Seriously?

And so along with gluten, my body has started rejecting refined sugar.

Brilliant.

Feeding my body just got harder. Again. 

Friday Fun

Lots of posts today but I have to share this video.

Who knew I was so emotionally invested?

a new favorite protein

And while we're on the topic of good food, I just want to rub it in the internet's face that the plant nursery down the street also carries farm fresh free range eggs. For $2.50 a dozen. Like, sometimes covered-in-crap farm fresh eggs. Which is gross, but makes me feel pretty awesome about the food I'm feeding my family.

And the eggs. Oooooh the eggs! I feel bad for everyone still buying eggs from the grocery store that are white and all the same shape with bright, almost sickly yellow yolks. To be fair, I didn't know how truly un-natural grocery stores eggs were until I was exposed to these. They look so different. They're different shapes and sizes and colors. And the taste of those deep orange yolks? Doesn't even compare. 

Good morning, beautiful. Want some breakfast?

Take THAT USDA Food Pyramid.

Yeah. So I have issues with the USDA. And the FDA. Remember that pyramid you were taught in school? The one with grains on the very bottom? Well, grain shouldn't be there. Fresh fruits and veggies should.

My good friend, Emily, is a genius. She has discovered green smoothies and has passed on the wonder to me. The basic point of drinking them is to get as many raw, green, leafy veggies into your body as possible. Don't worry, you add enough fruit to it to make it taste delish. It is working wonders for my skin, energy level, and cravings for junk food. In fact, I have cut sugar completely out of my diet. And I don't feel deprived. I crave good food. And that? Feels amazing.

Anyhoodle, here's the one we (Ava and I) made this morning (best breakfast ever):


Two huge handfuls of spinach and about 7 little baby bok choys

About a TBS of flax

An apple and some mango (sometimes a little stevia)

Some mixed, frozen berries

Blend and enjoy. Yum.

Even she likes it (I love how she knows she needs to make a face when the camera is out. Now I just need to teach her to smile).

And here's the official Green Smoothie Girl to give you the basics.

The Sad Truth

Laundry day?

It must be.

I have run out of sweats and had to actually wear a good outfit today.

Wherein I profess my love for Costco and Costco replies, "it's about freaking time"

I think I have a mental issue. I kind of maybe possibly become emotionally attached to the personality of stores where I shop and feel like I have relationships with them (remember IKEA?). "But Tiffany, stores don't have personalities." To you, I say, whatevs. Stores totes have personalities and I will tell you about them.

Walmart? Walmart is annoying, trashy, full of junk and enables America's ridiculous eating and dressing habits (not that I feel strongly about this topic). Walmart IS Mountain Dew and cigarettes with dark roots growing in. Occasionally you thank Walmart for having the lowest price on the glider you want for your babe's nursery but then it turns out that the glider kind of sucks and you end up cursing them in the end anyway.

Target? Target was cool before Target knew it was cool. Target is a little too much on the red but overall hip, chic, and like an old friend you always enjoy but with whom you maybe spend too much money. For me, Target is actually an old friend I enjoy because I walked her aisles many-a-time right after I had Ava and just wanted to go somewhere by myself.

Meijer? Meijer is the original Super Walmart but with a soul and quality food and great shoppers and basically Meijer is Walmart's older, cooler cousin who's in college. And they also have an abfab gluten free section so we're pretty much besties.

And here we have my real crush of a store - Costco. The co of cost. My love for Costco has been restrained because I ALWAYS spend too much money there buying things that aren't. on. the list. and I leave feeling a smidge violated.

until today.

Today I conquered Costco's smolder and only bought the things on my list. Huzzah! and cheerio! and throw in an 'ello gov'na! So now I can TOTES love on Costco like I have always wanted. Costco is super hip, delicious, and always full of surprises. It also helps that I hit it right at "event time" (i.e. taste testing time) and indulged in some delish chocolate ice cream, sweet potato fries, and dark chocolate covered blueberries.

Guys, I love Costco and I don't care who knows it.

Just don't buy the condiments. You'll never get through them. And if you do get through a jar of mayo THAT BIG, you're going to feel super fat.

Annnnnnd it has happened.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, Members of Parliament, Fellow Witches and Wizards,

We have reached that day. The day when dreams come true and hearts grow at least three sizes. The day of the Rapture.


