Mommyinthemountains | Living, Loving and Creating a Home

Things on Thursday: Random Things on My Mind

Posted on February 21, 2013 by admin

I have been struggling with motivation to get on here and blog lately.

Not exactly sure why. Probably something to do with being extremely busy with the kids school events, being hit with sickness, and just plain needing a little break from it all.

Since my life has been a little all over the place for the past few weeks, I thought my things post should also be a bit random.

So here are some random things that have been on my mind…

We are making some big life decisions lately on things like where we want to live and this little bit has struck me…

Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith. Source.

I have been eyeballing swimsuits, I love the shabby apple designs. This one imparticular is beautiful.

random 2 Source

We decided not to take a family trip to Cape Cod this year. It was a family decision, since we are making big ol life changes, we thought it best to lay low and close to home to see how things pan out. However, the ocean is calling me and I am wishing I could run to her.

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I am very curious to see how the 90′s fashion revival is going to present itself in the fashion world. I have been reading articles about how flannel and combat boots are going to be overtaking all of the 80′s neon colors soon. I am a bit excited as neon colors aren’t really my thing, but I don’t know if I can go back to my flannel and combat boot days…hmmm. It will be interesting.

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I have been a bit all over the place emotionally. Stressed, excited, nervous…. like I said, big changes. Good changes, but big.

Ani Difranco always is my go to during times like this for some calming womanly strenght and she has not disappointed. She is crazy talented.

This is one of my faves of all time, sort of the main track on my lifes soundtrack really. Seriously, one of the most motivational songs on the planet for me. Wierd, I know.

Anyone else feeling random these days?

xoxo

High Low Project of my own

Posted on February 20, 2013 by admin

Do you ever watch the High Low Project on HGTV?

I loooove that show. I love that they can recreate a rooms decor that cost around $30000 and recreate if for just a few thousand. It is so fun to see the ideas and how they look for similar “feel” when checking out items.

Generally, it seems, one can find a less expensive knock off of the high end product they want.

When we were bed shopping last September (remember we upgraded our old mattress HERE), I fell in love with this beautiful upholstered bed on Ballard Designs.

If you have a few thousand dollars to spend on a new bedframe you can check this one out here. It is abut $2600, and then delivery costs.

I love the modern yet soft and romantic look. I also love that you can pick it out in all sorts of specialty fabrics. Who wouldn’t love a nice silk blend on their headboard?

I spent a few months scouring the internet for a similar one at a more affordable price. We did not have $3000 to spend on a new bed.

Here is the one I found. It is almost exactly the same!

The price of this one? $452 and free shipping! I was so excited! (If you are interested you can find it HERE). I saved us about $2500 on a bed that looks essentially the same!

The difference is that it only came in one fabric type and three different color choices. Gray was the obvious choice for me. The upholstered side boards are also not as high as the Ballard Designs bed, but I decided for over a $2500 dollar savings, the sides were fine for me!

You can see the sides here in a picture I took of hubby working on assembling it. It took about 45 min to assemble.

I think it is a nice addition to our bedroom space.

What do you think? Do you ever play your own personal game of the high/low project? Have you found any knock offs from high end designers?

xoxo

Monthly Meal Plan

Posted on February 18, 2013 by admin

Here is what we have eaten for the Month of January.

There are only 18 meals, because we have eaten out more times this month than I really care to admit. My wasteline is showing it!

Without further ado, here is what we chowed.

Paleo Pad Thai (from the cookbook Well Fed, HERE)

Potato Croquettes

Man Pleasing Chicken- this was pretty tastey. This kiddos made it which means it was a pretty easy recipe.

Chipotle Salad- We eat this one ALOT… a fave.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken- husband raved about it.

Steak and grilled poblanos with goat cheese- mmmmmm.

Flounder Pesto Salad

Manchego Chicken- Hubby’s yummy recipe. VERY unhealthy, but soooo tasty.

Baked Chicken Nachos- literally just grilled chicken on top of tortilla chips with the fixins.

Steak and Shrimp

Lasagna Soup

Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup

Roasted Chicken with Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Tomatillo Pork Stew in the Crock Pot- Out of Family Circle January issue. Very tasty.

Caprese Sandwiches

Pulled Pork Sandwiches in the Crock Pot

Fish Tacos- We used the Weight Watchers recipe because you baked the fish instead of frying it.

Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Grilled Goat Cheese, Spinach and Avocado Sandwiches with Chicken Noodle Soup

Mulligatawny- Another one from our Weight Watchers cookbook that was easy and light.

There was our meal plan for January. On a side note, since I get so many great recipes from Pinterest, I have started another board called “recipes tried and liked” which I move all of the recipes I have actually liked into so that they are easier for me to refind. The only ones I will put in there are the ones that have been approved by our family, so if you are wanting some tried and true recipes check it out…. HERE.

Ice Skating

Posted on February 15, 2013 by admin

Each winter we have to ice skate at least once as a family. Sometimes we hit up the small outdoor rink in a nearby town of Ouray. You can see the one from a couple of years ago HERE.

This year hubby had a hockey game in Telluride on a Sunday morning and we thought it a perfect opportunity for us all to watch one of his games and enjoy some skating ourselves. Most of his games are evening games, so we don’t often have a perfect opportunity to join him.

Here is a quick shot of the hockey game in action.

Then we hit the Gondola that took us from the Town of Telluride up into Mountain Village where they have a small outdoor ice rink in a courtyard.

Lucas has not been on the Gondola before and he thought it was so much fun, especially when it first started zooming up the hill.

Here are the guys with thier ice skates headed to hit the ice. (from left to right, Ezra, Paul, Grandpa Ken, and Lucas falling behind them).

It was snowing lightly in big soft snowflakes (my favorite kind of snow).

It was one of those perfect days, that you want to freeze time and enjoy every moment. Every smiley, giggley, chattery, snowflakey, magical moment.

xoxo

Our Class Valentines 2013

Posted on February 14, 2013 by admin

I have been experiencing one of the busiest weeks EVER. Whew…

Anyhow, I wanted to share my kids choices for their Valentines that they gave to thier classmates this year.

Ezra chose to give pencils to his friends. So I designed these cute tags to attach to a box of mechanical pencils from Target.

Feel free to open up the image and use for future Valentines of your own!

Lucas wanted to give popcorn to his friends. Kid has a serious love of popcorn. We are about to enroll him in Popcorn Anonymous.

I also made little tags for his treats.

We popped popcorn, tossed in a couple handfuls of M&Ms and then drizzled with chocolate. Once it was dried, we bagged up and tied with the tags.

So cute.

They recieved a couple little items from Paul and I. (We believe Valentines Day is mostly for lovers, but we like to give little gifts to the boys).

They had this on the table when they came out this morning.

I had heard rave reviews on the Avon Natural bath products for kids. Since both of my boys have sensitive skin, I am always on the look out for a nice gentle natural product. I ordered them each a body wash and a roller of bath paint. Oh ya, and they each got a new LEGO dude. They love all the specialty dudes. Just little treats from Mommy. ( I will let ya know if the bath stuff is a great as I have heard.)

Hope everyone had a great Valentines Day!

Dining Room Inspiration Board

Posted on February 11, 2013 by admin

In my house we do not have a dining room. Instead of being sad about it I have decided to put together a little inspiration dream board for the dining room I will have some day.

Here is what I am going for.

1. These curtains are from Anthropologie. I love the dark rich blue. These would give some softness to the room and keep a modern pallet from feeling to cold. HERE.

2. The adorable Young House Love people were asked to design a line of light fixtures for Shades of Light that are affordable. I love this super modern one. It is really inexpensive too. Find it HERE.

3. You know me and my obsession with all things about the sea. I would love to incorporate a whimsy octopus into my dining room. So pretty. HERE.

4. I want to build my own dining table like this. It is made from plumbing supplies and wood. COOL! Find the tutorial HERE.

5. I love all of the fun industrial chairs that are out right now. Some of them are very expensive. These white ones are affordable and have the clean lines that I desire. HERE.

6. A good rug to ground the entire room is essential. Another dark blue hue will tie the room together in a nice pretty bow. I love quatrefoil designs as well so this one is a win. HERE.

I love the look of the rustic meets modern. The rustic adds some texture and some interest, the modern makes it feel new and undated. Love. I am also still into my moody blues so I would want to keep that in there with the dark curtains and quatrefoil rug.

What do you think?

Do you ever put together inspiration dream boards?

I discovered a new site that makes it really easy. It is called The Inspiratoin Board and you simply upload your images, choose your background and you can add all kinds of cute elements, letters, tacks, labels and borders to your board. Really fun and makes it easy to put together something pretty.

You can use this for some many things. Inspiration boards for trips, outfits, projects, or home decor. The power of visualization is really important to me so I am in LOVE with this site.

Go HERE if you wanna give it a try.

xoxo

Project Be More Positive #7: Love what you have

Posted on February 8, 2013 by admin

If you have missed any of the Project Be More Positive, you can check it out in full HERE.

Onward and Upward!!!

Ladies I would like to conduct a little experiment with you. Pull up Pinterest for me.

First type into Pinterest “Bigger Boobs” what do you see?

I bet you find pin after pin of women saying they would love to have bigger boobs. That they would love he bodies they have pinned except with bigger boobs. Pin after pin after pin of ways to get said boobs.

Now, type into pinterest “smaller boobs”. This time you will find outfits pinned saying, only if I had smaller boobs (I hear you ladies). Pins saying that they wished they had smaller boobs. Pictures of women with small boobs with womens wishes commented how wonderful it would be to have smaller boobs.

Try typing in “bigger butt”. Tell me what you find. Yep, image after image of Kim Kardashian with women commenting about how they wished they had a figure like hers.

Now “smaller butt” Again, images of teeny little bottoms with women saying they would love to have a tiny butt. Workout after workout claiming it will give it to you.

We have got to quit obsessing ladies about what we want bigger and what we want smaller.

Love what you have.

Yes, we all want to be fit and healthy and those are great goals to have. That being said is it healthy to look at a model who has attributes that we will never be able to obtain.

Someone who happens to be very well endowed in the breast area will probably always be blessed that way, so maybe you need a role model body that looks like this….

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Beyonce is really hot and she has always embraced her lovely cleavage. So should you!

Someone who has always been flat chested and blessed with a smaller upper frame will probably not grow size D’s. Sorry ladies. So maybe change the ideal you have in your head to look more like this…

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Kiera Knightly is one of the most beautiful women in the world. She is on the cover of Glamour above for goodness sake, I doubt she is crying about her A cups now.

Someone who happens to be bottom heavy isn’t going to go from being a pear shape to an apple with a tiny butt. So maybe embrace that and have your ideal look more like this…

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The Kardashians are some of the biggest sex symbols today. Whatever you may think about them as people, you cannot deny they have gorgeous figures. Embrace those beautiful glutes ladies!

And ladies who have always had small bottoms, be thankful and have your ideal look like this in your head.

hot2 Source

Cameron Diaz has always had a smaller more athletic figure. She has never complaind about her figure being called “boyish” for her lack of curves. No! She enjoys being active and fit and she has quite a following of men who adore her.

These are all very hot very attractive women! HOT, in capitals. So find a wonderful hot version of your ideal body. What your body could actually look like in a perfect world.

Quit comparing yourself to an ideal that isn’t remotely like you. This is self hatred at its worst.

I have learned to stop looking at long and lean figures with jealousy. I will never be 5’10″ with legs that go for days and tiny little shoulders and upper bodies.

I am short, and muscular. So I need to have an ideal that looks more like this….

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Hayden Panetteirre is the closest role model to my body type that I could find. She looks pretty close to the body type I had in my late teens and early twenties. Petite, short muscular legs, broad muscular upper body, breasts that are not tiny. So, that is who I am choosing to look at with desire. I would love to look like that! It would take a lot of work, but at least that is somewhat obtainable. I will NEVER look like Giselle, so I need to quit looking at that with my wishes.

Lastly I want to remind all of you that Marilyn Monroe is the largest sex symbol of all time. Check her out!

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Beautiful! Here is the thing, it wasn’t so much about her body (although it is gorgeous), but about her attitude and the personality she exuded. Pretty girls are a dime a dozen, it is the “you-ness” in you that will make you beautiful!

Who would fit the ideal for your body?

Things on Thursday: Dreaming of Summer

Posted on February 7, 2013 by admin

Ok, I KNOW it is February, but I am over being cold. So, since this is my blog and I can share whatever I want, we are going to daydream about summer today. Bear with me.

Here are some things for me for summer. Pretties…

1. How fun and summery is this bright yellow necklace?! This to me screams wear me with a cute sundress to a bbq! HERE.

2. These sunglasses are a dream. I will probably never own a pair quite this pretty, but wow, they are gorgeous! HERE.

3. I love a cute nautical piece. This one looks very versatile. Could go to the beach, could go to a dinner party either way it is cute. HERE.

