Two weeks into my lifestyle redo, I'm seven pounds lighter and feeling great! Because I've been strict, I've found that my cravings and eating habits have already changed for the better. I've noticed that by keeping my meals and snacks predictable and well planned out, it makes my choices much easier by taking out the guess work. Also, being that I've worked out every day for the last couple of weeks, I've begun to look forward to moving and also have found more creative ways to get excersice in. With a full-time job and two kids home for the summer, "me time" has been the first to go! Still, with a little effort and sacrifice, I'm getting the job done. Here's a sample day in the life! I hope it challenges you to become stronger and more fit this summer!
7:00- wake, get changed and head out to jog if I'm off work (if kids are up, they watch tv)
7:30- home, shower, dress for the day
8:00- coffee
9:00- smoothie
12:00- lunch (salad w/ protein and veggies)
3:00- snack (apple w/peanut butter, cheese w/crackers, celery and hummus)
6:00- dinner (protein w/whole wheat rice or pasta and veggies)
8:00- kids in bed, work out at home if I didn't get to yet
9:00- time with hubby or to relax, watch tv, do laundry..etc. (If I'm hungry, I eat popcorn)
11:00- bedtime!
Switch things up. If you do cardio in the morning, do weights or stretching in the evening. If you only have time to swim a few laps with the kids, do it. Take them along for a hike or long walk. Just get moving! If you want to see results, you have to make big changes! My fitness goal is to tone and firm up, see definition and have more energy. I started last week at 139 pounds and I'm down to 132. Hubby has already noticed!
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Happy Father's Day
He provides for his family, plays with the kids, lays down
the law, leads, fixes, plans, budgets, gets gas, gets water, takes out the
trash, assembles, labors and still puts God first.
He is the warrior, the fighter, the front-liner and
sacrifices time, money and sleep to ensure all our needs are met. He’s the first
to rise and the last to sleep and he makes the hard decisions, walks the fine
line and faces the world with a fierce drive to do what’s right, even when it’s
not the popular choice.
He’s an avid reader, the world’s best take-out delivery
driver and the softest place to fall when the day is just too hard. He cradles her heart in his hands, carefully tending and loving, even
when she is hard to love. He makes the world’s most perfect cup of coffee and
is the most comfortable pillow at night.
His words soothe, his hands heal and his arms protect. His
faith is unshakable and his determination, unmatched. He doesn’t back down,
doesn’t let up, doesn’t quit and never stops trying. When the odds are against
him, he digs deeper and reaches farther.
He’s fun, fair, honest, sweet, gentle, motivated,
tough, faithful, just, sincere, kind and discerning.
Dad to four. Brother to ten. Cherished son. Beloved uncle. Treasured friend. My husband. My love.
Happy Father’s day to all the men in your life. What would we do without them?? Spoil them today!
"The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him." Proverbs 20:7
"The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him." Proverbs 20:7
Thursday, June 15, 2017
A Reason to Celebrate
So I've been on this new health and exercise kick for oh, I don't know, three whole days when I decided that my kids and I need to make a fancy layer cake! Right away! Inspired by a cooking-themed show my kids were watching, (pathetic, I know but if you've ever watched "Just Add Magic" on Amazon, you'll completely understand!) I was inspired to make a beautiful and delicious creation of my own. But, being that there are only four members living in the Doña household, I needed to be prepared to share so it got me thinking...Father's day is this week and what dad wouldn't like a huge slice of blueberry and lemon goodness?? Crazy ones, that's who! I considered a few options (tiramisu, my hubby's fave but no bueno for kids, cookies n' cream but my son can't eat chocolate...) before settling on a lemon cream cake with blueberries. Sweet and tangy, light and fluffy...perfect for summer! So I got started! Now, if you are a hard core from-scratch baker, I take my hat off to you. I personally use cake mixes with no shame (even for my wedding cake!!) because they are fool-proof, easy and consistent but there are endless ways to make them your own. For this cake, I used two yellow cake mixes, about a cup of blueberries and three lemons. If you don't have four round cake pans, you'll have to bake in two batches. In two of the pans, swirl in blueberry puree made with a little water and 1/2 cup blueberries, blended. In the other two, mix in the juice and zest of two lemons. Bake until done then ice with cream cheese frosting and top with the remaining lemon, sliced and blueberries. You can really go to down with decorating but I kept it simple. I used store bought frosting and a gallon zip-lock bag cut to do the piping on the cake. Before you know it, you'll have your very own fancy dessert, the perfect addition to your Father's Day meal, brunch, tea party or for a sweet treat anytime! Tip: It tastes best with a cup of coffee after kiddos are in bed!
