This Might Take Me Out

My babes have always loved me swimming with them.  I even wear a cute, modern-retro halter one piece, conservative yet stylish.  Each year I've noticed a little gap widening between them and me...a bit more water for me, a wider swath of freedom for them, I guess.


Monday changed all that.  I found myself doing arm and leg circles against the wall at the 4-foot ladder, surrounded by water and other people's children.  Mine had hugged and splashed and front-flipped with goggles for a few brief moments, then vanished to the outer edges of my periphery.  This changes everything, I thought.  I'm never going back from this. 


It is a weird moment for my mom brain to compute.  I am tearing up a bit, but I also feel that stretch for independence for myself every now and then.  Even if I'm not ready for it, obviously it's here.  Well, obvious in that painful, I just figured it out because all the other moms are giving me "that look" from above their magazines in their lounge chairs.  I do have Cosmo in my bag...

FoodFromPinterest:Vanilla Coconut Rice Pudding

Hello, beauties!  Welcome to my first post as Beautiful Life by Lindsay!!  You may have already been reading when this was called "Whatdoyousay?" or "What'smomsay?" so you'll know that this is my blog about living life as a mama...

As a professional hair stylist and makeup artist, I like things to look pretty.  As a real-life mama and wife, I know there are some not-so-pretty things that come along with life.  I like to explore and talk about pretty much all of it!  I guess this will be not just a mom blog, but a blog about all the cool, fun, horrifying, pretty and ugly things that make my everyday, normal life beautiful!!!

Thanks for reading!
Lindsay
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I adore Pinterest!  You can follow me over there by clicking here!  So many you see those snarky cards that joke about pinning all those projects you'll never create, or recipes you can't cook, closets you'll never streamline...so funny!!  But I've realized that several cool things I pin are making an actual debut in my real life!!  I try many of the recipe ideas, and I've actually been crocheting a scarf that I pinned on my DoItYourself board!!  It is so thrilling to follow through on something, even if it's just a bowl of rice pudding...TADA!!!!

So sweet and creamy!

This was such an easy recipe to make!  And it tastes delicious!!  Here is the original link for it:

http://ffffood.com/post/31094562/vanilla-coconut-rice-pudding


I changed just a couple things.  First, I didn't have a vanilla bean, so I used vanilla flavored coconut milk. Second, I let it simmer for almost an hour to let the liquid absorb enough for my taste.  It thickens us as it cools, so don't cook it too long!  The final thing I did which wasn't mentioned in the original recipe was to skim the gunky skin from the top whenever it formed, then stirred.  I just don't like weird clumpy spots in the final dish and do this when I make regular pudding, too.


I definitely enjoyed sharing my success on this one!  Can't wait to try another recipe from my CookEatLove board on Pinterest!!

Fried Rice and Trails of Adventure

This is really the best fried rice I've ever made.  This will be the most stellar stir fry of all time.  Guaranteed.  I should wash my hands, now that I've finally peed.  I like this Mrs. Meyer's Lavender dish soap more than I anticipated.  I spend an awful lot of time at this stove.

And I have already eaten most of a dinner portion o'rice before dinner.  But really, it is the best I've ever had.  Oh, and as of today, I can eat shellfish.  Gracias, Department of Allergy and Immunology.  I can't wait. 

So, we just ate our amazing Asian-inspired meal and I went for a ride on our trails in the Rhino.  We were working on some new clearings this weekend with the excavator that we rented, but I was not well-versed in the actual terrain involved....bottom line, I got stuck on some stubborn logs.  I will no longer go for a ride in my bedroom slippers and North Face fleece.  I will always take a flashlight.  From now on, anyway.  I love being a country girl!

So, it's off to bed.  I didn't break anything on the Rhino, so I will ride tomorrow *beforeitgetstoodarktodiscernactualtrails*!!!  Stay tuned for more adventures!

XOXO,
Lindsay

Meal-Plan Shopping

Hello!  My hubs and I decided to start eating a bit differently...not for a New Year's resolution, because heaven knows that would never last!...before Christmas we made a few changes.  Now we try to eat mostly fruits, veggies, meats, some dairy...basically grain and white potato-free during the week, with those allowed on the weekends.  

Don't get all uppity about right, wrong, type of diet, being a cheater, etc., haha!  We're not trying to follow a "specific" diet plan, just trying to pay closer attention to what we put into our faces!  And I know definitively that if we say something is not allowed, we will be miserable and gluttonous in turn!

