Feeling Green

Lately we have been on a little bit of a "health kick" over here at the Kleiner household!

Truthfully, we don't eat very healthfully- which is something we are working on changing. It's just hard when you have an undying love for pizza milkshakes tator tot hotdish foods that are not so nutritious. A lot of that we attribute to our crazy busy schedules, but we have now figured out a great way to incorporate some greens & fruits into our diet in a super easy way!

I give you... the green smoothie!

We've been making these babies for breakfasts, snacks, and for those times where you just need a drink when you're driving in the car. And we love them! 

My mister was not so keen on the idea. When he saw me drinking a cup of green liquid, he instantly said "that's disgusting" and refused to put his lips to the glass... but once he had a taste, boy was he apologizing for his harsh words! Then he wanted me to make him one, to which I happily answered... no :) 

Here's the recipe for what we call our "green machine" smoothie! I make this in the Magic Bullet so this recipe is really for a single serving. You would have to make a larger batch if you're making it in the blender for more than one person.

Green Machine Smoothie

1 handful of spinach leaves (I buy the big Fresh Express bag for $1.99 and makes a week of smoothies)

1 whole banana

1/2 cup of orange juice

1/2 cup of frozen mangos

Splash of coconut water (optional)

Simply blend these ingredients and voila... a delicious & nutritious snack! If you want it colder/more blended, I would just add a few ice cubes!

Do any of you have an fun recipes for healthy foods that are easy for on-the-go families like us? We would love to hear your ideas!

European Dreamin

In a previous post, I mentioned our living abroad stint. Allow me to explain.

In May of 2012, I graduated from college & two weeks later hopped on a flight to Germany to await the return of my soldier hubby from war. He had been stationed in Germany for a couple years & I had made a couple visits. But once school ended, I was able to stay with him permanently until his active duty time ended in October. During those five glorious months, we visited all sorts of amazing places- seven countries to be exact. Here are some of our memories...

First visit to Stuttgart, Germany where Ethan was stationed (December 2010)

Paris, France (July 2011)

London, England (July 2012)

Barcelona, Spain (July 2012)

Rome, Italy (July 2012)

Venice, Italy (July 2012)

Munich, Germany (July 2012)

Prague, Czech Republic (August 2012)

Strasbourg, France (September 2012)

Amsterdam, The Netherlands (September 2012)

We still feel so blessed that we got the privilege to travel Europe! Although active duty Army life was terrible horrible less than thrilling, we would never have had this experience without it. I can't wait until the day we can go back again!

Emersyn's 8 month update

Age: Will be 8 months in a week & a half!

Nicknames: Emme, EJ, Boo, Booey, Boo Bear, Emme Bug, some of our friends like to call her Emme-K

Stats: A month ago at her 6 month well-check she was 16 lbs 9 oz and 27 inches long.
Clothes: Mostly in 12 month clothes! Can still fit into some 9 month and some 18 month. Big girl!

Favorite Foods: Emersyn has tried sooo many foods now! We have tried oatmeal, avocado, banana, butternut squash, carrots, applesauce, peas, sweet potatoes, pears, green beans, and mangos. She also loves her "puffs" and "mum mums" for snacks! I would have to say her absolute favorites are squash and avocado-banana mix. She really dislikes carrots and gags every time she eats them! Eating has been a little rough lately because she is getting her top teeth. Already has 2 on the bottom which make chewing easier!

Words: No words yet, but she does mimic sounds. We swear she says "boo" and "hi" because she always copies us when we say those things! We are working on teaching her "mama" and "dada" right now. She is very vocal and loves to hear her voice. She makes all sorts of sounds (and of course giggles all the time!)

Activities: EJ is a busy girl. She rarely wants to snuggle up with Mom and Dad. She would rather be on the ground playing with toys, rolling around, or gnawing on something. She does love stroller rides. her highchair, and has taken a liking to her new big girl car seat. Her favorite toys are her jumperoo, her link toys that she loves in long chains she can chew on, and her stuffed puppy. 

Favorite Things: Emersyn will only snuggle with Daddy when she does want to cuddle and she loves his back rubs. She also loves to grab the remote off the armrest of the couch and stick it in her mouth. She goes along to many trips to Target and the mall with her mama (which I KNOW she loves!) :) She loves to play with cups and spoons. She loves to watch anyone sing and dance- it gives her the giggles! She loves any time Mama buries her nose into her belly, which makes her crack up every time! And like her parents, she loves to eat!

Signature Moves: Her signature move is rolling all over the floor to get whatever she wants (crawling is unnecessary-right?) Another one of her favorite moves is to grab whatever necklace/scarf/glasses/hat you're wearing and shake it around incessantly before sticking it in her mouth. Always makes for some good times when we go out!

Mom's Proudest Moment: Teaching Emme to clap and shake her head. Working on waving now!

Dad's Proudest Moment: Getting EJ to sleep on his chest during a crazy Easter brunch. He loves to hold her in his arms!

To say we adore our girl is not enough. She is our whole world and has given us the utmost amount of joy. I have throughly enjoyed staying home with her and watching her grow. We love every moment of parenthood and we are looking forward to spending summer outside exploring the many parks and trails in our neighborhood... and breaking in our new sandbox we got for our patio! Looking forward to sunny, fun-filled days ahead!