blackberry + pineapple mojitos!

3.21.13

i love mojitos.

they do take a little time to make and you need a few things for them, but so worth it!

what you need:

small pieces of pineapple

4-6 blackberries

10 mint leaves

1 lime – cut into quarters

1 tsp sugar

2 oz barcardi rum

seltzer

photodirections:

squeeze 2 limes into a glass. add sugar and mint.  muddle them together well.

add the blackberries and pineapple.  muddle again until everything is mushy and liquidy.

add the baracadi and fill with ice.

top off with seltzer.

last, stir everything together very well!

enjoy!

food + drink

it is just a number…

3.14.13

today is my birthday.  another year older and i am okay with that!

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i really, honestly have zero problem with getting older.  i truly believe that it just keeps getting better and each year i think this year will be better than the last – and it is!

today i just want to take time to write for me.  for my kids.  for matt.  you guys are the best thing ever to happen to me.  yeah, i know everyone says this, but it is just plain truth.  i am beyond grateful for the life i have, my kids and their health, matt and his ability to change his whole life for us and all the people in my life that inspire me and motivate me to be the best i can be!

my life isn’t always easy. fun. where i thought i would be. etc.  but i must say it is just awesome!  i have so much good in my life and things that i can be thankful for, that on the bad days i remind myself of these things….

one of my goals is to take more pictures of our day to day and be in some of the pictures.  i swear the work of it all falls on the mom and i can get so busy with life, i forget to be in the pictures with my kids!  so even if that means holding out the phone or having one of the kids take it, who cares!  so here are some of us.  nothing special.  lots of blur. visible clutter. iphonography. and not necessarily all happy faces!  watch for a tantrum from easton near the bottom – welcome to terrible 2’s!

thank you matt. taylor. ella. cason. and easton for being a part of my life and journey.  even though you drive me crazy at times, you are the BEST!  and i love and adore each and every one of you!!!

with that said, welcome to a piece of our crazy life!

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and thank you to all of you for your birthday wishes via fb, instagram, text, calls, etc.  it isn’t even lunch time and i already am feeling all the LOVE!

xo jill

me

chocolate chip banana bread

2.25.13

ella and i spent our saturday morning baking…

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the most amazing banana bread ever!

what you need:

3 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. sald

1 1/2 sticks of butter, softened

2 c. sugar

3 c. mashed banana

4 large eggs, beaten

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. mini chocolate chips

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directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees

butter 2 – 9×5 loaf pans

in a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder + salt

in a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar.  add the bananas and eggs, beating until well blended.  beat in the vanilla

add dry ingredients to the banana mixture.  blend well.  stir in chocolate chips.

pour batter into pans and bake for 50-55 minutes (or toothpick comes out clean)

cool for 15 min. turn out of pants

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enjoy!

food + drink

national margarita day!

2.22.13

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hmmmm…yea i love margaritas!  they are one of my favorites!

but to have an actual holiday?!?! i would say that is pretty AWESOME!

so go out (or stay in!) and celebrate that is friday. that it is national margarita day.  and that spring is almost here!!

here is a link to one of my favorite recipes – blood orange margaritas!

want to keep things simple??

here is what i made this past week…

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pomegranate margaritas – yum!

Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix (with tequla)

Pom Juice

i salted a glass.  poured in the margarita mix over ice and added a splash of the pom juice.

i didn’t have time to gather all the ingredients for ‘home-made’ margaritas, but this was simple and they were amazing!

happy weekend everyone!

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printstagram giveaway!

2.20.13

not long ago i did a post regarding printing your instagram images!

it was a hit and i received tons of questions about printstagram, the company i used.  and i recently heard that they are in the process of adding a new feature which would make printing your images even easier!!!

here is how i am displaying my prints – i just love them!

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well today we have a giveaway for you!

printstagram has MANY different ideas for your images; posters, square prints, mini book, stickers, etc.

check out some of their products!

minibook stickers squareprints miniprints

wanna win something?!?!?!

rules:

1. follow prinstagram + myself on IG – username: socialps + jillmarz  (if you don’t have an IG account you can like both on facebook, but you should really get an account since it is awesome!)

