Day 1: Cleansin'

So far, so good. I keep thinking that I may be hungry and would love to have some crackers, some pasta leftovers, cheese. But...I really think this is more out of habit and because I am not allowing myself to eat these things. I'm excited to make some vegan lasagna for myself tonight (Lance has tons of leftovers and a meal from Emily so he doesn't have to eat this same food). I'm hoping after all of this that I just change some habits - maybe less carbs, less cheese. This morning I ate steel cut oats with some walnuts, raisins, craisins and cinnamon. Pretty delicious. I will spare you from my bathroom visits, but I will say all is good thus far. ;)

Ready or Not....

Tomorrow I start a cleanse. I'm pretty nervous. And, for numerous reasons.
1. I have never done any sort of cleanse before and have no idea what to expect. It's crazy that you have a baby and you are nervous about some "possibly abdominal cramps".
2. It's a "bowel cleanse". How can that not be scary? I hope the cleansing happens only at home. Yikes.
3. I take 50 pills a day. 10 pills for 5 times each day. And each time you are supposed to drink 16-18 oz of water. Who drinks that much water? I think I actually may have a bigger problem not peeing in my pants ALL day long.
4. I am eating vegan to help the cleansing process. Pretty much I can't eat all of my favorite foods: cereal, meat, cheese, wine and coffee. I will be living on veggies, fruit, grains and seeds. Maybe I should not call it living. I should say I hope to still be living after eating this way.

Now you are asking yourself, why on God's green earth is she doing this? Well...for all of the above reasons I am also excited to do the cleanse, I like challenges, and I'm hoping to feel refreshed and cleaned out after this.

Don't worry...I will keep you posted on the status of the potty party but also the cleansing. Lots of toilet usage and talk going on this week at the Wiley house. Poor, poor Lance.

Girl's Days....Some of the Best Days to Have

Yesterday the girls and I got together for happy hour, good conversation, laughs, and reminiscing. Such a great time. It's pretty wonderful that you can fill that much fun into just a short time. And, you know these are good friends when you can go weeks, even months, for some of us without seeing one another and it's just like it was yesterday.
Thanks as always ladies for the nice time and lasting friendships.

Potty Party Planning

We are almost there....4 days until potty party day. The very anal, organized, super-crazed planner in me is prepared. Our bed in the extra bedroom has everything layed out, labeled with sticky notes and ready to go. My lists at the grocery store are made (for the party treat snacks) and party presents are wrapped (a few little Elmo treats for Lilah, some cute Lululemon pants for mama). Wednesday will be cupcake baking, snack tray prep and going to the store to get the balloons all blown up. Then we are set. I'm so excited, but so anxious at the same time. I'm just praying this works because if not, I am not spending the time or money again for a potty party.

Elmo Potty Party

Yep, we're goin' all out. I'm hot and heavy on the potty training train. Not because I'm in a huge hurry really, but because I'm positive Lilah is ready. I took a quiz in one of the books I'm reading and I scored on the "How exciting! Your toddler is clearly ready for potty training!" level. She's showing most of the signs and is verbal enough to do it. I actually think that picking out her own little potty and undies will be a serious treat for her.
So, I decided to do the potty training in a day potty party. I know obviously that it won't be magically in one day and we have no accidents and everything is free and clear, but I do think that the potty party will definitely appeal to my child. Especially for the fact that the theme is Elmo...her favorite non-human.
Last night I ordered Elmo stickers and a reward chart, some Elmo panties, an Elmo potty dvd, and an Elmo potty book. We'll go to the store to pick out some more panties, get all the pull-ups and training pants (I don't even know what those are yet), get a stool for washing her hands, and let her sit and try out potties. So exciting. And, hopefully we'll borrow a doll from my girlfriend to be Lilah's little peeing helper.
I know all of you will be at the edge of your seats to see how Lilah does with her potty training, so I will be sure to keep you updated on the blog. I thought putting stuff on facebook was weird and that my non-kid friends will think I have the most boring life ever (since I'm clearly so excited about this).

It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This...

Sunshine in Seattle....ahhhhh. I think we enjoy it and take full advantage of it more than other cities because, clearly, we don't see it as often. And it is true that the sun comes out and so do all the hermits in Seattle. Everyone is out - at the parks, running, walking, eating at restaurants that have outdoor seating, and wearing shorts and going shirtless in 50 degree weather. Seriously.
But really, you can't beat the sun shining on the waterfront, the green grass and trees, and the snow covered mountains in the background.
We've had a few sunshiny days here lately. We took advantage this last weekend and took a walk to the park by our house. Lilah loves to go down slides and swing. Unfortunately she has no fear and thinks she should be in the mix with all the big kids. She does have such a blast though and loves running around, climbing, swinging, and giggling down the slides. That night we ate at the Slip in Kirkland. If you haven't been there, it's a teeny little burger joint that is always packed in the summer. They only have about 6 tables inside and maybe 15 outside. But people love this hot spot mainly for the DELISH burgers. My burger was a peanut butter, bacon burger. I'm actually not pregnant, and I still loved it...heavenly. Lilah got the most buttery and cheesy grilled cheese she has ever got and devoured the entire thing (which is a praise Jesus sort of moment in our family). It was a nice little evening out.
Yesterday was so beautiful again. We went with the King girls to this great little neighborhood park and then again in the afternoon met them for some snacks at a little restaurant with outdoor seating and then headed to another park right on the water. The girls were truly all in their little heavens. They swung, slid down the giant slide, threw rocks in the water, called for the ducks, and saw tons of doggies while being in the sunshine. It was great.
We're having another playdate today with the St. Clair and O'Connor family and will hopefully soak up our last bit of sunshine before the rain comes again. But, we've truly enjoyed it and it just makes me so anxious and super excited for our summertime fun!

Guinness Chocolate Cake

Since I had nothing planned for St. Patrick's day and saw this cake posted on facebook with great reviews, I decided to give it a shot. And it was SO delicious. Who knew a little Guinness could make a cake so very delicious. I would TOTALLY recommend this cake for any occasion. It's so good all by itself, but I'm sure would be yummy frosted as well. Mmmmm...I have to fight the urge to nibble on it throughout the day!

Guinness Chocolate Cake

1 cup Guinness draft beer
3/4 cup sour cream
1 stick unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 tbs. vanilla
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups flour
3 cups confectioner's sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and line (I used parchment paper) a 9 inch springform pan. Pour the Guinness into a large, wide saucepan. Add the butter and heat until the butter is melted (I had it at about medium temp). Whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat teh sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the pan with the Guinness mixture. Finally whisk in the flour and baking soda. Pour the cake batter into the greased, lined pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Leave to cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack. Mmmmm...super delish!