Fall is officially here. It is dark out in the morning when we wake up and cool enough all day where all you want to do is wear warm cozies and read a book under a blanket. October flew by and we are getting close to the holiday season. Livia turned 6 months old this month and this mommy is having a little bit of a hard time with that. She's not my little peanut anymore! Here's a list of things that got me through the month:

What I'm Reading: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. I picked this book up because it seems like it was on everyone's reading list or book club list. I am 80% through it but just not loving it....feels a bit depressing.

Last Movie I Saw (and Loved!): The Martian. I also read the book at it equally good! For the first time I would recommend seeing the movie first because it will keep you on the edge of your seat more and then read the book. The book goes into greater detail and helps you understand the movie better.

Baby Love: We read to Livia every night before bed and the BEST book we have read her to date is The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. Mark and I were laughing through the entire book.

Podcast I'm Listening To: Death Sex + Money. A podcast about the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation. Host Anna Sale talks to celebrities and regular people about relationships, money, family, work and making it all count while we're here. I have listened to this podcast for months and always love seeing a new episode pop up. Next up to try: Man Repeller (excited to listen to episode 4 with Stacy London)

Eating: It's Mark's week to cook! We came up with a plan that he would meal plan, grocery shop and cook for two weeks, and then I would. It has been awesome! We have very different cooking styles and like to cook different types of dishes. It has kept us from getting into the dinner time food rut. But, I have made this Creamy Parmesan Tomato and Spinach Tortellini soup a few times already this fall and it is amaze-balls (is that overused by now?). Easy to make with kale, spinach, cheese tortellini, ravioli or whatever you have lying around.

Creating: I like big bows and I can not lie! I'm going to try and whip one of these adorable headbands this weekend for Livia. Not sure how quickly they'll whip but we'll see.

Blog Love: I have and I always will love A Cup of Jo. By now Joanna feels like a best friend and someone I would meet for coffee or wine and talk all day long.

{via _nitch}

I've been asked what I wanted to be when I grew up since before I can remember, probably 3 or 4. When I was little it was always teacher or maybe librarian (studious kid). When it was time to pick a college and a major, I just said business to make everyone quit asking, but I had no idea what majoring in business would do for me. In her TedTalk, Emilie Wapnick discusses how asking this question and having to pick one thing to be when you grow up can cause anxiety and a feeling of being wrong if you can't pick just one thing.

......But most kids don't hear about people like this. All they hear is that they're going to have to choose. But it's more than that. The notion of the narrowly focused life is highly romanticized in our culture. It's this idea of destiny or the one true calling, the idea that we each have one great thing we are meant to do during our time on this earth, and you need to figure out what that thing is and devote your life to it.

She defines people that have a lot of different subjects that they're curious about and that want to do many different things as a multipotentialite: a person with with many interests and creative pursuits. Multipotentialites have three super powers: idea synthesis, rapid learning, and adaptability.

As a society, we have a vested interest in encouraging multipotentialites to be themselves. We have a lot of complex, multidimensional problems in the world right now, and we need creative, out-of-the-box thinkers to tackle them.

But there is nothing wrong with specialists either. I love being a paralegal, and while I have other interests and hobbies, I know what I want to do is be a paralegal. But,  it's nice to know that there wasn't (or isn't) anything wrong with not knowing and wanting to do all sorts of things (i.e. travel, read, write, create, etc.)

...But we should all be designing lives and careers that are aligned with how we're wired....embrace your inner wiring....embrace your many passions. Follow your curiosity down those rabbit holes. Explore your intersections. Embracing our inner wiring leads to a happier, more authentic life. And perhaps more importantly -- multipotentialites, the world needs us.

What are you up to this weekend? We have Zoo Boo to go to this weekend! So excited for Livia's first Halloween! We're dressing up as a family: Mario (Mark), Princess Peach (me), and Toadstool (Livia). This was my inspiration. Otherwise it's another weekend of cuddles, football and yummy food. Have a lovely weekend!

This week's link love:

Life Lessons.

We instilled Friday Night Pizza in our house for our family, but Friday Night Meatball Night sounds just as fun! Seriously debating opening up the Pizza Nights to everyone we know....would be so much fun!

15 Ways to Stay Married for 15 Years. Have read and reread this 15 times I bet. Good advice!

Making bread in my dutch oven this weekend! (The Easy Parmesan Risotto looks delish too!)

Favorite Halloween Books. Pretty sure I still find The Witches by Roald Dahl creepy and reread Harry Potter every couple of years.

I have a personal board of directors and I'm not sure what I'd do without them. I think everyone needs one.

The new unicorn emoji has made my year.

Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Brown Sugar Roasted Acorn Squash



{Adapted from Half Baked Harvest}

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

2 acorn squash, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Brown sugar
Salt
Pepper
1/2 pound rotisserie chicken
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
3 whole canned chipotle chilies in adobo, minced (use less for less heat)
2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup cooked couscous (or rice or quinoa or a mix of all three)
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Brush the insides of each acorn squash with 2 tablespoons melted butter and then sprinkle on a little  brown sugar, salt and pepper. Place in roasting pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the flesh of the squash is fork tender. Remove from the oven and pour any remaining liquid into a bowl to be used with the chicken mixture.

In a medium size bowl combine the chicken, any leftover brown sugar liquid from the squash, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chipotle peppers, fresh cilantro, oregano, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Mix the spinach, chicken, and cooked couscous together. Stuff with the acorn squash with the chicken mixture, top with shredded cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and acorn squash is crisp. Sprinkle on the pankco bread crumbs the last couple minutes of baking. Bake until the bread crumbs are golden brown.

Enjoy!

I made the entire meal ahead of time. I just stopped before topping the squash with cheese. I put the stuffed squash in the fridge overnight, covered. When it was time to for dinner, I pulled the squash out, uncovered it and baked it  at 425 degrees F for 30ish minutes, or until it is warmed through. Added some cheese, let it melt, then added the bread crumbs.

{photo via Half Baked Harvest}

Things I want to remember to tell Livia someday: do not be sorry for what makes you happy. If happiness for you is running 10 miles a day, great. If it means only having $10 in your savings account but you travel the world, fantastic. Reading the day away, please tell me what the book was so I can read it too. Starting Champagne Thursdays, cheers!

I pray everyday that you will always do what makes you happy. There will be days that are hard and stressful and make you want to pull the covers over your head. That's OK. Those days will make you appreciate the happiness in your life. Those days will make you strive to figure out what makes you happy and to work for it.

{photo via here}

I read a lot of blogs, articles, and magazines about being a mommy. I had to quit reading labor and delivery books and blogs before Livia was born because I freaked myself out. Reading how my body would change, the possibility of pooping during delivery and how my relationship with Mark would change all scared me. It was like I was going to become Frankenstein. Some weird mashed together version of me that was some parts me but some parts someone else.

I knew going into mommy world that things would change. That it would no longer be about me. But I didn't really know. I don't think anyone can really prepare for what it's like. I never really 'bonded' with my baby while she was baking away in my belly. That took along time for me to admit to myself, let alone out loud. I vaguely remember the first time I admitted that to a friend, and it was such a huge relief when they said they never really did either. Up until that moment, I felt like I was a bad mommy. I felt like that because I had read all these stories from moms who felt an immediate connection, who sang to their bellies, that read bedtimes stories every night. I tried that and I felt silly. Then your mind starts spiraling out of control thinking things like 'now my baby will fall behind in preschool because I didn't read her nursery rhymes while she was kicking my bladder every night'.
Livia was born in April 2015. She was perfect, but I may be biased. When they finally put her in my arms I was so overwhelmed with exhaustion and shock I didn't know what to think or do. I just kind of teared up. But I didn't feel that immediate bond. I felt like someone had just handed me their child and said 'here mind holding her for a second'. But that second turned into hours, days and I realized there's no returning her. She's ours, for the long run....for like ever.


When we finally came home from the hospital it was kind of like 'now what?' I thought I had bought everything we needed, but Mark immediately had to go to the store to get different bottles and formula. I felt like a bit of a failure for not being prepared with everything she needed. When Mark left all I kept thinking was  'please don't cry please don't cry' over and over. Not sure who I was saying that to...me or Livia.

