My 2 year hiatus, explained

January 2019. That is the last time I updated this blog.

I knew it had been a long time, but I didn’t realize it had been 2 full years. Whoops!

I’ve been thinking the past few weeks about how much I miss writing and how I wanted to get back into blogging as an outlet for myself, and realizing how long it has been since I have utilized this creativity helped me understand why I’ve been missing it so much.

Now, I want to help you (and myself) understand where I’ve been for 2 years.

The last time I blogged, it was a few weeks before I had our second baby, Annabelle. She ended up being breech and I ended up getting a c-section, which was frankly pretty traumatic for a lot of reasons. She and I were both healthy, but it was a struggle those few days in the hospital. I was in a lot of pain and I was struggling to bond with my baby, which of course made me feel like a terrible mom. Then, a week after she was born, I got some kind of flu-like virus and had to just rest. Once I got some actual sleep that night (thanks mom), I woke up the next day feeling literally like a brand new person and like a new mom, too.

It was a start in the right direction, but for the most part that rocky start just stayed rocky. The transition to two kids was HARD. It was so hard for me. Some people had told me their own transition to two kids was easier than their first, and I am jealous of all of those people. I struggled so much with balancing how much both of my kids needed me–Annabelle needed me physically and required so much energy as a newborn (and was so fussy for the first 5 or 6 months of her life). Liam was adjusting to not being an only child and while he was (and still is) so sweet with his sister, he wants all of my attention all of the time. For the first 6 months of A’s life, I felt like all I did was feed children and try to get them to stop crying. It was exhausting.

The second 6 months of her life, Annabelle became so much more pleasant and easy-going, thank God. But as we transitioned out of her fussy newborn stage, we transitioned into Liam starting kindergarten and everyone in the family being sick for about 5 straight months. I wish I were exaggerating, but that is literally what happened–at least one person in my house was sick every single week from mid-October 2019 until mid-March of 2020. We had ear infections, sinus infections, strep, croup, common colds, coughs, stomach bugs (yes, bugs plural), and the flu. Robbie and I were lucky enough to get the actual flu the week before schools and life shut down for COVID in March 2020.

So when the pandemic hit earlier this year, I was already at a severe mental and emotional deficit. I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and resentful of how relentless life was feeling. Needless to say, the pandemic has exacerbated those feelings; losing the support system of school and daycare, not seeing our family for weeks at a time, becoming a stand-in teacher to help my son with schoolwork, and helping Annabelle through several delays we’ve discovered have been more than a struggle.

It actually makes me laugh to think about it. Last year, I told Robbie that my focus word for 2019 had been “thrive” because I knew it was going to be a year of changes and transitions and I really wanted to thrive through it. In December of 2019, I did not feel like I was thriving in any way, shape, or form–I was barely hanging on. I told him that I wanted to make “thrive” my focus word for 2020 as well (oh, how that makes me laugh today). In his wise way, Robbie told me that he wished I could see myself the way he saw me, and that I was doing a great job–he suggested I make my word “acceptance” for 2020 and stop being so hard on myself. Maybe he’s psychic.

As I look forward to the end of 2020, year of the dumpster fire, that’s what I’m trying to do: accept the curveballs life has thrown at all of us, accept that I’m doing the best that I can under the circumstances I’m in, and accept that this is just a season that will pass. It’s easier said than done, but it’s a mindset shift I’ve been working on since March and will have to keep working on as the pandemic rages on and the beginning of 2021 looks to be much of the same.

So, that’s where I’ve been. I needed to take some things off of my plate these past 2 years, and writing was one of the simplest things to remove. But now that I’m missing being creative in this way and missing sharing my thoughts here, I’m excited to get back into it. 2021 is going to be a year of resting, repairing, and rebuilding, and this site will be included in that.

Thanks for sticking it out with me.

