Get Real

While I was at the library waiting for my kid's story time to end, I randomly picked up the book "Skinny Chicks Eat Real Food" to browse through. Being at the beginning of a weight loss journey after pregnancy, I became quickly intrigued. Although we all know that the key to losing weight is simple: eat better and move more, it got me thinking how much better I could eat and how much better I'd like my family to eat. I think we do a generally good job, making sure our kids are active and don't eat too much junk. But then, I have to be honest with myself. I often use food as treats and allow them a Slurpee or hot dog to stay quiet during Target trips, destinations ending with juice to stay happy during long walks so mommy can get a workout in and candy as rewards for helping around the house. We also allow too many chicken nugget and french fry meals in our life. But no more!! The past couple weeks, as I've been trying to get my act together, I've been trying harder to get my kid's diets in check as well.
We have been limiting fast-food altogether and making better choices when we do go out to eat and I've been insisting on more fruits and veggies throughout the day. Water is the main attraction as far as beverages go and I feel more in control with my own eating. I don't know about you, but at the end of my pregnancy, I gave myself cart blanche to indulge in whatever fare I was craving at the time. I was just too tired to care anymore. But now, three weeks later, I am feeling amazing. I am officially 32 pounds lighter, have energy to spare and can finally keep up with the kiddos. I think carefully about every morsel of food that goes into my mouth and while it's not fun, it's totally worth it! I'm far from perfect but I'll take it!
How are you doing on your journey to a healthier lifestyle?

A Pain in the Neck

This morning, a small crick in my daughter's neck from sleeping, became a big pain in MY neck. As I attempted to drop her at school, drama ensued. Screaming, clinging and crying was about all anyone could hear from room 4A and after about five minutes of this wailing, I decided enough was enough. We were going home. Why she waited until we got to her school, to her class to tell me this, I'm not sure. What I do know is that for the remainder of the day, she was a bit of a mess. But to my dismay, my whole day was thrown off too. Gone was the long walk with my little guy, gone was the quiet time to do laundry, check up on e-mail and empty the dishwasher and gone was my sense of routine. Luckily, something even better than chores came of the day. I was able to spend quality time with my kids. Playing school, going to the library and laying in bed together making up silly alphabet songs filled the day. For some reason, we explored everything "apple", including homemade apple tarts, an apple craft and studying up on Johnny Appleseed and it was...amazing.
So sometimes, as the saying goes, the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray...

Before and After

As we all know, with pregnancy, great babies come with great...weight gain. You know how you bargain with the scale? Like.."Okay, 150 I can handle but you better not take me to 160!!!" and then the doc starts using the larger pointer at the top and you know it's over. Well, my latest and third pregnancy was the hardest. I gained the most weight, topping out at a solid 172 on delivery day and I was tired, cranky and swollen the whole time. With that said, the day after delivery, I already felt much better. It was like night and day! I have my energy and stamina back, I can finally breath again and I feel a huge weight has been lifted...literally. But this is just the beginning of the battle. I am ready to begin a workout and diet regimen and actually looking forward to it. I got a few new items to add to my exercise gear and am planning to purchase new running shoes (once I can use my Kohl's coupons, of course!)
So it will be an uphill battle but I have a game plan that will be easy and straightforward: Cut the junk, eat more fruits and veggies and get walking! I'll keep you abreast of my progress and I hope that if you have weight to lose or you just want to get healthier, you'll come along on my journey!
How do you get back into shape following a pregnancy??

Chicken N' Dumplings

With the need for another new dish in my repertoire and with it blazing hot here in SoCal, I wanted to make something for dinner that was easy and could be made in my Crock-Pot. It seems that lately, with our 100 degree temps, turning on the oven adds just enough heat in the house to offset the AC and make everyone miserable. So a-searching I went for a recipe for chicken and dumplings, easy style.  This recipe is so simple, it's silly!

Chicken and Dumplings
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 onion, diced
2 cans refrigerated biscuits
2 tablespoons butter

Place all ingredients except biscuits in Crock-Pot and pour enough water over mixture to completely cover. Let cook until meat is tender and cooked all the way, about four hours on low or two on high. Then about thirty minutes before serving, add the biscuits and allow them to cook through but not so much that they dry out. You can adjust this recipe by adding more veggies with the onion, trading the biscuits for noodles or potatoes or adding your own twist! Enjoy!

Signage

I am all about making my mark in my home and putting personal touches throughout. I decided to make a little wooden sign recently with one of my favorite bible verses, Micah 6:8, to put in my kitchen. That verse speaks so much to me as it is a simple reminder daily of where my priorities should lie. So off to Michaels I went in search of the perfect items for my sign. I already had a weathered piece of wood found in the garage that would be the perfect size. You really do need to consider the size of your sign. You can use canvas or wood or even do it on a glass picture frame but be sure your wording is proportional to your piece. This project is super easy and requires very few things to assemble. It would make a great, inexpensive gift too! Here's what you need:

- Wood, glass or canvas as a base

- Paint, unless you want it on a blank piece

- Mod Podge/foam paintbrush

- Letter stickers

Start by painting your piece if you're going to. Once dry, mock up your piece with your wording. Make sure everything looks perfect before sticking the letters on for good. Then coat your piece with Mod Podge. Be generous and make sure it is even with no big globs. It will dry clear but it needs to be a nice, even coat. Let dry overnight and voila! You have a personal and fun addition to your home decor.
What projects are you working on??

Morning Scramble

All of a sudden, I am thrust in the morning rush that goes with having school-aged children. Although my daughter is just beginning kindergarten, I realize I must be much more organized for our mornings to run smoothly. School starts at 7:45 which feels early considering I like to leave by 7:15 to allow for any hiccups, which are inevitable with little ones. And considering some days my little ones sleep until 7:00, we don't have much room for error. Which I learned last week. So to make mornings easier, it helps to get organized the night before. Or even better? Prepare everything the Sunday before the school week. So that's my plan...get organized and have lunch and breakfasts ready to go ahead of time because apparently, a granola bar just does not suffice for breakfast, according to my daughter.
So I did my big shopping trip for the week this morning. At 6 am. With my little guy in tow, who was up with the sun raring to go. Once home, I divided snacks into five-year-old-sized portions so I can just grab and fill her lunchbox before heading out the door. I highly recommend this method because it takes all the guess work out of what to make for lunch. String cheese and crackers, sliced fruit, Pb&j, small bags of chips or nuts...anything that can be assembled ahead of time should be. Then grab and pack! I decided to allow her the option of buying lunch once a week (since she was envious of the buyers on pizza day...) so I only need to plan for four days. Here's what our lunch and breakfast plan looks like for this week and I'll go ahead and throw in dinner too!! I hope this gives you a little inspiration for your week to come!!

                Breakfast          Lunch                         Dinner
Monday: Smoothies          Pb crackers/grapes      Fettuccine Alfredo w/Chicken and Broccoli
Tuesday: Yogurt/Granola  Buying!                       Stir Fry w/Chicken and Veggies
Wednesday: Pancakes     Granola Bar/fruit           Homemade Pizza
Thursday: Cereal/fruit       Pb&J/Chips                 Meatball Sandwiches w/Corn on the Cob
Friday: Toast/Bacon         String cheese/crackers   Dinner out!

How do you make mornings easier???

PB & J...Bars

Do you and your family love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Peanut butter on crackers? On apples and pancakes? Well, we do. All of the above! Peanut butter is a staple in my house and something that I offer frequently, especially when a picky eater rears it's head. So any recipe with peanut butter involved is worth trying for me. These peanut butter and jelly bars are a hit in my house and make the perfect snack or breakfast on the go and are perfect for kid's lunchboxes. They are not too high in sugar, which makes it easy to serve to the kids without guilt. I recommend making the full batch if you have a large family or if you plan to freeze half but trust me, they won't last long!! The full recipe yields enough to fill a 9X13 pan, about twenty servings. If you are going to half it, then use an 8X8 pan.

PB & J Bars (Full recipe)
3 cups flour
2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups peanut butter
jam for top, about 1 cup
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder

Mix all ingredients except jam and place in pan. Spread jam over top and bake for about thirty minutes at 350 degrees, just until edges are browned. Enjoy!!