How's your margin?

We received some of our best marital advice from our marriage officiant. We talked about the importance of ensuring you have "margin" left at the end of your day. Think about your day as a page in a book. The things you do during the day - client meetings, working out, playing with your kiddos, driving to and from soccer practice, etc - fill the page. By the time 5 p.m. rolls around, do you have room in the margins for your family and friends? Did you reserve space to engage in conversation with your husband? Or spend time taking your dog for a walk? Or play a game with your child?

When we seem tired or worn down at the end of a long day, we ask the other... how's your margin? It is a gentle reminder to be understanding, loving and most importantly, show compassion when the other's is low. Tomorrow I challenge you to save room in your margin. Try it out and let me know how it goes.

Rotisserie Chicken Makes for an Easy Dinner

I look forward to every Wednesday in our house as it is Rostisserie Chicken night! You guessed it - this means neither of us needs to cook. Whole Foods offers all natural, free-range rotisserie chickens for only $9.99 and on Wednesdays only they are $6.99. Pair this with a side vegetable and a salad and presto, our dinner is ready in 20 minutes. Tonight, we enjoyed fresh asparagus and a salad with feta, tomato and cucumber.


Another reason I love whole chicken night is the leftovers - a whole chicken goes pretty far for our family. We've enjoyed chicken salad sandwiches, chicken noodle soup, chicken quesadillas and so many other dishes. This week, we are planning to make our own BBQ chicken pizza using fresh cilantro from Door to Door Organics. Our weekly deliver start this Friday. We are so excited to try it out and support the local, organic farmers in Colorado! (Keep your eyes peeled for a future post on this). What is one of your favorite, easy dinner meals?

Spring makes me happy!

Ashlyn and I just picked flowers - red tulips, yellow tulips and daffodils - from our garden. We carefully placed them on our kitchen table to enjoy again tomorrow!

B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L.

The Park, Candyland, Boo-boos, Ice Cream, Oh My! Superdad is in Da' House

I want to let you in a secret... I love my husband. Not only for the amazing man he is, but also for how he can transform (at any given time) into "superdad." Shawn stayed at home with Ashlyn until she was 18 months old. He understands that it is a full time job. And we both respect and admire the mothers and fathers who have this incredible job.

One of the greatest gifts is watching Shawn spend every Monday with our two girls - alone! He not only watches them, but he plays with them, teaches them and interacts with them. Tonight at dinner, Ashlyn told me all about their adventures to the park where Keegan took a short snooze. Followed, by a quick trip to one of my favorite shoe stores, DSW, where in her words "daddy, didn't find any shoes." Next, she told me about her lunch. Shawn fired up the grill and cooked hot dogs!

What more could a 2 year old girl ask for? Remember the game Candyland? She convinced her daddy (and really, all she had to do was say the magic word please and he was in!) to play the game not only once, but 13 times. Did you read that, 13 times! During the 13 game, we had a run in with the brick fireplace - oops! 20 minutes of an applied ice pack, hugs from mom and dad, and a scoop of ice cream, our little girl was ready for bed.

I thank God everyday for putting Shawn in my life - he is an incredible husband and even greater "superdad."