4. I am in LOVE with this dress. It may have to be mine. Looks comfy and cute. HERE.

5. These Foutas are one of my favorite things. They are turkish towels and are super soft and absorbant. Hubby bought me one for Chrismas and I can’t wait to pick up a couple more. HERE.

6. Swimsuit season is on the way! I really like this one shoulder look. I also love the design and color combo… so cute. HERE.

7. Cute sandals are a must. These would look awesome with a cute summer dress, capris or even jeans. Adorable. HERE.

What are you daydreaming about buying for your summer wardrobe?

xoxo

Project Be More Positive #6: Don’t Be Stagnant

Posted on February 6, 2013 by admin

Welcome to the next installment.

If you missed any, check them out HERE.

I found myself feeling so blah and bored of the last few years. I think part of it is having young children.

You spend a lot of time thinking about what you want to do, thinking about what you should be doing and then wondering if you EVEr will be able to do them.

I was feeling really bogged down with my lack of LIVING. This in itself created more anxiety. If you aren’t busy and loving your life, then you certainly have more time to sit around thinking about the wrongs of the world and things in your life you don’t love.

Something about movement and change seems to bust people out of thier negative thoughts and feelings.

All it takes is a new adventure, a walk around the neighborhood to clear your head, or a new experience to snap someone out of a funk.

I embraced this phenom this year. Everytime I began to get into a rut of anxiety, boredom, and blah I would quickly go to work thinking and planning something new to help me and my family.

I took trips: Cape Cod, Adventure Park, Camping, Aspen.

I tried new things: Bungee Jumping, Running, Karate, Sushi

I shopped.

I helped people.

Even the simple act of taking the kids to the park can get you out of a rut.

Here are a few more ideas that will remove you from your norm.

Try a new restaurant with your hubby.

Shop at an entirely different grocery store.

Visit a park in a nearby town and have lunch.

Take a drive in the country to find a road you have never been on.

Go on a hike to a new place. (ask a friend to recomend one you have not ever done)

Meet a friend for coffee somewhere you don’t usually go.

Invite someone you don’t know very well to a playdate.

Try a new workout video. (you can borrow one from a friend if you don’t want to invest in one)

Pick an outdoor activity you have never tried or haven’t done in a long time(snowshoeing, cross country skiing, running, rock climbing)

Take a class (anything that is interesting to you, watercolor, photography, basketweaving)

Plan a virtual trip (you don’t have to book it, but plan out where you would go, stay, eat, what you would do)

Plan a real trip that you can afford (doesn’t have to be eleborate, could be to a bed and breakfast a couple towns over)

Make a goal and stick to it. (Doesn’t have to be crazy. I will eat an apple every day, for example is something new to give a whirl.)

The key is not to allow yourself to get stagnant. It is one thing to be stable and settled, it is quite another to feel claustrophobic and stagnant in your life.

Finding movement and change in my life certainly helped me to feel happier, less anxious and at peace with my life.

The other upside is that you and your family get to experience a bunch of new things along the way!

Give it a shot.

Roasted Garlic

Posted on February 5, 2013 by admin

I can’t believe the admission I am going to make. As the foodie that I am, I have never roasted garlic myself until this past weekend. Can you believe that?

We had some great friends over for dinner so I was trying to make everything extra yummy!

It was so good, I just HAD to blog about it!

It was really simple.

You take the bulbs of garlic. I used two whole bulbs.

You cut off the pointy end so it looks like this… I have to say, isn’t that pretty. I love the design garlic makes when you cut it like that.

Wrap the bottom of the garlic in tin foil like so. It just holds it upright so the oil stays in those puppies.

Then you drizzle it with olive oil. I used Truffle infused olive oil because I felt like being fancy.

Heat your oven to 400. Bake for 40-45 min.

Your house will smell like an italian restaurant in no time!

Here they are fresh out of the oven.

I used one head of garlic for some dipping bowls that we had for bread. For this I simply filled a dipping bowl with some olive oil, some of my favorite Balsamic Glaze, a few cloves of the garlic chopped a bit, and then sprinkled the top with rosemary, oregano and basil. YUMMM!

The other head I whipped up into mashed potatoes. OMG.

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