in the city.

I love seeing my kids so excited about going into NYC...I love NYC.

I love how fun it is to go on the subway.  My kids were aching, literally, to go on the subway after having walked all day.

Grace kept asking when we were going to go in a Taxi.  I loved that she thought that was one of the funnest parts of the whole day.

I love hearing from my kids what their favorite thing was of the day when I get to talk to them just before the drift off to sleep.  Emma said, "My favorite thing was the jug of ice cream we each got at Serendipity." It wasn't really a jug but it sure seemed like it to Emma.

I love that the weather was absolutely perfect.

I love that my dad knows his way around NYC and can be our personal tour guide.

NYC. LIFE.

road trips.

I love a road trip...once I'm on it.

I love listening to my kids be so sweet and agreeable to each other for the first 10 hours of our road trip.  It's so fun to hear them have so much fun together, filled with anticipation, and talking excitedly to each other.

I love singing along to my favorite mix of songs while I'm driving.

I love when we get to stop and go to the bathroom, stretch our legs, and Emma needs to give everyone the hugs that they've missed out on for the last 3-4 hours.

I love arriving at my parents house and hearing that they tried to sleep but couldn't because they couldn't wait for us to get here...at 3:30am.

I love seeing all of my kids nestled in sleeping bags, completely excited, thoroughly exhausted, and oh-so-happy to be spending the next however many nights having a sleepover party at Grammy and Grandpa's house in their super cool attic.

happily exhausted. LIFE.

some tips.

Wondering how to keep healthy during the holiday?  Here are a couple of tips:

If you are a guest at a Thanksgiving dinner:

• Don't go to the Thanksgiving dinner hungry: we often eat faster and more when we are hungry - therefore eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch on the day to avoid overeating at dinner time.
• Thanksgiving dinner is not an all-you-can-eat buffet: Fill your plate half with vegetables, one quarter with a lean meat and the rest with a starch of your choice. Eat slowly and stop when you are full.
• Turkey - go skinless: choose your 4-oz turkey portion skinless to slash away some fat and cholesterol. Save your appetite for the side dishes and desserts.
• Side Dishes - watch your portion size: go for smaller portions. This way you can sample all the different foods. Moderation is always the key.
• Make a conscious choice to limit high fat items: high fat food items can be found in fried and creamy dishes as well as cheese-filled casseroles in a traditional Thanksgiving meal . For instance, mashed potatoes are usually made with butter and milk; green bean casseroles are often prepared with cream of mushroom soup, cheese and milk and topped with fried onions; candied yams are loaded with cream, sugar and marshmallows. If you cannot control the ingredients that go in to a dish, simply limit yourself to a smaller helping size. Again moderation is the key.
• Drink plenty of water: alcohol and coffee can dehydrate your body. Drink calorie-free water to help fill up your stomach and keep you hydrated.

If you are the honorable chef of a Thanksgiving dinner:

• Substitute high fat ingredients with lower-fat or fat-free ingredients. Learn about the 5 easy steps to recipe substitutions or see table below.
• Leftover Turkey? Instead of turkey sandwiches, use the leftover turkey to make a pot of soup with fresh chunky vegetables.
• Experiment with new recipes: we did a search on Google and found numerous delicious yet healthy low-fat contemporary Thanksgiving recipes. Experiment!

Happy Thanksgiving!

healthy. LIFE.

the day we've been waiting for.

I love that we went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last night.  It was so fun to go to a late dinner with the kids and then sit in the theatre with all of that excitement and energy.  When the whole theatre went crazy with the opening credits it was totally worth the late hour.  So much fun!

I love meeting starting new projects with new people.

I'm thankful for the gorgeous sunset that is streaming though the trees of my backyard right now.

I appreciate having a washer and dryer...especially when I have 15 loads of laundry to do.

I love having all of my kids fall asleep in the car after a long and exciting day.  Their ragged hair and disheveled clothes and messy faces equal a perfectly crazy fun day.

(dressing up did occur and pictures were taken...hopefully, I'll get to posting them soon...)

crazy. LOVE.

day seven.

I'm thankful that Miriam gets to take real showers again.

I'm sooo excited to go to Harry Potter!

I'm thankful for weather so nice that I get to open my windows and let fresh air inside.

I love and am so thankful for delicious salsa after searching far and wide to find some after I moved here.

I love new projects!  And I'm so excited about the one I'm currently working on with Stitch Design Co.

I'm thankful for sweet unexpected hugs from my kids.

blissful. LIFE.