Advocare Cleanse Day 1, Fitness & Faith

Hey Monday!

Today I am finishing up my 10th day of antibiotics and starting my 10 day cleanse.  I haaaaate antibiotics and am so grateful for them healing me, but now get that bad bacteria out of my gut. Puhlease!  I should probably wait until tomorrow to start, but timing wise, this is what needs to happen, mmm k?

It's been a hot minute (90 days) since my last cleanse and I found myself picking off the kids plates just a wee too much.  You know what I'm talking about mama, I know you do.  "Just one bite," turns into "just one cookie" or "'I'll eat clean tomorrow" or "Well, I ate like crap all weekend so what's the point of it starting to eat clean now?"

Well the point is that you will feel a million times better and will thank yourself if you stick to and get back into a healthy regime.  If I use the word "diet" I refer to what I am eating.  I am never ON a diet, I will never be on a diet. I like to think of the 80/20 rule because back when my girl Nikki told me about that, my world was changed forever.

I always struggled with eating healthy or staying fit.  I usually carried an extra 10-15 pounds and would not have considered myself fat, but I was never really comfortable.  Unless I starved myself from carbs and worked out like a maniac, it was a challenge.

Enter in Advocare

Finding my groove back in 2013 was crucial.  After having Brooke and having A LOT of extra weight to lose, I was seriously ready for something.

I had no idea how much Advocare would teach me, the friends I'd gain along with the confidence that it brought me.

I am still a MUCH better person today thanks to Nikki for reaching out a hand, and Danielle showing her the way.

While I may not be building a business with it, I certainly fuel my body a lot better because of it.  (And still enjoy my 40% discount FOR LIFE)

At 36 I want to be in fantastic shape to run and keep up with my kiddos.

I want to feel the best in my own skin and treat my body well.

I want to be as hot and sexy as I can for my main man!!

It's true.

So you just gotta find what works for you.


Today I did legs and it felt oh so good.

I started with the probiotics, followed by the peach fiber (YUM) and then I was kind of mad at myself for, A.) Not eating enough breakfast and B.) Not taking a photo!

I had 2 eggs w/ spinach and one pc of dry wheat toast.  I needed more...

Meal 2 was one small chicken breast, a veggie & some brown rice at 10:45 haha.

Then I had to go stage one of our homes & knew I needed some energy to do it...

After my leg workout I hit up the vegan chocolate shake.

I'm not sure if I'll do chicken or fish tonight, but I made sure hubby grilled up chicken and venison yesterday so I will NOT be short in the protein department.

I'm starting to look into the whole Macros thing..still super confusing and do I really need a food scale?!

I also have a new girl crush...I don't watch TV really, but I tend to get sucked into You Tube and following people that I admire.  When I was pregnant, my feed was flooded with other prego mamas. Now I feel like I need to be surrounded by healthy, fit and inspiring ladies! She is hysterical and real.  I love her easy recipes and her dog is adorable too!

I must say that although getting sick kind of made me down in the dumps, now that I'm doing much better, I feel so much more focused and energized than before.

I attribute it to really starting to walk further along in my faith.  With some very knowledgable and intelligent ladies in my life, I feel as though I am starting to reach a place of such peace and serenity.

True alignment with oneself happens when you can pull apart all of the layers of and see the very core, meaning of life.  I will continue to work super hard at this level because I have never felt so good mind, body and soul.  Am I perfect? No.  Am I exactly where I want to be? Yes and No.  But I know I am on my way to getting there.  Slow and steady.

Enjoy your day friends!

Mommy Monday

Happy Monday!!

We are still on vacation mode and playing with toys. I'm going to be taking down our tree and packing up the last of Christmas.

Magic Tracks were quite the hit! We misplaced the blue car and haven't even gotten to use it; I'm hoping that I discover it when I clean the living room and tear down the tree.

Mr. Potato Head is a hit too!

Before Christmas, I got to take this sweetie to get her nails done for the first time!! It was fun, even if she had ants in her pants and asked five million questions.

She was super excited to pick out a color.  I laughed so hard because she kept saying she was going to pick out blue, but when the time came, she chose pink!

Christmas Eve on the way to Grandma's house.  Brooke was full blown Christmas mode and singing every song she knew the words to.  This may have meant Joe had to play Rudolph over and over again until we could no longer take it.

Friday we had our friends over for one final gift exchange/Christmas gathering.  

Their daughter is 9 months old and I can't wait to see them all really play together one day!

Saturday brought lots of snuggles because Brooke started not feeling well and we canceled NYE plans.



