Bread with the Brisels

Here I am, joining the rest of the internet in making sure I am consuming enough protein day to day. 😅 I LOVE a chicken salad, especially during the warm months, so I found a way to add a little extra protein and make it a bit more satiating. I estimate that if you divide this recipe into two servings, each serving will have about 40 (!) grams of protein.  Protein Chicken Salad Serves: 1-2 people Ingredients:  1 chicken breast, cut into small cubes 1 cup of cottage cheese, blended  1 tablespoon of dry ranch seasoning  Salt & Pepper  *Note: If I had celery and green onion, I would have diced some up and added it for extra crunch and flavor. I didn't have any, and it was just fine without!  Directions:  In a mixing bowl, combine all of your ingredients and mix well.  Let chill until you're ready to serve & eat. I liked it with vegetables & Jackson Sweet Potato chips! 

  It's Friday, and it's the 4th of July Eve! Sounds pretty good to me. 😉 I'm linking up with  Andrea  and  Erika  to share some favorites from the week.  I'm dipping my toe back into blog world because, well, I am missing documenting my kids' childhoods. It brings me such joy to go back and read through memories from years before documented in old posts, so I'm determined to hang out here a bit more consistently to share life.  This summer, I've got a seven (7?!) year old and a new 3 year old. Someone the other day was talking about what a difference a year makes from summer to summer and it is so true. For example, this year Jack and Sammy love to go play together. Last year, both boys required constant supervision. Last year Jack hated going to the pool, and this year he is a little fish! This is a BIG favorite for me! Last weekend Sammy participated in a "Run Hit Pitch" competition and won first place for hitting in his age division. He was so ...

  I've shared before that I am an early bird, but I definitely feel like a much happier early bird in the summer months. I love when I can take my time in the morning and get a few things done to feel productive ahead of the day starting. Today I thought I'd share a few rituals that I do every morning that make my day start oh so happy.  1. Earlier alarms.  During the summer months, I've been getting up at around 5:20AM. The rest of my house starts stirring around 6:30 (on days that Dustin works) and around 7:30 (on days Dustin is off). This gives me at least an hour to have to myself and that time has become sacred.  2. Ice roller and iced coffee.  Every morning I love to use an ice roller on my face when I first wake up. Mine is nothing fancy - I got it on  Amazon  but it feels so heavenly on your face in the morning. I also love iced coffee during the summer months. A glass of coffee + a little s'mores Chobani creamer makes me happy in the morning....

  It's July! Why did May seem to last seventeen years, but June flew by so quickly? I'd like this summer to slow down a bit.  I told my cousin yesterday that I successfully hibernated for about the first three weeks of summer break (was absolutely necessary after this school year, haha), and now I've reached the "organize, purge, deep clean" phase of summer break. In the last week we've done lots of house projects that have been half finished for awhile. It feels so good to get things done!  Looking ahead to this new month, I'm excited for a couple of things.  1. More pool time. We haven't been to the pool a ton because June really wasn't that warm. Jack has been excited to go too, so it's been fun to take him. Looking forward to more of that this month!  2. More house projects. We crossed the really big things off in June, but I have a few more things I'd like to get done this month before we head back to school in August.  3. More slow mo...

  Jackson Nicholas is officially a THREE year old!  I'm not sure how that is even possible, because it really seems like yesterday he was this sweet and squishy baby.  Jackson is determined, inquisitive and silly. He loves his big brother (bubba) SO MUCH and idolizes pretty much everything he does. Jack sits through sporting events (most of the time) with a smile on his face and can't wait to tell Sammy "good job!" after his game.  He loves Jessie from Toy Story, & watching most Disney shows. Jack loves to be outside playing bubbles or "water play," and he LOVES a puzzle. He loves to sing and he can knows every word to "Opalite" by Taylor Swift, which is a proud mom moment. 😉 Jack is my late sleeper, and it is not uncommon for him to sleep until 8 on the weekends. He loves going to Amber's house and playing with his friends there.  In typical toddler fashion, he loves a chicken nugget. His favorite fruits are watermelon, grapes, and strawb...

  Somehow, two weeks have passed and we're back to school and reality today.  I kind of would have liked to hibernate for a bit longer. 😉 I'd love to get a little more active again in blog world. I blogged consistently 2023-2024, but then  I just kind of stopped. I LOVE being able to look back and read about how life was with newborn baby Jack, and Sammy when he was only four and five, so here's my attempt to pick things back up again with a little recap of some 2025 highlights of the holiday season.  The amount of cookies that Jack ate this holiday season was impressive. When I look back, I can practically hear him saying "more cookies please!" He was VERY into gingerbread men this year and loved the light display at Maytag Park.  Sammy was SO into Christmas this year. If there was a Christmas craft, he wanted to do it. Something festive? Count him in. He LOVED it all!  This Christmas break was very restful and very much needed. We had plenty of slow morn...