Last weekend we celebrated this big guy turning 3 years old! Our Cammie Cam!!
Every year for our kids’ birthday, Ben and I deck out the downstairs with ceiling decorations, a big Happy Birthday sign, and oversized balloon of whatever they’re into at the moment. Cam’s life revolves around trucks right now, and so I nearly jumped up and down in the party store when I spotted this giant dump truck balloon. It, along with his truck-topped cake, were a HIT!
To know Cam is to love him. He is equal parts total goofball, soul-crushingly sweet, and an absolute mad man. He keeps us on our toes, makes us laugh and cry (sometimes in the same breath,) and keeps life so very fun and interesting. I spend most of my days just staring at him because he’s so gosh darn hilarious. Happy Birthday, Cammie Cam – Mama is obsessed with you!!
Ben’s family came into town for the celebration this past weekend and so we’ve spent the week catching up and getting back into a routine. Our warm temperatures fled with the family and although we’ve got 40s and low 50s in the forecast for the foreseeable future, I’m determined to milk outdoor time with these two until the very end. Just thinking about the long, very cold winter that’s being predicted has me shaking in my boots!
Edited to add: Gwen’s light pink hat is from KicKee Pants and her coat is from Primary. The mittens are hand me downs from a friend with no tag!
Anyway, here’s what else is going on in this edition of Currently!
Time and Place: 7:37pm at the kitchen counter. I made my Signature Chili for dinner tonight and am trying not to scoop myself a third bowl from the leftovers cooling on the counter. Ugh so good.
Sharing: Lincoln’s Checklist. I’ve been meaning to share this idea for over a year! Last year, when Lincoln started half day Kindergarten, our mornings went from a leisurely, 9am preschool start time to needing to be out of the house by 7:20am. It was chaos and having to walk Lincoln through every step of getting ready made it feel even crazier because at the time Cam wasn’t even 2 and we also had a newborn! Thus, Lincoln’s Checklist was born. :) I made then printed this visual checklist and taped it to the door in our mudroom so he could guide himself through the steps it takes to get ready for school, and then updated it slightly for full day K this year. He feels very independent taking charge of his morning, and I’m able to be fairly hands off.
I made this in Photoshop but you could easily replicate in Microsoft Word using clipart. Or, you can click here to download our checklist if you’d like. I hope it helps someone’s mornings go a little smoother!
Sending: Weekly Meal Plan Email. I’ve been testing a new Weekly Meal Plan email over the past month and am officially adding it as a permanent “thing” here on IGE. Each week I send out an email with 20 dinner ideas PLUS one subscriber has a link to a $25 Amazon Gift Card disguised as a recipe link in their email. No one has found it yet and it’s killing me!! I still can’t decide if I want to send the email on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, so let me know what you’d prefer in the comments below. You can sign up here!
Eating: I have a few new quick and easy meals in my life that I want to share:
- Nacho Eggs: sounds less than appetizing but I’ve made this easy dish for breakfast almost every day since I stopped nursing Gwen (and can eat eggs again), and it is so delicious and filling. Crush a small handful of tortilla chips in a bowl then sprinkle on shredded cheddar cheese. Scramble two eggs then scoop on top of the cheese, which will melt from the heat of the eggs, and then top with salsa. KILLLLLLERRRRR.
- Boat Wrap: this lunch idea reminds me of the boat wrap recipe I shared several lifetimes ago here on IGE. What I do is slather a Mission GF Spinach Wrap with Sabra Caramelized Onion Hummus then top with Applegate Farms Medium White Cheddar Cheese and roll. This SPECIFIC combo is so satisfying.
- Maple Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars. They’re baa-aaack!! I recently made these wholesome oatmeal bars for the first time this pumpkin season and had forgotten how heavenly they are! Cam and G have been eating for breakfast and I love that they get their day started with a super healthy meal.
Sampling: I’m not one to stray too far from my staples at the grocery store each week but I’ve tried a few awesome products recently that I want to share:
- Cheddar and Sour Cream PopChips: Think Cheddar & Sour Cream Ruffles in PopChip form. Will probably never buy again because they are just way too good.
