A feast from a few simple ingredients.

Ugh! It is stupid HOT today. I am stuck at home with my 2 boys trying to keep cool. You know it's hot when your 2.5 year old isn't bugging you to go outside, and is preferring to sit next to the fan over running around the house like a crazy person. Lunch time came around, and I was stumped. I definitely didn't want to turn on my stove, and I've had sandwiches the last 3 days in a row. I was on facebook having some funny conversations about cutting mangos, which I have only recently begun to enjoy, and began to think of things I could make with a mango. I opened my fridge and pulled out things from my fruit/veggie basket and created the most yummy lunch EVER! It could easily be an impressive dinner at a very low cost! I've only calculated the recipe to serve one, but it would be pretty simple to multiply to your needs. So, here is my cheap, yummy, simple, healthy lunch!

1/2 of a mango, diced

1/2 of an avocado, diced

4ish cherry tomatoes, cut in half

3ish tablespoons of black beans (I heated mine in the micro for a few seconds)

the green part from one green onion

juice from half a lime

salt and pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir. I split the mixture between 3 corn tortilla's with a bit of sour cream on each tortilla.

Oh my, oh my, oh my. It was perfect on this hot summer day, not to mention super healthy!

This meal is only about $1.50 per person @ 3 tortillas a serving :). The cost, of course, is low b/c I bought almost all my ingredients on sale, but none of the ingredients are very expensive even if they are not on sale. If you want to fancy it up for probably about $.50/person, throw some shrimp on the grill and add it to the mix....I think I'll do that next time!

Seriously...go make this. It's good.

My heart tells me I'm a painter, but my hands say otherwise.

I love the idea of painting. When I see beautiful things my heart says "paint it." I feel like it is what some photographers must think when the see something breathtaking. The problem is, I can't paint. Outside of a few cutesy animal pictures that I painted for my boys room, and a couple of abstract lines I painted on a canvas for my bedroom, I have never created anything worth displaying. Now, I am not saying this for anyone to say "it's all in my head" and "that I really am good"....it's just that the beautiful picture I have in my head never turns out like I want it too.

A few weeks ago I went with a dear friend down to old town Lafayette to listen to some live music with the kiddos. Accompanying the sweet sound of the flute there was a painter. She was painting a simple flower in a tiny vase. I watched as she layered the paint, each layer bringing it closer to life. It went from abstract smudges and lines to something absolutely amazing.

I realized tonight why I have never been able to paint the way I would like. I can't see the layers. I see the final product in my head, and don't know what steps I need to take to get there. I rush through the process, don't let the paint dry, focus on one little area...you get the idea. I forget the big the picture.

I was pondering life this evening, which generally happens when I'm so very hormonal (sorry to any males reading this blog...just giving you the facts). I realized that I have the same tunnel vision when it comes to life. I have this picture of who I want to be, what I want my body to look like, who I want my kids to become, what I want my life to look like. I'm not saying that I have this idealistic image of life, some expectation I can't meet, I just struggle to see the steps towards the top.

So, tonight I am trying to appreciate the smudges of paint that is the painting of my life. Knowing that those smudges are necessary and just the beginning of something beautiful. And most of all, seeing these beginning layers as a thing of beauty all on their own.

Bucket List

My days.

1:30 am: Hopefully Greyson is still sleeping from his 7:30/8pm bedtime. But who knows, I might be feeding him.

3 am: Greyson wakes up to eat. Feed him.

6 am: Greyson wakes up to eat. Feed him. Sleep may continue at this point, or Harper wakes up and our day begins.

7 am: Definitely up by now, make breakfast, drink coffee, decide what I will do today.

8 am: Clean kitchen, start laundry, debate whether or not I should get me and the kids ready and take the 1 hour journey to take to jordan to work and back so I have a car?

9 am: Usually decided not to take Jordan to work, and begin feeling clostrophobic in my house.

10am: Walk? I hope it's not raining.

11 am: What to do, what to do...

12/1 pm: Lunch. Harper naps, hopefully. Greyson naps, hopefully. Me....clean, cook, sit for about 10 minutes, maybe even make myself an iced latte.

2/2:30 pm: Everyone is awake. Now what?

3 pm: Walk....somewhere, anywhere.

4 pm: Movie/TV time for Harper so I can clean/cook.

5:30 pm: Dinner.

6 - 7:30 pm: Do whatever I can to not go crazy during Greyson's "crabby" time, and Harper's "almost time for bed" time....Jordan get's home at 7:30.

By 8 pm: Jordan is putting Harper down, I'm putting Greyson down.

8:30 pm: T.V. is on, computer is open, brain is tired.

9 pm: Debate whether or not it is too early to go to bed, eventually decided that it is ok to be lame, and I go to bed.

This is my life in a nutshell. Every once in a while there is some quality time with friends, a trip to the grocery store, some good ole' fashion fun. But mostly, these are my days.

As you can imagine it can get very mundane. I love being with my kids, I do, and I know that every moment we spend together I am teaching them something, and that this is preparing them to be wonderful, loving, responsible adults someday. But sometimes, I feel like I'm working towards nothing, not "going" anywhere. I get stuck in a pattern.

Jordan is at school, getting some kind of degree, and learning all sorts of things. And trust me, I DO NOT want to be in school right now (I'd rather stab a pencil in my eye), but I feel like I do need to be working towards something....for me.

So, I sat down and started a bucket list. I thought maybe if I could just get a few "goals" written down, some vision for where I see my life going, that I would feel as though I had a bit more of a purpose in my daily life.

As I started writing things down I realized that there were 2 categories. Those that take money to accomplish, and those that don't. For instance, buying a house, taking my family on a trip out of the country, get a tattoo, own a business cost a lot of money. But there are a quite a few that would cost me little to no money! Here are a few of the things that I can do for myself...

1) Learn how to play piano

2) Run a marathon

3) Be on a TV game show

4) Hike a 14er

I think that I am going to challenge myself to accomplish one of these things within the next year. I don't want to go crazy because I really want to enjoy this time I have with my kids, but I also know I will be a better Mom if I am working towards a goal that revolves around me.

I'm not sure which one I will choose, but I do think this is one of the best ways of accomplishing my journey towards mastering the art of making something out of nothing. In a marathon you only need a good pair of shoes, and your body. To be on a TV show, all you need to do apply (I SOOOO want to be on amazing race). You get the point. I also think that I will feel a more of a sense of purpose in my everyday life, I'll feel like I am working towards something. So here goes....

What are some of the things on your bucket list that you can start checking off?