Motivation Menu Monday

Today I'm killing 2 birds with one stone: menu and motivation Monday.

The past few weeks I've been working hard to start my weightloss journey.  After 2 pregnancies and nursing 2 babies, I'm finally ready to change...my lifestyle, that is.  No more "eat because you're baby needs the calories" or "eat because it take calories to produce good milk."  Those two scenarios got me into the mess I'm in now.  So I'm changing.

Brant and I have both been more cautious about the food on our table.  We've decided to eat lean meats, fresh vegetables, and healthy fats.  We're trying to eat less processed foods and maintain an active lifestyle for our children.  We want to be grandparents, and great-grandparents, but can't do that the way we're living now. 

For Menu Monday:

Monday - Grilled salmon on a bed of sauteed spinach with this new roasted green beans and new potato recipe 

Tuesday - Grilled chicken with spinach salad and roasted broccoli

Wednesday - Street-style brisket tacos with cilantro lime rice

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday is our family stay-cation so the menu is up in the air. 

For Motivation Monday:

Here is my workout schedule for the week:
Monday - Week 2, day 1 of Couch to 5K (5 min. warm-up, run 90 second, walk 2 minutes for 20 min, 5 min cool-down)
Tuesday - Week 2, day 2 of Couch to 5K and 7 mile bike-ride (weather permitting)
Wednesday - 45 min. At-home exercise routine from a friend (details below)
Thursday - We plan on going to a local wildlife park, so I hope to get several miles of walking done.
Friday - Week 2, day 3 of Couch to 5K
Saturday -  45 min. At-home exercise routine from a friend
Sunday - Rest

Since I began tracking my meals and work-outs last Monday (yes, just a week ago), I've love a full 4.3lbs!  I'm ecstatic!

Here's the details of the at-home routine a friend gave me.  I have modified it a bit, but it definitely gets you sweating and helps tone those muscles:

• 10 Jumping Jacks
• 10 Squats
• 5 Jump Squats
• 10 Push-ups
• 20 Russian Twists
• 10 Lunges (each leg)
• 20 Slow Bicycles
• 10 Fast Bicycles
• 10 Crunches
• 10 Oblique Crunches
• 45 sec. Plank
• 30 sec. left-side plank
• 30 sec. right-side plank
• Repeat the cycle 2 more times! 

Memorial Day - Five on Friday

 

I am so excited that it's Memorial Day weekend. 

That means 3 things:

1.  A 3-day weekend

2.  Great time with friends and family

3.  TONS of food!!!

So today, my 5 on Friday items are some great recipes that I found and want to try out for our Memorial Day BBQ.

{ONE} 

Appetizer

Warm & Creamy Bacon Dip

{TWO}

  Main Course

Jalapeno Popper Burgers

 {THREE}

 Side Dish

Grilled Vegetable Kabobs

{FOUR}

Dessert!!!

Berry Trifle

 

{FIVE}

 Beverage

Rosemary-Infused Watermelon Lemonade

Rain Rain, Won't You Stay...

It's been raining here the past few days and when it was a light sprinkle this evening, I let Emmalee go outside in her rain gear to play.  I grabbed my camera just in case I could get a few pictures of her.  What I actually captured was something I can never replace.  These are the moments I hope I never forget. So if these are the things that happens when it rains, I'm ok if the rain is here to stay.

 

 

This face...

Is more than I can handle!

The amount of joy & laughter she brings into our home cannot be measured.

Her big sister absolutely adores her.

Her momma cant get enough of her kisses.

Her daddy is wrapped around her little finger.

She is loved!

Thankful Thursday

I guess I've started a new weekly tradition of Thankful Thursday.  Of course anyone is welcome to join in and link back if you want to.

I won't lie that it was hard to write today's post when so many others are wrenched in heartache and left with total devastation from tornadoes and severe weather.  My heart is grieving for those that lost homes, treasures possession, and loved ones.  I've had such a heavy heart the past few days reading story after story about death, devastation and destruction; yet it is because of seeing all of that devastation that I am thankful for the Body of Christ.

