Okay so really it isn't 100% my fault...oh wait, I am pretty certain that was the FIRST thing they taught me in counselling, to NEVER blame someone else...sooo it IS my fault that I cheated! Truth be told, I was glad I did...TWICE! I cheated twice the entire month of January! And you know what?! I do NOT feel guilty about it AT all! Afterall, it meant I got to spend some 1:1 time with my main squeeze AND enjoy dinner out with the family. In my book, 2 perfectly good reasons to cheat.
Now lets talk about this so called cheating I did. First, was a Sunday afternoon about a week ago. The boys needed hair cuts mainly because Lincoln had school pictures the following Tuesday and we had been cutting it ourselves because Utah peeps (no disrespect) do NOT know how to properly cut hair. So we have been maintaining the fauxhawk all by ourselves and it has been great so far. (We miss Aly sooo much!!!) BUT I wanted him to get to a barber so he would look extra handsome for pictures. Which in turn, means Shaun needed a haircut too. He is pretty great about cutting his own hair, you know, so we can save that $20 2x a month. BUT sometimes we do let each other splurge.
Anyway, by the time we left the barber shop, since we ALL had to go because Lincoln hates ANYONE except Aly (have I mentioned how much I miss her!?) touch his hair so he needed his sister to brave! HA he is too much sometimes. Anyway, it was almost 1pm and we were all hungry! Granted I could have come home but Shaun had the idea to grab lunch. We are not fast food people so I instantly started to calculate how much THAT was going to be. We are saving up to finish our backyard project and for our California trip so every little bit helps. We threw a couple options out there, some were cheaper than others but not really GOOD. If I was going to eat out, it sure as hell better be GOOD! Enter Texas Roadhouse. I knew I could order a plate and share with Lincoln. So I ordered a steak and salad for me and broccoli for Lincoln. (I love that my 4 year old chooses vegetables as his side of choice!) Oh and I had water to drink. So really, my "cheat" for this day was NOT really a cheat...score!
Then came Tuesday. We headed to Provo for a date. We dropped the kids at a friends and actually had a date! It was great! We grabbed lunch again but this time it was a pita wrap. It was pretty much a spicy bbq salad in a pita wrap. It was amazing! Probably because I havent had carbs in month but this was so good! Hard to eat but none the less great! HOWEVER my stomach did NOT agree with the food. That's the hard part of going out to eat after being so good...you stomach suddenly rejects that food. Which in turn, makes me wonder, did I ALWAYS feel that crappy (no pun intended) and just was so used to it that I never noticed?! How sad!
Anyway, so there you have it, 2 cheats in 1 month. Not too shabby. I know I told myself I would wear jeans today to see if there is a difference, but honestly, I am going to try to go another month and see how I do! So far I am on track...I am back to only having a skinny cow dessert on the weekends and no carbs at all! I am actually really enjoying the way I feel so this should be a breeze...of course I allow cheat days and if I am REALLY craving something, I will have it. Life is meant to be enjoyed and to break rules here and there, and I fully intend to do that while making memories with my littles!
Heres to month 2 of a healthy LIFESTYLE change!
Monday, February 1, 2016
Friday, January 22, 2016
Lukie
This past week has been a little rough. I got a text Saturday mid morning from my sister informing me they were going to have to put their dog, Luke, down on Monday evening. I was DEVASTATED! My eyes instantly started to water and my heart sank. Honestly, it was the same NASTY feeling I had when my dad died. Which is so strange because Luke was a dog, not a human. However, he was MORE than just a dog to me.
11 years ago I sat in the back of my sisters red Toyota 4runner as we went to "look" at a liter of lab puppies. It was dark outside so I have ZERO clue where we were. We went inside and there a few puppies who were super energetic and full of life. I personally LOVED this one puppy who had a crooked tail, and he was cheaper because he wouldnt be able to used as a breeding dog or something because of his "flaw". Anyway, my sister really liked this other puppy who was different than all the rest, he had a white patch on his chest. The owner called him patches. My sister was in LOVE with him. So my brother in law LEFT US THERE (seriously, middle of NOWHERE, pitch dark outside, he leaves TWO WOMEN...thanks Todd!!!) to get cash for the dog. Soon he was back and we were on our way home with "Patches"
Clearly no one was fond of the name he was given at birth so the whole ride home, we all talked about different names. I believe it was Todd who finally said Luke. No one HATED it so Luke became the black labs name. Luke curled up into a ball and settled down with me for the ride home. It was at that moment, I felt as though he was my dog.
