Spring has sprung in the PNW!

I have been out of the blog game for a while. Long story short I lost my mojo for it because I didn't think anyone was reading. Had one of those "what's the point?" talks with myself and decided to take a break. Well this morning I decided to throw caution to the wind, so to speak and give it another go. Even if no one ever reads them, my posts are like little time capsules for myself. And if that's not motivation enough, I don't know what is. So to celebrate new beginnings I thought I'd share some Spring snapshots from around the neighborhood. Spokane is really lovely in the Spring and I keep pinching myself that we get to live here! 

Cherry blossoms! 

Cooper and his "lady" friend 

Forsythia!

Georgia and Cooper chillin' in the grass. 

My DIY spring wreath!

Beautiful sunset from our kitchen window. 

Thanks for reading! 

The big move.

Our 24 hour road trip adventure to Spokane Washington! 

Since I just spent 45 minutes writing out our whole moving adventure story and my phone app decided to delete it, this will be the condensed version. I don't have internet or a computer or furniture for that matter. 

Movers loading up the truck. It's amazing how much stuff we actually had. Made us both want to become minimalists. 

The sun finally came out in Nevada after a long, long night. Lots of construction and detours and one stop on the side of the highway at 3am to try to let the cat do his business. It's not something I want to repeat. 

Tiny towns. This was not long before I got pulled over for going 60 in a 25 zone. Apparently that's frowned upon. 

Hot dogs. 

Crossing the border into Oregon. 

Somewhere near the Oregon-Idaho border. Did you know Oreida potatoes means Oregon-Idaho??? Mind blown.  

Oregon has the best rest areas. Beautiful.

 Are we there yet? 

Almost! As we arrived we found out most of the state was dealing with some intense wild fires. But it sure made for a beautiful sunset! 

So relieved to finally be here and all in one piece! 

Discover: Matilda

The June book of the month for Bon's Book Club was Matilda by Roald Dahl. I finished it in just a couple of days. It's a children's book after all so it's not very long and a very easy read. What I loved was the spirit of the book. With all of Roald Dahl's books, he creates a vivid fantasy world that immerses the reader completely. Who hasn't read James and the Giant Peach?

Matilda is a very special little girl in every way imaginable. She is brilliant but not arrogant. She's mischievous without being rude or bratty. And she discovers a love for reading that honestly inspired me to read more myself! Here are a few of the books young Matilda read (and I must admit I downloaded a few myself) 

Classics! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and although I haven't watched the movie version, I can't help but wonder if it even came close to capturing the "magic" of the book. 

If you haven't checked out The Life of Bon I suggest you take a visit and see what she has lined up for the upcoming books this year. The next book up is In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Can't wait to check it out! 

In a funk

I feel like I'm stuck in a rut... a funk... unmotivated... just blah in general. There has been a lot going on lately and I think the stress of it all is starting to catch up to me. My husband and I have been planning a big move up to Spokane, WA  for the last few months and it's getting down to the wire. I mean, is this not gorgeous?

There are tons of reasons we want to move and it will be a really great step for us in many ways. Housing costs are much more reasonable and you get a lot more for your money. We want to have four real seasons. We want our someday-kids to be able to camp out in the backyard in the summer. We want to watch the snow fall on Christmas and maybe make a snowman on the front lawn. We are SUPER excited to get the ball rolling and get up there but the transition, like any big change, is tricky. I've been in the job hunt process and my husband has been applying to school for Physical Therapy. It's just SO hard to put all your eggs into one basket and then not have any control over that basket! I keep telling myself it will all work out, it will all be worth it, and whatever it meant to be will be. But sometimes I need a little more motivational reminder... and for that, of course, I turn to Pinterest. 

OK, I am starting to feel better.... but then I think about the financial stress of a big move and I almost can't breathe. We have been working on the house every weekend trying to fix it up and make updates. New blinds, paint touch ups, kitchen drawer handles (THAT was no small task let me tell you!) and trying to tame our yard. Thankfully as far as the yard is concerned I have a great friend who is VERY knowledgeable about all things plant and has been helping. Seriously could not have made this much progress without her and I will forever be grateful. Sometimes situations in life show you who your true friends are and who are willing to help you and never expect anything in return. Before and after photos coming soon. I'm excited to see it finished. So I try not to worry too much about money because once we move it will all work out. Southern California is not exactly easy as a one income household. 

I've also been "dieting" the last few months. If you've read my previous posts you know how I feel about the word "diet". I strongly dislike it. Strongly. Anyway, the last two months or so I've been following the Dukan diet again and mostly doing well. But it really can get quite dull if you don't keep some variety going with new recipes. I haven't had the time or energy to get creative with my cooking and all I want to do is just go get a donut! Is that so much to ask for??? I tried and failed (miserably) to make spur of the moment fudge for my husband, but that's probably for the best because I would have been too tempted. I believe living a healthy and active life style (call it dieting if you must) is just as much mental as it is physical. It's easy to lose the motivation or lose sight of your goal. It's easy to want to quit. But nothing worth having is ever easy. 

