Somehow June zoomed by! Maybe it was the wrap up for T’s pre-k class or the hurry of the end of the fiscal year at work. The unknown of what’s ahead is just so strange. Being patient to let time pass, to find out what elementary school and daycare will do, and to hear what is ahead for work is just hard. The limbo is hard to not let possibilities feel stressful.

I was so happy with Mr. J’s birthday burger! This BLT Burger has bacon ground into the patty and a tomato jam.

This Pink Grapefruit Refresher was totally out of the ordinary for me and is addicting. The touch of tart from the pink grapefruit with sweetness from the grenadine is delightful.

The little ones aren’t into shrimp lately so I whipped this Chipotle Shrimp Rice Bowl up just for myself. My love for grain bowls runs deep and some leftover brown rice and some leftover black beans were screaming to become a bowl!

I’m kicking July off with the easiest dessert ever and maybe a series. This tends to be a slower time for blog readership but maybe that’ll be different now that nobody’s going on vacation? We’ll see. I mean, we’re eating 3 meals a day at home and we love the occasional surprise so I’m still at it!

The Pre-K Guy:

He was sad for his class to be over. It was a drawn-out time of “being over” but he loved it. He’s honestly so happy to be home 24-7. He loves getting dressed in shorts, playing outside most of the day is great for him. I wish he could play with friends. Our home routine works well. I don’t push the worksheets, crafts, etc but I try to have some things ready. That pre-dinner rush or post-nap or needing a cool activity inside is prime time to have something ready. He’s thoroughly appreciates getting to watch a show- his favs are Floogles, Muppet Babies, and DinoTrux. He is obsessed with playing music from the ipod- Say Something by A Great Big World and Manic Monday by The Bangles. I love that he picks out bedtime stories and we close our eyes and try to guess the books by feel. I’m maybe 50% guess rate. His fav foods are pb&j (still), bread & butter pickles, and craisins. There’s a lot of life lessons happening- racism, honesty, consent. Bah. It is hard.

The Toddler Girl:

She so easy-going. Any chance for an adventure and she’s sold! The possibility of a car ride is her dream. She misses errands. She likes a few licks of an ice cube and knows the remainder goes into the dog’s water bowl. She is happy to give the dogs treats – moreso than big brother is! I’m noticing a few two-year-old moments- she turns 2 in August. She’s so chill until she isn’t. Her fav foods are cheese (and more and more cheese) and jelly and teddy grahams. Her fav tunes are Wheels on the Bus and Uptown Girl.

This Year’s Goals:

Year of beauty/selfcare – Ehh. Not really. I repaired my pedicure tool- does that count?
Prep intentional sides and veggies: Ehh. Nope
Eat more fish: breaded fish sticks
Blog some series: Nope.
Focus decluttering/organizing to an area: I was on a roll giving away a bunch of attic stuff. We’ve probably cleared out the last of the baby stuff.
Share more books on instagram: I’ve shared the collections I pull for the kids and what I’m into.
Prioritize workouts: I’m almost through Barre Blend. I’m not sure what’s next. Maybe running more.
What I’m reading: I finished The Most Fun We Ever Had and thought it was ok/good. Then I loved Clap When You Land! 
What I’m listening to: only the occasional podcast – A Beautiful Mess is a fun one after following their blog and instagram.
What I’m watching: We finished Schitt’s Creek and are so sad it is over. I’m loving the Bachelor Best Seasons Ever for a whole season in one night!

I’d say we are somewhere between doing-well and surviving. Mostly we’d point towards well, though, honestly there are moments each day that we’re ready to tap-out. I think our rhythms are serving us well and we have enough ideas to keep us all on our toes. On weekdays, I create themes to give us some focus or for the days to feel different. Some good ones this month were: Thomas’ fav things day; cat day; and color days. We’ve been keeping our Friday night take out & DVR tradition after the kiddos go to bed and we often get take out another night. I love breaking up the week to have things to look forward to- and to supporting our local favs.

Cooking wise, we’ve been grilling a lot and I blogged with a focus on sauces since nobody is shopping extra and I’m never sure how accessible everything is.

Sauce 1: Maple Dijon for greens
Crispy Chicken Panini with Maple Dijon Greens

Sauce 2: Bacon Aoli
Bacon Aoli Burger

Sauce 3: Honey Garlic Sauce
Honey Garlic Sauce on Pizza

I loved all of these! This reminded me to add garlic to the grocery list to make some more! I hope a sauce can mix up your next panini, burger, roasted veggies or pizza!

The Pre-K Guy:

He loves the routines more than anyone else here. He loves the sandbox Mr. J made them. He’ll gladly play with tools and scraps while Mr. J builds all the things. The daily themes are of interest, but he’s resistant to some of the worksheets/projects. Once he gets going, he can totally do them all. He’s super into eating a whole raw carrot. Avocado toast with everything bagel seasoning was a hit for lunch a few times. Somehow we got into a routine of having us guess, with our eyes closed, what book it’ll be.