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

If you know me at all, you know I love sweets.  I’m all about simple recipes for sweet treats that I can enjoy and not feel guilty about.  When I saw these Banana Oatmeal Cookies, I knew they would be perfect for the freezer in prepping for our girl to arrive.  They are sweet, they are carbs to help boost milk supply for me, and I don’t feel bad about indulging because I know exactly what’s in them.

This is an adapted recipe–the original calls for raisins (which, I mean, if you could have chocolate chips instead of raisins, that’s always a good call) and walnuts, which my kiddo is allergic to.  So I’ve changed just a couple of things to make these safe for him and more likely that he’ll eat them too!

Enjoy!

Banana Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from Fixate)

1 cup dry old-fashioned rolled oats, gluten-free

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)

2 medium ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Lightly coat large baking sheet with spray. Set aside.

Combine oats, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; mix well. Add bananas and chocolate chips; mix well.

Drop by rounded Tbsp. onto prepared baking sheet to form 16 cookies; flatten cookies with a spatula. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes or until firm.

**For my container friends, 1 cookie is 1 yellow and works as a refeed option for 80 Day Obsession!

Healthy Freezer Meal Options

With a baby coming sooner rather than later, I wanted to make sure I had some healthy meal options for the freezer.  Lord knows I’m not cooking for a bit, and my husband probably won’t be feeling up to it either!  We are blessed with a great church family who have already told us they’ll be setting up a meal train (woot woot!), but I wanted to have some options for our freezer, as well.

• Cauliflower crust pizza–we love the CauliPower brand!  It’s easy, it’s pizza, my kiddo will eat it without fighting us on it, and it makes me feel better than other frozen pizzas.
• These blueberry muffins–now that we know my kiddo is allergic to tree nuts, we don’t use almond flour and just sub in gluten free flour.  These muffins are healthy and filling as a breakfast or a quick snack.
• Gluten free waffles–we love these blueberry waffles and they work for breakfast or a quick dinner
• Homemade burger buns–these aren’t “healthy” per se, but they taste amazing, I know what’s in them, and we can use them for all kinds of sandwiches
• Tomato sauce–yes I use canned sauce too, but this sauce is flavorful and perfect for our favorite sloppy joes!
• Black bean soup–you can make a batch, and freeze in individual servings or in servings of 2-4.  This is true for any soup!
• Italian Pork Roast–this is a recipe I’ll prep beforehand, put in the freezer, and then dump into the crockpot to eat that night.
• Maple Mustard Chicken and Potatoes–again, prep beforehand, keep in freezer, then cook in crockpot.
• Chicken Fajitas–prep, freezer, crockpot.  Sensing a theme here?
• There are 3 weeks worth of slow cooker recipes on this blog!

If you prep meals ahead of time to cook in the crockpot later, be sure you clearly write on the baggie to label what the meal is, how long it needs to cook, and when you prepped the meal.  Those meals are good in the freezer for 3 months.

What are your go-to freezer staples?  I’d love to get a few more ideas before it’s baby time!

Keeping It Simple

If you follow me on Instagram and watch my stories, you probably see me posting the same meals over and over again.

I tend to eat the same meals when I find something I like. I make my shake the same way almost every day.  I buy the same foods at the grocery week after week.  I saute some spinach to put over toast for breakfast and eat some yogurt or some cottage cheese with it.  For some people, it seems boring to eat the same things all the time, but for me, it’s a necessity!

Whether you’re 34 weeks pregnant like me, or just someone who’s busy and doesn’t want to spend a lot of time each week and each day figuring out what to eat, keeping it simple helps SO MUCH.

Here’s how I try to simplify eating healthy:

• I create different meal options for me to choose from throughout my day.  I make sure each meal has a serving of protein, veggies, and carbs.  I spread out fruit throughout the day, and add in healthy fats as well.  I use my container system and current weight to figure out how many servings of each type of food I need, especially to ensure I’m eating enough during pregnancy and nursing.
• For example, this is a sample of the types of meals I’ve created in the past to choose from:
  • Spinach sauteed in coconut oil on Ezekiel toast, and Greek yogurt with fresh berries
  • My daily shake with banana, PB2, coconut flakes, flax milk, baby spinach, water, and ice
  • Baby carrots with hummus, a pear, and Ezekiel toast with coconut oil
  • A dinner option, like my family’s favorite sloppy joes

When I find simple meals that I like and taste good, I stick with it like white on rice.  Especially preparing to have my second kiddo and become a momma to a newborn and a 5 year old, I need to not think much about what I’m eating.  I also need to make sure I’ve got healthy meal options so I’m not eating Lucky Charms and Oreos all day long.  It keeps me sane, it keeps me healthy, and it helps me continue to feel awesome even as I’m gaining weight and getting bigger the closer I get to delivery!

If you are someone who needs to mix it up more with your food but still wants to keep it simple, you can approach your planning a couple of different ways.  You can either create all new menus each week, or you can plan for a certain menu Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Sunday and another menu Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday.  It will probably take some trial and error for you to figure out what kind of planning system works for you, and to find meals that you really enjoy!

Be sure to search through my site to find different recipe options–there are lots of meals on here to choose from and experiment with!

Pregnancy: 2nd Trimester Update

It’s been a while since I’ve done a pregnancy update–aka I haven’t done one since I announced I was pregnant on the blog at the end of my first trimester.  Ha!

2nd trimester was much better than the 1st tri.  My dizziness went away completely by the time I hit 20 weeks, and by 23ish weeks my fatigue was a lot better, too.  I was able to pick up my workouts again and stay active, which has been so nice.  I need that movement for my sanity!  We found out we are having a little girl, which is very exciting.  I’m still dealing with all the pregnancy yuck of hormones, an achy back, and general fatigue, but I’m feeling much better compared to my first trimester AND to how I felt when I was pregnant with Liam.

Utilizing my resources this time around with my workouts, trying to eat healthy, going to therapy, and staying on my medicine (with my doctor’s approval) has made a huge difference for me. I’ve been drinking my Shakeology every day since I started my second trimester and got over all the nausea I was having, and it has been helping my pregnancy digestion issues, my energy, and getting good nutrition in.  Such a lifesaver!  I vividly remember how depressed and insane I felt during my pregnancy 5 years ago and I am very thankful to not be feeling that way right now!

All that being said, I am making some changes during my third trimester.  I have been making much more of an effort to be healthy this pregnancy, but I didn’t eat as healthfully as I could have/should have during my 2nd trimester and gained more weight than I wanted to.  Now, I am a short lady with a tiny torso, so there’s not much room for baby girl to grow except OUT, and I held on to a TON of water when I was pregnant with Liam: I recognize that my body is probably just going to hold on to weight regardless of what I do.  But I also recognize that I could be doing a lot more to help slow that weight gain down.  I’m being more intentional about my food and focusing on veggies more and not eating fried things (sorry Joella’s and Chick-Fil-A–I still love you).  At the beginning of this trimester I had a goal of gaining 10 lbs during this 12 weeks, so we’ll see if my body cooperates with my efforts!

I’m still staying active–I’ve got some amazing 20 minute workouts lined up for the end of my trimester.  I’m planning on modifying all the things and just keeping it moving, taking rest days when I need to, as long as my doctor is still okay with it. I worked as a teacher up until the day I went into labor with my son, so I feel comfortable with continuing my workouts up until labor too!

I’m excited to give you my final pregnancy update–because then I won’t be pregnant anymore and will have a new baby to share!

I’m also working on a pregnancy guide, so stay tuned for that!

Holiday Tips + How to Start 2019 Strong!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  It’s also super busy, kind of stressful, and full of tempting treats all around.

For some people, thinking about their health during this time of year seems weird, but for me it’s the time of year when I decided to get serious about my health 4 years ago.  It’s also the time of year that I gained the most weight during my pregnancy with Liam.  I didn’t feel good in my clothes, I felt like I needed to hide myself in family photos, and I had a hard time enjoying the holidays–even though it was my son’s first Christmas–because I was tired, uncomfortable, and self-conscious.