- Good Foods Chunky Guacamole: We had a walking taco bar for Cam’s party and I got this guacamole from Costco as a taco topper. Favorite store-bought guac to date!! It’s like a combination of guacamole and pico de gallo with juicy tomatoes and plenty of cilantro too. I may never make homemade again.
- Boom Chicka Pop Cinnamon Roll Kettle Corn: My love for anything and everything cinnamon roll-flavored runs deep and so this speciality flavor of BoomChickaPop ended up in my cart the other day. It’s gluten free and tastes exactly like Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Another purchase I will probably not make again because I have no self control and it is SO delicious!
- Wonderful Pistachios Chili Roasted: I love adding pistachios to salads for protein and crunch and so I thought these chili roasted pistachios would be a fun flavor to try. OH MAN, they are incredible!!! Spicy and tangy. They make me crave salads, which is always a good thing.
- Almond Breeze Unsweetened Chocolate Almondmilk – Like many Moms, I’m always trying to get my kids to drink more milk (we’ve always purchased almond milk because of Lincoln’s dairy allergy – which he successfully grew out of this past year…more on that sometime soon!) Anyway, I bought this unsweetened, sugar free, ARTIFICIAL SUGAR FREE (!!!) chocolate almondmilk recently and both boys are crazy for it! It’s like non sweet chocolate milk in a non terrible way. The first time I poured it for Cam I had to cut him off after 3 glasses, if that tells you anything.
Listening: Cedarmont Kids. I like to have music playing anytime we’re in the house. My Taylor Swift and “At the Beach” Spotify playlists have been recent staples, plus the Spice Girls station on Amazon Music #guiltypleasure, but many afternoons we have Alexa play songs by Cedarmont Kids. It’s a children’s choir singing classic nursery rhymes and is so very pleasant to listen to. This will make me sound like an awful person, but I find most trendy kid’s music sung by kids unbearable to listen to, but this music is super! Makes me almost want to give up pushing Raffi on my boys, whom they just can’t get into. Ugh! Love me some Raffi! Down by the bay…
Adoring. I found this via Be the Nice Kid on Instagram. Incredible message! Speaking of, Lincoln requests the “Be Kind” book I ordered awhile back every night – it’s been a great conversation starter for us. Please also check out Lindsay’s 75 Acts of Kindness for Kids!
Recounting: My weight loss journey. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was attempting to lose a few pounds and that I’d update you on how it went if I was successful. Happily, I was! I don’t think it serves anyone to share how many pounds I lost and/or my weight then and now. What might help others in a similar position is that the key to my weight loss was: PORTION CONTROL.
I am a busy Mom of three kids. From the time I felt my weight getting ahead of me, to the time that I took action, I hardly ever made myself an actual plate of food. Since our kids are so young and spill 1/2 their meals on the counter and floor, we eat together around the big counter in our kitchen vs seated at the dinner table. That said, it’s not a formal affair and after I get the kids’ and Ben’s plates dished up, I usually eat whatever’s left on the cutting board, in the pot, etc. This sounds slightly tragic but it’s not. Clearly, I was getting enough food. Too much food! While working to lose the weight I plated every single meal so I could visually see how much I was eating. 90% of my success was from making this small change. I didn’t even really change the types of food I was eating, just the amount.
A few other things that contributed to my weight loss:
- I (mostly) fasted after dinner. SkinnyPop – I just can’t quit you! Anyway, I learned through my experience with gestational diabetes that my blood sugar does NOT like evening snacks, and so this change not only resulted in consuming less, but I also woke up feeling so much lighter and brighter.
- I don’t eat a lot of sugar in the first place, but I cut out sweets like my beloved dried mango. Sugar is empty calories and always drives me to eat more.
- I started using our Peloton. Ben and I purchased him a Peloton many months ago and, after experiencing a bad spin class in my 20s — my butt was sore for WEEKS — I swore I would never clip into the dang thing. The convenience of having a killer workout right in our basement though, and drive to lose weight, won out and I took my first class a week into my journey. (Side note, I am hooked.) That’s when things really started to click. The weight was coming off by changing my diet alone, but it started to melt away once I added 3-5 workouts a week on the Peloton. Love you Cody and Robin!
