Where I spend hours and hours

When we moved into our house (which we planned and built in 2004) it was a semi-custom home and our first house (we had a townhouse before this). I would have done so much differently if I built again today. Since we have no plans to leave our home we are re-arranging/re-building the house to make it the house we wish we could have had the foresight to think about back in 2004. But now we have 4 kids and not 1 on the way like we did then so life was so very different. 

Our original laundry room was directly off the garage and into a "mudroom." We barely had enough room for a washer and dryer much less room to wash the actual clothes. I didn't understand why the builder would put the laundry room directly into the entry way from the garage to the house. Talk about not practical. Oh and throw a car seat and a diaper bag and there really is not enough room for anything. And then came another kid, and another and another and finally there 4. I had ENOUGH! I spend some much time in the laundry room (workout room comes a close second). And after I had kids there would be laundry in piles sorted and ready to go in the laundry. Not a very pretty entry.

So my hubby and I came up with a brilliant idea to install a laundry room on our second floor. The second floor is so much more practical because that is where the clothes are put when they are clean. No more climbing all the stairs for my countless loads of laundry. We had a large hallway linen closet that backed up to my son's walk in closet. We decided to take his walk in closet and take it away from him. Yes, that's right...a boy doesn't need a walk in closet. So my handy hubby added a closet to his room with framing, drywall and everything else he does that I don't know and bam Tyler has a closet that looks like it was made for his room. So now that he has a closet, we could focus on this wonderful new space for the laundry room.

For years I had envisioned a beautiful image of my 4 kids walking their dirty clothes from their bedrooms or off their bodies and putting them directly in a bin that it belonged in. And let me tell you...it works!! I have a bin for undergarments, whites, blacks, demins, colors (pinks/red/orange) and separate ones for my hubby. Since the kids put their items directly in bins it saves me time since I don't have to sort and then I can just throw a load in! Viola!!

**I originally had lamented tags on the bins but my kids don't need them anymore so I took them off. 

***We had a wonderful local guy build us the custom sorters and cabinets and he stained them. He did an AMAZING JOB and helped my vision come to life. Thank you Tony!

****PS there will be a part 2 of this as I am still working on this room 2 years later. Stay tuned!!

This is HOW we do it

HOW DO WE DO IT? The secret for Shawn and I is our daily Shakeology. I swear it is amazing. Shakeology is your daily dose of dense nutrition. It's simply the most delicious, superfood-packed protein shake on the planet. When we start our day with Shakeology we make better food choices and are less tempted to make unhealthy choices!

All Shakeology flavors are available in an economical bag containing a 30-day supply (or if you are a traveler like my hubby you can get them in a box of packets which are handy for the airport, hotels and the car). Keep it on hand in your kitchen and whip up a tasty, healthy shake any time of day. You can choose a single Shakeology flavor, or alternate flavors for added variety from month to month. Shawn and I both like different flavors so I get a bag of Greenberry and Shawn prefers Chocolate and Tropical Strawberry (both are Vegan and the main ingredient Pea Protein, Oat Protein and Rice Protein). 

Protein and Essential Amino Acids to help build muscle and reduce food cravings*

• Help build and repair muscles
• Reduce hunger and food cravings
• Promote healthy skin, hair, and nails
• Chocolate and Greenberry Shakeology include whey protein isolate, an easily absorbable source of high-quality protein that's ideal for building and maintaining lean muscle mass. Tropical Strawberry and Vegan Chocolate include high-quality plant proteins from brown rice, pea and other sources. Essential amino acids, found in these proteins, help the body repair muscle tissue and heal wounds; and reduce hunger pangs. The protein in all Shakeology products provides a highly bioavailable source of essential amino acids.

Prebiotics, Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes, which aid in improving digestion, regularity, and nutrient absorption*

• Aids digestion
• Support a healthy intestinal tract
• Increase absorption of nutrients
• Shakeology contains many ingredients that are beneficial to the digestive system.
• Prebiotics, natural components of certain plants, help support the "friendly" bacteria in your digestive tract.
• Probiotics are strains of live good bacteria that help with the digestive process. They assist the body in absorbing nutrients and minerals, bring an overall balance to the digestive tract, and help support the immune system.
• Digestive enzymes, from sources such as pineapples and papayas, help your body break down food into its individual components, making the nutrients easier to absorb.

Adaptogens

• Help promote a strong immune system
• Help increase energy
• Help protect the body from stress
• Help balance endocrine hormones and the immune system
• Adaptogens are special herbs that grow in harsh climates and conditions, at high elevations, atop mountains where the soil is rocky and oxygen in the air is thin. Because these plants have to adapt to harsh conditions, they have highly concentrated nutrients that can help your body cope with stress, provide energy, and maintain a strong immune system. Shakeology has a total of 9 adaptogens. Which is more than any other shake out there.

Antioxidants and phytonutrients (plant-sourced ingredients) may help maintain health*

• Help neutralize harmful free radicals
• Help decrease inflammation
• Help maintain the immune system
• Potentially decrease the risk of degenerative diseases
• Many of Shakeology's fruit and vegetable sources have been chosen for their high concentration of healthy natural substances known as phytonutrients, including flavonoids, polyphenols, anthocyanins, and catechins. These substances have antioxidant properties, meaning they help neutralize molecules known as free radicals, which damage cells and may contribute to the aging process. In laboratory tests, phytonutrients have shown promise in helping prevent a wide variety of degenerative conditions.

23 Vitamins and Minerals your body needs to function for optimal health*

• Get a wide range of essential nutrients
• Get your necessary vitamins every day
• Make up for dietary deficiencies
• Most of us don't get the complete range of essential vitamins and minerals in our daily diets. Some important vitamins, such as vitamin C and the B vitamins, are water-soluble, meaning they're flushed out of your body after a short time and need to be replenished regularly. Others, like vitamin E, can be difficult to get enough of in food. Shakeology Chocolate and Greenberry provide all these nutrients in an easy-to-take form, so you never have to worry. (Tropical Strawberry and Vegan Chocolate do not have the vitamin and mineral ingredients added.)

July Coach Spotlight: Ashley Johnson

July Coach Spotlight 

Ashley Johnson

Congratulations to my coach with the prettiest Southern accent Ashley Johnson! Seriously you need to check out her Facebook page and watch some of her videos. You will love listening to the sound of her voice!

I love seeing the physical transformation with her wearing the same shirt. Ashley started with Beachbody as my customer by drinking Shakeology and working out to lose weight after her Doctor gave her a stern talking to after she had gained weight at her annual physical. Ashley decided to join Beachbody originally to save money and get the discount on her monthly Shakeology which she fell in love with after trying. To my surprise Ashley loved Beachbody so much she signed up to be a coach and is growing her own business. She recently got certified to teach Insanity. 

I call Ashley my 21 Day Fix expert. She is so good at sticking to a program, preparing delicious meals that are all Fix approved and helping others with their accountability to the program.



Ashley recently completed the Ultimate Reset program and lost a total of 7.25 inches and 6 pounds. This is not an easy program! It is 3 weeks of clean eating following a specific program that Beachbody created. Ashley was a pro and made each meal look delicious and easy to prepare!

Before weight:134

After weight: 128
Lost total 7.25 inches

Testimonial from Ashley:
"I found I was less stressed during the day and got more rest at night. I am not a morning person, but was able to get up a lot easier in the mornings. I did 30 mins of yoga every morning and this was very refreshing. Found a few recipes that I will use with 21 day fix. Overall, I enjoyed the reset."

Here are her after pictures! Doesn't she look amazing??!!

 If you would like Ashley to help you with your physical or business goals, please connect with her. She is growing her team and would love to have you join her!


Facebook: Ashley Burgess Johnson
Email: anb1234@icloud.com

How to organize your kid closets (or practically anything!)

I cannot believe how many people were interested in my silly project, closet organization. For me it is a fascinating subject. I was the little girl that made lists before going on vacation and enjoy a good home organization project. Nothing makes me happier or puts Mommy in a good mood than an organized home. AND with 4 kids home organization is a must for the house to run smoothly. I have spent countless hours scouring Pinterest and the best organizational sites and I am going to share MY tips with you. I hope this helps!!!

I can help you get your closets (and your life and home) organized too! 

• to start…take a good look at the space you have to work with
• clean first BEFORE you buy anything to organize. I like to only do one home organization job at a time (guilty of trying to do more than one project, getting overwhelmed and stopping). So if I am cleaning child A’s closet I will not go to any other part of the house to organize. It usually takes a good few hours so make sure you have time before you start “making a mess to clean a mess.”
• I usually find empty water bottles, gum wrappers, a candy stash and lots and lots of papers (remind kids are slops!!). They want to save everything. That doesn’t mean you need to!! My recommendation is to get a garbage bag and do this when they are not home. Actually get three garbage bags. One for trash, one for goodwill and one for a pass on bag. The trash is usually pretty easy. I am not emotionally attached to the papers in my kids closets. If it is crumbled up toss it! Writings and drawings sorry kids reading this I toss that too. Once your garbage is picked up than you can start making more piles. Remember you still haven’t bought anything yet. Don’t waste your time and buy prematurely. You will just waste time, money and get frustrated. 

I literally take almost everything out of the closet and start making piles. I usually do a pile for clothes my kids grew out of (Goodwill or pass on bags), laundry pile (yup, my kids are not perfect and I will usually find some dirty things not where they are supposed to be) and then I further sort by dresses, skirts, shirts, etc. I have very large closets in this house so I hang almost everything. If you are lucky to have large closets, I recommend hanging your items. I fold only pajamas, undies, socks (ok, duh, I know you can’t hang these but I want to help even the most beginner get organized), tights, leotards (yup I sort them by gymanstic/tumbling and dance) and bathing suits and cover ups.

Okay now you made a mess on the poor kid’s floor that is probably so overwhelming but don’t fear you can neatly make piles of what will go back inside!!

Now here is where you get to go shopping…first hangers! I know my hubby probably groaned his eyes when I purchased box after box (and a few more boxes) of the black velvet slimline hangers (hey you can buy them at Costco and they are on sale this month July 2015). Buy way more than you think because once you start hanging you will find you need more and more! If your not a Costco member I did see they have a website www.slimhangers.com

There is nothing more visually appealing to the eye than hangers all the same color and shape. I have seen movie star closets and wonder why they have the cheap dry cleaner hangers???

Speaking of hanging take a look at the space you have to work with. I had empty boxes (the blank walls of the closet) when we first moved in essentially. We built this house so it was a blank canvas. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money (well I wanted to but couldn’t when I had 4 kids closets to organize) so we (correction, hubby) went to Home Depot (at my begging, pleading and more begging) to install the white wire racks. They serve the purpose and work inexpensively. Then I bought double bar hanging rods from Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Once you have something to hang your clothes on then hang up everything with your new hangers, racks and rods and see what is left in your space. What do you have to put away or organize? I don’t actually have dressers in most of my kids rooms but I do have cubes. I am a huge cube fan. 

I got these white tall towers from the Container Store. They work fantastic. My only compliant is that you can see through the white mesh. So I am always working to keep them clean. Here is where I keep the following:

-socks

-undies

-tights

-leotards

(yes, I have lots of girls can you tell I haven’t listed boy items)

And then this is where you can get distracted...Don't stop at the closets. Once the kids closets look so good you will want to do your bathroom closets (you will not believe where I got these containers) The Dollar Tree. And the best part is that these items are only $1 each! They have held up for the last two years believe it or not so it is the best $50 I spent. 

Okay, back to the kids closets...I like to have a hanging sectioned “sweater” bag. I typically pick out (here is a time saving tip so pay attention) all the kids clothes on Sunday. I go from room to room to room and pick out everything they need for the day. If they have gym, I make sure they have socks and appropriate gym clothes. Let’s say they have dance that night then I will also get everything out for dance class and put it in the appropriate divided area. I cannot tell you how much time this has save me and helped me realize when items are missing or dirty. I have so many pairs of pjs I can even put pjs for them too in the section.

Now that you are learning my system you are probably realizing I plan everything ahead. The only time this backfires on me is when IL weather get’s confused (mother nature likes to play funny tricks on me and have an 80 degree randomly in October). 


And in case that happens I have their long pants, jeans, long sleeve shirts and everything else that still fits them when the weather changes up on the top of their closet ready in case I need it.

PS. Look at all the Dollar Tree organizers I found on their website that they are selling now:

 

Why the 21 Day Fix containers are a good thing

I really not a huge fan of the 21 Day Fix containers (she just said WHAT...she is a Beachbody Coach and she is saying she is NOT a fan of the containers????) and the reason is (drumroll) because I CAN'T CHEAT!!! I love sneaking bits of food here and there especially desserts No, I am a Beachbody Coach, I am not saying I love sweets. Really, I am not saying this at all. 

I took pictures today (one of the things I ask challengers in my monthly groups to do on occasion) as a way to see what I ate that was good and what could have been improved. Now you can't tell from the pictures, but I am a food nazi meaning I don't like to eat things that have preservatives, chemicals or too many ingredients in them. So I try to make as much as I can or buy organic. I know that nothing is perfect but I try to minimize my exposure to the additives.

Breakfast
The most delicious flavorful french toast. I found this sprouted organic honey wheat flaxseed bread at Costco. All I did was mix up some eggs with milk and dip the bread and then cook with a sprinkle of cinnamon.


Very tasty!! 



Snack
Shakeology with a small banana, frozen pineapple, ice and 1 cup water



Lunch
homemade chicken noodle soup with carrots, celery and whole wheat noodles
salad
zuch bread



Snack
zucchini cookies I made (no really I did not eat 4 of these at least!)


Dinner
grilled cheese
more soup

Where are my veggies? By not using the containers, I realized I didn't get enough veggies. When I use my containers, I make sure that I am getting all the necessary greens that I am supposed to have. Notice that I have too many yellow (bread, pasta and flour in the cookies). OOPS. This is why you probably want to continue to use the container even when you are done with the 21 Day Fix. Or a minimum use them a few days a week so you can make sure you stay on track. That is your tip from Coach Kristina!!

21 Day Fix Recap

I DID IT! 3 weeks of the 21 Day Fix. I have to be honest. I did AMAZING on all the workouts. Didn't miss one (or if I did miss it on the day I made it up at a later time). I wouldn't be able to change one thing on the workouts. 

Now the part that I failed on is the meal plan. I probably used the containers successfully about 50% of the time. I found that I did not lose any inches (except 2 pounds which my body seems to fluctuate up or down). The reason is because I did not strictly follow the meal plan. My problem is when I allow myself to indulge just a little I keep indulging. I haven't yet figured out the just eat a small amount part. 

But when I think back to two years ago I am so proud of how far I have come and my nutrition and diet now. We are about 90% organic and avoid processed food as much as possible. Our garden is thriving and we are expanding it so we can grow over the winter.

I love that this program is only three weeks because I know that this will be one I will try again in the future. 

I took some measurement and I only maintained inches and I know this is because I didn't eat as well as I could have. Those sweets and treats have a way of staying on no matter how much exercise you do. So take it for me...if you are trying to lose weight don't cheat because you are only cheating yourself. 

For now I am going back to my favorite Body Beast!!! 

Fixate Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers

Fixate Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers

I did not grow up eating my vegetables even though my mom sure tried to get me to eat them. I love that I am eating them now and even better that my kids are growing up surrounding by the purest, cleanest and least processed food I can provide for them. We are very fortunate!!

Here is how I made this recipe even easier by prepping ahead of time. After I cut each item I put it in a pyrex in my fridge till I was ready to cook that night:

• wash, slice and remove seeds out of 4 medium bell peppers (yellow, orange or red)
• chop 1 medium onion
• chop 2 gloves of garlic finely
• chop 1.5 lbs of raw boneless, skinless, chicken breast into 3/4 inch pieces
• rinse 1 can of black beans (measure 1 cup for the recipe)
• cook 2 cups quinoa (I purchased Peapod's organic box brand and it was delicious), when cool store
• chop 5 tbsp fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Cut peppers in half and place skin side down in large baking dish (set aside)

3. Heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat

4. add onion and cook about 5 minutes

5. add garlic and cook about a 1 minute

6. add chicken and the following ingredients:

• 1 tsp ground chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper

Cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until chicken is done cooking

7. add 1 cup tomato sauce (I used an organic brand of pasta sauce), quinoa, beans, 1 cup frozen corn, cilantro (save some to garnish cooked peppers with) and 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

8. add 1/2 cup of the mixture to each pepper half.

9. cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes until peppers are tender

10. remove foil and top with cheese and cilantro. Bake till cheese is melted

If you would like to buy this wonderful cookbook please visit my site at Buy Now

21 Day Fix~ Day 20

Why do I have a BIG smile on my face? It is not because I just finished a super challenging 5 mile run on this early Saturday morning (this humidity messes with my head when running and makes me feel super slow!). 

It is because I finished my last 21 Day Fix workout Dirty 30 today!! I will share all about the last 3 weeks on my blog this weekend but love when I finish something I put my mind too! 

That was a tough three weeks. I probably only did the containers about 50-60% of the time but did the workouts 100%. I am going to do a blog post on my whole experience to help you when you are doing the program! And my fun thing is I am going to keep making more recipes from the Fixate cookbook so stay tuned!!!

21 Day Fix~Day 19

I LOVED the Peapod delivery. I only had a problem with one item and truthfully it was an item I should have ordered in the first place because (can you guess what it is). Yup, donuts. They were good but not great! I know Peapod has wonderful customer service and will refund me for the donuts that were a melty icky mess. Aside from the donuts the meat and produce looked and tasted fantastic. The only thing that I would advise not getting was the lunch meat. It is the organic Applegate lunch meat and it was a rip off considering the small amount that I received.

I woke up today just wanting to stay in bed. I made myself go for a 2 mile run (yes, it was supposed to be 3 miles but it at 7:30 am it was already so hot out). I just couldn't do it. 2 miles was fine! Next up was Cardio Fix. Something thing, really didn't want to do the workout but I felt so much better when I did. No lies here, it was hard today. Burpees, lunges, squats, side obliques. Don't you always feel better when it is completed though! I was dreaming about that donut the whole time I worked out. How bad is that? I am the most honest person and I am not going to lie so I will tell you I MADE myself NOT have it (yet). Today was our weekly chiropractor adjustment so after that we went on a 2 mile walk and then it was time for the donut (really didn't taste that great). 

The Fix is designed to be a 3 week workout. The number one problem I hear from people is that they continue to do it over and over and over. Their bodies plateau and get too used to the program. You need to confuse your muscles and switch it up. When it becomes easy you need to make it hard. 

Choose your hard!

If you are looking for a sign to become a Coach to help others achieve their fitness and financial goals I am your girl to contact! I am a busy mom to 4 kids and excellent at time management and organization. I can help you take your business from ground up to the Star Diamond Level and beyond! 

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

Fixate: Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

The cool weather will be here right around the corner and I want to be prepared with some new healthy fall weather recipes. As I am cooking this today it is a 90 degree day in the summer but it was so delicious I am picturing the fall leaves sprinkling the ground and this soup simmering on my stove. 

My goal is to try making meals I haven't tried before that are healthy (without my kids even knowing it). This was a success!!!! My daughter and her friend spending the night gobbled this up and asked for seconds. This will be on my new meal plan rotation!

I liked this recipe because I had a favorite chicken tortilla recipe but it was full of sodium canned soups. I needed something healthy and fresh. This tasted so healthy you cannot help but feel great after you eat it! I paired it with toasted grilled cheese.

 One of my biggest challenges in cooking new meals is having all the ingredients that I need to make a new recipe. Enter Peapod. I was able to shop online and they had a HUGE selection of organic ingredients. My closest Whole Foods is 45 minutes away each way so Peapod was a much easier option.

If you are interested in trying recipes from the Fixate it is available for purchase Buy Now

 The night before I got everything out and looked at the recipe. You can cook this up ahead of time and then re-heat for your meal. I also had leftovers and was able to freeze some for next week.

 My tips to make this meal quickly:

• get all the ingredients listed out
• wash, chop and measure out ahead of time

1) preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) bake tortillas for 10 minutes until crispy, cool and then break into pieces. Put 1/2 aside.

3. heat oil on medium heat

4. add onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently

5. Add garlic, cook, for 1 minute, stirring

6. add tomatoes, cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes 

7. add mixture, 2 cups broth and 1/2 of the toasted tortillas to a blender and blend until smooth

8. add blended mixture to pot. add 4 cups broth, chicken, carrots, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper and cook until carrots are tender.

9. optional: top with avocado, cilantro, cheese and tortilla pieces (I didn't do this. I just added cheddar cheese).

Ingredients:

• 8- 6 inch corn tortillos
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cups sliced celery (4 medium stalks)
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 6 cups low sodium organic chicken broth
• 3 cups cooked boneless, skinless chicken
• 1 1/2 cup sliced carrots (about 3 medium)
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano leaves (I couldn't find these so I just used regular oregano)
• 1 tsp ground chili powder
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 medium avocado chopped
• 1/4 chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 tsp cheese
• This recipe is from Autumn Calabrese's Fixate

21 Day Fix~Day 18

How many of you love to buy organic food? But do you live in an area where it is not easy or convenient for find? Well enter Peapod. I am trying them today for the first time with a huge organic order. I am excited to see how the selection of fruits and veggies I picked out arrives. They even had a free delivery offer through September so it was a very good deal. The prices were comparable or maybe a $1 or $2 more but since I am saving on delivery it was worth it. 

Day 18 Thursday is Pilates Fix. Love working that core! 

I "trained" my son when he was young to come with me and relax in my arms when I get a foot massage. Since all my kids are in camp, except him, this week I decided to treat myself to a massage. Today was no exception and he was fantastic. He fell asleep 5 minutes in and this Mommy got to relax!

Since it was a rest and recovery day I took a 2 mile walk with him in the morning (I don't know about you but all those mosquitos we had in Illinois and so much rain caused me to get out of the routine of my daily 2 mile walks). I am getting back in the habit again which feels so good. 

While my kids were in dance this evening and my hubby watched my two little ones I decided to sneak in some activity of my own. I decided to rollerblade which I haven't done in awhile. So much fun and I felt 16 again!

Stay tuned till tomorrow and I will let you know how the Peapod food is. Still waiting for it to be delivered.

Blender recommendation

I get asked all the time how I make my delicious (just like Wendy's frosty's or Oberweis shakes) Shakeology. The answer is simple. You need a fantastic blender. I know plenty of people who can shake their Shakeology in a shaker cup but sorry I am NOT one of those people. I need ice, water and some frozen fruit. That is where my updated Blendtech Blender comes in. This baby is expensive but absolutely worth the investment. I bought mine off Amazon. It has an electric control panel and guarantees you cannot mess up your healthiest meal of the day! 

21 Day Fix~Day 17

Most of the time I like to put my Beachbody workouts on mute (sorry celebrity trainers I don't listen to you); however, there is one trainer I actually really enjoy listening to. It is Autumn Calabrese creator of the 21 Day Fix. 

She has such motivating and positive comments you cannot help but try a little harder and I cannot help but feel great about yourself. I like her comment, "change nothing and nothing changes." Ugh, just when I need some extra motivation to work harder on my healthy eating. I am so dying to make something "bad" for me. I keep repeating this in my head. And having to get in a bikini at the pool helps too! Thank goodness for summer weather!

So we are on Day 17 of the 21 Day Fix. If you have to pick between working out or eating healthy I am going to have to say eating healthy is more important. A few years ago I would have been the first to choice the opposite. 

Another favorite of mine that Autumn say's is "the only person you are cheating is yourself." Sad but true! So I guess I will hold off on making the blueberry muffins and brownies I am craving.

I love days when I can hop out of bed and be ready to workout. Lower fix was done successfully by 8:00 am. Didn’t have the best breakfast today but it was a kid request. Chocolate chip Bisquick pancakes with sausage. I didn’t plan on counting containers today but let’s estimate 2 yellow and a 1 container for that indulgence. I tried to work it off with a 1.5 mile walk before my sister came. Since the weather was gorgeous we decided to hit the trails (really just the black paved path behind my house). We crushed an hour walk and got caught up. We love walking and talking!

When I needed to pick the kids up from camp, I was totally caught in a moment of weakness today. I knew I had a busy day but didn’t make sandwiches ahead of time. My plan was to stop at Subway to pick up lunch (groceries are getting low, darn kids eat everything in notime!). But I was being lazy and didn’t want to get out of the car with 4 kids (shame on me for being lazy) so (gasp) I let myself (no actually it was me that talked the kids into it) getting the fast food restaurant I always criticize the most. I will give you a clue, it has big yellow arches and starts with an M. I know I a shocked (gasp again) that I pulled through this drive thru.

=

Why can’t more “fast food” restaurants come up with healthier and easier food options for a mom on the go that doesn’t want to get her kids out of the car.

Okay, so it happened and I inhaled a quarter pounder meal complete with 2 chocolate chip cookies. Just so you know the damage I consumed, 410 calories for the burger and 350 for the fries. Plus I had the cookies (probably 400 calories) and some coke (maybe 150 calories). Kinda, no definitely gross for lunch. I roughly had 1,000 calories at lunch.

Here is what I DO consider a success. I will let you in on a little secret about me. When I pregnant with Kaitlyn the only thing I could eat without throwing up was McDonald's. I have no idea why (I was not health conscious then so if I knew what I knew now I could have made so many better choices. I am not saying every meal was McDonald's but I am telling you I didn't have a salad a day). What I am PROUD of is how far I have come and that McDonald's is a once in a blue moon occasion and not a weekly trip. Go Mommy!

Okay, calories are consumer and then off to library, voice lessons and the pool. EXCEPT…my stomach started gurgling, screaming at me, threatening to explode while yelling at me to shout what did I eat for lunch?? I think the kids felt little bit the same way because everyone had stomache aches (lesson learned at this point, should have skipped the arches). After a TMI bathroom break for me I could tell Tyler’s tummy was hurting too. As I am finished checking out library books little voice says, “I have something in my pants sticking out.” That is never a good thing to hear and I immediately knows what that means. So we rush to the bathroom, toss undies and thank the gods that we have bathing suits in the car to change into. We finally got time to enjoy the beautiful sunshine at the pool!

Dinner was Shakeology with Power Green Boost to the rescue. I loaded it up tonight to try to erase the bad lunch choice. 

Dinner:

Shakeology (1 red)

Power Green Boost (1 scoop)

Pineapple (1 purple)

Banana (1 purple)

lots of ice

Not the worst eating day but not my greatest day. You are what you eat and today I was a spare tire. Will do better tomorrow!

I used Peapod tonight to order groceries for the weekend. They had a lot of great organic choices and I got all the ingredients (I hope) that I need to make a bunch of recipes from the new Fixate cookbook. I will let you know when I make them and how it goes.