Maybe you are feeling the same way.  Here are a few tips to get through the holiday season without completely giving up on your health goals.

• First, relax.  You are allowed to enjoy the holidays guilt-free.  Whatever you decide to do with your health and fitness, OWN IT.  Don’t wish you did something different.  Really be honest with yourself about what you want, and go for it!
• Drink your water!  Stay away from sodas and cocktails as much as possible–save those for your parties.  Drink up with your water to stay hydrated and keep your body working the way it’s supposed to.
• Eat healthfully throughout the week!  You don’t have to deprive yourself of your traditional holiday foods that you look forward to, but you also don’t have to eat crap all day every day.  Keep plenty of veggies handy, and make it a point to eat mostly veggies throughout your day.  Keep satisfied with lean proteins and be careful about what carbs you want to have so you don’t overdo it.
• Stay moving!  Keep up with a fitness routine throughout the holidays.  If you’ll be traveling on Christmas Day, plan for that to be a rest day and schedule in your workouts for the rest of the week.  For me, working out on the holiday makes me feel more energized and less guilty about indulging!
• Plan ahead.  Not just for your workouts, but for your food!  Do what you can to make sure you have a healthy options, whether that means grabbing some hummus and baby carrots at the store when you’re on the road, making a healthy option to take to your family gathering, or planning out what you’re going to indulge in beforehand so you feel prepared and confident in your choices.

And you need to plan ahead for 2019, too!  January 1st will be here before we know it, and whether or not you’re ready to tackle your health.  I’ve already got my plan of attack for 2019: obviously I’ll be finishing up my pregnancy and then taking a hiatus from fitness, but I already have a new program lined up to get me to delivery!  20 minutes a day and no equipment?  I think I can handle that!  Plus, that is very manageable for after the baby as well once I’m cleared to work out again.  I’ll also be following the same eating plan I’m currently doing–no measuring any portions to make sure I’m eating enough for baby now and for breastfeeding later, but focusing on the quality of nutrition that I’m eating to stay as healthy as possible.

If 20 minute workouts without any required equipment sounds up your alley, click this link and we can chat! I’m hosting a test group for this new program and I have room for 10 new clients–don’t miss out!

 

And just like that, I’m a Food Allergy Mom

A few weeks ago, Robbie was out of town and Liam and I went to dinner with my parents.  They had some little brownie bites (the size of a mini muffin) that I used to bribe him to use the bathroom before we left to drive home.  I have no shame in that bribing game.  Once we were in the car and driving, he took one or two little bites of the brownie and said it made his tongue and mouth feel weird.  I took a bite of mine and realized there were chopped walnuts in it.  It concerned me, for sure, but I also kind of thought that since he doesn’t like nuts, that Liam was just making an excuse to not eat it.  I actually drove with the interior lights on because it was dark out and I wanted to be sure I could see him if he got hives or something.  He didn’t, everything was good, and then I forgot about it.

Cut to a few weeks later: we went to Liam’s already-scheduled allergy appointment to check on the progress with the allergy drops we started with him this year.  I mentioned the brownie incident, we had a skin test, and long story short: Liam is allergic to tree nuts.

We were kind of shocked at the diagnosis.  He doesn’t like nuts in general and just doesn’t eat them, so thank God he’s never had a severe reaction.  In fact, we don’t even know if he’s had a reaction at all before the brownie, but I’m thinking that he has been reacting mildly and just didn’t know how to express it.  He has eaten some things that he described as “spicy” that shouldn’t have been at all, and it’s likely that it was something I cooked with almond flour or almond milk.  In fact, some of the recipes I’ve shared on this blog that use almond flour (like blueberry muffins) he suddenly said he didn’t like anymore.  I thought he was just being picky, but now I wonder if he was having reactions and just couldn’t tell me.

