Tatted Up!

Wednesday, April 26th, I got my "last" 3 tattoos.  It has been 7 years since I had gotten any and I had been thinking about these for a while.  I don't know why but I really wanted them before I got married so Wednesday after the gym Lesly went with me to get them done.  A local tattoo guy in Mt. Pleasant did them at All's Fair Tattoo and he was amazing.  Not only was the shop clean, Nate, the artist was so knowledgeable and did the best job.  

I got love never fails with an arrow going through the bottom on my left ribcage.  This portion of the bible verse also matches/ goes along with my wrist tattoo which is love is patient in Arabic.  

all finished

I also got two geometric very small dumbbells on each of my inner bicep.  Fit for LIFE!  I love them.

I had such a great experience and these three tattoos are the perfect addition to all my other tattoo, they are small, meaningful, and tasteful...in my opinion.  If you ask my Mom she'd have another LOL!

Case Days

I get Case a couple days each week and now that he's getting older and the weather is perfect we have been having so much fun.  I love doing activities with him and just watching him play.  He's so funny and loves hanging out with Hendrik and I. 

at the zoo back at the end of March

playing in the yard this past Saturday

watering the flowers this past Saturday

lunch with Hendrik at the table of knowledge at the Dairy Bar

he loves doing his "paperwork" when we are at the office

ready for lunch and nap time

so excited to dye Easter eggs

checking the corn at Bavaria

working in the garden with all the big kale

baling hay with Hendrik a couple weeks ago

playing with the water hose in the backyard

trying to learn to ride his scooter at the park in Sulphur Springs on our fun Thursday

splash pad fun in Sulphur Springs before lunch

wiped out after lunch headed home for nap time.  He didn't make it from downtown Sulphur Springs to the interstate before he was asleep.

getting a fat belly eating his weight in peaches this past Thursday

watermelon and chicken watching after nap time on Saturday afternoon

We have so much fun together and I'm so glad that I get time with my nephew.  As he gets older I know he's only going to get more and more fun but for now I love him being little and showing him all the things he needs to know in life. LOL 

Backyard Beauty

Since graduating last May one of my main goals was to get my yard the way I wanted it by adding a pergola to the back, taking down the volleyball court, and adding flowers.  I finally got everything just the way I wanted it before our wedding and I love it.  It's simple but adds the right touches to enjoy our back yard.  There is a ton of room to grow it to be more but right now I'm satisfied with my few flowers and growing green grass.  Now if that Texas heat would come on so I can enjoy sunning myself on my Sunbrella loungers.  

finished back patio with pergola, picnic table and loungers

my pretty daisies keep blooming

picnic table from Wayfair adds the perfect touch and added seating by the grill

looking out into the yard from the back this used to be a volleyball court but early this year we took it out and made it part of the yard again so that's why our grass is scarce back here.  Posts and lights left over from our wedding reception that I plan on leaving up.  

view from yard looking towards house- hanging baskets have citronella plants to keep away mosquitoes 

back by large tree we have a fire pit and more chairs as well as my old picnic table that I really want to get rid of. 

chicken coop cleaned up nicely and I made a small bed in front of it with drought resistant flowers for the full sun and heat exposure it gets

one of our hens laying her eggs

next to the coop is the garden that I didn't do much with this year. I have cauliflower, kale, spinach and onions all begging to be harvested

I'm so glad that I can mark off the backyard redo off my list of things to do.  It has turned out to be a perfect place to enjoy Case playing, grilling for ourselves and friends, and just sitting and enjoying the end of our day.  

Blue Apron Trial

A couple months ago I listened to an awesome podcast called S Town.  If you haven't listened then check it out HERE!  It is completely fascinating and binge worthy!  So in the end of the credits there's a plug for Blue Apron and they give you a web address to go to to get a discount on Blue Apron.  I made a note in my phone to check it out.  I love cooking...or used to a lot more than I have time for now so can't see the use of these services...not to mention I gather they can be quiet expensive.  When we got back from our honeymoon I was going through my notes and found my Blue Apron note.  I went to check it out and signed up to receive 3 meals for $29.95 or something right around that which is half the full price.  Without a discount you would be paying around $60 for 3 uncooked meals delivered to your door.  I thought since I was only out $30 sure I would give it a try for something different and fun.  I know several people have tried Blue Apron on occasion and a few others who use other services like this.  I received my package of food on Tuesday May 16th and cooked two out of 3 meals on Wednesday and then Friday of the same week.  

The box came neatly packed with cold packs and every ingredient you needed of your recipes.  It also had large recipe cards of each of the three recipes that we received on our menu that week.  I closed the box back up and put it in the frig until the next day.  

I never got around to making the chicken and sweet pepper tostadas recipe but I did use the ingredients for a little mash up of my own.  I sort of got unmotivated by the end of the week and had several different items laid out so I didn't waist the ingredients I just didn't follow their recipe either.  

The first recipe that I made was the shrimp and squid ink spaghetti dish.  All the ingredients were in the box except the cloves of garlic.   I was a little annoyed since all the recipes called for the garlic and it wasn't in the box.  I had garlic on hand but I felt like the point of the services was FULL service but whatever....  Everything else was there.  I laid out my ingredient and my recipe card and started reading. It took me a bit longer than the time shown on the recipe card simply because I had to stop, read the next step, and so forth and not being familiar with their set up it took me a bit of time.  

The recipe turned out just like the card shown and it was really good.  I messed it up a bit by adding too much sea salt to my noodle water so my pasta was REALLY salty.  That took away a bit of the flavor I think but overall it was a different and fun dish that we had never had before.  Also after making it once I could see myself grabbing these quick and easy ingredients and cooking this meal at other times.  It wasn't a difficult task just new and different. 

On that same week Friday I made mozzarella and arugula paninis with a zucchini and arugula salad.  I loved this dish but Hendrik didn't.  The arugula ruined it for him but I thought it was light, clean, and easy.  I could see myself eating this again on a weekend or a night when Hendrik would be working late.  

Again my finished product looked just like the picture which makes you feel good once its complete.  

So that was my Blue Apron trial menu that I got for half price.  My opinion...I'm glad I got a discount because there is no way in hell that I would pay $60 for the food that I got.  I mean I guess you are really paying for the convenience of not going to the grocery store and not using your brain to think what to make for dinner because you still have to make the food and it is quick and fast stuff.  Yeah it looks gourmet and it is different than your Wednesday night spaghetti or Tuesday night tacos or Friday night leftovers but I can't see and won't be subscribing more to this service.  It was fun and different to see what it is all about but definitely not worth the hefty price tag.  I would like to keep an open mind and if I get discounts at the other sites that do this I would give them a try as well...not because I want to do this permanently to feed our household but just to try new things and compare the services to each other.  I'm sure there is one out there that would actually be worth it but to me Blue Apron isn't it.  Fun and different but not a permanent fixture for my household or my checkbook.  

Have you tried any of these food services and if so what are your thoughts?