The time has come, our fun is over...

Another "cold day" off school here.

Apple pie oatmeal:

 

Coloring a drawing of ourselves:

 

Hanging out with the dog:

 

Madison went to have sewing fun with friends, so Noah and I kicked it in to high gear and made some cinnamon rolls:

 

And Lydia tasted and devoured her first lollipop:

*****

After we got the kids in bed, Chad had some work to do, so I did some yoga and Day 3 of my SCPC (squats, crunches, plank challenge). I'm soooooo glad tomorrow is a built in rest day! Plus, I'll have the opportunity to move my challenge reps to the mornings instead of at night.

And then coffee and a cinnamon roll (or 2...). The cinnamon roll is a problem.

*****

Cinnamon roll(s) + mama not running as much = a much needed gym membership so I can get back to running 5+ days a week (without cold and wind!)

Tomorrow, I'm going to take on that challenge. Starting with a new place in town that's opens in February. It's going to be a center for women only with free day care- which would be my preference- but as always, money is a factor, their sales office is open tomorrow and they are supposed to be offering a pre-opening special, but we'll see how special it is! The fall back plan would be a new place a little further away, no day care, but it's super duper cheap. I'm kind of hoping the first place pulls through, but glad I have a back up plan.

*****

Extended winter break has come to an end and all alarms must be set for zero dark:30. Or 7:00, whichever comes last.


*****

How was your Tuesday?

Have your kids gone back to school?

 

I love days like this!

Today, school was cancelled for the big kids because of the extreme cold.

Freezing cold doesn't even begin to describe it. And it's only gotten colder throughout the day and night.

Tomorrow isn't looking promising either. And school is already cancelled. Longest winter break ever. I think cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate for breakfast.

*****

Since it's Monday, it was Chad's day off. But he helped me around the house. between me, him, and the big kids we cleaned up the house. The whole house, except the dusting, but I hate dusting. Between the trip and us all being sick, and all the kids being home the house had been put on the back burner for way too long.

And Lydia helped too.

*****

And the last load of towels is in the dryer. I'll fold everything tomorrow.

A few months ago, I started washing and drying all the laundry in one day day. And then the next day, I sort it by person, fold it all and putting it away. Some days it goes smoother than others. All in all, I think it's what works best for me.

*****

Tonight, I did a barre video and then day 2 of my squats, crunches and plank challenge. I gotta say, it was way easier yesterday when I didn't do a workout first. I suppose tomorrow's reps will be even worse than today's.

****

PS: cross your fingers that Miss Lydia sleeps for he 3rd night in a row!

How was your Monday?

Are you experiencing the "deep freeze"?

 

Meal Plan Monday!

I would like to welcome you to the newest feature here on the blog. Meal Plan Monday.


Are you excited? I am!


As I resolved for the new year, 2014 is the year of wholesome homecooked meals for my family.

Each Monday, I will post what is on my menu for the week and any applicable recipe links.

 

Week of January 6-12

Kids' Breakfast

Monday: pancakes with peanut butter and bananas

Tuesday: morning glory muffins, orange

Wednesday: blueberry muffins, banana

Thursday: granola bar, banana

Friday: oatmeal

Saturday: eggs, toast, orange

Sunday: blueberry pancakes

 

Kids' Packed Lunch

Monday: pizzadilla, cottage cheese, orange, yogurt

Tuesday: peanut butter and honey bagel, banana, red pepper sticks and ranch

Wednesday: ham, spinach, cream cheese roll up, broccoli, yogurt, apple

Thursday: taco salad, orange, yogurt

Friday: ham and cheese sandwich, red pepper sticks, cottage cheese, apple

 

My Lunch

Monday: salad with shrimp, apple with peanut butter, snap peas, cottage cheese with pomegranate arils

Tuesday: leftover chicken, salad, yogurt, orange, cheese stick

Wednesday: turkey, avocado, bacon, red pepper wrap, orange, yogurt with pomegranate arils and granola