I lived with my sister on and off while I was in college. Usually spending my off semester at her house hanging out or helping with the kids. It just became easier to "live" there instead of going back and forth. Plus, my parents tried to keep me under CRAZY rules when I was in college...NO THANKS! Luke was ALWAYS by my side. He was a typical lab puppy, chewed EVERYTHING! I literally mean EVERYTHING! His toys were gone in a matter of seconds, shoes left out did not stand a chance, and he even ate DRYWALL!!! *Funny story about THAT...but you will just have to ask another time* He was mischevious, but he was everyones favorite dog. So loveable, cuddly, and just cute.
Luke was NEVER the brightest dog. He picked up simple commands easily, but he lacked in the common sense department. Seriously he fell in the pool and they had to jump in and drag him out...otherwise he would have drowned! What LAB doesnt know how to swim!? We often times made fun of him. Where he lacked in one area, he made up for in his sweetness. Poor luke went through 7 BOYS pulling on his tail, poking his privates, climbing on him. pulling ears, etc. and he never ONCE was bothered by it. He never grawled, never barked, never bit them. He just laid there and let the kids do their thing to him. We would always laugh when a new baby was born and brought over to Beth's because Luke would make this silly sign sound like "oh great here we go again". You would never know if it bothered him though.
As he got older he got slower. He couldn't hear very well, couldn't see very well, and was just slow to react. If he got out of his house he always stayed right in front, but the older he got, and the new house, made him get disoriented and he would walk away. You could tell he just was not the same. He slept more, played less. He was energetic the first 5 minutes you were around him and then he went to lay down...NOT typical Luke.
I cannot imagine having to make the decision my sister had to make. He was their first child, and he was LOVED! He was so spoiled, mostly by Todd, and he grew on EVERYONE...even those who said they don't like dogs, loved Luke. My heart was aching all Monday as I knew what they were going to be going through. Death is death...no matter a human or an animal, it is still confusing and lonely and full of questions. I know my sister and Todd held onto Luke as he passed, and I know he felt love. He isn't in pain anymore, and he can hopefully be running free chasing all the balls he can in life and making everyone gag with his NASTY farts!
Luke will always be loved, and always be missed. I don't think it has fully hit me yet because I haven't physically seen the emptiness of my sisters home. I know come April when I visit, it is going to hit me hard. Luke will always be my hairy black nephew, and I hope he is enjoying doggie heaven!!!
11 years ago I sat in the back of my sisters red Toyota 4runner as we went to "look" at a liter of lab puppies. It was dark outside so I have ZERO clue where we were. We went inside and there a few puppies who were super energetic and full of life. I personally LOVED this one puppy who had a crooked tail, and he was cheaper because he wouldnt be able to used as a breeding dog or something because of his "flaw". Anyway, my sister really liked this other puppy who was different than all the rest, he had a white patch on his chest. The owner called him patches. My sister was in LOVE with him. So my brother in law LEFT US THERE (seriously, middle of NOWHERE, pitch dark outside, he leaves TWO WOMEN...thanks Todd!!!) to get cash for the dog. Soon he was back and we were on our way home with "Patches"
Clearly no one was fond of the name he was given at birth so the whole ride home, we all talked about different names. I believe it was Todd who finally said Luke. No one HATED it so Luke became the black labs name. Luke curled up into a ball and settled down with me for the ride home. It was at that moment, I felt as though he was my dog.
I lived with my sister on and off while I was in college. Usually spending my off semester at her house hanging out or helping with the kids. It just became easier to "live" there instead of going back and forth. Plus, my parents tried to keep me under CRAZY rules when I was in college...NO THANKS! Luke was ALWAYS by my side. He was a typical lab puppy, chewed EVERYTHING! I literally mean EVERYTHING! His toys were gone in a matter of seconds, shoes left out did not stand a chance, and he even ate DRYWALL!!! *Funny story about THAT...but you will just have to ask another time* He was mischevious, but he was everyones favorite dog. So loveable, cuddly, and just cute.
