Inner HOTmama

Operation Beautiful

2010-08-31T13:32:00.006-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was changing my sons diaper in the Tampa airport. I noticed a post-it note on the wall above the changing table. Rushing , as usual, I didn't really look up. I finished changing my son and took a quick second to see what the note said , it read

" You are a Mom and you are Beautiful"

I smiled and walked out. Upon returning home and getting settled back into daily life I decided to go through the pile of mail that was waiting for us. I received a book called "Operation Beautiful" to read and review. Much to my surprise, the post it note I received was from this Operation Beautiful Campaign.

The goal is to leave notes anywhere and everywhere to let women know just how beautiful they are ...AS IS, so simple and it takes a second. My 8 year old loved the idea and started making post its for us to leave everywhere we went. She later told me that " mommy it feels so good to say nice things to people"

GOAL ACHIEVED!

Get this book and pass it on, especially to pre-teens and teens, the positive messages will up lift them!

Is there a perfect time?

2010-08-13T15:21:00.002-05:00

I came across this article and wanted to share it. This is for all of you MOMS out there that put off taking family portraits because of various reasons ....Be happy with who you are and where you are TODAY. Be in THIS Moment because NOW IS ALWAYS THE PERFECT TIME.

is there a perfect time?

You are beautiful just the way you are.

Where does the time go?

2010-07-29T07:06:00.004-05:00

(arriving home from the hospital)

(a year later)

It seems like just yesterday I was holding my newborn in my arms , staring at him in dis-belief, just as I had done twice before with my girls. Where did the time go? How did he start crawling so quickly? Did he get his 1st tooth earlier than my girls?Is he eating solids sooner?Is he trying to accomplish more sooner than they did in order to catch up with them? How do I have so much love in my heart to love them all equally? Why do I want to cry when my kids get hurt(but can't)?How can my son melt my heart with one little smile? Or make my heart skip a beat with a simple, slobbery kiss? Where did the time go? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was up all night...wanting and needing sleep so desperately? Wasn't it just yesterday when we brought him home and shared him with our family and friends?

Maybe I'm just being sentimental...or over sensitive because I know that he is my last baby. Actually, I think I'm being more appreciative. Thankful that I have 3 healthy and happy children and enjoying each and every moment with them. Sharing my heart and soul with them,being silly with them and having fun with them. Realizing that they are unique individuals, with their own thoughts and desires and their own personalities.May I continue to be Inspired to teach them all that I can and watch them find themselves and encourage them to do so. My job is simply to Nurture them and most of all LOVE them unconditionally.

May the next year be exactly as it should.

Happy 1st Birthday - Pro Flowers

2010-07-28T22:42:00.005-05:00

We received the Birthday Bear Gift set from Pro Flowers just in Time for my son's 1st Birthday. What a nice surprise to come home and have this little surprise waiting on the front porch! The above photo is of everything received in the box. Which included 1. Brown Plush Bear 2. Miniature Yellow Rose Plant (one rose in bloom) in Terra cotta pot and 3. Mylar balloon. I was very surprised to see that the plant was alive and healthy. The bear, balloon and plant arrived in GREAT condition. I would have no problem spending the $34.99 to send this as a gift for someone. It is nice to know that what is described on their site, is exactly what arrived at my home.

Thank you Pro Flowers for the awesome gift!

and for the legal stuff : I received the Teddy Bear Gift set for Free from Pro Flowers and was asked to give my honest review.

Big Boy Cup! Tommee Tippee Review

2010-07-23T22:24:00.005-05:00

My son will be 1 this Sunday and for the last few months we have been trying out different cups. Sippy cups, cups with straws, cups with spouts, you name it we've tried it and nothing has worked. Some leaked, some dripped, some flowed continuously and some he couldn't even get anything out of. Luckily we received a wonderful package in the mail from Tommee Tippee to review. I received a Spill Proof Bottle, Non Slip Mat and 2 Bowls(w/lid) and a spoon.

So here are my thoughts on the Tommee Tippee Products.
The Spill Proof Water Bottle(Sippy Cup) is WONDERFUL, my son feels like he is a big boy and has a cup like his sisters BUT he can shake it upside down and nothing comes out. Also, he is able to hold the cup with both of his little hands and drink by himself, the cup is lightweight and the beverage comes out easily.

Do your kids dump their bowls/plates upside down when eating and make a HUGE mess? This is where the Non Slip Mat comes in. It is a wonderful silicone mat that you lay on the high chair tray or any table. You then attach your bowl to the suction cup on top....no more messes!Why didn't I think of this? This is a great product and easy to use and clean, the non slip mat lifts easily off of any surface.

I have washed all of the products on the top shelf in the dishwasher and they have turned out fine. I will be heading to Toys R Us to add to our Tommee Tippee Collection! We now have our 1st Big Boy Cup!

Now – July 23: Buy any Explora item (cups and toddler feeding), get the second 50% off at BabiesRUs.com (http://bit.ly/cDYhv8)

Tommee Tippee is now available in the U.S. at Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us stores as well as online at BabiesRUs.com.

....and for the leagal stuff...
I received products from Tommee Tippee and am a reviewer for the Mom Bloggers Club. I was asked to give my honest opinion.

Doing Nothing

2010-07-16T10:19:00.005-05:00

Aren't there some days where you just want to "do nothing"? Make no plans or just go with the flow. With the business of summer, which is supposed to be more relaxing than the school year, I decided to take today and do absolutely nothing. The girls are excited to just "go with the flow". Today there are no swim lessons, no dance classes, no camp...NOTHING.

So far we have played in the sprinklers in our P.J.'s , had a late breakfast and are now going to get in the car and see where the day takes us. After all isn't summer about not having such a busy schedule?

Uncle Ben's Kitchen Kickoff Party

2010-07-09T05:57:00.000-05:00

I was one of the lucky bloggers chosen to host a party for Uncle Ben's Rice! I received recipes, tons of product and decorations for my event as well as a gift card to purchase the supplies. We tried their Natural Whole Grain Brown Rice, Fastand Natural Instant Brown Rice and Boil-In-Bag Whole Grain Brown Rice.

My husband is not normally a fan of brown rice, saying that is either "too chewy" or "too crunchy". Our favorite recipe by far is listed below and even my picky husband enjoyed it! My girlfriends are now brown rice eaters too!

UNCLE BEN’S® Chicken, Apple, Walnut and Brown Rice Salad

Serves: 6 Prep time: 20

Ingredients
2 bags UNCLE BEN’S® Boil-In-Bag Whole Grain Brown Rice
2 cups shredded skinless chicken breast cooked and cooled
2 medium green apples thinly sliced
1 cup red onion finely chopped (optional)
1/3 cup toasted walnuts coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh sage chopped
6 Tbsp. low-fat balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions
1. Prepare UNCLE BEN’S® Boil-in-Bag Whole Grain Brown Rice according to package directions. Let cool.
2. If chicken is not already cooked, grill in pan under medium-high heat until cooked through.
3. In a large bowl, toss together rice, chicken, green apple, red onion, walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette.
4. Garnish with fresh sage. Serve cold or room temperature.

"I wrote this review while participating in a Kitchen Kickoff campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Uncle Ben's. Mom Central sent me a gift card and other Uncle Ben's items to thank me for taking the time to participate."

Crystal Light Pure Fitness Review / wellness wednesday

2010-07-07T05:35:00.001-05:00

A few weeks back I was asked to try a new low calorie, naturally sweetened powder that you add to water that makes a low calorie beverage. Per serving, each beverage is 15 calories. I received grape, lemon lime and kiwi strawberry-kiwi packets.

These new products have no artificial sweeteners, no artificial flavors and no preservatives. The strawberry-kiwi is tart to me but my 5 and 7 year old girls LOVE it! They said it taste like lemondae. The products contain some other ingredients that are a little too "chemical" for me, rebiana, potassium citrate, magnesium oxide, sodium citrate....hmm , these dont' sound so natural to me. It does taste great doesn't have any of the artificial items that they stated..however there are alot of "chemicals" that I tend to steer away from.

Try it and tell us what you think...

www.facebook.com/crystalLight

www.twitter.com/crystalLight

(I was sent 3 sample packets of Crystal Light Pure Fitness by Vocalpoint and asked to give my honest opinion.)

Mom the Maid

2010-07-06T07:05:00.007-05:00

There are sometime those little things that get to you....maybe they're defining moments, maybe they're just things that really piss you off or maybe they're the things that make you really happy. Yesterday, I was smack dab in the middle of one of these situations.

My husband was doing laundry all day yesterday(he was off of work because of the holiday)...and I do mean ALL DAY, he washed everything in the house and folded it all (he is awesome♥) My youngest, 5, jumped right in...her and daddy loading and unloading the washer and dryer, and folding MOUNDS of clothing (which obviously means my girls have WAAAAY too much clothing) He later asked my 7 year old to help, she went on to say that no one asked her. Being DAD, he gave her the lecture (that I'm sure that we all heard as kids) it went something like this:

Hub: You shouldn't have to be asked , you should just help

Daughter: But I didn't know

Hub: You should KNOW to help out

Daughter: But I don't like to do that kind of stuff

Hub: do you think I enjoy it?

Daughter: Shrugs shoulders...(like obviously cuz you're doing it!duh!)

Hub: (getting mad now....grrrrrr), get over here and help!

Daughter:(frown)...alright DADDY(in that poor me little girl voice)

Hub: We are all a family and need to work together, if we don't do it, who will?

Daughter: MOM

.....ahhhh, so that's where I fit in in the whole scheme of things. I know that in her mind, she wasn't thinking that I'm her maid, but truly when you think of our roles as Mothers ..how do our children see us? Cooks, Therapists, Chauffeurs, Caregivers, Friends, Bug Smasher, Butt Wiper, Gross Thingy Picker Upper, Nose Wiper, Un-clogger for the toilet, Playmate,Protector, Throw Up Cleaner Upper, and Yes...MAID.

Please feel free to let me know what I left out....what roles do you play?

It's July already!

2010-07-02T10:00:00.006-05:00

I can not even believe that its JULY! Even more so, I can't believe that my girls start school again in August....I guess it's true what they say "time waits for no one". Our summer has been pretty busy but also pretty relaxing. I have been trying to stress the importance for our family to "be" in the moment. Thus, we have taken time to plant a garden, lay in the backyard and pick out the shapes in the clouds, make homemade concoctions (some of which I would never touch, like the combo of Gatorade, marshmallows and pop that my oldest drank) bake tons of goodies and just enjoy each other. We like to all lay on the floor and read books, play eye spy in the neighborhood and go on nature walks. NO TV allowed but Music is definitely allowed as we throw a MEAN Dance party over here. My husband misses some of this as he doesn't get a summer vacation but we pull him into our madness when he's home.

I am thankful. Let me say that again...I AM THANKFUL!

To be able to stay home with my kids

To have a hard working, loving and dedicated husband

To have a wonderful group of friends

To have good health and to have healthy children

To have a home and food on the table

I AM THANKFUL for it all

Enjoy the rest of your summer and remember to take each day as it is...don't try and change it, flow with it.

YogaFit - wellness wednesday

2010-06-23T07:35:00.002-05:00

I have started practicing yoga again. I started almost 8 years ago when I was pregnant with my 1st child and have practiced off and on since then. My girls do Yoga Kids ....which is fun and calms them on those days where they are bouncing off of the walls. They do yoga may 1 or 2 days a week....they ENJOY making those silly faces and doing animal poses...but more than anything I enjoy that my girls are doing something TOGETHER and not arguing.
I have wanted to go to a yoga studio for the last couple of years but somehow, with 3 kids....I couldn't find the time for myself. As all of us moms are busy multi-tasking and running kids here and there..we tend to take less and less time for ourselves. In order to maintain some kind of balance in my life, I need to do something for myself but more importantly, BY MYSELF. Yoga is that Something for me. So for the last 2 weeks I have been practicing everyday. I have been doing Yogafit which was created by Beth Shaw and is a hybrid of sorts. "She created her own style that combined fitness moves such as push-ups, sit-ups and squats with traditional yoga postures linked together in a flowing format. To make practice more “user-friendly,” she eliminated Sanskrit names of postures and avoided the ohming and chanting sometimes associated with traditional yoga practices. YogaFit was born" I LOVE IT!
Whatever you do, do it for you.

Namaste

WE DID IT!

2010-06-15T09:06:00.007-05:00

We DID it! We crossed the finish line of the AVON 2 day walk for Breast Cancer. 39 miles over 2 days....lots of sweat, tears and laughter!

Sam's Mom , Sam and Zenful Mommy at the finish line ! WOO HOO!!! (and ouch...we have blisters!) ...and look at his little t-shirt, isn't that adorable♥

Below is the beginning of Day 1, TEAM BREAST INTENTIONS at Soldier Field!

What an AMAZING weekend! See everyone next year!!!

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

2010-06-04T19:38:00.003-05:00

WOW!!! just 12 hours away (according to our little timer on the side of the page) until the walk!

Do I feel ready? Not really, I did tons of little walks between 1 and 5 miles and one long walk of 10 miles. I wish that I could've done at least one longer walk....just to prepare. Mentally, I am ready because I know that once I meet up with my team "Breast Intentions", the adrenaline will start flowing. I know that I can complete the walk, 26 1/2 miles on day 1 and 13 miles on day 2, because I have done it before. I know that if it rains, I will keep going, if I feel tired, I will keep going, if I want to QUIT, I WILL KEEP GOING!

I look at our team Captain, Barb, and see what an AMAZING survivor she is! TRULY TRULY amazing woman! She is an inspiration to us all and I walk WITH her and FOR HER.

I walk for my family and friends who have been touched by Breast Cancer...I walk for my Beautiful daughters, so that they will not have to endure what so many women have had to.

Thank you everyone for your love, kind words and endless support.......

The Nuclear Pencil: 8 Tips On How To Eat Healthy In College

2010-05-28T12:18:00.001-05:00

This Foodie Friday I thought I'd link to my cousins wonderful post on How to Eat Healthy in College. We all know about gaining the Freshmen 15....basically eating anything and everything! Check out his post and pass it on! Thanks Griffin www.nukepencil.blogspot.com

The Nuclear Pencil: 8 Tips On How To Eat Healthy In College

Paying Attention

2010-05-23T20:16:00.000-05:00

Today I set out to walk 20 miles. The AWBC is only 2 weeks away, and you need to rest the last week, so this was my opportunity to really push myself.