Thursday: taco salad, cottage cheese with apple and granola

Friday: salad with turkey, avocado red pepper, banana with peanut butter, yogurt with granola

 

Weekend Lunch

Saturday: homemade chicken nuggets, broccoli, cheese stick

Sunday: chicken frances (with chicken broth instead of wine), linguini, salad, rolls (these or these)

 

Dinner

Monday: cheesy jalapeño popper baked stuffed chicken, rolls (these or these), corn

Tuesday: chicken tortilla soup (from the freezer)

Wednesday: tacos

Thursday: pineapple shrimp fried rice

Friday: homemade pizza

Saturday: leftovers or ham, mozzarella, and pesto grilled cheese

Sunday: birthday party

 

You up for a little Challenge?

Last night, after doing my reps of squats and crunches, I decided I needed to be more consistent with them. What better way to stay consistent AND do more reps than a 4week Challenge? Oh, a 4week Challenge that includes squats, crunches and planks that's what!

I put together a little schedule to keep me on track. Are you in?!

<PS: I'm looking forward to Wednesday already. . .>

You can increase the muscles affected by your squats by holding your stability ball (or hand weights, or 20 pound baby) out in front of you.

I'm going to crank mine out now, while Chad makes me coffee :)

 

Deja vu, is it Thursday?

As embarrassed as I am to say I spent another day in my pjs, I loved it all the same. Miss Lydia is sick just a cold but it seems to be getting worse. Hopefully it won't turn into anything. That sweet girl has gotten the hang of the wait-until-mom-gets-a-tissue-and-don't-wipe-my-nose-with-my-sleeve thing. The kids and I spent the morning cuddled up on the couch watching "Game Plan" on Disney. And after lunch moved to YouTube and Rainbow Loom videos, but we learned how to make a fish tail bracelet. Not a bad way to spend the last days of winter break.

 

I did redeem myself slightly and go for a run this afternoon before the "white death" tomorrow. How redeeming is changing from pjs to running clothes, really? Three slow miles. I came back with the resolve to find a gym so I can run more than 0 times per week. I do have a half marathon to train for after all. 104 days to go.

After dinner and bathing and tucking in the kids, I did some yoga, squats and crunches.

And now, coffee and a cookie. Hubby is good to me.

 

Five Friday Faves: week 1

 

New for 2014!

In a effort to reflect on the positives of my week, each Friday, I will bring you 5 favorite things of the week in the following categories:

1. Favorite workout either I did or saw and can't wait to try out

2. Favorite article

3. Favorite picture

4. Favorite meal

5. Favorite moment

*****

Week 1

1. Favorite workout

This week, I saw a stability ball ab workout over at Be Mom Strong. I couldn't wait to out my new stability ball too good use! Tried it. Loved it.

Check it out:

2. Favorite article

I loved reading all my favorite bloggers recaps of 2013. But my favorite article was peaceful parenting: What Should a 4 Year Old Know. It's an older article (2011), but I ran across it for the first time this week. I was reminded of what's important in my parenting journey. Make sure you hop on over and read it.

 

3. Favorite picture

An oldie, but a goodie. I found this picture of Chad and me while browsing around old pictures looking for something for my new blog header. This was taken in Chicago when he took me for our 5th anniversary. Love him.

 

4. Favorite meal

It's true what they say: it always tastes better when someone else cooks it.

Tuesday, my mom treated us to a mall food court lunch- my pick: Chipotle. And then Wednesday was the leftovers. Yum!




5. Favorite moment


Easy. All my kids curled up with their daddy for bedtime stories before bed.

*****

What are your favorites for the week?










photo credit: f∞lish kamina via photopin cc

 

 

Wanna Play a Game?

Would You Rather: running style

I'm joining in the party hosted by Cori over at Olive to Run, you can find her original question and her answers HERE. She is a riot. You should follow her. Truth.

#1. Would you rather run in a thunderstorm or a snowstorm?

