Sun Tea

To say my husband likes iced tea is an understatement. He LOVES it. When we go out to eat, he orders it as soon as we sit down at the table. That is, unless their tea isn’t all that good. He has a running list in his mind of restaurants that have the best iced tea, and ones that have the worst. In fact, we’ve specifically chosen certain eateries over others before because of their iced tea reputation. But God bless the person who doesn’t have artificial sweetener in the pink packets to go along with it. Then we’re in trouble.

Since Jake gulps down glass after glass when we’re out, I decided it was time I make some for at home. Normally I keep a gallon pitcher of Crystal Light in the fridge, but yesterday I decided to change it up. I remembered how my mom used to make sun tea in the summertime when I was growing up, and decided to give it a try. Afterall, who wants to boil water when its already hot out?! It is super easy, and Jake and I loved it. I’m planning to have our refrigerator stocked with this during the warmer months.

Sun Tea

Ingredients:

1 gallon cold water
15 tea bags

Instructions:

Fill pitcher with cold water. Insert 15 tea bags into the pitcher, letting the ends hang over the edges. Cover and set outside in direct sunlight. Let it steep for 1 – 2 hours, depending on how strong you like your tea. It works best if the temperature is at least 70 degrees. Chill in refrigerator. Serve over ice.

Before

After

This tea is going to come in handy over the weekend when we work on staining our patio. And when we take Baylen to the park. I took him this morning and can’t wait to take him again with Jake. Here’s a photo of his first time on a swing. He was less than amused. Next time I won’t take him just before he’s ready for a nap.

Have a wonderful afternoon!

Amber

Strawberry Banana Baked Oatmeal

Over the past few months, I have become very fond of baked oatmeal. It is easy to prepare, and can be a healthy breakfast alternative. I tend to make mine toward the beginning of the week, and then eat it several mornings in a row. A bonus is that it is delicious whether it’s served hot or cold. This is hugely convenient for me since I’ve lost all hope of eating my meals while they are hot anymore, thanks to a certain sweet little boy who loves to demand my attention around meal time.

This is also a fun breakfast to serve to guests. I always like to make a nice morning meal when people stay with us, and this recipe is sure to please most taste palates. Sometimes I’ll add chocolate chips for special occasions. And while it is delicious with strawberries and bananas, I like to keep it interesting by substituting other fruits as well.

Strawberry Banana Baked Oatmeal

(Adapted from InspiredTaste.net)

Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned oats
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sliced strawberries
2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 banana, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch slices

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, mix the oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and half the strawberries.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla extract.

4. Add the oat mixture to the prepared pan. Arrange the remaining strawberries on top. Add the banana slices.

5. Pour the milk mixture over everything, making sure all parts of the oat mixture are covered.

6. Bake 35 – 40 minutes until golden brown and milk mixture has set.

7. Serve warm with an extra sprinkle of brown sugar if desired.

I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe as much as I do!

Today Baylen and I are headed to the gym, and then out to do a few errands. He woke up in a good mood, making me hope I’m in for a day full of laughter. This is how I found him in his crib this morning, laying the opposite way he’s supposed to, clearly pretty proud of himself. What a goof.

Happy Friday!

Full Body Toning Workout

I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of the incredible weather we’ve been having here in the Midwest this week. I’ve been taking every opportunity to be outside, including Baylen’s afternoon naptimes, when you’ll find me basking in the sun with a good book or magazine. These breaks have been absolutely necessary. My usual happy boy has been very crabby. The culprit? A new tooth on the top. Goodness, they just keep coming one after another! But with a face like this, it’s pretty hard to be upset.

Another necessary break has been getting my workout in each day. Normally I get my cardio in, and then head over to the weights for a few minutes to cap off my workout. And usually I don’t have a specific plan in mind, I’ll just do whatever I feel like. However, lately I’ve been more intentional about getting a full body toning workout in at least three days a week. I decided it was time I plan out what to do beforehand, so I’ve been creating workouts that leave me feeling good and sore! I’m doing low weight and lots of reps to create tone – I am not in the market to get bulky.

I did this one this morning, and am definitely feeling it already.

Full Body Toning Workout

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Dumbbell Lunge	4	10 each leg
Dumbell Calf Raises	2	25
Incline Bench Press	3	10
Standing Barbell Curl	3	15
Tricep Bench Dip	3	15
Sidekicks	2	25 each leg
Back Kicks	1	25 each leg
Bosu Ball Sit-ups	3	30

After we got home from the gym I fixed myself a sandwich that totally hit the spot. I toasted two slices of whole wheat bread, spread them with a little pesto, then filled it with turkey, grape tomatoes, and spinach. This will definitely be a go-to in the future.

Now I’m off to water my flowers and get in a little sun time before Baylen wakes up.

Amber

My First Mother’s Day

Sunday was my first Mother’s Day as an official mother! We semi-celebrated last year when I was pregnant, but I was able to fully embrace what it means this year. Even though my parents left shortly after we woke up, I was still thankful I got to spend a few minutes on Mother’s Day with my wonderful mom.

After they left, Baylen and Jake gave me cards, which melted my heart.

Next we got ready and headed off to church where I got to teach these adorable preschoolers in Sunday School.

I had to race out of church to get to an appointment at the salon which Jake scheduled for me! He’s known I’ve been wanting to get my hair done for a while, but finding someone to watch Baylen while I go stresses me out, so I’ve been putting it off. Thankfully, Zano Salon is open on Sundays which means he can watch Bay, so he scheduled a full foil and haircut. AND I decided to chop off 8 inches! I’ve been wanting to cut it off for some time now because it was in pretty bad shape from my pregnancy, but Jake is a lover of long hair and was unsure about it. However, last week when he mentioned that he was now open to the idea of shorter hair, I decided I’d go for it at my next appointment! So I found an adorable picture of Reese Witherspoon’s hair, and asked them to chop away. They offered me a big glass of white wine to ease my nerves. I’ve never had a more relaxing salon experience – more salons should follow suit with this kind gesture!

Here’s the finished product! I wanted to make sure it was still long enough so I can wear it up at Jason and Ali’s wedding in July. I think the length is just perfect.

After I got home from the salon, I geared up for my 9 mile training run, but then it sounded like more fun to go hit a bucket of balls with Jake at the driving range. So that’s what we did!

We came home and tried to put Baylen to bed, but he wasn’t ready to sleep yet. How sweet of him to want to maximize his time with me on Mother’s Day. He was in such a goofy mood that night, laughing at pretty much anything that came out of our mouths.

It was a wonderful first Mother’s Day. I’m blessed beyond words to be a parent with the love of my life to our sweet boy.

Amber

Hosting My Parents for the Weekend

My parents made the nine hour journey to Chicagoland this weekend, and we had a blast. They got into town on Thursday afternoon, so it was nice to have a few days together. Unfortunately, Baylen woke up on the wrong side of the crib after his Thursday afternoon nap, and was absolutely TERRIFIED to see parents. He wouldn’t stop screaming for a good 45 minutes. As the weekend went on he warmed up to them, but I fear this may be the beginning of separation anxiety.

We did some shopping for a dress for my mom to wear to my brother’s wedding in July. We had luck at Von Maur and went home with two great options!

It was beautiful out on Friday so we spent time enjoying the outdoors. My parents also helped us with some projects around the house this weekend. They are so used to working that they get a little stir crazy just relaxing so it was a win-win for both of us to get some work done!

Apparently we keep our house a little cooler than theirs.

On Saturday night we went out to eat at Weber Grill. It was delicious.

They had these adorable angled salad bowls which I fell in love with and plan to find for our house!

Family pic!

We ended out the night by playing a Hofmeyer family favorite card game – Some-R-Set! Jake and I dominated.

Thanks for a wonderful time, Mom and Dad!

Love,

Amber

Baylen is 7 Months Old

Baylen was 7 months old yesterday. This is going fast. I understand more everyday why people constantly tell us to “…soak up each moment, because before you know it he will be all grown up.”

We’ve been having so much fun with him lately. It doesn’t take too much to make him giggle hysterically, which we take full advantage of. Here’s a video to give you a sneak peek:

One thing I have been appreciating at this age is that he has graduated from being a cat napper! He is down to only two naps a day instead of three, and sleeps for about an hour and a half in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. This has allowed me to be much more productive! He’s also started to sleep on his side sometimes which I find to be quite adorable. He’s growing into a little person!

A few other seven month highlights:

He has started to learn how to crawl backwards, so it won’t be long until he’s on the move!

He loves solid foods. He gobbles up most anything I put in his mouth, but his favorites are squash and a fruit mixture of peaches, bananas, and apples.

He isn’t afraid of strangers yet. In fact, he’s quite the flirt when we’re out and about, always smiling at anyone who smiles at him.

He has four teeth, two on the bottom, and two on top. The second one on the top finally peeked through last night, which helped him to sleep much better.

He sleeps from 7:00pm – 7:00am, still getting up once or twice, but teething has thrown him for a doozy and he’s been getting up much more often during the nights when he’s hurting.

He loves Minka the dog. He loves to pet her, and whenever she rolls around on the floor it makes him giggle. Minka loves Baylen too. Usually when Baylen’s in his room sleeping you’ll find Minka keeping guard outside his door.

Happy 7 Months, Baylen! We love you!

I Love You Because You’re You

I’m having quite a productive Tuesday! I woke up this morning and cranked out my 4.5 mile training run before heading to playgroup at church with Baylen. I just love those women; it is always a refreshing time chatting it up with other moms.

We came home and had lunch, in which I fixed myself a tasty Mango Pineapple Raspberry smoothie accompanied by some string cheese and a pear. While I’ve been doing pretty well this week at eating healthy, we discovered a new peanut butter cookie recipe (thanks Leah!) that is to die for, so those little gems have been getting the best of me. But they are totally worth spending my calories on.

After lunch Baylen enjoyed some tummy time while I ironed and folded laundry. While Jake’s mom was in town last week she helped me get caught up on my ironing, so I’m trying hard to stay on top of it. I asked how she manages hers, and she told me that she lets four shirts build up before she irons, and then has to get them ironed before the pile reaches six, so she never has more than six to do at a time. I’m giving that method a go!

Next it was time to read. I have loads of fun reading to Baylen, and try to make sure I do it everyday. We were blessed with several quality books from friends and family as baby gifts, so it is fun to work cycle through Baylen’s full bookshelf. Having not been around the children’s book world since I was little myself, I had forgotten how much truth and encouragement they provide. One in particular that caught my attention this week was I Love You Because You’re You by Liza Baker. Who knew God would use Baylen’s books to spur me on? I wanted to share the words of this book because there is such affirmation for all of us, and we all need to be reminded from time to time that we are not defined by what we do, but first and foremost we are loved because of who we are. When we wake up each morning, before we are mothers, fathers, friends, sisters, employees, etc., we are first loved by the creator of the universe. He loves us for no other reason than we are His!

I Love You Because You’re You by Liza Baker

“I love you when you’re happy and grinning ear to ear.

I love you when you’re sleepy and want to snuggle near.

I love you when you’re silly and dancing ’round and ’round.

I love you when you’re frightened and hear a scary sound.

I love you when you’re bashful and hide behind my knee.

I love you when you’re brave, and from my arms you flee.

I love you when you’re curious and searching here and there.

I love you when you’re proud, your head held in the air.

I love you when you’re sick and need to rest in bed.

I love you when you’re frisky and standing on your head.

I love you when you’re sad and need a kiss and hug.

I love you when you’re playful and rolling on the rug.

I love you when you’re angry and cross your arms and pout.

I love you when you’re wild and yell and scream and shout.

I love you any way you feel, no matter what you do. I love you any way you are. I love you because you’re you.”

Wherever you find yourself today, stop and pause for a minute to remember that you are dearly LOVED!

Amber

The “Ma-Ma” Debate

There we were, relaxing in the living room this afternoon, when I heard precious sounds that melted my heart. My sweet boy said, “Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma!” While Jake’s not quite yet convinced, I of course am absolutely sure that he knows what he’s saying. Here’s proof of what we witnessed today.

See? He really did it! So this begins the debate of Baylen’s first words…as far as I’m concerned, mama wins.

Happy Sunday!

A Visit from Nana and Uncle Micah

We had the pleasure of hosting Jake’s mom and brother this week. Micah just finished up college classes for the year and had a break before starting his summer job, so they came down to spend some time with us. We had lots of fun.

Baylen was a big helper as we shopped at Home Depot. Micah made steps for our patio while he was here, so we needed to pick out some wood.

We went on several walks together!

Uncle Micah made Baylen laugh and laugh!

The weather was beautiful the last night they were here, so we took advantage by grilling and eating outside on the patio.

Thanks for visiting Nana and Uncle Micah! We hope you come again soon!

Amber

Party Weekend

Last weekend we went up to Minneapolis to attend Jason and Ali’s bachelor and bachelorette parties. Since Jake’s birthday was on Monday, we also celebrated him, so it was a weekend full of parties!

Baylen did well in the car. We stopped midway through and got an ice cream cone, and decided to see what he thought of it. After a few taste tests, he loved it! And then I read that he shouldn’t have ice cream until he’s one…insert Mom guilt.

We got into town on Friday evening, and stopped to pick up some cupcakes I pre-ordered from Wuollet Bakery. I had always heard great things about their cupcakes, and wanted to give them a try. They were absolutely beautiful and delicious! After we ate at Biaggi’s, we headed over to Erik and Heather’s place to celebrate and taste them out. We cut them up so we could enjoy all the flavors. My favorite was the carrot cake!

Since we stayed with Erik and Heather, Baylen got lots of time to hang out with them, including Saturday night when they graciously agreed to babysit while we were at the parties.

Here’s the couple we were celebrating!

Here’s the beautiful bachelorette with her beautiful sister! It was so great getting to know Ali’s family this weekend. They are all wonderful. Baylen even got to spend all Saturday afternoon with Ali’s parents while the girls did a 90 minute hot yoga class that kicked my butt!

To wrap up the weekend, Ali’s parents took us out for brunch at Granite City on Sunday. Here’s a photo of all the siblings afterward!

Thanks to everybody for a great weekend, and a special thanks to Erik and Heather and Alan and Debbie for watching our little guy!

Amber