I had breakfast, got dressed in my favorite wicking yoga pants and socks, put on my AWBC tee and stretched. I got my water and my fanny pack (yup, I said it...) and had Sam & Gregg drop me off at the forest preserve at 8 am.

It was HOT. Already 80 degrees at 8 am with high humidity. But I was committed. The first 10 were no problem. Piece of cake. I stopped for lunch (Gregg brought a picnic) and some Sam lovin'. 1/2 hour later, I was ready to go again.

Okay, a bit more difficult this time. It had climbed up to 90 degrees and this portion of the trail didn't have as much shade. I was trying to stay hydrated but after a while (mile 15) realized I had stopped sweating and it was getting difficult to breath. Then I started getting dizzy. I sat down on a log and realized I was getting dehydrated and showing early signs of heat exhaustion.
In the past, I've had ice-baths, IVs and ER visits for heat exhaustion and dehydration. So I KNOW it's a slippery slope. I called Gregg and with big sobs asked him to pick me up. Problem was, I was in the middle of the forest and it wasn't vehicle accessible, so I had to walk out. About 2 miles later I met Gregg (literally) on the side of the road. I had only walked 17 miles.
It took a couple hours of rest, 1/2 gallon of watered-down apple juice, a couple of handfuls of pretzels and a 45 minute cool shower, but I'm better now. I'm very disappointed that I didn't finish the full 20. But I'm glad I paid attention and didn't end up collapsed on the trail or in the hospital.
This was unusual weather. We don't see heat and humidity like this until July/August. In fact, last week it was 58 degrees when I started my training walk. I seriously doubt it'll be 90 degrees with high humidity walk weekend. I really think I can do the full marathon on Saturday and 1/2 marathon on Sunday. Of course,I'm going to pay attention, and won't see it as defeat if I need a sweep (van takes you 2 miles to the next rest station) or the medical tent. But I REALLY hope I can keep hydrated and healthy and finish the walk.

Where in the World is Sam's Mom?

2010-04-13T20:18:00.000-05:00

Things have been incredibly busy over here. I've missed blogging and missed all of your supportive comments. I've missed seeing Zenful Mommy as regularly as I would have liked. (WAY TO GO! on the 5k!!)

What's kept me away from all of you?

** working on my marriage: communication is really good and we've taken some "date time" for ourselves recently

** working on my parenting skills: giving Sam more boundaries, working on language, working on not hitting!

** working on ME! physically & emotionally

** AWBC training. Up to 15 miles on the weekend

** Bilateral knee cortisone injections (today!) which should help me with AWBC and general health through easier exercise

** working on WORK. So busy, but aiming for good time management skills

** fitting in more family time ... really getting the most out of each hour of the day

** home improvement projects: we're doing the kitchen, basement & backyard. 80% of the work we're doing ourselves

WHEW! That's a lot. I do have details and will be sharing those soon, hopefully. Obviously to get the above in, I'm cutting back on blogging (and reading the blogs of you lovely ladies...sorry.)

I'm hoping to get in some training walks with Zenful Mommy before Walk Weekend. It's so exciting to be walking with such dear friends as Zenful Mommy, her DH and SIL. I cannot wait!

What "self improvement" projects have you been working on lately?

We DID it!

2010-04-06T10:01:00.000-05:00

On Saturday my 7 year old daughter, my 18 year old sister, and my Non-running husband ran a 5k. It was everyones first time except for mine. My sister and I stayed together and finished in 37 min, not bad for her first one. It poured rain, it was freezing but we kept going. I truly thought that my husband and daughter would have given in...but almost an hour in...here they came...they DID it! My daughter was cold and soaked but her and her daddy finished TOGETHER...57 min(walk/slow jog). I was SO SO proud of them both! and guess what...little girl got "the bug" and wants to run again soon!

Sometimes you do what you think you can't and it makes you stronger.

90 days...to a new ME!

2010-04-05T09:45:00.004-05:00

I did it, I completed 90 days! P90 is difficult, it was hard to do it everyday but I pushed thru it. On the days where "life came into play" ( like being out of town, busy day and didn't have time to do the workout, or was plain tired) I did another form of exercise on that day or worked out on my day off.

My results:

Food wise: I made a life change, I no longer eat processed, fried or refined foods....YIPPEE!!Fruits, Veggies and a little dairy are a constant! I gave up pop and juices, unless 100% juice...and I drink water, water and more water.

I take daily supplements and have one protein shake a day (this also helps as I am vegetarian and gets in some needed protein)

Now to the good stuff, no the AWESOME stuff

Pounds lost: 15 pounds (and this was NOT a goal, just wanted to `get healthy and TONED)
Inches lost: 6 inches off of my waist (unbelievable)
6 inches off of my hips ( my skinny jeans are TOO BIG)
3 inches off of my chest (not sure if this is good or bad?)
4 inches off of EACH thigh

This is 19 inches ..... honestly I can't believe it...If I can do this, you can too!

I am taking a week off and then on to P90X!!

Spring where are you?

2010-03-22T11:58:00.003-05:00

We were so enjoying the warm weather. Playing in the back yard, walks around the neighborhood, opening the windows to get some fresh air.......this all came to a SCREECHING stop! SPRING we need you! My kids fought less, they were happier (and so was I), I got to take the baby for walks, my house didn't smell stuffy anymore....Please come back...please!

My girls are stir crazy and longing to be outside......

Local walker buddy

2010-03-15T03:32:00.002-05:00

We've all been told how important it is to have an exercise buddy: someone to challenge you, keep you on track, and someone you feel responsible to (ie: you don't skip workouts.)

Thus far, I've been training for the AWBC (click on the icon to check my fundraising progress) w/ Sam in the stroller. Now, don't get me wrong, Sammy is an awesome stroller baby and great training partner. But he will only last about 5 miles, requires snacks, and isn't the best conversationalist.

Several weeks ago I posted on the AWBC board that I needed a training partner in my area...and got a response. So today I trained with my new buddy, Christine. It was amazing! I felt energized by our conversation and we kept a great pace. We even walker further than we had anticipated (8 miles) and it seemed like an easy 8. We have a schedule worked out and will finish 2 weeks before the walk at 20 miles Saturday and 10 miles Sunday. The next week (Memorial Day weekend) we'll do some easy 4s or 6s in our neighborhoods and then we'll be all set for Walk Weekend 2010: June 5 &6.

Zenful Mommy and her hubby are walking too .. we have a team of about 15 amazing individuals (Team Breast Intentions.) But Zenful Mommy lives about 45 minutes away so it's great to have a buddy close by (10 minutes.)

I'm very excited ... we have less than 3 months of training left but I KNOW I can do this. My buddy Christine and I have committed to each other to keep pace and stick together (ie: if one is injured or has to slow down we both do.) We'll cross that finish line together (hopefully with Zenful Mommy, her super-hubby and other members of the team as well.)

So today I'm feeling confident in my workout abilities, strong and well, GO ME!!

The View

2010-03-10T09:27:00.002-06:00

This week on the VIEW

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 – Guests: Forest Whitaker (“Our Family Wedding”); Jesse Ventura (author, American Conspiracies).

THURSDAY, MARCH 11 – Sir Elton John will be sitting with the women at the table and partaking in “Hot Topics”; Guest - Eric McCormack (“Who Is Clark Rockefeller?”).

FRIDAY, MARCH 12 – Co- Host Kate Gosselin is back and will join the women and the return of “The View: Fashion Friday” with designer Carolina Herrera.

“I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.”

Organic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies(clean eating)

2010-03-05T04:20:00.000-06:00

So here's the deal, I posted a recipe from Clean Eating Magazine last week for their
Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.You can find the recipe here. I got alot of questions about the cookies:

1. Were they hard like hockey pucks? NO, they were chewy BUT don't overcook...9 minutes is perfect

2. Were the ingredients expensive? NO, I had to buy all of the ingredients but I can make alot more batches of cookies or other items with the ingredients. Alot of the products had recipes on the packaging that I am going to try.

3. How did the cookies taste? I would tell you to ask my girls, they are my "official" taste testers. I had a cookie for each of them in the car when I picked them up from school. They said they were the best cookies they ever had and wanted more. They couldn't believe the were "healthy" and didn't have chemicals in them. They actually taste like a chewy granola bar. This means alot coming from my 7 year old who is a "sugar-holic" and doesn't like anything unless its full of un-healthy stuff.

What would I do differently next time? Make a double batch. The batch made 16 cookies (don't forget to flatten them with a wet spoon, as they won't spread while baking) Our 16 cookies were gone in 2 days . My girls ate the final few in the morning on the way to school. They are delicious and I am sure that you can make tons of variations!

Please let me know if you try them!

Oscar show on THE VIEW

2010-03-04T16:05:00.002-06:00

Hey there! Check out The View tomorrow for lots of OSCAR info!

Friday, Mar 5: The View’s “Road to the Oscars” episode welcomes former Oscar nominee Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes and “Fashion Friday” celebrates “The History of Oscar Fashions” with a two-part look back at some of the most memorable – and perhaps forgettable – Oscar hits and misses, with host and celebrity stylist Robert Verdi. Hosts of “At the Movies” Michael Phillips and Tony Scott will also be on set to unveil their 2010 Oscar predictions.

“I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.”

Happy Monday

2010-03-01T06:28:00.001-06:00

I haven't posted on a Monday for awhile. This is due in part to my kids being off of school for a week for winter break, a crabby baby due to immunizations , house guests and just being a little overwhelmed.

My lifestyle changes have been amazing and quite honestly.....life changing and contagious, spreading throughout my family like wild fire.

I have lost 12 pounds , gone down a size, lost inches everywhere but most of all 4 inches in my waist. I am on day 53 of my P90, incorporating yoga and pilates.(all of my fitness activities are done at home)

Nutrition: no soda, no processed foods but still having my coffee as I can't give it up. !☺
I am taking my supplements daily as well as drinking tons and tons of water.

Funny thing...I don't miss the crappy stuff. not at all. I was at my moms yesterday and was reading the back of a package of something she got at Costco. She said to me " don't read the back or you won' t eat it" E X A C T L Y!!!! She then went on to tell me that it doesn't matter what I eat, as it won't make me sick....CAN YOU SAY HEATED discussion....With me WINNING I must say! My younger brother and sister are both taking to a healthier lifestyle and I couldn't be happier as one is in college and the other a senior in high school. They have added exercise and good nutrition to their lives are feeling healthier and have more energy.

I guess Grandma was right "you are what you eat"

Happy Happy Monday everyone. Live in the Moment. Put into your body what nourishes your body. Eat what Nature Made.

BIG FAT CHECK

2010-02-27T05:16:00.004-06:00

I was so excited about the check I received in the mail that I had to take a picture and share it with you! Have you heard of ebates? If not , check them out here. Their site is FREE to use and they mail you a check quarterly. You sign up, shop and earn electronic rebates that they mail quarterly. There are literally thousands of stores on their site, just make sure that you always go to ebates and then link to your favorite stores thru their site. My check is from my holiday shopping, I did 100% of my shopping online and made sure that I got free shipping on all of my purchases! Just wanted to share my BIG FAT CHECK

Clean Eating - Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2010-02-26T05:26:00.001-06:00

We have been trying to eat things that are "nature made" instead of "man made" , thus Clean Eating. I found this cookie recipe in the Clean Eating magazine and can't wait to try it. Please let us know what you think! Enjoy!

Here is a link to the magazine's site http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/

INGREDIENTS:
Olive oil cooking spray
1 1/4 cups quick-cook old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tsp flaxseed meal
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 large egg white
2 tsp unsalted almond butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup dark bittersweet chocolate chips (about 40 grams)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together agave, egg white, almond butter and vanilla.
Add egg mixture to dry ingredients all at once and combine. Stir in chocolate chips.
Divide batter equally into 16 mounds (about 1 rounded tbsp in size) and arrange evenly spaced on prepared baking sheets. Using the back of a slightly dampened spoon, flatten each mound into 2 1/2-inch circles. Bake 9 to 10 minutes, until golden. Cool on sheets for an additional 10 minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely. Stored in an airtight container, cookies will keep fresh for 2 to 3 days.
NOTE: Substitute the chocolate chips with raisins, shredded coconut, dried cranberries or other dried fruit to give these cookies a new identity every time you make them.

NUTRIENTS per 2 cookies:
Calories: 170
Total Fat: 3.5 g
Sat. Fat: 1 g
Carbs: 35 g
Fiber: 3 g
Sugar: 18 g
Protein: 3 g
Sodium: 75 mg
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Have you heard?

2010-02-25T04:14:00.002-06:00

Have you heard about Etsy? Do you know about this fabulous online boutique where you can purchase anything from vintage earrings to hand-made baby clothes? Quilts to knitted caps? Shoes to dolls to wall hangings? And everything in between.

Etsy is a favorite place of mine. There are amazing finds and real deals on the site. I love that I can purchase handmade/homemade products and most crafted by moms. How great is that?

Today I want to introduce you to possibly my favorite Etsy mom crafter. Sandi is a SAH who somehow finds time to sew, quilt and craft. She makes many of the amazing outfits her children wear by hand. She is one of the most involved school moms I've ever known, and is officially a HOTmama for her strong, loving 16 year-but-its-like-their-first-date marriage and oh-so-intelligent and delightfully feisty four kids.

For me, it was love at first quilt: Sandi's work is amazing. The detail and fabrics are amazing. We've washed this "Piece of Africa" quilt about a million times, and it just gets softer with each wash.

Knowing how much we love the "Piece of Africa" quilt, Sandi recently made the matching name banner for Sam.

Sandi's work is very reasonably priced and I invite you to check out her site. Let me know what you think.

Note: These are my honest personal opinions. I was not paid for this review. I have purchased many items from Sandi's shop. She did recently send the banner as a gift for Sam but in no way requested a positive review in return.

Talk Therapy

2010-02-24T04:00:00.002-06:00

Boy oh Boy am I tardy on postings. Needless to say, we've been pretty busy over here at Casa De Sam. And that's part of the reason for this particular posting.

