OOTD June 30

Happy Friday! I hope you have some fun plans for the weekend!

I really love the Carly Lularoe dresses! They are so comfy. My cousin Mary Kate sells Lularoe and carries the Carly dress. I linked her Facebook group. This dress looks like it hits below my knee but it is the angle of the picture. This dress hits right at the knee. I am wearing a size small for reference. 

I bought these Tory Burch Miller Sandals last year in a camel color. They are so very comfortable and versatile. They go with everything! They were a splurge, but I feel I will have these for a very long time. I would rather pay a little more for an item when it will last me for years then to spend $20-40 each year on sandals. I might as well have spent a little more on something instead of replacing it every year. 

Lularoe Carly Dress

Tory Burch Sandals 

These leopard Tory Burch Miller's are on my wish list! They are amazing and I could get so much use out of them. I love leopard!!!! 

The Nordstrom Anniversary sale is coming in about 2 weeks! I can't wait! I bought the sweater in the picture below last year. I got so much use out if it! It is the perfect length! It is very cozy too! I am hoping they have something similar to this in another color! I will be scooping up another one. 

My top is a Lularoe Classic Tee. Again you can shop with my cousin Mary Kate to find great Lularoe items! I really love this mauve colored tee! It is perfect to wear with gray. 

I am wearing my favorite American Eagle jeans. I linked a similar pair below. I wear these things so much! I have 3 pairs of jeans I wear lately. One pair is from AE and the other 2 from Gap. 

  

Gray Cardigan: Nordstroms
Tee: Lularoe
Jeans: American Eagle
Flats: Lucky Leopard 

This is my other pair of jeans that I wear Gap boyfriend jeans. I bought these a really long time ago. Maybe 4-5 years ago. They have held up amazing. They don't get a saggy butt after you wear them. They have a little distressing, but it's very minimal. I think I paid about $30 for them. Well worth the money! 

The white tee I bought for $3.50 at Old Navy on clearance. It's really a great tee! The cardigan is old from Old Navy. I think I have had it 3-4 years. These items are staple pieces in my closet. I get a lot of wear out of them since they are so versatile with the items in my closet. 

Tee & Cardigan: Old Navy 

Jeans: Gap

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post OOTD appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant.

Kaleb

Kaleb spent the day with us last week.  It was a full day of playing outside, in the pool and digging for worms. I tried to get the boys to take a nap around 2:30/3pm, but they weren't having it. I even put on a movie thinking they would crashing watching a show. Nope! Around rolls 5 pm and G crashes first. Then Kaleb crawls on my lap. Within a couple minutes he was sound asleep. 

When he climbed into my lap I told him you use you come sit on my lap and fall asleep when you were a baby. I had found a picture of him from 4 years previously of him sleeping on my lap. 

Monday Thrive June 26

1) Holy bazooka we had one of the hottest weeks ever last week! It was AWFUL! We had days of high 90's to 100. We have a portable AC unit that we normally set up in our family room. Honestly we usually need this in August-October for a day here and there. We rarely run the thing. Well this year it was pulled out of storage in June! We decided to set it up in our bedroom this year. I am so glad we did! I would usually turn it on around nap time and leave it on until morning. It has kept our room cool. We have been able to sleep through this awful weather.

People in my area of Nor Cal don't handle the heat. We act like we are dying! People in the south roll their eyes at us whining. We don't have humidity or I might have packed my bags for Alaska. lol I spent most evenings in my room soaking in the AC. On a few occasions during this heat wave I brought different toys into our room to play with G. We also watched some movies from the Ipad. We also spent a lot of time in the pool. I have a nice tan which I am not complaining about. 

G had a great time dressing up his little guy in a knight, fireman, police man and other outfits. I was laughing to myself thinking G you probably won't ever understand the paper dolls I use to have. You had to fold the little tabs behind the doll with all the different outfits. Now they have magnetic ones where the outfits stay put. 

Magnetic Dress Up

2) We bought this little car for Kaleb when he was about 9 months old about 4 years ago. He was starting to walk around furniture, so we thought he would like to push and ride on a car. This is the most used toy we have bought. Any kid that comes over has to drive it. Well Kaleb and G decided to drive it together the other day. Crazy kids! We bought it at Walmart for about $20. We've kept it as an inside toy. I would highly recommend this toy for anyone. It was well worth the $20 we spent! 

