Exercise and motivation

If you had told me a month ago that I would be going to the gym at 6 o'clock in the morning I would've said "you're crazy". But as I'm adjusting to my new schedule with work and household duties, that's exactly what I found myself doing. I had planned on doing home workouts in the evening once my daughter went to bed but that was just too hard to get motivated to do. I found myself easily making excuses and reasoning with myself as to why it could wait until tomorrow. I also found myself really really missing the gym. I love the facility that I go to and I was really missing having all that equipment available to me for my workout. 

So since I can't always go in the evening I decided that when I couldn't go in the evening I was going to go in early morning since I was awake anyways. This is taking a little bit of extra planning on my part and I've had to set out all of my clothes the night before. 

The gym that I go to is a smaller gym, so you would think that you would end up waiting longer for machines and stuff but you totally don't. Not to mention The staff knows every single one of their members by name instead of just by looking at the screen when I check in to see who I am and then saying oh hi Kelly have a good workout. 

The past few mornings there have been the same people at the gym when I get there but for the most part there's only two or three of us. On Wednesday for most of my work out I had the gym to myself. I have actually really enjoy doing my workout in the morning. It's a great way to start your day! Plus it helps to get you in a good mind set. 

           

This is a safety device for when you are working out alone. It is connected to emergency services!

At work, I have been taking 8 flights of stairs three times a day (which I thought would get easier but hasn't yet.) as well as doing some fitness classes at lunch on the off days of the gym. My mom and I have been getting out for some walks too now that the weather is nicer. 

It has been really great pushing my body this week. And I will really enjoy some rest time this weekend. I love the slate stiffness that I get in my body when I know I've worked hard!

If you had asked me 7 years ago if I would be working out this hard and taking care of my body and my health I would have smirked and commented something like "I wish". I was way too self consious to remotely wear shorts, I lived in sweats and sweaters hiding from the world. 

As I reread that last sentance I realize that it isnt even living! The things I've being able to do that I never would have been able to do before it's incredible. 

So if you're reading this and overweight and don't know where to begin, or if you have tried and failed numerous times, or if you keep starting and stopping, or you keep saying I'll start Monday you need to take a look at what is holding you back. What excuses are you using? 

Put 1 foot in front of the other and start small. One small change is all it takes. Follow that with another small change and another small change and your whole life will be revamped. I would be lying to you if I said it was easy but if we look at all of the great things in life none of them are easy. I can for sure without a doubt 100% tell you it is worth it. It is worth feeling empowered. It is worth it to be able to keep up with your kids. It is worth it to hit your goal weight and buy new clothes in a much smaller size than you ever thought you'd be ever wearing. 

So keep pushing through and don't ever give up. When you fall get up again. When you don't want to do it anymore keep going. When you're too tired and just want 10 more minutes of sleep kick your butt out of bed and get to the gym! 

Start your healthier new you today, what small change are you going to make??

Accountability

Good morning!

I try to be open on this blog and share all of my struggles with my weight loss. I don't have it all figured out and coming across like I do is fake and phony. I do have a much better understanding about my body and how it works, and about the way I am losing weight this time. I have come A LONG way from before but still have struggles sometimes.

The past two weeks I have relaxed slightly with my eating plan. I have been doing awesome and killing it, so it was easy to slip into the mentality of "I'm doing SO well having this _____ won't hurt that". Well technically that is right but the problem is when you have too many of those ______ is a row/week. I have not gone crazy and completely blown it but just more had some extra treats that were not planned. For example I had TWO extra treats yesterday that were not planned at all. I still wrote them down and accounted for them, but that is not the point. I did not say no when I really didn't need those treats. I like having treats when they are planned for and then I can enjoy them fully.

This morning when I woke up and was lingering in bed (love weekends!) I was doing some mental visualization and positive self talk. I was reminding myself how good it feels to be completely in control and making healthy, wise food choices.

The day is going to be good today as most of what we are eating is at home. Tonight, however, we have a pot luck that we are going to that could pose as being difficult since I don't know what foods will be there to plan ahead. Here is my pot luck strategies:

- don't go hungry. Eat a piece of fruit or starter salad before you go.
- survey all of the food before you pick what you want. Go through the whole table to get a good idea then pick your top choices and take small portions of them.
- drink lots of water before and during your meal to avoid going back up for seconds.
- get some activity before hand so you will feel empowered to make better choices and have burned some extra calories.
- give your self some positive reinforcement before you go. Yes I mean talk out loud to yourself. Are you going to have one piece of dessert? If so, talk yourself through how it will feel when you stick to that! How will it feel if you don't stick to that and eat more than you planned. Ect. 

