Vranicar Family: Party of 5

I can count on one hand the number of manicures/pedicures I've had since having the boys. This isn't for lack of wanting to have my nails look beautiful, but more for a few other reasons: 1. I feel guilty taking an hour for my nails 2. What I would spend on being pampered could be spent on alot of other things 3. I couldn't relax anyway- my mind would be going over all of the things that I "should" be doing at home or what I could be getting done at home instead. Then, a few weeks ago, I met my cousin James' wife Julia and she changed my life... :) well, the life of my nails that is. Meet Jamberry Nails ! Gone are the days of nails that chip and flake after only a few days! Gone are the days of mani/pedis that take all afternoon and most of your cash, too! Jamberry Nails arm you with style and confidence, while demanding very little of your time or money.  Yep- these nails shields are your ticket to fabulous nails! Now, if you are like me ...

Good morning! I may be jumping back on the protein powder wagon after about a six month hiatus. I have to admit- I was overwhelmed by all of the choices and frankly, the lack of results I was seeing. BUT since trimming down my  running mileage and upping the amount of weight I'm lifting I think I'm finally seeing more muscle. Because of this, I also need to fee this new muscle if I want to sustain it so, here's today's breakfast: Blueberry Banana Protein Smoothie 1 scoop protein powder ( I used BiPro whey protein but I also use Isagenix protein powder- just make sure it is all natural) 1 small frozen banana 1 T Chia seeds 1/4 C frozen blueberries Toss it all in the blender, let it whirl around a bit, in my case it was until Parker decided the blender was too loud. It was delicious, 20 grams of protein and under 300 calories. Do you have a great protein shake recipe? I'd love you to share it!

I have to admit, I had all but given up on JCPenny until..... I was school shopping recently with my sister and spotted this beauty from across the store! With cooler air on the way, what better way to welcome it than with this tangerine scarf ? And to top it off, it's on only $9.99! This piece will transition into fall easily when paired with nearly any color. I'm looking forward to throwing it over that adorable dress I got at MODE. Go get it before they're gone!

A friend of mine asked for some resources in finding healthy, slow cooker recipes which inspired me to get mine out for dinner tonight. The boys in this house are BBQ fans so anytime I can use it as a dipping option or marinate something with it, I do. Today I decided on pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches, using my mom's BBQ sauce recipe. This is an easy alternative to buying store bought sauces, which I do use, but with high fructose corn syrup as the first ingredient, I'd rather make my own when I can. That's not to say that mine doesn't have sugar in it, but I feel a little better knowing what my ingredients actually are. Mary's BBQ sauce: 2 T liquid smoke 1 C ketchup 2 T Worcestershire sauce 1/4 C vinegar 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 C water 1/2 C water 1/2 C brown sugar 1 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp celery salt Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil on medium heat for approximately 10 minutes, sauce will be thin. Place boneless, ski...

A friend of mine (who just so happens to have a SUPER cool website/blog of her own... Minnesota Baby ) recently posted a picture of her daughter wearing a shirt which said, "My life is on Facebook". I commented on the picture, saying that I needed those for the boys- I don't think a day goes by that I don't update the cyber world on what my boys are doing, have done, eaten, played with, visited. Most of the time I post these updates or photos without thinking about who's newsfeed they will pop up on and just post them. In some way, I use Facebook, this blog, Instagram, as a sort of virtual baby book. But...I will admit that it is fun to see how many "friends" agree that the photo of Cooper taking off on his new bike for the first time is the best photo they've seen all day and that he really IS the most talented three-year-old ever.  Or that the video of Parker dancing around the living room, swinging his arms from side to side nearly taking out h...