Ok! I think that’s all I have to report on this topic but let me know if you have any questions. I am an open book. Oh and yes, I still drank wine (which I know can be high in sugar). In the spirit of portion control though, I only had a glass or a glass and a splash whenever I enjoyed. Next mission: keeping the weight off!
Drinking: Stainless Steel Wine Tumblers. White wine season is 12 months a year around here and I recently poured myself a glass into a stainless steel wine tumbler I found buried in my barware cupboard. It REALLY kept my drink cold. Current favorite white wine is Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc, btw!
Side-eyeing: Google Photos. I recently synced my iPhone photos with Google Photos because I’m on a major photo clean up kick and it seems the majority of photo book websites have the Google Photos upload option. Anyway, Google Photos has been randomly making photo slideshows for me and the last one titled “Lullaby” was all photos of Gwen with her eyes closed. Uhhmm…stop being a total creep, Google Photos! Need to turn off my push notifications at the very least, and probably change some privacy settings too. Ack!
Offering: Water Paint. I like to invite the boys to color as an activity while I’m making dinner and not able to play, but markers are hit or miss with Cam (he won’t color with crayons anymore). Sometimes he colors himself up to his elbows and other times he happily stays on paper. That said, if things are getting dicy I offer him Water Wow booklets OR simply give him a few pieces of colored paper and a bowl of water with a paint brush. No paint or markers to deal with when the stove and oven are hot, and I don’t even mind when he inevitably dumps the water on the counter and starts finger painting. WHATEVER WORKS. It’s also fun that you can watch your “painting” eventually disappear, then do it all over again!
Alright friends! Pick a Currently category, then fill us in! Have a super weekend!
Sounds like lotsa fun at your house! If your boys love transportation I can’t recommend enough the ‘Cars, Trucks, and Trains’ music CD by Jane Murphy. We’ve listened to it a gazillion times, for hours. It’s an awesome, catchy album.
Thank you, Tiffany! I will check that out! :)
Super random question-where is Gwen’s hat from in the outdoor pic? I have the hardest time finding one that goes over my girls’ ears without also covering their eyes!
It’s from KicKee Pants! :)
Hi! Can you share where you got Gwen’s cold weather clothes? (coat, hat, mittens?) I’m having the hardest time finding winter stuff for my baby and she looks so warm and cozy! Thank you! :)
You bet! The mittens are hand me downs from a friend with no tag, but the hat is from KicKee pants and the coat is from Primary!
Fridays for the meal plan, please! Last week was my first week receiving it, and I made three of the items! Loved it! Thanks for sending it out.
That is AWESOME to hear, Cindi!! Thanks for your feedback!
Just signed up for the meal plan – another vote for Fridays! I clicked back to your Boat Wrap post and it made me smile — L.B.K. (life before kids) does feel like many moons ago!
It seriously feels like someone else’s life! 😂
Speaking of Sabra humus….have you had their “Lemon Twist” one? Wowser….hope they never stop producing it. Bet you could come up with something to use it for? 🤔😊💟
I haven’t tried that one yet!! Thanks for the recommendation though – I’ll pick it up this weekend. :)
Another vote for Friday, for the meal plan!
Your kids are so adorable!
Thank you Melissa! 😊
Do you remember where the pink hat that Gwen is wearing is from?? I was looking for something like this and couldn’t find exactly what I wanted!
The brand is KicKee Pants – we got it as a gift from a friend! :) https://www.kickeepants.com/shop/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=168&jsCats=833
DEFINITELY send the email on Friday! I usually do my shopping Saturday morning, so I need to have a list and meal plan before that!
Thanks for your vote, Sarah! Friday seems to be the most popular answer!
Your nacho eggs sound BOMB! I’ve been really into Pizza Eggs since I learned about them from Tim Tracker’s YouTube channel. Just scramble up a couple eggs and once they are almost done but still shiny, add in a slice of cut up leftover pizza! The eggs warm up the pizza, and the pizza imparts its deliciousness into the eggs. It’s a great way for me to 1. stretch pizza leftovers because GF pizza is EXPENSIVE and 2. have the motivation not to fold up my GF pizza from Mellow Mushroom and eat the entire thing like a taco in a single sitting. :)
Ok YUMM!!!! Totally trying this! Thanks for the tip, Carla!
