summer feet...

My feet having been loving all this warm weather we've been having.  It's summa time!!

Here are some of my summer feet tips to ensure your tootsies have a good summer just like you:

*Pick a fun nail color...branch out from your go-to selection and try something new.  I would normally stick with neutrals or pinks on my toes, but I found this great aqua color today and I love it.

*Give yourself a foot massage, or have a buddy give you one.  I always tend to focus on my neck or shoulders when I feel like a massage would help, and I forget about my feet.  I love to sit cross-legged on the floor and massage my top foot, and flexing my ankle to help release the built up tension.

*Balance on one foot.  Not kidding!  Yoga has taught me that standing on one foot during balance moves can help tone and strengthen, and make your feet feel great.  My favorite balance pose is tree pose.

*Stick those feet up!  Another great pose in yoga that rejuvenates the feet is legs up the wall pose.  It's a great way to relax as well.

*Wear comfy shoes.  I love my Sanuk flip flops...they are so soft and supportive while keeping my feet cool in the hot weather.

*Moisturize.  I always pay attention to my face, and hands, but I forget about moisturizing my feet.  I love using coconut oil for my all over moisturizer.  You can get it at your local health food store.  Just scoop some out and rub it in (maybe while you give yourself that foot massage!)  Coconut oil is really great for your body, and it gets deep down into the layers of your skin rather than sitting on the surface.

*Exfoliate those heels.  Mine get dry if I forget to exfoliate, and I love using my pumice stone to gently rub the bottoms of my feet.  You can also use a mixture of brown sugar and olive oil to scrub as well.

I hope you have a great start of your summer, and your feet enjoy a little pampering!

summer riding...

We have been taking advantage of this great weather lately by going on bike rides.  I'm trying to be more intentional to be active and get outside this summer, so we go on a lot of walks, hang out at the pool daily, and go biking.  Having my new-ish bike has made things a lot easier on me physically, so I feel like I can get out for longer rides.  We love the front mounted child seat that Finn uses, and he loves to face the open road and watch everything come his way.

Today, we got adventurous and went for an 8 mile round-trip ride.  I always get a little nervous with the traffic around here, and because I don't consider myself a cyclist by any means, it adds another level of apprehension.  I rode mainly on the sidewalk, with a bit on the road here and there.  At one point, we were at a stoplight, and I thought it was safe to cross, but then saw some cars heading our way.  I had to hit the brakes rather hard, and had to jump off since I stopped so quickly.  Ugh, I hate being in front of so many cars and almost falling into the street, but we were fine, and I reminded myself I would never see those people again. :)

We road 4 miles to our favorite hang out spot, The Hearthstone, in Fishers.  Finn made a lot of friends there as we sat down for a nice cool drink and rested a bit.  I was feeling really great about Finn and I making it out and being so active, and then a sweet mama strolled in her 6 month old twins for a little drink.  Then I was like, "No, she's doing great!" :)  She looked great too, and we chatted a bit about our bike seat she noticed, and her little ones.  I love meeting other mamas out and about.

After we rested, we got back out and rode home.  I decided to ride on the road on one portion that didn't have a great sidewalk, and I even stuck my arm out real cool like to signal we were making a turn. :)  Haha, if only a real cyclist saw us.  It only took an hour there and back, and it was such a nice change of pace to our usual routine.  Although, I feel like I could get even more comfortable and start doing this a few times a week.  It feels great to be out on a sunny summer day!

Happy summer everyone!

a wonderful weekend...

Landon and I got a special treat of having an entire weekend to ourselves this past weekend.  Finn went to Landon's parents' house, and we got three glorious days of kid-free fun.  It was bliss, (although an hour after Finn was gone, I was looking at pictures of him and watching videos of him on the ipad....)  Gosh, I missed that little guy.

Anyway, we had a beautiful time just relaxing, staying up late, making lots of noise when we went downstairs after 8pm since there wasn't a baby to wake up, drinking a bit, eating a lot, and just enjoying uninterrupted attention on one-another.

Some highlights...

*Indianapolis Indians baseball game complete with hot brats and large beers.  We got to sit right behind home plate, which, I found out, is where all the scouts sit.  So instead of sitting with screaming 4th graders, we got to enjoy a calm group of old guys constantly writing things down, using stop watches, and holding speed guns.  It was pretty awesome.

*Heading to the farmer's market on saturday morning for fresh produce and breakfast.  We loved running into our old birthing class instructor and checking out all the vendors.  It was a gorgeous day for a market.

*Checking out a ton of garage sales in our neighborhood and snagging some great deals.  And by great deals, I mean a potty training chair for 5 bucks?!?! (Perspectives change so much after kids...)
At one point I joked with Landon that we were in a romantic comedy with all the cliché little activities we were doing. :)

*Taking a long bike ride.  We picked up a nice used bike for me on Friday and I love it.  It is so much faster than my old college bike, so I'm sure we'll be out a lot more now.

*Watched a movie.  In a real theater.  Like, for real!  It's been so long since we've seen a movie in the theaters, and it was so nice.  We saw the new Star Trek movie and we both really enjoyed it.

*Hanging out with two of our friends downtown Carmel on Saturday night.  We looked at some local art galleries, and then went to Union Brewing Co. and enjoyed some great drinks and delicious fries from a food truck.  These friends are hilarious and genuine, and we always have great conversation when we're with them.

Needless to say we had a wonderful weekend together, and felt a bit like our old dating selves for a few days.  Every couple (especially with kids) needs to take a mini vacation like this periodically 'cause it's awesome. :)

healthy snacks...

We have been enjoying kale in various ways for awhile, and now that Finn is expanding his tastes, we have found that he loves kale chips.  This is his (and my) favorite way to eat kale, and it's so easy to do!

What other ways do you like to prepare kale?  We have tried it as chips, in smoothies, sautéed, in soup, and fresh as a salad.

Here's the recipe for the chips:

Baked Kale Chips

Chopped Kale - 3 cups
Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
Sea Salt - 2 teaspoons

Preheat oven 400˚.
Place kale in a mixing bowl and drizzle olive oil on top.  Sprinkle sea salt on and toss together.  Place kale onto a large cookie sheet and bake until crispy, about 10-12 minutes.  Allow to cool just a bit, and enjoy!

camping...

Source: weheartit.com via Carey on Pinterest

I am getting excited for camping this year.  In a few weeks, we are going camping with my best friends to a little local place north of town.  We are also planning on going with some friends later in the summer to a state park.  I can't wait for some relaxing time around the fire just talking about life.  We are going to take Finn with us too, and I am excited to watch him experience camping with us.  Some of my best memories growing up involved either a tent, campfire, or campgrounds.  Bring it on, summer!