I have to confess, I’m addicted to spicy foods. Specifically cherry peppers. I put them on and in everything I cook and my family is getting fed up with it 😂
My poor mom came over and I offered her ratatouille for lunch. I had experimented while cooking it and put cherry peppers in the sauce and she was like “Whoa that is hot!” haha. So sorry, mom!
Guess what! I got back in the kitchen again and baked coconut almond cupcakes. Did it take me 10x as long between feeding and caring for Dakota? Yes, but it felt so good to whip up some cupcakes again.
I made a white cake batter with coconut oil, almond extract, and shredded coconut in it and then did a basic buttercream but subbed vanilla extract for coconut extract. I piped the buttercream with a 1M open star tip. Then I topped them with this shredded coconut!
I made them to celebrate my mom’s birthday! Want to hear how foggy my brain is? We were singing happy birthday and I said “Happy birthday dear Dakota!” instead of “Happy birthday dear mom!” 😆
Besides getting back into the kitchen, I’ve been getting back into essential oils lately! A few years ago, I was pretty into oils but kind of dropped off with them. I’m ready to dive back in, though! I don’t know how much I’ll be applying them topically since I’m breastfeeding, but I know I just love diffusing them. Even if I make our house smell like raisins 😂
My favorite oils are grapefruit, peppermint (for headaches!), and blends like key lime pie and lemon cupcake. Of course I like a blend that smells like a cupcake 😂
My favorite book on essential oils is this one. I love that it’s like a topical reference book. I often look through it for whatever ailments we have going on!
How about pictures from life lately? I filled the kids’ sensory bins with spring-y items to replace their St. Patrick’s-themed items!
Sadie and Dakota have been getting in lots of snuggling time.
As have Mordecai and Dakota.
Mordecai seems so grown up lately! He has been showing us a silly side of his personality recently and it’s too cute.
I bought a little ceramic Easter egg painting set and wrapped it for the kids to open. We had so much fun painting those eggs! My dad even joined in 😊
Ceramics with a two year old? Am I crazy? Maybe! But I feel like if you give kids a chance with things like that, they can sometimes surprise you. Mordecai did really well! He really enjoys painting.
My mom and I took the kids to a local tea shop! They got gelato and my mom and I ordered tea. I forgot how much I love tea! I ordered an apple cinnamon tea and it was so soothing and warm on a chilly day. We hadn’t been at this tea shop in a while (maybe since Mordecai was a baby?!) and I forgot how calm and pretty it is there. It’s one of those places that’s so thoughtfully decorated and set up that it inspires me, if that makes sense?
Well, that’s all I have to share for today! We have a busy week ahead: Dakota’s one month check up, computer coding class for Sadie, homeschool each day, and Jimmy is going to be working a few night shifts–eek!
Living My Full Life 
I looooveee spicy food, and I used to eat it literally every day. I would out cayenne pepper on my red sauce spaghetti. These days my stomach won’t let me and it makes me soooo sad.
Those cupcakes look perfect! Happy birthday to your mom, and I suppose sorta happy late birthday to Dakota? LOL
I love essential oils. I’m a bit paranoid diffusing them these days with the cat, a lot of them are said to be “toxic” and since he is an old man I tend to avoid diffusing. But my family has probably 10 diffusers around the house. HA.
It’s the best, isn’t it?! Then, it’s the worst when your body doesn’t agree with it 😫
Hahah good point… it could have been a belated happy birthday to Dakota 😉
I didn’t even think about diffusing certain oils around pets! Now I have some research to do, haha. Do you like any specific brands of oils? I am jealous of the ten diffusers!! GOALS haha.
I just use the ones my mom buys, she uses Young Living which is absolutely an MLM, butttt I do like the oils. They are supposed to be higher quality than ones from the grocery store and such. Who knows though! As long as it’s just oil without weird additives I’d assume it’s fine. 🤷🏻♀️🤣
Cupcakes were so Good! And painting the eggs was fun!
Love Yu!
Dad
🙂
Thank you! And thank you for painting the eggs with us! Love you!
You and your spicey foods – never in a million years would I ever think I’d be saying that about you. You definitely were a very bland eater as a child, but experimented A LOT more as you got into your teen years!
The coconut cupcakes were BOMB! Thank you for thinking of my favorite flavor and spoiling me with gifts for my bday!
Dad painting eggs with you guys was adorable!
I think going to the beach inspires me the most – that’s when I really think how God has blessed us with so much, and seeing the beautiful ocean reminds me of all he has created 🙂
Love you,
Madre