Have you ever had/made chilaquiles? If you like your nacho eggs you should totally look them up. I think I originally made a recipe from Martha Stewart. Soooo good.
Omg, yes, so amazing! Nacho eggs are my busted quick and easy version. 😂
My vote is for the meal planning email on Fridays in time for weekend grocery shopping. Also, have you tried freezing the chocolate almond milk as popsicles? Yum!
I’ll give that a try – great idea! Bet they’d blend up really well with a banana and some spinach before freezing… 🤔
I just wanted to say THANK YOU for the Peloton review! We just got one & I want to love it, but it’s all a little daunting to me. What you said encourages me to keep trying & eventually I hope to love it, too!
I totally relate. I REFUSED to try it for so many months but it is the most fun and SWEATY workout I’ve had maybe ever. The instructors are incredible, too! Commit to a 20 minute beginners ride and see how you feel!
OMG! That water paint idea is the greatest thing I have ever heard!!!! How did I not know about this?! This will definitely be started as a thing this weekend with my 2.75 year old. Thank you! Also, we’re currently sampling everything from Costco because we just got a membership. Do you have any tried and true items that you always get there? Would love some ideas for kids’ meals/snacking.
Yay! I hope you guys love the activity! You bet – here are my Costco staples in the snack category:
Kirkland Organic Applesauce Pouches
SkinnyPop Popcorn
Simple Mills Almond Crackers
Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars
That’s It Mini Bars (great for lunches)
Duke’s Shorty Sausages
Babybel Cheese
Kirkland Organic Dried Mango
Your kids are growing so fast! Time really does fly. ❤️ I remember in the 80’s, I did the Buns of Steel workout. And I literally couldn’t walk for almost a week. It was pretty horrible. 🥴
Oh my gosh – reminds me of the first few times I did Jillian Michael’s Shred DVDs – soooo sore for days afterwards! 😝
Loving your Peloton love! Have you ventured into the Power Zone rides? Taking the FTP test once as a baseline and then periodically over time to see how much your power zones and abilities have increased is so encouraging and fun to see the progress you’ve made!
Not yet. Having to test into it scares me a little. 😂 I did Robin’s 45 minute Tabata ride last week and nearly died so not sure if I’m ready but knowing my baseline is interesting to me so maybe I’ll do it!
Another vote for Friday meal plans! Love following you and all your recommendations. Glad to know I’m also not the only mom who struggles with entertaining kids while trying to get dinner done too.
Oh my gosh, it’s the longest 30 mins – 1 hour of my life! 😂
Did you stop doing orange theory? I did it for 9 months and gained 10 pounds! Some was muscle, but my clothes were not loser. I quit in August and have already dropped 8 pounds. I really enjoy running and yoga more. I want more details of Lincoln outgrowing his dairy allergy! My 3 year old has a dairy or casein allergy and her only symptoms is waking up screaming in the middle of the night multiple times if she eats it. She didn’t sleep through the night until I cut out dairy at age 2
I stopped in July because we were going on vacation, had lots of family coming in and out of town for birthdays, then back to school season arrived, etc. I had every intention of signing back up in September but just never happened and now I have the Peloton conveniently in the basement so I’m not sure if I’ll go back. I truly loved it though!
When Lincoln was a little over 5-1/2 we started giving him little amounts of dairy – like, 2 shreds of cheese – and watched for a reaction. When nothing happened we slowly increased the amount and type until we were confident he wasn’t reacting anymore. The only thing that still causes a reaction in him (sneezing, coughing) is foods containing whey protein concentrate. All that said, he hates all things dairy and won’t eat it (he can seriously sniff if out in a dish like a hound dog!) so he doesn’t chose to eat much containing dairy.
Happy birthday Cam! How exciting for Lincoln’s allergy!
Thank you x2! It’s been such a relief not worrying about him having an allergic reaction every time we eat somewhere other than home! 🙏🏻
I like getting the meal plans on Friday. Thank you for all of your hard work!
