Currently.

Loving: the Threads bracelets that Ashley from The Shine Project sent over for me (pictured above). They're so pretty and I've been wearing them almost non-stop for the past couple of days. They make me really happy, and they're even cooler because they're for a truly great cause. A little more about them via The Shine Project: Threads is a cause driven business that changes the future of at risk youth by employing them and instilling values of self reliance and hard work. They are paid fair wages for the bracelets they make, and in turn are able to pay their way through school. Many of Threads employees are first generation college students. Even beyond financial support, your belief in them is symbol of hope and trust that they can achieve what for so long seemed impossible. By purchasing Threads you are wearing more than just a bracelet, you are wearing change. You can buy your own bracelets here- my personal favorite is the neon yellow- so cute!

Reading: I'd like to say that this past week has been full of reading but every time I have a free moment to pick up a book I end up falling asleep and accidentally napping. It's terrible! It's my goal to get my sleeping back on track and go to bed earlier than 11. I wake up in the morning to work out even if I'm tired which is totally counterproductive to being healthy, so I need to just wind down with reading a lot earlier. This holiday weekend will be a little crazy but next week I'm hoping to stick to my goal of a no-later-then-11pm rule. Amber's in town though, so we'll see how that goes...and let's also note that the current time is 11:09pm. Oops.

Watching: The Bachelorette. If you are a regular reader of this blog you know I love this show, and this season has been great. I am so all about Jef- his personality reminds me a lot of Hank's and I think he is the cutest thing ever. Some of my Bachelorette-watching friends disagree that he'd be a great match for Emily but I totally think he would be! This Monday are the hometown dates and it's always my favorite episode of every season. Do you watch? Who is your pick for Ms. Maynard?

Anticipating: A couple of things. One, this weekend. It's our town's Frontier Days which is always such a great time. Henry walked in the Kiddie Parade this morning, and we have the big parade tomorrow morning. Later that night is the rodeo dance, and Sarah and Natalie are coming up to go out with my girlfriends up here. THEN Amber Joy gets into town, and is here for two weeks. So much fun!

Listening to: Right now I've been listening to a couple bands and songs NON-STOP, and they're all really different that it's almost weird. First of all, it's important to note that Hank detests country music. Detests it! I, on the other hand, happen to love it. I'm a pretty strange bird when it comes to music- I go from rap to country to classical all in the same playlist. I tell you this though because the other day Henry and I were playing in the living room listening to music and my current favorite country song came on (Springsteen by Eric Church) as Hank walked in the door from work. The look of disgust that came across his face was priceless. I of course had to turn it up and do a little two step around our kitchen island, and then turn on some Shania. Take that, country music hater! I don't know why I find it so funny that he dislikes it so much, but I do! I think his least favorite country song ever though would have to be that Country Girl Shake it for Me song by Luke Bryan. I get made fun of a lot for that one. But on a different musical note, I also have been listening to the band Such Gold all day, every day. They're a melodic hardcore band, and although I don't listen to much hardcore these days I absolutely love them. They're touring with Strung Out and The Swellers pretty soon and I can't wait to see them live for the first time.

Planning: My trip to NYC! I'm headed out that way in exactly 3 weeks to stay with Emily in Brooklyn, and I can't wait. She already has a million things planned for us to do both in BK and Manhattan, but we are both always open to suggestions. So if you have any must-dos, must-sees, etc. please let me know. I'd love it, actually!

Working on: being less irritable. Ugh, it pains me that I even have to work on that but it's true. Sometimes I can be so snippy with Hank for no reason and I hate it. Or I often find myself getting annoyed at people throughout the day. For instance today there was a woman in front of me at the grocery store who was taking so long to decide what book of stamps she wanted. I literally wanted to scream. And then I caught myself, thinking what the hell is wrong with ME?! When did I become so impatient and easily annoyed? So, I'm trying to just be a bit more light-hearted and stop focusing on weird things that I have no control over.

Wishing: that all of you could join my girlfriends and me at the Rodeo Dance tomorrow night. It's seriously such a slice of Small Town, USA, and it's totally worth experiencing. If I remember I'll try to take some video with my iphone to share on Sunday!

How about you? What are you up to today? Feel free to do your own "currently" post on your blog and link back in the comments for everyone to check out. And thanks again to my dear friend Megan for providing the original inspiration for these posts.

Currently.

Sunday Funday! Yesterday was awesome.

Reading: A couple of books. I am about to start Insurgenttoday (part two of the Divergent trilogy) and I'm really excited. I've also been checking out different gardening books. Our backyard is in the process of being landscaped and although I grew up with a Mom who grew everything in our backyard, I am clueless. We have a huge yard that will soon be perfect for a garden but I have no idea where to begin. I just want to start really small, so if any of you have any recommendations on books or websites to check out I'd love that!

Watching: So Henry still takes two naps a day, and I usually use the first nap to get things done around the house (dishes, vacuuming, etc.) and then the second nap I'll typically watch some television via Apple TV while I work on blog stuff. His afternoon naps is usually at least two hours so I can often watch a couple of episodes of whatever show I'm into at the moment. I finished up Parenthood (amazing) and decided I'd start something a little different so I watched the first episode of The Vampire Diaries. Now, you need to know that I have a love for really cheesy shows, especially ones on the CW or ABC Family. Remember my obsession with Make it Or Break It? Anyway, even after the first episode I knew I'd love it so that's what I'm watching now.  I love vampire stuff, and I am definitely a Twilight fan (even though the writing is horrible and NO vampire story can ever hold a candle to Anne Rice), so this is a fun show to add to my vampire show love-list, along with True Blood.

Anticipating: today! Well, later today. One of our best friends Alex is coming to visit with his girlfriend Stephanie, and we are all so excited. They are on a cross-country trip to move Stephanie to San Francisco from Brooklyn, and they are stopping here for a couple of days. Alex has already visited our little town but Stephanie's never been here (and we've never met her!). So I'm really, really looking forward to the next two days.

Laughing about: Henry's ever-growing vocabulary. A friend asked me how many words he uses right now, and I said about 15, but then Hank and I counted last night and I think it's closer to 25. This kid's vocabulary has exploded over the past week and I feel like he has a couple new words everyday. Yesterday Hank and I were dying from laughter as Henry yelled "COOL!" about 100 times in a row on our drive home from Phoenix. "COOL! COOL! COOL!" over and over. It was too adorable to be annoying, but ask me again during our next two hour drive. ;)

Listening to: The Swellers. I don't know what took me so long! Hank loves this band and I always avoided listening to them for one reason or another, but while driving last week he put them on and I fell in love! The song "The Best I Ever Had" pretty much sealed the deal for me and I'm looking forward to seeing them live this upcoming Sunday.





Eating: one of the best pizzas of my life at Le Grande Orange. Now, I'm from the East Coast so I feel like I know pizza, and the pizza I've recently had at LGO is up in the top three pizzas I've ever had, and the best "gourmet" pizza by far. We got the roasted corn pizza, which is also topped with goat cheese and basil and it is truly to die for. If you've been to Phoenix, have you ever visited LGO? If not, seriously make a trip, and seriously try their corn pizza. It's amazing.

Working on: a couple of things I feel like I'm always working on. It's a weird thing, being a human. No matter how many times I tell myself to do this, or not do this, it's always hard to really change your ways, no matter how big or how small. But then I think about things I've accomplished in this mind of mine, and it's promising when I feel discouraged. I used to be so sensitive towards criticism, mean comments, or things of that nature. And it's par for the course when putting your life out there. Granted I only share a small portion here, but still, I used to get devastated when I'd see that someone had left something unkind in this space. I cared far too much to the point of letting it ruin my day (which makes me feel kind of pathetic to admit). But I was surprised recently when I received some particularly vile remarks that it didn't bother me in the least. I know it seems silly, but that was a huge triumph for me. I can talk the talk all day about being positive, but 100% walking the walk no matter what has always been a little difficult. I feel like I'm more there than I've ever been, and this makes me so happy. So I think to things like this when I find myself feeling defeated by personal goals I'm working on (why did I let that person's shittiness get me down? why can't I just get up and feel motivated every morning? etc etc...) I think to things I've overcome and it keeps me moving forward and making progress.

Wishing: That my family lived closer. My sister and her husband are building a house out by my parents', but I wish so badly I could transport all of them up here.

How about you? What are you up to today? Feel free to do your own "currently" post on your blog and link back in the comments for everyone to check out. And thanks again to my dear friend Megan for providing the original inspiration for these posts.

Currently.

on a walk this morning with Henry's buddy Max and my friend/Max's mama Veronica. We always have such a good time walking and chatting away. Today we got some iced coconut tea too- my favorite!  

Reading: So much! I have a huge summer reading list I'm working on right now that I hope to share with all of you sometime next week, and I'm excited to get cracking on it. I actually already started reading the first book I chose and I am loving it so much. I'm going to do a proper review of it once I'm done so I'll wait until then (probably Sunday or Monday) to talk about it. But I'm really looking forward to finishing the book list and picking a couple more must-reads for this summer. I hope some of you will read along with me as well!

Watching: Parenthood. And I have to ask myself: "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG TO WATCH THIS SHOW?!" It's amazing. And I also have to laugh at myself, because so many people told me to get into it (just like they did with Friday Night Lights, Gossip Girl, LOST, etc.) and it was only until I was bored one late night that I decided to finally give it a whirl. I'm so happy I did. I have an unabashed love for television- I really love "my shows" (hello, is this my Mom speaking?) and once I fall in love with a series I have to watch all of the episodes. Hank and I used to love watching box sets of series back in the day, pre-Henry, and we would stay on couch for hours some weekends and power through seasons of LOST. Nowadays I am lucky if I can watch an episode a night of whatever show I'm into at the moment, but it's a enough for me and something I really look forward to.  

Thinking about: how sad the aftermath of the Whiskey Row fire is. This past week I was driving to hot yoga and talking to Hank on the phone when I noticed a huge cloud of smoke billow up from the downtown area. I wasn't too sure where it was coming from, and I was initially really freaked out that it was coming from one of our family's businesses. As I got closer I saw that the fire was actually a street up, right on Whiskey Row, and as I made my way down Goodwin to the studio, I was passed by fire trucks and police cars speeding over to the Bird Cage area. As it turns out a faulty kitchen appliance started a huge fire that destroyed three businesses. So, so sad. Luckily the fire was contained but SO much history was lost- irreplaceable things- and it's devastating to think about the lost jobs and people's lives that will be forever changed. On the bright side no one was hurt, and I am hoping this summer the town can come together to rebuild it.

Anticipating: this weekend! Hank and I will be celebrating my sweet Shirley's 30th birthday. I can't give any details because she faithfully reads here and her party is a half-surprise, but I will be back after this weekend with fun photos. I can't wait to celebrate one of my most favorite people in the entire world. She's the kind of person that always goes above and beyond celebrating everyone else, so one day dedicated all to her is pretty much perfect in my book...although I think she should get a week! We also have my second Mother's Day on Sunday, and I'm looking forward to a lot of pool time.

Listening to: Aloe Blacc. All day. Henry LOVES him, and especially the song "I Need a Dollar." If you're viewing this via RSS be sure to open this post in a new window to listen below.

Eating: fruit. Salad and fruit (or hey, even fruit salad!) are my staples in the spring and summer months. Heavy food always just sounds gross, so lighter, in season produce is where it's at. Henry is also obsessed with berries so our breakfasts are always chock full of them.

Working on: feeling good in my own skin. Well, I'm always working on this, but lately I've been feeling great about just being me. I know that this one go-round I have, this one life I'm living, is way too short to focus on ridiculous things like feeling unhappy with things I can't change (although at times this is hard to remember). But yoga has helped me a lot with appreciating my body for what it is- celebrating all of the amazing things it can do- and I don't want to ever spend time hating it or feeling upset because I don't look a certain way or live up to some perfect image I've created in my mind. It's a good place to be, and I want to keep working on it so I continue to make strides to total self-acceptance.