I was fortunate and stayed very active while I was pregnant. Lots of walks, yoga and cycling until the day she was born. That still didn't prepare me for the tummy that still looked like I was 6 months pregnant, my boobs that hurt because of them being full of milk, the uncomfortableness of going to the bathroom, and looking like I had been hit by a truck because I was so exhausted. All I kept thinking through all of this was 'I want (i.e. need) to get back into my pre-pregnancy jeans'. Thoughts about what I looked like consumed my brain, when they should have been thinking about how I had this awesome, gorgeous little girl that left me speechless.

I decided very early on that breastfeeding wasn't for me, for a variety of reasons. It really isn't anybody's business except mine (and maybe Mark's). But every once in awhile I think 'did I set her up for failure by not breastfeeding?' But I that thought flies out the window pretty quick when Mark gets up with her at 2:00 a.m. to feed her. And I'm so glad I'm not 'tied' to the house or Livia. That I can go to dinner and a movie or have a glass of wine and know she is going to be ok.


And why is it that moms compare themselves to each other?! I compare myself to celebrity moms who look amazing 3 days after baby (when they have trainers, chefs, and probably more Spanx on than the Oscars red carpet). I compare myself to my friends who have kids even. I think that my friends who have 3-4 kid make it look so easy. But Lord knows they've had longer to practice then me.

It totally sucks that I had thoughts like that. It makes me so mad that I let those thoughts creep into my mind. It still makes me mad that I struggled to get that mommy/baby connection with Livia.

But even though I know I shouldn't let those thoughts take over my brain, I still feel like I'm failing most days.

I adore Livia, but I still look at the clock each evening around 7:00 p.m. and think 'is it bedtime soon?' I wanted to make cute Pinterest treats for daycare's Halloween Party, but it took major organized effort on my part to get the necessary components. By the time I did I was ready to just say 'F it!'. I should clean the house more, fold the laundry quicker, workout more, take our dog for more walks, plan family outings, have people over more often, make Livia's baby food vs. buy it (I have a whole Pinterest board mocking me about that one)...the list goes on and on.

To this day, I still struggle with the idea that I don't have to (or want to) do it all. I can live off of clean clothes from the laundry basket (that are unfolded and not put away). The dishes will be there tomorrow. The toys will just be pulled back out of their tubs and baskets tomorrow. And I love wine and pizza too much to worry about being a size 4 again. And most days, my workout is picking Livia up 100 times (my arms have never looked so good!).

I still think 'please don't cry please don't cry' (a mantra for both Livia and me)...but I need my new mantra to be 'I can do this I can do this'.

There is no supermom. There is only the real mom. And the real mom is brace, tenacious, funny, crazy, excited, tired, giving, crying, hoping, loving, challenging, working, worn out, loving life, loving those kids, and amazing. Real moms are amazing. Normal moms are amazing. You, the mom who loves and gives and cares for her kids, are fabulous simply because you are mom.

What are you up to this weekend? Mark wants to have a low key weekend, but it's already filling up fast. A pedicure for me on Friday (perfect way to start the weekend), our area's first food truck festival, trying out a new to me brunch spot with the family, celebrating our fur baby's 2nd brithday and an expedition to a pumpkin patch. So many things to do and so little time to do them all in. And I'm sure Babes will sleep through most of it....

Happy weekend!

Links to web love:

Do you incorporate play into your day to day life?

Speaking of play...adult coloring pages. Downloading the 'Today is Going to be Awesome' page now!

Ikea Stand Up Desk Hack.

Maps for our next adventure.

Let the Booing Begin! A tradition we may need to start with Livia and our neighborhood!

I love Jennifer Lawrence. She is always on my list of people I'd love to have to dinner with (her along with Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Justin Timberlake and Bradley Cooper...oh and Emma Stone). I think having a meal, hell even just drinks, with that group of people would keep me laughing for lifetimes.

I am jealous of how honest Jennifer Lawrence is. Not that I'm not honest...but maybe authentic is a better word. She always says exactly what's on her mind. She doesn't care what others think. I wish I could do that. I really do.

