Welcome to “Moments” here on JoyFoodSunshine. At the end of every month I share a recap of all the shenanigans that went down in crazy town (i.e. my life in a nutshell).  So here it is for March 2017!

Recipe love:

Here are a few must-share recipes from the month of March from my favorite spots around the web!

Spring Forest Tart from The Fit Fork Feed {Almost too pretty to eat}!

Rainbow Chia Pudding Parfaits from Wife Mama Foodie {Stunning}!

Tempura Asparagus with Matcha Salt form Snixy Kitchen {Need. It. Now}

Chocolate Roll Cake with Marshmallow Fluff Filling from The Sweet and Simple Kitchen {Is this real life}?!

Maple Carrot Sheet Cake from Healthy Seasonal Recipes {That frosting}!

Life with my tribe:

Loving Life

March has been pretty low-key…as we excitedly await the arrival of our sweet baby girl! The weather has been amazing so we’ve been outside a lot. Can I just tell you that I love my sweet boy so SO much?!

Naomi: 

Something that’s absolutely worth mentioning is that Naomi’s language has finally exploded! She can say pretty much anything and is getting really good at communicating her thoughts and needs! I think my current favorite Naomi-ism is when I ask her, “What are you doing Naomi?” she always replies, “Ummmmmmm….I don’t know!?” {As she shrugs her shoulders and holds up her hands} SO cute.

We also transitioned Naomi out of the crib into a toddler bed {built, as always, by my super talented charming husband}! She is younger than my other two were when they graduated from their cribs, so I was putting it off as long as possible. The first night she didn’t fall asleep until 10 PM…and then when I woke up she was sleeping on the floor. LOL poor thing. Here’s to hoping every night will get a little better!

I honestly am so emotional about this change! I have a super special bond with Naomi. She is my baby and I am so not ready to let that go yet. I have snuggled her to sleep every single night for almost two years, and I know that this transition will usher in the end of that phase eventually. I keep crying about it {hello I’m also 37 weeks pregnant} because I just love her so much. I look at our family and I can’t believe how fast time has passed by. I just want to cherish every minute!

Bethany rides a bike!

Because of the unseasonably warm weather, Ritch was able to teach Bethany to ride the two-wheeler she got for her birthday back in January! For my little cautious child, she really did an amazing job! It only took three lessons for her to get the hang of it.

I made a mistake when chose the size of her bike, and it is a little too big for her to get started on her own….but once she’s up she’s good to go! So we’re probably going to get her one that’s a bit smaller and save this one for next summer. BUT I’m so proud of her!

Gabe is out of pull ups! 

Hallelujah praise the Lord! I have a pretty relaxed philosophy on potty training. Gabe has, effectually, been potty trained for a year now. However, I put him in a pull up at nap time and night time for a couple reasons!

#1) I am SO not interested in changing wet sheets in the middle of the night {can I get an amen}?!

2) I don’t want to put pressure on my kids or make potty training stressful.

I want it to happen naturally and at their own pace. Both Bethany and Gabe were SO easy to train, they both wanted to, {at different ages} and were self-motivated to stay clean and dry. I only make a concerted effort with sleep time once they have been waking up dry for months. Then I start a sticker chart and give them a sticker every time they wake up dry! If they make it a certain number of days then we all got to go out for ice cream! Gabe did a great job and we have yet to have a wet bed! Woo hoo! Just in time for this sweet baby to arrive!

Exciting News: VITAMIX!

If you are a regular reader of my blog then you know how much I love my Vitamix. I hope you all know that every word of praise I type about my blender is completely and totally genuine. Before I entered the blogging world I tried to convince everyone I knew that their life wasn’t complete if they didn’t own a Vitamix. I make so many of our staple recipes using it, and I feel so blessed for the relationship I have formed with the company over the course of the past year!

All that being said….I have officially become a Vitamix Affiliate and I couldn’t be more excited! I have purchased or received all of my machines directly from the Vitamix website, and I wouldn’t recommend buying one any other way! If you click on any of the links on my site you will automatically get free shipping with your order! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to e-mail me!

A few of my favorite things…

Waffle Maker! 

I finally bit the bullet and bought myself a new waffle maker! If you didn’t know this about me I’m super frugal! Sooo the fact that I had bought my waffle maker for $9 almost 10 years ago and it was being held together with duct tape didn’t really matter much to me because it still worked. LOL! Well I was experimenting with waffle recipes and my hubby encouraged me to take the plunge and buy a new one…and boy am I glad I did. This particular waffle maker is really great…I especially love that I can remove all the parts to clean them {because I’m also a neat freak, especially in the kitchen}!

Pie Dish

Ok I’m in love with this pie dish. I made a strawberry pie {recipe to come} in it and I can’t wait to bake SO many more!

Barney Almond Butter

If you didn’t know I also have a love affair with Barney Butter! It is the only almond butter that I buy, and I just so happen to be a parent ambassador for their brand! Well, they recently sent me a package full of amazing goodies, including all the snacks you see below! There will be an epic giveaway in the near future, so stay tuned! 🙂

Bumps to Baby

My sweet friend Liz started a website documenting her journey with infertility. She does a series called “Warrior Women Wednesdays” and recently asked me if I would share my story with her! So, if you’re interested in an in-depth look into a very personal part of my life and faith, check out my story over on her blog! 

Well that’s all she wrote! I’d love to hear a highlight from your March! What are you looking forward to in April?