Planning a party (with allergies in mind)!

I can't believe my little, big girl is turning 2 next month! Where has the last 2 years gone, I can only say the the lack of sleep due to this strong willed little lady of mine, is unreal. I have been a zombie for 2 whole years, BUT they have been the best years of my life. So anyways, I am planning her birthday bash. The theme is all decided (it will be revealed once the party is underway) but now I have to actually execute ALL the ridiculous ideas I want to have. I have enlisted the help of a few of my crafty friends and my crafty little sister. I am handling all the food and baking because of A1's allergies I am too fearful of catering and the like.
Some of her allergies she seems to be outgrowing. We recently took her to a wonderful allergist out of Children's Hospital in Boston and he did a total scan of her blood and some of the allergies are finally going away. I never really understood food allergies until it affected our family and it can be down right S.C.A.R.Y. To have to worry all the time if she will come into contact with something and I am constantly checking her face if we eat out or we are around people or children where she could very well eat something that will make her sick. The good thing is that we have been dealing with this since she was a small baby so we really don't know any different on how to prepare food for her. When I first got her allergy diagnosis a year ago, I felt devastated, how was I going to feed her "real" food (all she had eaten then was baby purees and breastmilk) and a dear old friend/boss said to me "this is a blessing in disguise, she will be so healthy eating this way" and in hindsight she was right. All the allergies A1 has, eliminates tons of junk, trust me there is junk she can consume but lots she can't as well. It has opened my eyes to how I was eating at times and as a whole has made our family healthier. It has also taught me to cook differently and to view preparations of food in a new light. For these reasons I see the allergies as a learning tool for myself and a way for me to grow in my knowledge of food.
So with that in mind, I will try to make all of the food A1 friendly, but not lack in creativity or taste. I want everything to be perfect from the invitations to the cake. Last year for her first birthday we did family and friends, and one of her baby friends, but this year we have made so many new baby friends we want to have a few more littles at the party, so the food has to be creative and toddler-friendly (lots of picky little ones) so I have been running through ideas and recipes for months to get this just right, fun and creative! I'm sure none of her little friends will remember her birthday party as they grow or even the week after but I still want it to be awesome (its the party planner in me talking). So, until then, I will be on pintrest and etsy daily looking for inspiration to get this party perfect...

HOT, HOT SUMMER!

It is super hot basically everyday! A dear friend of mine, who is always spoiling me with awesome treats just brought over cucumbers and fresh green beans from her mom's garden. I love knowing where my vegetables come from and knowing that they were grown organically with love and enthusiasm. So, what does a super busy mom do with a ton of cucumbers do with them??? Well, long ago when my hubs and I were on our first cruise together (we are avid cruisers) we did a spa day and they served us the most refreshing drink ever, cucumber water. So, with all these cucumbers I just made a large pitcher of cucumber water, it is so hydrating and refreshing, especially while nursing a newborn, we mamas need to stay hydrated! All I had to do was cut the cucumbers and add to a glass pitcher with water and voila delish! I am not a fan of many different sorts of beverages besides water, coffee and tea and water can be so mundane for me at times, so this is a great way to feel refreshed and it also looks pretty too!

Then I got super crazy and made a HUGE salad for dinner. I mixed four different types of lettuces, strawberries, almonds, walnuts, fresh peas and cucumbers. The salad looks amazing, I think I will serve that with grilled fish tonight. I love summer meals because they can be so simple, fresh and easy to make. I refuse most nights to even turn my oven on, not wasting any precious air conditioning.

Trying to think of ways to stay hydrated this. What are some ways you stay hydrated?

PS. I am still debating over my stroller situation, you would think the way I am acting, I am trying to buy a new car, but seriously there are so many options and things to think about, and every-time I make up my mind and go to hit the purchase button on amazon, I freak out, just a little and retract, it really shouldn't be this hard, should it? Until next time...

Ahhhh finally sleeping babies...

Ahhhh finally after about 9 weeks, my two littles are napping at the exact same time. I am giddy with excitement at the chores I could accomplish while they nap, but all I want to do is R.E.L.A.X. The last nine weeks have been a lovely, hazy blur as our family of three (mom, dad, and 22 month old big sister) became an amazing family of four! It's been a fun, crazy, loving, tiring two months but we are adjusting all quite well! I spend my "free time" researching recipes for my toddler who has some pretty serious food allergies, meal planning for my family, cloth diapering (my obsession) and double jogging strollers (to help in my race to lose this pregnancy weight).

The stroller debate is CRAZY...I obviously need the double for my two girls, and I already have one but now I want the jogger so I can start putting some serious mileage on my feet! I originally wanted a tandem one but now I am thinking a side by side compact stroller....Eeeekkkkk lots to think about!

For now I will go back to the mad dash to get my life in a somewhat rather chaotic rhythm while my littles nap peacefully...back to test tasting recipes, washing cloth diapers and stroller research. more to come...