Playing in the kitchen...again

I am going to toot my own horn as I would consider yesterday a very successful day. Yesterday marked the beginning of my new week for meal plan and all that fun stuff. On Thursday I made a new menu plan that I was very pleased with and then Thursday evening we went to the grocery store and stocked up on all the healthy foods. I also included some new recipes - something I've been doing a lot more of lately!

Yesterday I tried two new recipes and they were both a huge hit so I thought I would share them all with you. I found them both on Pinterest (seriously love that site). If I had used the recipes I found on Pinterest exactly how they were I would have just linked you to them for copyright reasons, however, I changed both of the recipes as I went along to suit what I wanted to I will post them here for you.

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

1 can chickpeas
1 package sun dried tomatoes (I found them in the produce section of the Superstore)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water

1. Peel the skins off the chickpeas (you can do this by gently squeezing them out of their shell. It took my husband and I about 5 minutes to do the whole can and we had never done it before).

2. Rinse the chickpeas and put them in the food processor (I used a blender which I feel was MUCH harder to do and the most time consuming part).

3. Cut up sundried tomatoes into small pieces (I used scissors since it was too tough to cut). Add them into the food processor.

4. Chop finely 1/4 c. cilantro and add to food processor.

5. Add pepper and salt to taste.

6. Add 1/3 c. oil.

7. Blend until smooth. *Up until now the items have only been sitting in the food processor, not blended already*

Now that being said: as I mentioned I used a blender since that was all I had and it wasn't going to well so I slowly added a bit of water to keep things moving. I also feel like I could have gotten away with a lot less oil and a bit more water. I really don't even like hummus but this was a big hit!!! I had it with cut up veggies. YUM! Next time I think I will add some roasted garlic to this dip!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

1 head cauliflower

1/4 c. flour (you can use regular/whole wheat flour or a gluten free flour like coconut flour - I used regular white flour)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp Italian seasoning - I just used what ever spices I had in the pantry

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp yeast

2 large eggs

1. Place cookie sheet in the oven and preheat to 475F. I used a round pizza cookie sheet.

2. Use a cheese grater or food processor to grate the cauliflower into very small pieces.

3. Place the cauliflower in a bowl and microwave for about 4 minutes on high. Remove from microwave and dump into a clean tea towel. Let cool for a few minutes. roll the cauliflower up and make sure it is in there good and secure so you won't loose any. Over the sink, squeeze the cauliflower like you are wrapping a candy (in opposite directions). I had my husband do this part for me since he is stronger and he wore the silicone oven mitts as the water was coming out was quite hot. You want to get as much water out as possible.

4. Mix cauliflower and all other ingredients into a large bowl - then mix with your hands. I mixed for about 3 minutes since I didn't know what the "dough" was to look like. It was very sticky to my hand and I thought FOR SURE this was going to be an epic failure (but it wasn't). Then I put a piece of parchment paper on the counter and put the dough onto it and pressed it into a pizza crust formation (scraping the dough off my hands as I went as it was quite sticky).

5. Remove the hot cookie sheet from the oven and put parchment paper on it then return it to the oven to cook the crust for 8-10 minutes (or until golden brown). While crust is cooking chop and prep pizza toppings.

6. Remove crust from oven and top with your choice of pizza toppings. I used pizza sauce, green pepper, onion, mushroom, pineapple, a small amount of "light" old cheddar, and some feta. Some chicken would have really made the pizza better as well.

7. Bake until cheese is melted (about 6-8 minutes).

I was concerned that this wasn't going to turn out - but it was SO good. Granted it was a lot of work, but in my opinion it was worth it. The dough only made enough for one pizza so if you were wanting it for more people you would need to adjust the recipe to the amount of people you were making it for. I am still drooling over this and if I didn't have a yummy dinner already planned for tonight I would be strongly inclined to make it again.

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Yesterday reminded me of something very important and that is how I feel when I make healthy choices. There is not one part of me that feels bad when I make healthy food choices. I feel so strong and confident which moves into all areas of my life especially my workouts. I had a great session with my trainer yesterday and pushed myself hard (did a few next exercises I wasn't found of, but got to push myself). Granted we may have chatted a bit too much during the session to but it was fun and I definitely got a good workout done  ;). 

I also know that when I have healthy foods on my meal plan that I like and am excited for it makes it MUCH easier to stay on track and not eat unhealthy foods - for example, if there is something I really like for dinner that night and we are asked to go out to eat instead I am much more likely to say no thanks when there is something good for dinner that night. I do realize that this does take a bit of extra planning - but in the long run it is totally worth it! You are worth it!

Foam roller

Another Christmas has come and gone. Rylee's first Christmas too! We had a good day with family and enjoyed a good Christmas dinner...maybe enjoyed it a bit too much ;). Today is just a lazy day here for us, lots of pajamas, blankets, books, fire place, and relaxing! We did go out this morning to use a gift card we had gotten on a new blue ray player. We just needed a basic model so we didn't have to keep switching ours back and forth from the TV's. First world problems I know!

So it is almost 2014 - and although I am not really one for New Years resolutions I am actually going to make one this year (shhhh it was something I was going to do anyways, but might as well time it with new years to give myself a start date). But you will have to read later on this week to find out what my new years resolution actually is.

I have some lofty health and fitness goals and will be attacking them full force, no excuses. I have done it before and I KNOW I can get back there again. I am very close to my pre-pregnancy weight and then I will be losing what I had gained before getting pregnant. 

