Summer days...

Busy summer. Fun summer!

As of late….

Celebrated Reese’s first birthday party…such a fun party! Kandi did a FABULOUS job with everything at the party. Check out Kandi's website to see more of the party here!

I went to NYC for work.  I haven’t been since I was probably 10 or so.  Had awesome weather and managed to run 4 miles through Central Park which was AMAZING!  Ate everything in sight too J
 

Hung out at home with my sweet girl…

She’s had her fair share of terrible two “moments” lately…

Been hanging out with Gabe….they even shared their first kiss after a pool date J

She’s also had a couple swim dates at the Bennett’s and at the McMahan’s!

Even snapped green beans with her momma on the patio…

And always love a good snack time – crazy hair!

I ran my first 5K on July 3rd with a few of our new neighbors. Completed in 27:45 (pace of 8:51)!

Happy Summer Y'all!

What I'm Loving Wednesday! (a day late)

I realize this is a day late...what the heck though! I was having blogger issues yesterday.

I am loving my new skin care products – Dermalogica – had a facial a couple months ago (my first actually) and bought several items.  I keep adding to my collection and have loved every single product so far. 

 

I am loving that I love to run now!  I’ve been running at least 3 times a week since February and I can honestly say I enjoy running now.  I’ve also been doing Zumba 2 times per week, but since my instructor was on vacay last week, I ran….almost 20 miles last week!  The greenways in Farragut run through our neighborhood and we’ve been burning them up.    

I am loving the new bedding I just ordered yesterday for our guest room from PB!  I need to win the lottery so I can buy more things from here.

I am loving The Bachelorette this season!  It’s my summertime guilty pleasure…let the vino drinking commence. 

I am loving that Hadley’s runny nose has FINALLY stopped running – after months of constant dripping!  We are having so much fun with her this summer. Can’t believe my baby will be 2 in just a few short months!

I am loving that I am going to NYC next week for a few days for work!

Loving these personalized towels and pillowcases from Etsy.com!

Blog Slacker

I am majorly slacking on the blogging lately. We've been busy with the move and having fun this summer!  We are all moved in and LOVE our new house. I can't thank our families enough for all the help, especially my dad and stepmom!  We closed on our old house this past Friday so we only have one house on our books :)

Here is what we've been up to the last few weeks...

First swim in the neighborhood pool with Daddy!

Waiting for my buddies, Sophie, Aiden, and Reese to come over for dinner

 Swimming at Sam and Rachel's new pool....just a 5 minute walk on the greenway from our new house!

Poolside snack with Brooke and Brayden

New favorite pasttime - water and mixing bowls on the deck!

Boat action with the Plummers

Calhouns Marina for dinner with the Plummers

Pantless evening golf round with Daddy

At the Doctor, trying to get rid of this crazy runny nose

In Gatlinburg hanging out with my sweet cousins!

Getting ready to swim in Gatlinburg!

Yum-O!

Wanted to share a couple of recipes I made this week during our big move (more on that later!). These are perfect for summer!

Spicy Hawaiian Burgers

2 pounds ground chicken
6 pineapple rings (or equivalent slices, cut about 1/2" - 3/4" thick)
6 slices pepper jack cheese
6 whole wheat hamburger buns
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine the ground chicken, soy sauce, 1/2 the paprika, 1/2 the chili powder, seasoning salt, minced garlic and cumin. Lightly mix with your hands and divide into 6 even balls. Form patties, making them slightly thinner in the middle and sprinkle with remaining paprika and chili powder. Refrigerate about 30 minutes.

Preheat the grill to medium heat. Coat grates lightly with oil. Grill burgers over medium heat about 6 minutes per side. The burgers should flip easily when they are ready to turn, if they want to stick, give them another minute. Top with cheese for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking time to melt. Remove to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to rest. Grill buns if desired.

For the pineapple, if you are using rings, grill directly on the grates over medium heat. Carefully turn after 1-2 minutes. If you are using pineapple slices or chunks, thread onto skewers and grill skewers in the same fashion. Assemble burgers and enjoy!

Broccoli Salad

We love this recipe because it’s not too mayonnaisey like a lot of salads.

10 slices bacon (I used turkey bacon)
1-2 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup red seedless grapes, halved
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar (I used Splenda)
2/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Cook bacon, crumble and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli, onion and grapes. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and mayonnaise. Pour over broccoli mixture, and toss until well mixed. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Before serving, toss salad with crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds.