Around Here Lately...

Life has been contently quiet around the Heckman Household lately.

It's not always like that, so I am really trying to enjoy it and live in the moment.

After the holidays, it was nice to get back into our routine and settle down a bit.

We've also been enjoying some amazing weather the past month or so. It's still cold enough for weekend fire pits, s'mores, snuggly blankets, and boots, but mixed in with enough sunshine to be able to enjoy picnics in the park, playing in the driveway, and long bike rides. This is time of year it really pays to live in Florida.

I'm currently in the midst of some fun birthday planning for the boys. It's getting a tad more difficult to have "joint" birthday celebrations for them as they get older. Fortunately this year, they both agreed to forego a party and attend Monster Jam Truck Rally instead. But I still have a few tricks up my sleeve that they don't know about yet...

Other than that, here's a brief (and very eclectic) summary of what we've been up to around here lately...

Our community recently started hosting a weekly Farmer's Market on Sundays. I would love to see a lot more variety added to it (including a local florist...please!!!) but in the meantime, there's a great local farmer that brings organic produce and his prices are excellent.

I roasted up a bag of his organic tri-colored carrots along with a bundle of his enormous asparagus and some red potatoes and they came out delicious! Such an fresh, easy and satisfying side dish.

And while we're on the topic of veggies, my kids have been going bonkers for roasted broccoli lately!

I'm starting to make double batches of it now because they eat so much of it (who are these kids???).

We have a tradition that you get to choose the meals when it is your birthday, and Payton said he's going to choose "Ritzy Chicken with a side of roasted broccoli." This is the first year a vegetable has been requested for one of my boys' birthday meals!

I made this dish the other night:

A little twist on the "Healthy 3-Ingredient Pasta" recipe. Instead of ground turkey, I used some leftover grilled chicken breasts and corkscrew pasta instead of bowtie. But that roasted broccoli and parm still made it in there. The kids devoured it!

I did a super easy update to a Goodwill mirror that I scored for a mere $6.00! I liked the details and size of the mirror, but wasn't digging the gold.

A couple coats of white spray paint later and... it's gorgeous!

We renewed our Busch Gardens passes recently (thank you Mom & Dad Heckman for that awesome Christmas gift!!). The boys are at such a great age for theme parks. Payton is finally riding all of the roller coasters, and Parker loves everything he is tall enough to ride too. 

We went to the park with our neighbors when the kids had a day off school and we all had a great time. The weather was perfect, there were barely any lines, and the big kids rode just about every roller coaster in the park multiple times!

Riding the sky ride with our neighbors

It's hard to see, but Payton & the other two older kids rode the skyride by themselves. Such big kids!

I'm always amazed at the beauty of these majestic animals.

And the silliness of these gorillas. They crack me up! I think this one was doing yoga.

The kids got to pet kangaroos. They're surprisingly soft.

Beware of riding the bumper cars with a crazy 3-year old. Can you say "whip lash??"

Sesame Street area is so perfect for him!

The big kids were all smiles before heading up the new ride called "Falcon's Fury."

335 feet in the air with a 90-degree face-down drop... they looked a little different coming down...

Avery was the only one who wanted to ride it again. :)

As I mentioned, the weather has been so beautiful lately. We've had a lot of alfresco dinners and parties. I love a good plate full of appetizers. Yum!

And this little dude has started walking his stuffed ball pet in his stroller around the neighborhood. It's the cutest thing you've ever seen. We've been taking a LOT of walks lately.

Last but not least, I wanted to share that I have been consistently getting up every weekday at 6 a.m. for some quiet time. It's been so good for me. I love being awake and focused by the time the boys get up. Please feel free to pray for me that I can continue this good habit!

That's about it from my corner of the world. Come back soon for a roundup of my favorite Valentines crafts, free printables and more!

Valentine's Date Night Makeup Tips

Let me preface this post by saying, I am not a makeup artist and I have absolutely no background or training in this area.

I just really. like. makeup.

I have a lot of girlfriends who hate putting on makeup. Either they don't like the way it feels, or they don't like the amount of time it takes to put it on, or they just don't care about it.

And that's perfectly fine and good.

