.fancy napkin on instagram, june 2014.

life has been crazy busy lately. i know that's probably obvious or because from time to time i might whine a little about it, but i really don't know where the time has flown by. i ask myself daily how i am already 5 1/2 months pregnant? it just can't be true! 

then i remember. i'm still working full time in my day job. managing a house and 20 month old toddler. working tireless hours on 'the skinny'. doing my maid-of-honor duties like organizing a out-of-town stagette for my sister. and also a bridal shower. selling our rental property. car shopping. oh yeah, and brewing twins in my belly. 

and that my friends, is why i love instagram. daily snippets of life for a busy momma who definitely has 'baby brain' forgetting the beautiful daily small things. come follow along. 

here's life lately.

from left to right. 

top: attending our nieces petting zoo birthday party || snuggles for dada [and a whole lot of love] || hot tubbing in kelowna for the bride-to-be with a great group of girls

middle: stagette planning and party prep [assembling the welcome gift bags] || a recent photoshoot break from capturing 'the skinny' to document my growing bump with the incredible els photography and my handsome hubby || a family selfie

bottom: getting the opportunity to finally 'meet' some amazing ladies in my internet world [cindy, caitlin and sara] || a winery baby bump picture at quails gate in kelowna || a sneak peek into our upcoming project 'the skinny' with meg and our littlest assistant jack

**middle photo by meg henderson for els photography

.this month's shopping list: june.

this month's shopping list clearly dictates what has been on my mind as of late. rest, a little mama pampering, comfort, summer weather, and the planning stages for the twins room.  

shop:

1. mason pearson hairbrush || have you heard of this brush? a bit of a luxury splurge, but well worth the dolla bills from what i've heard. and since this month i'm all about pampering myself, why not give the hype a try. i have enough hair to justify it, right?!

2. maternity pajamas || i've actually found it quite hard to find a cute pair of maternity pj's. this pair cures that issue.

3. poppy barley feminine slipper || what's not to love about these flats? classic style. leather. well made. tailored to fit your feet to the exact measurement. and just basically all-around perfect. 

i have been wanting them forever, and since i feel i deserve a little tlc for brewing twins and running after a toddler, that may just be the perfect excuse to finally bite the bullet for my tired and sore feet.

4. basket || perhaps the perfect laundry hamper for the twins room? could also double as a much needed and stylish toy wrangler.

5. embroidered dress || i am dying over embroidery anything right now and this dress, although not in the maternity section, may actually still fit this growing bump! yay! and it just screams 'summer' to me.

6. maternity bathing suit || is this not the cutest maternity swimsuit you've ever laid eyes on?! 

7. cool names for baby book || oh, gosh. we have twins to name! what more can i say? we've been able to narrow down a few names for girls, but the boys have left us completely open, so this book [or your suggestions!!] are very much needed.

true story - last month we actually had a couple names narrowed down for boys too, and then by sheer coincidence the exact two names we choose, and damn it - also sounded great together, where snagged by a few close aquantances of mine. we had never spoken of baby names together ever, and their they were in my instagram feed complete with pictures of the two cutest baby boys attached to them. what are the chances?! so as the age-old saying goes 'can you still name your kids the same as a close acquaintance of yours?', even if you love them so?

oh, what to do... needless to say, this book may come in handy. and is much needed.

.ultimate nutty granola clusters.

this past weekend i finally picked myself up a copy of the new cookbook, oh she glows by angela liddon, that i've been eyeing up for some time. which is funny because it's a total vegan cookbook, although we do eat meat. but what intrigued me most was the healthy and unique recipes in it. and although we do eat quite well in our house, i know my food downfall comes to my snacking habits. 

you know the situation - out and about busy working mom who always has food on hand for her toddler but never anything for herself kinda of situation. and now that i'm carrying these twins and basically always hungry, i feel so guilty when i put quick garbage into my mouth. 

hence, the purchase of this cookbook. to try and build some healthy snacking habits.

and even though i've only had the book for a couple days, i've already made a bunch of delicious recipes and one really stood out! this ultimate nutty granola clusters.

so good, i tell you. add it to your oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies or just eat it as a snack! 

ultimate nutty granola clusters

*i've adapted this recipe to what i had in my pantry, but i included a few notes at the bottom if you want to follow her recipe exact.

ingredients:

*for angela liddon's exact recipe, sub out 1/2 cup of the rolled oats for raw buckwheat groats and use raw pepita seeds instead of the pumpkin seeds.

directions:

1] preheat oven to 275F. line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2] place 1/2 cup of the almonds into a food processor and process for about 10 seconds, until a fine almond meal forms [similar in texture to sand]. transfer the almond meal to a large bowl.

3] in the food processor, combine the remaining 1/2 cup almonds and all of the walnuts and process for about 5 seconds, until finely chopped. you'll be left with some larger pieces and some powdery meal, which is what you want. add the mixture to the bowl with the almond meal.

4] add the oats, dried fruit, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, cinnamon, and salt to the large mixing bowl and store to combine.

5] add the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.

6] with a spatula, spread the granola into a 1/2-inch layer on the prepared baking sheet and gently press down to compact it slightly. bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 18 - 25 minutes, or until the granola is lightly golden on the bottom and firm to the touch.

7] cool the granola on the pan for at least 1 hour before breaking apart into clusters. **important! this allows the sugars to harden giving you those lovely clusters rather than a crumbly mess**

8] store the granola in a glass jar in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks or freeze it for 4 to 5 weeks. enjoy!

ps. wouldn't these make such lovely little gifts? just wrap them up in mason jars, throw some ribbon and a tag on it and voila!

.at 20 weeks, with the treb twins.

at twenty weeks:

::this heartburn doesn't seem to go away. i am thinking of taking out shares in tums chewable's.

::i have been getting that same pinched nerve in my back that i had periodically with jack. fun times. ugh.
::besides the two complaints above, i am feeling great. and still beyond excited for these two.

::we have made progress on the twins nursery. it might have just been cleaning it out, but hey! still progress from two weeks ago when you could't even walk in there.
::i am craving pickles. how cliche...
::i am definitely growing by the day. my belly has 'popped' and then some.
::we got to watch out babies play/kick each other in my belly. it was quite humorous and gave us an insight into our near future. sigh. i can already hear the 'MOM!'
::we also watched twin A plant it's butt directly in front of twin B's lips. again, sigh.
::i am beyond tired. its not even worth the energy to complain about it.
::jack is beginning to kiss my belly when we ask 'where's mommies babies?". it's kind of the cutest thing ever.
::i am still feeling so damn blessed.

for those of you who don't think in terms of weeks...this means i'm 5 months pregnant! and also marks the half way mark! [which i am completely mystified over?! how are we already 1/2 way?!?!]