27th

What an amazing long birthday weekend I enjoyed. (Thank you all so much for your kind and thoughtful words on my special day. Ya'll are too sweet!) It might have been the most jammed packed (definitely longest) weekend we have had as a family since Ezra was born. Kellen took off Friday and Monday from the news giving us plenty of time to really enjoy ourselves.

Friday we thrifted with the little guy and hit up one of our favorite local vintage spots, The Lucky Tiger. I'm pretty sure if we were childless when this store opened we would have set up shop and never left. But with so many little lovelies right at little guy's fingertips, our visits are few and far between.That evening my sweet husband could not resist and gave me my present a night early. I opened the box to find a FujiFilm Instax 210. He couldn't have done any better.

Saturday Kellen and I had set aside for a day date (we have both concluded that we should do more often)! Ice skating, frozen yogurt, antique mall shopping, and dinner at an adorable new restaurant made for an amazingly sweet and insanely long day. Before dinner we stopped back by our house to have a mini b-day celebration with my family and Ez. I felt so incredibly loved (...and received two wellness books I have already devoured! Absolutely perfect gifts! Thanks, guys!) We ended the day with a little wine nightcap and laughing at how ridiculous our ice skating skills are.

Sunday we packed up the whole fam and headed down to Kansas City to stay with my mom for yet another birthday party. (I'm a crazy lucky gal with all this love in my life.) My mama served us divine homemade veggie lasagne and Ezra had a huge kick out of playing with Amir, her dog and I'm pretty sure his best friend. (He talks about this dog in his sleep and it's the sweetest thing you've ever seen.) We took Ezra to Crown Center and let him go wild in the toy store, watch the outdoor ice skating, and draw us some perfect scribbles at Crayola. Later in the evening the hubby and I headed out to a delicious dinner and drinks at McCoy's (voted best vegan/vegetarian bar food in KC by The Pitch and one hell of a brewery). Our meal was totally scrumptious and throw in some Winter's Ale and you've got the beginning to a totally fun date. We chatted and snuggled and enjoyed the wealth of couple time that we had graciously been given. We looked back on the last year and planned for the upcoming one. We reveled in the moment, being in a city we don't often visit with a free ticket to simply enjoy one another. Several beverages and one cab ride later we flopped down on my mother's bed like teenagers, whispering about all the fun we'd had.

Monday morning came bright and early with Ezra sharing a room with us. Oh, sweet birthday hangovers. But with some breakfast, showers, and a little bit of children's television we all managed to have a great morning and make it out of the house with relative ease. But how could we not be super stoked? We were on our way to the Sea Life Aquarium. With it's womb-like qualities and all the awesome fishies Ez seemed to have a pretty good time at the aquarium (minus a small tantrum). Of course we purchased a cheesy photo of us all fleeing from a giant octopus. I am such a sucker for that type of silliness and Ezra giggles, saying "FISH!" every time he sees it. Perfect. We finished our time in KC with lunch at Cafe Gratitude, an absolutely perfect end to our celebratory weekend.

I am so very, very fortunate for all the love and abundance that I have in my life. Thank you so much everyone that helped to make me feel so special.

Namaste.

Tara

27 (little) Things I Love At 27

Today is my 27th birthday. We have a very exciting, long weekend planned and more than anything I am thrilled to be able to spend more time with the people I love the most. My favorite peeps plus ice skating, dinner date, and a night in Kansas City - I am super pumped to get this birthday train a'rollin'.  So on that note I thought I'd share 27 little things that I am currently crushin' on. I hope that you enjoy these little loves!

1. FRESH JUICE! Ah, can I even put into words how much I adore this stuff? Full of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, phytonutrients, and antioxidants, it is the coolest stuff eva! I just bought a brand spankin' new juicer and I am crazy, head over heals in love. (I promise recipes soon!)

2. Wanderlust Speakeasy lectures. Some brilliant minds out there sharing some very potent and badass info for free online. Is there anything better?

3. Podcasts. Listening to smart, funny people talk about things they are passionate about is addictive. Plus, it makes hours of playing with blocks on the floor more enjoyable for everyone! Current family fav: Roderick On The Line. 

4. Herbal tea! Can't get enough, especially a recently acquired little homemade blend by the lovely Rachel of GoodnessMeGoddess (and one of my besties). So lovely and soothing.

5. Playing "cooking" with Ezra in his new kitchen set. He loves bringing me water and preparing some lovely "food" for our bedroom picnics, while yelling "cook" the entire time. It is hilarious and I have decided that is how I want to prepare my food from now on. "COOK!"

6. Hard-core butt kickin' workouts! I'm still maintaining my daily asana practice (and feeling more connected to it than I have in a long time), but I'm making room in my exercise routine for some serious cardio and strength training. Jillian Michael's "30 Day Shred" in all of its shreditude is totally kicking my ass right now and I love it! Well, hello abs! I had forgotten you were in there!

7. The West Wing. Thank you, Netflix for our new date night in entertainment!

8. Ezra's weekly Tunes of Fun music class. With all that singing and dancing sometimes I think I'm having more fun than him!

9. Solo dance parties! Sometimes nothing feels better after a long day than to jump around like an idiot and sing your heart out.

10. Pickled garlic! Ezra's favorite snack and super simple to make, it has become a staple in our house.

11. The Truth About Beauty: Transforming Your Looks and Your Life From the Inside Out by Kat James. Very high on my current love list and a great resource for anyone looking to upgrade their "beauty" and overall health regimen. 

12. My skin! With lots of fresh juice, decreasing my dairy intake, a serious increase in exercise, and saying "NO!" to added sugar has transformed my skin. It just feels hydrated and clear in a way that is hasn't in a long time. Outside of vanity it's really invigorating to see the physical changes that taking care of yourself can produce. Yay, clear skin!

13. Shiva Rea's Yoga Trance Dance. If I'm in the mood for a guided at home asana sequence this is my go to right now. Prana flow just makes you feel good and the yoga matrix she uses is super user friendly and fun.

14. Sprouting! Delicious and keepin' in fresh in the winter sprouts have become a lovely addition to our kitchen. (And Ezra just loves watching them grow!)

15. Kellen's homemade hummus. With fresh tahini (from our black sesame seeds) and soaked chickpeas this stuff is seriously amazing (even if it looks like tar)! We usually enjoy this with some raw veggies or if I'm really in for a treat I get to have some hubby-made crackers with nutritional yeast. So good!

16. My nails. I stopped biting them this year and I finally feel like I have a woman's hands. That might sounds strange, but I'm so happy to have kicked that nervous habit and painting my nails is more fun now so I do it more often! 

17. "Par-chips" aka parnsip chips. We are currently addicted to these bad boys. (Recipe soon to come!)

18. Gratitude journaling. A lovely and simple way to keep myself humble and in the presence of love.

 

19. Hibernation. The snow and low temps have kept us indoors most days making the most of books and songs and silliness. As ready as I am for warmer weather and spending our time more connected to nature this time of year has a sweet spot in my heart. There's something rejuvenating about hiding out in your own little world for a few months, giving yourself time to be disconnected. This quietness sometimes causes cases of toddler stir-craziness, but I love it none the less.

20. FAGE Greek Yogurt. Super delicious, no added sugar, and not ridiculously expensive. Yes, yes, and yes.

21. No mo' coffee! After having Ezra I became a caffeine junkie, going from 0-1 cups of coffee every other week to 2+ cups a day. Talk about giving your adrenals a big f you! Running on so little sleep I was desperate for a pick me up, but I am happy to say that I have now kicked the habit. Speaking of sleep...

22. SLEEP! Oh, god, how I love to sleep. Ezra has been consistently sleeping through the night for about six months (outside of the occasional nightmare) and I feel like I have regained my sanity. It's so nice to not be going to bed at 7 PM (only to get a combined 4 hours sleep) anymore! A big hip-hip-hooray for sleeping!

23. Stitch Fix. High quality clothing delivered to your home for a small styling fee, but hey if you decide to purchase any of the items sent to you the fee is applied to your purchase (making the styling completely free)! I feel like this company was made for me. I love high quality boutique clothing, but don't really have the time to shop. I have only received one "fix" so far, but all of the clothes were pretty spot-on with my style and not ridiculously priced. Love it.

24. Beehives. Not the ones with bees in them, the ones you wear on your head. I've become addicted to the 'hive. Once you know what you're doing it's really quick, easy to dress up or down, and you are guaranteed to look adorable. This "Messy Beehive" tutorial from Carrie at WishWishWish is lovely.

25. Knitting. Over the holiday season I learned how to knit. It took me some time to get comfortable with it after crocheting for years, but it is definitely fun to add another skill to the craft repertoire and mix it up a little bit.

26. Our new cast iron skillet. We have been meaning to purchase one for years and now that we have it we absolutely love it.

27. This list is mainly very small things that are bringing more light into my life, but I couldn't make a love list without included my biggest loves of all, my boys. They are my heart, my everything and I can't wait to spend another year sharing this adventure.

FALL 2012 @ AKMA

Here's to 27!

Namaste.

Tara

Hands Down Lovely

Yesterday was about the best darn day I could've imagined.

Ezra got me the best birthday gift imaginable. He slept through the night for the first time ever. THROUGH THE NIGHT, PEOPLE! FOR THE FIRST TIME, EVA! This is the most amazing thing that's happened to my personality in a long time. I've realized that I'm actually a pretty nice lady when I am able to sleep more than a couple hours in a row!

Seriously though, that boy's got some good timing. Friday morning I woke up around 5 AM wondering what had happened, where I was ...and then immediately assumed something was wrong with the baby. I ran into his room only to hear the soft hums of a babe in slumber. I quickly sprinted back into our room and jumped into bed so as not to tempt fate. Our dog witnessing the whole thing gave me the good ol' puppy head tilt and I couldn't help but start laughing. It was the perfect way to start the day.

After my early morning rousing I couldn't get back to sleep, a combination of ridiculous excitement over this new development and desire to take advantage of some alone time. It's amazing what an hour to read and drink your coffee in quiet will do for a person! For once when Ez woke up I was thrilled to hear his little whimpers and begin our day together, not my usual sloth-like, grunting morning self. The look of confusion on Ez's face when I began singing and dancing as a prepared his breakfast said it all. Who is this lady and what have you done with my grumpy pants mother?

So here's the kicker. The first time Ezra slept through the night also coincided with the hubby's "spa day" birthday present. Just too good, right? So after a full night's sleep and a home-cooked meal by Kellen (cornmeal brussels sprouts with spiced yogurt- so good!) I went and had a hot stone massage along with a manicure/pedicure. I'm a total gloating pain in the ass right now but ah, seriously, it was the best thing ever. Feel free to take a moment to hate me.

Sleep + spa day = personality transplant.

Yesterday was a big victory all around. I'm just going to bask in its glory for a bit.

Wishing you all a great weekend!

Tara

26

So today is my birthday and honestly, it's been a pretty rough week around here. Ezra has decided to boycott sleep and this mama is very, very tired. Unfortunately we've got lame lack of sleep timing as I'm working more than usual at the museum this week. Even with my heavier work load it is still no where near full time and I am so incredibly fortunate that I get to spend as much time at home with the family as I do. I have to keep reminding myself of that and all the other wonderful things in my life as being sleep deprived has made me a pouty mess.

 This week = grumpy, poo pants face

So as I type this, delirious from sleeplessness, I am trying to think back on this past year. So much has happened that's it's almost too much to think about all at once! This time last year I was out with my best peeps celebrating my b-day with a night out on the town. I was just to the point in my pregnancy where I was clearly "showing" and "glowing", that happy stage after the nausea and before the feelings of being a GIANTESS. I remember feeling so loved and being so ridiculously excited for the upcoming year. I mean, I was going to have a baby for goodness sakes! What? 

It might have only been a year ago, but that night feels like a distant memory.

This has definitely been a year of extremes. My 25th year on the planet I discovered the greatest love that I could ever imagine, but I also faced some pretty dark times as well. Motherhood has been much more of a rollercoaster than I was fantasizing about those many months ago. I didn't know my heart could grow so much. I didn't know sleep was optional. I didn't know how much fun I would have. I definitely didn't know how much time I would spend trying to recreate the womb. Ha!

Real love takes challenges though, doesn't it? If everything was easy we wouldn't know how much we were willing to fight. We wouldn't know how deep those bonds really were. I now know that my husband is actually the most selfless person alive and that we can pretty much rock any situation! I know that I have a silly, awesome baby that is willing to be very vocal about his needs (like his mama) therefore I never have to worry about him being a doormat! I know that we are in fact a badass family that loves one another to the ends of the Earth!

Looking forward, I am excited for this upcoming year in a way that I have never felt before. I am excited to see all of the amazing changes that I know are coming with Ezra! I can't believe that he will (barring any issues) be walking and talking this time next year! Ah, little baby words with his adorable little baby voice! I can't wait! I am also so excited to continue to grow as parents (and partners) with Kellen. I hope to be gentler with our love in this upcoming year and hopefully repay some of the emotional debt I have racked up over the past several months.

So yeah, it's been a kind of rough week. But who cares? I mean, really? Those are inevitable. But even through the exhaustion I can feel all the amazing love around me and am thrilled for the next 365!

Namaste!

Tara