I am not here to convert the masses to wearing tons of makeup.

I am however interested in sharing some great tips that I've learned throughout the years.

I read a lot of blogs and several of them focus on beauty tips.

My favorite one - just in case you were wondering - is The Small Things Blog. I could read her blog for hours. There are so many awesome hair and makeup tips and tutorials. It's a girlie-girl's blog heaven if you will.

In addition to reading about makeup, I also like to ask lots of questions when I buy beauty products at places like Sephora, Clinque, MAC, etc. These people are actually trained in what they do and they are a wealth of information.

One last thing... when it comes to makeup, a lot of the time, you get what you pay for.

Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of lip gloss and mascaras and other things from Target, but when it comes to really good quality make up that is going to look good, have "staying power," and not feel "heavy" it will cost a bit more than what you're going to find on the shelves at a drugstore.

Okay, all of that being said, if you have hot plans for Valentines Day, or any other fun date nights/girl's night out coming up, I hope you learn something new that you can apply (pun intended) to your makeup routine.

First up... know your skin type. This is crucial because most make up lines now have specially formulated products that help balance out your skin type. For example, my skin is very oily and by about 2 p.m. my make up can really start looking greasy if I don't apply more powder.

In contrast, if you have dry skin, it is super important to get hydrating formulas so that you don't get that dry "cake-y" look. Hydrating formulas also help lots with wrinkle-prevention for dry skin.

So once you know your skin type, the first step to a "night out" makeup routine, is Primer.

I don't use primer every day, but when I know I'm going out, or I want my make up to last a long time, I absolutely use it.

I've tried a lot of different brands of primers - either through free samples, or Birchbox, etc. and I always come back to Smashbox Photo Finish.

I use the oil-free version and it took a little getting used to when I first purchased it. It feels kinda oily when you first rub it in your fingers and on your face. But within a minute, you can't feel anything. Just smoother skin.

After primer, I apply foundation. There are a gazillion different kinds of foundation out there and I think I've tried most of them. ;) I've gone very high end (when I got married) all the way to Covergirl and everything in between. And I'm telling you, as many makeup artists will agree, Laura Mercier is one of the all-time best foundations on the market.

Again, I use an oil-free version, but there are so many different formulas to go with your skin type. If you go to Sephora, they will color-match your skin tone using a digital color reader and then help you find the foundation that will best match your skin. Genius.

To "set" the foundation, I apply a translucent powder. I like loose powder (especially the Laura Mercier ones) but I also like the versatility of having a pressed translucent powder so that I can "touch up" my nose, forehead, and chin if I start to shine.

I think Clinque's Stay-matte Sheer Pressed Powder (101 Invisible Matte for all skin tones) is a great option. It's not too expensive and I can apply it with a powder brush or with the sponge that comes with it.

And while we're on the topic of powders, if you invest in one product this year, I highly recommend MAC's Studio Fix pressed powder. I learned about this powder when I used to work in Public Relations and my boss was a former TV News Anchor. She swore by this stuff because it's so easy to put on, use for touch-up's, etc. It has excellent coverage and is very lightweight.

Next up is blush, and in my experience, the more expensive the blush, the better it goes on, and the brighter the color. With less expensive brands, you will likely have to apply a lot more to get good color on your cheeks. But with something like a clay-based formula, a couple swipes of the blush brush and you've got great color that will last all day.

I really like the "Tarte" line of blushes, that you can get at Sephora. Again, I would highly recommend asking one of the makeup artists to help guide you to finding just the right color for your skin tone. Blush can be a hard thing to just pick out randomly. We don't want any clown faces out there.

Let's talk eyes. Defining and highlighting your eyes can have a dramatic impact on your look. Just a bit of mascara will go a long way to make you look refreshed and polished.

But if you really want to amp up your look for Valentines day, get a little daring and try out some eyeliner and eye shadow.

Eyeliner can be tricky. There are lots of different types (pencil, liquid, powder, gel) and there are also lots of different ways to apply it. For most people, you will want to line the top lid, and possibly the bottom lid if you want to go for a more dramatic look.I personally prefer pencil liner because it's much easier to apply than a liquid liner, but I know most make up artists use liquid because it lasts longer. To each his (or hers) own, right?

I really love Smashbox Limitless Eye Liner in Onyx. It's a pretty basic liner, but goes on smooth and has good staying power.

And as far as mascara goes, this is one area where I think you don't have to spend a ton of money. I really love Covergirl Lash Blast in the orange tube. It works great, goes on easily and can be applied once for an everyday look, or twice for a more dramatic night time look.

Last but definitely not least...lipstick. Don't forget the lipstick ladies! This is such an important element. However, it is one area where you just gotta try it out and see what you think. Which is why going to someplace like Sephora is really great because you can use the cotton swabs on as many tester lipsticks as you want until you find just what you're looking for.

But I say for Valentines Day... go red! There are red shades that work with every skin tone, so don't give up if the first few don't look "just right." Again, a trained make up artist could definitely steer you in the right direction to help you find a shade that goes with your skin tone, or goes best with the season.

Trends are fun to try, but they're not for everyone, so staying classic is always a good idea when you're investing into beauty products.

And just remember that whether you go all out with your makeup for date night, or wear nothing but a little lip gloss, do what makes you feel beautiful.

Healthy Tips for the New Year

If you're like most people, you probably have great intentions of starting out the new year on a healthy foot. I know I am.

And I thought I was... until I attended two nutritional talks in two days.

It just so happened that the women's group in my community and my church's mom's group had their monthly meetings back to back and both groups had scheduled speakers to talk about living a healthier lifestyle.

They both had very interesting things to say, and I learned so much from them, that I thought maybe you'd like to hear some highlights from both speakers.

So, here goes...

SUGAR

Personally, this is something our family struggles with a LOT. My boys are totally addicted to sugar. It's become an increasingly difficult issue to tame as they get older. They have been trained (by yours truly) to have dessert every night after dinner. It's a terrible habit of mine and one that I wish I didn't pass on to my kids. So, when the speaker started discussing our country's sugar addiction, she was definitely speaking to me.

She said the average adult consumes 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, while the average child consumes 32 teaspoons.

THIRTY TWO TEASPOONS?!?! Are you kidding me?!?

That's crazy.

But then she started talking about all the hidden sugar in things like ketchup, yogurt, orange juice, etc. and I realized that my kids are definitely consuming that much - and probably more - most days.

She taught us how to read food labels better, because most food is measured in grams on the label. She said that 1 tsp equals 4 grams. So for example...

Here's the label from a container of Chobani blueberry Greek Yogurt:

20 grams of sugar = 5 teaspoons of sugar

Can you imagine sitting down with the plain version of Chobani Greek Yogurt, which only has 9 grams of sugar (approx. 2 tsp) and dumping 3 additional teaspoons of sugar on top??? Kinda defeats the purpose of eating the "healthy" Greek yogurt in the first place.

She did give lots of tips on how to tame the sugar beast, by substituting natural sweeteners like maple syrup and agave nectar, and eat more naturally occurring sugars like fruit when possible. This helps "trick" the brain into not wanting that piece of chocolate.

Oh, and one last tip, she said Gatorade is "The Devil." Between the dyes and the sugar (or chemicals in the low-calorie versions) it was her big "no-no" for kids when they are playing sports.

WATER

So we all know we need to drink more water. Every nutritionist will tell you that. But how much?

I've heard so many different amounts through the years that I was totally confused.

One of the speakers gave a long complicated scientific math equation for how much water per pound the average body needs to help stay hydrated and flush toxins out of your body on a daily basis.

But then she simplified it and said, a woman who weighs 130 lbs needs to drink 1 gallon of water a day. So, if you're like me and you weigh more than 130 lbs you should be drinking more than a gallon of water a day.

Personally, I carry water around with me all day long.

I have several large insulated glasses with straws that I drink out of at home, and I have an insulated water bottle that I take with me in the car. But even with that, I'm not 100% sure that I drink a full gallon of water every single day.

So, I'm going to buy a gallon jug of water tomorrow and see how much I go through during the day. I'll report back here soon. :)

EATING SCHEDULE

I've heard that eating small meals throughout the day is the best way to keep yourself from overeating at meal times. And I totally believe this.

What I didn't know, was that by having small "meals" or snacks that are high in fiber every 2 1/2 hours (along with drinking water throughout the day) helps to pull toxins out of your liver. 

Why is that important?

Because your liver controls a lot of the hormones in your body that control your metabolism. And if your liver isn't releasing toxins on a regular basis, then it cannot function properly to release the right amount of hormones, and thus your metabolism slows down.

So, if you want to have a well-running metabolism, eat smaller meals high in fiber throughout the day and drink lots of water!

MISCELLANEOUS

There was so much information in both of the talks that I would never have enough time to share all of it here, so I'll just share some interesting miscellaneous tips that I think you would find interesting:

• Eat more eggs and beans. They are an inexpensive way incorporate high protein foods without having to spend a lot on chicken. She suggested having eggs with at least one meal a day, and if possible, buy hormone-free eggs if you have small children that you are feeding.

• Use virgin coconut oil or bacon grease (WHAT?? Really? Yahoo!) when cooking high temperature items that cannot tolerate olive oil. DO NOT use vegetable oil.

• Make and use bone broths as often as you can. If you need chicken for a recipe, cut up a whole chicken, put it in a Crock Pot, cover with water, add some seasoning and let it sit all day until the chicken falls off the bones. Then drain out the broth and freeze it to use in soups or recipes that call for chicken broth. You can also do the same thing with beef bones. These soups will be high in zinc - that comes from the bones - which is excellent at boosting the body's immune system. 

• Try using Ezekiel bread sometimes (found in your grocer's freezer section). It's sprouted grains instead of processed wheat, which is so much better for your digestive system.

• She also gave us a handout on "The Most Powerful Food Combinations" which is a fascinating read, but here are a couple of examples:
• Tomatoes & Avocados - the lycopene in tomatoes is an antioxidant called caratenoid, which reduces cancer risk & cardiovascular disease. The healthy fats in the avocado make the caratenoids more bio-available, or have a more useful effect on the body.
• Peanut Butter & Whole Wheat Bread - this is good news in our house because Parker loves his PB sandwiches! Apparently the specific amino acids absent in wheat are found in peanuts. These amino acids help build and maintain muscle, especially as you get older.
• Blueberries & Grapes - or really any fruit combo for that matter. The antioxidant effects of consuming a combination of fruits together is more powerful than when eaten alone.

So now that I've been totally inundated with health and nutrition information, I feel like I need to make some serious changes in our house. Starting with eliminating the nightly bowl of ice cream after dinner. If they want something sweet, they can have fruit or a small piece of dark chocolate.

The ice cream and cookies need to be special occasion treats. Everything in moderation.

And speaking of moderation, that is the one thing that I loved about both speakers. They both said they didn't want anyone to leave feeling bad about themselves or the way we feed our families. It was more about empowering us with the knowledge to make better choices.

And I hope that's what I've done with this post; just given you some food for thought (literally) and hopefully you'll make at least one better food decision today. 

Simple Valentine Burlap Vase

Feels like we just put away all of our Christmas decorations and I'm already talking about Valentine's Day!

Oh wait... we did just put away all of our Christmas decorations.

Valentines Day tends to sneak up on me because in January, I'm not quite ready to re-decorate the house for another holiday. So I tend to wait. And then... BAM!...it's February and Valentines is in two weeks!

I'm trying to plan ahead a little this time and I got down our bin of decorations from the attic last weekend. After sifting through them and deciding what I want to display again this year and what needs to take a trip to Goodwill, I realized I don't have a lot of Valentines decor that I really, really like.

Thus, it was time for a little project.

I've been drawn to a more "rustic" look lately decorating with muted tones, more shades of white and grey and definitely burlap. It adds an easy natural element to any decor, which is always pleasing to the eye.

I wanted to create a simple Valentine's vase that incorporated burlap as well, and this is what I came up with:

Cute, right?

This project was so easy and cheap, you can make it in just a few minutes with whatever craft materials you have lying around the house.

I happened to have some leftover burlap from a wreath that I made, plus some pink polka dot grosgrain ribbon. All I needed was a "vase" and this leftover spaghetti sauce jar was just what I was looking for (am I the only one who saves glass jars?? They're quite versatile in crafting situations.).