Its the Body of Christ that stretches out their arms to embrace us in times of trouble; its the Body of Christ that comes to aide those in need; its the Body of Christ that feed the hungry when the storms have blown away all we've ever known.  The Body of Christ are the faithful ones who bow on bended knee covering the rest of the body in prayer.  They see you through the good times and the bad, and lend a helping hand whenever they see the need.  Its the Body of Christ that comes together giving time and money and hugs of hope after the storms of life pass through.

In almost every story I've read in the past few days, the Body of Christ has poured out love on strangers and prayed words of hope over fellow believers and non-believers alike.  They have laid hands on the wounded, and sat in hospital rooms with families.

Today I am thankful that each part of the Body has a purpose, and when one party of the body suffers the rest of the body suffers; and when one part rejoices, we all rejoice (1 Cor 12:26).  Today we are all suffering with those who lost and are devastated, but I know that one day soon we will all rejoice in seeing God's hand at work.

What are you thankful for today?

Organization

Organization.

Its one of those things that I desperately long for, but seem to lack.

Especially in my home!  My home is not big, by any means, but its big enough for the 4 of us.  But there are days I wish I had just one more bedroom, or a craft room, or an office...just a little more space would help me get organized.  But what I've realized lately is that no more amount of space will declutter the clutter...I have to declutter the clutter. 

So today I went pinning and found some great ideas that I "want" to make happen; things that might help me get my home into a little more order.

For the playroom, I'm loving this website:  The Creative Classroom.  Even though its geared toward teachers, I love some of the ideas it has. 

I'm also loving this idea.  Our playroom has one HUGE wall and a lot of unused wall space, so what a great idea. 

I also love the idea of a chalkboard wall...that would eliminate the actual chalk board easel in the playroom!

 

I also love this!  I don't know about y'all, but my kids have more books than I can count and I'm running out of book space.  What a great way to use empty wall space as storage. 

In my kitchen, I've been begging Brant for a pantry make-over.  My pantry is basically just a wall of cabinets - but not actual cabinets - they just look like cabinets.  Actually, its a big square hole in the wall with cabinet facing.  There are only 3 shelves that are not adjustable and it is just a huge area of wasted space, in my ever-so-humble opinion.  So, I've told Brant I want to rip the cabinet facing off the wall, tear down the shelves, and make a new pantry.  I KNOW that more shelving space (especially adjustable shelves) will help me to be more organized.

So, now I'm trying to decide how I want this new kitchen pantry to be designed.  Here are few organization ideas I found of the pantry.

Now, this is brilliant!  A place for everything!  

http://www.designimprovised.com/2013/12/pantry-organization.html

I definitely want more space to store my appliances and serving trays/bowls.  This would be so helpful in freeing up my counter space and treasured cabinet space in my actual kitchen.

And I love this idea to add even more storage, but keep things off the ground.

Ok, give it to me straight - what are your favorite organization tips/tricks/secrets...I need it all!!!

On the Healthy Side of the Tracks

 Dear hubs and I have been taking a careful look at a lot of the food that is in our home lately.  Hubs is training for hist 1st triathlon and I'm still trying to lose baby weight from Madeline, so it seems like we're headed to the healthier side of the tracks.  The only down fall is the impact it has been having on our budget, so you can imagine my excitement today when I saw an article titled "20 Ways to Build A Whole Foods Kitchen on a Half-Price Budget." This one article lead me to all sorts of different articles and information that can help keep us on a healthy track but not kill our monthly grocery budget.

One of the things I found interesting in the Whole Foods article was that it ways build your weekly menu AFTER you grocery shop.  I don't know about y'all, but I do the exact opposite!  But the article makes sense - grocery shop and get value-priced produce and items, then plan your menu.  Why plan on making zucchini that may be at its highest price when asparagus is on sale?  So it looks like I might be changing my menu-planning style! 

