A Few of Our Favorite Things

Rory's Picks

1. Freshly Picked Moccasins

I've been obsessed with these mocs ever since I saw the owner on Shark Tank last year, but I couldn't bring myself to spend the $60, especially since baby feet grow so quickly. Fortunately for me, I have a very generous friend (thanks, Lu!) who bought Rory a pair during one of their flash sales. They're all leather, super soft, durable, and best of all...made in the USA! Rory often complains about wearing shoes, but she doesn't seem to mind wearing these. They're so soft and stretchy, I don't even think she realizes she has them on. There are loads of colors and sizes to choose from...Rory also has a pair of Freshly Picked pineapple mocs that I can't wait for her to fit into. If you follow the company on Instagram, you'll be notified of their flash sales, which make them slightly more affordable.

Freshly Picked Moccasins in blush.

2. Sensory Table

Ever since we came home from Mexico, I've been wanting to build Rory a sand table. She really enjoyed playing in the sand in Mexico, and as a teacher, I know how beneficial sensory play is. So last week, I dragged Rory to Home Depot where Nick in the lumber department helped me choose the right wood and then cut each piece to size so that all Marcos had to do was drill the pieces into place. It turned out great, but unfortunately, it's too cold to fill with sand and put outside. Luckily we had some extra pasta in the house that Rory seems to think is just as entertaining. During the winter months I plan to fill the bin with things like corn, cotton balls, rice, and anything else that I happen to find on Pinterest.

She's not quite tall enough to reach it on her own. 

Cheap entertainment at its finest.

3. Saying "No"
I'm sure everyone but Rory would agree that this one is self-explanatory.


Lindsey's Picks

1. livesimply.com

This blog is like porn for hippes, y'all. I mean, this woman makes her own (all-natural) hand sanitizer and laundry detergent, for crying out loud. (I've already ordered the ingredients for both.) I also like her approach to meal planning using whole foods, and she has lots of ideas for homemade gifts. (I apologize in advance to whoever is at the receiving end of my attempt at these homemade gifts.) Her posts are funny, reader-friendly, and full of gorgeous photographs. I'm most excited to try the homemade apple pop-tarts and all natural sunscreen.

Homemade Sunscreen: How hard can it be?

2. Chick-Fil-A Fridays

I have a confession to make: I eat fast food. As much as I pride myself in eating whole, unprocessed foods, I cannot resist Chick-Fil-A. Maybe it's the waffle fries or the combination of honey mustard sauce and delicious chicken, but I'm pretty sure a chicken nugget meal from Chick-Fil-A is what heaven tastes like.  I'm not sure when or why it started, but for a few months now, Marcos and I have deemed Fridays Chick-Fil-A night. I was a vegetarian for five years, so maybe I'm just making up for lost time. As soon as Rory is down, Marcos goes through the CFA drive through, and upon his return, we feast on trans fats and wash it down with carbonated poison. It's really the only time throughout the week that I allow myself to eat anything processed or fried, so I don't even feel that badly about it. I swear. I don't.

If you insist.

3. Homemade Tortillas
I hate that the tortillas from the grocery store are full of ingredients I can't pronounce and definitely don't sound like anything I should be ingesting. Yesterday I had a craving for black bean enchiladas, but I didn't have the time or energy to run to Whole Foods to buy the all-natural tortillas, so I decided to make my own. It was one of the easiest things I've done, and they tasted amazing. They had exactly four ingredients: flour, water, baking powder, and oil. (One of the reviewers even said that it's possible to omit the oil.) Rory had fun "helping" me with the dough, and she was a big fan of the finished product, too. Here is the link to the recipe I used. I'll probably double it next time and freeze some.

Cheese! 

I'm wearing pajama bottoms, too. Don't judge me.

Flour-faced.