I used double-sided tape to adhere the burlap to the side of the jar:

Then wrapped the burlap around the jar a couple of times:

Tied the pink ribbon into a bow, and voila!

Took me about 5 minutes to make it, and zero dollars. My kinda craft!

And doesn't it look super cute next to my "Bee Mine" artwork? You can print one off for yourself here.

I'd love to know any cute Valentines crafts you'll be doing this year. Leave me a comment and let me know. Happy "love day" everyone!

2015 Goals...or rather "Goal"

As I've mentioned before I'm not a big "New Year's Resolutions" fan.

I don't know if it's the fear of failure, or just the fact that I don't want to set all of these lofty goals for myself and then feel the pressure to achieve them. Either way, I typically don't do resolutions.

However, my hubs always sets new goals for himself every year, and then typically asks me, "So have you written down your goals for the new year yet?" This is typically when I either get very quiet and make up some excuse to run out of the room... or actually face the fact that setting goals is an important part of life.

Having a goal (or goals) is healthy. It gives you some focus on areas where you may feel you're dragging a bit, or would like to improve.

I think resolutions are more like big sweeping changes that are generally so hard to achieve, people end up giving up on them by March. Say for example, the ever-popular, "I'm going to work out 5 days a week and lose those stubborn 10 lbs."

Personally, I think that's just setting yourself up for failure.

However, if you set a goal to eat out only 3 times a week versus 5 times a week, you could seriously cut some calories and make a dent in that weight loss goal.

All of that to be said, that my goal for 2015 is: "To wake up earlier."

Seems kinda general, I know. But it's a start.

Trust me when I say that I am not happy about this goal.

I do not like anything about waking up early. Especially any earlier than I already am.

Typically, my children are awake by 6:30 a.m. most days. Which means, if I want to be up before them, I have to have my feet on the floor no later than 6 a.m.

There are several reasons that I want to wake up earlier, but the two main ones are these:

1. So that I can spend quiet time with God
2. So that I am not a cranky monster when my kids first wake up

For years I have struggled to find a good time to carve out my quiet time with God.

I've tried mornings, I've tried the kids' naptimes, I've tried before bed, and I've failed miserably at all of them.

So, I'm taking the literal biblical approach this year and I'm giving God the first moments of my day. Starting at 6 a.m.

My alarm goes off at 5:45 and I snooze once. I typically doze off and on for the next 9 minutes until the alarm goes off again. And this is when I get out of bed.

I shuffle through the bedroom to the bathroom, then out to the kitchen where I immediately turn on the Keurig and start brewing a cup of coffee (gotta love the instantaneous cup of coffee at that hour!).

I spend the next 20 minutes or so reading a devotional, then looking up the bible verse and then reflecting on it in my journal.

I'm only 5 days in at this point (I started this routine the day the kids started back at school), but so far, it's been great.

I'm not tired in the afternoons. I'm more alert and focused and in the morning, and best of all, I'm not a cranky monster when my kids roll out of bed (see goal #2).

Last fall, I began hitting the snooze button a few too many times. By the time I actually got out into the kitchen, the kids were either already up, or I needed to wake up Payton for school.

Then the hustle and bustle of the morning would start and I would feel totally overwhelmed since I just barely woke up myself!

Packing lunches, making breakfast, answering my toddler's millionth question of the morning... it was too much for my foggy, non-caffeinated brain to handle. And typically, I would end up snapping at someone. And that's not who I want to be.

Now that I'm getting up 30 minutes earlier, I'm still not a perky, super smiley, chipper person; but I am awake, and alert, and ready to face the day.

Things have been running a lot smoother around here in the morning, and I'm happy about that.

So, that's it. My goal is to wake up earlier this year.

I know it won't happen every single day. Maybe I'll sleep in a bit on the weekends. But for now, this goal is working for this mama. And that makes everyone a little happier around here.

I'd love to hear your resolutions or goals that you've set for 2015. Please leave me a comment if you'd like to share!

Wishing you all the best in whatever endeavors you're accomplishing this year.