I KNEW parenting would be tough...tougher than anyone ever warned or cautioned us. Most likely the toughest thing we'll ever do.

But I didn't know, and wasn't prepared for the toll on marriage.

I'm sure some fly through this "new parent" thing without incident. Not us. Things have been pretty rough since we came home with Sam in July. Now, there are several legit reasons for that, such as the fact that it wasn't G's decision to be a SAH: it just didn't make sense for the attorney to stay home and the chef to keep working, financially speaking. His new role is hard on his ego and frankly, immasculating. Because of the demands of work, G now does the cooking, cleaning, laundry, you name it, all in edition to caring for and nurturing our son.

It wasn't my decision to be a working mom. I feel a tremendous amount of pressure being the sole income: am I bringing in new clients and billing enough at work? Am I putting in enough "face time" ... how are the partners viewing me as a new working mom? But most of all, is 2-3 hours a day enough time with my son?

Because of the stress of our new roles, and frankly, the fact that we are older and SO VERY set in our ways, we bicker a lot. I will admit, I usually start it: I pick on G for some little thing, and then the it brews into a fight. We make up, we always do...but the stress and strain remains in the background.

This weekend everything came to a head. We had a HUGE fight and then spent 5-6 hours talking. I mean REALLY talking. Baring hearts and souls and crying. Expressing frustrations, hopes, dreams, feelings of failure. We laid it all on the table. And you know what? It was fantastic. G and I are stronger than ever because we came back to the foundations of our relationship: friendship, communication, understanding and love. I think over the past 7 months we have forgotten about the communication factor. Well, I know we have. But no longer. Now communication is our No. 1 objective, our biggest goal.

As tough as the past few months have been on our marriage I wouldn't change a thing. Sam is the best thing that's ever happened to us, and we are navigating this "new parent" thing to the best of our abilities. So long as we keep this weekend in mind and keep the lines of communication open and strong, we'll be terrific parents and partners.

How is your communication with your spouse? Any room for improvement?

The View Ambassador

2010-02-17T16:29:00.005-06:00

InnerHotMama is so HAPPY to have been one of the Blogs chosen to represent the VIEW!!! Are you passionate about The View and want to attend a taping? Check below and enter to win a trip to NEW YORK CITY!

Enter The View sweepstakes that’s currently being run on the Mom Central website. One lucky winner will be randomly selected to receive a trip to New York City to watch a taping of The View! The sweepstakes is open until February 28th. Here is a link to our sign-up survey for this sweepstakes: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22A5X7KF2CZ

“I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.”

A Mom's Ultimate Book of Lists

2010-02-14T17:59:00.001-06:00

If you need to get organized, and we all do, you will LOVE this book by Michelle LaRowe. It is a reference book full of quick and practical tips! There are lists for everything imaginable. From a list of things to do when preparing for a baby, to what to do once the baby gets here, to a list of shots needed...it's all covered. I think that my favorite "lists" in the book is the section on "Lists for saving your time, money and sanity", what mom couldn't use a LITTLE MORE of any of these 3?This section covers things such as, ten tips for balancing home, work and family...how to create date night and become more organized in your home.

My absolute FAV list is LIST 111, THE VIRTUOUS WIFE of Today, This list takes the Bible scripture and translates it for today's mom. This list has some things that I think we all strive for:

She takes care of her body, working to keep fit
She helps others in need
She seeks to be of good character
She carefully considers her purchases and doesn't buy on impulse
She is a blessing to her family.
......I could put the whole list here....it truly is a wonderful book and would help any woman, get more organized.

“Available January 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

disclaimer: I was given a copy of the book and asked to give my honest opinion.

8 Minute Veggie Pasta

2010-02-12T04:55:00.002-06:00

The key to keeping all those delicious carbs in your diet is

(1) fiber-dense whole grain bread or pasta

(2) adding more veggies to the meal than pasta or bread

(3) portion control.

For me, this means pre-measuring everything. But it works, and I get to eat pasta, so I'm not complaining. Especially when I get to eat this:

8 Minute Veggie Pasta

I know when you think peas, broccoli and pasta, you think of heavy cream sauce. But if you use tomato sauce instead, you get an unexpectedly delicious dish with lower calories & fat, along with loads of nutrition. Oh, and this is a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies...Sammy gobbled up his and begged for more!

For each serving:

3/4 c dry whole grain pasta

1/2 c fresh or frozen peas

1 1/2 c fresh or frozen chopped broccoli

splash veggie broth

1 t. chopped garlic

2 T. fresh grated Parmasean cheese

1/2 c tomato sauce

While pasta is boiling, sautee the veggies with a little EVOO and veggie broth. After 2 minutes, add the tomato sauce and put a lid on the veggies (heat on medium-low.)

Drain pasta when al dente, toss with the veggie sauce and add a bit of grated cheese.

YUM!

Snowed In

2010-02-11T10:25:00.006-06:00

So here in the midwest we got alot of snow, not as much as the East Coast but still, alot of SNOW! In preparation for the snow storm, I stopped at borders to pick up some books for my kids to keep them busy just in case we were stuck inside for a few days. We didn't end up having a snow day but the books were a HIT!(and as you can see, there is a magazine in there for me too :) )

What do you do when you're snowed in?

Monday check-in

2010-02-08T04:44:00.002-06:00

Slow and steady wins the race.

I've always been the hare...running, running, running. Often frantically. My husband calls it "jazz hands." But now, I'm trying to slow down. Thinking about what I put into my body. Meal planning so I'm not getting something on the go. Planning time for workouts. I'm staying veg and fitting tons of fruit, veg & fiber into my everyday eating. I'm more satisfied. I'm actually fuller eating about 1/2 the calories I used to.

And I've found that I WANT to be the tortoise. Because the tortoise is winning. I am winning.

Since January 1st I'm down 14 lbs and 1 size. I am sleeping soundly and have energy to spare. I run around with my son and hold nightly "dance parties" (which is quite interesting with a 1 1/2 year old in case you haven't tried it before.)

Thanks Zenful Mommy for challenging us ALL to be healthier mommies!

It's Amazing

2010-02-07T13:57:00.003-06:00

It's Amazing what paying attention what you put in your mouth does for your mind, body and soul. My healthy commitments are: I gave up soda over a month ago, NOT MISSED! I gave up fried foods, NOT MISSED! I vowed to do mostly CLEAN EATING and I love it! In fact my kids are eating healthier...just shows that Leading by Example works.

Over the last week, I got in my 6 workouts and took my daily vitamins and ate well.My waist is shrinking and i am getting stronger by the day! I have energy now and am loving everyday!

Thanks to bookieboo for this challenge to lead a healthier lifestyle, you gave me the little push that I needed.

Valentine Cookies

2010-02-05T06:18:00.001-06:00

This is a SIMPLE recipe for Cut-out Cookies

1/2 cup shortening or butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

cream shortening, sugar and egg...add vanilla, add in dry ingredients, roll out and cut into your favorite shapes!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, bake 10-12 minutes

Let cool and decorate!

You were right

2010-02-03T13:46:00.000-06:00

Gawd I hate admitting that. But you said (a collective you) that exercise would give me more energy and help me sleep more deeply at night. I fought you. I bitched about it. I made excuses. And then I did it.

And I must say, you were right.

I've been getting about 150 minutes/week in via walking and such. Nothing hard-core. But today I did 40 mins on the elliptical at the gym (thank you LaGrange YMCA for adding 4 extra machines this summer!), a feat never before attempted because after 15 minutes my thighs were burning and quivering (and not in a good way, wink-wink, nudge-nudge.) But today I felt GREAT, and actually had energy to spare afterwards, which would have translated into time on the weight machines if not for the YMCA babysitting ending at 12 noon (it's a work-at-home day in between a ton of suburban meetings.)

Oh, and I'm sleeping deeper than I have in...well...forever. Now, part of that is the fact that Sam is sleeping, in his own bed, ALL NIGHT LONG. This has been going on for almost 2 weeks now and it is delicious. He does wake at 5:30-6 but he'll go back to sleep for another hour in our bed, which I'll do for the extra sleep. But the hours between 11p-6a are pure and utter bliss. Okay, so Sam may be waking up, but G and I don't know about it because we are sleeping so well. I think we would hear him...

The moral of this story? 2 points for you 0 for me. Maybe I'll be right about something else fitness related in the near future.

yucky week...mamavation

2010-02-01T10:27:00.003-06:00

It was a difficult week for me, exerise wise, food wise....and everything else.

For some reason my kids, ages 7, 4 and 6 months...all decided to wake up thru the night, everynight.....so much that I had to offer "treats" at the end of the week if my oldest 2 stayed in their beds at night. I promised them ice cream on Friday night if they could stay in their beds all night for the remainder of the week. I saw a habit forming, of them coming into my bed everynight and didnt' like it....they woke me up everynight, at least 2 times and I was "QUITE" grouchy in the mornigs. The fact that I work out at about 9 at night and can't get to sleep until 1 am doesnt' help much either...so heres my report for the week.

Nutrition: Ok I guess, did the 5-6 small meals a day, no soda, still had my 2 cups of coffee a day(can't and won't give this up) Got in my fruits and veggies as well as my TONS of water a day. Also managed to have donut holes that my hubby brought home, as well as leftovers of my kids grilled cheese (yummo!)

Exercise: Did 6 of 7 days...it was hard as hell but I did it!

Health: Felt blah all week..still have a cold, but took my supplements and drank EmergenC

YIPPEE ! Down a pound....

How was your week?

Portion control & 150 a week

2010-02-01T03:43:00.003-06:00

I have now learned the art of portion control. I had NO IDEA how much I was eating before. 300 cal of healthy food is still 300 cal. I took about 3 weeks to measure things out and now can pretty much eye-ball it. I can tell you what 2 c of spinach, 1/4 c nuts, 1 serving of pretzels, 1 inch cube of cheese all look like. I've also been getting my 150+ minutes of exercise a week. That represents 30 mins/day for 5 days. Last week I got in 180 minutes and my goal for this week is 200 minutes.

Overall, I've lost over 12% of my weight-loss goal (okay, I'm just gonna say it and get it out of the way, I'm trying to lose 100 lbs to reach a healthy, "normal" BMI.) I've given myself 18 months to lose the weight...slow and steady wins the race and insures the weight will STAY OFF this time around.

Stats: down 12.5 lbs in 7 weeks and almost ready to go down a dress size from where I started.

How are you doing on your "get healthy" goals?

Veggie Not-fried Rice

2010-01-29T03:32:00.001-06:00

I've started altering old recipes to make them healthy. As I've no doubt mentioned several times, my husband is a chef. A darned good one too. Case in point: he makes an incredible pork fried rice the day after he roasts a pork loin. It's better than any restaurant version I've ever tasted. The pork is flavorful and juicy, the rice is fluffy, the veggies are crisp and the egg is cooked like an omlette and then diced so you get a piece in every bite. It's loaded down with soy sauce and fried in canola oil. WOW.

But I'm veg now, and I'm not eating white rice and not frying foods. So what do to when the fried rice mood strikes? CREATE MY OWN RECIPE. Here's what I came up with. It's big on veggies and flavor, low on fat and empty carbs. It's veg, but I'm sure pork, chicken or shrimp would be a delicious edition for those carnivoires out there.

Meg's Veggie Not-fried Rice

1 cup rice (I use 1/2 c brown, 1/2 c red Thai)

1 T chopped garlic

1/2 small chopped onion

1 c sliced carrots

2 c pea pods

2 large eggs

low-sodium Soy Sauce

Rice Wine Vinegar

Method: cook rice to package directions. The combo of red Thai and brown takes 3 1/2 c of liquid and about 40 mins to cook. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, place veggies in a microwave dish, cover with water and nuke for 5 minutes, until tender-crisp. Beat the eggs with salt & pepper to taste. When the rice is done, add Soy Sauce and the vinegar to taste, while keeping the flame on medium low. Add a t. of olive oil and stir. Add the egg, stirring quickly so it cooks evenly and incorporates into the rice. This will give the rice a creamy texture. Once the egg is absorbed, add your veggies and toss/fold to combine. Plate up and add extra soy, vinegar or hot sauce to your taste.

Let's talk hysterectomy

2010-01-27T02:49:00.002-06:00

Becoming healthy means more than eating smart and exercising. It means taking care of yourself as a woman with annual pap smears and monthly breast exams & mammograms.

And for me, it now means a hysterectomy. At 37. WOW.

I have terrible endometriosis, which strangles my ovaries, tubes, bladder, bowels, pretty much my entire abdominal region. I have mennorhagia which is excessive clotty bleeding during your period. I am doubled-over in pain almost 1/2 the month. I miss work. I spend hours lying down and at times cannot even hold my 22 lbs son.

And now I'm going to do someting about it. I'm ready.

I know for some, it's a very tough decision, but since I'm infertile anyway, it's really not a big deal at all. I'm ready to be gutted like a fish, if it means a stop to the pain, a more active life, and the ability to pick up my boy whenever he wants me to.

I urge each and every one of you to keep current with your gyne exams and TALK with your gynecologist. Things you may THINK are "normal" may not be. Get it checked out. And please, please, please know there is support out there. I've found it. It's called HysterSisters and its a network of women and specialists who GET IT. What more could a girl ask for?

Softscrub CAPTAIN

2010-01-26T11:09:00.000-06:00

We are proud to announce that we have been chosen as 1 of the 200 bloggers chosen to be a Softscrub captain. What does this mean? We will get the newest products first(before they hit store shelves), try them out and let you know how they work. We will get coupons to share with our readers and recommend products for you! Stay tuned for more info!

Sam's Mom's Monday progress Check-in

2010-01-25T18:23:00.000-06:00

Since Zenful Mommy has taken the helm and is checking in on her progress weekly, I figured I should do the same, since we are sisters in this 52 to Fabulous/get healthy/ build a better life endeavor.

I got the the gym 2x and logged a total of 14 miles. I would have preferred to get in 3-4 times for shorter workouts, but with a toddler I'll take what I can get. Once the weather clears I'll start walking at 5 am. Don't particularly trust myself driving to the gym at that time of day.