Wishing: that I could make time slow down. Every morning Henry is a little bigger, says a new word, and I just feel like it's all going by way too quickly. I try my best to savor it but I so badly wish I had a pause button I got press every now and then. But what a cliché thing to wish for right? So here are some other things I'd love to have, right now: an unlimited supply of magic Gouda cheese that never made you gain weight, even if you ate a hundred pounds of it, sunglasses that didn't make little marks on either side of my nose, and a huge pool in our backyard. Oh, and I'd also love a private Lil Wayne concert for all of my girlfriends and me for my birthday. Drake could open too. Perfect.

How about you? What are you up to today? Feel free to do your own "currently" post on your blog and link back in the comments! And thanks again to my dear friend Megan for providing the original inspiration for these posts.

Currently.

 I have a thing for self-portraits & clouds, I guess. I have about 3 or 4 photos just like this.

Reading: In Zanesville: A Novel. I just started this book so I'm only on page 14 (I actually just put my Kindle down to type up this post), but so far so good, if I can even judge it yet. It was a random book that Amazon recommended to me, and I've had good luck with their recommendations before, so I'm hoping this one follows suit. I think it's something about the summertime, but as soon as May rolls around I always find myself reading more than ever.

Watching: Rosemary's Baby. Again. This movie is in my top three movies of ALL TIME and I watch it often. I love everything about it- the story line, the architecture of the old buildings, the clothing (oh, the clothing!), and of course, Mia. And what I wouldn't give for a first edition copy of the actual novel, from 1967. If you haven't seen this film, rent it tonight! I know you'll love it in all of its creepy glory.

 
Thinking about: lots 'o blog stuff. I read an amazing post recently and it was everything I needed to hear- it's probably the best post about blogging I've ever read.  So seriously, if you have a moment, check it out. It started a whole series of thoughts, especially since I'd already been thinking a lot about how I enjoy it most when I don't care or think about numbers or hits or page views and just write, and that's what I've been doing. I also really loved what Ryan said about negative comments and/or criticism. I used to get so bent out of shape by stuff like that but it doesn't bother me at all anymore. And not even the pretend "it doesn't bother me at all" then go obsess about it for 30 minutes kind of thing I used to do. I've evolved/grown up, whatever you want to call it, and I don't mind the negative stuff at all. If everyone agreed with me or loved me, that would be pretty boring, and I think it was important for me to come to the conclusion that if I put it out there, I am opening myself up to whatever may come, good opinions or bad. I'm happy to just go with the flow and it's awesome to have this sense of peace with it...I am almost 30 after all! Ha.

Loving: hot yoga. I've been going 3-4 times a week for the past few weeks and I am so in love with it. My sister, Mom, and a couple of my girlfriends had been going down in Phoenix for awhile and I'd wanted to try it forever. I attended a class of a friend up here and loved it, then ended up checking out a different studio with another friend of mine and really, really fell in love with it. It's been by far the best thing I've ever done for myself physically, and the benefits extend to my spiritual and emotional self too. I was scared to try it at first- all new things (especially new things in 90+ degree heat) can be a little intimidating, but if your local studio is anything like the one I go to it's absolutely worth giving it a try. And if you do, let me know what you think!

Anticipating: the month of May. There's always so much excitement going on- Mother's Day, Shirley's birthday, my birthday, our anniversary, and Hank's birthday (even though his is June 1st).  Lot of love, lots of celebrations!

Listening to: Gaslight Anthem's new song from their album that will be released this summer. They are one of my favorite bands, and although I liked it I wasn't the hugest fan of their most recent album. From the sound of this song they have returned to their roots, and I am really excited to hear the rest of the tracks. This one is great!



Eating: salad. I'm on the biggest salad kick. I have a favorite homemade dressing I make that I've gotten all of my friends obsessed with too, and it makes every salad that much better.

Feeling thankful for: lots. Hank and his ability to snap me out of any bad mood I find myself in. Henry and his new "scaring everyone" game that leaves us laughing so hard we cry. Mexican food (always). The simple but often overlooked things- our home, enough food, etc. And for being able to spend free time exercising...this one is huge and I'm so grateful Hank and I make it a priority for both of us to get in gym/yoga time throughout the week.

How about you? What are you up to today? Feel free to do your own "currently" post on your blog and link back in the comments!

Currently.

our little shopping buddy, mesmerized by the birds chirping inside Lowe's.

