 Minute: Stretching for Beginners - Excited to share this video entitled "How To Stretch for Beginners, Safe Stretches for Full Body Yoga, Back & Leg Pain Relief, Sciatica" from Jen Hilman at PsycheTruth! Take a couple of minutes out of your week and join her as she works through a variety of stretches to help loosing all the muscles in your body and leave you feeling relaxed and grounded.
Monday Musings
What do you do when you've carefully planned out and curated your weekly meal plan for your family, only to find yourself one day out of your week saying "there's just no way I want to make that for dinner!". Well, this sometimes happens to me and I've started picking up a simple staple from the grocery store to ensure we don't end up eating out or ordering take out!
Enter my solution to when I feel like I just want a simple dinner to throw together and I deviate from my meal plan: Three Bridges Kale Pesto Sauce.
This simple dinner staple is amazing for so many reasons:
- I know that Amelia will eat something (She's all about pesto pasta!)
- I know that it will fill us up
- It's easy to pair with a simple side salad
- I can package up left overs for my beautiful Husband to take to work the next day
- You just need two ingredients: pesto sauce and pasta! Super simple!
When you're making your meal plan try adding something simple like this to your grocery list, just in case you find yourself craving something different during your week! Spending a couple of extra dollars may save you several in the long run!
I hope you have a truly wonderful week my friends,
Lauren
Our Weekend in Pictures!
Friday afternoon found Amelia and I in a park with my beautiful friend Ginger! We spent some time playing in the playground and then enjoying some food from her Yummbox and enjoying a cup of coffee from my lovley friend!
I love being able to use a cut of meat for several meals as opposed to just buying some for one! This is a cold beef salad my husband whipped up with the left over steak from Friday night! Wonderful lunch for us!
Amelia's play area has taken on a new purpose! As I dive more into researching Homeschooling (I'm going to be homeschooling Amelia until Kindergarten I've decided) and the montessori method, I've started making small changes to this area that she can learn to work and grow with. Pictured here is her new table and chairs I purchased from Ikea! This will serve as her snack table, learning area and play area all in one!
I love how Amelia's little kitchen has turned out! It will evolve with he rover time, but for now it houses some utensils, plate, snacks, napkins, a couple of bowls and some cleaning tools. She doesn't know how to use them yet for thier tru epurpose, but enjoys playing with everything enormously! So excited tow atch her grow!
Sunday found our little family at Amelia's best friend Luca's 1st birthday! Check out this amazing cake my friend Jo made! Incredible!