Thunderstorm. Typically in the winter, I have to run in the dark and me+snow+dark=Disaster.

#2. Would you rather breathe through your nose or breathe through your mouth?

Mouth, breathing through my nose just doesn't do it for me

#3. Would you rather do 100 squats or 100 crunches? [Now take a break and go do them. ;)]

Squats, and I'd be grouchy about it all the next day

#4. Would you rather have a baked good for dessert or an extra serving of your favorite entree?

If I have to choose 1, an extra serving of my favorite entree. Shrimp Fra Diavlo.

#5. Would you rather run on a treadmill for an hour or run around the same street block for an hour?

Treadmill. At least I can read or watch TV for an hour instead of pass the same house 47 times.

#6. Would you rather have a headache during a run or a side stitch?

A headache. For me, a side stitch is an indication that I'm not breathing correctly. Can't have that.

#7. Would you rather have a rest day on a work day or a day off?

Day off. Seems easier to just get up and do it when you know you already have to get anyway.

#8. Would you rather be a race director or a race volunteer?

Race volunteer. As a runner, they make me smile as I pass - all the cheering and positive words.

#9. Would you rather spend your money on running gadgets [HRM, GPS watch, Headphones] or running shoes?

This is a hard one. I'd love a great GPS watch, but probably the need would be running shoes.

#10. Would you rather run in a relay or do the run portion of a distance triathlon?

Relay. A big at some point in my life goal is a Ragnar.

A lazy Thursday

We woke up this morning to snow, snow, snow. Maybe I'll snap a pic tomorrow to share. Poor Chad got up and shoveled the driveway and drove to work, only to meet cancelled appointments.

I forgot to mention I went for a run on New Years Day. A 3 mile run to start off the year, and my first run in my Brooks PureCadence 2s (love them, by the way). I've been limping around today like I've never run before in my life. Clearly 9 days of no running or exercising was not a great plan. And I don't think you can count puking 50 million times as exercise. I guess I've got to get with it. Half Marathon training starts in a week.

The kids and I are savoring the last few days of winter break, and spent today cuddled up in our pjs, watching movies and playing games, and maybe (okay, yes definitely) a nap.

Miss Lydia is under the weather, her poor little nose just keeps running. But that doesn't keep her from being her nosy self. Or maybe she's just helping me get organized? Before you ask, yes, I was right there, making sure she didn't drink anything lethal.

 

I did fix a pretty yummy dinner- chicken topped with spinach sautéed in olive oil and garlic, mozzarella cheese, and Roma tomatoes, rolls, and green beans. Yes, Chad ate a few green beans. And no, he didnt puke. Can't forget the last minute snickerdoodles. Super yummy with my coffee tonight. I really got to get better at this picture taking thing...

You gotta check out this chicken though, my sweet new knife sliced those babies straight down the middle like it was butta.

 

And because this just warms my heart :)

 

 

Happy New Year! Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from my family to yours!

<Lydia says is it time it get up already?!>

As a side note, and please don't be offended, but why is it that people say "Happy New Years"? We just do one year at a time, right?

I hope that you all enjoyed your week with your families. I sure enjoyed my days off :) A few days at my wonderful inlaws, 4 out of 5 of us were sick Sunday and Monday. Then #5 got it Wednesday. I'm talking stomach flu. Horrible. And let's (not) count the 15 other people that had it after us....yeah.... Best quote of the week, Chad (after just spending all afternoon and evening taking care of me and Lydia): "I'm going to be sick. I can't even believe it. It's not fair!" Sweet man.

<Gramma and Pop-pop with all 8 grandies- don't miss Logan's sweetness there in front :)>

*****

Now:


New Year's Resolutions

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As I thought about 2013 and what my goals were for 2014, it occurred to me that resolutions/goals are really "how am I going to spend my time?" or maybe "how do I want to spend my time differently in 2014?"

Time seems to be something we never have enough of. However, I have the same 24 hours as the next person. It's all in how we choose to use those 24 hours.

As a stay at home mom, only a minor chunk of my day is concretely spoken for: breakfast prep, pack lunches, making sure we get out the door on time, driving to and from the bus stop, dinner prep, and bathes. Admittedly, I have a good chunk of time that I can call "my own" (if you can call it that with a cutie tornado girl running around), and the list of things that need to get done is relatively short: laundry, cleaning, meal planning, grocery listing and shopping. But somehow, more often than not, the cutie tornado girl wins, and my to-do list was still not done. And here I am, failing at the one other job I have.

I've tried splitting my time into increments, but I can't live life 15 minutes at a time- not with Lydia's personality. Maybe in 2015.

I've tried assigning jobs to days to split up the list. One chore per day and one load of laundry per day. Laundry did get done, but usually on the same day. And then we would live out of laundry baskets of clean clothes, because it's just counterproductive to fold laundry with Lydia awake. And since she never sleeps.... But I have found a laundry solution that works and I've been able to stick with it for a few months. Go me! Maybe I'll blog about that another day!

All that being said, I thought a lot about where I wanted my time to be spent for 2014.

But also, this verse has been on my mind, "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps", Proverbs 16:9 (NASB).

*****

I've split my goals for 2014 into 3 categories: personal, running, and blogging.

Personal

1: simplify life- purge, purge, purge and organize

2: wholesome home cooked meals for my family

3: be unplugged from 4-8pm

4: smile more

5: don't sweat the small stuff- it just wastes time and happiness

Running

1: Kentucky Derby miniMarathon

2: Flying Pig 10k and 5k

3: 1,000 miles

4: more cross training

5: don't go 3 days without running

Blogging

1: theme posts 3x per week (like maybe: meal plan Monday, Friday Favorites- I'm open to suggestions. . .)

2: link up parties with said themes

3: utilize post calendar for organization and consistency

4: write what I feel more

5: I don't have a #5, but feel weird stopping at 4 in only 1 category

*****

What are you changing in 2014?

 

Elf for Health Catch-up: Days 24, 25, 26 & 27

Here it is Saturday afternoon, and I'm trying to think about everything since I last talked to you Tuesday night. It's been wild. . .not. But I don't think I've sat down except to sleep since then.

Wednesday's challenge was share your expertise. I participated in a blog swap and was paired with Laura. You can read what I shared with her readers here.

********************************

Thursday's challenge was to eat 3 food groups for every meal. Here's the honest truth: between helping out at school, making 60 creepy snowmen for 2 school parties, and a clingy grouchy baby girl that wasn't napping, I ate maybe 3 foods my entire day...nothing for breakfast. Raw cookie dough, Dr. Pepper, guacamole and tortilla chips for lunch. Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich for dinner. Top notch nutrition right there.

<said creepy snowman>

********************************

I started Friday helping out with Madison's party:

<Hot chocolate and cookies. Brilliant!>

Friday's challenge was "self-love" x6.

I love:

1. My faith. It's been there, even when I was absent.

2. My running. I sure didn't love it at first.

3. My determination. It got me through 2 years of college while I completed high school. It helped me finish college. It helped get me through c25k. It was with me during my half marathon.

4. My love. I don't have a whole army, but I love them all wholly.

5. My hair, all 5+ feet of it

6. My fingers, skinny, but not too skinny- I always heard I should have been a piano player

******************************

Today's challenge is to make a new fitness goal. Since I've started running, it was been a journey from being a couch potato to running to adding different workouts as I struggle to stay active during the winter.

I've talked about what I'm doing to meet these goals, but not really about the actual goals- so here they are:

1- be active 30 minutes, 5 days a week- run at least 3x

2- incorporate cross training, core/strength workouts in addition to running

3- try a new workout 2x per month

4- run a 1:59:59 half marathon

5- eat 75-90% clean

***************************

I hope that you all have a great few days spent with your families and loved ones. I'll see you on the for side :)

 

Guest Post: Laura @ Life of Laura on Budgeting & Finances

I'm so excited to have Laura here today as apart of our Elf for Health "share your expertise" challenge!

