CURRENTLY

looking forward to: our mini vacation to Great Wolf Lodge! In June we will we spending three days in the Niagara Falls resort. If you know me you will know that Niagara Falls is a place that is near and dear to my heart and oddly enough we have never taken the boys there for more than a day. The boys are most excited for the indoor water park and the fact that they will be spend 3 days and 2 nights in a hotel! 

drinking:  a tall glass of  chardonnay of course! Some would argue that Sunday is the beginning of the week, and yes it actually is however I consider it to be the end. The day that I get to wrap everything up, reflect on the week that past and prepare for what is ahead. I like to end my week with a little alcohol!

anticipating: Game of Thrones! I know that most die hard GoT fans will kill me for saying this, but last weeks episode was weak! None of the questions that we were left with at the end of season 2 were answered, there was none of that bad-ass action that I so desperately crave and my girl Arya was complete left out of the first episode. Don't even get me started on the fact that the White Walkers were completely ignored as well. We will see what is in store this week.

eating: pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top. Healthy, I know!

wearing:  a college t-shirt with a pair of pajama pants because, lets face it, its the weekend and I had no reason to leave my house, I wont even pretend that I care what I look like at this point!

TIMELESS RECIPES: ASHLEY'S HARLEM KOOL AID

If you had the day I did then you are in the mood for a good drink! At several moments during the day I questioned my desire to have that 3rd child while counting down the minutes until bedtime. Currently by boys are soaking in the bathtub, which is my Husband's duty, so that means I can cozy up on the couch with a cocktail and my remote control nearby.

So what is in my cup you ask? Well last week Aaron and I went to Harlem's and we had the privilage of tasting the Harlem Kool Aid. I immediately decided that I had to replicate this drink! My version doesn't taste the exact same but it is pretty darn good. So once it's time to unwind fix yourself a drink!

ASHLEY'S HARLEM KOOL AID

1 ounce of Melon Liquor

1/2 ounce of Triple Sec

Cranberry Juice

Pour ingredients over ice and enjoy!

THINGS I LOVE

As spring approached the days get longer and the sun warms us up a little more. I feel the warmth growing, inside and out and it's that growth of everything around me that creates this love inside my heart. In celebration of love on a day that is not Valentines Day, I bring you a few things that make me oh so cozy.

1. I love that particular spot on my desk. The spot that instantly brings me back home and reminds me of the love I have for New Jersey, and if you are from Jersey you will understand why New York is so special to me after all it is simply The City. And when people talk about your city you inwardly smile and say to yourself "Yeah, I know. I grew up there." I can't wait to be there again. I can't wait for summer in The City.

2. The snow has melted! What is not to love about that. I don't feel that there is anything that I can say that would be a true representation of what is in my heart. It's an excitement, and urgancy for seasonal progression and all the warmer weather brings for the smith family.

3. When I ate too much during the day, I keep it simple for dinner and enjoy a naturally sweet smoothie. If you are feeling even slightly flirt, spike it with a bit of triple sec or melon Liquor, yum!

4. A few weeks ago I stopped in at guess and purchased this purse.  I had been looking for something very thin, easy to carry yet large enough to hold my essentials. It comes in a few colours but I could not resist the powder blue, white and lime green. I wanted a punch of colour and this is perfect. I use it as my every day bag and on the days were it wouldn't make sense to carry it a frown a little on the inside.

Now I am off to enjoy another one of my beloved things, television in bed with my husband!

FROM THE WEEKEND

This weekend the kids went to grandma and grandpa's so that meant that Aaron and I got to be out an about not having to worry about bored/tired/rowdy little boys.

So for those that don't know, I was born in Canada but spent a good portion of my life (years 9 - 20) in New Jersey where my parents still live. Well Target JUST opened their first store in Ontario, 40 minutes from where I live! It's their pilot store so pretty soon there will be Targets just around the corner from me in only a matter of weeks. On Saturday Aaron and I drove to Milton, Ontario and visited. I would have taken pictures if I were so annoyed by the crowd and lack of merchandise thanks to it being the first satruday since it has opened. You can only imagine the chaos! The line to the checkout was...I am not lying...9 ISLES long! They had to curve the line down into the main isle and it stretch all the way downto number 9!

After Target we went somewhere a little calmer...ikea..and compared to Target, it was calm! Thing was that the Smith family was in desperate need of a new television stand and a coffee table. For both we went with the Hemnes line. We got the larger Hemnes TV Bench with the three drawers in Gray-Brown. I love them! We also got a few decor items from Home Sense to brighten up our the once very brown living room. New red pillows and a yellow picture frame.

We ate dinner, wonderfully delicious Chicken and Waffles from Harlems which is a soul food restaurant downtown. 

We spent the rest of Sunday relaxing until the boys got home. It's nice to be able to do this every once in a while, its also nice to see their little faces when the come back home!

BEING CONSCIOUS

What do your children see when they step into the room?

Do you light up like a Christmas tree at the sight of their little faces? Do they make your heart dance?

What words do you use to praise their accomplishments?

I think it's important that we as parents make the effort to be a more conscious in our children's lives, to be a more conscious spouses as well. How often do we take special time out to verbally acknowledge what they have done and tell them why what they have done was so positive for you? I admit that sometimes I get lost in the "good jobs" when it comes to my kids and "thanks" when it comes to my husband.

"Thank you hun for doing the dishes. I really enjoyed being able to relax at the end of the day"

"Thank you for helping your brother to find his shoes, that was very sweet and kind."

Yes, I love the sound of those so much better than one word responses. 

A SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Breakfast on a Sunday morning. There is nothing else like it, no diner nor restaurant can compare to the warmth and the atmosphere of our family's home.  A diner can never make me feel this whole.

By the way, did you happen to check out those plates and notice that they all match?! If you don't know what I am talking about, take a look over here. I got these babies for free! A college friend of mine recently moved back into town and with her came a crap load of stuff from her old house that she was desperate to get rid of. I walked away with a 18 piece set! 6 dinner plates, 6 bowls and 6 saucers.

"More please!" isn't a request I always here but there is something so simple and nurturing about Sunday breakfast that wants everyone wanting more and the grown up ditch their diets and indulge a little more.

And because we never got to on Valentines day, we baked and decorated cupcakes.

The weather this time of the year is rather depressing. The cold air go through you all the way to your soul, so the only thing you can do to fight it, is to warm it up! After this Sunday, I can definitely say mission accomplished.

THESE DAYS

Today is the day that I have come to love the most out of the week.  It seems like Sundays are when I get time to think. I think about life, about what I want out of it, about who I am, who I need to be and  where I am to go.

These days I tend to dream again, like when I was a little girl who used to dream of what life would be like in the "future". I can't say I have done all that I wanted to do or that I am where I thought I would be but being here in this moment makes me smile for a lot of reasons.

Today I thought a lot about thirty. I won't be turning thirty for another 2.5 years but that age means so much to me. I think for me it means growth being that I will dawn on a new decade and I get goose bumps as I realize what that age will bring if everything works out as planned.

I want to own my first home.

I want to have completed my bachelors degree.

I want to be better off financially.

I would love it if we both had new car (or newer).

My boys will be 5 & 8!

I want to fit into myself more.

These days I learning to love every moment finding the beauty in things less desirable and finding the calm in all the chaos.