My pleasure, Olivia! :)
Okay I NEED that wine tumbler. I’m forever saying that I need a wine sippy cup so I can lay on the couch and still drink.
Also so excited for your meal plan newsletter! I generally do my shopping Saturday/Sunday, so I meal plan on Fridays. So Friday has my vote for the day to send it out! :)
Thanks for your vote, Holly! I think we’re going back to Fridays next week so stay tuned. :)
Love that Cam is wearing the ghostbusters sweatshirt! My almost 4 grandson is obsessed! Wears his sweatshirt everywhere! Even having a Ghostbusters birthday party soon. Thank goodness for Amazon. Most kids don’t even know Ghostbusters… Can’t wait for the re-make next summer!
Yes! I found one for him and Lincoln at Target – they are so adorable! Lincoln watched a “Just Dance” video of the Ghostbuster’s theme song at school and has been obsessed. 🤣
Hey Kristin, I’d love some what I ate in a day posts. I have some weight to lose and it’s super helpful seeing an example of what you eat in a day! Thanks and have a great weekend.
You bet, Erica – I’ll add that to my list of post ideas. I actually tracked my meals for the first week of my “diet” (hate that word,) and can share those too!
I’d like to see what to eat in a day as well. When I read celebrity or professional fitness people’s “what I eat in a day,” it’s not realistic for a real person with limited time
100%. Lunch of a poached salmon filet plus a large salad sounds really nice, but I don’t have time to make that in the middle of the day! 😝
If you are comfortable sharing, where did Lincoln do half day preschool? My oldest has a summer birthday so we’re wrestling with sending her to kindergarten as a young 5 yr old or waiting until she is 6. If we do wait, I’d love a half day pre-k to get her ready. Thanks!
Most districts have Developmental or transitional kindergarten (there are other names for it)
Hi Molly! We open enrolled to the half day kindergarten program as our district doesn’t offer anything similar. We are SO happy we waited – he was so confident heading into full day kindergarten this year! Email me and I can give you details about where he went! :) kristin@iowagirleats.com
Excited to see another Peleton convert. I resisted for a good year or so even though friends told me I would love it. I’ve had it since July and am completely in love. Robin is my favorite also (SO hard but SO motivating) – if you like her try Jess King – she is fantastic. Just signed up for your meal plan emails – need more weeknight dinner inspiration!!
Love Jess too, and Ally Love – her sweet smile is contagious!!
Check out Usborne’s Magic Painting books. Not reusable, but kids paint with water. My 3 and 5 year olds love them. TONS of themes. Disclaimer, this is my website, but still check it out https://c6941.myubam.com/search?q=Magic+Painting
Thanks Stephanie!!
Loved this post. Always trying to look for ways to manage or lose weight. Thanks for the reminder about portion control! I made your italian beef sandwiches this week and loved them. I am GF so I used the link to the homemade zesty italian dressing mix. It was delicious and I had all the spices on hand. I doubled the spice recipe and stored in a glass jar. Can’t wait to use it again! Also love the white wine suggestion!
So glad you loved the sandwich recipe, Julie! Great idea to double the spice mix for a super easy prep next time. :)
Great. Post.
I vote for Friday’s. Looking forward to these posts.
Thank you, Teresa!
Happy birthday to cam! And congrats on your weight loss! Would you share your Peloton leaderboard name? Would love to follow you! I haven’t been on mine as much recently but need to get back into it (winter in the Midwest will help with that 😉) my leaderboard name is foodlover
You bet – I’ll follow you next ride so you can follow me back! :D
Welcome to Peloton! I am an addict. My husband gave me the bike as a Christmas gift last Christmas and I just did my 400th ride this week (with Cody). If you are looking for Pelo friends I am #UHadMeAtPel0
Also, I finally took the plunge and cut sugar. I am following a no added sugar approach. Mostly the adjustment has been fine, but am wondering if you have any favorite no sugar recipes or if there is a good way to search your site for no sugar recipes? I am going to miss your chili (although I have found a few versions of no sugar baked beans with stevia I may try) and your pumpkin spice pretzels.