I’ve spent the past couple of weeks doing all the research I can about tree nut allergies, and let me tell you, it is some scary stuff.  I cannot tell you how thankful I am that Liam hasn’t gone into anaphylaxis or had severe reactions before we knew he was allergic.  I am so thankful that the only allergy we have so far is tree nuts and not more of the top 8 allergens.  And I’m thankful that as of now, we don’t have to worry about “shared lines” or products that may be processed in a plant that also processes tree nuts.  But, we still had to make a few changes.

• I actually had some chopped walnuts and pecans from some dishes I made at Thanksgiving (dishes that thankfully Liam didn’t eat), so I threw that out.  Walnuts were the tree nut that Liam had the biggest reaction to.
• I had some treats in the freezer that I had made with almond flour that I threw out.
• I had some almond milk in the fridge that I threw out.  I’m basically the only person who drinks it, but when we run out of dairy milk we use my almond milk for cereal and French toast.  It’s best to just not have it in the house!
• I threw out the raw almonds and almond flour from the pantry.
• I checked all the labels of the crackers and snacks that we have in the pantry, and the sauces we have in the fridge, to make sure it was all nut-free and good to go.

So I cleaned everything out of the house, and got a couple of substitutions for what I got rid of.

• I already had regular flour and gluten-free flour at home, so I’ll use those instead of almond flour.
• I got some coconut milk to replace the almond milk, but APPARENTLY coconuts count as a tree nut even though they are a fruit.  Insert eyeroll here.
• So now I am trying flax milk.  The jury is still out as to whether it’s a hit.

We are definitely still learning–a day after his diagnosis we went to the store and got Honey Nut Cheerios, not thinking a thing of it.  It wasn’t until a couple of hours later (before Liam had a chance to eat any) that I realized DUH THERE ARE ALMONDS IN THIS CEREAL.  It’s even in the name!  But we’re learning.

Stay tuned for some nut-free treats and meals as we continue to navigate this new part of our lives!

**Just in case you need to do some research about food allergies yourself, you can check out American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology or Food Allergy Research & Education.

Healthier Beef and Broccoli

I LOVE all types of Asian foods–takeout, sushi, egg rolls, pad Thai: it’s all amazing to me!  When I saw this recipe for a healthy version of beef and broccoli, I was PUMPED.  I’m always looking for healthier versions of unhealthy foods I love.

Right off the bat, I knew this recipe would be really simple to modify if I wanted to.  I’m honestly not the biggest fan of cooked broccoli and my boys don’t love it either, so I knew that if I were going to make this and have a shot at it being successful with the whole family that I needed to substitute a different veggie.  I opted for coleslaw mix and it worked really well!  I used 4 cups of slaw mix and since cabbage cooks down and shrinks, it didn’t make 4 full servings like the recipe says.  Next time I’ll add in some more slaw mix so there are 4 full servings after cooking.

Another really simple modification you can make is the protein: not everyone loves steak (I’m usually one of them!).  It can be really chewy and dry if you overcook it, especially when cut into pieces.  You can make this with chicken, shrimp, ground turkey, or any other protein you like.  As long as you’ve got the sauce, it will be good!

You can also add some brown rice to add a little more volume to your meal or to add some carbs if you wanted to eat this as a lunch.  Carbs are your friend for lunch to give you energy to get through the rest of the day!

Enjoy!

Healthier Beef and Broccoli (from Ilana Muhlstein)

¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

6 Tbsp. water, divided use

2 Tbsp. corn starch, divided use

1 Tbsp. raw honey

1 lb. raw top sirloin beef, trimmed of fat and sliced into ½-inch thick pieces

1 tsp. coconut oil

4 cups broccoli florets

2 medium bell peppers, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 thin slice fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped OR 1/2 tsp ground ginger

 

Combine soy sauce, 4 Tbsp. water, 1 Tbsp. corn starch, and honey in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside.

Combine remaining 1 Tbsp. cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. water in a large bowl; mix well. Add beef. Toss gently to coat.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. 

Add beef; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from skillet, keep warm.

Add broccoli, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes. Place broccoli mixture in beef bowl.