2. hashtag one of your images with the follow #printstagram #jillmarzgives

3. comment below or under the IG image on my feed which product you would like to win: prints, stickers, book, poster, etc

4. earn extra entries for reposting on instagram or sharing on facebook

come back friday, march 1 to find out if you won!

(winner is randomly picked)

please note: posters cannot be shipped internationally.  sorry.

good luck friends!

giveaways

fisheye fun.

2.19.13

taking pictures is one of my favorite things.

i literally follow the kids around to catch moments.  this is much easier with easton than my older ones who are quickly annoyed!

the fisheye lens is just fun.  and i love to change it up a bit.  with this lens you can give the picture a completely different look and you can get SOOOO much in the photo, it is unbelievable.  i had to shift my camera up several times since i kept having my toes in the pics!

you can also get a fisheye for your phone – so awesome!  the ollo clip – check it out!

just for fun…

frustration looks like this!

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waking up looks like this!

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have a great day!

xo jill

 

i like this

happy valentines day!

2.14.13

hello.

today i just wanted to post about cute things!  i have seen SOOOO many adorable little valentines day things, that i wanted to share.  i am overly amazed all the time by what talent is out there and how creative people can be!

here are just a few things i find sweet and perfect for today.

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hope everyone has a wonderful day

xo jill

i like this

easton mike. 19 months

2.1.13

times goes too fast.  i swear i was just holding this little guy in the hospital on complete baby high.  19 months later, he is a toddler.  i love seeing him getting bigger, understand more, running, playing with his siblings and giggle at cason being a goof.  but i do miss him sleeping in my arms, being content in his seat for hours and all the newborn smells + coos!

with my others, i was either young or just trying to get through the day (ella + cason are 16 months apart).  now that they are older and more self sufficient, i got the chance to really soak up easton and appreciate all the little moments.  i am so grateful to have him in our family!

right now you….

dance: side to side or wave your arm up and down

say: mum, det, oh-oh, nononono, uuuuupp!, summm (for awesome), te (taylor), la (ella), ssss (cason)

roar: like a scary monster

go: upstairs and to your crib when we say ‘naptime’

eat: pancakes, milk, pasta, grilled cheese, cheese puffs and any treats your can manage to get from your siblings

have: something in your hand (bat, car, measuring cup) and in your mouth (usually disks from casons gun) ALWAYS

watch: wiggles + yo gabba

love: snuggling in the morning, holding hands, putting things in the garbage, pouches, reading books + bathtime

snuggle: blankets, dogs, pillows, us etc when we say ‘snuggle easton’

give: us a lot of happiness, smiles, drooled on floors, kisses, teasing, snuggles!

make: our family more awesome!

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easton mike

friendship bracelet valentines.

1.27.13

an email went out this year from teachers, asking parents to send healthy treats for birthdays.  in my opinion, this is good and bad.  good because i don’t think my kids need any more sugar and i understand if this may be a disservice to the teachers having to deal with crazed sugar-high students.  bad because your birthday is ONLY once a year and bringing cookies, cupcakes, etc is just fun and what makes the day extra special.

either way, it is what it is.  i am not going to fight it, like i said, i am okay with my kids not having any extra sugar!  but now we are approaching valentines day.  and it got me thinking…am i going to receive an email about no candy?  or is this an exception?  who knows!

so i decided to play it safe and do a non-sweet craft with the kids!  and who DOESN’T love friendship bracelets?  i have 4 on my wrist right now from some pretty spectacular kids!

these are super easy, just a little time consuming!

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i printed out the ‘message’ on cardstock.  then i used a scalloped scissors + just cut around the circles.

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the kids definitely helped with making the bracelets and we kept it simple by doing a basic braid.

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we hole punched on each side and thread the bracelets through!  simple!  my kids still need to sign each one, but that is the easy part!

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if you need more info on these valentines, contact me!!!

do it yourself / i like this