Luke was NEVER the brightest dog. He picked up simple commands easily, but he lacked in the common sense department. Seriously he fell in the pool and they had to jump in and drag him out...otherwise he would have drowned! What LAB doesnt know how to swim!? We often times made fun of him. Where he lacked in one area, he made up for in his sweetness. Poor luke went through 7 BOYS pulling on his tail, poking his privates, climbing on him. pulling ears, etc. and he never ONCE was bothered by it. He never grawled, never barked, never bit them. He just laid there and let the kids do their thing to him. We would always laugh when a new baby was born and brought over to Beth's because Luke would make this silly sign sound like "oh great here we go again". You would never know if it bothered him though.
As he got older he got slower. He couldn't hear very well, couldn't see very well, and was just slow to react. If he got out of his house he always stayed right in front, but the older he got, and the new house, made him get disoriented and he would walk away. You could tell he just was not the same. He slept more, played less. He was energetic the first 5 minutes you were around him and then he went to lay down...NOT typical Luke.
I cannot imagine having to make the decision my sister had to make. He was their first child, and he was LOVED! He was so spoiled, mostly by Todd, and he grew on EVERYONE...even those who said they don't like dogs, loved Luke. My heart was aching all Monday as I knew what they were going to be going through. Death is death...no matter a human or an animal, it is still confusing and lonely and full of questions. I know my sister and Todd held onto Luke as he passed, and I know he felt love. He isn't in pain anymore, and he can hopefully be running free chasing all the balls he can in life and making everyone gag with his NASTY farts!
Luke will always be loved, and always be missed. I don't think it has fully hit me yet because I haven't physically seen the emptiness of my sisters home. I know come April when I visit, it is going to hit me hard. Luke will always be my hairy black nephew, and I hope he is enjoying doggie heaven!!!
Monday, January 18, 2016
Life of a Girl
Oh man last week was ROUGH!!! Brynlee was battling SOMETHING and mother natured wanted to come visit me so ALL I could think about was sweets!!! It was such a LONG week!!! I felt hungry no matter what I ate or how much water I drank. Looking back I am so proud of myself though! Normally I only allow myself to have "dessert" on the weekends (a skinny cow chocolate "candy") but I will admit, I had it a couple times during the week too! I stayed true to myself though and only had either oatmeal or a protein bar for breakfast, then had a morning snack (somedays I missed this because it was just TOO busy to stop and eat!) then I splurged and had homemade street tacos! Oh my, they were GREAT! I bought the MINI corn tortillas with a serving size of 3 so I made sure not have more than 3...and only had meat on them. So really, NOT a bad lunch option and they were GREAT! I always have trail mix for my afternoon snack and then a big, vegetable filled dinner! Dinners are my FAVORITE! I love the salad, the vegetables and the protein! It is sooo filling and the taste of homemade, fresh, REAL food just cannot be beat! Then finished off with a dessert when I needed it.
Honestly, I was not as energetic as I have been last week. I dont think it is from eating a dessert a few extra times, I think it was just from PURE EXHAUSTION! I am so glad last week is over! I woke up today determined to make it a great week! Plus next week is weigh in and I really want to see a change on the scale! NOT having a daily weigh in has been so challenging for me but I am glad I am not doing it. I am noticing my face has thinned out and that my mommy muffin is slowly going away! Remember, all of this is without a workout plan, because I refuse to pay for a gym membership AND the ground outside is COVERED in snow soooo I decided to focus on eating right now. I am CRAVING the days of morning jogs with the kids in the stroller though. Something tells me that for now, they would NOT be happy in the stroller at 10 degrees outside! HA
Anyway, last week showed me life happens. The life of girl is ANYTHING but glamorous once a month. Things come about that are going to test me and being healthy. There were so many days when we were out and about at lunch and as easy as it would have been to just grab something, I made sure to have packed a lunch before we left. I am learning to always be prepared, and not go ANYWHERE without my water. That way, if I do forget to bring food, the water will fill me up and hold me over until we get home. It is all about planning ahead of time and staying focused. Keeping the goal in mind. I just rearranged my closet and my shorts and jeans are STARING at me every time I walk in my room. That right there is enough reason to keep going strong!