Monday, June 12, 2017
Dinner is Served
Being that it's:
a) summertime and my kids are home for a lot more meals and snacks now
b) I'm trying to muster the motivation to get a hard body for summer (I'll give you a moment to lyao...) cause it's a little late for THAT...
c) I need crowd pleasing meals that will serve well as leftovers for hubby...
I decided it's once again time for a diet overhaul! I've done this many times and it's a simple plan, really. I've realized that more often than not, I've been reaching for easy snacks and meals (mac n' cheese, frozen pizza, packaged crackers and chips...) instead of what I should be feeding my family so a diet redo is in the works at the Casa Doña!
First, I have stocked up on healthy but quick items that will be easy to throw together in a hurry but that are tasty and satisfying. A few of my favorite things to munch on are carrots and hummus, apple slices with peanut butter, cheese and crackers (whole-grain, please. Those yummy, buttery Ritz ain't gonna help a mama out...) and the almighty smoothie. I love how it feels to whip up a healthy smoothie or protein shake in the morning and waltz into work sippin' away as if it's just the norm. Well, I want it to be. So with a few ingredients, you can make smoothies anytime. I make mine with variations of the following: frozen berries, bananas, 100% fruit juice, greek yogurt, chocolate protein powder (hubby's fave) and sometimes peanut butter.
Once you have snacking in order, it's time to pull out the big guns for dinner. Now, my family has come a looooong way as far as being picky goes because my kids know they gotta eat their veggies. BUUUUUUT, I have a bad habit of cooking high-carb, calorie rich dishes like cheesy chicken enchilada casserole with rice and beans, lasagna with garlic bread and pizza anytime. Seriously. It's just that those meals feed us all, make great leftovers and are super tasty but not so good for any of our waistlines.
So here are a few things I decided to add to my repertoire--crock pot meals that are high protein...think, roasted pork with carrots and onions and chicken cacciatore over brown rice, big salads with chicken and veggies and breakfasts that start with eggs and oatmeal rather than cinnamon rolls and cereal.
I know it may seem hard at first but after a trip to the market and a fridge full of healthy options, it really does become a habit and kind of fun! Once you see your family getting into shape and enjoying healthy meals that you are responsible for preparing, you will begin to look forward to cooking again!
Once you got that down, start taking care of you. Take a walk with the kiddos, a swim in the pool or carve out just twenty minutes for a quickie workout! I know it's busy for all us mamas but you deserve to feel your best! Here's to a healthy summer!
a) summertime and my kids are home for a lot more meals and snacks now
b) I'm trying to muster the motivation to get a hard body for summer (I'll give you a moment to lyao...) cause it's a little late for THAT...
c) I need crowd pleasing meals that will serve well as leftovers for hubby...
I decided it's once again time for a diet overhaul! I've done this many times and it's a simple plan, really. I've realized that more often than not, I've been reaching for easy snacks and meals (mac n' cheese, frozen pizza, packaged crackers and chips...) instead of what I should be feeding my family so a diet redo is in the works at the Casa Doña!
First, I have stocked up on healthy but quick items that will be easy to throw together in a hurry but that are tasty and satisfying. A few of my favorite things to munch on are carrots and hummus, apple slices with peanut butter, cheese and crackers (whole-grain, please. Those yummy, buttery Ritz ain't gonna help a mama out...) and the almighty smoothie. I love how it feels to whip up a healthy smoothie or protein shake in the morning and waltz into work sippin' away as if it's just the norm. Well, I want it to be. So with a few ingredients, you can make smoothies anytime. I make mine with variations of the following: frozen berries, bananas, 100% fruit juice, greek yogurt, chocolate protein powder (hubby's fave) and sometimes peanut butter.
Once you have snacking in order, it's time to pull out the big guns for dinner. Now, my family has come a looooong way as far as being picky goes because my kids know they gotta eat their veggies. BUUUUUUT, I have a bad habit of cooking high-carb, calorie rich dishes like cheesy chicken enchilada casserole with rice and beans, lasagna with garlic bread and pizza anytime. Seriously. It's just that those meals feed us all, make great leftovers and are super tasty but not so good for any of our waistlines.
So here are a few things I decided to add to my repertoire--crock pot meals that are high protein...think, roasted pork with carrots and onions and chicken cacciatore over brown rice, big salads with chicken and veggies and breakfasts that start with eggs and oatmeal rather than cinnamon rolls and cereal.
I know it may seem hard at first but after a trip to the market and a fridge full of healthy options, it really does become a habit and kind of fun! Once you see your family getting into shape and enjoying healthy meals that you are responsible for preparing, you will begin to look forward to cooking again!
Once you got that down, start taking care of you. Take a walk with the kiddos, a swim in the pool or carve out just twenty minutes for a quickie workout! I know it's busy for all us mamas but you deserve to feel your best! Here's to a healthy summer!
Thursday, June 8, 2017
Go Play!
Day one of summer and I predict the kids are going to give me more than I bargained for. It's been a long day, long and we're just beginning. What began as a mellow day hitting up Target then meeting a friend for lunch and a little playtime action is turning into the longest day ever.
I took them in the pool, watched a movie with them and even took them to the Cheesecake Factory for a late afternoon treat (yes, that was for me.) It's not quite dinnertime and the kids seemed to have found some little friends to play with. Great. But now every five minutes they're barging in the door ("Shut it behind you! The AC is running!") for "props" for a movie their filming. "Mommy, where's that eye patch? You know the one I needed the other night when I was being dramatic and had something in my eye??" Of course, that one. Junk drawer, kiddo. Junk drawer.
It's always a plus when kids come up with activities on their own but do you notice that in the end it just creates more work for you?? Some examples:
Kinetic sand ("Mommy, look what I found under my bed!") then five minutes later, they're bored and don't feel like helping sweep it all up off the floor.
Legos. Enough said.
Play-Doh. Again...enough said.
Slime. Yes, I did this because I am a crazy person and for kicks and giggles, felt like trucking my kids to Michaels to spend about $18 on supplies for some "slime" that turned into hockey pucks and got left on the patio table within about five minutes and sat their until their dad forced them to clean the remnants of. (sorry, honey!)
Swimming, going to Barnes and Noble, going to buy Pokemon cards, playing "airport" (yes, I'm the genius who thought of that but then..."Who is going to play the ticket agent, Mommy?? Because there are only two of us and WE can't be the ticket agent.."), charades, puzzles, ice cream shop, you name it. The fun only begins when Mommy is sitting cross-legged on the floor on the action or shelling out loads of money. So I declare coloring time. Or reading. Or writing a story quietly. Or napping. You MUST be tired from running around, right??
So the next time you hear the words "I'm bored" or "What should I do??" the answer is this-- go play, dear children, go play. Sometimes being bored is the perfect catalyst for the best, most imaginative games and if you're one of those mommies like me who feel guilt every time you sit down or enjoy a moment to yourself, knock it off. Eventually the guilt monsters will leave you alone.
I took them in the pool, watched a movie with them and even took them to the Cheesecake Factory for a late afternoon treat (yes, that was for me.) It's not quite dinnertime and the kids seemed to have found some little friends to play with. Great. But now every five minutes they're barging in the door ("Shut it behind you! The AC is running!") for "props" for a movie their filming. "Mommy, where's that eye patch? You know the one I needed the other night when I was being dramatic and had something in my eye??" Of course, that one. Junk drawer, kiddo. Junk drawer.
It's always a plus when kids come up with activities on their own but do you notice that in the end it just creates more work for you?? Some examples:
Kinetic sand ("Mommy, look what I found under my bed!") then five minutes later, they're bored and don't feel like helping sweep it all up off the floor.
Legos. Enough said.
Play-Doh. Again...enough said.
Slime. Yes, I did this because I am a crazy person and for kicks and giggles, felt like trucking my kids to Michaels to spend about $18 on supplies for some "slime" that turned into hockey pucks and got left on the patio table within about five minutes and sat their until their dad forced them to clean the remnants of. (sorry, honey!)
Swimming, going to Barnes and Noble, going to buy Pokemon cards, playing "airport" (yes, I'm the genius who thought of that but then..."Who is going to play the ticket agent, Mommy?? Because there are only two of us and WE can't be the ticket agent.."), charades, puzzles, ice cream shop, you name it. The fun only begins when Mommy is sitting cross-legged on the floor on the action or shelling out loads of money. So I declare coloring time. Or reading. Or writing a story quietly. Or napping. You MUST be tired from running around, right??
So the next time you hear the words "I'm bored" or "What should I do??" the answer is this-- go play, dear children, go play. Sometimes being bored is the perfect catalyst for the best, most imaginative games and if you're one of those mommies like me who feel guilt every time you sit down or enjoy a moment to yourself, knock it off. Eventually the guilt monsters will leave you alone.
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