batter up

last sunday, we spent our day in pensacola. first, we visited a local bike shop where i unsuccessfully attempted to sell my trek soho s (the guy that owns the shop doesn't work on sundays). then, we browsed world market for a bit. i really like that store. i specifically enjoy the variety of drinks & snacks that they offer. my favorite thing to do is to pick something new each time i visit. so then we walked through downtown pensacola for a while & stopped at a taco truck that, no exaggeration, serves the best taco i've ever had in my life. if you're ever in pensacola, z taco's eponymous taco is where it's at. after i wolfed that down, we made our way to the pensacola bayfront stadium to watch the blue wahoos baseball game! the stadium is brand new & so, so nice, i just wish it was about twenty degrees cooler! it was probably the hottest day of the summer! thankfully, baby girl wasn't incredibly fussy, so that was a relief. i don't think we would've lasted nine innings with the heat & a grumpy kiddo. we did, however, leave the game around the fifth or sixth inning due to an oncoming rainstorm. we booked it out of there as soon as we saw lighting in the distance. all in all, our first family baseball game was great! unfortunately, it was one of the blue wahoos last games of the series, so we'll have to wait for the next season for more. on the bright side, hockey season is fast approaching!

(we were in the souvenir shop when my husband shouted, "daniel tiger!" & then promptly bolted out the door to ask if we could take a photo with him. daniel is baby love's favorite thing ever & she couldn't stop staring & smiling at him.)

an anniversary + a family bike ride

yesterday was a very productive saturday. husband took daughter to breakfast with his bandmates & friends, & i got a jump start on cleaning the house & photographing clothes to sell. most importantly, i was waiting patiently for fedex to deliver my new bicycle! when it finally arrived, i couldn't wait to ride it! husb put it together, i took it for a test spin, then we packed up & headed downtown for a family bike ride.

i loved looking over at baby girl, sucking her thumb during the majority of the ride. she's the sweetest thing i've ever laid eyes on.

i absolutely l o v e my bike! it's fun, comfortable & cute. we all had a good time & we look forward to many more family bike rides. i was genuinely bummed when we had to pack up to go home. 

august sixteenth also marked eleven years since husb asked me to be his girlfriend! i still can't quite wrap my head around the fact that we've been together for over a decade! cheers to a hundred more!

baby nomz // butternut squash purée

when the time came to start introducing food to my baby girl, i knew that i wanted it to be homemade. i wanted to offer her fresh, organic fruits & vegetables & keep as far away from anything manufactured or preserved. so with that in mind, i bought a couple of baby cookbooks, a béaba babycook & a set of silicone ice cube trays & hoped for the best! come to find out, making baby food is ridiculously easy! 

i've been making my daughter's food for a few months now. this was my first time cooking butternut squash.

first, preheat your oven to 400 degrees, wash your butternut squash, cut it in half, lengthwise, & then scoop out the seeds.

place the two halves flesh-side down onto a cookie sheet with about a half-inch to an inch of water, depending on how large your squash is & how shallow or deep your pan is.

bake in the oven 40-60 minutes until tender. after baking, set aside to cool. once cooled, i divided the squash into six sections, peeled the skin off with a paring knife, then cut the squash into smaller pieces to place into the processor. save the excess water from the baking pan.

purée. (i added about a quarter cup of the cooking water to thin the purée. the cooking water retains some of the nutrients lost during the baking process, therefore, it is more beneficial to use than freshly boiled water.)

pour purée into ice cube tray, leaving enough space at the top to allow expansion during the freezing process.

place in freezer for about 24 hours. once frozen, remove purée from ice cube tray(s).

label a gallon-size freezer bag with the name of the food, the date you made the food &/or the date it will expire. butternut squash can be frozen for up to three months.



i use this baby food processor & these ice cube trays.
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lean closet movement

through a youtube video, i stumbled upon a brand called, cuyana, & was immediately inspired by their lean closet movement. follow the link to learn about the project in detail.

i am a minimalist at heart & find pleasure in getting rid of unnecessary items, old clothes, "stuff" -- i am not a fan of "stuff." this movement/project/way of thinking & living had my name written all over it. in terms of fashion, i tend to gravitate towards simple basics that i can wear multiple ways, that are timeless, easy & light on the wallet. my go-to outfit is comprised of a neutral colored, loose-fitted top, dark-wash skinnies & my arizona oiled black birkenstocks. on hotter days, i'll trade my jeans for a high-waisted maxi skirt or cotton dress, still, keeping it neutral.

after spending time reading about the lean closet movement, i hit the ground running. i purchased two packs of wooden hangers from amazon to swap out for the plastic ones i had, & while i waited for them to arrive in the mail, i hit up pinterest for tips on closet organization.

when my hangers arrived, i locked myself in my vanity, turned on my music & went to work.

i sorted the piles into keep, sell & donate. i've decided to create an instagram shop (@shop_mxnica) which is where i'll be wheelin' & dealin' & what i'll be working on this week. i've got a lot "stuff" so if you're interested & have an ig account, follow on! (& while you're there, add my personal account, too! @mxnica)

it feels good to narrow down my closet to what i really & truly go for on the daily. unfortunately, the majority of my current wardrobe consists of long-sleeves, knit sweaters, jackets, & cardigans -- i swear, i'm not built for the summertime. with that said, i'll leave a link to another lovely brand, everlane, that specializes in high-quality basics & staples. i love their u-neck tees!

i hope i inspire at least one person with this "lean closet" & "fewer better" mentality. it can be applied to more than just clothes.

-m

enthusiastic wave

hello & welcome! my name is monica & this is my blog. 

i am very excited to start writing again.