*This is pretty much what my plate looks like every night. A huge grilled season caesar salad, vegetables, a little fruit, and of course, the protein. This particular night was probably my favorite dish of the week! That chicken was AMAZING!!! It had a bold lime flavor but I also marinated mine for way longer than suggested. We all love lime around here so I knew it would be okay with all of us! I attached the link below to the blog I found it at! Oh and keep in mind, that entire plate is right around 500 calories give or take! You cannot beat that!!!
http://addapinch.com/cooking/cilantro-lime-chicken-recipe/
Honestly, I was not as energetic as I have been last week. I dont think it is from eating a dessert a few extra times, I think it was just from PURE EXHAUSTION! I am so glad last week is over! I woke up today determined to make it a great week! Plus next week is weigh in and I really want to see a change on the scale! NOT having a daily weigh in has been so challenging for me but I am glad I am not doing it. I am noticing my face has thinned out and that my mommy muffin is slowly going away! Remember, all of this is without a workout plan, because I refuse to pay for a gym membership AND the ground outside is COVERED in snow soooo I decided to focus on eating right now. I am CRAVING the days of morning jogs with the kids in the stroller though. Something tells me that for now, they would NOT be happy in the stroller at 10 degrees outside! HA
Anyway, last week showed me life happens. The life of girl is ANYTHING but glamorous once a month. Things come about that are going to test me and being healthy. There were so many days when we were out and about at lunch and as easy as it would have been to just grab something, I made sure to have packed a lunch before we left. I am learning to always be prepared, and not go ANYWHERE without my water. That way, if I do forget to bring food, the water will fill me up and hold me over until we get home. It is all about planning ahead of time and staying focused. Keeping the goal in mind. I just rearranged my closet and my shorts and jeans are STARING at me every time I walk in my room. That right there is enough reason to keep going strong!
http://addapinch.com/cooking/cilantro-lime-chicken-recipe/
Monday, January 11, 2016
1 week Check In
So as you recall, a week ago I started my healthy lifestyle change. I vowed not to get a scale and to measure my success based on how I felt. I added to that in my head, without writing it down, that I was not going to wear a single pair of jeans till after a MONTH of eating healthy. I want to be able to really tell a difference in my clothes so the jeans are put away! This means lots of leggings and maxi skirts...even though it is freezing! HA...
Anyway, a week later and I feel so much better. I am sleeping less, and waking earlier than ever before because I feel refreshed. I also notice a huge difference in my skin. It is way less oily and has a much better complexion..again after only ONE week! I am drinking about 92oz of water a day which means I am peeing 2303958573492 times a day but it is so worth it! Oh and speaking of bathroom trips, lets just say ALL internal organs are working GREAT and are VERY much so on a schedule with the same time every single day! It is so great!!!
Tonight I am starting to introduce new recipes into our diet and I am starting with a lemon chicken asparagus stir fry over brown rice. This will be the first time in a week that my dinner has been something besides a protein (chicken) and vegetable (I am adding rice). I am very much thankful for this!!! I did serve a stir fry over rice the other day BUT I couldn't even finish the chicken and never touched the rice! I am noticing how much my stomach has shrunk, not only by it looking flatter, but I am can hardly eat half a chicken breast without getting full. I make sure to drink 32oz of water right before dinner and I am pretty certain that is what is keeping me full!
So only a week into my change, and I am already noticing a huge difference. I have a dr appointment on the 26th which I know they will weigh me so this gives me even more motivation to keep going and stay healthy. I WANT to say I wont look at the number on the scale, BUT I will be too tempted and will more than likely catch a quick glimpse. Here's to hoping the number is what I want to see!!!
Happy Healthy Eating Everyone!!!
Tonights dinner and the blog I found the recipe!!!
http://rachelschultz.com/2014/04/07/lemony-chicken-stir-fry-asparagus/
Anyway, a week later and I feel so much better. I am sleeping less, and waking earlier than ever before because I feel refreshed. I also notice a huge difference in my skin. It is way less oily and has a much better complexion..again after only ONE week! I am drinking about 92oz of water a day which means I am peeing 2303958573492 times a day but it is so worth it! Oh and speaking of bathroom trips, lets just say ALL internal organs are working GREAT and are VERY much so on a schedule with the same time every single day! It is so great!!!