I have specific weight loss goals that I want to accomplish but I can't figure out a fitness goal. I think it would be helpful to work on them together since they go hand in hand but for the life of me I can't come up with something. I see my personal trainer three times a week but I know that I want something more -- I just don't know what.

We also have some financial goals we want to meet. We have made a debt repayment plan to be 100% consumer debt free by Dec 31, 2014. After that we will have a bit of business debt still to pay off but it will feel so good to get our consumer debt gone!

Today I made the next two weeks of meal plans and tonight I will go get the groceries after dinner. I am looking forward to stepping up the workouts, focus more on clean eating as well as point friendly foods and just continue on my weight loss journey. I do know that this is a process that I will take step by step - one day at a time! I also know that it is a journey that I will be on forever, and I am totally okay with that. On a side note: I am allergic to bananas and I am really sad that I have had to give them up. I really miss adding them to things like cereal, oatmeal, yogurt ect.

One of the gifts that I got is a foam roller, which will really come in handy over the next year as I get deeper into my workouts. What the heck is a foam roller you ask?! Well it is exactly how it sounds, a large roll of dense foam. It is for stretching out and massaging your muscles. It really hurts at first, especially if you are really sore but it feels SO good afterwards. One day my trainer made me do this crazy calf exercise and legit I had charlie horses in my calves for two days. It was beyond painful = not cool. We did some sessions on the foam roller and although it was painful at the time, I could literally feel the muscles relaxing. The pain relief was instant - I knew I had to get one for home! Since then I have used it on my legs a number of times and it feels so great. I am super happy my awesome hubby got me one for Christmas.

Rylee will be 10 months old on Saturday which means I only have two months left of my mat leave as I mentioned the other day. I totally plan on making the most of it!

One for the money, two for the show

It is a dreary Monday morning here - I am wondering if we will get snow for Christmas this year. I don't think there have been too many Christmas days where we have not gotten snow.

I got to spend a lot of time last week with family and do a lot of reflecting. We had a great time together, and learned just how loved and supported we really are.

Yesterday we had a quiet day. We went to Church then had my mother in law over for some lunch (we/she has gotten so much food lately it has been a blessing to not have to worry about getting groceries). 

I spent much of the day working on expenses, meal plans, and my meal data base. I updated my meal data base with a bunch of new ideas - some we have tried, some we have not. 

As I look forward over the next few months I was trying to get some kind of idea what it might look like. I have just over two months before I return to work and I plan on making the most of it. I also know that once I return something will have to go because there is no way I can do it all, especially with the hours I work. My shift is from 8:45am-4:45pm. Awful hours! By the time I fight my way through traffic I will get to pick up Rylee at 5:30pm and she goes to bed at 7. Let's not forget making and having dinner and getting her bathed and ready for bed. So our evenings are pretty much a write off, especially when Sean is on afternoon shift. 

I have come up with a few tweeks to my current meal planning (which I love because it is super easy and efficient) and also came up with a new recipe organization method.

To be honest I didn't want to use an app in case I don't always stick with apple products. I didn't want to be retyping them again and again. I also don't want to switch to paper because one of my biggest stress causer is already how much paper we use that constantly has to be organized. I will sort and file papers and the next day 20 more will appear and I have no clue where they came from. So I have decided to go with a word document sorting system. I will make a file folder called recipes and then sub folders within that folder. I will have each recipe it's own document and it will be saved as the recipe name so it will be very easy to find.

Yesterday I also went to Wal-Mart (during dinner time so it wasn't busy) and man were the shelves completely picked over. There were SO many empty spots. People will be getting A LOT of tooth brushes, deodorant, travel size items ect. I have never seen a store so empty! I went to get some supplies to make some healthy muffins, and oatmeal bake today.

Today will consist of some cleaning up around the house and some baking to put in the freezer for the next few weeks/months as well as some food planning over the next few days. 

I still want to reach my goal of 25 more pounds down by March 1 - it might be tough now given I have stayed the same the past few weeks but I am going to keep working hard at it and re-assess later if need be. There is nothing wrong with changing your goals as you go along. I am going to be making my list of 2014 goals over the next few days as well!

Have a happy and healthy Christmas everyone!

Funeral for a friend

Friday paid a beautiful tribute to my father in law. His body is now laid to rest but we know he lives on in heaven. My brother in law Ryan paid a beautiful tribute to his dad with a very good eulogy. I was also very fortunate to be given the change to speak and I thought I would just post my speech for those that weren't able to attend or wish to hear it again:

We lost a dear husband, father, grandfather, and friend but heaven gained so much more and for that we can rejoice. As we pictured this the past few days we could see Dave driving a solid gold tractor and eating a sugary, dairy filled dessert – probably a cheesecake!

My name is Kelly and I am the second daughter in law of Dave and Kathie, wife of Sean. If you are here today I can only assume that you knew Dave, even if only from a brief meeting one time. And even if you met him only one time for a few minutes it would have been very obvious to you his kind, gentle, and loving personality.

Dave was a big kid at heart, which is probably why Kathie often said she had “four boys”. He had a great relationship with all of sons and he had a different, but special, connection with each of them.

I have so many fond memories of Dave that date back to when their family first made the move to First Lobo Baptist Church. Sean and I were very much on again off again, and on again off again teenagers. Even when we were “off again” our parents still remained good friends and our families went to dinner and did movie nights quite often. 

Obviously over the past 6 years that Sean and I have been only on again, my memories of Dave grew stronger as we spent a lot more time together. He became my second father and I cherish my relationship with him very much. We would be here all day if I shared all of my memories with you so instead I will only share with you a few.  

9 and a half months ago our daughter Rylee was born. The first grandchild on both sides of the family. She was a scheduled c-section, that just happened to be booked for the day, and very close to the hour, that Dave had a very large report due for work. He had a few days notice, so he worked some longer hours in the days before to make sure it was done so he could submit it early and be at the hospital for when she was born. He was one of the first people to hold her and we took her picture of him holding her, but quickly realized that his hand, took up most of the picture! It was a hand *hold out hand* and a little head with a pink hat on it. It is my favourite picture of her first few hours of her life.

And most recently most of the family was able to go to Florida to celebrate a family wedding. While we were there we rented a house. Sean had to leave early to go back to work and so the family helped out extra with Rylee. Except that Rylee only wanted to go to myself, Dave, and Ryan for the most part. I think it was something about them that reminded her of her dada. Every morning Dave gave her her bottle and played with her on the floor.  Even at the family wedding Dave danced with Rylee for a number of songs and she just had a ball dancing with her grandpa – they must have shared their love for music. They spent many hours that week in the pool as well. My favourite part of the trip, aside from the wedding and seeing family, was a tour of a chocolate factory. I was SO excited and here was Dave, a diabetic with lactose intolerance, going on a tour of a chocolate factory…what is wrong with this picture?!

Dave had a number of jokes, a limited number of jokes, as we heard them time and time again. When people who knew his sons, met Dave for the first time, they quickly said “oh, that is where you get it from”. You couldn’t say Hey without hearing straw, or Let’s go without hearing where are we going. When ever someone said “opposites attract” Dave and Kathie would race to say at the same time “I’m the good looking intelligent one”. He always enjoyed making fun of my many blonde moments and shared a laugh with everyone over them. I quickly learned that if he made fun of you it meant he loved you.  If you ever sat next or even near to Dave you probably felt like you were trapped in a mild earth quake from the constant shaking of his leg, which my husband was so lucky to “inherit” from him.

Dave was slow to anger even if we had ruined his stuff, like when my husband hit fence post and heavily damaged the steering column of their tractor, or the time that I opened the barn door the wrong way and completely took it off the track. Dave and Evan had to climb up on the ladder to get it back on and working properly. I won’t do that one again! And let’s not forget the time that Ryan didn’t hook up the trailer to the truck properly and the boat smashed into the tail gate into his brand new truck.

Dave and Kathie have always been so welcoming and opened their home to everyone. When you walked in the door you were told to help yourself to anything in the fridge or cupboards, and to make yourself comfortable. Which I am sure they regret every time my husband visits!

In all seriousness, Dave was the type of person who would do anything for anyone. He was always there to help in any way he could. He was looking forward to playing around on the farm after his retirement. He had a smile that was infectious, and a very distinct laugh. He loved his wife, his boys, his two beautiful daughters in law, and the first baby girl, his granddaughter, Rylee. When Ryan and Mel announced that they were expecting, Dave was beyond excited. He was already making plans to make frequent trips to Kitchener. Dave was a loving son, brother and friend to many. Yesterday showed us a small glimpse at the number of lives he touched.

Over the past few days we have had lots of time with family to reflect over Dave’s life, which you will hear more about shortly, but it has been very clear to us in so many ways God’s timing of Dave’s passing. God has been putting his plan into place piece by piece and we know He’s not done yet.

I want to take a moment to read the poem that the family chose to use in Dave’s memory. I know it has been used at many funerals but I feel the words are so fitting to Dave.

Miss me – but let me go

When I come to the end of the road

And the sun has set for me,

I want no tears in a gloom-filled room,

Why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little – But not for long

And not with your head bowed low,

Remember the love that we once shared,

Miss me – But let me go.

For this is a journey we all must take,

And each must go alone,

It’s all a part of the Master’s plan

A step on the road to home.

When you are lonely and sick of heart

Go to your friends that we know,

And bury your sorrows in doing good works,

Miss me – But let me go.

Although we feel his time here on earth was cut far too short, we know that God has a plan that we just can not see yet and we know Dave will be waiting for us all in heaven and as my husband said a few days ago, this is not goodbye…this is see you later. 

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I plan to continue with my regular blogging about health and nutrition over the next few days once I get a new plan in place.

Until next time...hold your loved ones a little bit tighter this Christmas season as you never know when you might see them again. Don't take any time with them for granted because there isn't always "tomorrow". 

Gone but not goodbye

I admit it has been a few weeks since I wrote last. Between Christmas and other stuff I did get side tracked but have not forgotten about my blog. 

This week has been a very difficult week for myself, my husband, and his family. We were all set for his family Christmas in Kitchener when we showed up at my husbands parents farm minutes after his mom had found his dad passed away. 

It was very sudden and unexpected but we are thankful he passed peacefully in his sleep and did not suffer. The autopsy confirmed it was a heart attack. 

Moments like these often change our lives. They are monumental and have a very large impact on the person you become in the future. They give you new in sites on what is important to you. My husband and I feel more than ever now the importance of our healthy and our journey to get fit. 

The next two days will be the hardest of our lives thus far so we are taking today to be together as a family and take some time to rest before what lies ahead. 

Dave was taken from us far too young - before he could enjoy his retirement, Rylee's first Christmas, or the birth of my niece or nephew (his next grandchild) sometime in May. We trust that God has a plan and have already been seeing how Gos has worked and is still working through this very difficult time. 

Hair, hair, hair!

Okay so this post is kind of superficial but everyone deals with it in some way so here we go. 

The last few years I have been very frustrated with my hair. It is super healthy, very fine, and pin straight. Why was I frustrated by that you ask? Because I couldn't do anything with it. Curls only stayed if I had a whole can of hair spray and then they looked gross, braids were flat against my head and so small you could barely see them. Pulling it back into a bun was impossible unless I shampooed it, did not use conditioner, or brush it and then it was a notty mess and would stay in a bun. So fast forward to having a baby my options were down or pony tail. Since down is not an option with a baby who grabs everything and pukes often, pony tail won every time. 

Everyone I asked for help kept telling me to watch YouTube videos for things to do, which is fine for the average person, but my hair would not stay in anything I tried. Not even with hair spray. I know, frustrating right???

Yesterday I went for a hair cut and I was torn between trim or chop since I was quite frustrated. I decided to just go for trim because then at least I could still wear my pony tail. When explaining again in more detail my problem my hair dresser asked if I had tried dry shampoo. I had heard of it but never tried it since my hair is always clean I never needed it. At the end of the cut she put some in my hair and gave it a slight tease. Legit INSTANT volume. I didn't think the volume would last longer than me getting to the car, but it did! And it did the rest of the day/evening! 

Surely I can do that myself so I bought a can (half off right now I might add) and this morning I gave it a try! BAM! Same thing awesome volume and best part was I could do it myself! 

All I did was give a little spray to my roots, do a little tease, and braided it. The braid was 5x larger than it has ever been before. Needless to say I am super happy over something this small. 

Especially over the last few months I have been trying to take the stance of "at least you have hair". So maybe people would be so jealous to have healthy, flat, limp, pin straight hair. But here I was wanting something else. I am so grateful for my hair and what I do have. I am also greatful for my hair dresser that showed me this product so I can work with it much easier now. 

I'll even let you in on my tip for baby hairs...hair spray on a tooth brush. Works wonders! I've been trying that one for weeks now! 

Physical activity and the holiday season

Did you know that the average person gains between 5-8 pounds every Christmas? That is a crazy amount of extra calories consumed, but let's face it, we all know it is easy to do.

So now that you know this, are you going to be one of those people that gains 5-8lbs, stays the same, or loses weight even though it's a holiday?

If you really look at it Christmas is just one day. For most people Christmas is a SEASON. They turn it into a whole month event. Read: There is NOTHING wrong with that, as long as you are not using it as an excuse to eat what ever you want for that whole season. You can still celebrate Christmas for a whole month if you want, just don't do it with food! Sure, it is tempting, I'm not pretending for a second it's not -- but are you going to have a game plan for how to handle certain social events in regards to what you put in your mouth? Are you going to enjoy the season any less if you are mindful of what you eat and DON'T put on those extra 5-8 pounds? HECK NO! I'm proof of that. This is my favourite holiday and I LOVE all parts of Christmas, yes even the food, but I enjoy it in moderation. Instead of eating ALL of the Christmas cookies I bake, I will have one, maybe two and give the rest away.

The holidays can be a very stressful time for many people, and today I was on the borderline of a melt down. I was at my limit. We have been working really hard to finish our kitchen renovation, and the dryer broke down, and the baby has been clingy, and so many more reasons that I had just had enough.

My trainer encouraged me to get out and go for a walk. BUT I had SO much to do, when was I going to fit it in? But, I said I would go, so I did. When Rylee woke up we both bundled up and headed off. By the way -- pushing a stroller through slushy snow is quite the work out.

Within 5 minutes of starting the walk I became SO thankful that I had taken the time to go. The fresh air did a world of good and really gave me a chance to step back and think about what was stressing me out, break it down, and focus on what was important. As I was walking I was remembering that during the holidays exercise is usually the FIRST thing to go when people get too busy or stressed. They say (much like I thought today) I don't have time for that. BUT, you need to MAKE the time. Even if it is just 30 minutes a day or 3 times a week, you need to still incorporate it into your schedule through out the WHOLE holiday. 

Even if you can't make it to the gym, spend time outside with your family, take them sledding and walk up the hill, or go for a family walk, or pop in a work out DVD after the kids go to bed. And learn to say "no" sometimes. You can't do everything so maybe you will have to pick and choose what events you attend.

I am SO thankful my trainer cares about my well being and that I did take the hour to go out for a walk today because I was able to step back so I can now move forward and be far more effective than if I had kept running around on auto pilot like a chicken with my head cut off crying because...oh I don't even remember why that is how small and insignificant it was. I was able to remember what my goals are and remind myself that by keep up with my physical activity this Christmas season, not only will I be taking care of myself, but I will be better able to take care of my family. 

On a very similar note tomorrow I am taking a partial me day. Sean and I agreed that I would take one this week and he would take one next week since we have been working so hard on the kitchen and everything else going on.