So today, I just wanted to share some of the links that I've found in hopes that it might help you as well.  But, I also want to know what some of your tips are on how you and your family eat healthy.  How do you use fresh vegetables?  Do you freeze a lot of fresh foods?  Are you a member of a co-op?  I want to know it all!  Tell me how you and your family eat nutrient-rich foods on a budget.  


Here are some helpful links:
20 Ways to Build a Whole Food Kitchen on a Half-Priced Budget
Weekly Food Prep to Keep You on Budget
Eating by the Seasons
Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen
Month-by-Month Guide to Seasonal Produce
Seasonal Produce Recipe Guide

The Summer Fun List

With summer right around the corner, I always love putting together a 

Summer Fun List!

If you've never done a Summer Fun List, it is a great way to explore your town, or just get outside and have fun, especially as a family.  We've done this the past several years and love marking things off our list.  So here are the fun things we want to do this summer! 

Thankful Thursday

Its Thankful Thursday!!!

Today I'm thankful for doctor's and healthcare professionals that help us feel better!

My poor family seems to be so sick lately.

There's Madeline.  Poor baby girl had a urinary tract infection at only 5 months old, which lead us to do testing and find out that she has grade 2 bilateral urinary reflux in her kidneys.

Then Emmalee got a stomach bug about 6 weeks ago, then she gave it to Madeline.  Then we were healthy.

Then they both got snotty noses and congested, but we took care of that too.

Then Emmalee got another stomach bug two weeks ago; then gave it to Madeline and she was sick last week; then Madeline gave it to our Daddy who is STILL sick.

Then on Friday I took Emmalee in for her 3 year well-check, only to discover that she has a double ear infection, but has never complained or said her ears hurt at all!  So mom-fail!

But through it all, our doctor's and healthcare professionals have helped us feel better and get well.  I'm so thankful for a doctor who knew that a 5 month old should not have a UTI, and insisted that we perform tests and "dig deeper" into what was going on or we would not have found the reflux.  I'm thankful for a great pediatric urologist that got us in quickly to see him and was so great with our daughter, and actually explained this condition to us in a way we could understand.

So if you are a doctor, a nurse, a caretaker, or anyone in the health care industry...

Thank you!!!

Thank you for what you do and the difference you make!

Prayer Life

Beth Moore tweeted something this morning that really got me thinking:

"Some things just flat-out aren't going to happen if we don't get our tails up and pray with faith, courage, passion, and confidence.  As the saying goes, we can't keep doing the same thing the same way and expect something different. Let's press in to a new level of prayer."

I literally reread this tweet over and over and over again.  She might as well just have put @awilliams0720 in the beginning and spoke these words straight to me because I NEEDED to hear this!  For some reason I guess it's never occurred to me that praying for the same thing in the same way over and over again, but expecting different results could be a "problem area" in my prayer life.  Then, the question came to mind "What is my prayer life even like?"

Let me completely pen and transparent here:  I pray, I believe in prayer, but do I have a prayer "life"?  What does a prayer LIFE look like?  Sadly, when I begin to actually dwell on it and ponder my prayer "life" I just see the occasional "bless this food" and "Lord help me to..." kind of prayers.  So if this is my prayer LIFE, why would I EVER expect for things to be different in my life?  

On the flip side, I did get a glimpse of what a true prayer life if like about 3 months.  Brant had applied for a new job.  One that would have moved our family to a different state, and one that he desperately wanted.  He got pretty far into the interview process and it really looked as if we could be moving.  From the day of his first interview and for the next month, I felt like we both immersed ourselves (morning, noon and night) into prayer for the Lord's will to happen - not our's.  It seemed that when our whole future was up in the air, a peace that passes all understanding still prevailed.  I remember telling Brant one day that I was feeling a peace and presence in my life that I simply could not understand.  It was incredible.  

And now, I look back on that few months and wonder what happened?  And sadly, I know what happened. 

I stopped.