Thanks Pinterest for keepin' it real. And for helping to lift me out of my funk. 

Friday funnies 5-30-14

Here are a few things that made me laugh this week.

The Bachelorette is back and that provides endless amounts of entertainment. This was the best part of the entire episode in my opinion. Nick S. was not given a rose and this is how he said his goodbyes.

Jimmy Fallon and Emma Stone Lip Sync Battle

This clip of Jimmy and Jennifer Lawrence had me cracking up. I mean, how COOL is she? I love her. Total girl crush.

And these door mats on Amazon 

Have a great weekend!!! 

Discover: The Light Between Oceans

Today I want to share with you my thoughts on the May book of the month: The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. It's part of Bon's Book Club from The Life of Bon. She's a hoot if you haven't checked out her blog yet I suggest you get on it. 

So this month's book was The Light Between Oceans and I literally finished it 10 minutes before writing this post. I have to admit the first half was a little slow going but by the time I got to the "good stuff" I couldn't wait to read the next chapter. It's been a while since I've found a book that I couldn't put down, didn't want to end, AND wanted the characters to somehow have a happy ending ... although all three of those seemed highly unlikely. 

It's based in Australia in the 1920's and takes place mainly on a desolate island lighthouse. I was hooked just on the description of the idyllic fantasy island and the beauty described in the fictitious lighthouse. Yes I googled whether or not it was a real place, sadly it's not. The story line is centered around Tom and Isabel who miraculously find a baby adrift in a dingy on the beach of their private island. They have endured three really tough miscarriages and are desperate for a child. So when one practically appears out of thin air, naturally they think it is a sign from God. Tom is very by the book and wants to report it to the authorities. Isabel is aching for a baby and honestly believes the babies parents to be dead. They decide to keep the baby and raise her as their own but the guilt eats Tom alive for the next few years. After learning the child's birth mother is still alive and she's living in the small mainland town where Isabel is from (AND he's met her years before only never knew her name, small world right?), Tom just can't take it anymore. He leaves a note saying the child is alive, safe, and loved. Well this sets in motion a series of events, and without giving away all the details, it is truly heart-wrenching. I actually shed a tear or two ten! If you can believe that! 

I thought the author told a beautiful love story between two people who truly, deep down, loved each other despite the many hardships they faced. To me that is what honest love is about. It's not always happiness and sunshine. Sometimes terrible storms happen and it is how you cope with them that bring out your true colors. Life will either bring you closer together or rip you apart and it all depends on the choices you make. No one is perfect and can never hope to be. Our past makes us into who we are and we can either dwell on the decisions we made or choose to move on and just live with them. At the end of the day the world keeps turning, the stars keep shining, and the ocean waves keep crashing. All the drama that goes on in one person's lifetime can seem so small and insignificant compared to the eternity of the world. 

I'm excited to check out June's book Matilda by Roald Dahl. I used to love his books as a kid! Who didn't read The BFG? Or James and the Giant Peach? I think we can all agree the man has a knack for writing for kids. I can't wait to read his books to my kids one day. 

So if you are looking for something to add to your summer reading list, why not join me in this book club amazingness? 

Dukan blueberry pancakes

This recipe is inspired by my adorable husband who made these for me yesterday. It was a surprise breakfast in bed and I could not have been happier. 

What you'll need: 

3 tbsp oat bran 

3 tbsp blueberry Greek yogurt 

1/2 cup egg whites or equivalent of 2 whole eggs 

Step 1: 

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. It will appear very runny. Don't worry that's ok. 

Step 2:

Spray a medium sized pan with no stick cooking spray over medium heat. 

Step 3: 

Once your pan is heated up, pour about half of your batter into the pan. You may need to spoon some of the oat bran into the pan since it tends to sink a little. 

Step 4: 

When the edges start to brown and the whole thing appears to be getting solid, give it a flip. You can do it!

Step 5: 

The second side will cook faster so keep an eye on it. Remove from pan and repeat with the rest of your batter. 

Step 6: 

Top with a drizzle of sugar free maple syrup. These would also be yummy rolled like a crepe with a sweetened cream cheese filling! Yum! Trying that tomorrow! 

Oh did I mention The best part? This recipe is only about 150 calories including the syrup. Less than 2 grams of fat, less than 4 grams of sugar, and 15 whopping grams of protein thanks to the Greek yogurt and egg whites! You'll feel full and satisfied all morning! 

Enjoy!