Add soy sauce mixture to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 30 seconds, or until thickened.

Return beef and broccoli mixture to skillet; cook, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until well mixed and heated through.  Serve immediately.

(Simple and Clean!) Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

 

When it’s cold outside and you’re 24 weeks pregnant, you want ALL the comfort foods!  Sometimes I give in to my cravings and have some not-healthy food, but I’m really working hard at staying healthy this pregnancy, so I need some healthy options at the ready.

Enter this soup.

It’s hearty, it’s healthy, it’s filling, and it’s simple to make.  All good things for me right now!

The recipe calls for whole wheat pasta which is what I normally get, but I had a coupon for a different type of pasta that you see in the picture.  Whole wheat or gluten free are my top choices, but any pasta you like will do.  I also left out the cilantro because I didn’t want to buy a whole bunch just for this soup, but I love cilantro so I’m sure it’s a great addition!

For the chicken, I bought a family pack of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and cooked them all in the crockpot on high for 4 hours with some olive oil and Trader Joe’s Garlic Salt Seasoning.  I just shredded up half of it for this recipe and half for another recipe, no measuring.

Enjoy!

(Simple and Clean!) Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup (from Fixate)

2 tsp. olive oil

½ cup chopped onion (approx. ¾ medium)

2 cups sliced celery (approx. 5 medium stalks)

8 cups low-sodium organic chicken broth

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves

½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)

½ tsp. ground black pepper

1½ cups sliced carrots (approx. 2 medium)

1¼ cups dry whole wheat pasta

3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast, boneless, skinless

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until onion is translucent.

Add broth, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, over high heat, stirring occasionally.  Add carrots and pasta; boil, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Remove from heat.

Add chicken and cilantro; mix well.

This serves 8, with each serving being about 1.5 cups.  For my container peeps, each serving is 1 green, 1/2 red, and 1 yellow!

Enjoy!

Crunchy Veggie Hummus Wraps

 

Being pregnant means I am hungry ALL THE TIME.  And since I’m staying active and working out during my pregnancy, I’m pretty sure that makes me hungrier than usual!  I am all about quick and easy small meals that are healthy so I can keep from getting too hungry and hangry, and so eating smaller amounts at a time will help me not suffer from that dreaded pregnancy acid reflux.  It’s truly the worst.

This recipe has been my jam for the past couple of weeks!  It’s simple, fast, and full of healthy nutrients for me and the babe.  If you prep the veggies ahead of time and keep them sliced in the fridge for the week, it makes it very simple to make!

In the name of ease, I sliced a whole avocado, tossed it with the juice of half a lemon, and added parsley, salt, and pepper, and just kept it in the fridge for a couple of days before it got too browned.  The lemon juice helps it not brown, but it doesn’t completely prevent it.

For me as a pregnant person, this is a good snack by itself.  It doesn’t have much in the way of protein, so I wouldn’t count it as a full meal by itself.  I recommend adding some protein to this (or on the side) to make it more well-rounded as a meal!

You could also substitute different crunchy veggies if you wanted–sliced radishes would add a nice kick!

Crunchy Veggie Hummus Wraps (adapted from Beachbody)

1 multigrain tortilla wrap (I use the Flat Out brand)

2 tbsp hummus in the flavor of your choice

1/3 cup sliced red pepper

1/3 cup shredded carrot

1/3 cup sliced cucumber (sliced into matchstick pieces, not rounds for easier folding)

1/4 avocado, sliced

1 tbsp lemon juice

Parsley to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Slice the avocado and toss with the lemon juice, parsley, and salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Lay wrap flat on prep surface/plate.  Spread hummus evenly on wrap.

On one half of the wrap, place cucumber slices, then layer with carrots and red pepper slices.  Top with avocado slices.

Fold wrap over to be either taco style or burrito style, whatever’s your jam.

Enjoy!

 

For my container people, I am not 100% certain about the wrap, but I counted this as one green, one blue, and 1 yellow.