I stopped immersing my life in prayer. I stopped seeking His will and praying for His will.  I went back to "my" normal.  

But I don't want my normal anymore.  I want my normal to be a life that seeks His way everyday; a life that runs after Him; a life that moves only toward Him.  

So today is the beginning of a new adventure - one that uses Him as my guide and uses His lamp to light my path.  I want to pray with courage, and passion, and confidence that He will do great things.  He is the author and perfecter of my life, so I will cover every inch of my life and prayer and seek the Holy Spirit who lives within me.  This is what I want!  This is a prayer life!  This is what I will start TODAY!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Emmalee Caroline

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY 

EMMALEE CAROLINE!!!

Emmalee Caroline,
You are 3 years old today, and I simply cannot believe it.  It's hard to remember what life was like before you. You made all me dreams of being a momma come true just 3 short years ago, and life has only gotten sweeter.  

You have the sweetest spirit and love people unconditionally, especially your baby sister.  She is the first thing you usually ask for in the mornings and you're always telling me and daddy that you "want to keep her."  You love playing tea party with her and are always wanting to hug her, and kiss her, and help feed her and help burp her...you want to be involved in everything. 

You are so funny.  You constantly make me, your daddy, and your sister laugh.  You love to sing and are always making up songs for everything.  Sometimes I think you sing more than you speak.  You are so smart and incredibly inquisitive.  You ask some of the most deep questions and have a wonderful memory.  You like order - you're always wanting to know "the plan" and what is going to happen.  You are not a fan of bedtime, but still love taking baths or anything involving water.  You are a ball of energy that is constantly on the go.  You love the outdoors and playing pretend. 

Your favorite food is spaghetti.  Two days ago I asked you if you wanted to go out to dinner for your birthday or for momma to cook, and you said you wanted momma to cook.   When I asked you what you wanted me to cook, you quickly asked for spaghetti & meatballs, even though we just had it last week.  You were thrilled when I told you "yes!"  You also like most vegetables:  squash, broccoli. green beans, carrots, and tomatoes.  You like cheese, peanuts, vanilla wafers, and anything sweet.

More than anything, you fill our home with laughter and liveliness.  The Lord made you so special and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for you.  Remember that your mommy and daddy are always so proud you, and love you more than you will ever know.

Happy birthday sweet baby girl; I love you!
Momma

Baby Food in a Flash - Crockpot Version

Baby food making - something I never thought I would find myself doing.  I had it in my mind that it would be difficult and time consuming.  As a FT working mom, my time at home is precious so I didn't want to take up any of that valuable time making something that I could conveniently purchase at the store. 

But, a few friends I work with have babies about the same age as Madeline and convinced me that it was actually quite simple and really didn't take up much time at all.  So I decided to give it a whirl, and little did I know that I would soon be making up my own recipes and methods to make my own baby food.  The craziest part is that I am truly enjoying it and it actually does save money. 

So here is a quick guide to "Baby Food Making for Moms Always on the Go!"

 Today's specialty:  Carrots.

Here is a list of everything you'll need (prepare yourself, its lengthy, lol):
Sauce-sized crockpot
About 1 cup water
Bag of baby peeled carrots
pinch of salt
Immersion blender
Storage container.

To begin, I have my crockpot and 1 16 oz bag of organic baby carrots that I got for only $1.59.  

 

 Put your carrots in your crockpot with about 1 cup of water.  The water is simply to make your puree smooth and creamy.  If you prefer, you can exclude the water (or some of it) and add breast milk (if you're nursing)  in to end to make it smooth & thin.  I added a pinch of salt to mine, just to season and add some flavor.

Turn your crockpot on low for 5-6 hours, or you can cook on high for about 4 hours.

 Once the carrots are done (sliced of smushed easily with a fork), take your immersion blender (a hand-held mixer works just as good) and begin to puree until smooth and creamy.

Here we are - smooth & creamy.  