Reading: The Lucky One. All of the classic and non-fiction books I love aside, I have a confession. I LOVE Nicolas Sparks books. Like really, really love them. These are the "fun" books I used to treat myself to in college and grad school when I got sick of the heavier reading, even though most of his books leave me crying into the pages. I like Sparks though because I know what I'm going to get, and I especially enjoy that his books usually get turned into movies I almost always end up loving too. This particular one is good too, so far! I'm only on Chapter 4 but enjoying it- his writing totally speaks to my sappy, cheesy side which, let's face it, makes up much more than just a side.

Watching: GOSSIP GIRL. I wrote about this last time (and maybe the time before too) but whenever I get a moment at night while Henry is asleep, and Hank is at class, gym, or practice, I indulge in some me-time and watch some GG. I honestly can't get enough. I'm currently in on episode 6 of Season 4 and I still can't believe I never watched it before this year! Other TV shows I refused to watch but then got into them much later: Gilmore Girls, Glee, and Desperate Housewives. Although I stopped watching the latter of the three in Season 4 or 5- it got too wacky for me.

Working on: getting as healthy as I can. I got my blood work back the other week and my doctor informed me that I was showing symptoms of hyperthyroidism. She believes this was brought on post-pregnancy, and because my symptoms are mild we are hoping my levels regulate themselves. I had more blood work yesterday to see where my levels were, and because I'm feeling pretty great I'm hoping it's close to getting resolved. But a lot of things make sense now; the weird night sweats I was having, the feeling of being light-headed...and apparently acne can also be a symptom! Crazy.

Thinking about: how much a certain change has really affected my outlook on blogging. As you guys may have read in my last "Currently" post, I recently stopped a particular writing obligation. I can't even tell you how much happier I feel writing and blogging here, and only here. I'm inspired, excited, and I'm really loving it again. This is not my job. It's a hobby, but it's important to me to keep doing it because I love it and not get caught up in trying to do more and more and more. Having to write when I didn't want to took the fun out of it for me. I once again feel happy and motivated about it, and I love that all of the things I would have previously published there are now in one place I call my own. One day I might find a place I enjoy contributing to where I feel like my time and effort is appreciated, but until then I will just focus just on my little corner right here.

Anticipating: my 30th birthday. It's in a little over a month and I couldn't be more excited. I know something is being planned, but I don't know what, and I'm really looking forward to spending that time with all of my best girlfriends, all in one place, wherever that place may be! 30 is kind of a big deal to me, but not for the reasons you may think. I'm actually really excited about turning 30. My 20s were so good to me, but I feel like the 30s are going to be the best yet; a time to enjoy all of the things I've learned over the past ten years and to focus on the important stuff. In the meantime, I'm enjoying pressing 2-9 on all the cardio machines for one more month, checking any and all boxes that say under-30, and calling myself a twenty-something whenever I can.

Listening to: Metric's Plug In, Plug Out Acoustic EP. Trust me and just download it or load it into your Spotify. It's not new, but it's new to me and I'm so in love with every song. If you haven't heard it yet, and end up getting it, let me know what you think!

Eating: I'm currently in such a cooking and baking mood. I've made something new every other day or so (recipes to come) and I've been enjoying trying new things and new meal ideas. Next I'm trying to "vegetarian-ize" a recipe for quinoa buffalo chicken bites! ha. Hank is excited so I really hope it works out. We'll see though- I'm using some plain Quorn chicken which neither of us particularly love, but we have some leftover in our freezer so I want to use it up. If the recipe works, I'll share it soon.

Wishing: that Cadbury mini eggs were calorie free. After my whole no-sugar thing I am still really watching the amount I ingest, but I just cannot say no to these things. Luckily I only have one of the small bags left so that should get me through the weekend. Or next hour, whatever. ;)

How about you? What are you up to today? Feel free to do your own "currently" post on your blog and link back in the comments! And thanks again to my dear friend Megan for providing the original inspiration for these posts.

Currently.

yesterday - sunshine and not a cloud in the sky!