ARE YOU READY TO MEET YOUR MAKER?!
*cue smoke, lights, and "Final Countdown"*


I joke and I kid. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the day when Ava hugs me MORE in a day than I hug her. Best. Day. Ever.

You may now resume your lives and start paying your mortgages again since, you know, the world IS NOT ending today.

Always willing to pop a balloon of ridiculousness,
Tiff

Charleston side note

So it was kind of cool to meet/chat with this guy (very briefly):



But I was really happy to have been able to get to know this guy a little bit:

He is good people.

Care-Hoe-Line-A

All right. Now I feel okay blogging about Charleston.

Ava and I were out of town for like 3 weeks straight. My parents went to the Hong of Kong to see their bestest buddies who live there and I Shannon-sat because who the heck would leave a 16 year-old at home by herself for 10 days?? Although I think I kept things crazier than they would have been if Shannon had just been there alone but ANYHOODLE. Amidst all the out-of-town-ness I was madly gathering paperwork and criminal records and driving records and MBE scores for Danny so he can take the Michigan Bar Exam for his new job WHILST preparing and putting an offer down on a house. Oh. And Ava decided to cut 4 molars all at once. Crazy. But all-good-things crazy. Can't complain about that.

So once my parental units returned to their domicile I left my babe with them and went with one of my best friends, Reilly, to Charleston.

It.

Was.

Glorious.

Even just the plane ride alone with the option to sleep or read or DO WHATEVER THE HECK I WANTED BECAUSE I HAD MY LAP TO MYSELF was beyond-words relieving. The city was absotute-ly beautiful and the weather was perfect. Reilly's cousin, Jen, lives down there and has a house in downtown in which we stayed. Since her cousin lives on Sullivan's Island, about 20 minutes from downtown, we had the place to ourselves. And she decorated it BEAUTIFULLY. I felt like I was staying in a magazine:


Our days were leisurely (sight-seeing, shopping, and beaching) and our nights were spent having fun with Reilly's family. Jen has four boys and we did a lot with them, including a couple Riverdogs games. They're the minor league farm team in Charleston for the Yankees. The boys' dad owns the team so it was fun to get special treatment (okay, okay. Their dad is Bill Murray. They're a pretty big deal. WINK).

One of the games lasted until 1 am - the fog rolled in shortly after it ended.


Mascots of any kind creep me out. And the germs! OH the germs!

Pralines are legitimately delish. And southern.




If you ever go to Charleston YOU HAVE TO EAT AT HYMAN'S. It was delicious. Except that my body hated me afterward because I could not resist the gluten. Hush puppies and whatnot. BUT I DON'T REGRET IT.




The architecture was amazing and the people were actually very polite.
The homes were ridiculous (I didn't take this photo)

And there was beautiful wrought iron work everywhere.

I would go back in a heartbeat.

get out your flux capictors, we're going back to the future

So I just sat down to blog about my trip to Charleston with Reilly and realized that I never blogged about our trip to Utah in March for my SIL's wedding. What the....?? Who AM I? A lazy keeper of her blog, that's who.

It was a fabulous trip and we had lots of fun and April got married and she was a beautiful princess. The end.

More specifically, Ava and I went out about a week early to spend some time with my friends and family and then Danny came out for the wedding festivities.

Quality time with G&G Gray


They have a playhouse upstairs that's Ava-sized.

Ava LOVED rolling around with Grandma. Heck, I would love it too!


And theeeeeen we played with the Wittwers. In Nelson's Grandpa's cabin. In Midway.
(Side note for those who are unfamiliar. Lauren here, is my super best buddy-friend-quazi-sister-soulmate. And she is newly married to Nelson (pronounced Nelt-sin). End of side note.)
They're not baby hungry AT ALL. Fra fra fra.

Lauren creepily holding my child through the sweet 70s stairs.

Hahahaha and in the same room as the sign was....

THE BIGGEST BATHTUB I HAVE EVER SEEN

Lauren sits like a toddler - flat-footed squat.

Classic us.

BABY LOVE

Caught Lauren singing our classic rendition of "High on a Mountain Top" (it's a loud, old-lady-in-church kind of rendition) to Ava

And Ava's reaction...

And more good times...
One of my friends had a GIANT lamby on her floor (Ava sleeps with a little lambskin every night) that Ava rolled in for like an hour

Angry clouds over Timp

Playing with Nana Armstrong

Wedding dinner getting CRAZY UP IN HERE WITH THE PREGNANT LADY

At the wedding









Yeah. It was fun.