I am going to sleep in (well as much as I can since I'm pretty sure I lost the ability to sleep in haha). I plan on painting my nails and having a nice long hot shower. I am also going to get my hair cut. A perfect way to spend the day (well the most of the day since I will have to take Rylee when Sean goes to work). 

SO -- to sum up what I have said, take care of yourself this season, don't become a zombie. Take that walk to clear your head, say no to a few parties to give yourself some extra time to get things done, and ENJOY the holidays.

Of course, if you are still too busy during the normal hours of a day, Anytime Fitness in London is literally open 24/7, with crazy good membership deals right now -- so what is the excuse now?! 

Have a safe and healthy holiday season!

You spent how much?

Mother nature has decided over the last few days to grace us with A LOT of snow! At least it is not wet miserable snow, but in fact the light fluffy stuff that is really pretty -- later to turn into miserable slush.

I have been doing my workouts this week as planned although my toe is really hurting. It is bruised all the way through so we have had to modify some of the exercises in order to get through the workouts. I am bent and bound to be down another 25 pounds by March 1. In the next week or so we are going to build a new menu plan for me so that my meals are more balanced. 

This may look easy but it was really hard -- my legs were shaking badly, given that I had just pumped out 20 deep squats before going right into the wall sit!

My trainer is going to be away for a few weeks so I will be working with a different trainer...I am excited to see her style and keep pushing myself hard.

Okay so a bit of background on the story I'm about to tell...about 5 years ago there were a few moms at my church that had the same Lulu Lemon bag as a diaper bag. Before we were even trying to get pregnant I decided that I really liked the bag and wanted it as well. By that point the store was no longer carrying it and it became impossible to find. I have looked in every outlet Lulu Lemon I've been by and every regular store as well just on the off chance they have it. I have posted on facebook groups, bulletin boards and just about everywhere I can think of to find it with no luck. I have bought 3 cheap diaper bags trying to hold out for this one that I wanted to badly, but they break and rip so easily. I finally decided to just give up and buy a good one that wasn't the beloved Lulu Lemon one that I wanted. 

I looked everywhere -- even making a trip far side of the border to find a diaper bag that I liked, knowing I was going to spend between $100-$200 for a really good one that would last through Rylee and the next child (when ever that is, and no we are not expecting). I couldn't find one I really liked and I couldn't get my mind off of the Lulu one. I was destined to have cheap diaper bags the whole time I had decided. 

THEN, the other night when I was at the mall with my sister and walked by Lulu Lemon. They had just redone their store, so even though we weren't going to buy anything we went in to check out the new lay out. I glanced over at the "bag" wall (it's pretty much habit now when going in or near that store) and OH MY GOSH -- there was a bag that looked VERY similar to the bag I had wanted SO badly. It was not the exact same it was actually a bit smaller which works out better for me. AND it was in purple! EVEN BETTER!

I saw the price tag, even though I knew how much they cost, and was like I don't think I can spend that much on a bag (WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?). And almost walked out of the store with out it (did you catch that almost?). The lady said they reason they are so hard to find is each store only gets 3 (I don't know if that is true or not but it was enough to hook me). So I bought it. 

I haven't 100% made up my mind if I am keeping it, I have left the tags on it and it is still in the bag in case I change my mind, but after that much looking I would kick myself for years if I don't keep it. Not only that by the time I keep buy junky diaper bags for the rest of this baby and next I would spend WAY more than the cost of the bag. Lulu lemon will also repair it if it breaks or rips...BONUS!

So now you know my long story and can understand why I was SO excited the other night when I saw this bag yet so torn because of the cost. Thankfully There is more than enough $ in our "Rylee" account to cover the cost of it, which takes away some of the guilt (you know, we don't have to go without groceries because I bought this bag haha).

Today Rylee is 9 months old. I can't believe that! Where does the time go? She weighs in at 16lbs and 3oz and is 28.5 inches long. My little girl is growing up too fast, next thing I know she'll be going off to post secondary school!

Oops!

It has been just over a week since I posted. Sorry about that! Life has really gotten in the way. 

We are SO close to being done our kitchen renovation. So between that and business stuff the past week writing has really not been an option. But! Don't worry! Things at home are settling down again a bit before ramping up for the holidays so hopefully I can keep you entertained again. 

Our kitchen renovation started out SO small - honestly we just wanted a cheap make-shift floor to last us a few years until we replaced the whole kitchen but then we decided that we might as well remove the wall before we do the floor and it just snow balled. But now it is almost all done. And I'll give you a little sneak peek:

We still have to put up the curtains and paint the bottom of the island and that will be the two pops of colour. 

Speaking of the island I had a slight mishap last night. I was priming the island and part of it slid off the place I was painting and landed right on my second toe on my right foot. OW! The way it landed and where it landed has caused quite a painful experience. 

Last week was my first week with my new trainer at Anytime Fitness. So far so good! We had 3 sessions last week and I actually REALLY enjoyed them. On Saturday we even did the session together which was fun and kept me going! Even though I hurt my toe quite badly last night and probably will not be able to put my foot in a shoe yet that is not going to stop us at tonight session! We are still going to do a workout but it will be modified to upper body and core. We are going to crush this next 25lb goal - injury or not. That is totally not something I would have done before. I would have sat with my feet up and rested till I was fully better. NOW, saying that you obviously need to rest appropriately but don't let it be an excuse to do nothing. 

The training at Anytime London is really above and beyond a "big box" gym because they do such individual plans and really care about your success. Not that "big box" gyms don't -- it's just a different setting on a smaller scale and they are more invested in you so it's not "just another client". I also love how dependable they are. Anyways enough about them but if you are in London you really should check out their gym. 

On a side note: my Christmas cards are ready to go and just waiting for the 1st of the month which is also when our Christmas tree will be decorated and getting our house ready for the holiday season! 

We got a DUMPING of snow yesterday...

So we stayed inside and had grilled cheese for lunch. 

Anyways I'll write again soon - I promise! 

My fitness goals

Like many people I have a list of goals that I want to achieve for my life. I have a list of five main goals that are very important to me. Weight and fitness is one of the goals. I'll lay out exactly what my weight/fitness goals are:

Weight:

My first weight goal is to drop 25 more pounds by March 1, 2014 by following the automatic body program and working out.

My second weight goal is to loose 56 more pounds (that includes the 25) and get back to my goal weight. I don't have a dead line for this one as I will set that on March 1st when I have reached my next 25. At this point I should be back into my size 8 clothes which is very average for my height. I have a large bin of basically new clothes waiting for me...calling my name!

My third weight goal is to maintain my goal weight. 

Fitness:

My first fitness goal is to increase my upper body strength.

My second fitness goal is to increase my flexibility.

My third is to tone everywhere in general. Since I have a lot of loose skin it will take some time, but I am confident I can do this.

I also want to pick a physical goal like doing a mini triathlon, or running a race ect. But I don't quite know what I want it to be yet.

______________________________________________________________________________

My biggest concern is to get the weight off and focus on living a healthy lifestyle. Which I have already been working on with the automatic body program, making one small change, and weight watchers and have been having good results. Now it's time to kick it up a notch!

I am SUPER excited that I am going to be starting with a personal trainer again. I know when I worked out hard before I felt great. This time will be different though for a few reasons. I am going to be working with a new trainer who has very clear goals for our sessions and what we want to accomplish. He is listening to what I want but will also put in things that he knows will help as well. He is as committed to my goals as I am and will be reliable and consistent. We are going to change up the workouts every time so that we aren't just doing the same exercises or even types of exercises week after week. 

Today we met up as an intro and did my measurements, "starting weight" (starting weight with him, although not my automatic body starting weight) and went over what my goals are and a rough plan. Monday we are going to do our first session so he can see where I am at and make a more detailed plan to follow. I'm really pumped to get started and take my weight loss and fitness goals to the next level. 

He says that we will crush my 25 pound goal -- I'll hold him to it and he'll hold me to it!

So although I really liked my old trainer, it wasn't the right fit. I'm ready to get serious, and my new trainer is ready to help me with that goal.

Follow me on my journey!

Kooking in the kitchen

My cousin Carolyn would be proud of me. We spoke a while ago about collecting amazing recipes but never using them. Lately I've been focusing on adding new recipes into my menu plan and I've had some really great success. I previously wrote about my Greek chicken that was very good and here are some other new ones I tried:

Peanut butter chocolate chip blizzards with Greek yogurt. This was amazing. 

Meat sauce with tons of veggies done in the crock pot. I put this over spaghetti squash. 

Tonight's dinner was amazing. Spinach dip grilled cheese with asparagus fries. Oh wow this was SO yummy and will be added to our rotation I think. 

I have a few more things to try put into this weeks plan -- like zucchini chips for example. I am not usually one to experiment with foods or new recipes but I'm really glad I have tried these. 

I have also decided to bring new recipes when going to holiday events to keep trying more things. I have some great desserts I want to try. 

Today Sean and I went to the states early this morning. I needed to pick up some things and I finally found Rylee's Christmas dress (but you will have to wait to see it closer to the time). 

Thankfully we got back to Canada just before 11am so we were able to pull over and observe a moment of silence while listening to a radio tribute. 

Then we went to work on our kitchen cabinet doors at Sean's parents farm. When I got home I had a shower and made dinner before having a team meeting. 

My parents gave me their old vacuum that is very different from mine and does a lot more so I was excited to use that tonight as well. I was able to clean things that I haven't been able to clean before like my fake flowers from my wedding, my art work and my lamp shades. I am one happy camper because it makes my life much easier and I didn't have to buy it!

Now I am enjoying a nice coconut yogurt (with added coconut as well) in front of the fire. It has been a good day. 

Yes. I eat it with a baby spoon so it lasts longer. 

Greek Chicken

Good evening,

Last night I was able to go to a friends house for dinner. I was really excited because I haven't been able to see her or her little girl in a few months because of all the travelling we have been doing. 

I had a new recipe I wanted to try so I volunteered to bring dinner. I made Greek chicken and lemon rice and she made a Greek salad. 

I followed a recipe I found on Pinterest:

1 c. plain greek yogurt

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic minced

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 medium lemon, frozen, then zested

1/2 tsp salt

freshly cracked pepper (I just used regular pepper)

1/4 bunch fresh parsley

Desired amount of chicken

I doubled the recipe for four large chicken breasts.

Mix all ingredients together in a zip lock freezer bag. Throw in thawed chicken and coat. Place chicken in a glass cooking dish and cook at 425 for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooking thoroughly.

