Allhenlarsphens

Yes.
Allhenlarsphens.

Once upon a time Josh and I drove over to Lou and Ryan's house for Sunday dinner. In our hands we had salad and the game of Taboo.
We got there at 4:03 pm. Just a few minutes later Heather&Keenan and McKaylyn&Jake arrived!
We ate a delicious dinner, mingled, ate cake/brownies, and played Club 7.
It was the greatest Sunday!

We have decided that we're family now and that this is just the first of many family dinners together!
This was a hilarious bunch of friends and I cannot wait until next week!

Josh wanted to be in the picture twice...
Allhenlarsphens is our family name! All of our last names combined (in alphabetical order, of course) and Heather is our mom, although she needs to remember to look at the brownie instructions while baking instead of the cake instructions...

Check back next week after we host Saturday night's dinner! Wii and Costco pizza are on the nights agenda!

Audrey Jo

Smoothie prep Wednesday?

So Josh and I (mostly me) are kind of obsessed with these green smoothies.

When we go to the gym in the morning before work and school its easy to make them for breakfast. But if we don't wake up early...I just want to stay in bed for as long as I possibly can while still being at work in time!

Today I decided to prep my smoothies ahead of time! And I think this is going to be one of my greatest ideas! 

They are really the easiest smoothies ever. Here is the wonderfully simple recipe:

2 handfuls of spinach

2 handfuls of frozen fruit

1 frozen banana

Orange juice and water (I don't really measure this. So I have no idea how much I put in it.)

About 1 Tbsp of honey

And that's it!

So to help prep all I did was portion the spinach, frozen fruit, and the banana in little baggies. So now all I have to do is take it out of the freezer and add the liquids to it!

Is it weird that I'm actually excited to wake up tomorrow just to make this?

Audrey Jo

No dessert until you finish your veggies!

"No dessert until you finish your veggies!"
This has always been something I have wanted to say! Only...I thought I would be saying to my kids. No my husband.

Vegetables are not a usual thing in our home. We just don't love them! (And when I say we I mostly mean me.)
Veggies just aren't the first thing on my mind when I think about what I'm going to make with my dinner.
But tonight. That changed!

I know...I know...it is not the most exciting dinner (although it was very delicious).

But the point is...when I sat down at the beginning of the month I actually thought about what veggies I would make with these meals.

It's a work in progress. But I am proud of myself for this! 

I usually just sneak spinach into my smoothies in the morning...

If you have any tips on how to make veggies yummy please send them my way!! Josh and I would both really appreciate it:)

P.S. Josh totally did finish his green beans just so he could have cookies tonight.

Audrey Jo

Harry Potter Marathon

One day my boss had the fantastic idea that we should all get together to have a movie marathon in his basement! He has a big 'ol comfy couch with a big 'ol comfy love sac sitting in front of a big projector screen. So obviously I was way excited for this.

We had a vote at work between Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Harry Potter to see which we should watch. Naturally....Harry Potter won!

We all signed up for a snack to bring a lot with us and the boss's wife made some delicious burgers!

We met up after work and got started! Everybody was super pumped for the first movie. Then since we started this after work people decided to leave because they were tired or had already planned to do something else with their Friday night. So it was down to like 8 of us for the second movie.  

Then more people left after that... Josh and I were the only ones left with the Dr and their kids! 

During the third movie everybody but me fell asleep! I mean...Josh and my boss were practically cuddling...

It was a pretty awesome night! And we're planning on doing this with more with other movies!

Maybe they'll actually stay awake for those...

Audrey Jo

January update!

First of all...is it already February?! Wasn't it just Christmas? Time sure is flying by!

Anyways. I thought a fantastic way to keep up with my goals is to keep track of how I am doing each month. And somehow we are already done with the first month!

So here they are:
1. Exercise at least twice a week. I have actually been really good about this one! (Minus the week I was sick at the beginning of January.) Josh and I have been waking up to go to the gym before work/school-that means waking up at 5:30 every day!! ahhhh! And I have a new workout buddy! Ashley and I have been working out together after work a few times each week. It is so much more more fun to suffer with a friend by your side.

2. Be a better homemaker. This one is tricky because it's not an all or nothing kind of thing. But I have been so much better at cleaning up around our home, planning out meals, and actually finishing laundry the same day I start it! (The clothes are washed and folded. But for some reason it takes a while for me to actually take them upstairs to put them away!)

3. No more soda! Unless I have a stomach ache! I am so proud of myself for this one! When I was making the rules for this one I was not too strict. My grandma makes this delicious grape juice with 7 Up in it-which I am allowing myself to drink. And I told Josh that I was allowed to have Root Beer Floats. I am allowing myself those because I don't love them. So if we happen to have them at a party that would totally be okay. So I had one this month! But no Sodalicious...no Sprite (not even when my stomach was hurting!)

4. Learn how to use my Canon Rebel. I didn't get to use my camera tooo much this month. But we did take it when we went out our drive yesterday, and when we went to the Ice Castles in Midway for our anniversary. These were super fun (especially the Ice Castles) with my camera because I got to play around with the lighting to get some pretty awesome pictures!

This doesn't show how awesome the Ice Castles really are. I just think it's a funny picture:)

Wish me luck this month!

Audrey