Lately I've been in a not so fun place with work. I've been struggling with myself on whether my current job is what I want to do forever. Or do I want to take a risk and venture out on my own. Or do I wait until another possible opportunity comes up. The thought of waiting just annoys me more. But what if that opportunity is a good fit.

Jennifer Lawrence's article  for Lenny (Lena Dunham's newsletter) is just something I kind of needed to hear this morning.

I’m over trying to find the “adorable” way to state my opinion and still be likable! Fuck that. I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard. It’s just heard. Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, and Bradley Cooper all fought and succeeded in negotiating powerful deals for themselves. If anything, I’m sure they were commended for being fierce and tactical, while I was busy worrying about coming across as a brat and not getting my fair share. Again, this might have NOTHING to do with my vagina, but I wasn’t completely wrong when another leaked Sony email revealed a producer referring to a fellow lead actress in a negotiation as a “spoiled brat.” For some reason, I just can’t picture someone saying that about a man.

I'm tired of letting things go just because I don't want to come across as rude or not a hard worker. Sometimes they way I'm treated or the things I'm asked to do are out of line. I need to be better about standing up for myself. And I need to make a decision about my work life soon....

{photo via Artist Vasare Nar}

Friday is finally here...thank goodness! I am ready for weekend snuggles with Babes, a football game, and relaxing. We're traveling to the NDSU Homecoming game this weekend...Go Bison! Mark is back home again after a week of being gone. Babes and I are both happy he's back.

I'm so glad it's fall...I'm ready for sweaters and sweatshirts, leggings and boots. Ready to snuggle on the couch on the weekends and watch movies instead of feeling like I'm wasting nice weather if I don't go outside. Time for soups (UPDATE: The Zuppa Toscana Soup I made on Wednesday....A-MAZ-ING! So easy and delish!) and comfort food since I don't have to be in a bathing suit until next June!

Now that it's October though...time to get serious about Halloween costumes!

Have a adventure filled weekend...

Links to web love:

Have you heard of Smart Tiles!?  They look too good to be true, but I think I'm going to talk Mark into them. (Last time we did a kitchen project we almost never got engaged...did not go well! But that project involved 4 weekends of work and grout...not a good combo!)

I'm reading this book. Not sure if I like it yet or not and I'm almost a third of the way through it. Reviews claimed it was the next Gone Girl...I'm not so sure.

Am I the only person that HATES pumpkin spice?? This made me laugh. I ate a pumpkin spiced doughnut this morning...it ruined my morning.

Tempted to lug around a suitcase with KFC logo on it (even though I'm not a fan) just to avoid baggage check fees.

Not sure I would let Livia run around at the age of 6 running errands, but it's not a bad idea to have her become independent when she's older.

Ever since Babes was born my reading has fallen to the wayside. For awhile it was because nothing interested me even though I had a reading list that was a mile long. Then it became a sleep or die situation in our household - when Babes sleeps you better sleep! Now that we're on a semi-normal (is there a normal anymore with a 5 month old) sleeping schedule I've started to read more.

Books have been taking so long to read. I was starting to have to page back to the beginning parts of the book to reread sections because I had forgotten what had happened. Combine that with sleep deprivation and reading became more of a chore than anything.

I've always loved blogs for the simple reason that blog posts are short and sweet and fascinating! Blog articles always lead me to another blog article. Or sometimes they lead me to a new article online that I would have never found myself. So now I fancy myself an article reader vs. a book reader. I will always read books (and look for recommendations), but now I am more apt to read an article that takes me 5 minutes to read and discuss with with my hubby over dinner or my friends over a glass of wine. The birth of Article Club!

This week's article: Motherhood Around the World brought to you by my favorite blog, A Cup of Jo. Why not assign a series instead of one article...that's how I roll.

Joanna Goodard, my imaginary blog best friend (BBF), interviews a series of moms around the world, asking them about parenting in their respective countries. I believe most of the moms were raised or from the United States and usually compare what motherhood is like in their new countries vs. the United States.