I'll tell ya, it felt good to feel great on New Years Day!  I ran to Starbucks with my little man.

I even made a little menu plan for the week!! My goal is to get back to eating 100% clean all day and then come dinner, I make a meal everyone will enjoy.  I tend to load up on veggies/swap out for brown rice or quinoa, spaghetti squash for pastas.  Or, I'll enjoy a small side of the pasta and fill up on protein/veggies for my meal.

It's easy to get frustrated with the lack of routine, but we really enjoyed just going with the flow and spending lots of time together.  Hubby has off today, so he's out at the land rabbit hunting. Not sure how that will go!  I'm going to put on The Food Network and work on de-Christmasing. :)

Have a wonderful week!

Weekly Workouts & Menu

OK.  So my 'break' wasn't much of break, but I feel ready and have lots to write about, so write I shall!  I believe I have come up with a decent calendar of writing ideas and although I may not get to write every post, I have a solid foundation of what I would like to say and use this blog for...so stay tuned!! I hope you enjoy what I plan on using this blogging space as.

Sundays I'm going to stick with trying to keep weekly menu ideas (it really helps me stay on track!) and I'll even share some of my past week eats too.  

This weekend I was so lucky to get some much needed girl time in with some good friends.  Carbs/coffee and girlfriends seem to go hand in hand, am I right? ;) 

It's not often I get to enjoy days like this, so when I do? I cherish them!!

Easy tip:  

Buy butternut squash already cut up.  Toss with sea salt & evoo and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes.  I sprinkle it in salads, eat it by itself, or you could throw it in a soup & pureé!  Baby boy loves it and he gobbles it right up.

Tuesdays date night was so fun & I totally didn't take any photos because we were sitting at a table with others and I really just devoured the food.  The drinks were too strong, but super fun to try (sips) of.

I'm such a wino and bourbon and cognac just aren't my thing.

I did enjoy this cup of champagne punch.  It was the only drink I really could drink!

My menu this week is fairly simple.  My goal is to eat 90% clean all day, and then eat with Joe for dinner. I hate "dieting" but I do need to up my veggies and lean proteins during the day.  As you will see, I have pasta on my menu a few times. I find nothing wrong with a little pasta; I don't like or use whole wheat, but I do limit how much I eat.  Everything in moderation.



Can I tell you how excited I am to try this Mango Lime sauce out? It's so yummy!!

As for workouts last week?

Kind of lame...

Tues- Upper Fix
Weds- Walked/pushed the kids in the stroller 2.5 miles.


Up this week?
Today (Sunday) I took a nice long almost 2 hour walk with a friend and pushed Bradley.  Tomorrow I am scared out of my mind to start this:

I hope I don't die. Haha.  22 minutes, how bad could it be?  #famouslastwords

What's on your menu & workout plan?

Stay beautiful xox

Fitness Friday & 10 Day Cleanse Eats

I am super pumped this time around for my cleanse.  The first time I wasn't as strict as I should've been, and those initial pounds were hard to budge.  I think a lot of it had to do with my lack of sleep, and now that baby boy is SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT -- (can I get a whoop whoop?!) I feel so much better getting sleep.   I literally feel like garbage when I don't get enough sleep, so if you're lacking in the sleep department, make sure you do your best to get some shut eye!!



I was originally going to start while hubby was working his crazy sale, but since I got sick, I could barely eat anything, I decided to wait.  I almost was going to wait until after we get back from vacation, but I really wanted to clean my system out since I had taken SO much tylenol and advil because of my fever and I really wanted to get this super probiotics in my belly!

I made my start date 6/22 (so that I could finish before the Fourth of July!) and one of my good friends is cleansing with me, so that's always fun!!

I decided to really try to take pictures of my meals this time around. Not only does it hold me accountable, but it also helps other see what one eats on our cleanse.  Now, keeping in mind I am not training for a body building competition or really looking to slash my weight drastically.  I just want to continue to nourish my body properly, feel better, and yes, get back to feeling good about myself.  My clothes are fitting from pre-pregnancy, but I still have some extra cushion around my belly and want to define my muscles more.

Workouts:
M-walk w/ the kids
T-family walk
W- upper body
Thurs- rest
F- Lower body

Monday:
Breakfast- 2 scrambled eggs w/ leafy greens, ezekial toast & I share the bowl of berries with Brooke & Joe.
Snack- orange & cashews
Lunch- I pounded chicken breasts, a little evoo & italian seasoning in the oven, salad (dressing is a little evoo & balsamic vinegar) and sautéed some summer squash.
Snack- More chicken, hummus, tomatoes
Snack- Protein Shake blended w/ ice YUMM
Dinner- Mahi Mahi [recipe here] with quinoa & broccoli

I cannot express how much more water I have been drinking! I have filled up an extra pitcher and my brita.  You'll also find my water bottles all over the place. I LOVE this one I just bought!

