Dishing It!

Amanda is having another Dishing It! party and I thought I would participate since I have been a slacker these past few times! This party is "Summer Rewind." Wow, is it ALREADY that time? It seems like yesterday I was walking into the hospital on a very COLD, November night, in labor...and now my baby girl is almost 9 months old!!

So here are a few of my Summer Rewinds...

I had two activities this summer that I participated in that were very memorable! The first was my best friend Stephanie's wedding. Steph and I become friends the first day of our freshman year of college when we met as we moved into our rooms in the dorm - that happened to be right across from each other! She has been my best friend ever since. I can't believe she is now an old married lady! Of course, she looked BEAUTIFUL! The wedding was awesome and I met some really great ladies that were in her bridal party. Unfortunately, I only have these pictures right now...hopefully will have more to come!

Steph and her bridal party! That's me on the very far left with the chicken legs!




Emory was all partied out! I wish I had a better picture of her outfit right now...it was made by my friend Tanya (FrouFrouBritches)!

The second activity that I participated in was for a very special cause. It wasn't a big activity, but I was so excited to be able to do a huge tee shirt fundraiser for a great cause, Team Eli. I have talked about my friend Jodie before on my blog, who lost one of her twin boys one year ago only 5 days after his birth. Eli's short life has inspired so many things (including the documentary Every.Life.Inspires) and people and has changed Jodie's life.

Here is a picture of the news segment on Project Eli.

Here is Emory in her Team Eli gear! Jodie made this precious outfit and bow for Emory so she could be a supporter also!

She is an awesome person and the money from the tee shirts that are now all over Central Arkansas is going towards a new memorial garden at the I Can! Dance center that is a haven for special needs people to be able to go and learn to dance. This is special to me since I work with special needs children but even more special because of my dear friend! (You can also check out Jodie's awesome boutique, The PiNk LlaMa Shop!).

The best new recipe that I tried was at Stephanie's bridal luncheon. Sadly, I don't have a picture of that either (I know, ugh!). The recipe was an easy salad but it was SO good! The ingredients are - mixed field greens, strawberries, craisins, feta cheese, and chinese noodles added just before serving along with Mueller's Homemade Poppyseed dressing. I have never had any of these in this combination but it was FANTASTIC! I am a sweet fanatic and it definitely had a great hint of sweet from the fruit in the salad!

The best book I read this summer was The Glass Castle. What a fabulous book. I didn't think I would really enjoy it but I kept reading and reading and each page I would just be more fascinated with the author and the story of her life. It is a true story and that makes it even crazier. It really opened my eyes to poverty that is all around us that most of us don't see. I really enjoyed it and hope that whoever reads it enjoys it also!

The coolest new blog I found this summer is by far Blacktating. I have been pretty open about the fact that I am a proud breastfeeding mama. It has been a huge part of my life these past few months and I am a very big supporter of breastfeeding. I have considered getting the needed hours to become a lactation consultant and have been encouraged by other Registered Dietitians that have taken this route also, but just haven't decided for sure if that is the road I want to take. Elita from Blacktating is a proud breastfeeding mom of color and an advocate for African American breastfeeding women. I follow her on Facebook and I LOVE her posts. She is always up-to-date on breastfeeding information and articles/controversies.

Last, but not least...I have so many things left on my summer to-do list that I can't even really list them! Andy and I have decided to start getting our house ready to get ready to sell...does that make any sense?! There are many things that we still want to do to get the house ready to put on the market. We bought this house new but know that many things are not going to be favorable to househunters (i.e. our yellow kitchen). I also have a very important FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY to start planning! It's ONLY three months away!

I hope everyone has a great night and I can't wait to read your Summer Rewinds!