Breakpoint

I am by no means a hiking expert. In fact, I really just got into the groove this year. Now, add to that a baby. So when hiking with baby was suggested my first thought was, “Yea, okay! Very funny. Who’s going to carry me down from the mountain when I’m tired?! Better yet, when exactly am I going to find time to do something like hiking. I barely found time to shower or eat THIS WEEK.”

After a few weeks contemplating the idea, I figured hiking was just walking and that the worse thing that could happen was that we experience a diaper blowout on the trail, get caught in a rainstorm, baby screams the whole way…the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I’d already been there done that. And if it happens on the trail, I’ll just have a spectacular view on the way back to the car!

With that, I started planning.

I knew I had to do it within the next few days, or I would change my mind and never go. After some searching on Alltrails.com I scoped a nearby trail and put the date on my calendar.

Sleep deprived, hair in a messy and wet bun, baby in tow, baby carrier & necessities packed, coffee cup filled to the top, half eaten muffin in the passenger seat, printed directions just in case I lost reception…we headed out to meet the ladies.

Of everything I feared, baby cried a little bit as it was nap time but after a few feet on the trail he napped soundly in the carrier. But…that was it! That was it!

We hiked, I enjoyed the views, snapped some pictures, chatted with the ladies but best of all was the fresh mountain air. Nothing can beat it! Ah!

Baby did wake up and there was occasional fussing but seeing him stare at the trees and the moving leaves was all worth it. It wasn’t a chore. It was a joy.

Don’t be held back. Take a hike! Pack the essentials and just go. Hiking doesn’t have to happen in the mountains, it could be a small, local trail.

Car maintenance is always important. Especially if you want a car that is going to last you for a long time. It doesn’t matter what brand it is.

Oil changes — the one maintenance item that everybody is familiar with — can be messy. I’m writing this post, as opposed to my husband, because I usually take care of the oil changes on our Subaru Forester. Every single time, even if I wore a poopie suit I would end up with oil everywhere. Do you know how hard it is to wash that out of hair!? Hard. Call me a whiny girl if you want.

Something had to be done. After some googling and chatting at the local car meet, we ordered a Fumoto oil drain. WOW! Why don’t cars come with this already installed. Push a tiny lever and bam, oil drained.

If you were ever nervous about taking on an oil change, this will certainly those at ease. No need to schedule an oil change with the local mechanic but seriously…oil drain not only makes things mess free, you know exactly what’s going on with your car plus it’s also SUPER FAST. And who doesn’t want fast when you have a little one running around, mountains to climb, places to go…

Fumoto isn’t the only place to get an oil drain below are only two. I’m sure there are plenty more.

Fumoto

Easy oil drain

Who doesn’t love a home cooked meal?! Going out to eat is also a great treat but repeated outings or frozen dinners can get kind of stale.

Regardless of the type of adventuring we did, dinner started to become the dreaded question. What are we going to eat tonight?! But, I hadn’t been home and wasn’t going to be home in time to whip something up. This question would also occur if we planned a really start to the day. So….what’s for breakfast!? We usually grab a bagel and head out the door but that got old really fast. We needed something fast, portable and delicious.

I sometimes love cooking. Sometimes being the key word. As cheesy as this is going to sound, I have to be in the mood. If I am, then wonderful! You’ll get a creative and delicious meal. If I’m not, that usually means, chicken and pasta. Boring.

In upper management they always say that it’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses (or areas that maybe you do excel in but it requires more effort and time because it simply isn’t your forte). Play to those strengths and delegate the other stuff. Through trial and error, I’ve stumbled upon a few recipes and sites that offered solutions to our meal dilemma.

New Leaf Wellness has a boatload of crockpot freezer meals. My faves are below:

Bacon egg cups

Easy oatmeal muffins — totally customizable

Turkey, white bean and kale soup

Chicken chili

Beef stew

Stuffed peppers