Obsessing over: Titanic in 3D...and the fact that I am going to see it tomorrow night. Adie and I have been freaking out ever since we saw the commercial and we've been waiting for this week for a long time. I first saw Titanic when I was a sophomore in high school and absolutely fell in love. Cheesy as it may be, it's absolutely one of my all-time favorite movies. I cry every time I watch it and there's just something about it that really, really gets to me. It's such a beautiful film, and I can't wait to relive it all over again in 3D this time. Re-reading this paragraph I sound so ridiculous but I can't even help it. I am SO excited.

Working on: getting organized and refreshed for spring. I love the idea of spring cleaning- Hank and I are already super neat freaks but as crazy (and slightly annoying) as it sounds, I actually enjoy going through things, simplifying, and organizing. Last night I also came across this article- Spring Cleaning from the Inside Out- and it really resonated with me. It includes questions to ask yourself when going through things, and I found the entire article to be inspiring and very helpful. It has you ask yourself things while going through items like, "when I see it, does it lift my spirits?" "Does it have a practical use, today?" and "am I keeping it for me, or out of a sense of duty to someone else? Is it a burden?" There was some of it that wasn't 100% me (I will be the first to admit I like my "things"), but the overall message was great. Give it a read if you're interested.

Thinking about: how happy I am with a change I recently made. I decided to stop writing for Hello Giggles regularly for a number of reasons, but one of the biggest was that I felt I was giving away some of my most favorite pieces to an outside source. And for what? This is where I write and share, and I didn't like that some of my most loved pieces of writing weren't even here. I also didn't enjoy writing to a deadline- it took the fun out of it for me. I did gain a lot of perspective from my time there, and I loved being a part of it from the beginning...but it is no longer for me. I do though, look forward to sharing more of the writing here that I typically reserved for them (like my Father & Son post last week), and I will also be republishing some of my favorite HG writing over the next few months on Sometimes Sweet, just so I have them here to look back on. I wanted to thank you all so much for supporting me while I wrote there- the comments, tweets and emails about the pieces I shared meant the world to me. I may still contribute from time to time, but last week I informed them that I will no longer be an every week or every other week writer for them.  And I'm so, so happy to focus all of my energy here.

Anticipating: this weekend! On Friday we have a ton of family coming into town and we will be heading to Sedona to spend the day exploring and showing my Uncle and cousin some of Northern Arizona's most beautiful spots. They're from New York, so I know that the gorgeous red rocks will take their breath away. My Mom, sister, Grandma, and Aunt will also be joining us so it's going to be pretty amazing. Then on Saturday Hank and I have an afternoon date to (finally) see the Hunger Games, and on Sunday we will be attending my in-laws big Easter brunch. Is it bad I'm already looking forward to the crepes? Yum.

Listening to: Gossip Girl. Well, watching too of course, but I'm addicted. I only have time to watch an episode a night (sometimes only half an episode), so I've been slowly making my way through it...but I love it. I wonder how I never saw it before! Thanks to being sick, followed by my wisdom teeth extraction I've made it all the way to Season 4 and I'm on the first episode. My favorite characters by far are Chuck, Blair and Rufus!

Eating: quiche. I have one in the oven right now. I've already shared the recipe but I think I'll post an updated one tomorrow with better photos. Paired with fresh fruit it's the perfect kiddo (and adult) breakfast or lunch. Henry really loves it and it's super easy to make.

Wishing: that I had all the time in the world to actually try out all of the amazing things I pin! I think I need to make a goal for myself to cook or bake one recipe per week because my "To Cook and Bake" board is filling up at an exponential rate without me actually trying out anything. And isn't that the point of Pinterest? To actually DO rather than just pin? Do any of you have this issue? haha. Perhaps I'll actually make this sweet treat in the next week, it just looks too good not to!

How about you? What are you up to today? Feel free to do your own "currently" post on your blog and link back in the comments! And thanks again to my dear friend Megan for providing the original inspiration for these posts.

Currently...

