Closing Day!

Saturday Morning at the Park

We woke up on Saturday morning and decided we had to get outside ASAP. We headed to our favorite nearby park, and went set off on a 3 1/2 mile loop. Here are a few of my favorite sights:

Happy (Sunny) Friday!

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Celina on Pinterest

Accessories

As much as I love slipping into  comfy pair of sweats at the end of the day....

I'm a clothes girl. I love clothes, and I love getting dressed. I've always been this way: I sleep with my closet door open (even as a kid) and don't get out of bed until I've decided what I'm wearing. I remember years in school not only by what we did, but by clothes I had. ("Oh...I loved that dress I had in second grade with all of the zippers!" Or, I recently said to my mom, "Remember when we went to the Phantom of the Opera in Boston? And ate Chinese food? I was so happy that day...and I had that dress with the denim skirt...")

 In the morning, I'll make a point of lingering as I say goodbye to J until I get a compliment about my outfit. I have a great, fellow clothes-girl friend at school and I look forward to going in to see what fun outfit she is wearing. For a while, I have been able to wear some of my looser fitting clothes, but now I need mainly maternity stuff. Let's just say that being pregnant has kind of cramped my style. 

Which is where accessories comes in! I've never been as into accessories as clothes. My opinion of shoes is that they should go with your outfit...I was never one to shop for shoes for the sake of shoe shopping. While I love jewelry (especially the styles in right now), I usually stick with sentimental items that have been given to me: pearl earrings from graduation, a watch and necklace from my parents and Jay...that kind of thing. I do, however, have a lot of fun shoes, jewelry and scarves hidden in my closet, and they have been just the thing to add some variety to the clothes I'm getting sick of wearing!

Flats! I'm on my feet all day at work, and I've added a few pairs to my collection this year. My students, who are often sitting on the rug looking at my feet really love the neon pink ones from the gap, the minnetonka moccasins  and the leopard ones from target. I love them all! 

Scarves! Actually something I do wear a lot anyways. One of my favorite things to give and to get. There are so many beautiful patterns out there. Some of the ones here are gifts from friends or travel souvenirs. Lately I've really loved the lightweight summery scarves. I also love having a big pashmina around in colder months because it can double as a scarf to go outside, or a blanket if you are traveling. 

Statement necklaces are my new best friends. Don't believe me?

I realized I had quite a few that I wasn't wearing. It makes a lot of sense because I've wanted to buy mostly basic maternity clothes like solid dresses and tee-shirts, so I can use them again down the road. Necklaces can really add to a solid top or dress.

Although I cannot wait to get back into my old clothes, it's made me really appreciate what I do have and with my budget tightening with the arrival of the baby, I'm sure I'll continue to rely on accessories to stretch some outfits a bit farther!

Chicken and Mango Salsa

Another weeknight dinner idea- try this chicken with mango salsa!

I used chicken breasts and just baked them with some lime. If it was nicer out I would have loved grilled chicken for this. Whatever floats your boat.

For the mango salsa, I used a golden mango and regular mango. (The golden mango was on sale so I thought I'd try it-- it was tart!)

Add just a few green onions and purple onions. (Tip: microwave the purple onion for a few seconds to take away some of the zing!)

Finally, some black beans and corn. 

If you wanted to go fruitier, you could add something like peaches. If you wanted to go more salsa-esque you could add tomatoes and/or avocado. Anything goes!

Serve cold and enjoy!

Thai- inspired

The other day, Jay and I were having a conversation about what it is that makes Thai food so good. (Note: we weren't eating Thai food, just discussing it haha). Is it the signature mint flavors? The basil? The peanuts? I've been thinking about it ever since, and set out to make Thai-inspired lettuce wraps for dinner last night.

First I browned some lean ground turkey and green onions in just a little bit of peanut grill sauce.

Next, I chopped up some fresh mint and basil to add to broccoli slaw. (I bought prepared broccoli slaw but you could just chop up some cabbage and broccoli to get the same thing).

This meal was so easy that the hardest part was probably trying to peel and wash the lettuce without getting it to break apart! I set everything out (the meat, veggies and extra sauce) so we could make our own lettuce wraps.

(PS: those flowers in the background are my first mother's day flowers!)

I served with a side of noodles and veggies

A successful dinner: I get to be a little creative and it tastes good, too. Here's proof:

Mother's Day

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day! As we get closer and closer to meeting baby D, I feel luckier than ever to have a mom who has been such an inspiration to me and such a positive role model!