Pinterest is good for the belly

Many of you may be aware of the Pinterest craze -- a virtual "pin board" where you can share all the fun/interesting/yummy/funny/favorite things you find online, and search what other people have pinned. You organize boards by topics such as "recipes," "fashion," "babies," and "home decor" and then people can search your boards for ideas and inspiration. Its an easy way to waste lots of time but its also very helpful for things like menu planning, party planning, decoration inspiration, craft ideas and tutorials, etc...
One of my most dreaded things is planning a menu for the week. Its one of those things, like laundry or dishes, that just never stops. But if I don't have a menu planned then I'm stuck at the last minute throwing together random items from the fridge or trying to get Zoe and I to the store in time to have food ready when Geoff gets home. So while it's mentally draining for me, planning a menu for the week easily beats the frustration and added hectic-ness of not doing it.

burrito photo from Kalyn's Kitchen

I enjoy trying new meals, especially when I get stuck in a rut of not knowing what to cook. Pinterest has been an excellent resource for finding new recipes! We're trying to eat low-carb meals (i.e. no pasta, rice, bread, etc.) so the usual spaghetti or jambalaya that was in the weekly rotation had to be replaced. This week I'm planning to make several new recipes and I thought that perhaps I'm not the only one who dreads this whole menu-planning thing, so maybe it'd be nice to share some ideas with you all. Even better, several of them are crock pot recipes! Here are links to what's on our menu this week...
1.Crock pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
2. Spicy Spaghetti Squash with Black Beans
3. Baked White Fish with Pine Nuts, Basil and Parmesean Crust
4. Apple Chicken Stew
5. Sweet and Spicy Asian Pork Shoulder

Bonus: This recipe for Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos we tried last week and they were great!
Happy cooking! 

Daddy's biggest fan

As football season approached, we began searching for some cute Packers apparel for Z, so she could cheer along with her daddy. Geoff and I decided for her that she will be a Packers fan (Geoff) and a Yankees fan (Danielle), supporting her parent's most favorite teams. She grew out of her Yankees apparel by the time the playoffs rolled around so perhaps that's why they lost?! It's probably our fault.
Anyway... since we could not find anything cute in her size that wasn't too expensive, I decided to make my own Packers outfit for her. Thanks to the wonders of Pinterest, I found an easy tutorial for a tutu and painted a onesie to match. I'm no artist, but here's the finished product:

Bienvenidos a Mexico

 This past month we did a crazy thing~ we took Zoe (not quite 9 months at the time) to Mexico! Our third time to the Sunset Fisherman's Resort was not quite as relaxing as usual, but we enjoyed spending the week with Danielle's family and making new memories that involved our favorite little girl.

Cheers to tropical drinks!

Xulam~ a delicious Mayan restaurant and one of the many yummy restaurants we enjoyed while in Mexico

Zoe wasn't crazy about the sand but she loved the water! Our resort also had a pool so we spent lots of time getting wet.

Enjoying the beach with Uncle Tyler

meeting a fish for the first time

The Goodling/Peck family 2012

9 months

• Crawling backwards (she sorta hops forwards on both knees but not too successfully)  
• Picking up cheerios on her own
• 2 naps a day/ 12 hrs at night
• Real giggles
• Enjoying books beyond putting them in her mouth
• Play, play, play
• Clapping
• High fives
• 2 bottom teeth
• First international vacation to Mexico
• Staring~ this girl is enthralled with faces.

These are some of the things that define Zoe’s life at 9 months old. She’s much less content to sit and play with what’s in front of her, and wants to explore instead, particularly those things she isn’t supposed to have. She continues to be most happy when we’re sitting there with her and doesn’t enjoy being left alone too much. She’s still afraid of the vacuum cleaner (I carry her while I push) and is only okay with the hair dryer if she is safely sitting on my bed and can see my face. She is constantly trying to pull herself up and tries to use us as leverage to get to things (cell phones, the remote, etc.). She loves being around other kids, and really seems to enjoy people in general. I’m guessing she’s going to be an extrovert like her daddy. It’s amazing to see her personality begin to show through!

We can’t imagine life without you little one. You bring us so much joy.