{Tuesday's messy bun}

Loving: Prepare yourself...this is slightly (okay very) embarrassing to admit, but while I was sick I got into watching a new television series on Netflix. It's called Make It Or Break It, and it's basically a teen-geared gymnastics drama centered around a group of elite, Olympic bound gymnasts in Boulder, Colorado. It's an ABC Family show and I absolutely LOVE it. It's terribly cheesy and pretty ridiculous at times, but I can't stop watching it and have really gotten into all of the characters. I love Payson, adore Damon, and really think Summer and Sasha should be together! I haven't met one person who has ever even seen it though, so if you have, say hello! I feel so alone out here on my bad-television branch...even though I really don't think this show is bad at all. I'm finishing up Season 2 in preparation for Season 3 to begin next week and any free chance I get I'm trying to fit in yet another episode.

Thinking about: my Dad. He drove me home from the airport on Sunday night because he didn't want Hank and Henry coming down the mountain in the snow. We spent close to two hours together alone, which is unfortunately pretty rare, and it was so wonderful to have all that time to talk. I learned some things about my Dad I had no idea about (like the fact he lived in a beach bungalow for a year in Florida!) and it made me so happy to spend that time with him. I feel like it's one of those instances I'll always look back on and smile. I sure love him.

Anticipating: my wisdom teeth removal...tomorrow! AH! I've been putting this off forever and actually rescheduled this appointment about three times, but finally, the day has come. All four of mine are impacted and all four are coming out. So at 8:50am on Friday think of me as I'm getting teeth ripped out of my head. Yuck.

Listening to: Rilo Kiley's The Execution of All Things. Every single spring I feel like I blog about this but for good reason. The entire album reminds me so much of the warm months ahead and all things summer. It's great from beginning to end and it makes me so happy to listen to it, especially right around this time of the year when I am looking forward to April, May and beyond.

Eating: Ezekial tortilla pizzas. They're so simple to make and really, really good. All you do is take a tortilla, top it with tomato sauce, cheese and veggies of you choice, and bake it in the oven until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crispy. It's a super healthy meal, especially if you pile on the veggies. Let me know if you try it!

Wishing: that I could fly all of my Hunger Games-loving friends here so we could all watch the premiere together. Due to my wisdom teeth surgery I'll probably have to wait until next week and I don't know if I can make it. I'm so excited about it and I am crossing my fingers the movie does the book justice.

How about you? What are you up to today? Feel free to do your own "currently" post on your blog and link back in the comments! And thanks again to my dear friend Megan for providing the original inspiration for these posts.

Currently.

my current favorite photo of Henry

Obsessing over: printing out all of the photos I've taken of Henry over the past 15 months. I was looking through an old photo album at my parents' the other day and realized that I have nothing physical like that to have as a keepsake. I doubt that one day in future Henry will sit and peruse my Flickr account when he wants to see baby photos. So my plan is to go through all of my photos month by month and print out 3 copies of each. I'll make 2 photo albums (one for him, one for us) and then have an extra copy for any projects, etc. he may want them for. I'm not a scrapbooker, so these are just going to be old-fashioned albums. I'm excited, even though the task seems completely daunting considering the amount of photos I've taken!

Working on: This is just my hobby (NOT a job), but for some reason, I catch myself feeling weird- like I'm not "keeping up with the Jones'" once in a blue moon. And that is too often for me. By the way, I have no idea who the Jones' even are. It's weird though, and I started thinking about this when I caught myself apologizing for an Instagram collage in a recent post. Who am I apologizing to? And why? This blog has a large readership, yes, but why in the world would I apologize to people for sharing photos of my happiness- albeit not the best quality photos, but still, why? I share a little of everything- beautiful photos from my DSLR, some from my point and shoot, some from my phone, so I'm just trying to shake off this idea that I have to measure up to some weird ideal I've gotten stuck in my head from who knows where. All of the blogs I love are a mix of everything, yet all of a sudden I had a strange guilt for not producing posts with great photos, all the time; like I was copping out using Instagram photos. Over it now though, and I don't expect to feel that way for oh, about another 6 or 7 months! ;)

Thinking about: how excited I am to get tattooed tomorrow! It's been awhile, and I couldn't be happier about adding something really, really special to my thigh. Let's be clear though- I am not excited about the pain- I hate hate hate getting tattooed, and it only gets harder the older I get...but I love the outcome so in the end it's worth it. I'll wait and share what I'm getting via a post later on, but just know that it officially brings me fully over to the literature-nerd side, as if I wasn't already there. Excited!

Anticipating: a fun weekend. Tomorrow night is tattoo night, Saturday is Carter's 2nd birthday party, and Sunday Hank, Henry and I have a fun family day planned.

Listening to: Lately I can't stop listening to Neko Case. Do any of you listen to her? I've loved her for a long, long time and have fully enjoyed all of her amazing projects she's partaken in with that incredible voice of hers. My most favorite album of hers though is Blacklisted, but oddly enough I'd never gave her newest album, Middle Cyclone, a listen. While in San Francisco Alex mentioned that one of his all-time favorite songs was "This Tornado Loves You" and now I can't stop listening to it. Neko Case is amazing and and I firmly believe she is one of the great voices of our time.





Eating: sweet potatoes. So many sweet potatoes! I always love them, but lately I've been on a one-a-day kick. I usually like to throw a couple in the oven for dinner- Henry loves them too! I prefer mine with butter and sea salt, but adding cheese and broccoli is delicious too. Fun fact: sweet potatoes have been said to increase the chances of having twins or multiples! Seeing that my Dad is a twin I better lay off once we start thinking about baby #2...unless we want #2 and #3 at the same time! ha.


Wishing: that air travel was free. There are far too many faraway friends I'd like to visit.

How about you? What are you up to today? Feel free to do your own "currently" post on your blog and link back in the comments! And thanks again to my dear friend Megan for providing the original inspiration for these posts.

Currently.

Currently...

Obsessing over: this no-sugar thing! I LOVE IT and have never, ever felt better in my life. Sounds crazy, and I guess it is a pretty crazy thing to say, but it's true. I can't wait to share more about it in a post tomorrow.

Working on: my fitness. Remember that Fergie song? haha. But really, lately I've had such a fire burning under me to workout. I attribute this to my new way of eating, and I've also been trying out new things at the gym and I'm feeling super motivated to be the healthiest I can be. Don't you love that? Whenever I get myself going to new group classes I always feel this way. And speaking of group classes...

Thinking about: Henry and his freakout this morning at our YMCA's child watch program. About two mornings a week I meet my other Mom friends for Body Pump or random aerobics class. The classes are so hard and the best workout, and I like that Henry is able to interact with different kids and the two caregivers in the room right next to the fitness room. It's a great program and I feel really comfortable having him in there for that hour, but the past three times I've come back the ladies let me know he's been crying and won't stop. When I leave he seems like fine, today he didn't even look up when I left, but it was so upsetting to walk in today after class and see him trying to catch his breath from crying so hard. I don't know what to do- I'm thinking I should just do shorter amounts of time until he is really comfortable- maybe 15 minutes then come back in? I am open to any suggestions. I also am okay with just not going...maybe he's just not ready. But then at the same time I feel like by avoiding situations like this it only reinforces his separation anxiety. Veteran Moms, any ideas?

Anticipating: San Francisco! We are headed to visit one of our dearest friends Alex for the weekend and I'm so excited. I can't wait to be back in one of my favorite cities with some of my favorite people. I anticipate a lot of eating at fabulous restaurants, sightseeing and enjoying being in a different place for a couple of days. It's going to be a short trip but I can't wait! I also feel lucky to have great friends who house and dog sit for us too.

Listening to: Drake's Take Care. Every time I post about listening to rap on Twitter or Instagram people are always shocked. I don't know why but it's funny to me because 75% of the time that's what I'm listening to. Hank often makes fun of me saying that my readers would laugh if they knew that most of the content of Sometimes Sweet has been written to the sounds of hip hop. I remind him that I also love my folk-ish rock and country too, but I think he just gets a kick out of the fact that I know the words to so many of my tough gangsta rap songs.

Eating: Wasa crackers and almond butter. Delicious.

Wishing: That everyone I knew was on Instagram. That's a weird wish, I know, but I really, really love that app. It's probably my favorite thing about my iPhone and the internet. I think it's just so cool to be able to keep in touch with friends via photos of their day, and see what they're up too. It's fascinating.  I think it will be even more fun once Android users can get the app too. My user name on IG is danihampton, find me and say hi!

How about you? What are you up to today?