It also doesn't help that this is a stressful situation to make sure Rylee has food as well. We have to cut up her food ect. My plan of attack for that will be to go through the line once and get Rylee's food (also allowing me to survey the full table) then get her food ready and have my husband watch her while she eats and I will then go get my food. 
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Today the weather is really nice out. It is supposed to be a high of 6 or 7 degrees and looks really sunny. You can bet I will be getting out for a long walk once Rylee get's up from her nap. After church I plan on making a new muffin recipe, doing some cleaning, and meal prep for the week ahead. I got all of my groceries yesterday so my fridge and cupboard is full of healthy food choices. The best place to start is in your own kitchen!

Yesterday evening I spent some time writing out my workout plan for the week. Pair that with a good solid meal plan, I see an awesome week ahead.

On a side note -- I have bought a few new items for summer, all in smaller sizes. My pants are all officially a size 12 now (won't be long until I fit into my size 8 wardrobe!!!)

Talk to you all soon!

Has it been a month already?!

I cringe as I realize it has been almost a month since I wrote last. Life here in our house hold has not been easy this last month let me tell you. I have thought about writing time and time again but that is as far as I got, never actually was able to sit down to do it. So now you get a good catch up post!

I believe I last left you right before our weekend away to Dallas for our company training and HUGE super bowl party. We had a good weekend away and enjoyed seeing all of our fellow team mates and Nutrie family. It was a great chance to meet some new team members as well (even though they aren't actually "new" I just hadn't really met them yet). 

There were a few celebrity athletes there so of course we got some photo ops:

Not a celebrity necessarily - but it's Rylee and Riley!

Marlon Moraes dueling it out with Rylee

Gunter, a.k.a. Mr. Universe and Rylee (the one on the left is from Chicago, the right is from Dallas.)

Celebrity trainer Kim Lyons

Lorenzo Neal, former football star

And my mom who is a star in my books!

One of my things that I have liked for a while now is called PB2. It is basically powdered peanut butter for your protein shakes. I thought to myself, I wonder what happens if I add a bit of water and mix it up. Will it taste like peanut butter? So I gave it a try, and it was REALLY good! Tasted very close to peanut butter although a much lower calorie version! I enjoyed it on my morning oats.

       

When the husbands were on nights, my friend and I did a valentines photoshoot of our daughters. There are some pictures below but let me tell you this is when things started going down hill for us. Rylee cut her first tooth right before Dallas. She was doing pretty well - I'm not sure if that is because of the teething necklace or what, since I really don't have anything to compare it too. So I start thinking, oh this teething thing isn't so bad! Then I see Rylee's second little tooth so close to the surface. She starts becoming increasingly miserable. This lasted for about a week. She got the teething cold and there was so much snot and congestion, my poor little girl could barely breath. Her cold seems to be much less now, thankfully, because I don't know how much longer I could have gone on like that. 

She has changed SO much just in the past few weeks, I don't even think I can list all of the things she has done. It has definitely been a challenge, BUT, her cuteness keeps me going. She has also started taking a few steps on her own here and there so we have been practicing. She's doing pretty well! I know she could go further but she is still unsure so I am not pushing her...well too much anyways. 
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As any home owner knows owning a house comes with necessary improvements that need to be made. Some of them are necessary, others are options. One of the two things that we need to have done out of necessity is our bedroom windows and our front door. They let in so much cold air/let out so much heat. The front door is particularly bad (don't worry we've looked into and it's on the horizon for house projects). However, our friends have this plastic cling wrap stuff that seals off your windows (genius). So we bought some and did our bedroom windows and we noticed a HUGE difference instantly. We are quite happy with these results for now...at least until we can afford to fully replace the windows.
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I have a lot to say still about things that have happened over the last month, but in an effort to keep this post from being a mile long I will save them for later posts (already made notes of them so I don't forget). I will share with you this one last thing. Sean and I decided that we weren't going to go on any vacations this year. Our first goal is to pay off our consumer debt completely (and we have actually even knocked a few months off our expected debt free date so we are right on track!).