I kept within my calories all week (currently 1360). I also kept strict veg. That's almost 3 weeks now. It helped to have similar meals to my husband & son (ie: when they had burgers I had a soy burger, when they had fatty homemade mac-n-cheese I had polenta w/ a bit of Parmesan...etc.) I think I did a good job getting enough protein in as well.

I lost a total of 3.5 lbs for the week. I'm not anticipating that loss every week. It was a great jump start for me though.

Total of 8.5 lbs loss in 7 weeks, which is just above 1 lbs a week. That's a healthy loss so I'm thrilled.

How are you doing on your quest for a better you?

It's Monday! (mamavation monday)

2010-01-25T10:12:00.003-06:00

So it's Monday again, boy how time flies. I definitely had some obstacles last week, mainly sick kids. Stomach flu or whatever it was that took over our home for 2 days and kept us all awake at all hours of the night and kept the washing machine going and going. We are all healthy now.

Workouts for me: did 5 out of 7 days ( wishing I could of done the 6th day, but the flu had me down) I did do my cardio one day with it, and thought I was going to pass out. I need to listen to my body and rest when needed.

Nutrition: I did great!Lots of fruits and veggies and healthy choices made. I did have pizza on Pizza night but made sure that myself as well as my girls had a healthy salad 1st. My daughters actually got filled up on the salad !

Down a pound and a half, full of energy and managed to fit into pre-pregnancy pants (actually pre pre pregnancy!) Happy with my progress and happy that my whole family is making healthier choices.

My goal for the week is to eat slower, it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that you are full...so taking the time to eat slowly makes all the sense in the world.

Happy Monday and remember to take it one day at a time!

Processing it all

2010-01-22T20:34:00.000-06:00

I'm still having trouble blogging about Haiti. I don't know how to wrap my head around the grief. The suffering. The death.
It hits too close to home.

Haiti is like Ethiopia in a lot of ways. It's a very, very poor country with a very rich culture and amazingly loving people. People in Haiti don't ask for our help. They live their lives and raise their children and have a strong faith that sustains them. Like Ethiopia.

So when I see the destruction, when I see the little boys and girls in all the orphanages...when I see all the children who will now end up in orphanages...I see Sam. And it's too much.

So please, skip that cup of coffee at Starbuck's, or that pizza night out...and go here or here, or here. And help. And then go into your child's bedroom, and inhale his scent, and kiss his cheek, and thank the heavens that he's your baby. And pray that all the babies find their parents, and all the mothers find their little boys.

Small Steps to a Better Me

2010-01-20T04:48:00.002-06:00

I don’t know about you, but I’m quite inspired by Zenful Mommy’s progress in the past few weeks. I’m making my own small changes, and having some small success. I wanted to share some of these things – maybe they’ll work for you.

1.     I resisted pastry/bagel day at work (every Tuesday) by bringing a Kashi GoLean bar to work. It was super-filling with loads of healthy carbs, fiber & protein. With coffee, the bar, and a bottle of La Croix, I was too full to even look at the pastry/bagel table in the kitchen.

2.    I’ve been packing my lunch EVERY DAY. This has really helped my temptation for fatty lunch foods, as I would feel guilty if I didn't eat what I packed and/or to spent extra money. The lunches I’ve been taking are planned the night before and are usually left-overs from dinner.

3.     Oh right!, I’ve been planning and making healthy dinners: a grain (Thai red rice, quinoa or brown rice) several sautéed veggies (loving dark leafy greens and cabbage lately), and protein (tofu or egg.) The grains and veggies are really filling. On the occasional times I have pasta with my guys, I half a ½ portion and supplement with fresh veggies like carrots, celery, or red pepper strips.

4.     I’ve been packing snacks for work: portioned out dried fruit and nuts.

5.     I’ve been chewing gum. This really helps in the afternoon when I’m craving an UN-healthy snack. Its sweet and keeps my jaw moving, which gives me the sensation of eating.

6.     I’m back at the gym. WOW that feels good to say!

7.     I’m tracking all my progress with a food/calorie diary and exercise diary. This really helps accountability-wise.

I hope to soon be seeing Zenful Mommy sized results!

What little secrets/tips do you have to stay “on target” with your healthy-living goals?

What Sam's Mom NEEDS

2010-01-19T19:46:00.000-06:00

Continuing 52 to Fabulous: What this girl NEEDS:

1. I NEED to organize my weekends. Staying in PJs until 11 sounds delicious, but I feel like I'm getting nothing done. This increases my anxiety and makes me not so fun to be around. I NEED to have my weekends as family time, and to do that, I need to be organized w/ errands and to-do lists. I NEED to get up and get ready, so I'm not using Sam's nap time to shower and get ready for the day.

2. Like Zenful Mommy, I NEED a date w/ my husband. My 80 year old MIL is terrific with Sam, but I don't think a date night is on her agenda. So I NEED to find a babysitter I trust. But not a teenager, right? Mission Impossible?? Sounds like it but I'll find a way.

3. I NEED to consistently get into the gym. Not occasionally. No excuses. At least 3x week. I know once I get into the habit it won't be so hard.

What's on your NEED list?

What Zenful Mommy NEEDS

2010-01-18T09:53:00.006-06:00

What a girl NEEDS?

1. My top priority is an uncluttered home. Clutter leads to confusion, disorganzition, frustration, and most of of clutter leads to MORE clutter. So I NEED to unclutter: my closets, drawers, cabinets,shelves etc...and have a clean space. Uncluttered home, uncluttered LIVES.

2.I NEED to Spend more time with my husband, which means I NEED to find a babysitter. With his work schedule it will be difficult, but it may mean I stay up late at night in order to have time with him. It may mean sneaking out on a Saturday or Sunday morning for breakfast alone. Whatever it means that we have to do, WE HAVE TO DO. Our realtionship is the foundation of our home.

3.I NEED to find and follow my passion. I know which things I enjoy doing....BUT how do I find MY PASSION? I need to do a little more soul searching, if you will, and figure out exactly what I want to do with my little ole' self.

Mamavation Monday

2010-01-18T06:34:00.002-06:00

There is an amazing group of mom's over at Bookieboo...it is a group of moms with one thing in mind, a healthier lifestyle. I am joining a group over there called the Mamavation Sistahood, which is a group of women that will all support one another while obtaining a healthier lifestyle. This is something that I so desperately want...to be healthy, NOT super skinny just healthy, WHATEVER that may mean for MY BODY, I accept it.

Over the last week, I made some definite changes.

Nutrition: I became conscious of EVERYTHING i put in my mouth and made deliberate decisions not to eat off of my kids plates(or finish their dinner). I ate 5 to 6 small meals a day and drank tons and tons of water. My meals were ~~all~~ (ok, NOT ALL) healthy, no chips (except for the one that I tasted while making my daughters lunch), no cookies, a couple of peices of chocolate(enough to satifsfy my craving..but not a whole candy bar), and TONS of fruits and veggies (which I think sent my body into some sort of shock ☺)I even ate out but made sure not to choose healthier items. I added extra calories to each of my meals as I am still nursing my son but made sure that they were healthy choices and not empty calories.

Workouts: I did 6 days of workouts, alternating between strength training and cardio(kick you butt fat burning stuff!) My workouts were done at home using the Power 90 tapes...they kicked my butt but I got results! I didn't want to work out on several days and tried to talk myself out of it, especially when it was already 9pm when I started to work out!

This is the first week in a long time that I have :

1. Slept soundly

2. Had energy throughout the day

3. Cared about what I put into my body

4. Been able to fit into a smaller pair of jeans...

Results from week 1:

3.5 pounds lost

2 inches lost off of my waist

1 1/2 inches lost off of each thigh

I NEED TO "HIGH FIVE" somebody! I feel great and am going to keep it up! Thanks everyone for your support! We'll see what next week brings but as for now, I am taking one day at a time.

52 to Fabulous: What a girl wants; Sam's Mom's version

2010-01-17T20:16:00.000-06:00

What a challenge we have undertaken. It will be tough, but I anticipate amazing changes for ALL of us!

What THIS girl wants:

1. To be a happy working mommy

2. To raise a healthy child

3. To build a stronger marriage

Happy Working Mommy

I need to find and celebrate balance. I find myself wishing I were at home during the day...and often desiring more intellectual stimulation during the weekends. I need to delve deeper into the moment, ie: be "there" at work, and be "there" at home. I need to find the joy in both halves of my life and find a way to blend them together: for the sake of both my career (sole bread-winner here) and my family.

Healthy Child

Demonstrate by example, example, example. It is impossible to raise Sam to be a healthy child unless I am healthy. That means healthy eating choices, portion control, healthy yet plentiful snacks, loads of fresh fruit and veg, and moving & shaking daily (don't think of it as exercise.) But it also means emotional and intellectual health. And healthy relationships. And finding the joy in everyday life. And sharing and celebrating spirituality. The WHOLE package. My son deserves it.

Stronger Marriage

I fear I have put my husband on the back burner for a very long time. When we were waiting for Sam I was very depressed at times, and turned inward instead of coming to G for support. Since Sam has been home I've been consumed (we both have) but I haven't made TIME for G. I am ashamed of that, but it's true...that's what I've done. Now I feel like the longer we go without time alone, the longer we go without a date, the longer we go without (okay, I'm gonna say it here: SEX)...the harder it is to "get going" again. I know, it's like a bandaide and I just need to rip it off. Alone time, conversation, sharing, dates, and intimacy is NECESSARY. I know that a strong marriage is the backbone of a healthy family for Sam. I need to not only make an effort, but to actually follow through. I need to set goals each week to spend X amount of time together and DO IT. Not let work get in the way, or returning emails/phone calls or anything else. G deserves it. I do too.

WOW this is harder than I thought -- just putting this down on paper makes these goals that much more real.

How is your list coming along?

52 to Fabulous - Week 1 What a Girl Wants

2010-01-17T11:25:00.001-06:00

Wow tough question, so what DOES a girl want?

Our goal is to write down our top 3 choices each week..

What this girl wants is:

1. I want to be healthy

2. I want my home to be a happy place

3. I want to be surrounded by positive/happy people

Healthy

This means, making healthier choices for myself as well as for my family. Healthy eating starts in the grocery store not in my home. I will purchase healthier items for my family. I will get more exercise and teach my children the importance of healthy eating. I will get my husband to see the benefits of exercise and get him to participate in some sort of physical activity at least twice a week.

Happy Home

Making my home a happy and healthy environment. De-cluttering my home from top to bottom. (I have already started this process) Keeping my home neat and organized on a daily basis. Teaching my children how to clean up after themselves and how to help with household chores.

Friends and Family

I will weed out those people that are negative in my life. I want to spend time with only those that bring something positive to my life. Whether family or friends, I will re-enforce the positive that I see in them..

My list could probably keep going but with the limit of my top 3 choices it was tough.

What do YOU want?

52 To Fabulous

2010-01-16T11:33:00.004-06:00

"52 weeks to fabulous...pursuit to a better me"

ENOUGH SAID, I'M IN!!!

Cassie and Linney, 2 fabulous ladies, started a challenge for us all! More than a challenge , its an action plan to make the changes you want in your life. To live your life to its fullest potentional. It's all about you and your journey. Each month will focus on different areas of your life, I will post all information here. Join us in this journey of self reflection and set goals for yourself!

Here is the schedule of Categories for the year by month
January – Fabulous Beginnings
February – Fabulous Organization
March – Fabulous Fitness
April – Fabulous Food
May – Fabulous Style
June – Fabulous Fun
July – Fabulous Hobbies
August – Fabulous Finances
September – Fabulous Family
October – Fabulous Health
November – Fabulous Home
December – Fabulous Blogging

We hope that you will join us! Both of us will be on this journey with you...and be blogging about it here.

(Week 1 for January is "WHAT A GIRL WANTS", this will be in a seperate post)

No matter how large or how small...set some goals !

Once a month Cooking

2010-01-15T06:53:00.002-06:00

I know that this may seem time consuming or NOT seem Practical BUT what if you could cook all of your meals in one weekend and freeze them?(VERY PRACTICAL) On a late night, instead of picking up fast food, you have a ready made meal. Just take it out of the freezer and pop it into the oven. Simplicity at its best.

Here is just one of the recipes that you can find at The Frugal Mom.

Emerald Soup

Ingredients for Cooking Day:

2 pkgs. frozen peas
1 cup water
1 small onion chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup light cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. mint leaves (or to taste)
Directions for Cooking Day: Cook peas in water until tender; place peas and liquid in blender. Add onion, celery and chicken broth; blend until smooth. Pour into bowl, add cream salt and pepper and crumbled mint leaves. Freeze using freezer bag method.

Directions for Serving Day: Defrost soup in refrigerator. This soup is served chilled

She has TONS of recipes on her site. She even has a cookbook Click Here!

Saving time for Moms and Serving Healthy Meals to our families!

Happy Friday!

How do you save time when making meals?

Happy Girl Hair: Natural Haircare for Kids

2010-01-14T08:45:00.001-06:00

I have two girls who have enough hair for 5 or 6 people. It is thick..it is curly...it is beautiful and I have struggled over the past few year with how to manage it. My 7 year old wants to wear her hair down everyday...NOT.....my 4 year old really doesn't care too much but doesn't like the detangling process..thus SCREAMS at me when I do her hair. We wash and DO the whole hair "Thingy" once a week...and that one a week, is like a 6 hour process.

1. one girl gets in the shower, I add the shampoo..we wash

2. We rinse and wash again

3. We do conditioner...and its not working good enouh

4. Screaming as conditioner is in her eyes...

5. We do a DEEP conditioner....leave on for 10 minutes (yes we are wasting water..as the shower is still going...they sit and play while the conditioner is in, like they are in a jungle under a water fall)

6. We rinse....

7. We exit the shower and the Detangling Process begins...between 30 min to an hour..depending on how much they wore their hair "DOWN" that week

8. Blowdrying (40 minutes) or just braiding (my choice...and only 10 min)

....and then we start all over again with girl #2....and in between I take care of my 5 month old...

So I was EXCITED and wanted to do back flips when Sam's mom sent me to this site! YIPPEE, check it out and show her some LOVE.

..and she has the right name for her site...HAPPY GIRL HAIR

Happy Girl Hair: Natural Haircare for Kids: International AdoptionTravel & Hair Care

Feel your boobies!

2010-01-13T05:49:00.001-06:00

As you know by now Zenful Mommy & me are walker/participants in this years Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. We are walking on June 5-6 in Chicago. It's 26 miles the first day and 13 miles the second day and we are already training and fundraising. (and might I say, already looking and feeling better!)

The AWBC is about awareness, it's about hope, it's about funding mammograms and research and A CURE. It's about survivors and fighters. It's walked in memory and honor of the women we love and the women we have lost.

But it's also about US. The young women who don't have cancer now, and are too young for annual mammograms. It's about SELF-EXAMINATION. It's about FEELING YOUR BOOBIES.

This is so important ladies and something each and everyone of us should be doing every single month. Religiously.

If you don't know how, go here. There are also several videos on YouTube.

If you do know how and aren't doing it DO IT NOW. Seriously, stop reading this post and go get in the shower and raise your left arm and feel your boob with your right hand. NOW.

Why you ask? Because cancer in younger women is on the rise. Because younger women tend NOT to complete monthly self-examinations and we don't catch it quick enough. And because, I love each and everyone of you too much to see that happen. Hence this PSA.

Oh, and I'm going to be posting this every single month until the Walk. So next time, I want to see comments that you are ALL doing it.

AVEENO NOURISH + MOISTURIZE

2010-01-12T05:29:00.002-06:00

Last night I tried the newest Shampoo from Aveeno. It is wonderful! I have very curly dry hair and this definitely did the trick and I didn't even use a conditioner. Although not heavily scented, it reminded me of the beach and summer. It is VERY clean smelling.This product nourishes the hair by replacing the moisture and helps repair each strand. They do have a conditioner and a leave in treatment as well that I would LOVE to try. Thanks to Glamour for the sample!Anything that is simple and saves this busy Mommy time is A-ok in my book!

I was given this Sample to do an honest product review by Glamour Magazine and Aveeno. I was not compensated for the review.

Going Veg

2010-01-11T03:09:00.001-06:00

I used to be vegetarian. I kept it up religiously for 8 months once, and then 9 months after a break of about 1 year. I was good: tofu, eggs, dairy, beans for protein. But I'd fallen off the wagon for about 1 year again. Now I'm back on, and really committed.

You see, for me eating veg is eating healthy. I don't eat prepared (ie: frozen food section) veg protein patties (high in sat. fats), I don't eat gobs of cheese pizza or grilled cheese sandwiches, or other similarly fatty foods. When I'm veg I'm hard core.

They say it takes 28 days to make a habit and 90 days to break it. I've been completely veg (no fish) for 7 days now. I was semi (just a bit of fish and one meal w/ turkey) for about 28 days prior. The first week is always the toughest and I feel like I'm really on track now. Hard because my husband is a chef, and makes lovely pork & veal meatloaf, roast chicken and Italian sausage regularly...but after 1 week, I must admit the thought of those foods make my stomach turn.

My fridge is stocked w/ eggs, low-fat dairy, and tofu. My pantry is stocked with dried and canned beans and quinoa (a grain high in protein.) I even have veg chili (tofu & red beans) for lunches.

I must say, I FEEL better when veg. Not necessarily thinner or anything like that, just better. Like my insides are getting clean.

I'm pretty proud of myself, making this commitment. I hope to keep this habit FOR LIFE this time.

Have you recently made any dietary changes that make you feel GOOD on the inside?

Prost Productions - Sponsored Post

2010-01-08T18:13:00.003-06:00

Hey, just wanted to share this! I found a very cool site that makes wine tags for the bottles that you give as gifts. Very unique and custom and pretty cool!

Prost Productions - www.prostproductions.com
How unique! We gave out several bottles of wine over the holidays and without gift tags! I don't think the recipients knew that they were from us at all. What a unique idea! A definite must!

sponsored like

Angel's profile on MyLikes

Roasted corn, pepper & egg scramble

2010-01-08T12:02:00.000-06:00

We have 12 inches of snow and are in hibernation mode over here in Sam Land. Literally, it's 12 noon and we're still in jammies. I wanted to make something FAST for breakfast, but in light of my new-found dedication to health in the new year (hello! the AWBC is only 6 months away!) I wanted to make something good for me and Sam (since he always eats what I do.) I rummaged around in the fridge and freezer and came up with this in about 5 minutes.

Roasted corn, pepper & egg scramble **

For 1 large serving (to be split w/ a toddler) or 2 small servings with toast:

2 large eggs (broken and scrambled in a bowl w/ a little salt)

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 c corn (frozen is fine)

1 t garlic, chopped

handfull of shreaded cheese

PAM or other non-stick spray

Coat skillet w/ Pam, then put on medium-high heat. If your corn is frozen, put it in the pan first w/ 1 T of water and let it thaw. Then add the garlic & pepper w/ some S&P to taste. Cook long enough to get some color on the pepper and corn (I like them carmelized!), then add your egg. Stir around and just before the egg is set, sprinkle on some cheese. We used moz because that's what we had in the house and it was delicious!

** if you had more time than I did, you could remove the veggies when cooked, and make the egg into a formal omlette, then add the veggies & cheese and fold over.

Per serving: approx 200 cal (depending upon your egg size), 13 g carb, 18 g protein, 12 g fat, and 2 g fiber.

Oh, and did you spy my fabulous Breast Cancer mug in the picture? Just another reminder of the upcoming AWBC in June.

1800Flowers - Valentine's Day promotion - Sponsored Post

2010-01-07T20:32:00.001-06:00

1800Flowers - Valentine's Day promotion - www.1800flowers.com

Awesome deals for Valentines day and beautiful flowers!

sponsored like

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Rip it off fast...like a bandage

2010-01-06T20:39:00.000-06:00

(for those of you who read my other blog, I apologize for the repeat post, but wanted to reach a larger audience, as I believe ALL moms have had to deal with this issue.)

I was gone from 2 pm on Monday until 5 pm on Tuesday. That included an overnight. I was on a business trip. Away from home. Without Sam. Let me say that again: WITHOUT SAM.

I was 4 1/2 hours away from home. If something were to happen, an emergency of some sort, I would not be able to be there in time to DO something to fix it. Now, intellectually I KNOW that G is home with Sam each and every day, all day long, and they are FINE...but that's intellectually. Last night while having a panic attack in my hotel room I wasn't thinking with my head...just my broken heart.

I called while they were eating dinner. I called during bathtime. I called at bedtime. G put the phone on speaker and set it down on the dresser while he was rocking Sammy. I told him how much I love him, and how proud we are to be his parents. I sang our nighttime prayers. I told him goodnight in an ugly breaking voice. And Sam went to sleep. He was fine. He went to sleep WITHOUT ME.

Since June 23rd, for the past 6 months, I have not be apart from my son. I have not NOT put him to bed. I have not NOT been there in the middle of the night when he wakes. I have not NOT been lying next to him when he wakes in the morning. And last night, I wasn't there. And this morning, I wasn't there. And he was fine.

I know I should be pleased that my boys did so well without me. But all I can focus on is the "without me" part of that sentence.

When I came home Sam was VERY pleased to see me. I got loads of hugs, back rubs and smooches. He hugged me extra hard when I put him down for bed tonight. In the middle of the night, when he comes into bed, I will inhale the scent of his hair, hold him close, and send a prayer of thanks that I'm with him. I am the luckiest woman in the world: I get to be his mom forever.

And I promise I won't go on another overnight business trip until at least February. I promise baby boy.

Friends that are Family

2010-01-05T09:47:00.003-06:00

We are all born into a family, however there are some that are placed in our lives that become "FAMILY" to us. I have to say that we have been blessed with many friends that are like family to us. Our children have a few "aunts" and "uncles" that are not in anyway related to us but that are "family" in our hearts. I am thankful for them and for what they bring to our lives.

Be thankful for those around you and surround yourself with those that enhance your lives and limit time with those that bring you negativity.

Do you have friends that are "FAMILY"?

Mamavation

2010-01-04T11:14:00.004-06:00

So as moms, we all need a little motivation or "MAMAVATION" and Leah over at Bookieboo is offering a challenge to 2 lucky moms, to get fit! I am applying and need your support.

The 2 moms chosen will complete a 7 week crash course in healthy living, they will be supported by an army of moms. The Mamavation Cheerleader squad and Mamavation Sistahood will be behind them every step of the way. They will receive a Mamavation Mentor, which is a mom that completed the program and has stuck around to mentor another. And they will also be required to have a "fit friend," or someone who they know that already lives a healthy lifestyle.

The moms chosen will receive all that they need to succeed, a customized meal plan, footwear, a treadmill, Tao Bo Videos and TONS of support! The moms will have to keep a food diary(posted on line) as well as post progress photos as well as appear on MOMtv every Monday for the 7 weeks!

Am I nervous (YES), am I scared (OF COURSE), but by putting this all out there(IN THE OPEN FOR EVERYONE TO SEE )....I hope to get fit and live a healthier lifestyle and NOT have to cover up anymore!!!

See my video entry and support me on this journey to a healthier lifestyle!!!

Self confidence courtesy of Old Navy

2010-01-04T04:04:00.002-06:00

This weekend I went shopping for a new pair of jeans. I had lost 4 lbs in December, but then gained it back over the holidays. (boo-hiss!) But my old jeans were looking really frumpy. You know, when the gut of the jeans is too baggy and makes your pooch look even bigger than it is? Like that. I tried on some of my smaller jeans (I have about 4 different sizes in my closet), but they were a tad snug. So I went out looking for a slimmer cut of the same size.

Now, I would love to report that I found I could wear a smaller size at Old Navy. But I cannot. Instead, I can report that I found a pair in a much slimmer cut: not the forgiving "trouser" jean style I had been wearing. They are definitely smaller in the thigh (circumference) and I believe smaller waist and seat, if only slightly.

I feel more confident in these jeans. I felt like my old pair were a bit of a cop-out. These jeans are more flattering BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY FIT. I have a tendency to wear too-big clothing but I know that's not the most flattering. Clothing that fits is always more flattering. I love these jeans.

These jeans also make me feel like the food and exercise changes I'm making are paying off. Even if not on the scale (yet) I think I'm losing centimeters (I wouldn't say inches yet.)

Do you have a special piece of clothing that makes you feel more confident, no matter your dress size?

Best party mix ever...a day late

2010-01-01T02:16:00.001-06:00

Buffalo Chex Mix

9 c. Chex (any combo -- we use 1/2 Rice & 1/2 Corn)

2 c. mini pretzels

2 c. goldfish or other cheese crackers

6 T. butter, melted

1 pack dry ranch dressing mix

1-2 tsp. celery seed (NOT celery salt)

2 T. hot sauce (or more to taste)

Pre-heat oven at 250.

In a very large bowl (or in batches) mix Chex, pretzels and crackers. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix melted butter, dry dressing packet, celery seed and hot sauce. Toss butter mix and dry Chex mix thoroughly. Place in small batches on a large cookie sheet with sides and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on parchment or wax paper, or foil. When batches are completely cool, store in airtight containers.

1/2 c. serving (yeah, like you can eat just 1/2 cup!) is approx. 125 cals.

My New Year's Eve Wish

2009-12-31T14:13:00.000-06:00

It goes without saying that 2009 was the best year of my life. I think this picture says it all.

So here's to all we learned and experienced in 2009: the new friends, new children, and starting on the road to health and balance as HOTmamas.

My New Year's Eve wish for all of us is an EVEN BETTER 2010! May the New Year bring you and your family love, health, happiness and all your heart's delight.

Julie and Julia

2009-12-30T17:33:00.005-06:00

I've settled in with and movie and a glass of wine. I don't think I've done this in over 2 years. I can't tell you which is better, the complete silence in my home, or the delicious bottle of wine that I picked up in anticipation of the kids going to grandmas. My choices tonight are Julie and Julia and a glass of New Age white wine from Argentina(which is yummy by the way).

If you don't know anything about the movie, you can get some info here. Basically Julie, started a BLOG about cooking all of the recipes from Julia Child's cookbook in 365 days. This is a true story and the blog became immensely popular, thus the movie.

In the beginning of the movie when Julie started blogging, her mother asked her why? Why add another thing to your plate of working long hours, being a wife? Her response.... to have a regimen, to be accountable to something on a daily basis and to set small daily goals.

What am I getting from the movie (still watching it)? Commitment and Inspiration. The commitment to keep blogging and the inspiration to try new things and not let anything get in my way.

I don't make New Year's resolutions but I must say that 2010 will be a year of Happiness, Good Health, Peace and Joy.....more time spent with friends and family, more time doing the things that I enjoy, more time taking care of myself inside and out.....(say it and CLAIM it!)

Tonight I am taking some time for myself.....and enjoying it.

What inspires you?

New Years' resolutions a bit early.

2009-12-28T08:27:00.002-06:00

My gift to myself this ME Monday is forgiveness. I’ve been working hard to change my eating habits the past several weeks, and it has paid off: I’ve lost 3 lbs. Or rather, I HAD lost 3 lbs.
Last week, Christmas week, I gained those 3 lbs back. It was shocking to step on the scale this morning and learn that. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised; I ate like a PIG Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It was disgusting. I literally gave myself a stomach ache several times over.
But as the song goes, I’ll pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again.
I also know that I DO NOT want those fatty, sugary foods inside my body any more. I felt sick all weekend: so what’s the point? Sure a cookie here and there is FINE, but not to the extent I took it.

I will do better this week, and I’ve learned a valuable lesson about the foods I want to put into my body. So, here’s to new beginnings a bit before the New Year.

The Day After

2009-12-26T17:55:00.004-06:00

Well, for us its the "day after" a VERY busy family filled time for us....for the couple of days leading up to Chrismas we are extremely busy and my kids are over stimulated to say the least. We were busy baking, dropping off gifts to friends homes, wrapping gifts and getting ready for the holiday. I have to say that I have a new found respect for my mom, who knew that she did ALL of what I am now doing? GEEZ, I am tired...yes, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, yes I enjoy the holidays but I also dread them because of all of the "hoopla" involved.....Today, the "day after", we did NOTHING, stayed in our PJ's, read books and played in the snow.

Happy Holidays to Everyone!

Happy Holidays to all HOTmamas!

2009-12-25T11:10:00.000-06:00

From Sam, Sam's Mom & Sam's Dad -- We hope you are having a wonderful, healthy and happy holiday season surrounded by those you love! We sure are.

What happened?

2009-12-23T05:07:00.002-06:00

Why is it that when we "vow" to work out and eat healthy, it all fails?

I have eaten VERY badly since Halloween and my body is feeling it! I have felt exhausted, and nothing quite settles right in my stomach, probably because I have been eating highly processed, greasy, salty, sugary, yummy tasting but bad for your body stuff. I have literally been having a stomach ache or heartburn or some other tummy ailment since I started eating all of this crap. I am not sure what happened nor why but I had been eating delicious meals and snacks, that were also good for my body for ages, just occasionally having little tidbits of processed stuff .. then something switched in my brain....I craved everything sugary, salty and BAD for me, and I feel it. I over DID it! For over a month I haven't felt right physically, been tired and grouchy and I have to get back to my old self....so Here I GO!! Wish me luck!

Are there foods that you eat that don't settle well with your body? How do you stay away from them?

Product review: need your input!

2009-12-21T20:19:00.000-06:00

I want to write a review of the Signature Minerals makeup I recently told you about. But what good is MY opinion?

So, calling all HOT mamas: If you got your free sample and tried the makeup, email me and let me know what you thought. I'd love to include your experiences/opinions in my review.

Spoiler alert: I LOVED it!

Holidays

2009-12-21T14:09:00.005-06:00

So today's "me Monday" I thought I would make "we Monday". We , as in my family. Every year around Christmas, we take some time out for us. We get a hotel room and spend some quality time together, no phones, no email, no laundry etc.....The kids pick something that they want to do , which this year was a horse and carriage ride, and we make no other plans. We headed for Chicago for the night, rooms are VERY cheap right before Christmas, we paid $99 for the night at the Marriott on Michigan Avenue(they even included American Girl Doll beds in the room). We spent a lot of time talking, holding hands while walking around and just re-connecting as a whole family unit. This time is important for us as my husband usually gets home after the kids are in bed every night. The kids chose our restaurant for dinner , Rosebud on Rush, which they said has the best buttered noodles on earth!(i am not sure how you could ruin buttered noodles but whatever). Anyway, My husband and I enjoyed a nice dinner with our children, got to have a couple of glasses of wine and the girls couldn't have been more excited about their carriage ride, they were Princesses in their Carriage!Now that we are back home, they are already talking about next years trip!

Wishing everyone a joyous Holiday season!

Do you have any special holiday traditions?

Best soup ever!

2009-12-17T21:34:00.001-06:00

I know I should be posting a holiday recipe today, but I simply HAD to share this quick, easy and DEEE.LISH.US soup with you. Its from my friend Christine, over at Five Gems. Christine is a super-busy mom of 5 amazing kids, ranging from 1 to 18 years! Christine and her husband work very hard to feed their children the healthiest meals possible and the whole family is veg (by choice.) I tweaked this recipe a bit, because I used what I had in the house at the time. Please tweak it yourself and let me know the results!

Chickpea & Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

For 4 servings:

2 cans fire roasted tomatoes, undrained (use whatever you have in the house -- I used tomatos w/ green chilies)

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 onion, chopped

1 T garlic, chopped

16 oz broth (chicken or veg)

Herbs/seasoning to your taste **

Sautee the garlic & onion in some EVOO over medium-high heat until the onion is translucent. Add all other ingredients, and turn the heat down to low. Stir, and lid, and put the timer on for 20 minutes. IF you want your soup spicy, add your seasonings now. If you want it milder, add them at the end.

After 20-odd minutes, turn off the heat. If you want a creamier soup, blend w/ a hand blender or in your food processor. I actually added some quinoa with all the ingredients and cooked for 30 minutes. It thickened the soup (which I then blended) and added grains so I had a complete meal in one bowl.

I did the cost breakdown and the soup is $0.60/serving without quinoa and $0.80 with the quinoa. Calories are 188/serving for the quinoa type.
The next day I had it with some tortillas w/ melted cheddar cheese and WHOA MAMA was that good!

**Christine used Indian spices, but I used Ethiopian (Berber) and it was fantastic. Spicy! but fantastic.

Food diary, week 2

2009-12-16T08:46:00.001-06:00

Not to worry; I don't plan on using my journey on Calorie King as permanent filler for Wellness Wednesday, but I do want to talk about a few more aspects of the program.

Food diaries.
Now, you could do this on your own, or in any other program. My mom used to do this for a weight loss group she was in, back in the 80s. I have found the food diary the hardest and most useful part of this program. Writing down every single thing that passes your lips in quite powerful. It makes you accountable, and if you're like me its a real shock to see what you consume in a 24 hour period. The calories and nutrients are calculated by the program, so you just have to log the food and drink. I was amazed by the calories in a simple sandwich, salad or soup out at a restaurant: SERIOUS hidden calories! By being accountable for my calorie intake, I'm getting educated and am making educated choices on the foods I eat and beverages I drink. Even after just 2 weeks, I'm looking into getting the most fiber, the healthiest carbs and fat, the "right" protein.
Being conscious of what's going into my body is also making me conscious of what's going into my son's body. In the end, this journey to health and fitness will not only benefit me, and set an example for my son, but it will also MAKE me feed him the most wholesome food possible. And that's a pretty terrific thing, if you ask me.

How conscious are you of the foods you eat and feed your children?

Hair loss after delivery

2009-12-15T12:54:00.004-06:00

Hair Loss....hmmm where do I begin? About 2 weeks ago I got my hair colored and she couldn't even get her fingers thru my hair when applying the color. Granted I have curly hair but this was ridiculous and PAINFUL!!! We literally had to tear thru my hair.

Flash forward to hair washing....I lose enough hair to make a small animal...I would say a cat at the very least. My husband said" stop pulling your hair back all the time..." Like this would make me lose enough hair to need therapy, I mean EVERY woman has a ponytail day at least once a week ..c'mon. I remembered my cousin saying that she lost hair after having her daughter and that it had something to do with hormones or something. I have 3 kids and lost absolutely NO HAIR with the 1st two so didn't feel like I fell into the "after baby hair loss" category...

So I researched and called my Doctor and consulted with friends (after all they are the most knowledgable) and low and behold I fall into the after baby hormone crazy category. Normally, women lose about 100 hairs a day with normal hair loss, in about the 3rd or 4th month after delivery women can lose about 500 hairs a day(this is where I am!) and this CAN occur for a few months until the hormones are back in check!I get teary eyed when I wash my hair or even comb it as it is truly hard to have handfuls of hair in my hand. On the flip side , I have a healthy baby boy that makes those tears go away with his toothless smile.

So with all of the other wonderful things that we as women go thru, losing our hair can also be one of them. Who knew?

Any of you out there experieced this? Can you help me out here...

Doing it for ME

2009-12-14T14:21:00.000-06:00

A bit late on today's posting...but better late than never, right?

I have been so frustrated with my health/lifestyle lately. I WANT to make positive changes, but I cannot seem to stick with them. I WANT to eat healthy but feel I'm sabatoged by fast food and my husband's cooking. I WANT to exercise, but I tend to blame the early darkness and the lack of energy to get up at 5 am. I guess that means I don't WANT it badly enough.

So drastic times call for drastic measures. Last week, I joined Calorie King, which is an online tool & community to promote and help you STICK with a healthy lifestyle leading to weight loss and weight management. It IS calorie counting, but you don't do it...the computer does. You have to be 100% honest and log every single morsel that passes your lips. Every single one. It then calculates your calorie intake for the day, and logs & graphs your nutritional intake as well. Based upon your current weight, and how active of a lifestyle you lead, it calculates how many NET calories** you need a day to lose a healthy 1-2 lbs/week.
** NET calories are the calories you intake, minus the calories you burn through exercise.

Calorie King promotes "incidental" exercise. This is the exercise you don't know your doing. Not running, not going to the gym. But parking your car in a far-away space and walking through the parking lot to the store; taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator; walking the long way around the office to the bathroom; dancing at night w/ your child; pacing while on the phone, etc. etc.
For now, I need to take in around 1730 cals/day to lose weight. Once I start exercising more (ie: gym) I'll need to take in about 150 more/day (if I go to the gym 3-4 times a week.) I've found it's actually HARD to eat enough calories when you are watching them, spacing out your meals, and eating healthy foods. For example, the leafy greens recipe I posted on Friday fills me up a lot more than bread or white rice would. Come 8 pm at night, I've found I HAVE to eat something (fruit, yogert, popcorn) just to get enough cals in per day.
The site also has support groups to join, based upon how much weight you are trying to lose (decade club, century club, etc.) and age (silver club, golden club) and lifestyle (SAHM club, working moms club), etc.

The moral of this story: I think I've found something that will work for ME. And I'm doing this for ME for the first time. Not to look good in a particular outfit. Not to be "skinny." Not for low self-esteem or a myriad of other reasons. But for ME. And I think that's pretty great.

If you are trying to get healthy/lose weight what's working or not working for you??

Leafy greens are your friend

2009-12-11T08:49:00.000-06:00

On my never-ending journey to better nutrition and health, I've discovered leafy greens. Specifically "dark" leafy greens. These guys are POWERHOUSES of nutrients, and shockingly low in calories. Oh, and they fill you up like nobody's business. When I eat 4 cups raw (cooked down to 1 1/2 cup) I barely have room for the rest of my meal.
I get the bag of mixed greens (collard, turnip, mustard) or a large bunch of kale (yes, I said kale, don't be afraid!); whichever is on sale at the store that particular week.
The first thing you should know about these beauties is you DO NOT need to boil/steam or otherwise, pre-cook them before your sautee. Its unnecessary and will leech out some of your yummy vitamins.
Here's how I cook them (same method as my other fav: red and napa cabbage!)

Leafy Greens with Garlic
4 cups of greens, washed, patted dry & stems removed
1/2 t. chopped garlic
1-2 glugs EVOO
1/4 c chopped onion (any kind), if you have it around
Chili powder to taste
S&P to taste

Add your oil to a med-high skillet. NEVER add oil to a cold pan. Sautee your onions & garlic a minute or so. If you don't have garlic, you can use garlic powder. If it's salted garlic powder, just omit the salt later on. Add your greens, 1 cup at a time. Turn heat down to medium. Stir quickly to avoid burnt greens. You may add some veg or chicken broth (just a bit) if you don't have enough oil to keep the greens from sticking. Keep adding greens as they cook down. When adding the last bit of greens, turn your heat off, add chili powder, S&P, and put the cover on your pan. Let sit for 2-5 minutes.

I like to have greens w/ tofu & a 1/2 sweet potato. I find the savory and sweet flavors really compliment each other.

Do you have a favorite healthy veg recipe? Please share it. either post in comments or post a link to your blog posting.

Guest blogger: House Call Fitness

2009-12-09T02:04:00.001-06:00

From our friend Abby at House Call Fitness (where the personal trainer comes to YOU at YOUR house. How cool is that?? Please check out this great woman's owned business if you live in the Chicago area!)

You say you don't have time to exercise? I beg to differ. Read on for simple strategies on how you can get your 30 minutes per day.
30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise on most days of the week (think 5) is the minimum amount of exercise needed to achieve cardiovascular and health-related benefits. (Remember: more is needed if weight loss is the goal) The good news for people who are time crunched is that you can accumulate this 30 minutes throughout your day. You can break it up in to three manageable 10 minute periods.
Ideas for increasing your daily activity:
WALK ON YOUR LUNCH BREAK
PARK IN THE FARTHEST SPOT FROM THE STORE ENTRANCE
TAKE A WALK AFTER DINNER
WALK OR BIKE TO WORK
CLIMB THE STAIRS TO YOUR OFFICE INSTEAD OF TAKING THE ELEVATOR
ON YOUR 15 MINUTE BREAK, CLIMB THOSE STAIRS AGAIN

Here are a few random facts on stair climbing that I gathered from a recent article in the Intelligencer.
67% RISE IN STAIR USE AT A 10-STORY MIDDLE-INCOME HOUSING COMPLEX IN THE BRONX AFTER THE CITY STARTED POSTING "BURN CALORIES, NOT ELECTRICITY" SIGNS
33% DIFFERENCE, IN A HARVARD STUDY, IN MORTALITY RATES BETWEEN MEN WHO CLIMBED MORE THAN 55 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS A WEEK AND THOSE WHO DIDN'T
STAIR-CLIMBING IS A MORE EFFICIENT FORM OF EXERCISE THAN WALKING: TWO ADDITIONAL MINUTES OF STAIR-CLIMBING PER DAY (APPROXIMATELY 3 FLOORS) CAN BURN MORE THAN ENOUGH CALORIES TO ELIMINATE THE AVERAGE ADULT'S ANNUAL WEIGHT GAIN

WORKOUT WITH A BUDDY, TAKE TURNS MAKING UP NEW EXERCISES
EXPERIMENT WITH A NEW CLASS
PICK UP A FITNESS MAGAZINE AND TRY SOME NEW EXERCISES
PURCHASE A NEW WORKOUT VIDEO SUCH AS TAW KWON DO OR HIP HOP
TRY A BOOTCAMP STYLE WORKOUT
GO ON A WALK/RUN WITH A FRIEND
RUN AROUND AND PLAY WITH YOUR CHILDREN IN THE YARD

Take a look at this video clip and see the measures that some folks in Sweden went to in order to encourage people to take the stairs.

People are discouraged by boredom and encouraged by novelty. What can you do to make exercise more appealing to you? How about making it more fun?

----------------------
Since Zenfull Mommy and I are both doing the 2010 AWBC, we will be doing some long training walks together. YEAH! I'm also getting a friend at work to join our AWBC team: she lives just 2 miles from my house so we're going to start working out together as well. This will get ME motivated, as I cannot let these two amazing ladies down.

