Currently…

Happy hump day, everyone, I hope you’re having a great week so far!

Well, turns out the ice storm that was supposed to wreak havoc on our city this Monday had far more bark than bite, which seems to be the trend this season. In fact, it’s supposed to get up to 50 degrees today, so the boys and I are planning on taking a long walk this afternoon. I could get used to this!

Alas, it’ll be back to steaming coffees and cozy fires in no time, so we’ll soak up the vitamin D while it lasts. I hope you’re experiencing some of the same wherever you are, and in the meantime, here’s what’s going on in our world a la the latest round of Currently!

Time and Place: 8:03pm. Babies are in bed. Whitehaven is poured. Trashy television is playing in the background. Let’s do this!

Eating: Incredible Italian Meatballs. One day last week I got a random craving for meatballs and 30 minutes later these babies were simmering on the stove. If you haven’t made this recipe yet, get on it pronto. The meatballs are so tender and taste just like a restaurant’s, plus the sauce gets super rich as it reduces.

Enjoying: Echo Dot. I received a dot as a bridesmaid gift last month, and love it so much that we got one for Ben’s entire family this Christmas. There are TONS of uses for it – adding appointments to your calendar, creating lists, and ordering off Amazon prime for example – but we mostly use it for playing music and setting timers. Only problem is Lincoln thinks it’s hilarious to yell, “Alexa – OFF!” (the dot is voice controlled and goes by the name Alexa) when he’s tired of hearing me singing The Eagles while cooking dinner. Le sigh.

Loving: Xpecting Boutique. A couple weeks ago one of my favorite Instagram accounts, Xpecting Boutique, and I realized we unknowingly follow each other when I bought something from their store. Such a fun coincidence as they’re a fan of IGE food, and I’m obsessed with their clothes (hello these, this, this outfit, this outfit, and this in navy blue!) In case you don’t live near their boutique in Costa Mesa, CA (??) they have a fun way you can still shop. If you see something you like on their Instagram or Facebook account, comment with your size and they’ll send it to you. Kinda fun (and semi dangerous!) right? Like I said, I recently bought their Moto Jeggings in navy, then they sent me a pair in black as a thank you. I also bought a pair in dusty rose a couple months ago. Army green is next! What can I say, these leggings are not only adorable, but super comfortable and easy to dress up or down. The waistband is elastic, too, so they’re very forgiving.

Playing: Floam. Parents, have you gotten yourself a vat of floam yet? We first learned about it from Lincoln’s school then got him a pack when Cameron was born, and it’s been a huge hit at our house. Floam sticks to itself but not skin (or hair, obviously!) and isn’t messy like kinetic sand or play dough, which we don’t keep in the house anyway because it contains wheat. You can squish it, cut it, mold it, tear it – love it!

Craving: Edible Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Ummmmm, YES. And if you’re worried about E. Coli in raw flour, I saw a great idea to bake the flour on a sheet pan for 10 minutes at 300 degrees, or microwave it in a bowl for 1-2 minutes until it reaches 160 degrees. Happening.

Purchasing: dining room furniture. I decided to finally finish the house by furnishing our formal living/dining room! We’ve got a Cape Cod theme going downstairs – lots of grey blue, wainscoting, black, white, tan, linen, some coral accents – so I’m trying to stick with that theme. I bought this ottoman at Homemakers a couple weekends ago and am now on the hunt for complimentary chairs in a fun pattern. I like these from Joss & Main but think the seats might be too deep, plus the legs are a little too “coastal” for my liking. Regardless I have to tell you that Joss & Main is the bomb – the chairs I just linked to were $50 cheaper on their website versus Wayfair.com. Last thing, I am DYING to shiplap a wall in our dining room but Ben’s proving to be a tough nut to crack on this subject. Talk about LE SIGH!

Sharing: Gluten-Free HyVee on Instagram. Exciting project alert! I’ve teamed up with HyVee to feature one my favorite gluten-free products from their stores every day from Jan 9-31, and one person is going to win ALL the products I feature at the end of the month! I was like a kid in the candy store taking pictures of all my favorite GF products at the store a few weeks ago – kind of felt like a personal shopper. To enter all you have to do is follow @iowagirleats and @hyvee on Instagram then comment or tag a friend on any of the product posts between now and the 31st.

Anticipating: Spring Break. Need. To. Get. Out. Of. Here. Anyone else feel me? Ben and I were going to take a solo trip to San Diego for a friend’s wedding in March but plane tickets were ridiculously expensive so I’ll be hanging back. That said, I still want to head to a warm weather destination sometime in the next couple of months but have zero desire to take an infant to the beach. Maybe somewhere in Arizona, or Palm Springs? What’s your favorite warm weather vacation spot?

Sporting: Jessica Simpson Ronica Ankle Bootie. I got these booties a couple months ago and they are soooo cute – perfect for cold weather formal occasions. Just wanted to pass along in case you’re in the market. They’re super sleek and fit true to size.

Missing: Long naps. We transitioned this little heartbreaker out of his Rock ‘n’ Play a couple weeks ago and have gone from 2+ hour naps to, wait for it, 33 minute naps. Thirty freaking three minute long naps, on the dot. He’s not overtired, undertired, overstimulated, understimulated, his room is dark with a white-noise machine, and is fed and swaddled – he just can’t get past that first sleep cycle! I thought Lincoln’s 42 minute naps were bad but holy moly, little bro got him beat. The only bright side to this situation is that Cameron sleeps like a log at night (and is so gosh darn sweet!) And all that said, I’d use the RNP again in a heartbeat – those were the best 2-1/2 months of my life!

Discovering: Instagram hack. I love Instagram filters and sometimes want to apply a filter to a photo without having to add it to my feed in order have it saved to my camera roll. You follow? Well, I discovered a hack for that! Step 1: turn your phone onto airplane mode. Step 2: choose then edit a photo on Instagram, and then click share. Step 3: click the “X” on the failed Instagram message then turn your phone off airplane mode. Step 4: check camera roll – voila, your edited photo is there! #WhenYouSeeIt #WeAllFollowSomeoneEmbarrassing

Slathering: Trader Joe’s Coconut Body Butter. I got this Coconut Body Butter in a gift exchange this past Christmas and oh my word, I have to hold myself back from eating it, it smells so good! Plus it’s so hydrating. Both boys have been working through colds these past couple of weeks and my hands were completely raw from washing them so often. The body butter softened them up ASAP.

Snacking: Duke’s Beef Jerky. Ben picked up a bag of this beef jerky at a gas station (classy) a few months ago while we were out for a drive and despite the origin, the taste was soooo good! We are obsessed with the links, which have 7g of protein and 1g sugar per serving. This particular flavor is really smoky and garlicky. Yuuum.

Expecting: Family! Cameron is getting baptized this weekend and we are expecting lots of family in town for the event! That said I might not be back with a post later this week – just not 100% sure when I’ll have time to work while we get ready to host and throw a little party. We are excited to spend lots of quality time together celebrating our sweet little dude!

In case I don’t talk to you beforehand – have a wonderful rest of your week, and weekend!