Currently Clicking: Week #16

Each and every week, I gather links of all of the places I have been perusing in the great, grand internet. There are plenty of people out there doing big things and small things. Some of these are practical, some are inspiring. This week, I am contemplating the amount of grass we have in our massive yard, obsessing over FITBIT with other people, dreaming about house tours and DIY tiles, and anticipating my first order from Stichfix to be on my doorstep sometime today. 

1. Eye Candy: 11 Inspiring Yards That Are Grass Free.   We live in a pretty hot, dry climate. I am always shocked by how much green grass is everywhere and how many gallons of water it takes to water it each year. Our yard is way too big for us. Living grass free would be awesome and also better for the environment and our bank account. 
2. It's no secret that I love my FITBIT. I hope to do a post on that soon. David Sedaris recently wrote a piece about it as well. He takes so many steps! He makes me realize that I should probably up my game! 
3. This house tour is my dream house tour. I love the dark walls contrasting with the white walls. I am a sucker for subway tile. The wallpaper in the entry way is what dreams are made of. Check out At Home With Sarah Brown. So good. 
4. Here is another game changer. Make a Patterned Floor With Linoleum Tile. I know I said linoleum. This is incredible. 
5. My first shipment from StichFix should be arriving today! Yippee! I can't wait to try on my first round of clothing that has been hand picked just for me. Here's some more information about how it all works! 

Baby Marin: Week Eighteen

I usually post this little post on Tuesdays. It is now Thursday. That should probably indicate that our lives have been quite busy this week. So, alas, we find ourselves in week eighteen of Marin's little existence on this earth.

I feel like our child has changed completely in the past few days. She had her 4 month well check exam last friday. She now weighs in a 12 lbs, 1.5 oz and is 24 inches long. She still handles the shots probably better than I even would but that still is so hard to watch you child go through. Luckily, Ryan is always there with me and he is far tougher than I am. We have also gotten the green light to start introducing solid foods. I don't even know really where to begin in that whole process and I want to do a lot of research before hand. Do you start with rice cereal? Do you not? How do you make your own baby food? What is best for baby? So many questions. I am excited for this new part of our lives though. I envision many days of food being thrown all over our little home and running down Marin's little chin. It will be an adventure, that I am sure of.

Marin has most definitely discovered that she can make an array of sounds. In the past week alone, she has become so much more vocal than before. Even now, she is swinging next to me making sounds that sound somewhat like the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. She is becoming so much more aware of her surroundings, strong and alert. Tummy time doesn't seem to be the worst thing ever in her mind any longer. Toys that are nearby will probably find themselves somewhere in the vicinity of her drooly mouth. No toy is safe. Soon our cat, Geoff, will no longer be able to just sneak by without a tug of the tail. Stroller rides are her jam.

She is growing up so quickly.

I am looking forward to introducing the solid foods, to hearing the new sounds that come out of her mouth on a daily basis, to many more stroller rides.

Week Eighteen.

Life Lately: Photos & Thoughts

Last weekend my dear friend, Josh, came through Fort Collins for a visit. He was on the journey of moving back home from Nashville for a season. Good conversations and good food was had. He makes me think about life in so many different ways and helps me realize that where I currently find myself is a really good place to be in the grand scheme of things.

Cheese biscuits & cappuccino  at The Coffee Tree. 

Sea Food Goodness at The Mainline. (Yes, I went there yet again...) 

(This post is inspired by Elise Blaha Cripe. I love her blog so very much.)

loving every little noise that Marin makes. 

celebrating our own anniversary. 5 years together. Half of a decade of awesomeness. 

enjoying evenings spent with my husband. Unwinding for the day. Also talks about life with dear friends. 

obsessing over all things Doterra. 

preparing every single meal that I consume. A new, clean eating meal plan. 

wondering if life will ever slow down for just a minute or two. Where has June already gone? 

packing a diaper bag that is ready for everything & anything. I am the crazy bag lady. 

checking the baby monitor all of the time only to find our little girl sleeping like a little rockstar. 

wishing we could go on a trip somewhere. I want to pack our bags and find ourselves somehow on the coast. 

drinking a glass of wine every once in a while after the baby is asleep for the night. 

planning so many new business ventures. I need to focus. 

reading this book, this book, and this cookbook. 

listening to the new Jack White album. 

watching Longmire. Friends. Game of Thrones. I finished Orange is the New Black the weekend it was on Netflix. Oops. 

marveling at how everything somehow falls into place when it comes to parenting even though we really have no idea what we are doing. 

feeling overwhelmed at times & tired, but excited & ready for what the next few months hold. 