Finding the ME in this holiday season

2009-12-07T08:42:00.000-06:00

I'm sure the title of this post sounds odd, especially in light of this recent post. But work with me a little and you'll see the message I'm trying to convey.
The holidays are stressful and I personally think they are MOST stressful on moms. We try to make everything perfect for everyone in our lives. Getting that PERFECT gift, decorating the house JUST SO (and I seriously have trouble keeping my house clean enough to avoid a DCFS investigation...), extra amounts of cooking/baking, finding cute-as-a-button outfits for the kids, trying to ensure those velvet dress pants from last year still fit after Thanksgiving, spending extra time with in-laws and extended family (which is ALWAYS stressful, let alone with this added pressure), and the list goes on and on and on.
I remember as a child, my mom hid/kept all gifts in the basement. We had an old (150 yr+ farm house with an unfinished (ie: cinderblock w/ dirt floor) basement. It was cold and damp. Mom MADE the majority of our gifts (sewing), but made sure we had a couple store bought ones as well. Even back then, poor as we were, she went over-board with gifts. Because my dad ran the farm and routinely worked 18 hour days, it was up to mom to get Christmas organized. On the evenings leading up to Christmas she would spend hours in the basement at night after we went to bed. Then Christmas Eve she's spend hours baking: cookies, cakes, sweet rolls, etc. Come Christmas morning I cannot fathom how exhausted she must have been. She did EVERYTHING for everyone else, and never took time for herself. I often wonder if she enjoyed the holidays herself.
As a new mom, I'm committed to find some time for myself this season. Otherwise, I fear, the stress would prove overwhelming and I wouldn't enjoy the holidays at all. So what am I doing? I'm making all gifts. The time I spend on these gifts is actually ME TIME. I ENJOY making things for others, but even more, I LOVE the satisfaction of homemade projects and the solitude it takes to complete the projects (usually in the basement where my sewing machine and craft cabinet are.) It's a peaceful time for me. I play Christmas music and reflect. I emerge from the basement renewed and frankly, more sane.

What are you doing to take care of yourself this season?

The importance of giving

2009-12-05T11:54:00.000-06:00

Every year I try and re-inforce the fact that giving to others is so very important. This year, I think my kids finally got it...they got "it".

We had several toys in the basement , New and in Boxes, from Birthdays, Christmas, etc ..that for some reason or another my girls never got around to opening or playing with. It seems as though no matter how many times I ask the Granparents (my kids have 3 sets) NOT to buy them toys, they ignore me and Dive in head first.....So We pulled out ALL of the toys, I think there were about 30 items and put them out on the living room floor. Each of my girls were told to pick 1 toy that they wanted to keep....this was a VERY SLOW process, as they NEEDED all of them but they eventually each chose 1 toy and we packed up the rest. After talking as a family, the kids decided to give the remaining toys to a local orphanage in our area.

My girls have been asking me every day when we are going to take the toys.They are so excited to give them to the kids and to make others' happy. My 7 year old told me that it makes her heart feel good to give her things to kids that need it. She got it.

On a final note, my husband and I didn't want to clean out the kids toys and give them away while they were not home. We feel that it is important for them to be involved in the giving process and to willingly give things to others.

How do you help others less fortunate than you?

Sweet and Spicy Nuts

2009-12-04T01:50:00.000-06:00

My friend made these for Thanksgiving and was nice enough to share some with our family, they are delicious! ♥

1 ½ cups lightly salted roasted cashews
1 ½ cups shelled unsalted pecans
1 ½ cups shelled unsalted walnuts
1 ½ cups shelled unsalted almonds
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. ground red pepper
3 Tbsp. butter, melted

Spread nuts on a large baking pan. Toast in a 350 degree oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Add rosemary, brown sugar, salt, and ground red pepper. Add melted butter and toss to coat. Let cool and store in an airtight container. Makes 6 cups.

Color blind

2009-12-03T01:02:00.000-06:00

Note: if you don't know me in "real life" for this posting you should know that we are white parents with a black child adopted from Africa. With that bit of background, please read on.

Last week, and this is by far not the first time this has happened, I was telling a friend that we are looking into Jamaica and/or another Caribbean country for Sam's brother's adoption. The friend responded "what do you have against white kids?"
WOW. And this is a GOOD friend.
I'm sure I'm not the first IAP to experience this. I'm sure I won't be the last. But it hurts just the same.
I'm sure I don't need to say this to you but WE HAVE NOTHING AGAINST WHITE KIDS. Just like we have no particular preference for black kids. Sam being African is just the way it all worked out. We wanted to parent, and Ethiopia was a good program/good fit for our family at the time. Now that we're home, we want some sort of racial equality in the house, so our next adoption will also be a black child from an African diaspora nation (since we aren't returning to Africa.)
I could say (1) DCFS (state) adoptions in IL are 99.9% African-American children, and chances are better than 50% once the child is in your home, but before the adoption is finalized a birth parent will return and take the child. (2) Private IL adoptions can cost up to $65K and are, for the most part, open so the birth mom/parents are always a part of the child's life, if they so chose. (3) Russian and other "white" European programs are dicey, expensive, require extensive in-country stays, and there are no guarantees as to the health of the child (ie: blind adoption.) (4) we chose not to pursue years of extensive fertility treatments that would likely NOT ever lead to a live pregnancy.
But I shouldn't have to.
People should be excited for us because we are parents and wish to bring a second child into our family. But they aren't always. This makes me very sad. Sad for those would don't "get it." Sad for any discrimination my children will face, not because they are black, per se, but because they don't look like us, and are obviously adopted.
I'm sure my friend didn't mean to "sound" racist, but that's what I "heard."
Have you experienced racism regarding your family structure/children? Or yourself?

AWBC 2010: In it to END It

2009-12-02T02:41:00.004-06:00

In 2010, once again, we are participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. If you don't know about this amazing 2 day journey, please check it out here. We each have been touched by this disease personally, with friends and family members courageously fighting, and winning. These loved ones are beautiful, strong, and feisty women with children and husbands and careers. They fight for themselves and those around them. They garner strength from other survivors, and we are humbled and awed by the grace and courage they have shown to us over the years.

Although we cannot take away the physical pain or emotional hardships this disease causes, we CAN WALK. And we can raise money to fund mammograms for underinsured women, and research for a cure.
If you'd like to donate to our team, BREAST INTENTIONS, drop us an email and we'll tell you how. But this isn't about US, so donate to other walkers/teams, or become a walker yourself, form your own team, be a volunteer to pass out water, do whatever you can. Because together, WE CAN FUND A CURE!

Doing more this holiday season

2009-12-01T01:27:00.001-06:00

I'm a busy mom. But I have a home, a job, a husband, food on the table, clothing for my baby, 2 cars...and the list goes on and on. But many, many moms around the world don't have these things. They are trapped in the cycle of poverty. They cannot provide for their children. I cannot imagine that level of pain, not being able to feed and cloth your children.
But there is a way out of poverty.
It's called Kiva. Kiva makes microloans ($25) to individuals around the world. The recipient of the loan uses the money to purchase inventory to sell (be it food, clothing, etc.) The recipient improves her life, her family's life, and her community by being a small business owner. Through local banks, the loans are disbursed and PAID BACK IN FULL to the lender. YOU are the lender. YOU can transform a life, a family, a community.
If you are reading this blog, then you have a computer. If you have a computer, you have $25. Let's face it, we are all going to spend a lot more than that on holiday gifts for friends and family this year. We ALL have $25 to give.
So I encourage you to make a Kiva loan, and maybe even have THAT be your gift to a family member (like Charity: Water or Heifer International.) Kiva has gift certificates so your family/friends can pick their own project to loan to with YOUR money. How great is that??

Do you have a favorite world-charity? How are you working to help others and take the "commercial" out of the holidays this year?

Bliss for sale

2009-11-30T08:26:00.000-06:00

Massage.

Did you KNOW about this magnificent bit of bliss conveniently located at your local nail salon?? At least, it's conveniently located at my local (aka: walking distance) nail salon. Until 3pm on Sunday, I had never had a massage before. Never. Ever. The main reason was, while my RSD was active, I couldn't. With all the surgeries and hardware in my back, no one would touch me, and quite frankly, I don't think it would have been the best of ideas. But I've been in remission for well over a year now, so I thought, WHAT THE HELL??
I paid such a ridiculously low price for 1/2 hour that I gave my masseuse a ridiculous tip (heck, it's the holidays, right??) She did surface work, deep tissue work, heat work, the whole nine yards of massage. She even climbed up on the table to get in a better position to "dig in." She was AMAZING! I've never done hard drugs but I'm guessing this was on par with crack.
I carry all of my stress in my back, so I'll likely need a massage every 2 weeks to receive the greatest benefit. Of course, I'm gonna consider it a medical expense rather than a frivolous beauty expense. Oh, and I think I'm going to call the Pres. and recommend 30 mins, 2x week for all world leaders. I do believe it could be the answer to world peace. I mean, WHO could think about invading a neighboring country, or forming a coup, or testing nukes if they are BLISSED OUT???
What about you...do you get massages?

Caramel Snack Mix

2009-11-27T01:38:00.001-06:00

2 sticks butter
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. Karo (light)
1 tsp. baking soda
2 pkgs. corn puffs(this is basically a naked cheeto, you can substute:1 BOX Corn Pops Cereal)
1/2 box cheerios
1/2 box Corn Chex
1/2 Bag Pretzels

Melt butter, brown sugar and Karo in a pan over Med-high heat.Add baking soda. (This will bubble up.) In a Foil Roasting Pan Mix all of your Dry Ingredients, Pour the wet mixture over this and mix thouroughly. Add nuts if you wish. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour. Turn every 15 minutes.
Pour onto Parchment lined or Foil Covered baking sheet, spread out and let cool. The mixture will be very STICKY. Once is cools, break it apart and store in container.

This is YUMMY!!! I use the Foil Pan as it would be VERY difficult to clean a metal pan afterwards...call me lazy!

New Thanksgiving tradition: Bacon Beans

2009-11-27T01:32:00.002-06:00

I tried something new for this year's Thanksgiving feast and it was a big hit, so I thought I'd share with you. I think these would be great for any meal, any time of the year. They are SO easy in the crock pot...but the flavor is amazing.

BACON BEANS

Amounts approximate for 3 qt yield

2 lbs of fresh green beans, washed & trimmed

1 lb bacon, cooked & patted dry. (I used pork for my DH, but I think Turkey bacon or even veg protein bacon (not-bacon) would be lovely.)

1/2-1 tsp chopped garlic

1/2 small onion, chopped (optional)

1/4 c chicken or veg broth

splash lemon juice

Salt & Pepper to taste

Crumble cooked bacon. Put everything but the lemon juice in a 4 qt crock pot. Stir to combine. Set crock on HIGH and walk away for 2 hours. Stir & check tenderness at 2 hour mark. If you like tender-crisp they should be done, if you like a softer bean, continue cooking another hour. S & P to taste. Add the lemon juice just before serving.

If you have a favorite Thanksgiving recipe this year, please leave it in the comments section, or create a link to your blog.

Full of love

2009-11-26T17:45:00.000-06:00

After a day filled with family and food, Sam had to change into sweats to accomodate his full stomach and heart. We feel so blessed by all that we have; especially to be Sam's parents. We hope you had a lovely holiday surrounded by the ones you love, good food and good conversation.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T01:51:00.000-06:00

Being Thankful.
For my friends
my family
my husband and all of his hard work
For my health

thankful that I have a home, a car, food on the table and clothes to wear

thankful that I am able to help others

I am thankful for who I am.

I AM THANKFUL

The Rat Race

2009-11-24T13:23:00.005-06:00

I get so caught up in trying to do "do it all" that sometimes I forget to stop and smell the roses. My girls are off of school all week this week for Thanksgiving Break. It was so easy on Monday to let them turn on the TV and do whatever they wanted while I tried to catch up on laundry, tidy their rooms, unload the dishwasher etc....while taking care of my 3 month old at the same time. In the afternoon, after getting her TV fix, my 4 year old daughter came up to me and said "mommy I just want to snuggle with YOU". Stop me in my tracks! All of the other stuff will be there...the dirty dishes, the dirty laundry and everything will be there tomorrow, next week, next year....but my 4 year old won't always be 4 . I decided to STOP what I was doing and snuggle with my daughter on the couch and read books...BOY OH BOY was it hard! hard to not go thru the mail that was on the counter, hard not to run to the dryer when the buzzer went off (my gosh, the clothes will be wrinkled), hard not to load that dishwasher....but WELL worth it! I think that I had forgotten that my kids enjoy spending time with me, reading books, playing games and just hanging out together. We have been baking for the last 2 nights as well (per their request) :Pretzel Bark, Quick and Easy Banana Bread and their own concoction of Grandparents Day snack MIX which is absolutely delicious! (I will post the recipes on Foodie Friday) My girls and I are enjoying ourselves this week and I now realize that they don't care about how the house looks or how cluttered the counters are, they care about spending quality time with ME!

How hard is it for you to ignore the day to day chaos and spend times with your kids?
Do you have specific days that you do housework so that you have time planned with your family?

Twihard with a vengence

2009-11-23T08:49:00.000-06:00

We traded off last week: G had a night with the guys at his Alfa Romeo club meeting on Thursday, and I went out to see New Moon on Friday. G didn't want to go see it with me, which was fine. I actually went with his best friend because we are now officially "movie buddies" which means that I get a night out once a month to see whatever movie I want to see (G and I don't have the same movie taste.) And yes, we are working on the whole "date night" G & me thing as well. Although my MIL is moving to California soon, we have several recommendations locally and one is actually a preschool teacher so I'd have no reservations leaving Sammy with her, assuming he likes her. Chances are, we'll do a 7:30pm date, so I'll put Sam down to bed before we leave.
But back to ME TIME.
Did I love the film? No. Did I like it? YES. The action was great, the scenery was great, and they did a really nice job taking a very long book and fitting it into a 90 min movie. YES they had to cut some scenes but I think the scene selection was the best they could have done. Oh, and let's not forget the miriads of EYE CANDY on the screen.
All-in-all I had a great time, and strengthened my relationship with G's BFF, who has been in our lives since we met (G and Q have been friends for over 20 years and he was the best man at our wedding.) It was nice to have an evening out, and believe it or not, I was 100% okay leaving both Sam and G. G and I then spent some QT together on Saturday night, and I actually stayed up until (gasp) 11 pm, so we could have real time together, no just 1 hour after dinner.
We also had fantastic weekend weather, so I got a 6 mile walk in on Sunday, which was fantastic ME TIME. Sam is a super-duper stroller baby and just sits back and relaxes. I played some of my favorite music on my phone (without headphones so I could hear my baby) and that really motivated me: on the faster songs I picked up the pace and at one point was even jogging!
I'm really working on this balance thing and think I'm getting the hang of it. Next up: DATE NIGHTS.
How are you taking time for yourself?

