Stealing Kisses

Nicolette has been doing the sweetest thing for the past week or so. I still nurse her right before bed and we do that with lights off because it's good "wind down" time for her. Well, she'll start nursing and after a minute (or less), she'll sit up and lean her little face into me and give me a kiss then she snuggles back in to continue nursing.  Sometimes she'll even sign "thank you" after I give her the kiss before she lays back down. MELTS MY HEART! She'll do this several times before she actually nurses. Oh my good golly...it is sooooooo sweet. She is the most precious little thing and these are memories that I do not ever want to forget.

Tiny Dancer

Yesterday was the milestone of all milestones! Nicolette's first dance class!!!! It's just a mommy & me class at our YMCA and we didn't even do any ballet positions or anything but I had so much fun. Nicolette was the youngest by far so she's definitely got some catching up to do. She was so interested in watching the other little girls (a couple 18 month olds but the rest were between 2 and 3) jump and skip and dance. It will be fun to watch her learn and hopefully develop a love for dance!

Tiny Dancer!

Waiting to be invited into the studio! 

They don't make leotards small enough
(that I could find), so mommy had to improvise.

We're in the studio!!!!

Of course Nicolette is drawn to the amp
#loveselectronics

Dancing! Maybe she should be a dj instead? 

"hmmmm....lets just turn up the volume a little bit!"

So excited to be sharing first dance lessons with her buddy Leela!

I promise she had fun...geez this girl can whip out a stone face
like no one I've ever met!

I debated whether or not to enroll her in this class because she is so young but took her to the studio one night for the Open House for the dance program and she just danced and danced and danced. So I figured what have we got to lose, we'll be in this together! So looking forward to the next 6 weeks (and hopefully next 20+ years) as a "Dance Mom".   

Menu Planning Challenge

So the Italian and I don't eat out or get take out very often (#toocheap)...we eat out or get take out maybe once a month and for the first time today I decide to menu plan our breakfasts, lunches and dinners for the week. While doing so, I realized that I am totally stuck in a cooking rut. I love to cook but have gotten stuck cooking the same 5 or 6 dinners every, single week. I don't mind eating the same breakfasts and lunches over and over again but I'd really like to mix up our dinners so I'm challenging myself...at least 1 new recipe per week. I'm going to TRY (no promises) to document our journey in order to hold myself accountable and I'd love to get ideas on recipes to try from any of you! Looking for yummy, not too complicated, not 100 ingredient recipes and as little to no dairy as possible to try each week so please, please, please feel free to post your recipe in the comments section and I hope to give it a try soon!