Anyways my sister mentioned that she wanted to go to BC (if you know her, you would know that this SHOCKED me) to visit our Nanny and other family that is out there while she has the chance. Since my father in law passed away it has really been front of my mind that we never know how long we have with anyone, especially as they get older. So I decided to use my travel points so that Rylee and I can go out there with Tara to see my Nanny and the rest of my family. 

I have gone out there for the last 7 years so I had come to terms with the fact (sadly) that I just wasn't going to get to go this year. But let's be honest, when the opportunity presented itself AND I had enough miles to cover my ticket I jumped on it! I'm really excited to see everyone again and get to show my sister (who has never been there) around the island and all my favourite places!

Keep posted for some exciting posts to follow over the next few days as I catch you up on the last month of our lives haha!

I'll leave you with this photo of my new FAVOURITE meal: 

Chicken stirfry!!!

Motherhood

It has been a very coldddd week here - temperatures reaching -40 with wind chill. It is the coldest it has ever been here as long as I have been alive. We have been spending a lot more time indoors to prevent Rylee's little skin from getting harmed or her getting sick. I have had some time to do some reading as I recently learned that I can download library books on my iPad. It has been nice to do some reading again which I haven't done in a while. I am really trying to enjoy the last few months of my maternity leave with Rylee and getting in some alone time as well.  





This morning, hubby, Rylee and I went for a quick states run. I needed to get my wedding ring checked and I wanted to get some stuff for Rylee that I have been having a very hard time finding here. I also wanted to go to Hobby Lobby to start collecting some items for Rylee's first birthday party which will be coming up soon! Here is what I have so far:

Rylee has been a lot more active lately, walking around all the time with our fingers, doing an army crawl, pulling herself up on furniture and in her crib so I have really been starting to look into baby proofing the house. I have put plugs in all of the open outlets, we have a stove lock (and will get a fridge one), and we already have baby gates. We keep a close eye on her, but that doesn't mean something can't still happen very fast. I have been doing some research on some things that we need to do in order to baby proof -- including securing all of the book shelves, and dressers in case they topple over on top of her.

I still look at Rylee in awe. I still can't believe that my husband and I created that and in my tummy none-the-less. Even during her worst moments I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love her with every fiber of my being. It is a very hard feeling to put into words as there are just no words that do it justice. We are a little family!

Today I started thinking of all the things I am looking forward to doing with Rylee as she is old, such as picnics, girly days, taking her to the Toronto Zoo, and some day Disney world. I am so lucky and blessed to be given the opportunity to be this beautiful little girls mom.

As most moms do I worry about things that could happen to her. I don't worry excessively or play the "what if" game but I am accutely aware of the fact that we never know how much time we have here on earth. Maybe I am slightly more aware of that because of my job, but I think it is a natural feeling in most moms. That doesn't mean I'm going to bubble wrap the whole house when she starts walking, never let her play on the play ground equipment, or keep her from driving (although I would do all of these things if it wasn't being overbearing). Of course as moms we want to protect our babies but we also need to respect that they need to make mistakes, scrape their knees, and learn how to deal with not always winning. I think that it breaks the hearts of moms every where when this happens but I also think it makes us strong too.

I am quite off topic when it comes to my blog, but I just am so thankful that I have this chance. What can I say?! I love being a mom! I think it was something I was just meant to do.
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I have made some yummy dishes lately:

Grilled Ceaser Salad (pinterest)

Pepper Bruchetta (the movie Julie and Julia)

Cream Spinach and Tomato Pasta (pinterest)

Homemade egg salad which I added avocado to 

And I will leave you with this picture of Rylee. This is what happens when we start to wipe her mouth and hands to signal the end of the food. Too cute!

                   

Oh! I almost forgot! I shared one of the new Tim Horton's Red Velvet cupcakes with Sean today and its was pretty good I must say! I was, however, disapointed in the small amount of frosting in it. By the looks of it there should be the amount that would be in a fruit explosion muffin, but there is only a VERY small amount. It could also just be the one we had.

2014 Goals

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2014 is here! I won't lie and say I saw it come in because I was in bed at 9:45 (I tried to last later honestly I did) and slept right through the entry of it - but that doesn't mean I will sleep through the rest of the year!

