A New Dunn Family Lifestyle - With Recipes

My husband is on a new healthy "lifestyle" quest. He has been going to the gym, we have been watching less TV (he even unplugged it and hid it!), we have been hanging out as a family outside as much as the weather has permitted, and I have been asked to reinvent our weekly meal plans.

Now, I would say that usually I am a pretty health conscious cook and that the problem is that my dear hubby doesn't want to eat the whole-wheat, low-sugar, still-tastes-great-but-weirds-him-out, "healthy" food that I make. Half the time I don't even tell him that what I'm feeding him is healthy and usually he doesn't notice and loves it, but now that he is pursuing this new lifestyle I have free reign to make all the healthy, unprocessed food I want!

This week is the first week in my healthy menu quest. I have made salmon (first time ever cooking fish), and homemade fruit snacks, cilantro lime hummus, Vitatop knockoff muffins, and tons of other awesome things for my family. I wanted to share my success and some recipes.

• Triple Chocolate Chunk Vitatop Knockoff Muffins (seriously tastes like decadent bakery chocolate muffins. So yummy!)
• EASY Salmon (or chicken) Packets (I don't like fish so I used a thin piece of chicken. Also, I can't stress how easy this recipe is! I haven't ever made fish before, like never ever, and my husband said it was really good)
• Power Breakfast Cookies (I kinda made up my own recipe, but this link is pretty close to what I made. My 15 month old son ate these like candy, seriously he ate about two good-sized cookies every morning)
• Homemade Fruit Snacks (these are really good and easy and cheap, and I don't know why you would need to buy fruit snacks from the grocery store again)
• Cilantro Lime Hummus (this is a little spicy, and we like spicy. I think next time I will cut down on the cayenne pepper just a little)

Let me know what your favorite healthy recipes are!

Beach House Tresury

For as long as I can remember, my parents have been talking about buying a beach house. They have been searching for that perfect location and finally now that they have they are wasting no time in purchasing the vacation home of their dreams. 

The great thing about my parents having a beach house, is that we all get to use it whenever we want! Also, that its a brand new clean slate when it comes to decorating. I am so excited to finally get to use all those cute nautical themes (no ugly rental house decorations!) and to create an awesome retreat for my family.

Here is some inspiration from Etsy. 

What do you think? 

How would you decorate your dream beach house?

'Beach House' by CoreySue

Married to the Sea . large g... tastesorangey $45.00	iPhone 5 Case, iPhone 5 Cove... Case822 $15.00	Beaufort Nautical Guestbook ... RuthBleakley $75.00
Starfish Beach Decor Large P... CastawaysHall $19.00	Bulk Driftwood--100 Pieces o... TrinidadTides $20.00	Gidget Mint Octopus Infinity... CoralieBeatrix $79.99
6 Sand Dollar Charms Antique... BohemianFindin... $2.50	Beach Decor Cast Iron Mermai... ByTheSeashoreD... $48.00	Scalloped Wedding Invitation... PuddleduckPape... $1.50
Twirly Turquoise Blue Chevro... nest2impress $15.00	Save the Mermaids twomermaids $4.50	Make a Match - Beach Edition... MamaMayI $21.00
Venice Beach Bag gallantandjone... $75.00	You are my anchor Print, Nau... AlgaNet $13.50	Kids Wooden Toy Sailboat 1 MomNmee $11.95

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

T-Shirt Scarf - Quick and Easy DIY

Here is another one of my homemade Christmas gifts.

Its a...

T-SHIRT SCARF

woohoo!

This project literally took me about 30 mins to make.  I think it turned out super cute and my sister-in-law (well they aren't married, but I consider her my SIL) loved it. She is a really cute little college student who is studying dance and has a great and easy style about her.

I had a feeling this would be perfect for her. T-shirt scarves are so easy to throw on and go out the door to class. It livens up an outfit without trying too hard or having to think too much before having coffee.

I used a scrap of leftover jersey fabric that I stitched into a tube and then cut into strips, but there is a really great tutorial for using an existing t-shirt on Tiny Anchors. Check it out and make your own or one for a friend, its so EASY!

Little Girl's Reversible Skirt (really quick and easy tutorial)

I really, really love my son and I love my nephew, but I LOVE having a niece! I love having someone to make little pink things for. She likes dolls and to play dress-up, she is a girl after my own heart. I think she would wear her princess dresses to church if her parents would let her. 

For Christmas (and birthdays  I try to give my niece things other than toys (kids -including mine- have waaaaaay too many toys.) While she is young, I want to give her little sweet things, like clothes and other treasures that she can keep forever and give to her kids one day. My mom made me and my sister so many cute clothes that I can't wait to put on my daughters (if I have any) one day. 

This year, I made my niece this darling little reversible skirt using the tutorial from Fashioned by Meg. It was really simple to put together. It only took me about an hour. The tutorial was very easy to understand straight forward. I love the way it turned out!

2013 - Exciting Announcement

HAPPY 2013!

Yay! A new year! So many awesome things happening in my life this year!

Isn't that a cute shirt? It says "ONLY CHILD expiring: June 3012." I made it as an baby announcement for our family.

For starters, my husband and I are happy to announce that we are expecting a baby in June. I can't tell you how hard it has been to keep this a secret for the past few months. 

Just like I did last time I am trying not to buy too many "maternity" clothes. My mom got me some really great maternity shirts for Christmas, but I don't want to spend a lot of money on clothes that I can only wear for a very short time in my life. So, I will be bringing you some of my non-"maternity"-but-still-preggo outfit WINS! Starting with today's!

 

Today's Outfit:

Shirt - Shade Clothing

Jacket - Forever 21

Necklace - Chewbeads

Skinny Jeans - Express (can't see in the pic)

Riding Boots - Nine West (can't see in the pic)

I am trying to figure out the best way of taking pics of my whole outfit, without having to have the hubs take the picture. I'm not sure he is the best photographer.

So happy 2013 to you all and I hope this new year brings you all the wonder, happiness, and excitement that your heart is looking for. God bless you and your family!

XOXO,

Coco 

(and ever-growing family!)