Make it a family affair!

Last weekend I was talking to my hunny about all I want to accomplish and how challenging it is when I just want to give our son all of my time and energy. He came up with the GREATEST idea. Being the competitive guy he is he suggested a "challenge." He too wants to live a healthier lifestyle (which is one of the things I wanted to do) and so we decided to do it together. So every evening when he gets home from work the three of us workout everyday. We try to do something different every day. Some days well do different workouts at home, some days we will go to the beach and I will run with Enzo, and he will swim with sharks. And I even introduced him to yoga ( my fav!!).  Me being who I am decided to take this whole challenge thing UP A NOTCH and challenge myself with three simultaneous challenges to help get my life simplified.

Our beach run view

With all the baby stuff fitting it's way into our life and our house everything seems out of sorts. Instead of stressing about getting everything done I've decided to take the next few weeks and each day organize just one drawer, one closet, or one room.

I am still on the road to finish all my unfinished projects. I still can not believe how many times I start something, and then put it away to be forgotten before it is done. So now, for the next three weeks each day I work on one project. Be it reading a little to finish another book, something crafty, or an errand I've needed to take care of for a while.

One of the projects I finished this week

As for our healthy lifestyle challenge, we are working out every single day and I am cooking us one new healthy meal a day. A friend of mine introduced to the green monster and I must say I am hooked. What a great way to eat your greens! Also we have been trying new foods each week. Last week we started on a chia seed kick. These great little seeds for full or protein and Omega-3's. They are great in smoothies, soups and on yogurt. We are also getting Enzo in our healthy lifestyle! We are starting the solid food introduction and are making our own homemade organic baby food. My little herbivore just L.O.V.E's peas!!...Yuck! haha But I am glad he prefers healthy choices over sweet tastes like apples and mango's. I know it will just be a matter of time until he is a chocoholic like me....Anywho!  I know a lifestyle is a permanent change, not just three weeks. But the three weeks it just to establish a habit.

Are you looking to change a habit or two??
GET ON IT

A little bit of sunshine is all you need

Nothing revitalizes a person like a few days at the beach. The fresh ocean air, the peaceful sound waves crashing against the shore make, and not having a care in the world….(except for Enzo of course) AHHH a little piece of heaven on earth!

This past Tuesday was my honey’s birthday and we decided to get away for a few days down in MIAMI. We found an AWESOME deal on groupon.com. LOVE  that site. They hooked us up with an ocean front suite on the beach 11 stories up AND threw in a bottle of champagne, 2 massages at the spa, and breakfast buffet every morning; all for pennies, basically. We have needed a getaway for some time now. The stresses of being new to motherhood (fatherhood for Narcis), life in general and such can really get to a person.  Mental health is so important.

Our view

Our only family photo, I need to get better with that

The weekend prior to our mini vacay I ran my first 5k! Excuse me while I toot my own horn, TOOT TOOT, I ran the ENTIRE time! I came in 229 out of 342… For me that is a fantastic outcome as I thought I would surely come in last. The best part was seeing my loves at the finish line rooting me on! Unfortunately I have no pictures to share because I forgot to charge the camera.

I also finished another book, The Key to Rebecca. I had never heard of it before. I am not even sure how it ended up in our house, but it is a great read. It has everything! Action, Love, Sex, Espionage, Betrayal, Suspense. The story takes place in WWII, and I love stories about this era. I got into it after reading Anne Frank’s Diary back in 5^th grade. Well, Enzo is up and all he wants to do is sit up and play nowadays…and I am PARANOID he is going to fall back and knock himself out…so to play baby catcher I go! Until next time, ciao!  

5 Months

A little sunshine is all you need

Nothing revitalizes a person like a few days at the beach. The fresh ocean air, the peaceful sound waves crashing against the shore make, and not having a care in the world….(except for Enzo of course) AHHH a little piece of heaven on earth! 

This past Tuesday was my honey’s birthday and we decided to get away for a few days down in MIAMI. We found an AWESOME deal on groupon.com. LOVE  that site. They hooked us up with an ocean front suite on the beach 11 stories up AND threw in a bottle of champagne, 2 massages at the spa, and breakfast buffet every morning; all for pennies, basically. We have needed a getaway for some time now. The stresses of being new to motherhood (fatherhood for Narcis), life in general and such can really get to a person.  Mental health is so important. 