I know that making resolutions are very cliche and I really am not one to make resolutions but I am VERY pro goals. I love making new goals, reaching them, changing them as I go along and everything in between. I also love fresh starts, and there are two times a year that tend to be "fresh starts", September and New Years.

It is also the beginning of the first quarter of the year and I am a numbers person and like things to be even so the first of each quarter is also a good time to look at things and set some goals as well as monthly goals.

I do have a few goals that I will share with you:

1. Sean and I will be consumer debt free by the end of this year, possibly sooner, but our goal date is December 31, 2014. 

2. Get back to my goal weight.

3. Rank advance with my company.

I also have two more goals that are private and I don't care to share them on here (as much as I love you all)! 

Goals are great and all but if you don't break them down into a plan and small steps you will NEVER reach them. I have broken down each of my goals and made a list of what I need to do to reach them. I will continue to assess these goals on a monthly basis and change the plan as need be. I think the first of the month is a good time to do so. I have put this in my calendar so that I will remember to reassess them.

I also plan on watching this video often as it is a great reminder to reach for something greater: Motivation Video. 

I have also decided that I need to give up pop, for a few reasons. 

1. I don't want Rylee drinking it and don't feel that it is fair to drink it in front of her when she isn't allowed to have it.

2. There is nothing and I mean NOTHING good for you in pop - both regular and diet pop are FULL of chemicals and sugar and garbage your body does not need. 

I don't drink pop often, mostly when we go to a restaurant, but I was planning on giving it up anyways so I figured I might as well pick today to be day 1. When I am craving something with carbonation I will drink our energe drink which tastes similar to pop but is GOOD FOR ME.

I hope you make some goals to better your life in any way and more importantly make a step by step plan exactly how you will reach them.

Happy New Year again everyone. 

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.

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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 ;)

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!

The beginning of a lifetime...

Yesterday was the wedding that we came to Florida to attend. Sean's couzin Kari was getting married so we made a family trip of it.

As I previously mentioned the weekend started off with a kick off kick ball game on Thursday night. Friday night was the rehearsal dinner. It was at a golf and country club. Rylee hadn't pooped since Sunday and we had been feeding her prunes to try to get things moving for her and no sooner had we pulled into the venue and we heard the poop. When we parked and pulled her out of her car seat --OH BOY! It was up her back, all over the car seat, it was a full blow out (and of course she was already in her outfit). So we stripped her down, cleaned her up, changed her clothes, and washed her outfit in the sink. 

When we got into the room is was SO pretty. Kari's colours were dark purple and silver sparkle, and it looks great! I wish I had gotten a picture of the centre pieces because they were SO pretty but we were caught up in talking with people. For dinner there was a salad bar, pulled pork, chicken, flank steak, mac n' cheese, green beans, and brown beans. What I had was really good:

I went back up for seconds of the salad bar because it was so good. I had a brownie made by the groom's grandmother, and it was very good. There were speeches and then the bride sang a song she had written for the groom it was pretty funny and very much the brides personality.

Saturday morning when we got up Melanie and I (my sister-in-law) went to get our nails done and then we went with our mother-in-law Kathie to all get our hair done.

The wedding was really nice and the bridal party looked great. After the wedding we went to the reception. When we got in the room is was all purple and silver sparkle and looked really nice and well done. We were all very hungry and were high anticipating the food. They had 5 food stations. Salad bar, sliders, french fry station, taco bar, and mac n cheese bar. I started at the taco bar, tried a bit of the mac n cheese, then salad, then a slider, then the fries. They had FUNNEL CAKE FRIES. Oh wow -- they were SO good. It was like a mini stick of an elephant ear. It was a great way to have a little bit of it without having a huge amount. The cupcakes were filled with frosting and they were very good as well. I didn't go way over board but between the two events my extra points are gone (it was all SO well worth it, because it was all very yummy).

                     

I had no idea how much Rylee liked music but during the dance part of the evening she was having SO much fun! She was laughing and laughing as we were all taking turns dancing with her! As Will and Kari began their life together they ran out of the hotel down a sparkler line -- super fun. Over all we had a great time. The theme was pulled together so well from the invitations to the rehearsal dinner, to the wedding, to the reception -- even the washroom was decorated with purple stuff!

                                 

                               

Today I got up and had a shower and we are going to have a lazy day before having our thanksgiving dinner. Sean leaves tomorrow to come home so we are spending as much family time as we can with him.

I'll leave you with a picture Melanie took: