Menu- January 2nd- January 8th

This is my menu plan for the first week of the Whole 30.  I have a calendar for the whole month ready to go but I figured I would give it to you a little at a time.  I followed some basic guidelines when making the menu plan so it would be really easy.  One meal a week is pasta (the family loves it, they don't feel like they are missing out while I'm doing Whole 30 and it is great for the boys lunches).  One meal will be tacos.  Because tacos.  One meal will be soup because its January and I love soup and I especially love leftovers.  At least one meal will be leftovers.  Thursday night I have set aside for fish and baked potatoes.  This is a place holder for more leftovers but if there aren't enough I have fish in my freezer and potatoes in the cabinet.  At least one meal per week will be made in the crock pot.

For non dinner meals I eat a lot of leftovers, nuts, fruit, sliced turkey wrapped around guacomole with a sliced apple (for example), sweet potato hash, and of course lots of soup.

Without further ado, this weeks menu:

Monday: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sausage (from Against All Grain)
Tuesday:  Beef Tacos (Inspired by these but without the corn.  I do allow for some legumes.  I will make three meals of the beef and freeze two of them.  I will also shred and add carrots to the meat.)
Wednesday:  Spaghetti and Meatballs (Family will have pasta and I will have spaghetti squash.  The sauce and meatballs are homemade.)
Thursday:  Roasted Salmon with Baked Potatoes and Broccoli (if necessary)
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday:  Roasted Turkey with green beans and mashed sweet potatoes (Ukrainian Christmas)
Sunday:  Mexican Turkey Soup (Adapted from Against All Grain)

Word of the Year

I admit I have been spending months thinking about my word of the year.  Every time I thought of the word, engage, I thought, this is such a great word, the best word.  How will I ever think of a better word?  And yet I have come across a word that I feel is to be a fantastic word for me this year.  This word has many meanings.  They don't all apply but it works for me.  It is going to keep me FOCUSED.  It is going to keep me DEDICATED.  It is going to keep me BRAVE.

I have incredibly big goals this year.  Scary big.  The good kind of scary big.  I feel as though this is a turning point year and I'm ready to make a huge leap.  It means I am going to be saying YES to a lot of things that are really important to me and it is going to mean I have to say NO so many things too.

I will admit this past year, specifically the past few months, threw me for a loop.  It made me wonder if I was on the right path.  If my goals for myself and my family aligned best with what I thought of as my civic responsibility.  Was I doing enough?  Was I working for the greater good?  It made me throw myself into so many ventures that only now am I going through all of my commitments and actually figuring out what I can do.  Which leads me to my word of the year.

to bind or obligate, as by pledge or assurance; pledge.

to entrust, especially for safekeeping; commend.

When I set out for a goal I am going to COMMIT to that goal.  I will finish everything that I start this year.  If I don't think I can or if I don't want to finish it I won't start it.  Like I said, I might be saying NO more but it means that my YES will be stronger.  My YES will mean I am there 100 percent.  

This means I am going to be dedicated to my work and my business.  I am dedicated to watching it grow. I am dedicated to my customers and challengers.  I have serious goals and intentions for my business and I intend to see these goals reached.  I am committed to them.

Our family is complete.  This is the first year in a long time that I am sure of the next step.  There are 5 of us.  We are whole.  We are ready to move forward into the future as a family.  No more waiting for one more.  I am committed to both my role as a mother and committed to my role as a wife.

By choosing this word I am not just planning on thinking of this word each morning but also thinking of questions that I will ask throughout the year.  Can I commit to this?  By committing to this am I helping my pursuit to be my best self?  The best mother I can be.  The best wife I can be.  The best coach I can be.  

I am really excited to what can happen this year.  Thank you so much for sharing your word of the year.  I see big things for all of us this year!

Lets get to it!

Your Holiday Survival Guide

The next two weeks are filled with fun, stress, fun, food, and perhaps a little more stress.  The best chance we have, I think, of getting out of it happy and joyful are to follow a few tiny tips.  Here are my top ten healthy holiday eating tips to help get you through the holidays:

1. Set goals.  First things first – think about what you want to achieve. Where you want to be. How you want to feel.  Do you want to look back and think, “I never met a Christmas cookie I didn’t like”? Or do you want to think, “I had a season of moderation.”  There is no wrong answer.  Just set those goals, and figure out how to achieve them.  If you do have aspirational goals you want to accomplish over the next few weeks, WRITE THEM DOWN and put them somewhere that you will see them every day, like on your bathroom mirror or refrigerator door.  Even better, write them down and TELL SOMEONE. 
2. Drink water.  Water is an amazing, filling, and calorie-free drink.  Drink 1 glass of water when you wake up each day, 1 glass of water before you go to sleep each night, and 2 glasses of water before you feast.  It will help curb your appetite and keep you hydrated, which is great for keeping your body running on strange food and less sleep, which brings me to my next tip . . . 
3. Sleep.  Very few people get enough sleep in the best of times, but come the holiday season, we all cut into our sleep to gain extra time (she says while typing this way past her bedtime).  However, it’s sleep that will keep you feeling fresh and stress-free when you are in line at a store with hungry kids at the end of the day.
4. Make a plan for the party.  There are so many ideas about how to approach a party, but the key is to have a plan.  A good start is to never go to a party hungry.  (Perhaps a nutrient dense shake would help curb your appetite.)  Fill at least half of your plate with foods from the veggie tray to keep away from the bacon-wrapped cheese.  Grab a smaller plate and fill that baby up – since it’s smaller, you’re already ahead of the game.  Take a healthy dish to potluck parties so you know at least one thing is good for you.  
5. Don’t drink your calories.  But you love eggnog?  But you love champagne?  Great!  Drink it up.  Just don’t drink it all the time, every day.  Oh and those yummy, delicious, sugar-filled lattes?  Treat yourself to one.  Or two.  Just not one or two every single day.  
6. Enjoy your food.  Wait, what?!  You just said to eat less on teeny, tiny plates and only drink water. Well, not really, but the fact is this lovely holiday season only comes around once a year.  Enjoy it!  Make a list of your favorite treats and let yourself enjoy each one once or twice rather than every day.  Eat only what you think you can’t – or don’t want to – live without.  Your Aunt’s favorite dessert that she only makes once a year? Definitely. A roll? Not unless it’s the best holiday roll ever and you only get it once a year.  It’s all about balance.  And speaking of balance . . . 
7. Eat normally.  That’s right; when you’re not at a party, eat normally. If that means you eat healthy, then please do eat healthy.  Even better, make healthy substitutions when you’re cooking whenever possible. Don’t skip meals.  Just eat your food, fuel your body, and keep moving.
8. Keep moving.  Stick to your exercise schedule.  If you’re taking a break from training, then keep moving every day in some way or another.  Plan to get in an early morning walk or workout before the day gets busy, or plan an after-dinner evening walk.  No excuses.  If you can’t get a 3-mile run in, get in a 10-mile walk.  If you can’t get your 60-minute body beast session in, do a mini at-home workout.  Heck, if you’re really desperate, park far away from the entrance from the mall when you’re shopping.  
9. Take time.  Whether it is 5 minutes for a daily practice like reading, meditating, or stretching, or just a few stolen moments of quiet time to yourself, take it!  If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times.  You can’t pour from an empty cup.  Make sure you have something left to give by taking time for yourself. 
10. Enjoy yourself.  Do not stress yourself out.  One piece of cake does not a huge weight gain make.  Moderation is the key in December, just as it’s the key every day of the year.  Keep your accomplishments in mind, as well as your goals.  Don’t waste your time weighing yourself – just keep an eye on making sure your clothes still feel comfortable.  If you’re tempted to go over what you planned, reach out to a buddy or a friend who knows your goals and will help you achieve them. That’s what friends are for: both sharing an appetizer and walking away from one. 

Your Guide to Holiday Prep Without the Hassle

Are you ready for Christmas?

I absolutely love the time of year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. From getting to spend time with my family and kids to going through our different holiday traditions, it’s one of my favorite times of year. 

But it can also be pretty stressful. 

I used to spend a lot of that time running around like a crazy person. Between Christmas shopping and trying to spend time with my family from all over, it was really insane. I loved it, but it was stressful! I mean, there were several years when I was still in a mall shopping on Christmas Eve, which isn’t exactly ideal for fostering the Christmas spirit. And that was even before I had kids!

At some point, I realized there had to be a better way. So I came up with several strategies for getting organized for the holiday season and they totally tamed the chaos. I’ll be going into more detail in the weeks to come, but here’s an overview of how to get started prepping for the holidays.

• Prep early! I like to do a lot of my holiday prep in November, when my calendar isn’t nearly as jam packed. That way, when the holiday season is in full swing, I am free to enjoy my favorite parts of it – like going to see Christmas lights with my kids and reading Christmas books – without worrying about all the work I still have to do. And, if you’ve knocked off most of your to-do-list ahead of time, you can be more spur-of-the-moment when the opportunity arises, like watching that Christmas movie you stumbled upon on the Hallmark Channel, or even taking a short Christmas vacation.

• Keep (and review) a holiday journal. Collect and organize your holiday ideas year-round. You can use a notebook, a Google Doc, a Pinterest board, or whatever works for you. I love using my Pinterest board and making categories for various holiday-related things I like to do, like cookie swaps and Thanksgiving food. But your idea log is only useful if you remember to review it at the very beginning of the holiday season, lest those aspirations wither in cyberspace. So when you’re ready to get started on your holiday planning, go through all your saved ideas and make a new list (or Pinterest board) of the ones you want to actually do this year.

• Think through your planned activities. When I’m sitting down and scheduling things, I always force myself to really think about whether it will be a good experience for my family and me. For example, I’ve learned that wrapping Christmas presents with my kids is pretty stressful, so I set aside a couple of evenings after their bedtime to pour a glass of wine and get wrapping on my own. But everyone has a blast decorating the Christmas tree together, so I plan that as a Saturday afternoon family affair. 

• Consider where you want to be spending your time. There are only so many days in the holiday season, so we have to pick and choose what to do with our precious time. I always save a little “me time” during this period. Having a pedicure is my little reward for getting all the prep work done, and I truly enjoy reading certain books during the holidays, like Pride and Prejudice and Little Women. Also think about the organizations you’re involved in and whether you want to participate in any of their holiday events, like a cookie swap or cocktail party. And if you’re in a relationship, you might want to plan some quality time with your special person.

• Set a budget and plan to save. Regardless of the size of your budget, it’s always smart to make conscious decisions about how much you want to spend on gifts, food, travel, decorations, etc., and, if necessary, make a plan for saving that money ahead of time. Thinking through where you want to spend your dollars usually leads to more thoughtful gift-giving and less buyer’s remorse when post-holiday reality sets in.

• Don’t forget about your health. It’s easy to neglect your health during this time of year, but that just leaves you starting off the New Year with more work to do. So take some time to think about how you can keep yourself feeling good. For me, it’s about not eating too much sugar, but I do love to bake, so I share the treats with others. I also never miss workouts during the holidays. The exact steps will vary from person to person, but the important thing is to make a plan that you can actually stick with. Modest and doable is better than aspirational and unrealistic.

• Talk about traditions. Holiday traditions are great, but sometimes we just do things because we’ve always done them. Sit down with your family/spouse/friends and talk about what you actually want to do. One decision-making trick is to have everyone list the top three things they’d be disappointed if they didn’t do, and then only do those. If any of the things on the list are really stressful, like cutting down your own tree, brainstorm a good substitute, like taking a family trip to pick out the tree and stopping for hot apple cider on the way home.  

I always find that planning ahead really lets you make the most of the holiday season. It’s a time investment up front that gives you the freedom to spend your time doing whatever you want once the season is upon us. Do you have tips and tricks for making the holidays less stressful? Share them in the comments below!

Where you lead Subbers, I will follow: A very long race recap that spans decades.

My "I eat hills for breakfast" face.

To truly tell the story of this past race I need to go back a little bit, about 25 years to be exact.  Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration but not too much.  You see about 25 years ago, I met my best friend Annie.    That's a good story but not the point of this post.  The point is that about 23 years after that she invited me to be a Beachbody coach.  Also not the point of this post but I'm getting there.  My goal as coach is to help as many people as possible which means that I need to know as many people as possible.  So unlike before I was a coach where I would show very little interest in those "suggested groups" along the side of Facebook now I started joining those groups.  One such group was this little running group (my first running group) called the Sub-30 Club.  I didn't really know its purpose or much about it.  I actually didn't really know what an online running group could add to my life.  I joined anyway.  It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I know so many people view social media so negatively and perhaps I should.  Instead though I view social media through the rose colored glasses of a Sub-30 member.  I know the power of an amazing online community.  Let me explain.  So I joined this group.  I would chat with some folks.  Read stories.  Learn some things. Find inspiration.  On one such tour of the group I saw that they all go together to run at the Runner's World Fest.  Interesting I thought...I of course can't run with a group.  I'm too slow.  Its too hilly.  No way.  On another post someone asked about yoga suggestions and cross training suggestions.  I said, PiYo is pretty awesome.  So we started chatting.  Then we became "friends".  Then she tried PiYo and Shakeology and became a coach like me.  Then 18 months later, yesterday, we ran a race together.  And now finally I'm at my race recap...no wait.  A little more background.

Last year, 5 months pregnant I drug my mom and two kids to cheer on my friends from my phone as they ran a 5k and 10k.  Kara, a real life friend was there (yes, I added her to the crazy group) and she ran the half marathon the next day.  After seeing this group.  Seeing the love.  The support.  After showing my sons that finishing a race at all is just as important as winning race I signed up to run the half marathon, 1 year later.  I figured heck, I'll have a baby but I know I won't be in the Back of the Pack alone.  I have people.  I have a tribe.

Before every race I insist on being interviewed by Runner's World, don't you?

So we finally come to yesterday.  7 months after having a baby.  More nervous than I thought I would be.  In the last week I remembered that my last half wasn't exactly awesome.  I lost my phone.  I had tummy troubles.  I was suddenly so nervous.  The only thing I knew.  I mean really knew in my heart was that I could finish anything I started.  I am tough.  I've run marathons.  I've had 3 babies without drugs.  I'm a boy mom.  13.1 miles has nothing on me.  Plus, you know, I trained.  A lot.  Yet I was sooooo nervous.  I started to go to bed early this week.  Made sure I healthy carb loaded (harder to do on Whole 30 than I would have thought).  Then the morning was here.  After waking up 2 minutes before my alarm because of a stressful dream where I actually missed the race, got the boys out and in the car, got my husband up and we headed to Bethlehem.  I nursed the baby, helped dress the boys and headed out to find a bathroom.  My husband took the boys to feed them and show them our college and I was on my own....sort of.  After the bathroom (runners understand how important this is) I found the race and was almost immediately interviewed by Runner's World.  (You know, like I start all my races.)

Amber and I finally meet in real life!

And do you know who was waiting for me as soon as the interview was over?  That woman who I suggested try out PiYo.  Well, her and about 100 of my phone friends.  So after months of training we started running.  2 minutes running, 1 minute walking for 13.1 miles.  We did just about whatever Mr. Garmin told us to do with only a few revolts when we wanted to run more downhill and walk more uphill.  We picked up a few awesome friends and told them about our most amazing running group.   We had amazing subbers running us up hills.  They fed us candy.  They cheered us on.  We passed people.  We were passed.  We got some "free high fives".  We were cheered by folks.  We cheered our water hander-outers.  We thanked police officers.  We saw Jesus.  Pretty much just another half marathon.  