Chicken Fiesta Bake

2009-11-20T15:34:00.004-06:00

I love the traditional Tortilla Bakes or Enchilada Casseroles, this is a mixture of a few recipes but is YUMMY!

3-4 chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
1 onion
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 jar (16 oz.) Salsa
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can Fiesta Corn (black beans and corn)
12 corn tortillas (6 inch)
1 bag Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese,

So here's how I make it:

HEAT oven to 375°F.

Add chicken breasts to water in a pan or in Crock pot, with 1/2 onion, salt to taste and cook until done. Let cool and shred.In a skillet add oil and cook green and red pepper and remaining 1/2 of onion in oil. Add chicken to skillet and stir in salsa, tomatoes and corn.
SPREAD 1 cup meat mixture onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; top with 6 tortillas, overlapping as necessary. Cover with layers of half each of the remaining meat mixture and cheese; top with remaining tortillas and meat mixture. Cover with foil.
BAKE 25 to 30 min. or until heated through. Top with more cheese; let stand 5 min. or until melted.

SERVE with sour cream!

Baby it's cold outside: Slow-cook Chili

2009-11-20T01:47:00.010-06:00

With the chilly fall weather we’ve been having in Chicago, I’ve been doing a lot of crock-pot cooking, specifically: chili. I make different types of chili, depending upon the ingredients I have on hand. I rarely, if ever, purchase something specifically FOR chili; rather, I just pull things out of the pantry and freezer. If I have dry beans on hand, I’ll use those (make sure you sort, soak and rise before using.) However, the majority of the time, I use canned beans.

If you can open a can, you can make homemade chili. It’s that simple, really. Chili is cheap & filling. Make a large vat: it freezes well. I think it’s better the second day, so we always have chili 2 nights in a row.

Slow-cook Chili
**Adjust amounts depending upon the crock-pot or stove-top pot you’ll be cooking in. These amounts are approximate for my 4 qt crock-pot.

1 15 oz can pinto beans or other white bean cannellini (white kidney) are nice too.
1 15 oz can black beans or other dark bean, like red kidney.
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes. Flavored tomatoes are fine, and Rotel would be good.
1 small can diced green chilies (optional)
1/2 t. chopped garlic
1 small or medium sized onion, chopped

½ lb ground meat. We have tried beef, chicken, pork, pork sausage and soy chorizo.
Salt & pepper to taste
Chili powder to taste (could substitute paprika + red chili flakes + extra cumin.)
Ground cumin to taste (this gives it a smokey flavor.)

I make this in the crock-pot, but you could make it in a heavy pot on the stove too. I don’t brown the meat at all, I literally throw everything but the spices in the pot, turn on low, and walk away for 3-4 hours. If it cooks down too much, add some more beans or tomatoes, depending on whether you like a thicker or thinner chili. About ½ hour before serving, add your spices to taste. Remember that if you use red chili flakes, the longer you cook with the flakes in, the hotter your chili will be, due to the oil in the flakes (source of heat.) Feel free to use one of those chili seasoning packets, if you don’t like to mess around with spices “to taste.” If I have room in the pot, and corn in the freezer, I add some frozen corn in the last 1/2 hour.

We serve chili with grated cheddar cheese on top. Sometimes with a bit of sour cream and tortilla chips on the side. I also like extra green chilies on mine.
Enjoy & have a great weekend!

Yoga Chiropractics

2009-11-18T11:08:00.000-06:00

Stretching is part of any well-balanced fitness program. It helps prevent injury. We know that. But did you know that stretching is, in and of itself, exercise. Serious, calorie-burning exercise? Well it is. It's call YOGA. In it's truest, most basic form, yoga is a tradition of physical and mental discipline. Yoga is a calming of the mind through meditation + stretching positions called poses. Its learning to breath, and moving your body with those breaths. Believe it or not, there are loads of different ways to breath and each one benefits the body in different ways. Similarly, each yoga pose benefits the different muscle groups in different ways. Oh and balance...did I mention the balance? For an extremely clumsy person like me, yoga is a god-send of balance perfection. I swear I don't fall down as much as I used to, because I've learned my center of gravity and how to properly hold my posture.

But even if you don't want to meditate or do "hot yoga" at your gym with a bunch of sweaty bodies, you can do yoga. It sounds intimidating at first, but it isn't. Like anything else, it takes practice. You likely already know some yoga poses and don't even know they are poses at all. This site has a good run-down of basic poses along with pictures. This blog has daily poses and breathing techniques ... like you are doing a group practice without the group.

Back to the title of this post: yoga chiropractics. Sam is quite a toll on my body, especially my back. I didn't go from a 6 lb baby to a 20 lb baby gradually as birth moms do. Nope. I started w/ a 15 pounder. That was TOUGH. And it still is, as Sammy likes to be carried, a lot. I have found some basic yoga stretches completely decompress my spine after a long day with Sammy. I cannot begin to imagine the chiropractor bills I've saved just by learning and DOING a few simple yoga poses.
Now, I'm green, don't get me wrong. I need to do yoga more consistently, and I need to branch out on my poses. I used to do yoga practice at the gym once a week, religiously; but if you read this blog regularly, you'll know I'm afraid to go back to the gym and lose precious time w/ Sammy. So I do it at home. And that's OKAY.
The best thing about yoga is that it doesn't require equipment or anything special. You can do it at home in comfy clothing, or at the office in your desk chair. Its accessable and attainable. And you feel the benefits immediately.

Have you ever done yoga or taken a class/bought a video? Are you interested? How has yoga helped you?

We've Got It

2009-11-16T11:28:00.002-06:00

A short post today because I've got 2 kiddos home feeling under the weather. Yes, "we've got IT" whatever "it" is. We've got the FEVER, the RUNNY nose, that all over BLAHHH feeling. My 7yo Daughter was fever free and feeling well so went of to school this morning. My 4 year old and 13 week old are home with mom today....feeling the blues. Mommy is tired from being up all night and they are winey and clingy....we are snuggling, having hot chocolate and staying in our PJ's all day because being sick isn't fun but we're making the best of it. My daughter just came up to me and said "mommy I am thankful for you"...and that make is all worth it.

What do you do when the kids are home sick?

Pre-product review: Mineral Makeup revisited

2009-11-16T09:47:00.000-06:00

A month or so ago, I did a product review on Mineral Makeup, telling you about Neutrogena's mineral line. While I still like the ease of application, my sister recently had me check out another line. It's the Signature Minerals line and I'm going to do a full product review soon. Before that, I wanted to let you in on a little secret: you can try this makeup for FREE. What? yes, FREE. You can pick out 6 samples, any combination of foundation, blush, concealer, finishing powder, and eye shadow to try and just pay $7 S&H. No catch. And if you decide to purchase some makeup, you can get $2.50 samples of new shades to try, before you purchase the full-size jars (so you don't end up with a drawer full of unused blue eyeshadow!) The makeup itself is relatively in-expensive as far as mineral makeup goes. It's a big cheaper than the Neutrogena line and has more variety. It's about 1/2 the cost of Bare Minerals, which I used for close to 4 years.

They post all ingredients on both the website and each product jar. On the website here, you can compare the ingredients in SM to other similar mineral makeup lines. I was shocked at how much crap is in most makeup, even the mineral makeup I was using, which I thought was "pure."

Here is the link for the free sample kit. Please get it, try it, and tell me what you think.

** please note that Inner HOTmama is not paid to promote any product. We do try different products and give you our real, honest opinion. That's it. I literally stumbled upon this product line and can assure you that SM doesn't even know I'm blogging about their product.

Carmel Apple Pie

2009-11-13T08:20:00.000-06:00

As promised, my Carmel Apple Pie recipe.

yields 1 nine inch pie

This is a SUPER YUMMY pie. It isn't super-sweet. Adjust and add more brown sugar or more carmels if you want a sweeter pie. My brother-in-law actually likes it so much I have to make a separate pie for him at the holidays!

Crust
3 c unbleached flour + 1/3 c for working crust dough
1 c butter (COLD, salted)
1/2 c cold water

Filling
9 c sliced apples (I use granny smith)
1/2 c brown sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 T. unbleached flour
1 1/2 c. chopped carmels
(you can add chopped nuts if you'd like. Walnuts or Pecans would be good.)

Method
Unwrap carmels and place in heavy-duty zip-lock bag. Place bag in freezer. Turn oven on to 400.
In large bowl, slice apples to = 9 cups (I do not peel the apples.) Add brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and flour. Stir to incorporate. Place in microwave for 5 mins on high, to get the juices going. Set aside while making the crust.
In large bowl, cut 1/2 of the butter into 3 cups of flour, using either a dough cutter or 2 butter knives. When butter is incorporated, add remaining and continue until dough is crumbly. Add cold water slowly (I use my hands at this point.) If necessary, add additional water 1 T. at a time. Turn dough onto floured surface. Turn several times, gathering into a ball. Divide ball into 2, put 1 aside. Roll 1 out into circle. Dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. Place in pie-plate.
Take carmels out of the freezer and smash in the bag (I use a rolling pin, but a hammer would work as well.) Stir the carmel chips into the apple filling, and pour filling into pie-plate. Roll out top crust and place on filling. Crimp edges to seal. Cut several small holes in the dough top for steam. Sprinkle top with cinnamon.

Bake for 45 mins on 2nd bottom rack, until top crust is browned. Let cool, don't cut for at least 2 hours, or juices will be runny.
Enjoy!

Guilty pleasures

2009-11-12T09:50:00.000-06:00

Guilty pleasures...we all have them. Those little things that we don't tell many people about. The safe secrets that aren't harmful but we're a bit embarrassed about. I personally think guilty pleasures are healthy...its good to have that not-so-typical part of yourself. It helps balance your life. My guilty pleasure? It's not really a secret. It's more of an obsession. It's 7 days and 14 hours away. You guessed it! Twilight.

Yes, I too am one of those middle aged moms obsessed with the books and movies. I too fantasize that both Edward and Jacob are in love with little 'ole plain-Jane me. Why you ask? Why would an educated working mom be interested in "young adult" novels about vampires?
Let me explain: I grew up in a painfully small farming and factory town. Our consolidated high school had less than 400 students TOTAL. I graduated with 87 others and very few ever left said painfully small town. I knew from a very young age that reading was my favorite form of escapism and that an education would get ME out of said painfully small town. So I devoured books. I spent an unhealthy amount of time at the library. I wasn't pretty or popular. I was a geek in the truest sense of the word. I never took a study hall. I completed 6 years of math and science. I had a near perfect GPA. I took college courses in HS. I was, GASP! in band on top of all this. So, needless to say, the boy didn't run to my doorstep. They didn't even notice me. Sure, I had boys who were friends, but I don't think they even thought of me as female, let alone desirable.
I have never lost my lust for reading or knowledge. I usually read about 1-2 books a week. And one day, I found the Twilight series. And I once again escaped my normal benign existance and was magically transported back to HS. But this was a much better experience, because I was Bella Swan. I was just a typical girl, yet the most beautiful, intelligent and sensitive boy in the school wanted ME. And the next year, my best friend turned into 6'5" of muscled hotness and wanted ME too. And I had adventure (be it dangerous and oft-time life-threatening) and mystery and excitement. Everything I DID NOT have in my own HS experience.
So, I love Twilight. I've re-read the books too many times. I bought advanced tickets for New Moon (opens Nov 20th.)

This is MY guilty pleasure. What's yours?

Sweet Sweet Slumber

2009-11-11T09:13:00.000-06:00

To be healthy, both mentally and physically, we need sleep. Okay, we ALL know that. But how many of us moms (both new and seasoned) actually GET enough sleep each night? I'd place a safe wager it's far too few.
Experts differ on the precise number of hours we need each night, from 6-8. The bottom line is, we need 6+ hours of solid sleep in order to function at our best. All of us ensure our children get enough sleep, right? We fret over naps and early bed times and sleeping late enough in the morning. We worry about our little ones being overly tired, and our school-aged kids staying awake in class. But why don't we do the same for ourselves? I think this is yet another area in our lives where we don't practice what we preach. Like eating and exercise, we make sure our kids are healthy but put OUR health second (or 3rd, 4th, 5th...)
I know I've felt like a walking zombie since we brought Sam home. It's been the single toughest part of learning the ropes as a new mom.
For now, my sleep is directly related to Sam's: if HE isn't sleeping at 2 am, then I'm not. If HE gets up in the night then I do. But at the same time, I haven't been taking advantage of his early (7:30-8pm) bedtime. This week I've been trying to go to bed earlier, to take advantage of that time.
I do want my evenings to be "G" time, but its not quality time if I'm falling asleep on the couch at 8:30, now is it? So for the next month, I'm going to go to bed early. Whether I'm tired or not. If I'm not tired I'll read in bed until I fall asleep. But I'll give my body the rest it needs. After Sammy gets in a more solid sleep pattern, we should both be more alert during the evenings, and THEN we can worry about more "alone" time at night.

Are you getting the sleep your body deserves? If yes: how do you ensure that? If no: what steps can you take to increase the amount of quality sleep you get?

Inner HOTmama Pledge

2009-11-10T10:03:00.000-06:00

If you read this blog, than you are interested in becoming an InnerHOTmama, or already consider yourself one. Me, I'm a work in progress. But I think we ALL need to make some commitments to ourselves, if we are going to continue on this journey together, finding the balance between motherhood and self-identity. Let's call it the InnerHOTmama pledge. It will start small, and as more of you contribute ideas, it will grow.
Can you take the pledge with me?

INNER HOTMAMA PLEDGE
I vow:

1. To love myself for who I am today.
2. To take some time for myself every day.
3. To NOT take the kids to school while wearing PJs.
4. To be a good example for my children regarding healthy eating and exercise.
5. To celebrate my accomplishments as much as I celebrate the accomplishments of my children.
6. To focus on today, instead of beating myself up for mistakes made yesterday.
7. To work on my self-confidence/self-esteem.
8. To have a hobby just for me.

Do you have an idea to add to our pledge? Can you make these commitments to yourself?