Maple Overnight Oats

So I was discussing this awesome trend of overnight oats with several coworkers the other day and decided to finally try it. I wanted something that would be easy to grab on my way out the door that was healthy and would keep me full. Here goes my first attempt! 

Maple Overnight Oats

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

1 cup low fat or fat free milk*

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 tsp cinnamon 

5 oz vanilla Greek yogurt 

*This would probably be lighter on the calorie side if you replace cows milk with almond or flaxseed milk.

In a large bowl whisk all ingredients except for oats together until smooth. Then stir in oats. Once well combined pour into covered dish or mason jars and let soak overnight.

The aftermath of attempting to mix this in a bowl too small! 

Come first thing tomorrow you have a delicious and slightly healthier breakfast for your busy morning rush! 

Peanut Butter Dip

In the summer I hate to bake. Don't get me wrong I LOVE cookies and cake and brownies, oh my! But turning on the oven when it's 100 degrees outside is not ideal. So my go-to recipe is rice krispy treats. Although I make them with varying cereals (fruity pebbles are the best!) 

So when we were asked to bring a dessert to a BBQ this weekend I was planning on making my usual. Apparently hubby is tired of these sweet treats. So it was back to the drawing board... Thanks to Pinterest I found a couple of recipes to try and finally made a version of peanut butter dip that I was happy with! 

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped peanut butter cups

1 cup chocolate chips 

1 stick butter

8 oz. package of whipped cream cheese 

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar 

1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a sauce pan melt butter and whisk in brown sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. (Pop it in the fridge while you prep everything else).

In a large mixing bowl combine powdered sugar, peanut butter and cream cheese. Beat until nice and smooth. 

Slowly mix in the cold brown sugar butter mixture.

Once thoroughly mixed add in your chocolate chips and chopped peanut butter cups.

Place entire mixture into a glass or metal bowl and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Best served with pretzels for a sweet and salty combo! Or try with graham crackers (although that might be overly sweet)

Lemon Sugar Scrub

I love a good sugar scrub! I have sensitive skin so I played around with store bought scrubs (which get pricey) and also some DIY varieties. Finally I've found a few that work great for me! The upside is its relatively inexpensive to make and I tend to keep all of the ingredients in my pantry. Below is my fav body scrub! Hope you enjoy it! 

Lemon Sugar Scrub 

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil

Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon

Tablespoon honey 

*feel free to play around with the honey and and amount of lemon to get the texture you prefer.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and use right away or store in a sealed container or mason jar! This is a great scrub for all over as it moisturizers while exfoliating. 

I will note that when I need a good face scrub I will replace the coconut oil with olive oil and add more lemon. As I mentioned before I've got sensitive skin so this is just a version that works best for me.

The Morning Rush

I think we all imagine that maternity leave will be this great time off of work to figure out this new little baby and start to get a routine together. It is certainly NOT a vacation. Being home with a baby all day is a full time job. Kudos to the Mama's who stay home with their babies (&& even bigger shout out  for the Mama's with multiple babies at home - you're awesome!). Those precious weeks are amazing because you spend 24/7 with this little miracle. You watch her start to become more alert and learn from her every day. You witness her roll over and start to cooh at you, you get to see that first smile and rock her to sleep. It is wonderful, but also overwhelming. As maternity leave came to an end I panicked! I was going back to work and leaving my bubble. How am I going to do this?! Get ready, get her ready, drop her off and then go to work all day?


It's drastically different then your pre-baby life. You can no longer run out of the house and make it to work in 15 minutes. No, now you have to prepare yourself, the baby & of course there is always an outfit change for one of you before sprinting out the door.

Thankfully I have a great job and work with awesome people. I've even had to bring little lady to work with me in a pinch.

Now that we've hit the 3 month mark I feel like I'm finally getting into a rhythm. Here are a couple of things I've found helpful.

1. Get your bags packed and in the care the night before. After bath time and playing and that final bottle when she zonks out for the night, I pack up my work bag and her diaper bag for the next day and load them in the car. Its one less thing to carry out the door or forget in the AM.

2. Pack your lunch or snacks the night before. I am trying to get back into my Sunday meal prep routine as this makes a huge difference! But at the very least if you pack up your breakfast, lunch or snacks at night all you have to do is grab the bag and throw it in your purse before your head out to daycare.

3. Wake up early and shower while she sleeps. We've finally gotten her into an awesome pattern of sleeping through the night (holding my breath it lasts). Thanks to this I can get up at 5:15-5:30 and jump in the shower why she is still snoozing. Granted this means I run around in my towel for the rest of the morning but hey it works.

4. Skip the blow dryer - ain't nobody got time for that! Between the heat and the noise you're doing yourself (& your hair a favor). Albeit my hair looks somewhat scary in the AM, it's worth it to run around and let it air dry rather than risk waking her up before I'm ready.

5. Get dressed at the last minute. My little lady is the Queen of spit up. I quickly learned spending my morning in a towel or robe is best. I get her ready and throw on my dress the minute before we walk out the door. You may laugh but it is way easier than trying to change yourself 3 times.

6. Toys & noise. I keep her busy with music playing on my iPhone, or white sound if she's fussing. She is her mother's daughter as she LOVES the vacuum. Once I get her strapped into her car seat I give her a fun toy to keep herself occupied while I throw my lunch into my purse and slip on my shoes.

I am sure that these are all old hat to the veteran Mama's out there but if you're new to mommyhood like me I hope they prove useful.

Mom Bod

It's summer, therefore it's hot, & it's bathing suit season. I have a boat, live by the river and love to swim. I've always been a bit of a sun goddess when it comes to warmer weather (yes I am aware I will pay for my overly sun exposed skin) but this year I'm not... no preamble is needed to explain I just had a baby. She is the most amazing thing in this world without a doubt, but my body post baby, is not. Confidence is something I have always struggled with. I think most females do.

I have rocked a bikini for years but I haven't always felt good about it. I've worked out and eaten healthy and lost weight to a certain goal to 'feel' better about myself. But I never do. The number can go down but the confidence still doesn't go up. Like most Mama's you can imagine that trying on a bathing suit is not exactly fun after giving birth. Hell, trying on pre-pregnancy clothes was a sad struggle (& still is at 3 months). And you know what? I'm tired of it. Tired of caring and being so hard on myself. It's not an easy overnight change. And the love and attention my husband gives me certainly helps. He likes the whole package so why shouldn't I?

After reading more and more articles and posts about the 'Dad Bod' I have to step back and laugh at myself. The 'Dad Bod' is a 'nice balance between a beer gut and working out' according to Mackenzie Pearson, the original genius who coined the term. And I have to say I agree with her! This shows a man who is busy in life and finds a balance. My hubby is the most amazing Dad in my eyes. He works his tail off and still comes home ready to give all his attention to our baby & to me. Now that is sexy.

So my question is where's the 'Mom Bod'? As if we don't place enough pressure on ourselves to look good or fit society's image of being a stick figure. (News flash skinny doesn't always mean healthy, and healthy doesn't always mean skinny.) Now I'm not trying to knock the women who find the time to workout and enjoy leading a healthy lifestyle, kudos to you! What I'm saying is, why shouldn't all Mama's be seen in the same light? Why shouldn't we be given more praise for throwing on a swimsuit regardless of size and jumping in the waves with our kids? Because at the end of the day, we're all busy, we've all got different lifestyles and priorities. So you know what's hotter than a woman hanging out at the pool in her itsy bitsy? A woman with a baby on her hip rocking that sweet tankini, a Mama slathering sunblock on her baby with a smile on her face, a Mom swimming with her little ones... Happiness creates confidence. And while we may not feel confident 100% of the time, I'm not going to care what anyone thinks of me and my awesome one piece anymore. I'm going to live life and be happy.

Egg White Spinach & Ham Quiche

I LOVE quiche! I love eggs in general but there is something so satisfying about buttery crispy pie crust and yummy cheese filled eggs all mixed together. I was craving quiche the other night but was determined to make it semi healthy so I used egg whites and lots of spinach this time. Forgive the lack of pictures... Cooking with a fussy baby doesn't always allow for picture taking. 

Ingredients:

5 egg whites

3/4 cup milk (I use 2%)

Premade frozen deep dish pie crust (I love pie crust but clearly don't have the time to start from scratch)

Chopped spinach (8-10 oz. thawed, rinse and dried)

1/4 lb. chipped tavern ham (or any ham of your choice) 

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1 cup shredded mozzarella 

*Feel free to use any cooked meat, cheese or veggie of your choice. You can't mess up quiche! 

Preheat your oven to 450. 

Place your pie crust on a cookie sheet for easy transfer to and from the oven.

In a large bowl whisk egg whites and milk.

Add spinach, ham and cheese and mix thoroughly. *Will be really thick

Pour your mixture into pie crust and place in the oven for 45-50 minutes. 

Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Goes great with fresh fruit or a small side of greens.