Be sure to click over and check out her blog :)

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Hi, all! I'm Laura, and I blog over at Life of Laura, where I discuss fitness, baking, pop culture, and life's little adventures. Today's Elf 4 Health challenge is "share your expertise." And while I don't know I would go as far as to say I'm an expert, I do have some experience with budgeting and finances, so I thought I would share some of my knowledge with y'all. Financial health is an important piece of the overall health puzzle for me, primarily because it decreases my stress. And everyone could use less stress in their life. :) Budgeting is a great tool that can help you pay off debt, save up for a big purchase, build a nest egg, or just live within your means. The budgeting process can seem kind of daunting, but the peace of mind it's brought me has been worth the time investment for sure. Here are some tips for getting started:

- Make a monthly budget: Total up your sources of income. Then, observe your spending habits for a month (write a log, keep receipts, or pull your bank statements for what you would consider a typical month, spending-wise – e.g., not the month you bought a refrigerator AND a new work wardrobe). Categorize your spending (groceries, clothing, entertainment, etc.) and note how much you've spent in each category. The goal here is to make sure your income total is more than (or at least equal to) your spending total. In some categories, like your rent/mortgage or groceries, there's not going to be much wiggle room. But other categories, like going out to eat or buying clothes, are more discretionary. To save money, cut down your budget on any of flexible categories, but be realistic. For example, if you currently go out to eat five nights a week, don't plan to quit eating out entirely. Cut your budget by limiting yourself to 1-2 times a week, or opting for fast-casual places instead of fancier fare. You can also prioritize certain discretionary categories over others. I love going to the movies, so I will allow money for that each month by cutting back on my clothing allowance.

- Add your annual expenses: Make a list of non-monthly bills or expenses and their amounts. Examples of this could be: vehicle expenses (oil changes, registration, tires, and insurance), gym membership, Christmas/birthday gifts, vacations, home repairs, etc. Total these expenses and divide by 12, and tuck that amount into savings each month. For example, let’s say my car insurance is $500 twice a year, and I usually spend around $600 on gifts, and my gym membership is $300. That adds up to $1900, so I would need to save about $158 per month to cover these expenses. You may have to adjust your budgeting categories to make room for extra savings every month, but for me it’s absolutely worth it. The holidays are a lot less stressful when you get to December and find you've already saved enough money to buy gifts for everyone on your list. :)

- Make an emergency fund: Nothing will blow your budget like an unexpected expense. If your car breaks down or you have a medical issue, having extra money available to you can alleviate some of the stress in an unpleasant situation. The amount you should save can vary: Dave Ramsey (a personal finance author/radio host) recommends $1,000 for a family (or $500 for an individual) to start, then up to 3-6 months of expenses once you pay off debt (he’s a big proponent of living debt-free). I have a friend who has a $5000 deductible on her health insurance, so she keeps that amount in her emergency fund. Personally, I would start with $1000, then add to it as circumstances allow (and you settle in to budgeting). If you don’t have that kind of money stashed away, cut your discretionary expenses as much as possible until you’ve come up with it. Or sell some unneeded items or Craigslist. But make it a priority to have some cash saved up. And only use it for true emergencies! Your furnace breaking in December: emergency. A major sale at Lululemon: not an emergency.

- Keep it up, month after month: The easiest way for me to keep track of my budget is to use cash for most things. My wallet has small envelopes for groceries, eating out, clothing, entertainment, and discretionary (my husband and I each get a little bit of “mad money” to use for whatever we want each month). Other envelopes for things like haircuts, buying cosmetics, etc. are kept at home, since I don’t use them on a regular basis. It’s easier to stay on track with cash, because if you want to order a pizza but there’s no money in the envelope, you’re out of luck! To keep track of the various annual expenses, I use a spreadsheet. That way, I can keep it all on the same savings account, but I have a breakdown of how much is in each category at any given time.