Here we come!  Our merry band of runners!

Our little group of 3 became 4, then 5 then we merged with another group to be 8 and somehow added one more and finished as 9.  9 plus the subbers who came down the end of the course to run us home.  And you would think, or I would have told you that a 14 min 30 second pace would leave you alone at the end of the race.  We were not only not alone we cheered so loudly.  So very, very loud.  We were not alone.  It felt like they were all just waiting for us to come.  So of course we gave them all high fives.  

When I saw all my people cheering us.

High five for everyone!  Amber's first half and she's looking awesome!

 Then as quickly as it started the race was over.  I waved to my oldest son as I ran by him and he came looking for a hug as I crossed the finish line.  That moment.  His hug.  His smile.  While I didn't win the race, he was pretty excited that I got a medal.  I found my family or rather they found me and we sat down.  (Because pretty much the last thing that I should have done as soon as I finished the half was sit down, but you know, the baby had to be nursed.  Priorities, people.)  And with that we headed home.  The race was over.  I had no goal with the race but to finish and have fun.  Mission accomplished.

Now just one more note.  If you know me, and many of you do.  You know I don't ever or rarely post pictures of myself below my shoulders.  My body is a work in progress and I suppose it always will be.  This is not the most flattering of pictures and yet I would share this photo with anyone.  The woman in the picture, had a baby 7 months ago, nursed a baby, ran 13.1 miles, then nursed a baby again.  And I pretty sure she did it smiling.  I could not be prouder of this body.  It's amazing what your body can do when your mind knows it won't take no for an answer.

So that's my race recap that spanned about 25 years.  Perhaps a slightly long recap.  The post recap is this:  I was already looking for my next race with my tribe last night.  Where you lead subbers, I will follow.  Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall.  All you have to do is call.  I'm proud, honored and really lucky to live in a world where no subber is left behind.

No subber ever left behind.

Designing our summer

Summer is a state of mind. 

The other day I was listening to the Happier Podcast which is a total favorite of mine.  Gretchen and her sister Elizabeth were talking about designing their own personal summer.  Whether it meant weekly outdoor lunches or designating extra time to read.  It made me think about our families summer.  Somehow it comes and goes so quickly and come the end of August there are so many things I wish we did.  This year we're not taking a vacation so day to day treats, road trips and adventures are really going to be what our summer is all about.  And because we all know I LOVE a good to do list that's how I'm organizing our summer design.  Each day I've been asking the boys what they want to do this summer and so far our list is pretty short.

1.  Beach
2.  Fair
3.  Rita's
4.  Ice Cream Truck
5.  Liberty Science Center
6.  Play in a creek and cool watermelon in the creek.  Then eat the watermelon!
7.  Camp out in the back yard
8.  Ice cream sundae night
9.  Spend a morning at the board walk
10.  Watch local minor league baseball

Now the beach is really one with many sub parts because its go to the beach with a lot of people.  Either way we're looking for little moments to make big memories.  One of my favorite days ever was a one day trip to Block Island.  It was in September on a beautiful day with my husband (then boyfriend) and it wasn't perfect but the memory has this wonderful glow to it.  It really doesn't take big week long trips to make memories. We're going to make them one moment at a time.

Do you and your family have a favorite summertime activity?  The simpler the better!

Life Changing Laundry

Life changing.  Those are the words I think of after what will be known as my laundry revolution.  I'm one week in so I suppose we really need to wait at least a month make a full analysis but I'm giving a big thumbs up to this.  I decided to wash, dry, fold and put away one load of laundry per day.  Not necessarily the same load.  Something might get put away in the morning and something else get washed and dried at night.  Its not a 100% perfect system but it does few things for me.

• Makes me feel like I'm doing laundry all the time.  On the one hand this is bad thing.  On the other this is perfect because I always feel like I'm on top of things.
•  It takes significantly less time to do.  I fold a little here and put a little away and I'm finished.
• I'm no longer carrying huge HUGE amounts of laundry up and down the stairs.
• To that end a load of laundry is an actual load of laundry as opposed to be jamming multiple loads into the washing machine at one time.  (I'm sure my future laundry repair man appreciates this.)
• Things in my house are much cleaner.  I don't have enough each day for a full load so towels and sheets are getting washed much more frequently.  Lets be honest they are probably just being watched a frequently as they should be.  

I need to get in some sort for schedule so I'm not randomly washing sheets and towels but I am definitely onto something with this.

Send me your laundry hacks and tips so I can step up my game!

Black Bean and Corn Salad with Lime Juice

I have a few goals with food these days.  I want it to be healthy.  I want it to taste good.  I want it to be easy.  Last but definitely not least, I want my kids to eat it.  With the holiday weekend coming up I wanted an easy side salad that could see us through the weekend that maybe my kids would like, or at least they would like parts of it.  I landed on a black bean and corn salad.  After spending about 3 seconds on Pinterest I realized there are more than enough recipes.  Of course some called for a cup and half of beans or corn (seriously, who has a cup and a half of corn lying around).  I didn't want a bag of frozen corn in my freezer forever.  I tried to use everything up.  I also forgot a few ingredients that some recipes suggested so I'll make note of that.  In the end the salad was healthy, tasty, super easy and kid approved!

Ingredients

• One bag frozen roasted corn from Trader Joe's cooked(Could substitute any corn)
• 2 15 oz cans of black beans (rinsed)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• About 1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped
• 1 small red onion, diced
• Juice of 2 limes
• About 1/2 cup olive oil (I forgot this and its totally fine)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Avocado (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients above.
2. Chill for about 2 hours (until chilled)
3. If you will be eating right away chop avocado and add.
4. Place in large bowl if you will be using as a salad.
5. Place in small bowl surrounded by chips if you will be using as a salsa.

See, wasn't that easy?!  Happy summer!!

About Me.

Welcome!

Thank you for your visiting me here.  Having to, or rather wanting to fill out an "About Me" section is a rather daunting task.  I remember having this same feeling in high school when I had to write college application essays.  How do you narrow your world, your life down to 500 words?  I wrote my essays but the way that I share my frustration was to write a 500 word stream of consciousness editorial for the school newspaper.  I feel a bit like I am in the same position right now.  Perhaps I'll get the same approach. 

I am a mom to 3 boys (the oldest being 4 and the youngest being 3 months) and a wife.  (Yes, I recognize that my first descriptors are how I am defined by the mere existence of other people.)  I am a lawyer, although currently out of private practice.  I love to sweat, and exercise.  While I love my indulgences I really like the way I feel when I eat healthy.  I feel as though Pinterest was made me with me in mind.  Turns out, despite a lack of skill I like to be crafty.

I could go on and on but the two most important things to know about me are that I try.  I always try.  And I think there is more for me than what my life currently looks like and while I am truly content and grateful I know there is so much more.  I have had the unique opportunity to start to figure out what that might be.  Right now passion is helping others figure out what their best life is and that is how I am achieving mine.  

And unlike what appears to be the large majority of the world I think that being a mother and a wife makes me more likely, more prepared and more drive to reach my best life.  Thank you for joining me on this journey. 

Team Dream Big

I am a mom.  A wife.  I work full time.  I am also a Beachbody coach.

I have been a passionate fan of Beachbody programs long before I was ever a coach.  Beachbody workout programs have helped me get fit and back in shape have two babies (and here's hoping a third).  With three boys I want my workouts to me quick and effective so I can get back to life.

Being a Beachbody coach has inspired me and excited me.  It has done more for me than I could ever imagine.  I have participated in Beachbody challenge groups that helped us stay motivated, stay accountable, stay on track, and build friendships with other people who are trying their best to stick to their workouts and eat healthily.

I decided to become a Beachbody coach to share my enthusiasm for fitness, health, exercise, and nutrition with others, and in turn, be motivated to do even bigger and better things by watching others achieve personal goals they once thought were impossible. Beachbody...their workouts, nutrition, and most importantly their support network...empowered us to make complete lifestyle changes.  I can honestly say that thanks to Beachbody, every day I am happier and closer to living the life I want to lead than I was the day before.

It is my goal to help you live your best life.  

If you are ready to take that next step, don't hesitate and contact me.

I am ready!

Home.

I am so excited to share with you my plans for June!  First, I've kicked off a monthly newsletter to keep you totally up to date with challenge groups, recipes, motivation, etc.  The main purpose of these newsletters and the blog of course is  to share our fitness journeys together.  There are highs and lows.  Lots and lots of highs and lows on every journey.  If you would like to receive the newsletter, sign up HERE.

I myself and 10 weeks postpartum.  I feel strong than ever but I'm trying to be kind to my body as I am still carrying a lot of extra weight.  Right now i'm half way through Couch to 5k to get my running back AND I'm going through PiYo.  It is such a treat for my body to enjoy all the stretching and yet somehow I am still getting stronger.  I managed my first side plank today!!  

We are all on our own journey but there is definitely strength in numbers.  I am here to help in anyway I can!

Just Do it In June!

Monday, June 6th

Join this amazing challenge group and you will get: 

✔️A workout program of your choice with my help to 

pick out the one that best fits your wants
✔️An easy to follow portion controlled meal plan
✔️A nutrient dense whole food daily Shake that can be any meal of the day or the best snack of the day
✔️An online accountability group to provide support and inspiration
✔️Me! As your Coach to help you through it all

Tips for Exercising with Kids

Exercising everyday is not easy and that's when you are only worrying about yourself.  When you have kids it gets made all the harder.  Believe me, I know what you're going through.  There is no mastering this by any stretch but there are ways to ensure that you get to move your body every day.   I have figured out ways to make exercise a daily part of my life, even with  three kids underfoot (often times quite literally).  It might take some tips and tricks and it might require the help of a few super heroes but you can do it too!

All Access All the time!

It is the beginning of a new year.  For some many people that means new years resolutions and desires to make big changes.  I'm not really one for new years resolutions.  I do however LOVE new years goals.  I love to use the nest 365 days as a deadline for my goals.  Some goals are work related.  Some goals are family related.  Many goals are health related.  Not just physical health but mental health as well.  What I try to do is avoid setting large, difficult to measure goals.  Maybe I don't want to measure my health goals in pounds but I might measure them in what I can lift, how far I can run or health loose my clothing fits.  Then I need to outline how I will achieve that goal.  What will I do differently than last year?  What worked?  What didn't?  Did having a gym membership work for me?  Do I know I falter with 90 day workout programs but I excel at 21 day programs?  Do I do better with meal planning or does calorie counting work?   For me this year I have big, big goals for my health.  Meditation is just one of them.  I have a 10 miler planned, plus I'm hoping to run at least 2 half marathons.  Plus, I'd like to get back into some pre-pregnancy clothes.

How are you approaching the new year?  If you have issues sticking to those resolutions you set I have something that might help.  The Beachbody Health Bet is BACK and starts on January 9th and its not too late to join.  If you have Shakeology at home or if you need a reason to try it out let me know!  This is what you need to do:

• Drink Shakeology 5 days per week (take a picture to prove it!)
• Exercise 3 times per week
• Share it with us in the the Challenge Tracker App 

 That's it.  Then you will get a piece of a BIG, BIG pie.  We're talking about $1 million-3 Million pie.

Other news too!  Beachbody on Demand is getting HUGE!!  From now until February 28th you can purchase Beachbody on Demand ALL ACCESS (that's every singe Beachbody Program every produced AND any one ever produced this year)!  You can have Beachbody on Demand AND Shakeology for only $199.  That gives you all the programs on Beachbody on Demand for the whole year!  If you already have Beachbody on Demand and would like to upgrade just let me know.  

If you would like to stay on top of all the news and receive my newsletter just go HERE.

The Beachbody Health Bet

Monday, January 9th

Join this amazing challenge group and you will get: 
✔️A workout program of your choice with my help to pick out the one that best fits your wants✔️An easy to follow portion controlled meal plan✔️A nutrient dense whole food daily Shake that can be any meal of the day or the best snack of the day✔️An online accountability group to provide support and inspiration✔️Me! As your Coach to help you through it all

Maple Pecan Trail Mix

Maple Pecan Trail Mix (Paleo friendly)


This is my favorite basic trail mix recipe.  It makes a ton of trail mix and I freeze most of it and then put some of it in a ball jar to grab as needed.  I've experimented with the dried fruit and nuts.  You can really do whatever it is that you want.  The coconut oil and maple syrup are the real keys.  

Ingredients

• 4 cups of halved pecans
• 2 cups of raw almonds
• 1 cup organic raisins
• 1 cup golden rains
• 1 cup dreid cranberries
• 1 cup organic sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds  (I did a combo of the two)
• 1/2 cup organic coconut, shredded, unsweetened
• 1/4 cup of organic coconut oil
• 1/3 cup organic maple syrup
• 1 tsp organic vanilla extract
• 1-2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well to coat maple syrup on dry ingredients.
3. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Parchment paper is a must!
4. Spread out mixture on parchment paper. Heat in oven for 15-20 min.
5. Let cool and then store in a dry, airtight container.  (Or freeze for it to last longer.)

(adapted from www.dontmesswithmama.com)

My 2016 To-do List

Okay, this is beyond embarrassing.  I'm miss, set goals, gof or it and it is March 1st and I still haven't written all of my goals down and I started this before January 1st.  Aaaahhh....so back where I started.

This to do list is particularly exciting for me to put together.  Last year I was a little lost when it came to this sort of thing.  My husband wasn't overly happy with his occupation and we were sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop to see what what happened.  We were also undecided as to whether we were going to go for a third child.  So as much as I loved 2015's to do list it was a little sketchy.  This year however is launching us into the new world.  My husband has started his own general contracting business and we're expecting our third child in any day now.  

(One of the reasons that I was dragging my feet on this was simply because I couldn't figure out how to organize it...duh.  Just do it.  Its a to-do list for heaven's sake.)

Focus on: 
Be Mindful of Sleep
Practice patience, with meditation
Integrate EO into cleaning and immune
Be Mindful of my body as a strong vessel that carries babies, feeds them and can be strong
Be Mindful of Food as Fuel

Organize drawings/pictures by kids
Put grandmother's recipes into cookbook
Start playing music again- As in the oboe. 
Learn how to use a real camera, get a real camera.  Take on line course in photography.  
Finish hanging things in the house
Renovate kitchen
Organize photos (specifically, photo albums, discs, etc.)
Implement use of Passion Planner

Complete the following:
Instagram Impact
Chalene's Push
John Maxwell Leadership Group
Franklin Covey Course
Know Myself Better
De-Clutter My Life
Cope with a Difficult Person
Quit Yelling at My Kids
The Relationship Challenge
Take a Camera Course
Workshop with Cara
Workshop with Gabrielle, Miracles

Read 40 books

Business goals:
$1000 per week
5 star Diamond
2 coaches per month
Move Nick to Diamond 
Circle of Excellence
Pay down debt (I've written these specific goals for myself)
Hire a cleaning lady by years end
Monthly pedicures

Fitness goals:
Complete PiYo
Complete Hammer and Chissel
Complete 22 Minute Hard Corp
Complete 3 5k races
Complete 1 5 mile/10k race
Complete RW Half Marathon
Certify as PiYo Instructor
Average 10,000 steps per day (Post baby)

Share a Knowing Smile and Keep Living

“Mother is not a title. Mother is a verb. It is not who you are. It’s what you do.” – Shonda Rhimes

I've been meaning to write this for months and months.  The seed was planted in my mind after having a conversation with a friend about how hard it was for her as a stay at home mom and the fact that her husband didn't totally respect what it took for her to do it all.  It was pretty obvious from my outside looking in perspective, that she would have been able to do his job, as a well educated experience woman, but he might not be able to do her job so easily.  I spent an evening giving her a pep talk.  Me, the working mom, was giving a pep talk to the stay at home mom.   According to the media working moms and stay at home moms shouldn't be supporting each other.  The fact is however that we're both moms and being a mom is hard whether you are "working" or "staying at home".  Both terms, by the way, are totally absurd.  As if someone who works outside the home works more or harder than a "stay at home" mom and the fact is I don't really know any "stay at home" moms who actually stay at home.

Like I said, I've been meaning to write this post for months but it finally took listening to Shonda Rhimes' book "The Year of Yes" to get me to sit down and write it.  That and reading a few other blog posts have inspired me to write my own commentary on the Mommy Wars.  So here it goes...

I think the mommy war is made up by someone.  I'm not going to blame the "mainstream media" because I don't know that its their fault.  I don't know who made up this idea of the mommy wars but I just don't believe it.  The fact is that I don't know any mothers that have enough time or energy to resent other mothers.  Maybe themselves.  Maybe they get frustrated, angry and resentful toward themselves but other mothers, not so much.  I suppose that's not entirely true.  I've heard of people being stressed by the pressure of Pinterest which I guess in its own way is a mommy war but that's really the crafty v. the non crafty right?  Not really "working" moms v. "stay at home" moms.

I don't know where this mommy war thing came from but I have my theories.  I think its about a generation old.  I think it started with our moms where there were women who fought the good fight for feminism and went out and got jobs.  There were women that didn't.  Of course that didn't make them any less feminists.  It didn't make the women who got jobs any less moms.  It did set them both up for a nice amount of resentment.

The fact of the matter is that it is hard being a working mom.  Or a work outside the home mom.  It is hard being a work at home mom.  It is just hard being a mom.  Those tiny humans are pretty much crazy.  It is hard being a mom and it is hard being a woman.  Whether you have children or not it is hard to be a woman.  Either way you're "punished" for just being a woman by making less money and being questioned constantly as to whether you will have kids or not or whether or not you will have more kids.  It is hard being a person.  Life is hard and we don't have time to worry about who has it harder.  Being a person is hard.  Being a mom is hard.

I listened to Shonda Rhimes and she called for an end to the mommy wars.  That we all should stop judging each other.  That we shouldn't assume that just because we are on "different sides"  doesn't mean we are on opposite sides.  We're really all in the trenches together.  I'd like to take it a step farther though.  Let's just not stop the judgment of others, lets stop the judgment of ourselves and lets support each other!

When my kids have a party at school I like to sign up to bring cookies.  Not store bought cookies but homemade cookies.  This is not because I think I am better than other moms.  This is simply because I like to bake cookies.  It was a fun thing my Dad and I did growing up and now its a fun thing to do with my kids.  Its an activity to pass the time.  I don't get fancy.  I do drop cookies because that's what I can make.  They like it, I like it, we're all happy.  If I don't sign up for the cookies I don't care if the person who does brings store bought cookies.  It really doesn't matter.  No judgment.  What I of course need to work on is not judging myself if I buy the store bought cookies.  I'm not competing against anyone but myself and perhaps I need to realize its not a competition.  And I think there in lies the problem.  The mommy guilt.  The mommy guilt we put on ourselves so much so that we assume other people care as much as we do about what we do.  I'll let you in on a little secret.  They don't.  We care if we bake homemade cookies or store bought (or maybe you don't but I guess you care about something else).  If you think that someone else is judging you in all likelihood are judging yourself.  Just let it go.  Let go of the judgment of yourself and assume that others are supporting you.  The fact is that they probably are. 

So I don't know where the mommy wars came from but I do have a feeling that mostly its a war against ourselves that we cast onto others.  Women need to support women.  Whether the women are mothers or not and whether the mothers work at home or out of the house.  Let's just celebrate, each other.  And if you're too tired to celebrate perhaps we just share some knowing smiles and keep living. 

I declare victory for today!

This saying could not be truer.  I suppose you could also say something like always find the silver lining for my day but truly appreciating the little things is what gets me through many days.  Obviously some days we have big magical moments but most of the blessed moments of my life come in the smallest of packages.  

By all normal judgments today has not been an awesome day.  I'm feeling less than well...lets be honest I have a stomach bug of some sort to the point that when my son asked if I was going to exercise I not jokingly said, "I can't sit up.  I won't be exercising."  My primary goal for today was to get enough liquids that I stayed hydrated.  

I'm normally on morning duty with the kids which I really enjoy for the most part.  I am a morning person and I don't need to set an alarm.  All good things.  This morning though I realized upon my sons request for milk, and my inability to easily get off the couch to bring hims some, that I would have to go back to bed and hand over morning responsibilities.  