The Toddler Girl:

She’s pretty happy with the current situation. She loooves stroller rides and the Cozy Coupe car- those are her auto-responses when we chat about our favorite parts of the day at dinner. She eats SO much at lunch and breakfast and dinner are so-so. Oatmeal and yogurt are her fav breakfasts. She loves pb&j and turkey & cheese sandwiches. Little girl can put away a whole sandwich plus whatever else! I love seeing her drink out of (and say) water bottle.

This Year’s Goals:

Year of beauty/selfcare – I didn’t grab anything. Do my resistance bands for workouts count?
Prep intentional sides and veggies: Ehh. Nope
Eat more fish: Salmon- again!
Blog some series: Nope.
Focus decluttering/organizing to an area: A pantry shelf got a complete clean-out when we found some ants. Eeek! I also did a major org of kids clothes and passed along a bunch of too-small ones.
Share more books on instagram: I’ve shared the collections I pull for the kids and what I’m into.
Prioritize workouts: I got into a Barre Blend one that has been good, and a serious reminder that I’m not my teenage self in ballet class. We are taking a lot of walks and I’ve gone running about once a week or so.
What I’m reading: I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo which might be my fav of the year. I tried The Followers but couldn’t get too far into it.  I’m partway into The Most Fun We Ever Had.  
What I’m listening to: only the occasional podcast – Be There in 5 did a series on influencers that was so captivating.
What I’m watching: Supermarket Stakeout has been fun.

Some moments I can’t believe how time is moving and other times we feel like we’ve been home for-ev-er. We’re hanging in there. We are very settled into a routine. Working and caring for the kids at the same time is no joke. I know I’m moving much more and getting more time outside. Mr. J has already tackled a lot of building and yard projects. I’m sad for our pre-schooler who won’t get to see his classmates and teacher again. Our toddler does not notice anything out of the ordinary. We’re lucky- safe, healthy, some job security, access to what we need. Mr. J and I think about what’s working and where the silver linings are.

Inspiration in the kitchen ebbs and wanes. Many of our dinners are centered around what we can access and what’s quick and easy after juggling work and kids. Breakfasts and lunches are pretty similar to our usual offerings.

I made a Chicken Bacon Cheddar, and Ranch Risotto. This is sooo good. I love risotto in the pressure cooker but any rice or grain with ranch seasoning and bacon. We had a few panko crusted chicken tenders from the freezer and a few chicken thighs so it was a mix and match scenario.

A meal I was probably most surprised by was a White Bean & Sausage Soup. Our instacart order substituted spicy sausage and I didn’t know how well that would go over with anyone else so I made it as soup for myself. I loved it and will have to repeat this asap.

For Easter breakfast I made a Fluffernutter Baked French Toast. It was perfect before hunting for eggs!

We got an outdoor pizza oven so we’ve had a few pizza nights so far. I think we’ve worked out the timing and we are ohh-so obsessed. I’m sure there will be some to post here for any way to make pizza. I’m not sure what else we’re in the mood for. We’re getting take out to support our fav local spots and to treat ourselves. I love the zoom get-togethers I’ve had with a few circles but tire of back to back zoom meetings.

The Preschooler Boy:

He misses school and it breaks my heart. He grew so much to be brave and meet new people so it is sad to end the year like this. He is happy to be home and actually loves not going anywhere, but he thinks about school a lot. In terms of school, we aim for him to color, cut, draw, or write each day. I’ve created themes for each would-be-school-day. Some are better than others. Good: Squirrel Day! & Plants/Garden Day! & Ocean Day! Lame-ish: ABC day wasn’t amazing. Zoo day was ehh. He leans towards perfectionism but when we power through in a craft or project he likes it. He’s riding his bike without training wheels and is doing great! We showed him Reading Rainbow and he loves it as much as I do! Food-wise, he’s loving huge raw carrots he can just hold and bite. Lunch is always a strong meal and dinner can go either way.

The Toddler Girl:

She’s just so happy and easy-going. She has so many words! I love seeing her play more. She can see what her big brother is doing and play that with him. She loves being outside and will now happily wear her bike helmet. She loves books and has lots of stuffed animals in her bed. We’re operating a one-in, one-out for stuffed critters. She loves playing at the play kitchen and slicing wooden veggies. I’m so thankful she loves ridding in the stroller so much. Food-wise, she looooves oatmeal, cheese, cooked veggies, and turkey sandwiches.

This Year’s Goals:

Year of beauty/selfcare Yes!! I got this pulsing face-scrubber which is so fun!
Prep intentional sides and veggies: Ehh. Not really
Eat more fish: Salmon!
Blog some series: Nah. All bets are off right now.
Focus decluttering/organizing to an area: Hmm. We’ve been a bit neater since we’re home 24-7. Does that count?
Share more books on instagram: Yes! I’ve been reading a lot and sharing them.
Prioritize workouts: I’m wrapping up a cardio one called T25. I’m kind of bored with it by the end now, but they are really great workouts and I like following the calendars/schedules for each online class. We are taking a lot of walks and I’ve gone running about once a week or so.
What I’m reading: I read City of Girls and loved it! The complex characters were just what I needed. A Spark of Light goes chronologically backwards but the intense topics are now what I think of from Jodi Picoult. I went through Ask Again, Yes but didn’t love it as much as the others this month. 
What I’m listening to: only the occasional podcast – Bad on Paper & What’s Gaby Cooking
What I’m watching: We’re sad that Schitt’s Creek will be over so we’re only creeping to the finale. We got really into “Declassified: Untold Stories of American Spies” on CNN.

I thought Easter meals could still be fun despite being a bit smaller. Here are a few of my favorites, that can also be easily halved if you have fewer guests this year!

You NEED this carrot shaped cheese ball plus it is easy to make half the recipe for a little one- for just a few people. So cute! Mix up the cheese in advance and assemble before serving. Because the exterior is just cheese, I’d totally keep it eating it another time if you have leftovers! This cheese ball is prob my fav, so form it into a carrot shape!

Deviled eggs are a fun nibble while little ones are hunting for plastic eggs! Also, make just a few! I think these Breakfast Deviled Eggs will be on our table for a savory bite and I’ll probably just make a few, as in, 3 eggs worth? Eyeball it- or add them to your dinner spread using any eggs you dyed! I love Caesar Deviled Eggs and Bacon & Ranch Deviled Eggs and Sour Cream & Onion Deviled Eggs.

Breakfast foods can be easy to make half of too! I definitely recommend a baked french toast – this one is Nutella Croissant Baked French Toast is amazing!

Flipping a ham dinner into sandwiches or into a pizza would be fun, if you’re not making a whole ham!

Enjoy Easter! Hope the bunny brings some treats!

What a weird time. We’re coming up on 2 weeks of physical distancing. It is very strange. We’re adjusting and we’ll continue to adjust. Some moments feel easier than others. Yesterday I felt grumpy but today feels like a whole new day. I’m hyper focused on each day having a workout and ensuring I do something to feel productive beyond getting work done and playing with the little ones.

I created some weekday themes to keep our days feeling different. Theme is occasionally a stretch. My take on this home-time for T is that he should color, cut, or write each day and read a ton. C goes with the flow so we aim that she gets to read and sing her kind of songs, like wheels on the bus (T is into How Bizarre.) To me, a theme is 2+ things- Space day: craft & space books & an “astronaut” pouch; Rainbow day: chalk & sprinkles on yogurt & a rainbow book.

I made Caramel Coconut Coffee just using coconut almond milk and coconut syrup – all very quarantine friendly!

This Copycat Cracker Barrel Meatloaf is so good. There’s cheddar mixed in! The topping is really addicting too.

My birthday feels like a year ago but it was great!! We had a bagel breakfast party which was perfect and went out to dinner for Chinese food!

I plan to still post a little bit. Ingredients are sometimes hard to come by right now but I also think normalcy is desired too. If I could ever convince you for a second to write a guest post, now is the time! It is fun to share food and I’m tell you, hobbies are crucial to our sanity (nap time is also a key to my sanity)! Comment or shoot me an email emily@thethreebiterule.com and I’ll get you going!

The Preschooler Guy:

He’s having fun and also missing school. We’re having pretend circle time to talk about the day of the week, the weather, what the theme is, and maybe a song. His pre-k program was truly amazing and I don’t pretend I’m replicating it! He loves blanket forts and bike rides.

The Toddler Girl:

She loves life and has so many words now! Help and open are my favorites! She likes the play kitchen and driving trucks around the house. I’m ever so grateful she loves the stroller- also since getting outside is good for all of us!

This Year’s Goals:

Year of beauty/selfcare! Ehh. Nothing has caught my eye.
Prep intentional sides and veggies: All bets are off right now. We’re eating well but I’m not stressing
Eat more fish: We had crispy fish tacos last night!
Blog some series: I did a lunch one of “Outside the Lunch Box”!
Focus decluttering/organizing to an area: Hmm. Not quite, but I’m on it!
Share more books on instagram: I’ve been sharing the kids books we’ve been reading.
Prioritize workouts: I did a core/kickboxing one called Core de Force and now I’m onto a cardio one called T25. We’ve been super active also getting outside and running around and taking walks.
What I’m reading: I read The Lost Girls of Paris and thought the history was fascinating and I liked the time jumps.  I read Mrs. Everything and found it page turning. 
What I’m listening to: my usual podcast favs like: Be there in Five’s episodes about babysitting had me cracking up out loud! (also the bridesmaid ones and sorority ones). I blew through The Dream season 1 about multi-level marketing- fa-cin-at-ing!
What I’m watching: Mr. J and I started watching Tournament of Champions and I love it!