Trying out some new recipes

Because I am avoiding cleaning my bedroom I decided to try out some new recipes.
The first one was a new egg salad:
http://www.theyummylife.com/Egg_Salad
After reading through the recipe I didn't end up usingit  other than for the idea to use yogurt.  I can always use the extra protein!  I put mostly yogurt and only a little mayo....I then added my normal ingredients; mustard, salt, pepper, and sweet relish.  I did a taste test and decided it needed some celery salt as well.  The new taste is something I will have to get use to, but I will make it this way again.
The second one was a Banana Oat Breakfast Cookie:
http://watching-what-i-eat.blogspot.com/2012/04/banana-oat-breakfast-cookies.html
I have seen several of these types of recipes pinned on pinterest so I thought I would give it a try.  I did not have raisins, so I left those out. D is in need of some snacks that are packed with some fiber but  not full of sugar.  They certainly made my house smell yummy while baking! I think they taste ok--hoping D thinks they are great.

Back to School-1st grade edition

D headed back to school this morning; a big 1st grader!  She was so excited to get going she was up extra early and ready to go.  It was so nice to see all the kids so excited at the bus stop, it was as if they had never had a break from school.  They all barely gave us a second glance as they raced towards the bus.  I held it together this year, probably because she was so excited.  I did get that weird feeling in my belly this afternoon, I miss her and hate that I don't know what is going on at school.
Unlike last September I am not coming home to an empty quiet house, baby E is still with us so she will keep me busy while D is at school.  I am trying to transition her to one nap so we can go to story time, MOMs Club and MOPS without her losing it.  I have started waking her up after about 45 minutes in the morning, I will decrease the time the rest of this week and see how it goes.

D's lunch cart

Fruit to choose from (also fresh fruit in fridge)

Drinks

Fun item!  Now that I am down to one child at home I will make some homemade stuff for this drawer as well.

Clothes picked out for the week:  this worked well last year.

Cleaning!

I am always on the lookout for homemade cleaner and new ways to get my house spotless, even if it only stays that way for an hour! Today I need to get the majority of my house cleaned as my parents will be here tomorrow. While E slept I was able to get the rest of D's clothes organized and put away (they were all over our guest bed) and the girls bathroom cleaned. I use vinegar to clean most everything, so the bathroom got a good vinegar bath. I started on the wood floors next, I usually steam them but every few cleanings I scrub them on my hands and knees. When I do this I use either just vinegar and water or a mixture I found and pinned on Pinterest. Today I decided to try to use coffee filters instead of a rag, they worked great! They picked up the hair instead of making it stick to the floor more like the rag does. I have used the filters to clean my countertops and as dust rags, not sure why it took me this long to try on the floor. So there you go my tip of the day. Oh and color wonder markers for a certain babe that likes to draw! Now back to cleaning....sigh....

High Hopes on this last week of Summer!

I started out with lots of energy this morning that has slowly fizzled.
My list for the week:
Toddler Proof the playroom -- done
Make a lunch cart for D -- done
Finish organizing D's clothes -- still a mess!
Buy sneakers for D -- sigh
Clean for my parents visit -- ongoing
Get D's hair trimmed -- scheduled for tonight

Our Fun to-do list:
Swim!!
Playdate
Library
Park

I signed up for the Warrior Dash? What the bleep was I thinking?

Because I love and miss my friends in NY, N and I have signed up to to the Warrior Dash in PA next August with them. And because we may truly be crazy we may also do the one in MI for practice. So now to begin training, I am not sure where to start! We belong to a nice gym, however personal training is an added fee and one we really don't have the money for. They do have lots of great equipment available, so I just need to figure out what to do and how much. I may fork over the money for at least a few sessions to get an idea. N and I have also discussed taking the TRX class together. I plan on scoping out some sledding hills next week to get some hill running experience. If anyone else has training tips please let me know!
I finally went over 100 miles on my Nike app! I have been using it on the majority of my runs, I realize my average is 2 miles...hopefully by winter my average will be higher. I still have my 10k goal for the fall!

Let the countdown begin...

My baby will be in 1st grade in three weeks! We got her teacher letter and supply list a few weeks ago, so we have picked up some things here and there. Grandma ordered her a new backpack, she hasn't had a new one since she was 2 when I found a Pottery Barn one on eBay with her name on it. It has survived 3 years of preschool and kindergarten. It is still in great shape, even after being dragged on and off the bus and having to be washed a million times last year. We let her pick out a new lunch box at the PB outlet this weekend, her Thirty-one lunch tote has seen better days! Surprisingly she chose a yellow and aqua bag, even though she got a pink backpack and swore they needed to match just a few days ago. Girls!
I have begun to go through her clothes and see what I need to purchase. A lot of her clothes were purchased and worn for the last two years, so they are too small or worn out. It is very difficult to find clothes for her, so I will probably spend the next few months buying things here and there versus going out and buying it all at once. I am hoping to hit a few resale shops and go from there. I am also hoping it stays warm until at least mid October as she has a ton of dresses she can wear until it gets cold.

Some school supplies!

Working on cleaning up her room, starting with her books.

Using the guest room to go through all her clothes--good thing my parents aren't coming for another couple of weeks!

What to do on a rainy Friday? Make my pantry look better of course!