Birthday

A few pictures of Jonas' 1st birthday.  It was so much fun.  For being such a little guy- he surprised me (like usual)- with how much fun he had.  He was thrilled with the balloons, the banner, the cupcakes.  He notices the details and I just love that.  We had some close friends over and had a simple little party. We had a great time.

We are so grateful for the amazing people we have in our lives.  So thankful- for the support and love as we teach Jonas to be a little man.  This coming year holds a lot of promise and we are enjoying every  single moment.

Figs- Who Knew?

 We tried fresh figs for the first time recently.  Whoa- who knew they were so good! I was so impressed  with the subtle flavor and how pretty they are.  I was also sad to discover that fig season is pretty short. 

I wasn't really sure how to eat figs. I looked for ideas online. We decided to use honey flavored goat cheese, balsamic, some black pepper and a light drizzle of honey. Loved them!  This would be a super easy dish to make if friends are visiting.  I think they are pretty fancy- just add some wine and a baguette. Instant Party!

PS- apparently you can eat fig skin, we didn't know this at the time- oops.  This makes this dish even easier, just slice, remove stems and eat!

Work It- The First Year.

Jonas is almost a year old and I have been back to work now for almost 9 months.  It has been a big adjustment learning to manage motherhood and work.  Finding a balance between life and work can be a struggle in itself - add a baby and things can get crazy. 

Some weeks I feel like I have it all together - I feel put together and on top of things at work.  I have easy dinners planned for the week and things just flow.  Then there are those weeks that I just feel behind, I feel like I am just playing at life and not doing a good job at it.   I've learned a few things that have made it a bit easier.

Be Prepared- Makings lists is the only way I can feel organized.  When I write everything down, I can let it go.  I make shopping lists, cleaning lists, fun things to do lists and of course to do lists daily at work.  Lists keep me on track and I feel more in control.  Of course actually doing everything on the list doesn't always happen.  Especially on the weekends, I do my best to not allow my list to ruin spontaneity.  I have to leave room for a last minute dinner with friends or time to just relax if I'm extra tired.  Some days the list is pushed to the next weekend, but its ok- I have it all written down!

Be Present- I try my best to be fully at work when I am at work- and fully at home when I am home.  Focusing at work can be challenging at times- I'm going on less sleep than I need, and there is always a lot going on around me.  I make a point of - using my lists- and ploughing through to get things done. I can plan dinner etc on my drive home.  

Sometimes if I had an especially hard day at work, it is hard to let it go.  I am learning to take a few minutes on the drive home to process the day and leave work there.  Unless it is really important/ or something I really need to process mentally- I try not to talk about work when I'm at home.  I don't want to miss a moment of being with Jonas and Kev.  I want to enjoy every second when I'm with them.

Take Care of Yourself-

This is a huge one for me- I love to stay up late. This week, it really took a toll on me.  I wasn't as productive as I know I can be.  I also got a few killer headaches. All because I did not sleep enough. Eating healthy every single day and getting enough rest are key for me. The weeks things get out of wack in these areas, I pay the price.

Add Some Color

Paint your nails-get a cute notebook- print pictures that inspire you.  My Bulletin Board is full of pictures of our weekends this Summer.  I love this reminder of why I am working hard, on those really tough days.  A cute yellow notebook, also brightens a lousy Monday morning. 

Build Friendships- with coworkers that have kids

This has been huge for me.  Being able to share stories, the good the bad and the ugly has been great.  It really helps knowing that I'm not the only one struggling.  I can encourage and be encouraged.  Some of my closest friends are friends I met at work. Having these relationships has made all the difference. 

Finding balance has it's challenges and I have not mastered it in any way.  Even keeping these things in mind, some weeks will just be off weeks... and thats ok.  

Found!

Just a quick note to say that I finally found the perfect nude nail polish.  It is the first one I found that doesn't make my fingers look dead, hooray! I love Essie's Polish.  It is soo worth spending the extra money on quality polish.  I can go a good four days with no chips.  With this nude color, I can go almost a whole week- which is awesome because my allotted manicure time each week is like 5 minutes.

Farmers Market Goods- and long weekends too

We didn't make it to the Farmer's Market this weekend, these pics are from last weekend.  I found peppers, red onions, heirloom tomatoes, pretty flowers, and figs.  I love the farmer's market.  We are so lucky nearby-there is some kind of farmers market going on nearly every day of the week during summer.  We have no excuse to skip our veggies! We recently bought an awesome cookbook- Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi.  It is full of beautiful vegetable recipes.  We are anxious to try them.

This has been a pretty good long weekend. We spent time with family and some friends.  I cleaned out the fridge and rearranged it (one of my favorite things to do --- I know weird!)  and got the bathrooms nice and shiny. I ran out of time and did not do food prep for the week.  I feel out of sync when I don't have salad ready to pack for lunch and the eggs aren't boiled.  I save so much money bringing my lunch to work.  I'll just have to get it done tomorrow after work....  happy long weekend... why do they go so fast?!?