swim lessons with sunsational

Bear has always been a "water baby", loving the water pretty much since birth. Zach and I both learned to swim around age four so we knew we wanted Bear to have swim lessons this summer. A friend sweetly offered for Bear to join classes with her son (they're big buddies!) but after realizing it was all the way downtown, we declined. As busy as our summer has been, we needed something more convenient and conducive to our schedule. Not to mention now that you all know our big news, I didn't feel like doing a lot of driving being this sick. That's when we realized Sunsational Swim School was exactly what we needed. The instructors travel to you at your home or community pool to teach one on one lessons at your chosen times. If you're a mom of multiple, you can schedule any/all kids at back to back times. Perfect for busy moms, especially in the big city!

As much as Bear enjoys being in the water, he has never, ever liked to put his face under. Zach and I were both really skeptical, thinking there was no way the instructor could get him to go under water. I was actually a lifeguard for three years (many moons ago) and taught a lot of swim lessons, yet still could not get our little man to willingly get his face wet. His instructor, Candace, somehow worked her magic and got Bear to go happily under the water! Zach and I were both amazed at the fact that he not only did it, but seemed to enjoy submerging. 

Bear had a total of four hours of lessons and in that short time, learned the following: float on his back, tread water, push off steps and go under (not quite swimming, but close), monkey crawl around side of pool, blow bubbles, go under and grab a dive stick, jump off side of pool and submerge, and more that I'm probably forgetting. Had he had a little more lesson time (we sadly ran out of summer), I know he would've been officially swimming with just a few more lessons. We are amazed at how much Candace was able to teach him and how well he did with the lessons. Most of all we loved how easily we fit the lessons into our schedule since our community pool is only a couple blocks from our house! We didn't have to worry about traffic or travel time, and I loved being able to choose which days/hours worked best for us. All in all, Sunsational is a great choice for busy moms and little ones who need the essential life skill of swimming.

My parents are visiting for the weekend and Bear is getting mega-spoiled; he has already gotten countless toys and endless ice cream. Safe to say he's in heaven! Hope you're having a sweet weekend, too!
xo, Britt 

some big news...

We have a little secret to share...someone's gonna be a brother Bear!
 We are so thrilled and overjoyed for Baby #2, arriving end of February 2018. 

I have no idea where to even start- there's so much I want to say in this post! I feel like I have some explaining to do because I've been such a bad blogger the past several months, but hopefully now you'll understand why. Similar to my pregnancy with Bear, I have been very sick this go-round. Throwing up several times every morning (every single morning) and nauseous all day long. I was talking with one of the teachers at Bear's school today and she described it best: it's like you constantly have the flu, for months. Luckily I'm able to keep food down this time (wasn't the case with the first pregnancy) so that has been a blessing. I could complain about the sickness or just embrace the fact that it means a healthy little baby is growing inside of me, so I choose the latter. But to those of you whom I've cancelled plans with or if you've wondered why I've been so MIA, that's why! The times I do get out and do things, I have to absolutely force myself because A- Bear still deserves a fun summer! and B- I honestly feel better if I'm not just moping around. The sickness lasted until about 20 weeks with Bear and I'm 12 weeks now, so hoping it all passes soon. Thank you to all my sweet friends who have been patient and understanding through this first trimester!

We found out really early on (morning sickness kind of gives it away) and decided to tell our families when we were home for the 4th of July. We knew it was early to share the news (I was about 5 weeks), but would also probably be the last time we'd all be together, face to face, until Thanksgiving. We had last minute t-shirts made at a mall kiosk and surprised both sides of the fam. Bear was especially so excited to share his big news! I love that he's old enough to really understand and be excited for a little brother or sister.

(Zach didn't want a shirt so he got a $5 JCPenney find)

Zach and Bear have been saints through this pregnancy, taking such good care of me with tasks like cooking supper every evening and washing all the dishes. I'm so thankful for my sweet boys and everything they do; we're all so excited and thankful for this baby. Many of you don't know, but we had been trying for almost a year. So this little one was highly anticipated and while it seemed like a long wait at the time, we are just incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have another child and know that everything is in God's timing. I have several close friends who have struggled with infertility and it's been important to me to be sensitive to everything they've gone through, as I can't begin to imagine what that is like. My heart goes out to anyone reading this who has ever gone through infertility- I wish I could give you the biggest hug.

We DO know the gender of this baby....we've known for a week now and I promise we will share on here very soon! I won't make you wait more than a week, 2 tops. The most important news is that the genetic testing all came back normal, so the baby is healthy and right on track (already measuring big according to the doctor, which comes as no surprise to us). If you're friends of ours in Houston and want to know the gender, your best bet is asking Bear. He can't keep a secret and will gladly tell you. :)

For those of you we've shared the news with already, thank you all very much for your well wishes. We have really felt the love and hope you know how much it means to Zach, Bear, and me. We love you all and want to thank you for sharing in this journey with us!
xo, Britt

chocolate chip funfetti cookies

We had a "back to school" playdate at our friends' house this afternoon and decided on these cookies to take as our treat. Pretty safe to say they were a hit because we didn't make it home with a single cookie (and a few of the kids weren't happy they were all gone towards the end of the party). The moms were asking what kind of crack we put in them but the truth is- these are some of the easiest cookies you'll ever make. Tasty and easy, total #momwin.

You may have guessed what makes this recipe so easy- a funfetti cake mix is the main ingredient which also makes the cookies rich, dense, and delicious. I have always been a sucker for funfetti and while Zach strangely isn't a fan, I haven't encountered too many other crazies like him. You may remember these Gooey Funfetti Bars that are also super tasty and quick to whip up. Bear is a sprinkle fanatic (I even catch him eating handfuls in the pantry from time to time) so naturally he's on board with all things funfetti. 

If you love gooey, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies, chances are you'll be a big fan of these. I actually baked them yesterday afternoon and they were perfection warm out of the oven with a big glass of milk, but equally as yummy this afternoon. They stayed really soft- just make sure you store them in an airtight container for up to a week. Even though they probably won't make it that long (at our house, not a chance).

Ingredients:
1 15 oz box Funfetti Cake Mix
⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
3 tablespoons sprinkles

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, oil, eggs and brown sugar. Mix until there is no longer any dry cake mix spots. Then gently stir in the chocolate chips and sprinkles.
3. Scoop or roll out dough into 1 inch balls. 
4. Place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes or until slightly golden on top. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Store in an air-tight container for up a to a week.

We are headed out the door for Bear's swim lesson; he only has two lessons left and he's so close to getting it down! I'm so proud of my little fish. Fingers crossed he can master swimming before the summer's over and fingers also crossed I don't melt during this lesson in the 1,000000000 degree Houston heat. Does Sonic deliver Route 44 sweet tea? I'd tip really, really well. 

Thank you for stopping by! Happy baking! :)
xo, Britt