Tonight I am starting to introduce new recipes into our diet and I am starting with a lemon chicken asparagus stir fry over brown rice. This will be the first time in a week that my dinner has been something besides a protein (chicken) and vegetable (I am adding rice). I am very much thankful for this!!! I did serve a stir fry over rice the other day BUT I couldn't even finish the chicken and never touched the rice! I am noticing how much my stomach has shrunk, not only by it looking flatter, but I am can hardly eat half a chicken breast without getting full. I make sure to drink 32oz of water right before dinner and I am pretty certain that is what is keeping me full!
So only a week into my change, and I am already noticing a huge difference. I have a dr appointment on the 26th which I know they will weigh me so this gives me even more motivation to keep going and stay healthy. I WANT to say I wont look at the number on the scale, BUT I will be too tempted and will more than likely catch a quick glimpse. Here's to hoping the number is what I want to see!!!
Happy Healthy Eating Everyone!!!
http://rachelschultz.com/2014/04/07/lemony-chicken-stir-fry-asparagus/
Friday, January 8, 2016
Man Crush
Let it be known I have a HUGE man crush on Dave Ramsey! The thing is, I dont have a crush on him for the obvious reasons. I mean sure he is somewhat attractive, rich, and smart, but that is NOT why I have a crush on him. He is my man crush because he got us out of debt!
In California it seemed like no matter what we did, how hard we BOTH worked, we just were getting into more and more debt. We didn't have any car payments, only had rent, but for some reason, the money was just not making it to where it needed to be. Then we moved to Utah and everything changed!
Shaun loves to listen to podcasts while he drives. Personally, I think they would make me fall asleep faster, they are SOOO boring!!! However, he was driving one night through Wyoming and Dave Ramsey came on the radio. I have heard the name before, knew he had some system of getting people out of debt, but I always though it was for people who had huge incomes. I was SOOO wrong!!!
We ordered his book and started reading it as a couple each night Shaun was home. It is kind of silly how EASY his system is, yet we needed to HEAR it from someone else for it to register. It really is BABY STEPS and they are REALLY EASY!!! It took awhile getting used to, but it pays off! We don't do the envelope system as it is just too complicated for us, but we do give Shaun an envelope with money in it for the month for when he is out on the road. You see, I pack all his food while he is gone, so really there is NO REASON he should even need the money but somedays he needs a coffee, somedays there is a sweet tooth etc. So together we agreed that his debit card will stay home and he will take the envelope. When that money is gone, its gone. But he can decide how he spends it. (This also GREATLY helps as he is trying to remain healthy so not having his card there to just swipe aimlessly helps keep him on track)
This is the FIRST year we are starting that we have ZERO unnecessary debt. We still have our car (okay so that MIGHT fall into unnecessary BUT for us, it was a necessity!) and our mortgage. This year we are working on getting the car paid off, continuing our savings, and then hopefully we can start to double the mortgage payments. Clearly things come up and some of these might not be possible at some point, but they are our goals. The faster we pay off the car, the less interest is thrown down the drain. The faster the house is paid off, the faster we bank that money and can move back to California! GOALS people, GOALS!!!
I encourage EVERYONE to at LEAST read into Dave Ramsey. Set yourself up for a successful future. We lucked out because my brother in law is a financial planner so we have free advice and the BEST advice as to where to put our money. He was able to set up both our kids college funds, tell us where to invest, etc. I highly recommend going and talking to someone. It is so worth it in the end! So much stress has been lifted from our shoulders it is amazing. We know we are headed in the right direction, and our kids will have money for college when they get to that age!
So what are you waiting for?!?
This is the actual sheet we used! It was less complicated than the others and just really straight forward. It became addicting to both of us to cross things off the list! It was so fun to do as a couple and SUCH a great relationship building experience!!!
In California it seemed like no matter what we did, how hard we BOTH worked, we just were getting into more and more debt. We didn't have any car payments, only had rent, but for some reason, the money was just not making it to where it needed to be. Then we moved to Utah and everything changed!
