So it is worth it......

I cannot tell you how many times people have said "having a baby is hard, but it's worth it''. What the heck does that mean? If I'm being honest it doesn't always feel worth it. Sometimes, well actually a lot of times, it's hard to find the 'worth' everyone seems to be talking about. Maybe I'm more selfish than other people, or just unprepared for motherhood, but it's really hard! I think such a drastic life change warrants different emotions! Fear, joy, anxiety, confusion, and an over-whelming amount of love. I think what people really mean when they say, "it's hard but it's worth it" is your bad days will be really, really bad, but your good days will be the best days of your life. 

OK, so that's the worth! 

The best days of your life! I've seen the worth, I've felt it, I'm happy to say that it exists! In understanding the 'worth it', I find myself lingering longer in it; basking in those moments, breathing them in slowly and thoroughly! Saying to myself 'this is it'. The joy in my heart overflows and I want to camp in it! Finally, I get it! It's so important for me to hold on tight to the 'worth it' moments, they get me through the days when I feel less than adequate as a mom, a wife, or even as a person. What a great life lesson; I hope I carry this one with me. Linger longer in the 'worth it' moments. Oh little Callahan, the things you are teaching me....

{Chocolate Zucchini Bread}

Baking is something I'm really not good at. My major issue is I can't seem to EVER follow the directions. I like to add an extra dash of this, or sprinkle of that. It works with cooking but in baking everything is precisely measured for a reason. I just can't stick to the plan, a theme that rings true in other areas of my life! Sometimes my bake goods are a stroke of genius, but a lot of times my results are disastrous! You would think I've learned my lesson by now! I actually managed to follow the directions of this recipe!


I know my last food post was about Zucchini, but it's such an awesome summer vegetable and its extremely versatile! So here it goes! The only things I substituted in this recipe was coconut oil (it's just so much better for you). Also, i forgot to put coco powder in the image below and I wasn't about to set everything up and retake the picture!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Makes one 9×5 loaf

1 1/2 cups zucchini, shredded
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup canola oil (I used coconut oil)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with cooking spray (or grease with butter/shortening).

In a mixer, combine your oil, sugars and vanilla. Mix in your eggs and shredded zucchini. In a separate bowl, sift together your flours, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. Slowly add this dry mixture into your wet mixture. Beat until combined. Mix in your chocolate chips.

Scrape your batter prepared loaf pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes before cooling on a wire rack.

My {5} Favorite Daily Deal Sites!

There are a few websites I check every day for home decor and boutique type deals. I sort of feel like I'm cheating because I have gotten such good deals on these websites! I wanted to share these daily deal type websites with you! This my cyber version of bargain hunting!

So here they are, and here are some of the things I've bought!

{1} Pick Your Plum 
This website only has a few items a day, and it's hit or miss. When its good it's really good, and things sell out quick! I have bought a lot of awesome home decor and craft supplies from here.  I bought this three tier party tray for $19.99! I actually have 2 of them, they look exactly like the one from pottery barn that cost $69!

I bought this set of three galvanized buckets for $9.47+shipping! I'm hoping they will get my desk a little more organized!

This is a water proof picnic blanket I bought a few months ago! It was only $12.99, I have kept it in the car, we used it all summer long! 

I also bought the Chicken wire basket (below) for $7

{2} Groop Dealz is another site I check daily! There are a lot more daily deals on this site! Here are some of the things I have bought!

Washi Tape- 7 rolls for $11.99 (plus I used a 15% off promo code that I received in my e-mail)

Monogrammed Infinity Scarf for $12.99. I just got the notification that it has shipped. There were a ton of colors to choose from! 

Personalized Address Stamp for $18.99. These stamps are usually pretty pricey! 

{3} Jane.com - I check this every day. I haven't bought from it yet but I'm sure I will soon :)

{4} Sassy Steals - more of the same kind of deals.

{5} The Plaid Barn - this site is great for crafters!

I hope you enjoy checking these as much as I do; but be careful it's dangerously addicting! 

9-10-11-14

So today is a special day in the Kane house! Todays is the anniversary of the day that made me a Kane, and brought little Cal into existence! Today we celebrated by simply being together. No cards, no gifts; just hanging out, taking naps and playing with our little guy. Honestly, this year, I don't think I would want it any other way! Three years, three years! Not a long time, but at the same time, I can't remember life any other way! 

As time goes on, we grow, and change we lose more and more of the "me" and concentrate on the "us". Something that was so hard for me as a new bride! I remember feeling like, I not only lost my name, but my independence. I had such a tight grip on "me". The most important lesson I've learned thus far, is that our Marriage needs to always win. In all of our circumstances; there is a third party, it's our MARRIAGE and Marriage always wins! Pride takes a back seat, and humility jumps up front! If that doesn't make you a better person, then I don't know what will! Isn't that what this whole marriage thing is about anyway? Isn't it about another person loving you into being 'the best you, you can be'?

I heard something significant at a wedding a few weeks ago. It has stuck with me ever since, so I hope you don't mind if I share! I hope I get this right:

At the end of the wedding the pastor asked the new bride and groom to hold hands. He went on to say, "right now you are holding the most important thing you will ever hold; and any time you let go it will be for something less important" 

How significant! I'm still a baby to most married couples, Mikie and I have so much more life to live together. As things get crazy, our family grows, and life changes I need to hold on tightly to the thing that is most important.

I want to share with you some pictures! Every year we take an anniversary picture, here they all are!

9-10-11

 9-10-12-I was surprised with a weekend trip to Reno! We stopped on the way in a spot over looking Tahoe National Forest!

 9-10-13- Here we are right after we found out we were pregnant with Cal, at our first doctors appointment!

 9-10-14- This is in our backyard!

So here is where I say a quick 'thanks' to the man who made me a wife and momma! Mikie thank you for being so patient and helpful, thank you for being my teammate and loving me into being a better me!

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In other news, Cal rolled over (from tummy to back) in his crib all by himself today! Oh yea, and he's obsessed with his feet!

Boy Version

Cal's celeb look alike is the Gerger baby! 

Cal's First Taste of Food {if you want to call it that}

Baby Cereal is so strange.

We finally made our first attempt at feeding Cal cereal. We had heard it would take several times for him to figure out how to eat it. Our guy proved everyone wrong and ate the whole serving his first try.

We wanted to see if cereal at night would help him sleep better. I had read that giving a baby cereal at night to improve sleeping was an old wives tale, but I'm desperate for night time sleep and willing to try anything! Well, it didn't work.  His sleep patterns did not change at all.

After reading some current articles about introducing babies to solid foods, I think we will stop the cereal and re-visit feeding him at six months old. This is a really great article about introducing baby to solid foods with up to date resources!

Here are some pictures :-)

Ikea Rast Hack: Night Stand

I always have these 'great' ideas that I should buy unfinished furniture and then I can make a custom piece that is exactly what I want. I'm sad to say that we've had these unfinished dressers for over a year! We needed night stands for our master bedroom, and we also needed extra storage, so these $35 ikea dressers were a perfect fit. I've had so many idea's of how to finish these, but I just couldn't seem to talk MK into a labor intensive project. So we opted for an easier aproach. We grabbed two different color stains and a crab screen print. I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked our final product! The entire project only took a few hours! If you are thinking about buying these dressers there are hundreds of ideas of how to finish them on Pinterest. (just type 'Ikea Rast" in the search box) People are so creative! 

My favorite screen print! I use these all the time, on all different kinds of surfaces! Here I used them on paper, and here I used them on ceramics!