So that's the back story for this post.  We are also trying to pay closer attention to the amount of food and money we waste, not to mention save myself from utter frustration at the daily question "what's for dinner?"  I have always wanted to plan weekly meals and then shop for them once, but we've just always been too lazy and noncommittal.  But those days are over!  Woot!

Some of this week's meals include pan-seared tilapia with lemon and capers and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, slow cooker chili, and taco salad.  If something sounds like a no-go as we get into the week, I can swap something out for some marinated, thin-cut pork chops I have frozen.  I am totally psyched!

Oh. And my shopping list? Organized by section at the supermarket! Finally, all those organizational blogs I read obsessively are sinking in!

Cheers to eating well this week!

Lindsay

Ps. How do you plan your family's shopping and meals?  Share your brilliance in the comments!  Xoxo

Home Cooking

Hi! Now that we are (a bit more) settled into our new home, and my littles are transitioned into the school year, I have been trying to rescue my homemaking skills!  I have more kid-free home time, which is surprisingly full of busyness, so I am trying to cook and bake more food from (semi-)scratch.  I still use some convenience foods, but I'm really trying to keep things a bit more whole...

Like applesauce. Like, the best applesauce I've ever eaten!

Mmmmmmmmmm, just a hint of cinnamon!

Or chicken pot pies! Before.....

And after.....holy moly, sooooo good!

I love being a wife and mama, and I'm so grateful for the chance to take the best care of them I can!  Can't wait to see what other kind of trouble, um, fun, I can get into in my kitchen!

The Devil's Lunch!

Remember when you were little, you went to your Grammie's house and she fed you either Spaghetti O's or that little can of "potted meat" goodness, aka Deviled Ham, on saltines for lunch? Yeah, that little paper-wrapped can caught my eye today while at the grocery store, but I resisted. Because, well, it really was on the gross side once I thought back to those lunches.

But it did make me crave a little ham salad instead of chicken or tuna or egg for today! So I knifed some leftover deli ham to smithereens and added a good dose of Hellmann's and mustard and topped a cracker. Meh. So I put the rest onto a piece of toast. I ate it, but I probably won't ever again.

Nostalgia can make creative lunches the Devil's playground. I'm sticking to PB&J the next time I romanticize lunches from my early-80's childhood!

Hope you're having a fabulous day! Any nostalgic food memories you'd like to share? Comment!

Lindsay

Balancing Act

It's summer vacation time, which basically means I'm doing more but getting less done! Haha! With both kids home, fighting betwixt themselves constantly, every chore seems to take ten times the energy to accomplish! Which translates to an extremely messy house and a grumpy mama!

Yes, this is one of those mornings when I already feel the epic fail of my day and it's just past seven! Hubby realized at six he had no clean work shirts, I have been to the supermarket twice this week and still had to feed the cat treats for breakfast and I really wish I would've just washed the spaghetti sauce out of the pot last night. Ugh.

Where is my silver lining, I ask myself? Well, it is only a bit past seven, and I get to see my (mostly) smiling babies all day long, we get to meet my girlfriend for a breakfast date and then take her to see the progress on our new home! Then I can come back to this current reality and do some packing in between loads of laundry! And dishes. And all those other things that always have to get done. While the kids are whining that "he keeps putting his feet on my blankie/face/ear..."

So, I'm going to take a deep breath and write down cat food and peanut butter on my shopping list! And I'm going to kiss my littles before they start grumping at me! It is a balancing act, this whole mom thing! But I love it!

Have a great summer day! Only 60-some left to go!
Lindsay

New House Vlog!

A little peek into our new project, you know, called "life!"

Cheers to home improvement!

Kindergarten Bound

You may remember my little folks are fairly close in age (15 1/2 months apart.) Yes we planned it, and yes we love it.

The only problem is I never really thought about how quickly they would both be leaving for school, college, life...and how empty my home/heart might feel. Yikes. And we just registered Gabe for Kindergarten.

I've only gotten teary a couple times, and just for moments. It has been a super-busy week and I just haven't had time to be heartbreakingly depressed yet. Haha. Seriously, the Fall is what I'm worried about. Ugh.

My fragility aside, Gabe could not be more stoked! He is talking about Kindergarten any chance he can...even his motorized toy dinosaur is in Kindergarten now, just like him! And he is a big kid. He can feed the dogs without my help now. Oy!

It is a boost to know my baby will be in school just one grade behind his big Sissy, and probably just across the hall from her, as well. I love our school and our teachers, and that my kids can be happy there all day. I know he's ready, so I will be, too.

Cheers to baby birds escaping the nest!
Lindsay

Sip Slowly!

Just wanted to say hello! As I rushed around this morning, getting the kids ready for school drop-off, my tax appointment, and whatever else inevitably crept onto my must-do list...I stopped.

For one brief moment, I let myself take a deep breath and refocused. As soon as my coffee had finished brewing, I poured my "rocket fuel" into the prettiest Vera Bradley mug with matching coaster/warming top ever! One of my dear clients had given it to me for Christmas, and I adore it.

No matter how crazy things are, or how hectic my day becomes, I always try to make something seemingly insignificant turn into a special moment for myself. Even if it turns out I slug my coffee out of a pretty mug!

So, as we moms often find, the kids always come first. But that doesn't mean we should always come last!

Grab a pretty cup and sip slowly, even if it is just one sip in the middle of a morning vortex!

100 Days of Kindergarten

I was asked to be a parent volunteer at my daughter's school to celebrate reaching 100 days in kindergarten. Today was the day, even though we were technically at 99 due to a snow day on Monday!

Since I went to kindergarten in, oh, 1982, things have changed! I went for half a day, ate snack, played dress up, did crafts and, on occasion, peed my royal-blue corduroy pants.  I think we even napped! All that action in three hours.

We did learn letters and listen to stories, but I am positive we didn't do anything like these kiddos until we got to first or second grade! And need I mention we did not have computer lab, either, since computers did not exist then! (Haha, they did, but obvs not for that capacity!) I was sent a list of kid-friendly web sites that my child works with, so we can have continuity at home!

Whatever the case for public, private, testing, consolidation, I'll tell you this: I am the proud mama of a kindergartener. Her world is expanding as fast as her mind, and I am grateful I have the flexibility to be wherever she needs me to be. I will never apologize for working just two to three days a week.

Well, here's to the last 80 days of kindergarten for Darby! Did I mention we register Gabe for his turn in the big K in March? Yeah, remember my ugly cry face? Just saying, I don't think anyone is prepared for that one! Hahaha!

Love your kids no matter what,
Lindsay

Baby is a Baller!

My little Darby-girl just started playing basketball this weekend! At six-years-old, I thought, "Is there any point in having her do this?"

Yes! She's not going to be leading a fast break any time soon, but watching her run and kick (little trouble dribbling!) the ball down the court with that huge smile on her face was worth every moment of being up and dressed on Sleep-in-Saturday!

I didn't have the opportunity to play team sports as a little, not that it would've helped my high school self's uncoordinated limbs play more court than bench, but I think it would have helped me socially for sure. Not to mention being excited about active and fit while having fun!

As it is, our tiny town doesn't have much in the way of extra-curricular activities, so I want to offer everything I can to my kiddos, let them soak in all their options and have the experience to make qualified decisions! (Wow, long, complicated sentence...I like grammatically experimenting! Haha!)

Well, we signed up both of the babes for T-Ball this spring. That should be a raucous good time! Stay tuned for the latest in K-2 half-court action! And may the most spirited win!

Signing off,
Lindsay

Lollapa-flu-za!

I think my husband has the flu, and it's probably on its way through the rest of our family any moment now. I have been shooing the kids away from the hubster since Thursday, trying to prevent contamination, but I don't know how well it's worked...both kids have coughs and snottsies. Boo!

Speaking of husbands being sick for multiple days, wow, that's a lot of sanitizing and TLC'ing! Fluids, rest, pills, back rubs, oh my! Today he had a 103.8 degree fever. It's back down now, but I have never seen him with a fever like that in our thirteen years together. Ugh!

Meanwhile, I have been basically submerging us in yogurt, citrus, V8 and tea with loads of honey and cinnamon. And Clorox. Oh my, my throat feels scratchy...haha! Time for hydration!

Wishing you a healthy home!
Lindsay

Well Children

Today I took Darby to her 6-year Well Child visit. This was the first time I had to figure out how to get the appointment scheduled with thought to a school schedule, since now my girl is a kindergartener!

Gabe and I picked her up at school just a little before dismissal, and made the trip to our pediatrician's offic, thirty minutes away. I bribed them with donuts. I wasn't sure if Darby had to have any vaccines today, but I knew she was getting her flu shot, so I created a preemptive diversion with Dunkin!

My little girl grew three inches in the past year...she is getting sooo big! Everything else was great, although trying to help her pee in the cup was an adventure, to say the least! And there was the issue when Gabe  was kind of twirling around and biffed his lip into the front counter and started crying and bleeding all over the place, but, meh, at least we were in a medical facility!

Well, we're wrapping up the evening, ready for baths and good nights. But I wanted to quickly mention that we recently had an Amber alert in our area. The little girl was found alive, but not in a good state. Oh my goodness, please hug your kids and love them and keep them as safe as you can! And in those moments when motherhood isn't as easy or pleasant as it can be, just think about how amazingly lucky we are to be mommies to these babies.

Sending you all sweet dreams!
Lindsay

How to Survive the Stomach Bug

My house has been hit by the most massive stomach flu I have ever seen in my life. Ugh!

I have a few tips on how to make it through the yuck-bug with your little ones, and your sanity, intact!


*Bendy straws make it easier to stay hydrated when you're flat-out on the couch. Take it slowly, just sipping a little water every 15 minutes or so. Drink too much, too fast and your tummy will revolt. Ice chips work best, according to one of my doctor clients.

*Buckets and small trash cans with doubled grocery bags are especially handy in the middle of the night. But really, going without bags is sometimes easier, since you can dump the yucks into the toilet, rinse, repeat and flush.

*Keep a supply of GoGurt yogurt tubes stashed in the freezer. They are easy on raw throats and tummies and offer good-for-you probiotics in a fun form.

*Grab those waterproof mattress covers from when the kids were babies. They protect your mattress/couch from attacks. If you're left with a wet spot from cleaning up a mess, they keep you dry! I like to put a clean towel under it to help absorb any extra moisture, and either a clean towel or sheet on top so it's comfy.

*While too much juice can increase diarrhea, a couple 100% fruit juice boxes throughout the day are so refreshing, and help beat the monotony of plain water. Just sip a bit at a time!

*Baby wipes are helpful when you are in between baths. And the moist towelettes from Cottonelle gently clean tiny heinies and are flushable. Double win!

As for the cleanup? I followed people around with Clorox wipes (even scrubbed the floors in the bathrooms!), hosed every inch of the house down with disinfectant spray (Family Dollar is just as effective as name brands!), and once I could stay vertical myself, went around with my trusty Clorox Cleanup Spray!
Refreshing the furniture and air with an odor eliminator (like Febreze or this citrus one from Dollar General), helped with the sicky smell. I also like opening a window to let some fresh air circulate!

Being sick is never fun but these tips can make things a little easier if you are! Hope your house gets well soon!
Lindsay

Resolved: Finding Patience

Ok, so most of us make resolutions when we hit the new year, even if we say we don't. I don't really like to label them as such, so as not to successfully set myself up for failure! (Awkward sentence! Meh!)

As the mom of two young children, I definitely struggle with keeping an ample supply of patience on hand, though I am always fully stocked with love! So my resolution as a parent this year is to stay focused on parenting with love, kindness and yes, patience.

We really only get one chance at raising our children, but if we are lucky, we all get a fresh start each morning. I want to make the most of each day with my kids, and I don't want to be losing my cool when things don't go perfectly.

Do you have any parenting goals/resolutions for this new year? Share below!

Cheers to taking each year one day at a time!
L

Random pics!

Ever have those days when you find random pictures of the kids on your iPad!? Haha! Here's a little idea of a random night at my house...mask and all!

Cheers to living with masked super heroes!
L

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What's in a Name (title change!)

Good morning! I just wanted to let you know that you'll be seeing this blog's title as What's Mom Say? instead of Whatdoyousay?  I know there are only three people who have ever read this, teehee!, but I think it may be time to add a few new readers, hence the less-confusing title!

Cheers to changing, like the leaves in fall!
L

Knoebels or Bust!

I am a mom on a mission...50% rain, pshaw!  More like 100% chance of AWESOME!  Today is pretty much our last chance to get there before school starts, you know, the big KINDERGARTEN?! Yikes, I am milking every last, loving drop of fun and love out of this summer!

Cheers to summer funner than fall!
L