I was amazed by each mom and country. I would feel so lost being a mom in a different country then what I was raised in, but these moms take it all in stride. They discuss postpartum care, how communities come together to help raise the babies, what eating is like for little ones in other countries (which right now is a debate in our household: how to introduce Babes to solid food), and how kids play. (A diaper-free culture in China is discussed! What?! Potty training on a completely different level. Not up my alley, but I can see the benefit of no diapers.) It was kind of like a virtual mommy support group offering insights and opinions on different ideas of parenting. I wish I could have sat down with all of them in one room with a glass of wine to discuss being a mommy.

So read bits and pieces when you have time, with a glass of wine if you can!

 {photo via Artist Vasare Nar}

I used to be a fly by the seat of my pants kind of kitchen adventurer. I used to find some outrageous recipe online or in my food magazine, decide I had to make it that second, go to the store, buy the groceries (which always included some random-hard-to-find-obscure-on-the-bottom-shelf-of-aisle-500 ingredient) and then go home to make this fantastic meal and eat at like 8 or 9 at night. That worked great when it was just me and hubby. However, now that babes has joined us, life is a little more zoo like. Cue the meal planning.  I am trying my best to plan all our meals a week in advance and do the shopping on Sunday. Waaayyy less stress and way better than staring at each other at 6:00 p.m. asking 'what do you want for dinner?' 'No what do you what?'  This also means finding less off the wall recipes that I can make quickly with a 5 month old 'helping' in the kitchen.

That's why I was so excited to get my very first Day Designer. Love does not begin to describe the feelings I have for it. I recently ordered the August Edition and I feel like I'm starting the first day of school again with my pretty new planner. This little beauty not only keeps my schedule for the day/week/month/year, but it also has awesome to-do lists, daily gratitude reminders, and a notes section. It is just gorgeous for the inner organized geek in me!

While I also keep track of things on my phone calendar, I always have a million notes going on in my head during the week. These notes, meal plans, to do lists, shopping lists, etc. always got written on scraps of paper, the back of envelopes or even in the 'Notes' app of my iPhone. But it never fails...my phone will die when I get to the grocery store or that slip of paper I wrote my list on is in the diaper bag which is so conveniently at home instead of in my work tote.

Day Designer also has amazing free printables including 'Goal Tracker by Month', 'Holiday Gift Ideas' and my new favorites: 'Weekly Meal Planner' and 'Grocery List'.

I.AM.IN.LOVE!

This week I used the lovely 'Weekly Meal Planner' and 'Grocery List' printables to plan our week of meals and my grocery list. I put the printables right in my Day Designer (that I always have with me now). Win win for all parties!

This week on the menu:

Monday: Leftover chicken (from this weekend) w/ squash and side salad
Tuesday: Picadillo over rice w/ side salad  from Skinnytaste (I made the Picadillo before babes was born and have had it in the freezer ready to use)
Wednesday: Zuppa Toscana Soup w/ crusty bread from Gimme Some Oven
Thursday: Chicken Tamale Pie from Pinch of Yum
Friday: FAMILY PIZZA NIGHT! (more on this family tradition later)
Saturday: We're out of town so no planning for me
Sunday: Spaghetti and meatballs (again, frozen from when Mark's dad was in town to make us authentic homemade Italian meatballs)

{p.s. none of this is sponsored and all of the product(s) were purchased by me. I just love to share what I love!}

Saturday is a spend all day in your PJs kind of day

It's Friday! It's Friday! I'm doing a little song and dance this week. Mark is finally home from being out of town for work all week and the house feels like it's whole again. Tonight is date night and birthday celebration night. Tomorrow I have a birthday massage and Sunday the family is going to the pumpkin patch (Livia's first time!). In between I hope there are naps, cuddles with Livia and relaxing. Happy Weekend!

Some links to web love:

I can't wait to practice yoga with Livia.

These are on Livia's wish list (ok on Mommy's wish list for Livia).

Cherishing Your Girlfriends.

How much fun would it be to do a melted crayon pumpkin this Halloween?! Might have to try it with a pumpkin we get from the pumpkin patch!

On the menu this weekend: Brie+Cheddar Apple Beer Soup with Cinnamon Pecan Oat Crumble...yum!

(photo via LoveThisPic)