Shaun loves to listen to podcasts while he drives. Personally, I think they would make me fall asleep faster, they are SOOO boring!!! However, he was driving one night through Wyoming and Dave Ramsey came on the radio. I have heard the name before, knew he had some system of getting people out of debt, but I always though it was for people who had huge incomes. I was SOOO wrong!!!
We ordered his book and started reading it as a couple each night Shaun was home. It is kind of silly how EASY his system is, yet we needed to HEAR it from someone else for it to register. It really is BABY STEPS and they are REALLY EASY!!! It took awhile getting used to, but it pays off! We don't do the envelope system as it is just too complicated for us, but we do give Shaun an envelope with money in it for the month for when he is out on the road. You see, I pack all his food while he is gone, so really there is NO REASON he should even need the money but somedays he needs a coffee, somedays there is a sweet tooth etc. So together we agreed that his debit card will stay home and he will take the envelope. When that money is gone, its gone. But he can decide how he spends it. (This also GREATLY helps as he is trying to remain healthy so not having his card there to just swipe aimlessly helps keep him on track)
This is the FIRST year we are starting that we have ZERO unnecessary debt. We still have our car (okay so that MIGHT fall into unnecessary BUT for us, it was a necessity!) and our mortgage. This year we are working on getting the car paid off, continuing our savings, and then hopefully we can start to double the mortgage payments. Clearly things come up and some of these might not be possible at some point, but they are our goals. The faster we pay off the car, the less interest is thrown down the drain. The faster the house is paid off, the faster we bank that money and can move back to California! GOALS people, GOALS!!!
I encourage EVERYONE to at LEAST read into Dave Ramsey. Set yourself up for a successful future. We lucked out because my brother in law is a financial planner so we have free advice and the BEST advice as to where to put our money. He was able to set up both our kids college funds, tell us where to invest, etc. I highly recommend going and talking to someone. It is so worth it in the end! So much stress has been lifted from our shoulders it is amazing. We know we are headed in the right direction, and our kids will have money for college when they get to that age!
So what are you waiting for?!?
Monday, January 4, 2016
Mommy Muffin
It is time to say goodbye to my mommy muffin. It has stayed way past its welcoming and the farewell could not be easier! Now dont get me wrong, I LOVE me a good muffin...but only of the pumpkin chocolate chip variety! :) I have about 20lbs I want to lose and I am really hoping by Easter it will be gone!!! I have lost all my baby weight from Brynlee but I need to get down more so my 12s fit again and my 14s are not as tight as they are right now!!!
You must know, normally I OBSESS over the number on the scale but this time is different. This time I am measuring my energy level with the kids instead of a number. I am listening to MY BODY instead of critics! It is already such a better experience as any other time I have lost weight because I am doing it for the RIGHT REASONS and not to be accepted more. I am teaching my kids that healthy food is more important that ANYTHING else. I tossed my scale away this time so goodbye numbers HELLO energy!!!
I plan on doing simple workouts in the house until the weather is warmer and I can take the kids in the stroller. I was going to join a gym but I really dont want Brynlee at the daycare at her young age. I know the most important thing is what you put in your body so my main focus is on that. Luckily I do all the cooking around here so I can be in charge of everyones plates. Again, working on the INSIDE and focusing on HEALTHY foods is such a better approach than only focusing on a number. Yes I have a number I want to lose, but really, I have SO SO SO much more I want to GAIN!!
Here's to a new year and getting my family on a healthy eating plan!
You must know, normally I OBSESS over the number on the scale but this time is different. This time I am measuring my energy level with the kids instead of a number. I am listening to MY BODY instead of critics! It is already such a better experience as any other time I have lost weight because I am doing it for the RIGHT REASONS and not to be accepted more. I am teaching my kids that healthy food is more important that ANYTHING else. I tossed my scale away this time so goodbye numbers HELLO energy!!!
I plan on doing simple workouts in the house until the weather is warmer and I can take the kids in the stroller. I was going to join a gym but I really dont want Brynlee at the daycare at her young age. I know the most important thing is what you put in your body so my main focus is on that. Luckily I do all the cooking around here so I can be in charge of everyones plates. Again, working on the INSIDE and focusing on HEALTHY foods is such a better approach than only focusing on a number. Yes I have a number I want to lose, but really, I have SO SO SO much more I want to GAIN!!
Here's to a new year and getting my family on a healthy eating plan!
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