Our view

Our only family photo..need to get better with that..

The weekend prior to our mini vaycay I ran my first 5k! Excuse me while I toot my own horn, TOOT TOOT, I ran the ENTIRE time! I came in 229 out of 342… For me that is a fantastic outcome as I thought I would surely come in last. The best part was seeing my loves at the finish line rooting me on! Unfortunately I have no pictures to share because I forgot to charge the camera. 

I also finished another book, The Key to Rebecca. I had never heard of it before. I am not even sure how it ended up in our house, but it is a great read. It has everything! Action, Love, Sex, Espionage, Betrayal, Suspense. The story takes place in WWII, and I love stories about this era. I got into it after reading Anne Frank’s Diary back in 5^th grade. Well, Enzo is up and all he wants to do is sit up and play nowadays…and I am PARANOID he is going to fall back and knock himself out…so to play baby catcher I go! Until next time, ciao!  

Enzo 5 months :)

Ready or Not Here I Come...

“Wake up Leah, it’s midnight” As a little girl I loved to hear those words. It meant two things: food and Dad was home. He would make me all sorts of different midnight snacks. Sometimes it would be is homemade sauce and meatballs, sometimes cinnamon sugar on buttery English muffins. Whatever it was, I ate it and the time I got to spend with my dad, up. We would sit in the kitchen and talk and eat. I don’t remember a single thing we talked about.  My dad and I always had pointless, fun conversations. He was always more of a friend than a father to me.  Growing up my mom was the disciplinarian. She would yell at me to clean my room and when I didn’t she would come in armed with a garbage bag and her “I’ll show you” attitude and take all my toys to throw them away. I would cry and cry of course because how can any little girl live without her Barbie dream house? Her real life peeing baby doll? Sometime after I would cry myself to sleep my Dad would go out and bring in my toys.  I can’t say I agreed with my mom’s parenting style. I kept my room a mess until I lived on my own, now it’s spotless and I even make my bed every day…… who would have thought?? But I thought the world of my Dad, he was my hero.

Pops and I a few years back

Over the years my Dad has always been there for me when I really needed him. Whenever I was stuck, in over my head, he was there for me.  Not  “there” in the right by my side kind of way, but there as in I could always call him up and he’d listen.  You see, in the past 26 years of my life I have seen my dad maybe for 10 of them, in the last 8 years I’ve seen him all of maybe 2 at most 3 weeks. Total. It’s shitty. I am not going to lie. I think it makes him a p.o.s. sometimes. I think he doesn’t have the slightest idea of what priorities are or what they should be. Over last 26 years of my life my dad has done some really REALLY shitty things. Things that make others think he’s a horrible father. Things that make it really hard to respect him. Things that I don’t know if I’ll ever get over.  Ya see, if it weren’t for the fact that I only have one dad, and I will never have another, I would probably never talk to him again. I have written this next part a few times. I wanted to share the shitty things he’s done. But honestly, I think everyone already knows.  And to tell you the truth, I have thought about it and Enzo won’t know those things.  When Enzo hears stories about his grandpa it is going to be only the good stories. Because who really wants to be remembered for all their mistakes? Not I. When you leave this world all that is really truly left behind is your story. Other people’s memories of you. I always lived my life as an open book for this reason. However, some stories aren’t really good portrayals of a person. Plus, I don’t want Enzo to think that type of behavior and disregard for others is acceptable.

I signed up for my first 5k for this Saturday. I am not ready, not by a long shot. I have never run that long all at one time. In fact I haven’t ran in about a month. I went to go the last two days but I’ve got Enzo and no babysitter so running in the rain just isn’t an option.  I figure I have something else to drive me though.  The race is for prostate cancer. Two years ago my Dad surprised with a visit on Father’s day to tell us he had it. He went though radiation and just finished it up a few months ago. God willing it is all out of his system and hasn’t spread anywhere. My dad didn’t have time to prepare for cancer. He also didn’t let it stop him. He went to work. He lived his life.  So what if I didn’t prepare to run a few measly miles? If I can do this to honor my toy saving, midnight snacking, old as dirt, no hair dad; I’d be honored to.