These tips really just scratch the surface of budgeting, so feel free to ask me any questions you have. Again, I'm not a finance professional by any means and these ideas are just what works for me, but hopefully you'll find something you can apply to your own life. Thanks for reading, and a special thank you to Danielle for letting me share my thoughts with you all!

 

Elf for Health, Day 23: WALL SIT

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Can I just take a minute and say ouch?

I struggled through 90 seconds of excruciating pain (dramatic much?) in between loads of laundry. This was actually only the second time I'd even done a wall sit. Ever. They are apart of the seven minute workout, that I've done all of once.

<not my best look, but it fully displays how I felt>

********************************

Barre, abs, and yoga after basketball practice.

A latte and chocolate chip cookie so I make sure not to burn too many calories :)

*********************************

I'm excited about the weather for Thursday! High of 46! I'm hoping to fit in 3 miles at the bike trail in between helping at school and icing 4doz snowmen sugar cookies for the kids parties Friday. And maybe, just maybe, another 3 Friday if the rain isn't horrible. A break in winter? Yes, please!

**********************************

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for an amazing guest post brought to you by Elf friend Laura over at Life of Laura. I'm super excited about what she's sharing with us!

 

Elf for Health, Day 22: Meditate

I'm feeling really sad that the Elf for Health challenges are over at the end of the week. It has been so.much.fun!

The challenge for Monday was to meditate. Typically, I like to do yoga for meditation and relaxation. My plan was to do the bedtime yoga I like after I got back from running at the gym. But, Miss Lydia had other plans- she actually went to bed early, but apparently thought it was nap time instead of bed time and was up ready to play the second I walked in from the gym. After a shower and a snack, I went to bed and layed there in the dark and quiet, clearing my mind of everything that needed to be done and everywhere I needed to go before we leave for PA Saturday. I slept better for sure. But maybe it was the 5 miles at the gym. . .

<source>

 

A new week, a new plan

Good morning, Monday :)

I hope you all had a great weekend!

I kicked off my Thursday with the workouts I mention at the bottom of this post.

I didn't love the short morning yoga, I like her full length one better.

I also didn't love the barre workout I tried, my kitchen chairs just aren't going to work.

The ab workout left me hoping no one made me laugh! And the cool down really brought it all together for a good finish. I will be using that video again.

And then donuts with this guy:

 

Because his teacher nominated him as student of the month for his classroom.

 

Here he is getting his certificate:

<PS: Mr. S was reading what Mrs. D wrote and said "he always makes the right choices, except at home..." And Noah didn't even flinch. I think he was scared to death to be in front of all those people (like 59 tops)

>

And here he is with his certificate:

 

********************************

Friday, Lydia and I spent the day running errands and sitting in traffic. Not awesome.

Then, pizza and Turbo.

But I did run my fastest mile :)

Pretty uneventful really.

*******************************

Saturday, Noah played in his first basketball game:

 

And because I'm an awesome mom, I left my camera at home and the video camera died half way through his first quarter. Yep. But we did get sundaes from DQ after!

***********************************

We had a low key Sunday: worshipping with our brothers and sisters. Madison went home with a friend, so we had lunch at Chipotle. We cleaned up a little. We got out the snowman dishes and put away the red Fiesta for a little while.

I went gym and ran. While running the last quarter mile of my 3 mile run at 6.9mph (whatever that means), I realized that while I liked all the new cross training I was/am doing, I did miss running. I'm hopefully going to run more this week. I'm going to pencil it in anyway.

And then we watched the Steelers beat up the Bengals. Literally. Poor Kevin Huber.