Our Anniversary: Good Food, Good Goals, & A Great Beard

It has been a week now since we celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. The fact that I am just now able to write about our day goes to show that time really is flying faster than we can keep up with it most days. I didn't carry my camera with me that day, but wanted to capture everything through my phone.

Celebrating 5 years with my man was good. It was very needed. It's always weird for me to realize that we don't have our little girl in the back seat with us on an adventure, but sometimes parents need just parent adventures. You know? 

Marin hung out with the grandparents for the day and we hopped in the car and drove to Denver. For donuts. You read that correctly. We drove 1.5 hours to another city for donuts. I'm not crazy. It was well worth it. 

If you don't know of Voodoo Donuts, you probably should. When I lived in the northwest, I experienced Voodoo Donuts in Portland for the first time. These guys are crazy. Their donuts are crazy. They are also crazy delicious. By some fluke, they opened a shop up in Denver. All of the other locations are in the northwest but for some reason they decided to come here. I couldn't be more thrilled.

We ordered the Voodoo Dozen, 13 donuts that the staff hand picks for you. We also had two coffees to go. We ended up eating a donut in our car before making the drive back home because there's no seating at Voodoo. It was warm that day. Our donuts melted in our hands as we ate them. The coffee was super good. 

This was a perfect way to begin our anniversary celebration. 

We made the journey back home, stopped at the grandparents to feed the kiddo so I could think straight (if you're breastfeeding you probably know what I'm talking about and pumping in the car SUCKS.) 

We then ventured to Old Town, Fort Collins. A few posts back I talked about the new restaurant that we have come to love called the Mainline. We went there again. We drank good beer and ate good food. We talked about our goals and dreams for this new year of marriage. We talked about new business ideas and focusing more on the ones we already have. Getting out of debt. Upgrading to newer computers. Putting our house on the market and moving. Fitting back into my skinny jeans.

Helping Marin grow up smart and strong.

One of the appetizers at the Mainline. Jalapeño Cornbread with Apple Cider Butter. Oh my. 

If you know me, this conversation is what gets my mind spinning, in a good way. I love a good goals discussion, especially when good food, good beer, and a nice looking man with a great beard are involved. 

After dinner, we headed back, picked up Marin, and put her to bed for the evening. 

All in all, we are ready for this next year. We are excited for what is ahead. I wouldn't want to live out this life with anyone else. 

Currently Clicking: Week #15

Each and every week, I gather links of all of the places I have been perusing in the great, grand internet. There are plenty of people out there doing big things and small things. Some of these are practical, some are inspiring. This week, I've been reading up on summer reading lists and blogging madness, a french kissing lifestyle (intrigued yet?), Tiny living, how we think we look versus how we actually look, a few grocery shopping lists because I like lists, and how to have a grown up wardrobe. 

1. My Summer Reading List (and why I quit the blogging madness). This post is refreshing when it comes to the blogging world but also includes a great list of summer reads. I need to not watch so much tv all the time. Books are always better. Read the rest of her blog as well. Her family lives out of an old bus that they have renovated. I might add, with four kids. Pretty awesome. 
2. Are you ready to live a french kissing kind of life? Do you have no idea as to what I'm talking about? Check out this lady's blog on how to cultivate elegant simplicity, how to work to live, and tend to the details of life, all with a french flair. 
3. "What is home? And how do we find it? One couple’s attempt to build a Tiny House with no building experience raises questions about sustainability, good design, and the changing American Dream"... I watched this documentary last week and I've kind of become obsessed with the idea of tiny living. Do I think we could ever do it? Probably not, but it's so intriguing to me. I can't stop thinking about it. 
4. I know this video has been making its rounds in the internet world for a while now, but it struck a chord with me a few days ago. How You Think you Look Is NOT How You Actually Look.   We all tend to be way too hard on ourselves. This is a good reminder. 
5. I always love seeing what people buy/eat on a weekly basis. Here's one. Here's another. Here's another (paleo).
6. How to Build A Grown Up Wardrobe. Step by step. I need this in my life. Nothing fits like it used to and I want to have a wardrobe of staples. 

Baby Marin: Week Seventeen~4 Months Old

As you are reading these words, we have a four month old baby. It is still shocking to me that we have already come this far. She is growing so quickly.

Marin at 4 Months:

1. Very, very vocal. Coos, semi-giggles, gurgles, etc. We've heard it all. 
2. Smiles spontaneously at everything and everyone. 
3. Cries in different ways to show hunger, pain, or being tired. 
4. Reaches for toys, using hands and eyes together. 
5. Recognizes familiar things and people at a distance. 
6. Holds head steady. 
7. Rolls over from tummy to back. 
8. Brings hands to mouth. 
9. Pushes down with her legs when she is on a solid surface. 
10. When lying on stomach, pushes up onto her elbows. 

Mama at 4 Months: 

1. I now sleep through the night. I am so thankful. 
2. I just started a new clean eating meal plan to get back into my skinny jeans. 
3. My hair and skin have been freaking out for a while now. I've never lost so much hair in my life. I'm trying not to think about that too much. 
4. I wish I could just spend all my time with Marin. That would be so great. 

Dad at 4 Months: 

1. Ryan also sleeps through the night. No more late night, early morning feedings. 
2. Marin & Dad day is usually on Wednesdays. She loves her dad. 
3. Ryan is hoping to get back into the swing of things soon in regards to movie reviews and expanding his Youtube realm. We are slowly finding our feet again. 
4. Ryan just celebrated his first Father's Day. 

4 months old. 4 months. On Friday, we get to find out what she weighs again. She is growing like crazy. 

5 Years & Counting

Five years ago at this time, I believe I waking up from a night of not very much sleep, walking down the stairs of my parent's old house, and waiting for my bridesmaids to arrive so we could drink mimosas and figure out what to do with my hair. I was praying that my wedding dress would zip. I was wondering what Ryan's face would look like when he saw me for the first time. I wasn't thinking about putting on sunscreen, but boy, I should have. I was nervous about saying the vows we had written ourselves because I knew I would cry. I did cry. It was worth it.

Five years ago today, I married my best friend. It amazes me that we have already been married for half of a decade. We now have a child. We own a house. We have worked at our places of employment for 5 years and 7 years. We have created some roots here. I wouldn't want to do that with anyone else.

I love the nights where we have a Chinese takeout picnic on our basement floor while watching Ryan's ever growing blu-ray collection. I love ending our evenings once the baby is in bed, watching Friend's episodes and winding down for the day. I love that when Ryan gets home from work and I've been with the baby all day, he knows that I need a break due to probably my frazzled look and lets me go relax and take a bath. I love that we can write and play music together, even though since we have become parents, that has been a little far away from us. That will change. I love preparing for playing the shows, figuring out the lines, singing the harmonies. I love the thrill of getting to the venue, setting up our equipment, and walking up to the stage to do something that we love together. I love taking photos together of other people's special occasions. I love that he lets me go on my never-ending house decorating tangents. I love that he makes me feel beautiful even though my body has changed so much in the past few months, stretch marks and added weight and all. I love that we have both been there to tuck Marin in for the night and he always kisses her good night. I love that he knows how to relax but also knows how to work hard and help support our little family. I love that we still have date nights and we get see so many movies together. I love that we get to lead worship together and have our little one grow up in the church. I love that for our anniversary, we are going to drive to Denver for donuts. I love that.

I love that I get to live this life with such an amazing man. I couldn't imagine it without him.

Happy 5 years and counting, my love.

Weekly Lovelies: Currently Clicking #14

Each and every week, I gather links of all of the places I have been perusing in the great, grand internet. There are plenty of people out there doing big things and small things. Some of these are practical, some are inspiring. This week, we are journeying into the mind of a mom, defeating the battle between what types of parenting are best, talking about being a writer, a garage remodel, gifts for your dad, and a torturing post of vacation photos that just make me want to hop on a plane and go somewhere tropical for a week. 

1. I'm a new mom. Inside my head is probably pretty crazy pst days. Here's a post about 5 Minutes in a Mom's Head. I can relate to many, many things.
2. A refreshing photo series about motherhood. We beat ourselves up way too much with every little parenting decision that comes our way. We need to do what is best for our families, whatever that may be. A Fantastic Photo Series To Help Us Think About Judgment. (Spoiler Alert: We Have To Stop!)
3. Advice for Aspiring Writers: Hole Up & Create. I journal a lot. I don't really see myself always a writer but this post has some good advice. 
4. This garage remodel is top notch. I would like to stay there. 
5. Father's Day is Sunday. Here are some gift ideas from the kids for the dads. 
6. This group makes me want to take a vacation. With a group of awesome friends. I can't wait to read more about the house they rented. Here are some snapshots of the trip. Someday, vacation. Someday. 

Baby Marin: Week Sixteen

It's so crazy to think that this time last year, I was about 4 weeks pregnant. I now have a sixteen week old child. I will never forget that day I took the pregnancy tests. It was June 7th. I was helping my mom with a garage sale. I had a few things at work that were really stressing me out and I was trying to not let those things bug me. I took the tests early in the morning and really couldn't keep my mouth shut. "I might be pregnant." I kept telling my husband, my mom, my grandma, my mom's friends, anyone that would listen to me.

