Spring Break... Heck Yes!!

IT'S SPRING BREAK... well, at least for me it is! I'm off work all this week... so what does that mean? 

Well, this means that this Momma is going to do a whole lot of nothing... and a whole lot of something. haha. My plans consist of resting, catching up on some much-needed deep cleaning on our house, some re-organizing, exercising, tanning... and of course, my favorite... playing and spending time with my favorite little boy! I'm super excited and looking forward to some time off! I'm also going to go through the 2 closets here at our house and the other 2 at my parents' house and to some "spring cleaning" on my closets! 

Speaking of cleaning out my closets... I'd like to share a little story with you all! The other night I was complaining to Jesse that I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to wear! As always, he laughed. Why? I'm not sure... but every single time I say this he just laughs and says, "OK." Maybe it is because I have many closets full of clothes that I don't wear. I know, I know... ridiculous, right? Well, let me explain this to you a bit... Most of my clothes are from before I was pregnant and had Gabe... so most of them don't fit me like they used to. But I keep telling Jesse... well, when I lose more weight, I'll probably wear them again! His reply? Well, he says "Ami, when you lose more weight, you're not going to want to wear your old clothes! Just sell or donate them and buy all new clothes when you're ready!" So, how could I turn this idea down? He actually told me to buy new clothes!! Whoa!! hahaha. So, that's exactly what I'm going to do. I also always say that I don't have a purse to carry...when there is a tub full sitting in my closet. His response to this? Get rid of a few if you want to buy a new one! hahah. But I can't help but think.... "One day, I just might carry this one again!" :) 

Speaking of buying purses, I'm on strict orders to not buy a new Coach bag while in Florida! haha. We shall see how this goes! I've been wanting a new purse... and a Coach bag would be perfect! But, perhaps I'll settle for one that's a bit cheaper!

Anyway, back to Spring Break talk. This week also means getting down to some serious work out time. Since I'll have all the time in the world this week... it's time to get serious in the gym. My goal? Run/Walk at least 2 miles or more each day. Eat lots and lots of veggies and fruits. I've been doing pretty good at the fruit/veggie thing. It's hard cutting out all those fabulous foods that I love...but I'm trying to keep the mindset of "Hard work pays off...this is what I want." So, keep your fingers crosses. It's getting down to crunch time before the beach....and I'm bound and determined to get into that bikini! :) 

Have a wonderful week friends! :) 

Beautiful Sunday!

Hello Friends!!

It's such a beautiful day today! What is with this weather? It's March and it's sunny and warm and gorgeous! I can't believe it... but I'll take this over a cold, rainy day anytime! :)

So today, we're going to hang out with Jesse's brother, sister-in-law, and the kids. Hopefully we can get outside and enjoy this weather! I've been itching to let Gabe go out and enjoy a day outside playing! 

Speaking of my favorite little man... we're teething again. Yes, it seems like this process is never-ending. We've been in the teething stages for quite some time...but those little teeth just never seem to want to pop through. This Momma is definitely hoping that they decide to make an appearance soon. Gabe's been restless for the past several days and has gotten up more than once at night because his mouth was hurting him so bad. Teething Tablets, Orajel, and Tylenol just don't seem to be doing the trick. Hopefully those little teeth come through soon. It's bound to get better, right? 


Oh & I'm pretty sure that our little guy was starting to crawl today. He looked like he took a few small steps but it happened so fast and he was flattened out again on the floor in no time. But Jesse and I both saw it... so hopefully we'll upgrade from scooting to crawling in the next week or so. 


Anyway, that's all she wrote for now! Have a wonderful Sunday friends! 

Reminder to self: Always tie diaper genie bags!

Well friends, I have a confession. I forgot to tie the bottom of the bag to our diaper genie this last time. Here's what happened...

Yesterday, I went to get some groceries leaving Gabe and Jesse at home. I came home, food for Jesse in hand, only to find him in Gabe's room... staring at me as I entered. "Come here, I want to show you something" is what he said. I could tell by the sound of his voice... this wasn't going to be good. He then said... "When you empty the diaper genie and put in a new bag, you tie it, right?" That's when it hit me... I knew exactly where he was going with this. I couldn't help but laugh. "Oops... did I really forget that part?" Yes, in fact I did. Jesse said that when he noticed it was full, he took the bag out, only to have about 100 diapers fall out onto the floor and about an inch of pee sitting in the bottom of the genie. "MY BAD" I said...laughing just a little. He said that he worked on cleaning it all up for a long time. "I was literally knee deep in poo, Ami!" I responded by saying..."oh, it couldn't have been knee deep...maybe toe or shin deep!" hahahahha. 

So, note to self and to all those mama's out there: Always, Always tie the diaper genie bag when replacing it! hahah. I'm glad that Jesse was the one cleaning it up! I probably would have gotten sick by all of it! :) 

Have a good one folks! 

Bikini Body Time

Well, it's not secret to any of you all that I've been dieting since the first of the year. Though I am 10 pounds lighter than I was then... it's still not enough. Now, with our Florida Vaca right around the corner, along with my best friend's wedding, and let's not forget summer... It's time to get down to some SERIOUS business! 

I would very much like that body back that I had in Highschool. I was thinking today about those days and how funny it is that I was trying so hard to be thinner back then, and now... I'd kill to have that body back. So, what am I doing about this? I'm going on a strict Fruit & Veggie diet! Trust me, I know it's going to be hard... because I'm a carb-loving girl. I love my breads, cheeses, and caffeine. However, I am aware that in order to get results, some of the things that I love most are going to have to go. I spent an hour or so tonight cutting up some fresh fruit and veggies. I also whipped up some green beans to have on hand for the rest of the week. Now, my fridge is stocked with some green beans, fresh strawberries, grapes, grapefruit, apples, and broccoli. I'm limiting myself to one coffee a day and then it's water, water, water! I am also going to start running/walking everyday. And... to get myself a little more motivated, I'm going to tan. Why? Because tanning will get me more motivated to lose weight. I know, it sounds crazy, but it's a self-motivation for me! I have no doubt that it's going to be tough, but I'm determined to get into a bikini in Florida! 

Some pictures for motivation... 

I want to have that cute body back. I want to be a fun, energetic mother for Gabe. And most of all, I want some self-confidence back. So, to add to my motivation I am hanging up one of my bikinis in our bedroom... for a constant reminder of what I am working towards! I'm soooo ready for summer. The beach, pool, tanning.... ahhhh, it just doesn't get better than that. I hate to admit, but I didn't make it out to the pool or beach one time last summer. With Gabe being in the hospital, tanning by the pool just wasn't a priority. However, this year, my favorite little boy will get to enjoy the summer with me! :) 

I want to share a recipe that I found on Pinterest. It's a sweet twist to a healthy snack. They're called... "Sour Patch Grapes." I made these the other night, put them in a Pyrex bowl, and popped them in the fridge so they're always on hand. Jesse even liked them too... I'm positive these are a new staple food in our home now. So, here's what you do: 

Rinse your grapes off really well and make sure they're still a bit wet. 

Then, roll them in your choice of Jello powder! 

And, VOILA! You now have Sour Patch Grapes. 

I used green grapes and rolled them in Strawberry Jello. So delicious... and it's a nice twist to a healthy snack! I hope you get the chance to try these... I'm sure you'll be hooked the first time you try them! :) 

Alright, that's about all for tonight. I'm going to clean the house up and then head to bed. Have a good one folks! :) 

Forget crawling, I'd rather walk!

Hello friends! 

Just wanted to give a quick update.... 

Here's what The Schiff Family has been up to lately: 

• Gabriel got dedicated at our church this past Sunday. 
• Of course, being the forgetful person I am, I forgot my camera! 
• Have no worries though, our Church records every service, so this Momma will definitely be getting a copy of it! 
• We're getting settled into our new home. 
• I've found a new love for the Shark Steam Mop. 
• My mom let me borrow hers... and let me tell you, I'm loving how clean my floors feel. 
• I'm on a fruit and veggie diet now... 
• Gotta lose some more weight before our Florida vaca. 
• Did I tell you that Jesse might be able to go with us? 
• We're super excited... 
• Just trying to figure out some little details of schedules! 
• Speaking of schedules... 
• I registered for Fall Classes today at SIU! 
• I'm super excited! 
• Now, to get serious about the assistantship! 
• I'm hoping and praying that something will work out! 
• We got a new car! :) 
• It's a Ford Explorer! 
• Soooo much more room for all our things... 
• You know, with a baby, there's a lot of stuff to bring along! haha. 
• Gabe is scooting all over the place! 
• I'm starting to wonder if that boy is ever going to crawl... 
• I'm beginning to think that he might just skip the crawling and go straight to walking... 
• Since he does love standing up all the time! haha.
• Gabe is also laughing all the time.. 
• It's the cutest thing ever! 
• He's ticklish! 
• Even cuter! :) 
• Well, that's our week in a nutshell! 
• Hope you all are having a fabulous week! :) 

Happy Parents of Preemies Day!

Well, today, March 23, is Parents of Preemies Day! I'm happy to join in this celebration! 

Just over 9 months ago, we welcomed Gabriel Lee into this world... into our lives. We couldn't have been more blessed with a more handsome, healthy, baby boy. It's amazing how far he's come. I encourage you all to recognize this day with me...because like us, there are many families that have a preemie baby in their lives and have been just as blessed as us. If you want to know more, just go visit the official website --> http://www.parentsofpreemiesday.org

So today, I'm going to celebrate that I have a beautiful baby boy that I get to wake up to everyday (though, sometimes a bit early! ;)) and I'm going to take a few moments to enjoy just how blessed he has made my life. 

Happy Parents of Preemies Day!! 

We're MOVING!!!

We're MOVING!!

We have just rented a new house today!!

It's much, MUCH bigger than the house we are currently in.

Which means that Gabe will get a lot more room to play!

We are so blessed to have found such a nice place!

God is GOOD!

And...

I now have a stainless steel side by side fridge/freezer with an ice maker and water fountain.

A DISHWASHER!! that right there... sold me.

We have a full basement and a garage!!

HUGE, HUGE closets!

An enclosed cute little front porch!

AND a fenced in backyard with a little patio area...

perfect for Rylee to run around all she wants...

and for bonfires/get togethers!!

We couldn't be more thrilled!

We're wanting to get completely moved in the next couple of days...

I'm stressing a little...

There's sooooo much to pack.

Seriously, I don't know how a family of 3 has soo much stuff.

On a brighter note, I now have tons of room for all of my clothes!

Jesse has no more excuses as to why I can't buy more! haha!

Now, I have to get to packing.

My best friend is coming over tonight with a bunch of boxes to help me!

Hopefully, we can get it all done tonight!

Gabe is having a sleepover with Mama & Papa so Mommy can get all of this done!

Keep your fingers crossed.

I'll post pics soon of our new place once we get settled in!

Have a great week friends!! :)