Paleo pumpkin spice "latte"

Just in case you didn't want to spend the $6.50 for a medium pumpkin spice latte (or at least I don't, soy is extra $0.75! And yes, soy isn't paleo. But I'm on my + year of going nearly dairy free.)....

There is a new "fad" of blending coconut oil +|- butter/ghee in your coffee.  It's wonderfully creamy and was my "bridge" to giving up coffee with wonderful creamy  flavored creamer or even half and half.  Now, on the weekends or days off I add coconut oil and blend, work days I drink black. (Oh he horror!)

Moving forward with my recipe (if you would even call it that!)

Gather ingredients and supplies.

1 cup of hot coffee

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

Immersion blender 

Pumpkin spice 

Cute anthro mug

Pour one cup of coffee into something large enough to contain your coffee while blending with immersion blender.

Add coconut oil.

Blend on low....

Until all the oil has been emulsified.

Mmmmm.

Add pumpkin spice to the top.

Also, if you aren't doing #whole30 , maybe add a little "real" maple syrup. 

More Summersville Lake and Myrtle Beach Pictures | Hunter 16 months

Crockpot spaghetti squash

Spaghetti squash has quickly become one of my favorite vegetables.  It's kind of a pain to cut it down the middle to bake... Until now!  The credit for this idea very much goes to my sister and wherever she saw it online... 

Regardless......

Steps.

Buy a spaghetti squash.

Wash said squash.

Poke squash a few times with a fork.

Put squash in the crock pot on low.

Walk away for many hours.

Come back and find squash cooked perfectly (time depends on how big).

Cut in half. 

Scoop out seeds. (Way easier than doing pre-cooking).

Eat squash or save for later.

Easy peasy!

Dear Hunter | 16 months

Dear Hunter,


Today you are now 16 months, or as I say often, a little over a year.  Soon I will be saying, a year and a half.  The days are long but the weeks and months are fast.

We are on vacation this week so we have been able to spend more time together than usual.  We spent the first part of the week with our Olgers family, the second part with the Katona family, and the day we arrive home, you get to spend time with your Holman grandparents.

Even just spending a few days in a row with you I have seen so many new things, each day you show me you are learning, growing, and becoming a little man!

For the last week, you have walked around saying apple more times than I care to admit.  I'm not sure if you are referencing the applesauce pouches or if you just like to say the word all day e'ry day.  You started saying words or something like the word for the sign language you know (more, all done) and still use hungry and thank you multiple times a day.  You have a fun new word you started yesterday yeah, and I play a little game every evening and ask what you want for dinner.  Spaghetti is a yeah and everything is a no or some baby words other than yeah.

You still nap well in the afternoon.  During vacation, you woke up early, before 7 am, everyday until the last 2 days, we kept you up pretty late past your bedtime, and for probably the second and third time in your life you slept til 9 and 8 am.  It was glorious.  For mommy at least.

Today, you played in the kiddie pool all  morning with other littles.  You shared pretty well and only walked away with a small bruise on your head so far this vacation.  You have been walking since a little before your one year birthday, but you are still pretty wobbly at times and can come crashing down at any point.

As I said before, spaghetti is your new favorite food.  And green beans.  Broccoli is going by the wayside for these foods.

Mama has really enjoyed this week off with you and is definitely not looking forward to Monday morning day care drop off as tears will be shed, but working is a necessary evil.  Day care friends, teachers, and atmosphere has been so good for you and I try to remember that on days that will be like Monday after vacation.

Looking forward to when you talk more and more over the coming days and months!

Labor Day Weekend | PawPaw's Retirement Celebration

We were fortunate enough to all have time off from our busy schedules to spend a long weekend with Hunter's grandparents, Aunt Katie, and Uncle Phil.  We chose to rent a cabin in Summersville, WV and check out the scenery, New River Gorge Bridge, Gauley River, and biking trails.

Check out my FB page for more photos of our trip!

Hunter's First Beach Trip

Our vacation extended from the long Labor Day weekend to a beach trip this week.  Grandpa and Grandma Katona invited us to come along for their September Myrtle Beach vacation.  It ended up being a great time to vacation at a beach with a 1+ year old.  There were no crowds, no traffic, sparsely populated pools, among other advantages.  I felt like I had all summer to look forward to a trip at the end just prior to the beginning of Fall.  It was still warm, but the outdoor pool was a little chilly early in the morning before the sun came out for the day.  We made more memories, enjoyed each other's company, savored good food, and soaked up the sun!

My Favorite Blogs

Hello, mymamaheart readers.....I wanted to share with everyone my favorite bloggers.  I read most (if not all) of them a few times a week in my "downtime".

It would probably be wise to delete my favorite app "Bloglovin" because it is my new favorite pastime since I had Hunter.  My friend told me about it and it helped me survive night awakenings in those first few months I was on maternity leave.  I get ideas, recipes, advice, etc and enjoy reading/learning from other mamas too!

1. the small things blog

2. Camp Patton

3. Peanut Butter Fingers

4. Itz Linz

5. The Lean Green Bean

Ava Anderson Non Toxic | September Product Review

Hello! Its time for my monthly review of some of my favorite Ava Anderson Non Toxic products.  Hunter's eczema recently came back after we went to a recent baby shower.  The true root of the problem is still most likely related to dairy intake but once the rash comes it takes awhile to go away.  I have prescriptions from his pediatrician for high potency and low potency steroid creams, but I am trying to avoid those if possible.  I had read on the Ava facebook page that many people were having luck using either the Diaper cream (who knew) or the same cream called "Dream Cream" (just a difference scent and a different name, same formulation) which good success to help clear up the eczema.  Well, it has been a week and I have noticed the cream is moisturizing without being greasy, decreases the redness, and has helped it clear up (although not completely).  My thoughts are that the cream definitely helps speed along the process of healing, but it does not resolve or cure the root issue of his possible food intolerance.

Diaper cream ingredients:
Chamomilla recutita (organic chamomile) flower extract
Olea europaea (organic olive) oil
Butyrospermum parkii (organic shea) butter
Cocos nucifera (organic coconut) oil,
Aloe barbadensis (organic aloe vera) extract
Persea gratissima (organic avocado) seed oil,
Raphanus sativus (radish) root extract
Zinc oxide (non-nanoparticle)
Calendula officinalis (organic calendula) flower extract
Lavendula angustifolia (organic lavender) essential oil

Dream cream ingredients:
Chamomilla recutita (organic chamomile) flower extract
Olea europaea (organic olive) fruit oil
Butyrospermum parkii (organic shea) butter
Cocos nucifera (organic coconut) oil
Aloe barbadensis (organic aloe vera) extract
Persea gratissima (organic avocado) seed oil
Raphanus sativus (radish) root extract
Zinc oxide (non-nanoparticle)
Calendula officinalis (organic calendula) flower extract
Vanilla plantifolia bean extract
Citrus sinensis (organic sweet orange) essential oil

A recent customer said... I love it! It has not cleared completely yet but it is so much better!! It takes the pain out of it too! I am in love with this cream! I hated us in the steroid cream they had me on because it can affect the endocrine system. This cream has really helped!!!!

Several family and friends have tried the creams recently and agree - it helps anything from dry skin to eczema to keeping baby bums dry and protected!