Target Version & Amazon Version

3) Did you see my skin care routine post that I posted last week? I shared the products I use for morning and evening skin care routine. I just ran out of my moisturizers a couple days after my post. I had them over 8 months! You don't have to switch over to everything all at one time. You can slowly add one product at a time as you run out of things. You can make the foaming face wash and buy the day cream to start. Your body and health deserve the very best! Do research to make sure you are using the safest things for your skin! Beauty products effect our health! 

4) Oh I found a Paleo pancake recipe that we all love!!! Thank you Pinterest!!! A couple weeks ago I decided I was going to try a new recipe every day until I found one that everyone would eat. I only had to try 2 recipes before I found one we all loved. Target had our favorite paleo pancake mix on sale, so I grabbed 2 of them to take to ND. I love this mix because all you need is water. This will work great for my sisters and parents house. I also thought about mixing all the dry ingredients in a baggy to take with us to ND of the recipe above. 

I have all the ingredients in the recipe on hand all the time. Arrowroot powder is a staple in my house along with coconut flour. These are not staples in peoples homes who do not eat paleo. lol I will grab a couple more packages of the premixed pancake mix for when we go on vacation later this year. Easy to throw in a suitcase to have for breakfast! We usually stay in a condo with a full kitchen. I end up cooking breakfast the majority of the time. 

5) I have been enjoying my 3 hours a day while G spent the past 2 weeks in school. It's amazing how much you can get accomplished in 3 hours alone. 

• I have been going to hot yoga. I was concerned I wouldn't like it because the room is too hot. I actually LOVE it!!! When you come into the room it is a normal temperature. They heat the room slowly as you work out. I am planning a blog post on the different type of yoga classes I have tried. I have been so much more relaxed since I started doing yoga.

• Painted all the trim in our hallway and caulk the trim. It looks sooooo much better! I need to work on the kitchen next. I am hoping to have this all completed before we leave for ND. 

• I can run all my errands, grocery shop, doctor appointments, exercise all within 3 hours. It's amazing to me what I all get done. lol

I do feel every day preschool is too much for G. I am glad this fall he will go 2 days a week for 3 hours. I think that will be the perfect amount for him at this age. Mornings are also not his thing. The afternoon class will be perfect for him too. He doesn't like to wake up and go in the AM.

He is always so happy when I pick him up from school. He has been learning so much too! The other day Art went with us to drop him off. He was so proud to take his dad to his class. I will try to work it out next year for us to go to ND maybe the middle of June through July, so he can take 1 summer session of preschool late in July. We are all learning what works best with a growing little boy! 

Hope you have a fabulous week!

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post Monday Thrive appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant.  

Weekly Menu June 25

I am looking forward to having a cooler week where I can actually cook this week. Last week I don't think I turned the oven on at all. If I needed to cook something it was stove top, on the grill, crock pot or we ate cold things. I was very tempted on one of the hottest days to take a walk through Costco's refrigerated section for the rest of the evening. I figured I could go sample things, walk around, go outside, back inside to the fridge, and continue this cycle until they closed. lol

Main Dishes:

It was waaaay too hot last week, so I didn't end up making the Buffalo Chicken Soup. I am going to make that this week. 

Korean Beef with Broccoli 

Pork Loin

Breakfast

Fajitas 

Spaghetti - I use spaghetti squash for the "noodles" and I make this sauce to put over the top. I love to make meatballs with italian sausage. Cook the meatballs in the sauce while it is cooking. I usually have plenty of leftovers for at least 2 lunches. If I don't have enough squash leftover I will put the sauce over a large bowl of spinach. While you warm it all in the microwave the spinach will cook. This is really delicious! 

I should have enough leftovers that we will have one night of random leftover dinner. Everyone can have their favorite leftover from the week! 

What is on your menu this week?


Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post Weekly Menu - Paleo appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant. 

Birthday Boxes for Foster Kids!

I have been working with Together We Rise for a couple months on a new program they are offering Birthday Boxes for Foster Kids! 

Recently my cousin became a foster parent. Foster kids have become very dear to my heart as she has gone through the process of becoming a foster parent. Then a friend that lives by me recently started the process of becoming a foster parent. Hearing about all these kids who don't have a safe home honestly breaks my heart. I wish I could fill up my house with kids who need a loving home. 

The past few years we have donated clothes, school supplies and toys to foster kids. I can't take in a bunch of kids, but I can help make sure they have the things they need. I decided I wanted to raise money for birthday boxes for foster kids because birthdays are such a BIG thing for me! 

There are over 1.6 million people that live in my county. There are only 200 foster homes in my county. One hundred of those homes only will take foster to adopt children. Only 20 of the 100 remaining homes will take in teenagers. Those statics are heartbreaking!!! 

I am raising $750, so 30 foster kids can have a birthday box. The boxes come with tissue paper, a crown, noise maker, blow horn, birthday banner, squirt animal, birthday card, stickers, candles, candy, 5 party poppers, 5 balloons and gift card for ice cream.  

How did I come up with doing 30 boxes? Earlier this year my dear friend Adriana was killed. She talked to me often about how one day she would become a foster parent. Foster kids were always very near and dear to heart. On July 14 she would have turned 30 years old. I have been wanting to do something to honor her 30th birthday and this is the perfect way! 

The birthday boxes will stay in my area near where Adriana lived. Together we can help make 30 kids birthdays! Any donation amount will help me reach my goal. If you can only give $5 that is amazing! 

Once I have reached my goal Together We Rise will send me the supplies to make 30 birthday boxes. I will then put the boxes together and Together We Rise will help find the 30 kids for me to take the boxes too. 100% of your donation will go to foster kids! Together we rise is a 501 (c)3 non-profit that helps kids in foster care 2008-2017. 

If are you interested in more information on Together We Rise click HERE. 

Donate HERE

I hope you can join in me in honoring my beloved Adriana by donating to the foster kids birthday boxes. 

OOTD

This is such a mix of outfits because our weather has been insane lately. One day it is shorts weather and a couple days later we need a sweater. It's been kind of nice in some ways because you get to wear a variety of clothes. 

The top in my picture below is kind of a pink tie dye. I just bought it from Gap. I really like Gap tshirts, but I hate how they lose their shape after a few washings. My Havaian flip flops are on their last leg. I love them! I go through a pair every year. I wear them around the house all summer long. I will have to keep my eyes out at Nordstrom Rack for a new pair. Amazon carries them too. I buy them from both places. 

Tshirt: Gap

Shorts: Old Navy

Flip Flops: Havaians
Sunnies: Old Navy (last year)

I link Gap white jeans below. Gap jeans fit me really nice. I also don't feel they lose their shape. The butts don't start sagging on them by 10am. This is my second pair of Lucky leopard flats. My cousin bought me a pair of them when I had one of my MS attacks. I wore those suckers out until they had holes in the bottom of them. I had to buy another pair to replace them. They are my go to shoes to wear with almost every single outfit I own. They are worth the price and super comfy! I usually size up 1 size in Lucky shoes. 

Sweater: Nordstrom Rack

White Jeans: Gap

Shoes: Amazon Lucky's

I have been loving my Gap boyfriend distressed jeans again lately. They have been stuck in the closet for the past few months. These just fit me nice and are comfy. I bought the top I am wearing from Target in black and white. This is super comfy! Goes great with jeans and skirts. I like the little cap sleeve too. My sandals are very old from Target. I bought them on clearance for like $3. I am wearing a pair of Nickel & Suede earrings I bought ages ago. They are a lime green color. I think I bought these earrings back when Nickel & Suede was still on Etsy. They now have their own website and such cute stuff! These earrings look huge, but they super light weight! You don't even feel them on! 

Top: Target

Jeans: Gap

Shoes: Target

Earrings: Nickel & Suede

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post OOTD appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant.

My Skin Care Routine

As many of you know I sell BeautyCounter. I love the majority of their products! I really love that they are safe for everyone and non-gender products. When I used products in the past I felt I had to wash my hands or not touch G until I was sure the product wouldn't transfer onto him. Now why I didn't think well maybe that isn't safe for me I am not sure. I don't worry now if he gets into the products at all. He has been known to put some cream on his face or neck. 

I have always been very simple when it comes to a skin care routine. I didn't use anything other than soap on my face until the past year. I would wash my face and that was it. Now I have a routine I follow morning and evening. It is quick and simple. Sure I could spend lots of time using different products, but honestly I don't want to spend the time on that stuff. I want something that is light weight, simple and quick. That is how this routine has come into play. 

Morning Routine:

Foaming Face Wash

I make my own face wash. I think I started using this early last year. My sister made me a batch and I fell in love with it. Lacey bought me the foaming soap container I think at the dollar store. I just use the same one. I make the face wash and refill my container. I keep the extra in a glass Mason jar in my bathroom cabinet. You can find foaming soap containers on Amazon. 

1/2 cup unscented Castile soap
2 tablespoons sweet almond oil
1 cup of water

I make a double batch at one time. I put it all into a mason jar, shake it up and then fill my foaming soap container. You can add essential oils to the mixture if you would like scented soap. I don't like a scented soap, so I don't add any. If you don't like almond oil you can always use aloe vera gel, witch hazel or jojoba oil. I looked for an organic oil on Amazon, so that is how I ended up with almond oil.  I like the almond oil best for my skin since I feel it also moisturizing. If I skip applying a moisturizer I don't feel like my skin feels dry at all. 

I have tried BeautyCounter face washes. I have nothing against them. They work great for my skin. I just choose to make this one since it is so reasonable and easy to make. If you are looking for some safe nontoxic cleansers go HERE. 

Day Time Moisturizer

I use BeautyCounter Nourishing Day Cream. I got my cream in October and I am still using the same bottle. I use it at least 6 days a week. I have given samples out of it too. It lasts a long time! I am going on month 8 using the same bottle. Some people may feel that $43 for a moisturizer is a lot to spend. If you break it down that is only a little over $5 a month. I only use one pump for my entire face. A little goes a very long way! My face doesn't feel greasy either. It soaks into my skin very well. 

Depending on how my skin is feeling I use the No. 3 Balancing Oil by BeautyCounter. I maybe use this a couple times a week or at night. In the winter this stuff is amazing when the cold weather zaps the moisture out of your skin. I don't suffer with dry skin in the winter very much since our temperatures doesn't get bitter cold. When there is changes in the weather my skin does change a little. I have found I reach for this more in the summer. When I have gotten more sun on my face than I like it's great to hydrate it.  Yes, this does seem pricey. Again I am still on the same bottle since October. I had some people take massive sample out of my bottle one time. I think 3 people took over half my bottle. So essentially I have been using half a bottle for 8 months. I use 3 drops to on my entire face. 

I do not put sunscreen on my face or use a moisturizer with SPF. If I am going to be outside I will use the BeautyCounter Protect Stick Sunscreen. I had a long talk with a friend who has melanoma about using sunscreen on a daily basis. He told me to only use it when I am going to be out in the sun for a lengthy period of time. He suggested not using it daily and exposing your skin to additional chemicals. I trust him, so I have gone with his advice.  

Eye Creams

My very first product I bought from BeautyCounter was the Nourishing Eye Cream that was being sold by Target. I am STILL using the same one. I use a tiny little bit under each eye before I apply my concealer. I notice such a difference when I apply my concealer. It blends in so much easier. 

I have used the Rejuvenating Eye Cream on and off for a few months. This stuff really helps reduce dark under eye circles. I can't use this product every day or I tend to get some dry spots. Some people have a reaction to the caffeine and algae in the product. I don't have any issues if I use it every other day or even once a day. Again I just use a little tiny bit. I have found it works best for me at night instead of layering it under my concealer. 

So that is my morning routine. After I put on these products then I apply my make up. I usually give my face a minute or two to absorb everything before I start putting on my make up. 

Evening Routine: You will find my evening routine is almost the same as the day. 

Eye Make Up Remover

I use coconut oil to remove my eye make up each night! I keep a little container of it in my bathroom next to my foaming face wash. I take about dime size amount out, melt it between my fingers then I gently rub my fingers over my eyes to get the eyebrow, eyeliner and mascara to come off. I look like a raccoon after I have put the coconut oil over my eyes. I gently wipe it off with a wash cloth. 

I buy a huge container from Costco every few months for $20. I keep the big container in my kitchen cabinet.  No harmful chemicals in this stuff. It also moisturizes around my eyes as I take off my make up. 

I wash my face then with the foaming face wash from above. 

Night Time Moisturizer

I use BeautyCounter's Nourishing Night Cream. I use one pump all over my face. I will use the No. 3 Balancing Oil by BeautyCounter more at night than I do during the day. Again all depends how my face is feeling. The night cream runs $47 a bottle. Again I have been using the same bottle for 8 months and I have given samples of this product out to numerous people. I have also let a few friends use my moisturizers for a few days to try them. 

Then I follow the same eye cream routine as I mentioned above. 

Once a week I will also do the No. 3 Balancing Facial Mask. This product is the same as the charcoal face mask I have talked about a lot on social media. I love this product! It really helps breakouts and blackheads just disappear! You can get 30+ masks out of one bottle. Have I said I love this stuff?!?! If there is one product to try I highly suggest trying this one first! 

This is my simple skin care routine I follow on a daily basis. I wash my face every morning and evening. I don't ever go to bed with make up on my face. There have been times I have fallen asleep with G with make up on my face, but I end up waking up and I must wash my face. I just don't like the feeling of eye make up on when I am sleeping. 

I rarely have breakouts anymore. I use to have a lot of breakouts prior to starting this routine and skin care products. I started selling these products only because of the great results I had after trying them out! If there are any products you would like to try, please let me know and I would be happy to send you some samples. 

Below are the products I use along with the links. I have linked the products above too. 

Nourishing Day Cream

Nourishing Night Cream

Nourishing Eye Cream

Rejuvenating Eye Cream

No. 3 Balancing Face Oil

No. 3 Balancing Face Mask

Protect Stick Sunscreen

Website for All BeautyCounter Products

Monday Thrive June 19

Happy Monday! 

1) I hope all you father's had a special Father's Day yesterday! I am so thankful for my amazing dad! The older I get the more I realize just what amazing parents I had growing up! I was closest to my mom growing up. I remember a change in my relationship with my dad  when I was about 18. 

I had left Michigan where we lived to go to college in California. I went to college about 30 minutes from where I live now. I remember the second day I was at school l became horribly homesick. I had asked to come home. I didn't want to be there and so far away. I cried so much in those 2 weeks. I am not sure if i had ever cried that much in my life. lol My parents said I had to finish the semester. At the time it sounded like the end of the world to a 17 year old. I had no friends, was in a strange place, and I was almost 2,000 miles away. Back then I didn't realize I needed to stay because 7 years later I would end up moving right back there! I didn't know this until later, but my dad told my mom to let me come home. My mom was the strict one this round and said NO. If I had known my dad was the softy in this situation I would have talked to him more about coming home. lol 

My dad told me after I came home at some point that I was the first person he missed so bad and how hard it was on him when I went away to college. This past summer he told me that story again. I dread the day G goes away to college. 

I have spent a lot of time with my mom over the past few years. She has come to CA to take care of me when I've been sick and when I had G. She stayed with us for a few months when I went back to work, so she could take care of G. Last summer I stayed in ND to help take care of my dad after he had open heart surgery. I really cherished that time that I was able to spend with him and my family. We spent a lot of time watching the Olympics. I told him I will be coming back every 4 years during the summer Olympics, so we can spend some time watching it together. He is less than thrilled to spend time watching the Olympics. lol He said he never would have watched it if he hadn't been recovering. 


2) G started preschool last week. The first day he barely had time to even tell me good bye. When I picked him up he ran to give me a big hug. I asked him did you like school? He enthusiastically said YES! I asked would you like to come back tomorrow? Again I got a loud YES! He really loved it! He had to tell both sets of grandparents all about his day. He played with trucks, had cheese sticks and crackers for snacks and there were lots of dinosaurs. He was a little clingier the rest of the day. I asked him did you miss momma? He said yes, then gave me a tight hug. I told him it was ok to miss me, but I would always come to pick him up. 

They do lots of crafts, play with toys, play outside, have snacks and read stories. When I picked him up I loved how calm everything was in the room. It is a room with about 8-10 two year olds. Everyone is playing or reading stories on the bean bag chairs. The teachers are really fabulous! The staff is all so friendly too. I am so happy that we found such a great place. 

3) I recently bought these earrings from Mia & Mac. I follow her on Instagram. She posted these adorable gold hammered earrings on her IG story the other day. She was selling a few different designs of earrings for different price points. I loved the plain hammer gold hoops. They are about the size of a nickle. The perfect size! They are lightweight, dainty and simple. Just the perfect touch for all my gold jewelry. I am always looking for earrings to go with different necklaces. I need a plainer type of earring because sometimes I just wear my G Silver Wren tag necklace and other times I will wear a big statement necklace. I have been tending to lean more to more simple pieces since I stay home with G. 

4) Heather from My Life Well Loved started a series called Holy Grit. She talked about it on her IG stories. I was like meh I don't know that I really want to do a 30 day Bible series. I decided to sign up for the emails on it. I need some Holy Grit in my life. I am soooo glad I signed up for this series. It is so amazing! Each day I take the time to read the emails and read the verses. It has been such a blessing to me and helped me so much. There is still time for you to join in. I highly recommend you join in if you need some encouragement, positive influence or just are looking for a new type of devotional to do. 


5) We are planning some water activities this summer. I decided to buy G a puddle jumper. I keep seeing kids wearing them on social media. I am hoping he likes this and it works well for us. We have a small pool in our backyard. He is cautious in it. He would rather just stand in there with no one else and splash around just a little bit. What type of flotation devices do you use for your kids? 

Weekly Menu - Paleo Friendly

I mainly use coconut oil or ghee for cooking. I buy both of them at Costco in bulk. The container of coconut oil lasts me a couple months and runs about $20. I use this to cook, take my make up off, lotion, bullet proof coffee and whatever else I might need to use an oil. It does take some getting use too. Art isn't a big fan when the coconut oil flavor is prominent. I have noticed if I use salt it helps to mask the flavor a lot. I honestly don't even notice it anymore. When other people use other types of oils to cook with I don't really like them now. I can taste the difference, but the coconut flavor doesn't other me. I love chicken fried in ghee! That is just the best taste to me.

Main Dishes:

Hamburgers - I love hamburgers on the grill. I bought some butter lettuce to wrap burgers in this week.

Shepherds pie - I will try to share the recipe I use for this. I buy some frozen veggies, make my own gravy, make some mash potatoes and throw it all in my cast iron skillet in the oven.

Cracklin Chicken - if you haven't tried Nom Nom Paleo's cracklin chicken you need too!!!!!!!!!!! It's the BEST!!!! Use some ghee to fry this chicken. Ok I am craving this now!

Buffalo Chicken Soup - this is a new recipe I want to try.

Chicken Curry - I haven't made curry in ages. I usually just throw in whatever veggies we have and put it over cauliflower rice.

Sausage - This is an easy meal. Throw some sausage on the grill!

Happy Menu Planning!

Mommy & Me Zoo Fun

I am so glad that we bought our Oakland Zoo membership. We have used it numerous times just in the month we have had it. G and I went one morning as soon as the zoo opened. It was such a nice fun relaxing morning just the 2 of us at the zoo. We took our time seeing whatever animals we wanted. We probably only saw half the animals. It was just a perfect day at the zoo.  I packed lots of snacks and drinks. 

We rode the train and carousel. 

G just started riding on animals on a carousel. In the past he would only ride on the bench seat. He picked out the elephant and just love it. 

We picked up our zoo keys on our way out. I kept forgetting to claim the keys until we left this last time. G thinks these are his keys. The next time we go we will have to use them in the boxes. 

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post Mommy & Me Zoo Fun appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant.

Pallet Headboard DIY

Last summer when I was at my parents taking care of my dad Art made 3 pallet headboards. One was for our California king bed. I love it! He also made 2 additional queen size pallet headboards he had planned to sell. He didn't end up selling any of them. We decided to put one in our guest bedroom. I picked the darker wood. It really looks great against the gray and white striped wall. 

Back in 2010 I decorated the spare bedroom. You can find the original blog post HERE. The room is now a guest bedroom and my craft storage area. I need to decide what to do with all my craft stuff. Each year I get rid of more and more stuff. I just don't craft like I use too. Birthday parties are my crafting time. I am hoping to get some sewing in while G is in preschool this summer. 

I really love the pallet headboard in our guest bedroom! We are debating about making a pallet headboard for G's room too. Although I am not sure if I want every bedroom to have the same headboards, but then again it would be nice to match. You can find lots of pallet headboard ideas and tutorials on Pinterest too. 

Monday Thrive June 12

Happy Monday! Today G start's his first day of preschool! We are so excited! I can't wait to hear how much he loves his first day. I am sure I will pick up a crabby kid who has played like crazy and started learning new stuff already. I am planning to go to hot yoga today.

1) We have been on the hunt the past week to find a recipe for paleo pancakes. I buy the Birch Blender's Paleo Pancake Mix from Sprout's. We are going through a package a week. G has been on a pancake kick lately. I decided I needed to find a mix that would be a little cheaper to make. I don't have an issue buying the package for $5-6 when it lasts a month, but for each week I find it a little expensive. I am going through all the recipes I have pinned on Pinterest to try to find that we like just as much. When I find a winner I will let you know. Right now I haven't found one I like. G has been eating them with no problem. He is awfully picky these days, so I am glad he likes all my recipe testing. If anyone has a paleo pancake recipe they love let me know!

2) At the end of last summer I decided I was going to give up caffeine. I had read how it helped your adrenal glands if you don't have caffeine. I love coffee!!! I love the way it smells! I love the way it tastes with and without creamer. I drank half caff for a few months. Then I gave up caffeine completely earlier this year. I went from February through June with no caffeine or I would have a cup of green tea. The other day I decided to drink half caff again. I decided that was it. I am not giving up caffeine anymore. I need it in my life. Even a little bit of it. It just helps my mood. I am going to have 1-2 cups of half caff coffee each day. I REALLY love it with coconut milk.

I LOVE Aroy-D coconut milk. This is the thickest creamest coconut milk ever! I have tried a lot of different coconut milk over the past year. If you add this to coffee it is AMAZING! I have been known to bring my own coconut milk in a little container when I get a black cup of coffee.

3) I have started a new routine for G. We have to leave the house early to get him to preschool each morning. That means I need to have him up, fed, both of us ready and out the door by 7:50/8am. I have decided I like getting up a little earlier in the morning. I get more done. I don't feel like the day is as long if I get up before 7am. I know that is weird, but I just feel like the day goes by faster when it starts earlier. Maybe it's all those years of getting up early for work. Anyhow I set an alarm in my phone, so at a certain time every night the alarm goes off to give him a bath. He then gets 30-45 minutes after bath time to play or watch 1 show. Then we go to bed. I also limit the amount of time he sleeps during his nap. This seems to be working much better for us. The past year I haven't been strict with a schedule as I was when I worked.

4) We love potato salad around here. Art I think would eat it every day. Sometimes I am like I don't have time to make that stuff. Boiling potatoes, boiling eggs, peeling everything, waiting for it all to cool, mixing it up, letting it sit in the fridge. Ugh just typing that out sounds exhausting. Well Instant Pot to the rescue here folks! Put the metal rack on the bottom of your IP. Place your eggs on top. I usually do about 3-4 eggs. I use 2 eggs for the potato salad and have 2 deviled eggs for us. G LOVES deviled eggs. Then I peel my potatoes, cut them in chunks and place them in the IP. I then put the IP on high pressure for 5 minutes. I let it do it's thing. Once the timer goes off that it is done I release the pressure. While the pressure is releasing I get an ice bath ready for the eggs. I use my rubber gloves to pull out the eggs. I put the eggs in the ice bath while I use a spoon to remove the potatoes from the IP. I let the potatoes cool in the fridge. I slice up the eggs and add them to the potatoes. Then I mix in my mayo and other seasonings once the potatoes and egg have cooled. This really works great. In about 1 hour you can have potato salad. It's better if you make this around lunch time, so it can all cool for dinner. Or even the night before works best if you want it for lunch. To me it's just much easier and faster.

5) Last week Art and I went thrift shopping. I ended up really only looking in the kids section of clothing. G has had a growth spurt and a lot of things won't fit him for the fall. He has worn the same shorts for 2 seasons. The kid is so skinny he has been able to do that. I like to grab nice stuff when I find it at the thrift store. I bought all the items below for $30. I spent about $1.50-$2 per item. The one item I spent more on was a pair of Burberry jeans. They were in excellent condition for $11. I did check on Ebay what I could sell them for if I decided not to keep them for G. Everything I bought was Gap, Gymboree, Cherokee, Shaun White, Children's Place, Guess and Burberry. The black jeans I am not sure if they were even worn. They were in great condition. 

I would really like to buy the majority of his clothes from thrift stores going forward. It saves the environment and it saves a lot of money too. At this age he doesn't care where his clothes come from. I like him to wear nice clothes, but I don't ever spend a lot of money on clothes for him. I will spend more on a special outfit for Christmas, but it has to be a functional outfit he can wear more than just one time. 

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post Monday Thrive appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant. 

Weekly Menu - Paleo

Our menu this week is nothing fancy. Some weeks I just need something simple, easy and quick. It also depends on my mood when I am making my grocery list. If I am feeling lazy then the easy stuff gets put on the list. Apparently I was feeling extra lazy when I made this list.

Main Dishes:

Breakfast - I usually do eggs, bacon and my own version of breakfast potatoes. I will cut up potatoes and roast them. I have a paleo sausage gravy recipe to put over the potatoes I would like to try.

Pork loin - I buy these at Costco. I use my grandma's recipe for roast that is just amazing! I will have to share the recipe on here sometime in the near future.

Hot Dogs - these are my favorite hot dogs. I buy them from Amazon Fresh for $1-2 less than the price at Sprout's. These are really good flavor plus they don't have any garbage in them.

Fish - I make it different ways all the time. I will fry it with almond flour or bake it with lemons.

Pizza - I love to make this because we have lots of leftovers. It makes a big cookie sheet. There is plenty for dinner, Art's lunch, G lunch and some for the freezer. I love to have this in the freezer to grab if I need something for mine or G's lunch.

Taco Salads - I use whatever we have for this. Ground meat, cherry tomatoes, avocados, lettuce, Daiya cheese. It all depends what we have on hand and feel like eating on our taco salad. Gone are the days when Doritos use to be on top. lol I did find some plantain chips with a taco seasoning at Sprout's recently that were really good on top of the salad. I can't remember the brand of the chips. I will have to see if I can find them again.

What is on your menu this week?

Homemade Sea Salt Spray!

I have been straightening my hair for the most part since I cut it back in February. Once in awhile I will curl it with big loose curls. And a lot of time I just throw it back in a ponytail. Ok let's just be honest it's in a ponytail the majority of the time. The shorter my hair the less I do it.

I have been wanting to make my own sea salt spray. I have seen recipes on Pinterest how to make your own. I can't handle the sea salt sprays from the store because of the fragrances in products. I will get an instant headache and sometimes a migraine. If you don't want to make a sea salt spray BeautyCounter and Honest Beauty each sell one. I didn't want to spend $18-26 for a spray I felt I could make at home. I also wasn't 100% sure I would like the spray, so another reason I didn't want to spend the money.

I had a travel size spray bottle that wasn't being used. I put a little under a tablespoon of sea salt and BeautyCounter kids conditioner each into the travel size spray bottle. I filled up the rest of the bottle with water. I shook it all together really well. I let it sit on my counter for a couple days. The mixture doesn't stay incorporated very well while it is sitting on the counter. Before I used the spray I shook it really well, so everything mixes again.

I washed my hair in the morning, left a towel wrapped around my hair while I put my make up on, brushed it out after I was ready, scrunched the ends and then I sprayed it with my homemade sea salt spray.

Here are the results from the spray after my hair had dried.  I really like the results. My hair isn't stiff like when you use hair gels hair spray. It was very easy to make! I can't imagine it cost me more than a $1 to make. I already had all the items in my house, so I was using things I had. 

Recipe:

2.6 ounces squirt bottle

1 tablespoon conditioner

1 tablespoon sea salt

Fill bottle with water once you have added the conditioner and sea salt. 

Shake to mix all ingredients prior to each use. 

You can also use this mixture to help bring back hair you have curled the day before. Spray it lightly after you have combed your hair. Scrunch the ends and revive your loose curls. 

Let me know if you make your own sea salt spray and how it works for you! Have a great weekend! 

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post Homemade Sea Salt Spray appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant.