Holiday Organization!

We are already in week 2 of the holiday season! The house is decorated, tree is up and our holiday cards arrived today! 

I am busy making lists and checking them twice. So many lists...baking lists, menus, shopping lists, gift lists. For me, the more organized I am, the more I enjoy the season and the magic it brings. This year I am using a few amazing printables to keep me on task and ahead of the chaos. 

I am a huge fan of Whitney English and the Day Designer products. I am on my third DD planner - yes, I use a paper planner along with an online calendar. I am a visual person so seeing my to-do, meeting, schedule, etc written down works. 

The team at Day Designer created some fun and useful printables that I am loving this holiday season! Here are a few that are making life a little easier and a lot more organized!

Holiday Gift Ideas

Entertaining Checklist

Make a List, Check it Twice

If you are looking for a gift idea for yourself or somebody else, be sure to check out the amazing products Whitney and Day Designer have to offer! You won't be disappointed

I will be sharing favorite holiday recipes, menu ideas and more throughout the month! 

xoxo,

Stephanie

September Reading List

We are at the end of September and it finally feels like fall! I checked the 10 day forecast the other day and the 80+ degree days temps are all gone. So, welcome fall! 

My September reading list is almost non-existent this month. Other demands kept me busy so my reading for fun took a break. 

Here's what I did read! 

// The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand //

I am still on my Elin Hilderbrand kick. The Matchmaker was one of my favorites so far. Her books are light and easy to read but this one made you reflect on life. I, also, read The Tailgate which is a short story prequel to The Matchmaker. 

// Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter //

By the end of this book, I really enjoyed it but it was a slow read. It took me awhile to adjust to the authors writing style. The story was great though and it had me in tears. It is a definite must-read. 

So, that's all! But, if you want to talk education policy and issues happening in the state of Ohio, I'm your girl! I am reading something new now, my kindle is full and I just renewed two more books. 

Hope you have a great day - we are half way to the weekend! 

xo,

Stephanie 

Weekly Weigh-In

Not much to report. I'm not sure if that is good or bad! I am 2 lbs over my last weigh-in but considering its been hit or miss with tracking my calories and my exercise routine was mostly non-existent (a couple spin classes, a couple days of weights and the elliptical once), I consider that a small victory. I have weighed in the past few weeks and this is where I've been each time.

For real though, I miss the exercise routine I was on the past spring and early summer. I felt stronger, more energetic and I was starting to notice a physical difference. Trying to work it in with our new school/work schedule is hard but I am determined to figure out a way to make it fit. 

I need to remember to take it one day at a time. So, yesterday I stayed within my goal calorie range. My recommended (from a nutritionist and via My Fitness Pal) ratio of carbs-fat-protein was only a little off. Also, I went to my favorite Tone and Strength class last night. It would have been easier to stay home but I knew I had to go. It was hard but I felt good afterwards.

Today, I am hoping to hit the treadmill and start running again! 

Hope everyone has a motivated Tuesday! 

xo,

Stephanie 

Finding the Balance

As I was sitting in front of my calendar last night planning out my week and prioritizing my never ending and always growing "to do" list, I added a blog post idea for each day this week. As I sat down to type this (in the wee hours because let's be real...once the day begins...well, you know), I realized my last post was from August 31st. What??? I knew September was keeping me busy but wow. 

So, where have I been? Around. I didn't leave the country or go on some extended vacation (I wish!). I am around just trying to find and maintain some sort of balance. You know, the balance between being a mother, managing a home, working, giving back to the community and staying home with a two year old. Oh, and finding time to take care of yourself - that always seems to be at the bottom of the list and rarely gets crossed off.

Did I figure it out? Nope. It is an ongoing struggle and I feel like I am juggling too many pieces which means it seems like something is going to fall. Things are starting to settle and I am getting myself into new routines. I know that they key for me is to stay organized and on top of things - like that never-ending pile of laundry. 

In my attempt to find balance and create routines, here are a few things I am doing:

- Giving the girls my dedicated attention for a period of time each evening. Too often I feel like I am saying "in just a minute", "please, Mommy just needs to finish doing ____", "just leave me alone!"

- Rising a little earlier than normal each morning. I know that by mid-week I will be so exhausted but this needs to happen.

- Fridays are for Auggie and me. I decided to stay home with him and work part-time because I realize he will only be little once. He and I have a strong bond that I only want to strengthen. 

- Finding time for me! Getting back into a solid workout routine and focus on being a healthy me. I am trying to get myself to think long-term - about the 5k I want to run, the jeans I want to put on this fall, etc. 

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Auggie and I spent our first "Friday date" with a trip to the zoo! It was a beautiful day with perfect temps. I will take fall days like this anytime of year! 

The pumpkins were being setup for the zoo's fall activities - fall fest, boo at the zoo. Every single child made a beeline for these pumpkins. When we left they were gated with signs asking everyone to stay off. Oops! 

The petting zoo was closed but the chickens were out and active.

Auggie's first train ride. 

The Heart of Africa. 

 So majestic! He woke up, stared at Auggie and then moved away. Ha! 

 This is where we spent most of our time...and then cried when I made us leave. It happens every single time! 

 And then we spent our time sitting in this old Jeep instead of watching the giraffe feeding! The hysterics when we left may have scared the cheetahs. For real.

It was a great day and start to a fun weekend! 

Hope the week ahead is a good one! 

xo,

Stephanie 

What I Read in August!

Another month is coming to a close and here is a list of what I read in August! 

This month's reading list was fairly light with one exception. I spent most days reading education related articles so I didn't mind something a little mindless in the evenings! I realized how trained I am to read before bed because I finished my last book a week ago and falling asleep has been difficult. 

// All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr //

My SIL was reading this on vacation so I was thrilled when she dropped it off for me to read. This is the second book about WWII this summer and I am fascinated by the history. Add to it a great story and I was in love with this read! I highly recommend! 

//Barefoot and The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand //

I am still loving this new-to-me author and her stories. They are easy reads but fun and leave you wanting more. The Rumor is a new release this summer so I was excited to get a copy already! I just started another Elin Hilderbrand I will share at the end of next month. 

// Strange Brew by Mary Kay Andrews //

I cannot say I love the MK Andrews mystery series as much as I love her other books but they are still fun reads. This one was no exception! 

What are you reading? I am always looking for good book recommendations! Don't forget you can check out what is on my Goodreads list here and my other summer reads here. 

Hope everyone has a great week! 

xo,

Stephanie 

10-minute Meal Ideas!

Today I am sharing a few meals ideas to help you get dinner on the table in 10 minutes! Some of these ideas can be made in 10 minutes and some need prep time the night before or morning of while others can be prepared a month in advance. 

I got the idea from a friend who requested ideas on Facebook for 10 minutes meals and was very specific that dinner had to be on the table in 10 minutes. I had so many ideas but I couldn't share them all in one comment. My friend has a little one who is Auggie's age and both parents work full-time with long hours and long commutes. So, they almost need to be able to put dinner on the table when they walk in the door. 

Salads

Especially easy and perfect on hot, summer days. Here are a few of my favorites.

Chef: turkey from the deli, bacon (I always have Hormel bacon bits from Sam's Club in the fridge), avocado, hard boiled eggs, sunflower seeds, lettuce and blue cheese dressing.

Italian: garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers, canned artichoke hearts, salami, provolone/mozzarella cheese, lettuce and Italian dressing.

Greek: grilled or roasted chicken breast (prepared over the weekend), cucumber, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, feta, pine nuts, lettuce and vinaigrette. 

Spinach: grilled or roasted chicken breast, bacon, hard boiled eggs, red onion, sunflower seeds, spinach and poppyseed dressing. 

Taco: taco meat (leftover or prepared ahead of time - perfect to keep in the freezer), cheddar cheese, tomatoes, black olives, avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream, salsa, lettuce and ranch dressing.

Soup

During fall and winter, I make a big batch of soup on Sunday afternoons and we enjoy it throughout the week. Or I will freeze portions and save for another week. Chili, beef vegetable and chicken tortilla are favorites that freeze well. Frozen soup can thaw overnight or during the day in the fridge which means you just have to reheat. Soup is also a great meal to let slow cook during the day and is ready when you walk in the door. Make it a more filling meal by serving it with a crusty bread. 

Stir fry

We love stir fry! I use whatever is on sale or in the fridge. A combination of protein and veggies works every time. Prep the night before by cutting up the meat (chicken, beef or pork) and veggies (carrots, bell peppers, onions and bok choy are my go-to stir fry veggies). Stir fry is meant to cook hot and fast. I always have water chestnuts, bamboo shoots or mini corn in my pantry. I make rice in batches and freeze so that I can pull out when I am pinched for time. A quick sauce of low sodium soy sauce mixed with a little cornstarch brings it all together.

Casseroles

Casseroles are great for many reasons - a full meal in one dish, easy to sneak include veggies, reheats well and freezes well. Pinterest is full of great casserole ideas. I tend to go the pasta route but Mexican is a good option too.

Slow Cooker

I saved the best for last! If you don't own a slow cooker, go order one now! If you want a meal on the table when you walk in the door, a slow cooker will be your BFF. I use the All-Clad 7 Qt. which has an insert that can be used on the stove top for browning or searing meat and softening vegetables. The size is perfect for our family of five. 

Baked Potatoes: Yes, you can make baked potatoes in your slow cooker! I like to serve stuffed potatoes filled with broccoli and cheese (I keep frozen boxes on hand), bacon, salsa, sour cream. Leftover chili is a great topper too.The options are limitless here. 

Chipotle Bowls: Skinny Taste's Chicken Taco Chili, Barbacoa, Santa Fe Chicken are favorites along with this Beef Fajita recipe and this Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa are favorites. Use to top a bowl of rice then add your favorite Tex Mex condiments.

You can find more of my favorite slow cooker recipes here.

I hope that you find these 10 minute meals helpful! They are lifesavers during our busy school year. What are some of your favorite quick meals? Slow cooker favorites? 

Hope everyone is having a great week! 

xo,

Stephanie 

Week 4 Weigh-in

Today's weigh-in was a "Yes!" moment for sure! It has been tough getting back into a fitness routine since vacation but I did try to log my food last week (sorry I forgot to check-in though! I stayed the same from the previous week). But, this morning I saw some results - down 3.8 lbs! 

As you hear over and over, it is all about your diet and calories consumed. Thank goodness it isn't all about exercise because making time is a constant struggle at the moment. Now that school is back in, I am hoping to figure out a good fitness plan that fits our schedule. All I was able to fit in was a spin class last week and a 2 mile run yesterday. 

I am now off to start my day and looking forward to upper body weights, abs and spinning this morning! 

I am hoping to finish up a post later today dedicated to 10 minute meals! Be sure to stop back to check it out. 

xo,

Stephanie 

First Day of School!

It is back to school for the Dodd sisters! It was a fun summer but we I am looking forward to a more structured routine. And Auggie is thrilled to have me to himself again! 

I am happy to report that the first day at their new school was a success! The girls had great days, loved meeting new friends and teachers. The parents were so friendly and happy to see new faces. We even learned that one classmate lives in our neighborhood, another classmate is the child of our high school classmate and a few friends are from camp! 

Another plus, school is much, much closer than before! Yippee! No doubt we miss our friends from Wellington and love the school but this is simply a better fit at this time in our life. Simple being the key. 

Cecilia Elizabeth - age 7 - 2nd Grade

 Frances Ruth - age 5 - Kindergarten

 Why is it so difficult to get a nice picture of all three? :) 

It will be your turn soon enough, little buddy! Too soon for this mama!

Hope your everyone had great first days too! 

xo,

Stephanie 

Weekend Recap!

We had a great last weekend of summer vacation! I hope this weather continues far into September and October. Wishful thinking, I know!

We made this weekend an extra long one to cap off a fun and memorable summer! This is the first summer I have not worked full-time or worked on a client project so that I could focus on a summer with the kids. It was wonderful!

On Thursday, we made a visit to the Columbus Zoo. Our kids love the zoo which never disappoints! Ceci's best friend met went with us which was even more fun. They had not seen each other since the beginning of summer and were thrilled to be reunited. If you have not been to the Columbus Zoo, you must! It was simply one of the best. 

 On Friday, Dan and I took Ceci on her birthday date. We gave her the option to have a birthday party with friends or to spend the day with Mommy and Daddy. She jumped on the idea of having us to herself for an entire day doing her favorite activities! I admit that it was way easier and more fun for us too! 

 Her first request was a round of golf! 

  

We love having a course in our neighborhood!

She requested Mexican for lunch! Then she made her first stop at Justice. It was a dream come true for her and torture for me! Yikes! It is just not my style for little girls. We were able to compromise and found a few cute items. 

Of course, she needed a mani/pedi before dinner!

Ceci requested sushi for dinner which is her favorite! She loved having an adult dinner with us.

Jeni's for dessert! She was exhausted and requested we head home soon after. 

We had a great day and loved celebrating Ceci!

Saturday and Sunday were a little more low key. We went to an open house for school on Saturday and met the teachers and some other families. On Sunday, we hit up the pool one last time. We decided that we need to go back to having a membership at a pool that opens Memorial Day and closes Labor Day not with the school year. 

Hope everyone has a great week!

xo,

Stephanie 

Cecilia's 7th Birthday!

On Sunday, our Cecilia turned seven! Because my phone is on it's deathbed and my camera is older than her, I have few pictures and I did not shout to the world of social media - "Happy 7th birthday, Ceci!"

We did celebrate our sassy, smart, creative little girl though! And the celebrating is continuing into this week which she loves. 

Ceci and I did sit down to a little birthday conversation. It went something like this:

How old are you? Seven! 

What makes you happy? People playing with me

What is your favorite animal? Kitties, dolphins and dogs

What is your favorite thing to eat? Shrimp and sushi (yep, so true!)

What is your favorite thing to do? Cuddle (maybe next year I shouldn't ask these questions at the end of a long day. Mommy will insert here - reading, singing, doing cartwheels - as some of her favs)

What is your favorite TV show? Disney Channel

What are you really good at? Cartwheels (She is determined to get her one handed cartwheel perfected by the end of summer!)

What is your favorite movie? Hotel Translyvania

What is your favorite color? Blue & pink

What is your favorite song? Katy Perry - Last Friday Night

Who is your best friend? Lane

What do you and Mommy do together? Shopping! (Hmmm...)

What do you and Daddy do together? Play golf

What is your favorite sport? Volleyball and golf

Where is your favorite place to go? HHI General Store (for next year's vacation, the only excursion I am going to plan are multiple bike rides to the general store for ice cream, donuts and slushies!)

What is your favorite book? The Secret Garden

What do you want to be when you grow up? Gymnast (I was surprised she didn't say Artist which is her usual response...clearly, she has cartwheels on the brain.)

 Happy 7th birthday, Ceci! We love you! 

xo,

Stephanie 

Weight Loss & Fitness Update - Week 2

A quick check in to hold myself accountable - down 1/2 lb from last week and 1 1/2 total. This was a pleasant surprise because I thought I felt 10 lbs heavier after cupcakes and ice cream this weekend! But I will take it.

Diet

Trying to log into My Fitness Pal as I have time and being conscious of what I am eating and portion size. 

Fitness

Thursday - spinning, upper body free weights, abs

Friday - 2 mile run

Monday - 1 mile run, Tone & Strength

Check out Week 1 here and my Goals here.

Thanks for stopping by! 

xo,

Stephanie

Weight Loss & Fitness Check-in

It's Tuesday so that means I am checking in with a weight loss and fitness update. It's all about accountability, right? Right.

So, we've been back from vacation for 10 days now and settling back into our summer routine (yes, we do have one). Last week was tough with a lot of drama, attitude and sass. By Saturday, all was calm again...or as calm as life can be with three littles. 

If you follow me on My Fitness Pal, then you know I did not log my calories like I should. Also, part of catching up with home, work and volunteer activities made trips to the gym more difficult. 

Having said all of that, I was down 1 lb from last week!

Diet

Not enough counting calories and eating too many carbs. I try to maintain a ratio of 50% carbs - 30% protein - 20% fat as recommended by a nutritionist. Also, she recommended I aim for 1300-1500 calories per day. This is WAY more than My Fitness Pal had me at but it did work when I stuck to it in June-beg. of July. 

Exercise

Tuesday - Spinning, upper body free weights and abs

Friday - Elliptical and Tone & Strength class (works in cardio too)

Monday - 1 mile run, Tone & Strength class

So, my goal for this week is to log all of my food and to increase my workouts. I am sore from yesterday's workout and that feels good! 

Hope everyone has a great day! 

xo,

Stephanie 

Book I Read in June & July

Is it really August? Summer is flying by...surely a sign that we are having fun! 

In June, I shared some of my favorite books and a few I was looking forward to reading this summer. Below is a look at what I read in June and July! 

 

    

 

// The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah //

Put down whatever you are reading and go get this book! So, so, so amazing! I had no idea because if I had, I would have read this book ages ago. It is a story about two sisters in France during WWII. One works hard and plays by the rules. The other speaks her mind and is a bit of a loose cannon. This story had me from the very beginning and left me in tears. 

// Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews //

As I mentioned in my June post, I am a big fan of MK Andrews and was excited about this newest release. I did not hold out until our beach vacation because I was so excited to have my hands on it. Sadly, I was disappointed. I didn't believe the story and it didn't tie together for me. It was still a fun read but not one of my favorites.

// The Castaways & The Island by Elin Hilderbrand //

Elin Hilderbrand is a new-to-me author whose stories take place on Nantucket. These are the first two books I read from her and they were both great reads. I, especially, loved The Castaways. Currently, I am reading Barefoot so stay tuned for that review next month. 

// The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller //

This is a story of two neighbors, one older and one younger but both finding their way through life. Perhaps it was the author's intent or maybe it was just me but it had me questioning the characters decisions and pondering the reasons they made them. I really enjoyed this book! 

// The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows //

This book was on my list for a long while before I finally decided to read it. It is written in the form of letters back and forth between characters. It is sharp and witty and I really enjoyed it. The authors do a good job developing the characters and showing their personalities. I wish I read it sooner! 

// Gray Mountain by John Grisham //

I may have read this in May...I cannot remember. This was the first Grisham I've read in years! This story takes place in coal country which was interesting to read about. There were some intense parts and I couldn't wait to see how it ended. 

// The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold //

This is the story of a 14 year old girl who is brutally murdered but her body is never found. She narrates the story from heaven as she sees life on earth. It was interesting to think about heaven and earth in a different way. The characters were all well-developed and showed how they struggled and survived this tragedy. I admit that it was hard to get into at first but I ended up really enjoying this read. 

So, please don't think that every book I pick up is a winner! A few that I just couldn't get through: The Paris Wife (although I think I will come back to this when I am low on options), Happy Never After (Mary Kay Andrews), and The Bone Clocks (bizarre and confusing...I only lasted a chapter or two. I will not be going back to this read.). 

What are you reading this summer? I always love a good book recommendation! Be sure to follow me on Goodreads to see what I am reading next!

xo,

Stephanie