New Year, New Recipes... Healthy 3-Ingredient Pasta

Living in a house full of boys can be a tad bit challenging when it comes to trying out new recipes.

So, I asked my 9-year old to browse online with me and see what "looked good" to him. I figured if it appealed to his eyes, he would be far more likely to try it when it arrived on his plate.

I Googled "Ground turkey recipes" and the first one that he said, "That looks good"... we tried.

It's original name was "Ground Turkey Broccoli Pasta" but that doesn't have quite the "ring to it" that I was looking for, so I've renamed it "Healthy 3-Ingredient Pasta" (even though there's a few more ingredients if you count things like EVOO, salt and pepper. :)

The good news is, my boys LOVED it! Payton even wanted a second helping, which I count as a home run in my recipe book.

The only time-consuming step was roasting the broccoli, which is really easy, but just takes a little prep time. You could also boil the broccoli along with the pasta, which would cut out some time, but would also cut out a lot of flavor.

Either way, here are the ingredients and steps to this very simple, delicious meal:

Ingredients:

• 1 head of raw broccoli
• 1 box of bow tie, orecchiette, or spiral pasta
• 1 lb. ground turkey breast
• EVOO
• Garlic
• Salt & pepper
• Fresh grated Parmesan
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut the broccoli florets off the stems and place on a baking sheet, drizzle with EVOO and salt. Roast at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Set aside. (This can be done early in the day and saved in the fridge until dinnertime).
2. Boil pasta according to package directions, BUT RESERVE 1/4 cup pasta water before you drain it.
3. Brown ground turkey breast and 1-2 cloves of diced garlic in 2 tablespoons of EVOO until browned.
4. Combine cooked pasta, reserved pasta water, browned turkey and roasted broccoli in pan and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Toss to combine and warm through.
5. Serve in bowls topped with freshly grated Parmesan and red pepper flakes.
6. Enjoy!!!

End-of-the-Year Recap...

It sounds cliche, but I still can't believe it's January.

Maybe it's because we're not back in the regular swing of our routine yet, or maybe it's because I haven't purchased my 2015 desk calendar yet, or maybe it's because December was so chock-full of parties, get togethers, travel, and other fun things, I have a holiday hangover... whatever the case, I am in disbelief that it's officially January.

But before too much time has passed, I wanted to do a little Christmas re-cap for my own personal journaling purposes.

This year may have been one of my all-time favorite Christmases.

The kids are at such a fun age; still young enough to enjoy all the magic that Christmas holds, but old enough that they could grasp the real meaning behind the season.

We all stayed up late way too many times over the break, but it's pretty awesome that they're now old enough that Brian and I can stay in bed if we want and they can occupy themselves, pour cereal, and let us "sleep in" past 7 a.m.

Overall, it was a fantastic Christmas season and one that I am sad to see go. I wish there was a reason to keep white twinkle lights up for more than one month of the year. But for now, I'll just enjoy some of the highlights of the past month...

One of my favorite Santa pics ever.

It captures so much of all of their personalities... and I'm pretty sure this was the real Santa. 

Payton had several "performances" this Christmas. One was with his school music department and one was with our church. He is such a natural performer!

And Mr. Parker had his own little Christmas performance at his school as well. He played the most adorable shepherd I've ever seen.

The boys decorated the tree mostly by themselves this year (with the exception of Brian's National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation ornaments...he does those himself).

We so enjoyed having my brother's family close by this Christmas. The kids had their first sleepover with the cousins.

Christmas Eve service at church was so beautiful. I cried when the band performed "O Holy Night." It was amazing.

And Christmas morning - although very early - was absolutely magical.

We are incredibly blessed to be surrounded by family on my most favorite holiday of the year.

So now that Christmas has passed; my birthday is over; and New Year's Eve has been celebrated... it's time to look forward and start focusing on 2015.

I have been working on my new goals for this year and revisiting my goals from last year (more on that later this week).

And at the request of many of my sweet readers, I am excited to post some new healthy, family-friendly recipes this year.

So, I hope you'll still pop in and see what's new around here, and continue to take a little peek inside our wonderful, exhausting, never-a-dull-moment, boy-filled life.

Happy New Year everyone!!!