Tuesday:
Breakfast- Oatmeal, splash of unsweetened cashew milk, fruit & a dash of cinnamon
Snack--Ok, disclaimer, you really should wait til day 11, but I just had to know how these bad boys tasted!!  Plus, I was running out the door to grocery shop and it was meant to be.
Lunch- Leftover mahi mahi, quinoa and broccoli
Snack- Chicken, hummus, squash
Dinner-Grilled chicken wings (oh, I missed the hot sauce & blue cheese) but I had mine with sea salt.  Tomatoes on my leafy greens, evoo & balsamic vinegar
Snack/post walk- protein shake (my hubby and Brooke had ice cream! LOL)

Wednesday:
Breakfast- Two eggs over easy, 1/4 avo & ezekial toast
Snack-watermelon & cashews
Lunch- last of the chicken, squash and broccoli
Snack/post workout- Protein shake
Snack-banana & organic PB [I find it easier to monitor the pb this way!]
Dinner- Sushi! I get it without the rice, squeeze fresh lemon & watch the soy sauce.

Thursday:

Breakfast- two scrambled eggs with leafy greens, 1/4 avo and ezekial toast
snack-watermelon & cashews
Lunch-  I was not prepared, but hungry, so oatmeal & a scoop of vanilla protein
Snack-carrot & avo
Dinner- I had thrown a whole chicken in the slow cooker, so I had that & asparagus
Snack- banana & pb

What's keeping me sane? My second cup of Spark in PINK LEMONADE OMG.  Seriously, I look forward to it every day. I try to do it before a workout with 3 catalyst, and I think that makes a huge difference.

Overall, I am doing much better this time around.  I am in a great groove with the kids, I am in a great mood because I am grateful to be healthy! Getting sick really shook me a few weeks ago.  I truly believe it was the universe giving me a big old bitch slap.  Ya heard.  I was in a weird funk/spot and getting sick just stopped me in my tracks and changed my outlook on everything.  

I have to say that a whole chicken is the way to go!! I also took time to meal plan in the beginning of the week. It's tricky because Joe can't eat a lot of veggies and nothing brown rice or quinoa, so sometimes I am making 4 different meals (Brookie is picky at breakfast lately) but the key for me is to make a big batch and just eat it for a few days. I store it in containers in the fridge and can grab/go.  Once you make it a habit, you don't think twice.  I have noticed that I feel better, I'm sleeping better and have energy to get through the day, if I've planned out my meals.

I also have noticed how many damn times I would have put "this or that" in my mouth, just because.  Brooke didn't finish a cracker.  I'm scooping out leftover pasta to put in the fridge.  Here and there all add up and I am so happy I have stopped that habit.  It also makes me excited to indulge in the future and really enjoy (a glass of wine or a cheeseburger) but again to not eat those things all of the time.  

So that's the scoop, 5 days in and 5 more to go and then onto the max phase! 

Menu Plan This Week

It's a lovely little Tuesday.  Are you all staying cool?  It's supposed to be 90's all week up here in New York.  I need a pool! {maybe just even a baby pool?!}  I am excited because I get to go test drive a [new to me] vehicle!! As much as I love my Envoy, the warranty is up this fall and since I know someone pretty well in the finance department, [wink wink] if the deal is right, I may be getting a Yukon!  There are actually 2--one is black and one is white.  I love the white, but the black is a year newer with less miles...so I'm not sure?! Thoughts?!

Trying to get back to meal planning again.  I am pulling a few recipes from my Teresa Guidice cookbook.  Fabulicious Fast & Fit Italian. She's a crazy ho-usewife and I can't help but love her. 

Here's my tentative menu this week! Recipes are linked.

Monday: 30 minute Pasta w/ Tomatoes {easy, fresh & Italian hubby approved!} & side salad
Tuesday:  Mango-licious Tilapia
Wednesday: Pesto Chicken Crockpot Pita [minus the mayo]
Thursday: Rosemary Shrimp Skewers
Friday: Pollo Involtini

We had a lot of steak/beef last week, so I'm definitely trying to go lighter this week.  What's on your meal plan?

June Goals

google images

With June upon us, and almost 5 whole months of being a mommy (whoa!) I am ready to really start setting goals for myself.  I know I've said it before, but the more I write it all down, the more focused I become and the better off I'll be!!