******************************

Here are my workout plans for the coming week:

Monday: yoga in the morning, 5 miles on the treadmill

Tuesday: Barre, abs and yoga

Wednesday: 3 miles outside if it's not too windy for Lydia, otherwise I'll try kickboxing in the evening

Thursday: 3 miles outside, abs and yoga in the evening

Friday: Barre in the morning, 3 miles outside in the afternoon or evening

Saturday: HIIT workout

Hopefully, this will all play out with the extremely busy week we have!

 

Elf for Health, Day 21: Meal Planning

Typically, Sunday night is my meal planning time. Chad watches football, I plan our week. Sounds fair :)

Meal planning takes the guesswork out of dinner time, that's obvious. But I personally think that breakfast and lunch, especially when packing lunches for kids, is just as challenging on the fly. When I quit working 2 years ago, I committed to stop pouring cereal for breakfast and sending pb&j for lunch everyday. Not that some days don't just need a bowl of cereal or a pb&j, but reality is, I think kids will (mostly) eat more variety if you just give it to them. In fact, in the last year, I have started eating things like avocados, guacamole, hummus, salmon, zucchini. . .the list really could go on and on. My point is, as I have added these yummy foods into my diet, turns out, my kids also love them. I think Madison could live on salmon and guac. True story.

Starting with this school year, breakfasts consist of homemade pancakes, muffins, oatmeal, sometimes eggs and toast or an egg sandwich. The pancakes and muffins I make in double or triple batches and freeze, and then take out the 4 that I need for the day, and either toast or microwave to heat.

The kids pack their lunch 98% of the time, in fact, I think they've each only bought lunch once this year. I do pack leftovers in their thermos sometimes, but typically the "main dish" is a sandwich, bagel sandwich or wrap. I also always include a fruit, veggie and a dairy item- either a cheese stick or yogurt, and a treat.

Now, since we will be out of town for a few days starting Saturday, for dinners, I'll be using random things we have already. For lunches, I'll be sending leftovers with the kids as well as eating them myself- more than a normal week anyway.

A little key for our meal plan:

Red: breakfast (for kids during the week)

Yellow: mom breakfast

Purple: packed lunches

Grey: mom lunches

Brown: dinner

Teal: all lunch

Now, on to coupon clipping and grocery listing :)

 

Elf for Health: Days 19 & 20

The challenge for Friday was to run your fastest mile. In true Danielle style, my phone died at mile .46 (ahem, a Garmin anyone?). When I headed out, it was just starting to snow (again) and I had big plans of an awesome pic of the snow falling in the light from the street light. I surely wasn't going back out after I was back in the warmth. I mean, come on! Anyway, my fastest mile: 8:34ish (I'm pretty sure). Had it not been for the snow already on the ground and my tentative steps because of it, I think I could have gone faster. I think. I mean it's not a sub-4:00, but it is mine.

<source>

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Then Saturday, the challenge was to purge your closet. I pretty much have been doing this since February when I started losing weight. And again when I put my summer stuff away and got out the winter. I looked through my closet and while there were things I hadn't worn in awhile, I decided that I would host my own personal "old shirt" fashion show. I'll wear said shirt again, one more time and I still decide I won't wear it, it will go then. So, over the next few weeks, I'm going to be busting out the oldies. You know over winter break when no one will see me. Ha!

***********************************

Since the challenge for today is to meal plan: do you usually plan your meals or just fly by seat of your pants?

I plan, but that doesn't mean plans don't change! This week has been a bad one for sticking to the plan.

 

Elf for Health, day 18: You-Time

On Thursday, I started the day with a 45 minute work out. A little morning yoga, a little barre, some standing abs, and finally some cool down stretches. It felt good (as it always does) to start with quiet time to sweat and look silly.

Some one needs to make one of those funny comparisons about how I think I look when I do barre and how I actually look doing barre.

I wanted to go to the gym and run some miles. But Lydia was determined to stay up until midnight. For real. Ok, it was 10:30, but it ruined my chances of getting to the gym by 9.

After she did finally go down, I relaxed with a hot bath and pumpkin spice candle.

When I finally peeled myself out of the tub, my fingers and toes were all wrinkly- a sign of a good bath :)

Thank you Elf for Health, for reminding me to take a few minutes to just be.

<source>

 

 

New Habits and New Workouts

I wanted to check in inbetween Elf for Health challenges on how the new schedule has been going.

Really, I'm not sure why I even bother to make a schedule, I never stick to it.

Here's how my week has gone so far:

Monday: 3 treadmill miles and Pilates Abs Circuit video

PS: don't make me laugh, my abs still hurt

 

Tuesday: I tried out a barre video

I will be doing this again. Especially on a rest day. I pretty much loved it.

 

Wednesday: I tried out a cardio and core interval video in the morning:

This was a good workout, but I didn't love it. I think I'll move it to the "30 minute maybe" playlist.

I made some pumpkin oatmeal for breakfast. I added some brown sugar and it was perfect. Granola will make it perfect-er.

Miss Lydia and I spent the rest of the morning cuddling while she took a little nap.

She had her 15 month checkup, sweet smiles even after 2 shots:

She weighs 19lb, 11oz and is 31.75 inches tall. Happy, healthy, and curious :)

Lunch was gauc and chips, you will have to imagine the yumminess. Sorry.

I just would like to say that my chicken philly sub could compete head to head with a sub shop. Maybe not, but it was so good.

And dessert:

<I wasn't really angry at it>

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My plan for this morning:

A short morning yoga:

 

I think, I'll do this 20 minute barre video:

 

Maybe some abs if I have time:

 

And a cool down from Fitness Blender:

 

I'll end up with a 45 minute workout this morning and then hopefully a 3 mile run at the gym later in the evening.

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Friday, it should be warm enough and the sun will be out, to get out for a short run with Lydia in the BOB as long as it isn't windy. I'll play that by ear, and can always go to the gym after dinner, but it sure would be nice to get outside again :) or maybe I'll do both. . .

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Tell me how your week of workouts are going.

 

 

Elf for Health, Day 17: Pack a Healthy Snack (and one for a friend)

When I saw what the challenge for today was, I knew exactly what I was going to make.

Enter homemade granola bars, recipe found here (obviously, I subbed raisins for the chocolate chips this time). They are always a hit with the kids and adults. And are relatively healthy. I mean it's no bunch of grapes or stalk of celery, but it's also no fried cheese stick. So, yes, it's on my healthy food list :)

I wanted to get these made for an after school snack, but after Lydia's doctors appointment, I spent the remainder of the afternoon trying to get some things done around the house chasing Lydia around, making sure she didn't pull the TV down on top of herself. 2 words. Wild. Person.

But we had them for dessert after dinner instead. I think this guy really liked them:

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How do you plan to make time for yourself tomorrow?

How often do you make time for "me time"?

Do you feel refreshed when you come back to reality?

 

Elf for Health, Day 16: Pay It Forward

Yesterday, the kiddos were off school for another snow day. We took that as a reason to have a low key day. We all slept in. I warmed us up with oatmeal for breakfast. After we sent Chad off to work, I started in on our Tuesday pile 'o laundry, the kids helped out with some chores and worked on some homework before settling in for a day of coloring, Legos, Barbies, Cars, and playing with their little sister.

When I was putting dinner in the crockpot, I was reminded of the tag Madison got off of the giving tree at school. A little boy was in need of shirts.

Finally, as late afternoon approached and Lydia woke up from her nap, it occurred to me that I could (should) include the kids in my pay it forward challenge for Elf for Health. We loaded up and headed to Kohl's in search of suitable boys shirts.

The big kids each picked one, and I picked one for the baby. I took the opportunity to talk to them about the importance of sharing what we have with others. I think they enjoyed the searching, but also they enjoyed knowing the shirts weren't going to someone we knew, but a stranger. My heart was warmed :)

I hope he likes what we picked:

 

What healthy snack are you going to have today?