I had help for dinner too but the big excitement in my house these days is bed time and I was flying solo for bedtime.  My patience was gone and my inability to snuggle hampered by my painful tummy.  I was not looking forward to bedtime.  I couldn't chase, tickle or snuggle my boys at all.    I wasn't sure how it was going to go.  So I started bedtime, extra, extra early in hopes that even a slow bedtime would get them to bed early.  By some miracle my kids went to sleep on the first try tonight.  I don't even know how that was possible.  Seriously, I don't know how.  It was like some form of magic.  It sounds like such a little thing but today it really was such a big thing.  

Moral of this story is to not wait for the future to look back and realize the little things are the big things.  Enjoy the victories, even the small ones when they happen because frankly, you'll appreciate them more now then in the future, looking back.   Today I barely stayed upright but darn it, my kids went to bed.  Success!

Super Bowl Favorites!

In case you haven't made the trip to the grocery store to stock up on Super Bowl supplies, here are a few recipe favorites and ones that I will be using tomorrow or have used in the past.  Try them out and let me know what you think.  

Do you have a favorite Super Bowl recipe? 

Sweet Potato Nachos

Photo courtesy of www.slimsanity.com

Mini Pepper Nachos

Photo courtesy of www.alldayidreamaboutfood.com

Chunky Guacomole

Photo courtesy of the www.foodnetwork.com

Crockpot Turkey Chili

Photo courtesy of www.houseofyumm.com

Artichoke Dip

Photo courtesy of www.joyfulabode.com

Honey Bourbon Meatballs

Photo courtesy of www.tastykitchen.com

White Bean Garlic Dip

Photo courtesy of www.chewoutloud.com

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Photo courtesy of www.rachaelraymag.com

Apple Nachos

Photo courtesy of www.beginwithnutrition.com

What a difference a year makes

I posted this photo on Facebook last night.  12 hours later and it already has over 70 likes meaning that in all of the end of year recaps on Facebook I will probably see this photo over and over again.  I almost did not post this photo.  I do not love it at all.  8 months pregnant and all I see is a lot of weight to lose and a double chin.  Or at least that was the first thing I saw.  About a year or two ago I think that would have been the only thing I saw.  I would have seen a woman who every day literally weights more today than she did before and the most she has ever weighed in her life.  Who has a closet full of clothing that when she has the baby and probably 3 months later and 6 months later still will not fit in to them.  2 years ago that is where it would have ended.  With being embarrassed about the photo that is on our town's newspaper's front page.

Fortunately for me and my self confidence yesterday that is not all I saw.  I stared at the photo a little longer.  I saw a woman having a pretty good hair day wearing her favorite necklace.  I saw a woman who despite being 8 months pregnant had rocked a great workout that morning.  I saw a woman on a much needed night out with her husband having fun with a group of relatively new friends in a town that although she has lived in for 8 years finally feels like a part of it.  (As someone who group in a town where you couldn't go anywhere without running into someone you knew I'm surprised to say that I missed it.)  I was also able to see the humor in a photo of a pregnant woman putting tickets in a jar in order to win gift certificates to a pizza and ice cream place. 

I don't know what this really says.  Perhaps it says I used to be too serious or too self conscious.  What I think is more likely is that over the last 2 years I have devoted a lot of time and energy to helping other people live healthier, more confident and more inspired lives.  It has caused me to get out of my comfort zone and made me realize a lot of things about life.  One of the biggest take aways is that we judge ourselves way, way harder than others judge us or even think about us.  The fact is that most people don't have the energy or time to be bothered or focused on someone else long enough to focus on their flaws.  In fact most people would much rather focus on the good things and be positive.  

The point of all of this, if there is one, is to encourage you to look beyond your self criticism and push yourself to see the positives.  All the wonderful things about you that the rest of us see.  Being self confident does not mean never seeing personal flaws, instead it means seeing all the wonderful things about yourself too.

Season of Gratitude

Courtesy of Curly Girl Designs

Have you ever thought about why a season of joy follows a season of gratitude?  There are the obvious reasons of course.  Thanksgiving was started by proclamation of Abraham Lincoln in 1863 as a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens".  It was obviously at the end of the harvest.  Christmas is there because it aligns quite nicely with the winter solstice.  So perhaps there are wonderful reasons to have these holidays placed on the 4th Thursday of the month and on the 25th of December but really I think the reason is even greater.

Throughout the month of November I tried to focus daily on being grateful.  I like to think that I practiced gratitude because being grateful is not a one time thing and it is not an easy thing to do.  There are so many things to complain about but what I have found is its more effective to be grateful and thankful than it is to try not to complain.  When I focus on not complaining I focus on the negative.  When I focus on be grateful I am focusing on the positive.  

The strange thing about practicing gratitude is that you don't even realize the effect it has until you are in the thick of it.  Thinks are going awful.  The day is terrible and the next thing you know you're thinking of the good things about the day.

But back to joy.  Joy is something many folks look for during the holidays, including my family.  I imagine its why we wait in line for 2 hours to meet Santa or set up rides on "Santa trains".  We are searching for joy all the time from outside places but the fact is if you practice gratitude the joy will find you.  If you are thankful for the little things, enjoying the moments its amazing how joy sneaks up on.