Looking back at these last few months, I am proud of how far I've come.  While Brooke has nestled into our family quite nicely, things still needed adjustments and figuring out how to manage everything is always a work in progress. While I know that I cannot do it "all" I do have some things floating around in my head that have been driving me a bit bonkers.  I could probably come up with a list of at least 20 goals, but to keep things attainable and somewhat realistic, I've narrowed it down to six:

1.  Menu Planning

2.  Move everyday {workout}

3.  Work on baby book(s)

4.  Get back on track with couponing

5.  Finish at least ONE book.

6.  Blog all about these goals!

Menu Planning: If you've followed me for awhile, you may remember when I was really good at planning out our menus...[you can find old plans here] well, part of that reason was I had little to fill my time with back then haha! Once I got pregnant, my desire to cook and even eat, went out the window!  My husband said something a few weeks ago to me, along the lines of, "It's been awhile since you've tried cooking something new."  I kind of stopped in my tracks; part of me got angry, he should be happy I cooked anything at all, this baby has been crying non stop, I barely slept, your clothes are clean, the dogs are fine, the house is semi-clean, what the heck?! But I chose not to respond...I let it sink in and thought about it for a bit.  He's right.  And no, he's not being a demanding husband who prefers the finest cuisines {ok, so at least not the demanding part!} but he knows how much I loved being in our kitchen, cooking up a fantastic, or even not so fantastic meal.  Plus now we have new granite counter tops I should be cooking up a storm! One reason I love being married to Joe is that he'll try anything; he's always up for tasting something new I've read about or watched on TV.  If he doesn't like it the first time, he'll usually even ask for it again so he can really tell if he dislikes it.  So far, the only food I made he really didn't care for were Rachel Ray's Moroccan beef patties and couscous.  I thought they were fine (and easy!) but over the years, I see that Joe really doesn't prefer Indian food.  That's fine.  He is also more of an actual pasta guy {Italian, duh!} so the couscous did nothing for him.  So, anyway, my hope this month is to try at least one new meal a week; something I've never made before!  I'll achieve that by planning out my meals!

Move Everyday {workout}: This is carrying on from last month (the goal in my head?) I think that it's working alright and I'd like to keep it going!  I am writing down my workouts/how I feel and even what I eat.  I'm still not being too strict with myself, but at the same time I enjoy working out.  I don't always want to in the beginning, but afterwards I always feel so much better. I really want to do some more Zumba classes too. I love it!

Baby Books: I have not finished my pregnancy journal (yikes!) and I haven't filled out one page in Brooke's baby book...bad mama! She's already going to be 5 months old and I have no official documentation! Oy.  I want to print the 3 parts of her birth story to put in there and really go back through her monthly updates.  I think it's important to hand write them, the old school teacher in me, and really stay organized.  I am so so so thankful for my mother-in-law who has printed off so many of our precious photos.  I need more albums to give all the photos a proper home!  I easily get overwhelmed, but if anything ever happened to this blog and I lost all of that, I'd be so very sad. Like devastated.  I need to get on this stat!

Couponing: While I was prego, I started my coupon binder. [previous posts here]  I also found a little excitement in seeing how much I could save at our weekly shopping trips/Target runs, etc.  I have played the 'busy with baby' excuse for a bit and while I try to remember to snag a coupon here or there, I'm not saving like I should be.  If you're not using coupons, you're literally throwing away money!  The more we save, the more we'll have in the long run.  It just takes a little time, patience, and organization.  No reason why I can't plan my lists/coupons out in advance.  Now that I've designated Tuesdays as my 'grocery store day' I feel better already!  I love stocking up at BJ's too, and you can combine coupons to save.

Finish a Book:  I am awful at finishing novels lately!! I just have the attention span of a gnat.  I blame instagram! No, I kid. Sort of.  I love reading and I think that the more you read, the better you write.  So, with that being said, I need to put down the cell phone, laptop, iPad--errrr, well, I use that NOOK app on it, but I have got to be more disciplined! I have started two books, and so let's see if I can review at least ONE of them by early July.  Seems do-able?!

Blog all about it: As I mentioned before, I miss blogging and I really want to get back into it.  I think if I keep up with my goals {or at least try} I can hopefully inspire some of you to keep up with your goals.

What are your goals?

What's Cooking in my Kitchen and Why

I don't always remember to photograph my food

{sometimes I turn into an ogre and need to eat ASAP!}
But I really like looking back and seeing what I made.
I also like to see if we enjoyed it or not!!

Here are some fairly easy meals I've made lately...

Let's face it.
I am trying to eat healthy, and yet do as little as possible.

I'm to the point where I don't want to go out to a restaurant much,

and I'd still rather eat a home cooked meal than fast food.

So here are some of my kitchen happenings...

Pretty much daily
minus the bacon, since that is not healthy

This is our typical breakfast.

I heat organic oatmeal up on the stove, add raisins, walnuts & a splash of maple syrup.

For the hubs:

4 eggs over easy and a slice of toast.

We share the fruit.

We have those three fruits every single morning.
Why?

 And why I am trying to eat more oatmeal

{Above images are from Google}

Dinners:

Pomegranate Chipotle Pork Tenderloin
It was a Tastefully Simple  {Recipe Here}

You could probably substitute any sauce

It was a little dry, but I can't eat anything not cooked 'well' while pregnant...

I'd make it again.

Not an all the time meal.
Not shown:
Salad

Chicken Marsala:
{Recipe here}
and
{Recipe here}
I kinda took from both of those...did my thang.
I love organic baby bellas.
I cut the chicken breasts in half, placed in ziploc bags and pounded them thin.
I think that really makes a difference!!

It was super yummy!

I served it over penne pasta and freshly grated parm cheese.

Swiss Steak:
I went with this you tube tutorial...
I was trying to avoid tomatoes because of my heartburn.

I really liked it, but I grew up "meat and potatoes"

my husband is more pasta and meatballs...
So he ate it, but he didn't love it.

Pasta Bake 

Any type of sauce, pasta, meat...add a few seasonings & toss into oven.

Top with cheese.
You can throw spinach in too for an extra boost of veggies.

Can't get any easier.

Baked Tilapia 
Use this--{Recipe here}
I tried just panko and some seasonings, but I much prefer RR's w/ Parm cheese

Tastefully Simple's Beer Cheese Soup 
{Recipe here}
Joe LOVES this soup.
Served with a side salad and a baked roll.

Don't forget the water (add a washed lemon slice for health benefits!)

Lasagna
 {Recipe here}
I modified it and made it work for me.
You can't really mess up lasagna, unless you slice it too soon out of the oven.
 I did that the first time and the juices run all over the place.
Let it cool a bit and then it slices beautifully.

What I love about this is, it's always better then next day(s)

I serve it on a Friday night and we have lunch/dinner for a few days.

I didn't take a final picture, but this was in the layering process.

WINNER!!

Cheesy Chicken & Bacon Tater-tot in Slow Cooker
{Recipe here}

OK...so jury is still out.

I didn't have a whole bag of tots, so I used half tots & half steak fries.

I loved when they crisped up around the edges, but some were mushy.

The husband said that shredded chicken may have tasted better.

I loved the gooey melted cheese and bacon toppings.
I'd like to modify and try again.
Served with a salad.

Leftover Filet Mignon:
We are trying to be really good about eating all our food, not wasting it.
Joe grilled steaks on a Sunday,
so Monday I just sliced the steaks thin, placed on bread, added Swiss Cheese.
Toasted in the oven at 400 for 10 mins (watched closely)
Served with a salad and peaches.

 Joe cooked!!
Pan Seared Sea Scallops w/ searing flour & a finishing butter--Garlic Cheese
Chicken a l'orange and a side salad.
Not sure what recipe he used...but it was so yummy!
I know it had some honey in it since it glazed over nicely.
I think anything tastes better when you've got your feet up by a fire
and you're being waited on...

Snacks:
I try to have a yogurt of some sorts once a day.
I also eat 6 small meals, which means a lot of snacking.
Here are some of my favorite yummies!

As you can tell, we love our salads!
I saw on Dr. Oz we should be eating our leafy greens TWICE a day.
I have been really trying to make that happen, especially with my labor right around the corner.
We still indulge in our sweets...
I've been requested to make homemade chocolate chip cookies.
But it is SO SO SO important to eat the rainbow!
 What typically goes into our salads and why:
{Following are Google Images}

 I use the fresh herb Cilantro...
so fresh!!

 We typically use a Spring Mix
and I always make sure it includes Spinach!

And of course I toss a few dried cranberries in...

I love reading and watching what other families eat.
It can get so tedious cooking day in and day out,
but the benefits clearly outweigh eating at fast food chains or even most restaurants.
Being pregnant I really try to watch my sodium intake and by cooking at home,
I control it!!
I should really get on top of some freezer meals for when baby arrives...
but I think I'm secretly hoping our  family and friends
{because so many of them are amazing cooks!!}
will come visit baby Brooke and bring a dish!
I'm sure we'll survive either way.
Have a great day!