Archives for April 2020

Our Little Family: A Lifestyle Shoot

April 29, 2020 Leave a Comment

Our sweet Lilliana Grace joined our family on March 2nd! A week later, my beautiful friend Mandie Joy Dowling Photography came to our home to do a lifestyle photoshoot. It turned out exactly how I had imagined and the pictures are so dreamy! We will cherish these special moments in our home for life! I simply have to share them with you guys!

This little pumpkin was an absolute champ for the entire photoshoot! She was born for the camera!

She could kiss Lilliana all day long and never get sick of it!

And this pretty much sums up sister life. 🙂

My girls think their daddy hung the moon, and it is the absolute sweetest relationship ever. I am so, so proud of the #girldad that he is!

They both definitely have a healthy dose of “mama’s girl,” too! I am so blessed to be their mom.

That little newborn smirk!!!

Told ya. All the kisses, all the time!

I already miss her being so tiny. It breaks my heart how quickly babies grow!

3 generations! These next few pictures are so special to my heart! My sweet mama was here helping us when Mandie came out. I was super excited when she asked if she wanted to join in on the fun. I know we will cherish these for a lifetime!

My precious sugar baby. You are everything I never knew I needed. All of the struggles to bring you here (Thanks, Gestational Diabetes!) were worth it!

Lillie’s “nursery” is in our room for now! I will have to do a separate post showing that off! Simple but sweet.

I didn’t think that I wanted breastfeeding pictures, but I am so glad that I said yes when she asked if I did! We grabbed a few more “personal” ones, but I just think this one came out so special!

Literally pure sweetness!

The sweetest, tiniest little hands! SMUSH! I wish babies stayed this tiny for much longer than they do!

Totally thought the session was done and threw my mom bun on, but then Mandie saw an opportunity for some sweet shots and we couldn’t resist! Turns out, they are some of my favorite from the session. In my most natural mom look!

She even captured a little kiss attack with my sweet big girl!

I could not be more in love with my precious little family! I don’t even remember what it was like not to love two baby girls. They are so special to us and I am forever thankful to Mandie for capturing these moments for us!

Savory Sour Cream Pork Chops

April 27, 2020 Leave a Comment

Somehow, our toddler loves pork! It’s a pretty random thing for a kid to love, but she does. So I try to incorporate pork chops into our meal rotation pretty regularly! Anything to not have to fight her to eat…

I created these delicious pork chops while trying to make something a little different to switch it up. They have been a huge hit with both her and the hubs, and we have them quite often!

Serve them with mashed potatoes, roasted little potatoes or your favorite roasted veggie (Asparagus is great!). The sauce is so good on potatoes!

Savory Sour Cream Pork Chops

Servings: 4
Time: 25 mins
Difficulty: easy
Print

Ingredients:

4 pork chops (I prefer boneless, but that doesn’t matter!)
1 cup chicken or beef broth (it doesn’t matter which!)
4 TBSP Sour Cream
2 tsp (plus a little extra) Thyme (dried or fresh!). You can substitute Rosemary here and still get delicious chops!
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive Oil

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees and heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a cast iron skillet on medium-high.
Season your pork chops on each side with salt, pepper and a dash of Thyme.
Place your chops into the skillet and sear about 1 minute per side.
Carefully move the skillet into your preheated oven and cook approximately 10-15 minutes, until the chops are cooked through.
Remove skillet from the oven and move your chops to a plate to rest.
Place the skillet onto a burner heated to medium and add your broth, scraping the pork drippings and oil from the bottom of the pan. Do not pour them out! They add the flavor!
Add Thyme (or rosemary), garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, and simmer until liquid reduces by half.
Once liquid is reduced, remove the pan from heat and add your sour cream, stirring until well incorporated.
Add chops back to the pan, turning them to coat in the sauce, and heat on low just until warmed.
Serve and enjoy!

A Fairy First Birthday

April 24, 2020 Leave a Comment

Months ago, a friend contacted me to do a fairy themed first birthday cookie set! She gave me relative free reign, but knew that she wanted silhouettes! I decided some edible moss (dyed graham cracker crumbs!) and florals would give them that forest whimsy. And what is a fairy without pixie dust? Thanks to Fancy Sprinkles for edible glitter!

After flooding and allowing the main plaques to dry, I freehanded the fairies onto the cookie (Had I had it yet, I would absolutely have used my Miroir mini projector to outline the fairies! Total game changer!) And then I filled them in with a food safe marker!

To get the mossy effect, I dyed graham cracker crumbs green and allowed them to dry overnight. Then, I flooded the cookies with green icing and dipped them into the crumbs while still wet! Super simple and creates a really neat effect on the cookies that looks like real moss!

These were so fun and whimsical! Looking back at them makes me want to do all the moss cookies all the time!

Cucumber Dill Tea Sandwiches

April 22, 2020 Leave a Comment

Addilyn’s Tea For Two birthday party was my favorite gathering I have done yet! And it wouldn’t be a proper tea party without tea sandwiches, now would it?! We had quite a few men coming to the party, so I wanted to make sure these were a bit more on the savory side, but still light enough to be true “tea sandwiches.” Everyone raved about them, so I would call it a hit! The perfect blend of fresh cucumber, soft whole wheat bread, cream cheese and spices, you could totally just make these to have for lunches, too! I may have eaten more than my fair share…

Cucumber Dill Tea Sandwiches

Servings: 15-20
Time: 10 mins
Difficulty: easy
Print

Ingredients:

1 loaf bread, crust removed (I used whole wheat)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp Mayonnaise
4 tsp chopped fresh dill
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
one English cucumber, sliced thin

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine mayo and cream cheese until well incorporated (a hand mixer is super helpful here!).
Add in your dill and spices.
Spread half of your bread slices with a layer of the mixture.
Top with your slices of cucumber and then place the other piece of bread on top.
Cut into 4 triangles (or whatever shape you want!) and serve!
You can store these in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Just make sure to wrap them tightly so that your bread doesn’t dry out!

Katie’s Top 10: April 2020 Edition!

April 20, 2020 Leave a Comment

Introducing something new I want to start on here: my top 10 picks for each month! They may be beauty items, self care or just things that make me smile and I know that you would love! I’ve been testing out products so that I can recommend with confidence, and here are my picks for the month of April: 10 things to spoil yourself a little bit! You are my favorite people, so I have to share my favorite things!

1. Coconut Oil Ultra Moisture Body Wash

This stuff is AMAZING for dry skin. It smells super good, too!

2. Not Your Mother’s Dry Shampoo

Would I even be a new mom if I didn’t rely on this?! It’s my favorite because it doesn’t leave your hair feeling junky, and it smells great. The perfect quarantine hair solution! Amazon has it on sale $5.98 for two!

3. The Blushed Nudes Eyeshadow Pallete

Okay first of all, this palette is just pretty! I will admit that I initially wanted it simply because I liked the way it looked. Once I got it on hand though, I was hooked! I love a simple eye and nudes are my go-to. These shades are beautiful for any skin tone, go on smooth and last throughout the day. 10 out of 10 recommend!

4. Saltwater Flats Sandals

Fresh from RISE Apparel, these sandals do not disappoint! They are so versatile you can wear them really for any occasion. Made with 100% genuine leather, they come in a variety of cute colors, they’re waterproof (in and out of water wear), non-slip rubber sole, rust-proof brass buckles. These shoes are high quality and durable!

5. AP 24 Whitening Toothpaste

I admit I have been hooked on this product for a couple of years now! I absolutely love that dentist-clean feeling every time I brush! Not to mention that my teeth are so much whiter (no thanks to you, coffee…) and my sensitivity is almost totally gone! You can order some HERE or by messaging me on Facebook!

6. Civago Tumbler

We all know about YETI. But YETI cups are not cheap! Plus what girly girl doesn’t want a pink tumbler to sip her coffee out of?! #Momlife usually has me reheating my coffee like 10 times, but not since I got this little lovely! I can sip all morning and still have hot coffee! Total bang for your buck here!

7. Maybeline Hyper Easy Liquid Liner

I’ve never liked liquid liner. Mostly because I either couldn’t get it right, or I looked like a raccoon a few hours later. This stuff is my new FAVE! It is incredibly easy to apply, gives you that sharp wing tip and lasts all day without smudging! Plus it’s only $6! Major bargain!

8. E.L.F. Poreless Face Primer

I’ve used a lot of the more expensive face primers, and I have to say I am perfectly happy with this one! It gives me a great smooth foundation without feeling cakey! You can’t beat $6, either.

9. Tree Hut Cocoa Colada Scrub

This stuff smells like vacation! Which is perfect since we are stuck at home and only dreaming of the beach at the moment. Natural oils and gentle exfoliation leave your skin feeling so soft! This is the perfect way to end a self-pedicure or just pamper yourself a few times a week!

10. Sally Hansen Hard as Nails XTreme Wear

I am a chronic nail biter, especially when I am bored. When I am actually able to get my nails to grow out, they rend to break pretty easily. This stuff is awesome! A few coats and my natural nails feel strong like I have acrylics on! I cannot stand the look of chipped polish, so I don’t always have color on my nails. This may just be the answer! If you are a biter or your nails break easily, you need to try it out!

That’s it! my April top 10! Do you have a product that you absolutely love?! Tell me so I can try it out!

Gestational Diabetes Breakfast Round-up

April 17, 2020 Leave a Comment

My diagnosis with Gestational Diabetes was a bit overwhelming at first, I’ll be totally honest! I will also be the first to tell you that I very quickly got sick of eating eggs…especially for breakfast! (you can read my takeaways from that whole experience HERE!) After a lot of trial and error, I found some tried and true breakfast options that gave me fantastic sugar levels, so I rounded them all up to share with you, my fave people. And hey, if you are new to this whole thing, go grab yourself a FREE downloadable sugar tracker HERE.

So, without further adieu, let’s eat breakfast!

1. Greek Yogurt

I think I ate Greek Yogurt for breakfast 5-6 days a week, not even kidding! I grew to love it. While I had some success with the flavored ones, I got my best results buying plain and flavoring it myself! Remember, protein offsets carbs. But the lower you can keep the carbs, the better your numbers will be.

Most mornings, I fixed myself a big fat bowl of yogurt, added a couple of packets of Splenda (or whatever no calorie sweetener you prefer) and some vanilla extract . It tastes amazing but has no sugar! This is also a great addition to a more carb heavy meal to help offset.

2. Egg and Cheese Omelettes

These are way easy to whip up quickly and taste far better than just boring ol’ scrambled eggs! I love this recipe over at Mr. Breakfast. Delicious!

3. Hard Boiled Eggs

I typically made up a big batch of these at the beginning of the week so that I had them on hand in the fridge and was set up for success. On mornings when you just don’t feel like making something fancy, or don’t have the time, grab and go hard boiled eggs are the answer! Jessica Gavin gives a great tutorial for the ways to make them over on her blog!

4. Almond Crusted Quiche

This one requires a bit more planning ahead but it is so worth it! In fact, we had it for dinner a few times, too! You could make a couple of these up in the evening and keep them in the fridge for a quick re-heat in the morning! The almond crust takes out most of the carb content, but it tastes so good that you hardly miss it! Grab that recipe HERE!

5. Protein Shakes

These are a life-saver for when you are in a hurry! Or when you make a bad choice and have too many carbs and need a quick fix to bring your sugar down! (Been there, done that!) They are especially delicious if you freeze them and then eat them with a spoon like ice cream! Premier Protein were my favorite and this variety pack gives you options!

6. Protein Bars

Just like the shakes, these are great for grab and go mornings! I almost always took one of these on OB appointment days, because I had an hour drive and was usually in a hurry! They are a tiny bit more carb-filled, but always still gave me great numbers. Plus you feel like you are having a treat! Here are a few that were my favorites!

7. Bacon, egg and cheese on whole wheat toast

I found that if I put enough protein in my sandwich, I could get away with whole wheat toast! The Incredible Egg has a great recipe, but you can totally keep it simple here! Try it and see how your numbers do!

There you have it! A breakfast option for each day of the week! My biggest recommendation: Find what you like. Keep it simple, but vary it up as much as you can!

Hang in there, mama! You’ve got this! And it will be SO worth it when you hold that little one for the first time!