I swear I meant to post that recipe

...but we have been busy cleaning house in anticipation for visiting family. I promise it will be up on Monday! Everyone enjoy their weekend!

"What a Girl Wants" Wednesday

I realized recently that my blogs have always been filled to the brim with pictures of Wyatt, over-analysis of the not-so-happy things going on in my life, and many, many apologies about my lack of writing. As much as everyone loves a picture or two of a cute kid, it is beyond time I inject a little whimsy into this thing, if only for my own sake.

Meet "What a Girl Wants" Wednesdays. Every week (or so), I will list and detail the little things in life I would like to have, do, or achieve. Also included will be current obsessions in fashion, food, and entertainment.

Let the games begin.

Military boots. These can leave the blog list and enter reality this afternoon, when they will be delivered to my home (and my oh-so-lonely feet). I have always had quite the obsession with boots, a plight for a girl living in Central Florida, and there is just something about the "tough girl chic" look of a military inspired boot paired with leggings and a feminine floral dress that I just can't resist come fall.

Sheer tops. While the heat here in Florida does not necessarily lend itself to boots, it DOES, however, lend itself to lightweight sheer tops nearly year round. I may or may not have purchased three or four recently and still find myself lusting after this leopard print number.

Gold and coral nails. Quite the fun color combo, this screams "there's a party on my nails" to me. As a mother to a Tasmanian toddler/devil, I don't have the luxury of time to do such fancy sticker design nonsense, but I DO currently have gold nails with one coral accent nail on each hand. 

The Primal Blueprint. I already own the book, but what this girl wants is to put this plan into place. Not only am I trying to lose a few extra pounds (aren't we all, really), but I love the idea of implementing a lifestyle that encourages slowing down and simplifying to live like our ANCIENT ancestors, who were arguably some of the healthiest humans on earth. I DEFINITELY recommend this book to anyone trying not only to look better, but to feel better as well.

Seasonal veggies. Namely brussel sprouts. Can you believe that I lived my entire life without these delicious little cabbages until about three years ago? My mother HATES brussels and never let them in house, so I never had an opportunity to try them. Now they are one of my absolute favorite foods in the whole world. Unfortunately, getting them truly seasonally is hard down here because fall doesn't start until, like, December.

Avocados. Give me all of the avocados. In this new high-fat (the good ones), moderate-protein, low-carb diet known as paleo, I find myself eating at least a half of an avocado every day. I can't get enough. Did you know that they are delicious outside of guacamole? In the three weeks since changing my eating habits, I have noticed extremely clear skin and luxurious hair as an unexpected (and very welcome) side effect. Find me an avocado, and I'll show you an empty shell.

Vacation. It's been a while. When Jason asked me a few days ago if I would like to go the beach for a few nights next week, my reaction was an automatic, enthusiastic "Yes!" Instead of our usual stay in our friends' cute beach cottage though, we chose to book a room on the beach, but still ten minutes from Historic St. Augustine. As much as we all love the beach, time there is limited and exhausting with a toddler, so I am excited to be able to walk around during the afternoons and explore the little sights in one of my favorite places. 

Molars. Okay, okay. I know I just got done saying that all I post are pictures of this guy. But seriously, did you really think I would leave him out? In all honesty, Wyatt is in teething hell right now, so what this girl REALLY wants is for his pearly whites to break on through so we can get back to our normal, happy, playful thing. It's how we like him.

It is hot.

It probably comes as no surprise to anyone reading that summers in Central Florida are hot (not to mention, oppressively humid). I have to mentally prepare myself to venture outdoors between the months of June and September, because it is truly a chore. That chore is multiplied when it comes to getting a toddler the necessary run-around time in the fresh air.

I'll admit it has been my weak spot. I don't get Wyatt outside nearly as much as I should these days, but truthfully, it's exhausting. The sunscreen, the protective clothing, the bugspray, filling juice and water cups, shoes, making sure (again) there is enough water; before you know it, you have spent forty-five minutes just preparing to walk out the door, and you are BEAT. Forget the heat.

The exciting prospect of having the next five days off, however, made me a bit more adventurous this morning. Grabbing my brand-spanking-new camera, we headed to the backyard for some fun (and photo opportunities, of course). You know what? It wasn't THAT bad. Sure, I was drenched in sweat by the time we headed back in, but in an hour we played in the sandbox, explored the "enchanted" (read: overgrown) side yard, blew bubbles, and discovered Daddy's baseball bat.

Worth every mosquito bite.

When your lifestyle makes you sick.

I have come to that wonderful place in life where it becomes time to weigh pros and cons. There are a lot of things that I do (or don't do), eat, and drink that I enjoy very much, but unfortunately they make me pretty sick. I think I have finally arrived at the place where enough IS enough, and it is time to do something to change my life.

I came to a pretty realistic conclusion about a year ago that I had a mild to severe gluten intolerance. Since then, I have yo-yoed back and forth between eliminating it from my diet and ignoring the symptoms. My weight has fluctuated more than it should at 25 years young as a result, and I have suffered some pretty nasty digestive issues that required too much testing to determine nothing that a change in diet couldn't have.

It wasn't until my recent return to work that I realized that the issues I have are more than just an upset tummy caused by too much wheat. My immune system is pretty shot. Within three weeks of working, I have dealt with four separate skin infections that I have a hard time kicking. I have spent way too much of my life on antibiotics to trust their effectiveness any longer, or to risk a mutation of the bacteria into something resistant and more dangerous, so I started googling.

My research found that in addition to a ritualistic routine of bodily cleansing, my diet was feeding the bacteria and allowing it to keep breeding like rabbits. Bacteria is fed by sugar. Sugar isn't just consumed in the form of sweets, but also in starchy carbohydrate bashed foods that are broken down to sugar in the body. That includes all of my favorite things: pasta, rice, bread... alcohol. So here I am, faced with the life-choice to eliminate all of these things for good in the interest of my health and the health of those around me. It's a hard one.

Wow, I could use a drink.

Definitely not company-ready

Our house is a mess. A big mess. It is driving me crazy. I would do something about it, but why bother? Within an hour, any progress made will be undone by my Tasmanian devil of a child. Toddlers are messy; it's a fact. Look it up.

Toys are everywhere BUT where they should be.

Oh, look! There's a trail. Let's follow, shall we?

I definitely cleaned his room yesterday.

You believe me, right?

Whoever invented the alphabet play mat was a sadist.

This is why we can't have nice things.

Alright kid, I'll cut you a break because you are cute. Messy as hell, but cute.

Discovering new levels of busy

I thought I was busy in high school. In college. Working. As a mother to a newborn. To an ever-more mobile infant. To a Tasmanian Devil/Toddler. I was wrong.

Adding work back into the mix has left me wondering where the days go. On the days that I work I fight the clock, battling to squeeze in cleaning, cooking, the never-ending nightmare that is laundry, and quality time with Wyatt. On my days off, I end up wasting them catching up on sleep and anticipating the next day of work. Blogging is difficult. Nonexistent, really.

I do enjoy it though, and I am doing the right thing for our family at the moment. Plus, I am sure one day I will look back and wonder where I got all of the energy.

Luckily, I have a lot of things to look forward to in the near future: a new camera, a visit from my dad and sister, planning a baby shower, the anticipation for fall...

...which will arrive sometime in December. -__-