A lot of people have been saying to me lately how inspiring it is that I have been able to make such healthy choices and want to know how I do it. Honestly the answer is the Nutrie products. I have been taking them for a few months now and they make me feel amazing. I have energy that I never had before and because of that I can put the effort into meal planning and grocery shopping and making it fun! I don't have cravings like I used to either. I sometimes think "oh I could go for ice cream" or something like that but it is nothing more than a fleeting thought. I no longer get cravings that I obsess over. 

I have also been attending weekly weight watchers meetings because I enjoy the girls in my meeting and the program fits PERFECTLY with my automatic body program. I use the weight watchers to count my points and track my daily food intake and the automatic body program to focus on making small changes that work for me. They don't need to be done together, you can just do the automatic body program, but personally I love my WW girls and would miss seeing them every week ;)

Just call me Suzy Homemaker!

What a great weekend so far and it's only Saturday!

Friday is the beginning of my week for counting points so for me it is very important to have a solid Friday and Saturday to set my eating tone for the week. For some reason if I use too many of my weekly points on Friday or Saturday I have a hard time staying on track the whole week. Yesterday early morning I went to the grocery store with my meal plan and list and got all my healthy must haves. 

We are in a trade show this weekend with Nutrie and I knew I was going to be there all day -- right across from a cotton candy machine and popcorn booth none the less. So, I planned ahead and packed some of my favorite foods for lunch. This was my food for the day:

We had a lot of fun at the show talking to people and I think the best part was seeing the look of surprise on all of their faces when they tried the protein shake because it actually tastes good! I also had a great time with our other distributors. Check out our booth:

Before I left this morning I put a roast in the crock pot with some veggies then when I got home all I had to do was mix up some gravy and we had a very yummy healthy dinner. So not only did I stay 100% on track yesterday but I also stayed 100% on track today. I think for a treat tonight I will have my fuel heated up like rich hot chocolate. So yummy. 

Tonight we were going to go to a service at our church but Sean's parents just got home from Florida so they are coming over for a visit. Then we are just going to relax before we do it all again tomorrow!

At the trade show we are in there are tables set up by moms selling their used stuff. I went right over there first thing and got Rylee 5 new sleepers for $10, a large story book for $1, and a DVD for $2. Then when we walked around the place I bought her two owl hats that are just too stinking cute to pass up! I will post a picture of them soon! 

Meal planning and grocery shopping

I am writing this post even though it may provoke some intense teasing from people, however, if you know me you really shouldn't be surprised.

When I first started doing meal planning it took me A LONG time to do each one. Honestly, over an hour. But each week it got quicker and quicker to the point where it now takes me just a few minutes. I do two week rotations because I find that groceries are cheaper than doing it once a week and I don't really want to be bothered to grocery shop every week. I do however get fruits and veggies once a week.

I like to be very organized and I like things simple. Especially now that I am grocery shopping with a baby in tow (most times) I like to be efficient. I don't like to go to more than two stores -- I go to a cheaper store like Wal-Mart, No Frills, or Food Basics for the regular stuff and then I go to Superstore or Remark to get my produce as the produce from the other stores doesn't last very long and is not high quality. I don't get everything from Superstore or Remark because it would double my grocery bill. 

So to start I skim the weekly flyers to see what is on sale. If there are items I like then I build them into my menu plan and I also go through my freezer to see what items I already have on hand. The great thing these days is most places ad match so if there is something that I like in one store I can still get it at other stores for the same price. For example, last week I bought a box of chicken burgers at Wal-mart for $4 something even though Wal-mart's price was $10 because they were on sale in the No Frills flyer. When I plan on ad matching something I note the price first and also which flyer it was in so at the store I can check the price there. Sometimes it is just cheaper to buy it without ad matching. I know this sounds like a lot of work but honestly it is very simple -- remember I don't like complicated things!

So once I note what is in the flyers I go through my calendar to check what is on the schedule for each day before I make my menu plan from a template that I have in Excel (I love that program and use it whenever possible). By adding events from the calendar I can plan the meal around what we are doing. If I don't have time to make a full meal I will make a quick one or make a crockpot meal. If I have more time I might make a more in depth dinner. Once I make my meal plan I print out two copies, one for the fridge and one to make my grocery list from. 

When I make my list I have it broken down into sections so that I don't get to the other side of the store and realize that I forgot a produce item that was hiding at the bottom of my list. I cross off each meal one at a time on my spare copy once I have added what I need to my list so I never miss anything. If I don't know if I already have something I put a ? next to it and check before I leave. 

Then when I am at the grocery store I can focus on getting my items and getting out of the store. I have tried using my phone for a grocery list to reduce carrying extra paper but honestly I really like the paper. I have had it happen more than a few times where I have accidentally erased half my list on my phone then have no idea what I needed. By having the paper there is no way to erase part of my list!

I also leave some wiggle room so that I can buy things that are on sale (not necessarily in the flyer) to put in the freezer for a later date. You can also see that on my menu plan Thursday nights are listed as Flex nights. Since I don't always feel like eating what is on the menu that night I can pick a different nights dinner and make it that night instead. Or if we end up eating out on a night that I had already bought the groceries for then they don't go to waste because I will have it Thursday night (hopefully that makes sense).

The other thing I keep (also in excel) is a meal data base. I have different categories of meals and I can mix and match especially when we are looking for some new ideas. I also use a board on Pinterest (can't get enough of that site) so that I can keep new recipe ideas handy. I try to add in one every two weeks. 

Maybe this all makes me a nerd, but hey, I'm okay with that. This makes my life much simpler and it helps me to save a lot of $ that is often wasted at the grocery store. What makes it even more simple is that my breakfast is delivered right to my door, no grocery store needed! If you are going to give it a try remember that it will take some time at the beginning. 

If you want a copy of my menu plans send me an e-mail or inbox message with your e-mail address so I can forward it on to you.  

Until next time!

Monsters University

I have been meaning to write this post for a few days but haven't really been feeling well.

Last Monday our founder Aaron Parkinson did a call on our dreams. Society today has been conditioned to scale back their dreams to prevent being let down if they don't come true. What we need to do it condition our society to dream BIG then teach them to make them a reality through hard work with failure not being an option.

So often we set ourselves little goals, or no goals at all. If we don't have goals than we can't fail right? Setting little goals is okay -- as long as those little goals lead to one big goal. For example, if your goal is to lose 50 pounds total, setting little goals of 5 pounds every X number of weeks/months is okay because it makes it realistic and obtainable. But when you have 50 pounds to loose and you say I will only try to lose 5 you are selling yourself short of your potential. This theory can be applied to many aspects of your life. You need to be willing to push yourself to get what you want in life. Things don't come for free, you aren't going to loose the weight just by sitting there wishing you were thinner, and you aren't going to make the income you want to make just by sitting there wishing you had more money. It takes change - but being willing to make that change is where it all begins. The saying goes "the first step is the hardest".

Setting a reason why. This is really important when you are on your journey to accomplishing anything you want to accomplish, your reason why. Things won't always go according to plan on your journey. You will have hard times, and in those times you need something to focus on to get yourself through. This is your reason why. It will push you to reach your goals when you think you have nothing left and cause you to dig deeper. 

I suggest putting your reason why on paper so you can see it when times get tough. You can also make yourself a dream board and post all of the pictures of things you want to accomplish in one spot to refer back to.

So what does all of this have to do with Monsters University???

Well...if you have seen it, you should be able to piece it together, but incase you didn't I will share with you what this all has in common.

At the beginning of the movie, Mike (the green, one-eye'd monster) sets his sites on being a scarer. As the movie plays on you see that he does ANYTHING he can to make his dream come true. He works really hard even when all of the odds are against him -- he still pushes through to make it happen. 

He gets kicked out of the scare program. Most people would accept that as defeat and pick something else...what would you do? Something you worked for your whole life was no longer an option. Would you give up and find something else or would you explore all other options until you found one that would put you back to where you wanted to be?

Too often today we are too scared to jump over the walls that we become comfortable where we are.

If YOU don't make a change, YOU won't get the results. Is that what you want for your life? What are you willing to do to get to where you want to be?

Travel wrap up

We are finally home "for good" now. Meaning we don't have any more travel plans in the near future.

Our last few days in Florida were amazing. Friday Mel and Ryan went to Seaworld so Rylee and I did some more shopping. I bought her a few cute things/souvenirs. I was walking around the mall killing time waiting for it to open when I came across these:

They looked SO good and I was REALLY glad that they were closed so I wasn't even tempted to buy one. I think that I will plan on making these sometime in the near future perhaps at a holiday event.

I also saw this:

Paul Blart mall cop!

On Saturday we packed most of our stuff for Dave and Kathie to take with them and we then headed to Sean's cousins house for a visit and dinner. They made an amazing dinner of BBQ Chicken, asparagus, carrots, and potatoes complete with crescent rolls and baked apples. The chicken was huge and really juicy! I was in a food coma afterwards as it was all so good! Then we watched Despicable Me 2. It was a perfect way to end our time there and I was really sad to go.

Yesterday we got up bright and early and headed to the airport. The flight was uneventful and Rylee was really good. My parents and Sean picked us up and we went for dinner and got groceries before waiting the two hours in the border line up to get home. 




I got two new "treats" while in the states yesterday and they are actually REALLY yummy. Totally perfect for a little sweet something with a cup of tea. 

As soon as we got home we got Rylee ready for bed. I knew that we were going to have a bit of a struggle getting her back into her routine so I slept upstairs to avoid going up and down multiple times during the night. She did have one crying episode in the middle of the night that lasted about 30 minutes. I didn't give in to picking her up or giving her a bottle and she fell back asleep on her own and didn't wake until morning. 

So far today she has had two naps and seems to be doing quite well. I plan on sleeping upstairs for a few nights to make sure she gets back into her routine as smoothly as possible.

I have wanted to get Rylee a sock monkey for a while now and I finally found one I really liked in Florida. As you can see she has already taken a shine to it. Follow more adventures with Rylee and Socks here on my blog!

When I got home from BC and Chicago I was completely beat. I was exhausted and very frazzled. I was able to do some mental visualization in order to get back on track but I was still not feeling 100%. 

This trip to Florida was awesome. We had such a great time and other than one rough night Rylee was really good and went to everyone lots. I am excited that I came back rested and feeling GREAT. I am full of energy, have already done my meal planning of the next two weeks and am ready to go. Big difference from last trips. 

I had a really healthy lunch today too!

Tuna with lettuce on vegetable bread with apple slices, snap peas, and my energe!

Tonight the menu is Shake n bake chicken, asparagus, salad, and stuffing. I love this time of year as it is "crockpot season" and so many wonderfully yummy and healthy things come out of that! Of course I'll keep you all updated on anything that turns out stellar!