An Adventurous Afternoon in Walla Walla, Washington...

Today my Mom had a Doctors appointment in Walla Walla--and there is a consignment store there that we like to sell our "gently used" clothes to (we get more $ there than we would having a yard sale!) so we decided to make an afternoon of it...

Me, Mom and Kai.

We shared a delicious lunch down town and then, while Mom was at her appointment Kai and I ventured up and down the beautiful historical main street in the stroller.

There was lots to explore!

I {LOVE}Yellow!

These were just a {few} of the sights we took in.

I was good and just window shopped {except} this. A "Fold and Mail" stationary notebook. Just too good to pass up, and fits nicely with one of my resolutions...do more "Thanking" and "Blessing."

Walla Walla is home to MANY, MANY tasting rooms. This one, Sleight of Hand Cellars, caught my eye as I passed by, so Mom and I stopped in for a tasting...and I fell in love (with the wine and decor!)

A RECORD PLAYER! (perfect!)

Gary and I had dinner tonight with friends (Kenzie & Ipolito, who made delicious Thai noodles!).

Kai was busy playing on the floor with Kenzie and I and the next thing I knew, there he was, passed out, right in my arms...

Today was a {good} day.

“My whole life, I've wanted to feel comfortable in my skin. It's the most liberating thing in the world.” -Drew Barrymore

As I stated in my very first post--one of my resolutions this year is to take {better} care of my skin.

One of my many motivations for keeping up this blog is to also keep myself accountable for those few lofty goals I set for myself upon creating this thing.

I have a gazillion "goals."And taking better care of my skin is one of them.

I don't have bad skin. But I COULD have better skin, and have never really put any effort into "skincare," and well, that needs to change.

While I was picking up around the house today, I had the Rachael Ray show on and was listening to it as I was walking in and out of the room. I caught something about "winter skincare" and stopped to catch the remainder of the segment. Good stuff. You can watch it here, but here's a breakdown for ya:

1. Shower smart. Take a SHORT shower (5-10 minutes), and not a HOT shower, but a WARM shower as the hot water is really drying on the skin. I didn't like this one. I love a nice long HOT shower (sigh) but am willing turn the water down and hurry it up for the sake of better skin.

2. Wash strategically. Don't shower every day! (Easy for me--i'm not dirty or anything, but I certainly go a day in-between showers). Also, don't use overly fragrant bar soaps--instead opt for a body wash, which will  not leave your skin zapped of it's essential oils. I needed to hear that last part--I am a diehard Dove Body Bar user and some of the scents pack a pretty overwhelming punch, not to mention leave me feelin' pretty dry post-shower. Looks like I need to find a good body wash.

3. Don't skip the moisturizer. I loved this one. You basically have THREE minutes to get lotion on your skin after your shower for it to effectively seal water in. Start the clock!!! I use lotion after each bath and shower, but I'm not sure if I get lathered up in those first three minutes. Dr. Chapas also advises that you look for not neccesarily an expensive lotion, but one with lanolin, mineral oil, lactic acids and shea butter because those are the most effective moisturizers.

4. Don't let your environment get too dry! Use a humidifier! If you don't have a humidiier, you can actually put a jar of water near your heater or put a wet towel around the door knob to create some additional moisture in the air.

Also, my skin-care savvy sister-in-law Sarah advised me to start putting a teaspoon of baking soda into my facewash 2-3 times a week. And like a good little grasshopper, I've followed my skincare mentor and MAN, my skin feels extra soft and sparkely clean!! Baking soda! Who knew?! Check out all of the other uses for this common kitchen staple...(hopefully my next skincare blog will detail my first {spa} facial experience!!!)

Sarah also gave me Cindy Crawford's Meaningful Beauty mask that I have yet to use but will soon tonight! I typically wouldn't spend money on something like mask, so when that precious tube runs out, I'm going to start using diaper cream.

YES, I said diaper cream. I saw it on The Doctors and then googled it (did I not trust the DOCTORS?!) and found this blog entry, which is pretty dang convincing (a good blog to follow, btw)!

So aside from revising my shower and post-shower routine, sprinkling baking soda in my handful of facewash a few times a week, starting a bi-weekly mask ritual (Cindy Crawford's AND diaper cream) I have also sworn off the tanning bed. This was an easy sacrifice for me (a self-proclaimed tanner since 16) as I did not tan during my pregnancy. I mean, I got some sun this summer, but not from artificial bulbs. No more tanning bed for me. If I need additional color I'm spray tannin' it up. It doesn't last very long, but I get a nice island glow for 3-5 days. Instant gratification at it's best.

Alas, I know that all of the diaper cream and baking soda in the world will not compensate for the effects of a healthy diet (I DEFINITELY need to drink more water!!), daily exercise and a good night's sleep will have on my skin, so I will for sure not overlook the obvious (pray for me re: the sleeping bit...I'm gonna stock up on POTATOES!).

If YOU have any additional skincare tips, please share! I'd love to hear em'...

My January short list on {happy}:

The truest greatness lies in being kind, the truest wisdom in a happy mind.   - Ella Wheeler Wilcox

1. Mornings.

I used to hate, dread, DESPISE mornings. And that was even when I was getting a solid 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Motherhood has caused a strange shift in my attitude toward waking early.

As exhausted as I may be from the night before, I find that when Kai begins his morning babbles (usually between 6-7:00) a part of me is actually excited to get up and start the day.

Maybe it's God's way of insuring alertness despite inadequate sleep, I don't know.

I have been really enjoying the quiet of the darkness right before sunrise. I make a hot cup of tea and as Kai plays and babbles I just sit and reflect, read, write and pray.

Then, when the light fills the sky we are ready for breakfast followed by a little nap (sometimes for Mommy, too!).

2. Post-workout endorphins.

The best way to keep to your workout routine is force yourself to GO, and when you GO, make it worth your time and GO HARD!

Motherhood has really taught me to maximize my workout time. If I have someone to watch Kai for an hour, I'm going to make sure I can burn as many calories as humanly possible in that one single hour. No lolligagging for this Mama, I'm all business, so sorry if I don't stop to chat...

I absolutely LOVE pushing through a hard workout, coming home, having a healthy recovery meal, and then taking a nice, hot shower.

Post work-out endorphins, or "runners high" as it is also known as is, in my eyes, your body's way of saying "Thank you" for the workout, for sweating out impurities and then hopefully re-hydrating and re-fueling properly.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

3. Productivity

It makes me happy to check things off of my "to-do" list. I am a compulsive list maker, and it gives me great satisfaction when, at the end of the day I see a list of strike-throughs.

Lately, my lists have been filled with "stay-at-home" Mom tasks. You know, the stuff you always wanted to get done when you worked full time, but never prioritized because it wasn't time-sensitive or any way you wanted to spend your precious time at home.

i.e.: Organizing tupperware cupboard, put order to tax information which leads to creating a more functional filing system for bills, routinely going through Kai's "too-small" everything, unpacking my counseling office in our home office and trying to create a lot of order out of a lot of mess....that kind of thing.

Tedious, time-consuming tasks--but the kind that feel SENSATIONAL to cross out.

4. Minimalism.

One of {our} joint new year's resolutions was to live simply.

We really have way too much stuff. Gary and I really want to be more practical in our buying, collecting, eating, etc. It's really just an honest attempt at becoming more frugal, and the few things that we've focused on thus far have already been liberating.

We've decided to clean out the cavern that is our pantry, and eat out of it until it is empty (it's going to take awhile!!). We (or, ME pretty much) are not buying clothes (sigh. BIG sigh.) I have too much as it it, and honestly, I don't want to buy any single garment until I drop a few more sizes anyhow.

Basically, before we buy anything, we ask ourselves "is it something we really need, or just someting we want?"

It's amazing what you can live without, once you tune in to all of the extra you have in your life...and it's refreshing to de-clutter all of the excess "stuff."

5. Old fashioned company

I love game nights and dinner parties and think there should be more of both in my life. A house full of people you love, good conversation, a little competition and a whole lot of laughter HAD to make my "happy list."

Here's to more of it all in 2011!

Optimist: Person who travels on nothing from nowhere to happiness. -Mark Twain

Probably TMI: A peek into the {not-so-glamorous} side of parenting (NOT for the weak in stomach)

Alright. Just so you know, this is NOT about the actual birth part. That would be overboard, although I could insert several examples of how it is definitely, at points, unglamorous.

This is just the honest truth about spit-up, poop and some other gross stuff. Ha.

POOP.

I worked in Seattle as a nanny pretty much throughout my entire almost four years there. None of the infants I nannied for pooped half as much as my Kai (we don't call him "stinker" for nothin'!)

No one told me how much poop there would be. Especially when I was breastfeeding. Holy schmoley he pooped after each feeding (which was literally like every 2-3 hours).

He doesn't poop like that anymore. It's twice a day at the most now...but he makes up for it in, well...content?!

He is wearing the correct size of diaper but somehow manages to poop OUTSIDE of it at least once a week. The worst one was in his carseat on the way back from Seattle. It was all the way up his back and when I went to take his shirt off it got all over his head and then he stuck his foot in the messy diaper as I was changing him (he does this ALL the time, I swear it's a game to him: "Try to get my feet into the warm squishy diaper..."). If I was anywhere near a sink or bathtub he would have been in it. But I just had to give him a "wipe bath," which is, well...gross.

Ok, now "poop" is about to get real...(haha, get it?!)

I have a bad dirty habit. It's how I "check" Kai's diapers.

I'll be the first to admit, I'm no clean freak. No, I don't live in a dump and no, I don't smell like garbage or B.O. or old soup. But, I don't mind dirt, not showering twice a day or, say, sticking my finger in Kai's diaper to see if he's poopy instead of taking his shoes off, socks off, pants off just to peek into what could be a still {dry} diaper. It's just not worth it. I just stick my finger down his diaper to see what I run into...haha, yep I just admitted that.

Gary (and anyone else who has seen me do it) cringe. I don't care. If I do get a little bit of poop on my finger I just wash my hands!

But....this "poop checking" method HAS proven to be, well, problematic at times (but far less than the time it's saved me!).

Like the time I did the poop check at night...and was so overwhelmed with fatigue that I forgot I'd had a positive poop check...and woke up with some dry poo on my forehead. Unfortunately I was not the first to catch it. Gary asked what the "boogers" were on my forehead. Um, yeah.

And then the time when I accidently got some poop from a VERY positive poop check on my workout pants...and then forgot it was there UNTIL I got to the gym and was stretching AFTER an hour long class. Oops.

Please don't run from me if you see me around town. I promise I wash my hands AND clothes. I'm just a new, tired Mommy. Don't judge.

Moving on...

SPIT-UP.

I'm proud to say that Kai is NOT a spitter. He's got his Mama's strong tummy (Gary gags at anything--picking up dog poop, Kai's messy poop, people's farts, etc...).

BUT when he does spit up, it's not a cute little dribble down his chin. It's projectile (which means there is a lot).

Luckily, Honey loves to clean up Kai's spit up. I won't go into detail, because I'm sure some of you are wishing you weren't reading this, but we are thankful for Honey's willingness to take an active role in this area of Kai's up-bringing and, yes, we encourage such behavior.

OK. No more reporting about bodily functions.

Just more of the unglamorous truth.

ME.

I have never been high-maintenence. I've worn my hair in a pony tail for quite possibly 3/4 of my life. I rarely wear makeup. I wait as long as possible before getting my hair done. I never thought I could really neglect my appearance any more.

But, sadly, I could. And I am.

I'm not thrilled with the way I look right now as it is, but the ratty hair, sweats and dark circles sure don't help anything.

Sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder where I went. I look SO tired...bleh.

Sure, there are nights I actually put on jeans and maybe a little make up and if I'm really feelin' it, I do my hair. But honestly, by the time I finish I'm too tired to even leave the house.

And then there's my retainers.

(sorry.)



I haven't worn my retainers since I brought Kai home. I don't know why I'm hanging on to them, or for that matter why I've worn them all this time (since my FRESHMAN year of HIGH SCHOOL!), OR why I suddenly STOPPED wearing them when I was officially a Mom. Every night as I brush my teeth I see them, and they make me feel guilty. Why can't I throw them away? I guess maybe if my teeth go crooked I might be able to jam them into place....?!

Sad story, poor haggard old Whitney....

Whatever!!!

Want the truth of it all?

I'm loving every single second of my new {messy} life.

Kai @ the Doctor today (he is 18 pounds!!!)

Smiles, laughs, babbles, coos, snuggles, tears, spit-up, poop...

All. Totally. Worth. It.

Gary asked me the other night:

"Did you ever think you could love someone SO much?"

It's a love you can't even imagine.

But a love that rushes in the moment that little one nestles in your arms...

that little one with your eyes and nose, his lips and smile...

So sweet, soft, and perfect.

And {definitely} worth a little dried poop on the forehead.

Monday Night Randomness.

I've taken the last couple of days off from the gym. I've felt a sinus infection brewing for awhile now and it's just come to a head over the last couple of days leaving me stuffy, sleepy and extremely unmotivated.

But today I needed to get off of the couch--the gym just sounded "blah." But I was in dire need to MOVE.

My Grandpa and Grandma Roberts are in town for the week staying at my parents house--so I decided to bundle baby boy up (eskimo style) and walk to my parents house for the evening.

It was cold, and like the negligent mother that I am, I took the long way for maximum calorie burning.

Kai was awake the whole time--he usually falls asleep on walks but I'm sure he was on the verge of freezing which wasn't the most conducive environment for a nap. Okay, maybe not freezing, he had his down onesie over his U of O sweatsuit AND knit beanie all underneath a thick fleece blanket. I stopped a few times to make sure he didn't have icicles hanging out of his nose, and just saw his big baby blues and red cheeks and a red nose.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE walks with Kai and Honey. And today's walk reminded me that it is something that, even though it's {very} cold out--I need to make time for more often. In the late spring, summer and early fall when it's comfortable we go on a walks EVERY SINGLE DAY. Sometimes two.

There is just something SO refreshing about getting out in the fresh air and just enjoying nature. It's WAY better then getting my cardio in at the dank, stinky gym.

You may think I enjoy walking outside because it's easier than, say, the elliptical or the stair stepper but it's really not...I walk right on the cusp of breaking into a jog and go hard the WHOLE time, and sometimes walk for 90 minutes. I sweat, and pant even and make struggling noises when I go uphill (Kai is getting heavy!!)

Moral of the story: cardio can be fun. In fact, it SHOULD be fun--if it's something you consistantly dread it's likely to not be something you prioritize.

I Love my little brother.

We have a different breed of sibling relationship and have always been super close. I'm glad I got a little brother--we've made lots and lots of memories and have been responsible for some extremely ludicris behavior...what.ranger.are.you? (in an awkward robot voice on the trampoline).

He messaged me this picture of him one day on his package carrier job for UPS when he was home over Christmas break.

It's classic Mikey.

Here's Kai gettin' ready to watch the U of O game...honestly, I'm not crazy about the Ducks...or the Beavers. I like the Huskies (UW) and really just can't wait until he fits into his purple and gold Husky threads!

(Obviously, as I'm typing this AS the game is taking place....it's close and I'm typing as I {kinda} watch).

Kai shared a few laughs with Great Grandpa Roberts tonight. I'm so thankful that my Grandparents get to enjoy my son, I have been so blessed by their involvement in my life, and now they are able to be a part of Kai's.

{Precious} 

Well, I told you it was a random.

I like random.

It's honest....and an everyday kind of

{beautiful}. 

Oven Oatmeal and Arizona...

Kai was up and {very} awake EARLY this morning!

I am finally competent enough in deciphering his level of "alertness" to make an educated decision about whether he should go back to bed or stay awake.

It was 5:45 this morning, but he was full of coos and smiles in his port-a-crib, which, to me, is better than any sugar-laden espresso drink at stirring me awake.

Once we got changed and situated with toys in the living room I realized that I was STARVING and a previous "breakfast" FB Status from a friend about "Oven Oatmeal" came to mind....it was a foreign concept to me but I knew I had to try it. And this early, snowy Sunday morning was the perfect opportunity.

I situated Kai in his highchair with some toys and mashed some banana up to feed him while I baked.

I then turned to my trusty recipe book (GOOGLE!) and decided on this recipe. I didn't have any dried cranberries so I baked it without, but threw some fresh blueberries into my bowl once it was done.

 Yummy!

It was like having a bowl of divinely flavored oatmeal in the consistency of a coffee cake, and blueberries automatically make everything better...

So I cleaned off my mashed-banana covered baby and took him and my bowl to the couch where I proceeded enjoy my bowl of "oven oatmeal" and watch Good Morning America and their coverage of yesterday's tragic incident in Arizona.

I despise extreme politics and everything that snowballs from it.

I pray that 2011 will, indeed be a "year of optimism" for our nation.

But I know as I sit here, cozy on my couch with my bright eyed baby boy, my hot mug of coffee and bowl of oven-oatmeal, that God is in control...and commands us not to worry.

And thats all the {optimism} I need.

{Savory} Saturday Mornings

There is something sacred about Saturday mornings that makes them magically unlike any other morning of the week.

On a Saturday morning one can just lie in bed, basking in the sunlight pouring in from the frosted window pane that spills across the blankets already warm from a nights slumber...

On a Saturday morning dreams and throughts become intertwined as slumber and dreaming dance with wakefulness...

Saturday mornings are meant to be savored.

Savored with good friends over strong coffee, mimosas, bloody marys and brunch...peppered with groggy conversation about the night before...that perhaps has yet to end...

...savored by waking slow with someone you love. No alarms, cell phones or commute. Just warm skin and sunshine.

...savored by a sunny walk through the neighborhood, smelling hints of bacon and coffee on the cool breeze and soaking up the stillness of a neighborhood about to wake up.

...savored under a blanket on the couch in front of cartoons, sneaking marshmallows out of little bowls of lucky charms.

...savored in a thick knit cardigan on the sun-filled patio of a busy downtown cafe with a hot cup of tea, the morning paper and tiny sparrows that stop to peck the crumbs from beneath your table.

I savored my Saturday morning with a break from my traditional everyday breakfast of fruit and oatmeal. Growing up, I typically woke up to the smell of hot breakfast on Saturday mornings (thanks, Dad!) so even though Gary doesn't really enjoy hot breakfast...like, ever (unless he hasn't been to bed from the night before!) I like to indulge myself with hot breakfast on Saturday mornings. Especially now that I'm up to enjoy the sunrise on {most} Saturday morns.
So this morning, since I had some stale/dry bread I needed to use, I made French Toast. And, I'm happy to report that it's the BEST.FRENCH.TOAST. I've ever tasted. (not to toot my own horn or anything!). I don't like thick and soggy French Toast, and this was {just} right! The batter called for a {surprise} ingredient (Honey!) and the toast is baked after it's toasted on the stove...I think that's the trick to perfection!

I got my recipe here but added vanilla and cinnamon to the batter (french toast is NOT french toast without the cinnamon and vanilla!)

However you spend your Saturday, I hope you take time to {stop} and savor the beauty of the day!