400!! Way to go, Shay!! I tell you what, having the instructors calling out people on their 100th ride, 400th ride, etc – the other day someone was on their 3,000th ride!!! – is so motivating!
I don’t have a category for sugar-free recipes, specifically, I’m sorry!
I vote for Fridays, so I can shop over the weekend. Your family is adorable. Have you every tried Jim Gill for kids music? His cd’s are great and will get you and the kids moving along to the music!
I haven’t but I just googled him and he looks adorable! Thanks for the tip, Nora! :)
Hey:-) I am a subscriber of the weekly menu. You mentioned that no one has found the amazon gift card link yet. On the weekly menu plan, each day has 5 or more links to click on. Then when you open the reciepe there are more links through out the material. My question is how far do we have to search? Would it just pop up from the links in the email?
Thanks, Val
Hi Val! Definitely no need to dig – one of the links in the email will open directly to the gift card in the winner’s email, vs having to search for it on my site! :)
Happy Birthday Cam!! Gosh, they grow so fast!
Ugh don’t I know it!! Thank you, JoAnn!
Have you investigated ‘clean wines’? I’ve read that they are low in sugar and you can have them even if you are doing keto. Would love to know if this is true!
Hi Kathleen! I’ve purchased a shipment of wines from Dry Farms Wine before – they are definitely worth a look if you’re wanting to invest in clean wines. I liked the wines but didn’t love them, especially for the price. Additionally, Fit Vine wine is sold around here which would be a comparable yet less expensive wine if you’re wanting to go the low sugar route. I do really love the idea of Dry Farms Wine but ultimately it just wasn’t a good fit for me. https://www.dryfarmwines.com/
We bought a Peloton a few months ago and I too am obsessed! I have a goal to hit my 100th ride on Thanksgiving and I’m 35 rides away. I ride for 30 min 5 times a week. It is so good for the physical health and mental health!
GOALS!!!! Way to go, Sarah!! During my little weight loss period I was dedicating nap time to riding, which I usually reserve for working, and now that I’ve hit my goal I am back to working in the afternoons and so it’s been tough to motivate myself to ride after the kids go to bed. I just need to DO it because maintaining my weight is an obvious benefit to the Peloton but also, like you said, the mental health part is almost as important, if not moreso!
Raffi! My 2.5 year old is obsessed after we showed him this 45 min concert on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f29jl4w0Uh8 (I think we’ve watched it over 100 times now…)
It’s also funny to think that the kids in the video are probably parents themselves now. Good luck!
I LOVE Nacho Eggs!!!! They are so yummy! I add black beans and avocado and it’s a dish you can serve to company!
Love these posts. Second time signing up for the meal plan. Hoping this time it works! I never received it after the first one :(
Another vote for Friday! Gives me time to think about what to make and get my shopping list ready either that night or first thing Saturday morning😊
I love the meal plans being sent on Friday or even Saturday morning. I tend to meal plan on Saturdays or Sundays, then grocery shop for the week on Sunday. Thank you!
I’m curious to hear your take on coconut oil. I know a lot of dieticians/nutritionists are pretty high on it and say not to worry about the high saturated fat as it’s “the good kind”. But cardiologists don’t seem to be on board with it and say to use it sparingly.
So much resonates in this post! I am a fellow Iowa Girl (now in CO), grew up on Raffi, and need to work on ye ole’ portion control now that my breast feeding days are over. Also not ready to give up the wine because a splash and a half brings me a little bit of extra joy once we have made it through the bedtime dance. Also team Cody all the way! If I ever am doubting a ride, the Live DJ Rides with Cody and John Micheal will make me smile and laugh out loud. What is the Peloton name?
Thank you for always keeping it real and relatable!
Friday!!! I meal plan for the week on the weekend so I’d like to have it before that. Love that you’re sharing.
These stainless steel wine tumblers are THE BEST!!!!! I like my white wine chilled, and in a traditional wine glass the wine comes to room temp too quickly. Who’d a thunk I’d be drinking wine with a stainless straw?!!!! But I wouldn’t do it any other way now!