So much has changed since I was 4 weeks pregnant. There is so much to be thankful for. We feel very far away from the times later on in my pregnancy when I was told that I didn't have enough fluid or that Marin was measuring too small. We are very far away from the wondering of whether or not our little girl would be healthy. Those stresses don't hang on me anymore. I now wake up everyday with a baby that is healthy, vibrant, and growing like crazy. I am so thankful for that.

We have been so blessed by this little girl in our lives. At times, it is difficult, don't get me wrong. When you become a parent, you much be selfless. You are no longer at the forefront of your existence, but your child is. You are there to care for them, to teach them, to love them. They cannot do it without you and you cannot grow into who you are supposed to be as parent without them.

She amazes me everyday. She challenges me every day.

In a few short days, we will have a four month old on our hands.

Weekly Lovelies: Currently Clicking #13

Where are these weeks going? So far in the past few weeks, this little blog has only seen Baby Marin posts and Currently Clicking posts. My apologies for the lack of further content. My days pass by so quickly. I blink and here I sit creating this post of lovely links for your enjoyment.

Each and every week, I gather links of all of the places I have been perusing in the great, grand internet. There are plenty of people out there doing big things and small things. Some of these are practical, some are inspiring. This week, we are keeping things fairly practical with some awesome snack ideas, what you barista is really thinking about your coffee order, a DIY for your kid's room, and some frugal ideas in baby-land and beyond.

1. I love a good avocado. Stuff a salad in it and I'm sold. Try these Avocado Cup Salads, Two Ways. 
2. And to further our journey on the good food & snacks train, try this Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip or this Grilled Cantalope. (I have to try this!) 
3. The hubby and I want to sell our home next spring. We also want to be debt free before doing so. Any post that involves living frugal, I'm all for. Check out this post on Frugal Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap).
4. I'm still not sure if we will ever head in the direction of cloth diapering. It is so much more affordable, but there are a lot of steps attached. Here is one woman that used to cloth diaper, then didn't, and then returned to cloth diapering. Interesting. Confessions of a cloth diaper drop out (and how I got back on the fluffy bottomed bandwagon.)
5. Once Marin gets older, I would love to do this little DIY for her room: Kid's Clothes Rack DIY.
6. And finally, 5 Coffee Orders & What Your Barista Really Thinks of Them. I worked as a barista and can relate to each and every one of these. 

On a side note that isn't from a blog or somewhere online....

We went on a lunch date yesterday and tried out a new place in town. I am obsessed. It was such an enjoyable meal. We went to a place called the Mainline in Old Town, Fort Collins. 

I ordered the Southern BLT, which has fried green tomatoes on it. Oh My Gosh. I love fried green tomatoes and have only had them once or twice in my life. 

We also had the staff picks beer choices for lunch. Mine was a darker beer with bourbon infused into it. 

We will be going back. I am sure of it.

Baby Marin: Week Fifteen

I live between two worlds most days. The first is the one where I go to work and time passes in the blink of an eye. It is in this world that I am buried by deadlines and discussions, meetings and brainstorming. Everything moves at such a fast pace and then I find myself already facing a weekend once more.

The second world I live in is the one of being mother and I long only to freeze time in its place and rest for a while. It is in this world that I am up to my elbows in dirty diapers and spit up, but also anxiously await the sound of a new coo or giggle, or the triumph of a babe that is discovering how to roll over and discover the world around her.

I am always between two worlds. A bend and a sway.

Marin is fifteen weeks old today. I was thinking yesterday afternoon as I was driving home with Marin in the seat behind me, how quickly life is passing. I have a friend that is currently awaiting the arrival of her first child and I can't help but think about how not so long ago, we were in the same boat they are in. The waiting. The anticipation. The build up to the most painful yet rewarding thing I have ever done. I was thinking about how I have already mostly forgotten the pains of childbirth or the way my feet were so swollen or the sleepless nights those first few weeks where I could hardly tell day from night. It has all faded away into memory and I find myself with a baby that changes and grows every day right before my very eyes.

We have our good days and our bad days. We have our fussy afternoons that give way into sometimes fussy evenings. But, all in all, I find myself continuously thinking about my kid as I am away at work. She is always somewhere in the back of my mind, always present, always growing. So much of me wishes she could stay this age forever yet the other half desires to know of the girl and then woman she will some day become.

Two worlds. A bend and a sway.

(This is my most favorite photo that I have ever taken of our daughter, at least so far.)