Taking a much needed break!

It's just the ebb and flow of life. What am I referring to? I've been dancing around this feeling for the last year. Have felt that constant battle of time for work and time for family. Well, I've officially entered the season of life where I just need to take a break....actually I've been taking one for the entire Summer. Since the kids are home it seemed a perfect time!

Our days for the early part of Summer were filled with Swim Team. Hours on end at the pool every day for each kids different practice, long meets on the weekends and hours spent I'd never ever trade!

Gotta love a powerful camera that can capture a still image like this and actually make the water look like it's thick clear sludge.

A great dive by my 6 year old is always sure to make Mama smile!

Yes, I'm also glued to the Olympics watching swimming and all the other amazing athletes! Team Lochte or Team Phelps? Hmmm, we are a house divided on who our fave is.

Long story short. The past 6 years have been just amazing as I've marveled and feel so incredibly blessed at how my business has grown out of my love for children's design. When anybody asks me how this all started, I smile and respond, "by accident" I went to college and got a business degree and sold computers for 10 years, I didn't attend design school! Kids started to come along and my husband bought me my first machine and naptime became my creative time to play around.

My first 2 children were girls and I naturally had an appetite for fun and expensive clothing for them. My closet wants for them outweighed what I should spend (surely this feels familiar to others) so I started creating. As I clothed them 1 design at a time, I had 2 little advertisers walking around. People would stop me and ask me about their clothes. Did I mention when I started to sew, I was in cold Chicago? This was a perfect hobby to take up for the long Winter months. I would create way more than any child could possibly wear and before I knew it La*tee*da*kids was born. What has happened over the years is the shift in balance. Work started sneaking into parts of the day and night that I really need to give back to my family or just taking time for myself. Truthfully the hardest part of this job is recognizing where to say no and consciously choosing your family and what's best for them over the ego of wanting to create and sell more. I won't get these years back with my kids so things just need to slow. All designers hit those creative plateaus and I'm there by all accounts. A brain rest is 100% in order! Just need to hit that refresh button!

Am I hanging up my hat? Nope, it's in my blood. I am going to slow things down, take more time for my family, for the curtains that I've still not done for my own bedroom 5 years after moving into our home! I have countless projects piling up that I'd love to complete and plenty of new things to try....thank you Pinterest

I plan to keep up with the blog and sharing the things we are doing around the house and new DIY projects and crafts that we have our hands in. We recently made THESE, OMG, so much fun! My kids were so thrilled with their knockoff "Ugly Dolls" Sure hope that readers and facebook fans stick around! New designs will probably hit for the Holiday season. I always feel inspired as we inch towards Holiday releases and by then I hope to feel that creative burst once again!

Hope everyone has had a fun filled summer with family and friends! Enjoy these last few weeks!

Clean Eating Pan Seared Tilapia Fish Tacos

I must start eating better! We all say that to ourselves at one point or another right? I consider myself a pretty good eater but just like anyone else, the older I get, the better I need to be. My girlfriend sent me this link so I could calculate how many calories I should take in a day based on my age and activity level and what weight I'd like to maintain. I exercise pretty regularly and it still only gave me 1500 calories a day. Really??? Actually it gave me 1477 but I'm a girl who likes round #'s. Okay, I'll try.

My biggest challenge is that my hubby is on the road a few days a week each week and those end up being cheat days on top of my weekend cheat days because I graze on kid style food. My kids don't appreciate meals that have lots of fresh ingredients and they certainly aren't impressed that it's a clean eating meal! They are pretty simplistic and are satisfied with a cheese quesadilla and some fresh fruit or something along those lines. I on the other hand crave texture, lots of spice, don't like to spend a ton of time in the kitchen and hate excessive waste which happens when you are cooking for 1 adult. The dinner I've been making lately is easy to make for one person, packed with flavor, texture and satisfying. Best part, light on calories!!! Have you ever tried fish tacos? Well you should...read on! Delicious and so quick to put together. This recipe is made for 1 but just adjust as needed.

Pan Seared Tilapia Fish Tacos

■ 6 oz Tilapia filet (this is a single person serving, adjust accordingly)

■ Old Bay Seasoning

■ 2 corn tortillas

■ 1 small avocado

■ 1 Tablespoon Slow Burn creamy jalapeno dip (photo'd below)

■ Angel Hair coleslaw

■ Pico de Gallo

■ Salsa (optional)

■ 1 lime

■ diced cilantro (optional)

Season each side of your filet with the Old Bay Seasoning. Heat some olive oil in a pan and then sear on each side for about 2 1/2- 3 1/2 minutes on each side depending on how thick your filet is. It will be white and flake easily when done.

Above is the creamy Jalapeno slow burn sauce we use. You can hunt your own local grocery stores and probably find something similar.

As you are cooking the fish, prep your other items. Slice you avocado into slivers so they're ready to go. Cut your lime into quarters.

Heat 2 corn tortillas so they are warm. Take your cooked fish, divide into 2 equal parts onto the tortillas and then just start layering on your goodies. I usually layer fish first and then the cole slaw. Drizzle half the creamy sauce onto each taco so it's all through the coleslaw. Top with the pico de gallo and then salsa if you like. I prefer the chunks of the pico de gallo so that's usually all I use but my husband likes lots of fresh salsa added to his as well. Add a healthy slice of avocado, squeeze some lime juice over your taco for a nice citrusy flavor and finish off with some diced cilantro as an option. Enjoy!

I've tallied the calories on this and am happy to report, if you stick to using the corn tortillas that are 110 calories for 2 tortillas and you pan sear, NOT FRY, your fish, you will come in at about 200 calories a taco....and yes, that includes avocado.