If you feel your puree is too thick, add more water or breast milk.  Also consider the age of your child. Madeline just started eating solids, so I want mine more thin so her little tummy can digest it easily.

 

 Just to give you a better idea of how much one bag of carrots can make, I poured my puree into this measuring cup.  It's a little over 2 cups, which I will make into 6 generous servings of food. 

STORAGE OPTIONS:

There are several different storage options.  You can use  the small glad containers, ziplock bags, breastmilk bags, or any other seal-able container you have.  I have given Madeline several serving of store-bought food, so I saved the containers and they are perfect for storage and freezing.

 Here's my new stash!  6 containers of freshly carrot puree, ready for the freezer or refrigerator.  I'll feed one serving to Madeline tonight, and save the rest of later.  I'll just put these in the freezer for now.  To thaw,  you can set them refrigerate, or sit the container in warm water for 5-10 minutes.  Very simple.

I was a complete skeptic on the whole "making your own baby food saves money" but I did the math and its actually true.  These Gerber foods are purchased at my local Kroger for $0.99.  Each item has 2 servings.  So $1 for 2 servings, roughly.  I just made 6 servings of carrots for $1.59!  That's roughly half the cost I would have spent buying 6 servings of Gerber foods.  

My serving sizes are the same as Gerber's because I am using the Gerber containers for storage.

That's it!  So simple and easy.  Total time actually "making" this was less than 10 minutes.  Since the cooking takes place in the crockpot, you can walk away and just let it be.  You can cook them while you're running errands, or at work, or playing with your kids.  It's a great time saver, but still allows me to savor the special time I have at home. 

Do you make your own baby food?  I'm intrigued to see who makes their own and what are some of your favorite recipes?  Do you get "creative" when your little ones are a bit older and exploring new foods? 

These Two Have Stolen My Heart

There are some days when raising two girls makes me feel run down and exhausted, and then there are days when it blesses my heart beyond imagination.  Saturday was one of those days when they did both.

Daddy was working a double header at the ballpark, and I was at home trying to take care of both girls, do the laundry, pick up the house, clean the kitchen, plan the weekly dinner menu, oh, and give my kids the attention they craved. It absolutely wore me out. 

But then this happened, and the joy in my heart outweighed any exhaustion.  Seeing the two of these angels together is the sweetest thing, especially when Emmalee has Madeline laughing.  

This is My Story

Ever since I was a little girl, all I have ever wanted was to be a wife and a mom. Well my first dream came true when I married my husband, Brant on July 20, 2007. After a year and a half of marriage, we decided to try and start our family.

I had been on birth control for several years, so I obviously got off of it, but after 14 weeks, still did not have a cycle. That began our almost 2 year long journey to have a baby. The doctors began to run an assortment of tests, but nothing seemed to reveal the cause of a lack of ovulation. I was prescribed progesterone and different hormones in hopes that my body would react to them, but it didn't. I was prescribed high doses of Clomid, but is still did nothing. Last October, the doctor told us that our next option was an infertility specialist. He had exhausted every avenue possible to him but a specialist may be more suited to address the "problem."

As I began to research infertility specialists in my area, I reached a breaking point. I was stressed out, emotionally exhausted, and scared of what the future held. So I called a dear friend of my family, Mrs. Edith. Mrs. Edith has a doctorate in natural medicine. I simply called and asked her if she would tell me something that I could take for the stress. After a long appointment with her in early November, she put me on a cell detox. Her thoughts were that since I was on birth control, the tissue and cells of my ovaries and uterus had absorbed the toxins in the birth control; therefore, my body still had the drug in the bloodstream which prevented ovulation. So, I started to take a cell detox. On January 1st, I had a cycle.

I will remember that for a long time. Brant and I felt like we had finally won a battle in this infertility war because I finally ovulated.  Before I went to the infertility specialist, I wanted to exhaust my options. So we did. I continued the cell detox, got back on Clomid, and let nature take its course. After 5 months, we still were without a baby, and again felt completed defeated.

Brant and I began to talk about adoption more and more. We had finally come to a place where we just laid it at His feet. I told the Lord that I would be ok if I never "had" a child, but that I still desired to be a mother. I told Him that I trusted His plan, and that if He would just lead us, we would gladly follow. I remember what a peace I felt after finally giving it ALL to Him.

I never imagined that God just needed me to finally let Him have the reins before He was ready to put His plan into action.

August 20, 2010 is a day that changed our lives forever. After two years of trying, we found out that we were going to have a baby. On September 3rd, we heard the sweetest sound - a strong beating heart. Our sweet baby girl Emmalee was born on April 15, 2011.


Today, at almost three years old, she is one of the spunkiest, sassiest, and funny little girls I've ever met!  





At the time I never knew God's plan for my family, but He has proved Himself faithful over and over. On the days where I felt nothing but despair, He provided people to pray over me. When I felt hopeless, He provided women who encouraged me. He was my ultimate physician and healer.

Fast forward a few years and we were thrilled and VERY surprised when we found out that God was going to bless us again!  This past September Ms. Madeline Grace was born.







In an instant, God changed our lives. I will encourage those struggling with infertility by saying this: His plan is perfect, even when we are not. Rest in Him and follow where He leads you. Remember Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you' declares the Lord, ' plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for a HOPE and a FUTURE."

Pouring into the Next Generation

Brant and I have been doing going to a weekly Bible Study that is studying Kay Arthur's "Marriage Without Regrets" precept course.  It has been so enlightening to study what God's plan for marriage is and knowing the roles and expectations He laid out for man and woman.  On the other hand, it's made me realize the example that I want to be for my girls, and that my friends is definitely bringing some changes in my heart and actions.

Many of you may know, or read the blog of, Amanda Jones (AKA Baby Bangs).  Her dear husband Curtis once preached a sermon about being Godly men and women, and during his sermon he made one of the most profound statements that I will never forget:  When your children think about the most Godly woman they know, they should be thinking about you, their mother.  And when your children think about the Godliest man they they know, they should think about their dad! 

Wow!  What a powerful statement!  It was probably close to 10 years ago that I heard this sermon, but it made such an impact on me that I still remember it today.  The problem with this statement is that its PURE TRUTH!  If I want my girls to fall in love with their Savior and serve Him, then I have to do the same thing.  If I want my girls to be Godly women who are obedient to His calling; who raise their own children in a Godly home and show them what the "Proverbs 31 Woman" is, then I have to be an example of the Proverbs 31 Woman!

What this precept class has shown me more than anything is what God actually intended for that woman to look; what her role for her family was to be; what characteristics she should possess.  So now I've started the journey of becoming more like "that" woman.  I want to be a Godly example for my children, regardless of the secular world we live in.  I want to show them that, even though there is darkness around you, you can still be the light! 

To add fuel to "my" fire, I watched all of the IF: Gathering videos last Monday (yes, I wanted them all in a day because I felt like I couldn't get enough of them).  How fitting that this was about running the race and pouring into the next generation.  Christine Cain just about hit the nail on the head when she said God wants "the wisdom of the older generation, the resources of the middle generation and the zeal of the younger generation all running together."  But we have to BE the generation!  We have to instill a sense of urgency in the younger generation to have that zeal because the Lord is coming again, and we MUST be ready. 

So as a Godly woman, the biggest "generation" I can pour into is my own children!  I want to pour love, and wisdom, and truth into them, but I cannot do it on my own.  So I praise the Lord that He gave us the Holy Spirit who can work through me.  So today, I'm starting with the little things.  I'm talking to Emmalee more about who Jesus is, and the love that He has for her; we pray as a family more; we talk about how Jesus likes us to act.  They may seem like small things, but my prayer is that they turn into life-long things. 

So if you're pouring into your kids to raise up the next generation, what are you teaching them?  How are you the example for them to look up to?  What are you instilling in them and showing them so that, in 20 years when they think about the most Godly woman they know, they think of you?