Halloween Time

So here we are. Tomorrow is Halloween night. The night you kids get dressed up and go trick or treating. They get a ton of candy. The get more than they will ever eat on their own.  They only eat their favorites and then the rest sits on your kitchen counter to tempt you. How can you overcome the temptation?

A's First Halloween 2009 (one month old)

I know for me if it is out of sight it is out of mind. I will usually put all the candy into one community bowl and then hide it in the pantry. If it isn't eaten by my kids in a week I have my husband take it into work and leave it in the break room. This way the kids get some of their "treat" and I don't have the temptation.

Halloween 2012

IT also seems that if you do work in an office that the candy is everywhere you look. A challenger in one of my groups yesterday posted that she sits right outside the break room at work. There was a big bowl of candy on the counter. She kept moving it to the fridge. One of her colleagues kept moving it back to the counter. She finally got up and moved the bowl to the reception desk so that person had to look at it all day.

Make sure you have your own snacks ready in your desk. Make sure you are drinking enough water. Make sure to eat your protein. It will help keep you fuller for longer. Don't forget to eat your good carbs! 

Did you know that some dental offices will buy back your Halloween candy? You can go to www.halloweencandybuyback.com to find a place near you. In Erie these two places buy back candy:

Beautiful Smiles
3219 Peach Street
Erie, PA, 16508
Phone: (814) 455-2158
Email: jodib@beautifulsmileserie.com
www.BeautifulSmilesErie.com

Doleski & Wolford Orthodontics
3230 West 38th Street
Erie, PA, 16506
Phone: (814) 835-3888
Email: smiles@doleskiwolfordortho.com
www.doleskiwolfordortho.com

They pay $1 for every pound of candy brought in. They use this candy to send for Operation Gratitude for our troops. This is a great way to get rid of that unwanted candy.

Did you realize how much you kill your clean eating by eating just one fun size candy bar?

They may be small but you have to do a lot of exercise to negate the calories from just one little bar. You also give yourself a sugar rush. Since we've been clean eating for 8 months now I know by eating just one of these small bars I get a wicked headache as my body is no longer craving the sugar.

Alternatively you can eat just one piece of candy as your cheat for the week. Most people cannot stop at just one so make sure you only have one available. This will allow you to feel like you aren't denying yourself something but that it truly is a treat for you.

 I hope this gives you some ideas of how to get around eating candy on Halloween. I wish everyone that does Trick or Treat a safe evening. Those here in Erie I hope you stay warm and dry! Happy Halloween.

Reflections on our ninth anniversary

I cannot believe that we are celebrating out nine year anniversary today. It has been a long road and it hasn't always been easy. I wouldn't change a thing as we are stronger together for everything that has happened. I'm so lucky to have a partner, friend, lover and confidant like Brian to share this crazy world with.

Let's start at the beginning. I met Brian first day of band camp freshman year at the University of Pittsburgh. We were only 18 years old. I still didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. My mom wanted me to be a doctor but that really wasn't what I wanted but I pursued the dream any way. 
 

The year I took Organic Chemistry was the year we started getting closer together. He'd help me study and then we'd have fun together. We feel in love. We started dating but I wasn't ready to move as fast as he was. He was already talking marriage and I just wanted to have fun. We broke up.

Our Matron of honor and I shortly after we graduated in 2002

 

Then fast forward a few years. Brian was ready to graduate from Pharmacy School. He was accepted to the residency program at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. I knew I couldn't let him leave without letting him know I love him.

Brian and Brian at a Pitt game 2003(?)

 

A few short months later we got engaged on September 14, 2004 at Gateway Lodge. Then on October 29, 2005 we got married on the most beautiful fall day. We had our ceremony at Heinz Chapel and our reception at The Fez on Hopewell.  It wasn't the small wedding we wanted but like everything else I went with it.

October 29, 2005

For the next few years we had a ton of fun. We traveled all around the world. We became SCUBA instructors.  I learned about myself. We got to spend time as a couple and grow.

Gilboa 2008

Then in September of 2009 God blessed us with A. In 2011 we were blessed with B and C. Wow the lessons we have learned together being parents!

A

B

c

 

I'll never forget when God gave Brian a wakeup call when A was only six months old. I cannot believe how our marriage was transformed. God was now the center of it. I'll never forget the day Brian got baptized on June 1 2011. When the twins were born at 27 weeks we were prepared as we had God on our side.  We had peace through the troubles.

Then three short months later we were following God's lead and moving to Erie. What a scary but great hear where we knew we were following the will of God but had no clue what life had in store for us.

Halloween 2011

Halloween 2011

Three years later and life in Erie has been great. We've grown serving together, studying the bible together, talking together, and just spending time together. God has shown us that as long as he is the center of our marriage we can conquer anything. We have nine years down but I feel like four years ago is when our marriage really started as we finally "got it".

February 2014

September 2014

 Im hoping for our 10 year anniversary we can renew ours vows. I think we finally understand the true meaning of the wedding vows. I want to do it this time knowing that God is joining us. Brian here is to the next 50-60 years and then life in eternity. I love you do much. Happy anniversary my KISA.

Difference in TV shows

Saturday and Sunday night we watched three separate movies/TV shows. We watched It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving Special, and Garfield's Haloween. The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown came out in the late 60s. Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving came out in the early 70s. Garfield's Halloween special was mid 80s.  The difference in these programs was outstanding to me.

Both of the Charlie Brown's were not scary to ABC. They had some humor in them but none of it was crude. They called people blockhead and made fun of people but someone always stuck up for that person. Also they prayed to God and talked about God multiple times during the program. They showed how to love others and what true friendship is. These shows showed a different time when most still believed in God and God was still at the center of our country like when it was founded.

Then there was Garfield. A wanted us to turn it off as it was scary. B and C kept making comments about how we shouldn't treat people hat way. Garfield called people stupid and dumb. At one point he even used the R word. They treated people with no respect. They didn't show how to love people but use people. It even had Garfield threatening people to give him more candy. It had no real message at all.

I know these are both kids shows and are supposed to be in good humor, but these two shows I think show the decline in society. We have taken God out of everything we do. We are afraid to talk about God in public because what would so and so think of me. We let our kids watch these shows and wonder why they aren't nice to others. Video games are so violent and people let their young kids play them thinking that they know the difference.

I remember when we ere first making the decision to have kids and thinking how scary it is to bring a child up in today's society. It is much different than the God fearing one we were brought up in. The one where God's name was allowed in public buildings. You were allowed to pray anywhere. You weren't a persecuted for speaking of your beliefs as today.  

I recently read three books The Harbinger, The Mystery of the Shemitah and Four Blood Moons that talk about major events in history occurring on specific days of the Jewish calendar and lining up with the astrological events. These books were so eye opening. It even showed how 9/11 was routed in Jewish history and how certain things happened leading up to 9/11 and after that were predicted by the bible.

Currently we are in a year of Shemitah and we have four blood moons within this year (two have already occurred). I find it interesting that on the second blood moon the stock market crashed over 100 points. Can we ignore the signs? As Christians can we just sit back and continue to ignore God and his warnings?  Can we keep trying to push him under the rug and not share with others?

Look at the news headlines. Are the end of days coming? I have no clue. But I want to be ready.

 Just this week in the news is Texas pastors being subpoenaed to turn over their sermons because the state officials feel like they aren't separating church and state because they are talking about homosexuals and a recent law about gay marriage (http://cnsnews.com/news/article/penny-starr/houston-pastor-gay-rights-agenda-systematically-deconstructing-god-s). I guess we don't even have freedom of speech any more.

 Are you ready if Jesus comes back today?  I'm working on forgiveness and some bitterness that I have in my heart. I'm a work in progress. I'll never be perfect in this world. But I want to be as ready as possible. I want to share Jesus with others. I want others to be standing next to me with palm branches as praising God as Revelations says.  I'm praying for all of you who read this. Who can you share Jesus with today? 

Week 2 Piyo

So many of you know that this week I decide to tackle Piyo. I want to take the next eight weeks and give Piyo a try. I know that this program will increase my flexibility and stamina and may help in labor and delivery when it is time to have the baby.

 

I’m still unsure about this program after week one. I didn’t sweat a lot on any of the workouts. I know sweating isn’t an indicator of how hard I worked but I like to sweat as it makes me feel like I am working. I thought that I would get bored with it and the pace would be too slow for me but so far it is just the right speed for me at 25 weeks pregnant tomorrow. It isn’t as fast as The Fix and makes me miss the high speed of T25 but I know at this stage in the game I need to just stay active and not hurt myself while working out.

Some know that at 16 weeks I was put on progesterone to help keep the baby in my tummy. I will take these shots weekly until I am at 36 weeks. This is a precautionary measure as the twins were born at 27 weeks. There is not any real data with moms in my situation that had a singleton at 38 weeks, then twins at 27 weeks and are now pregnant with a singleton. Many know my husband is a pharmacist and I am a bioengineer. We made the decision that the benefits far outweighed the side effects. This makes me even more cautious working out lately.

 

With week 1 in the books I lost a pound! What how did I do that? I was shocked when I stepped on the scale this morning as I did cheat a few times this week. I made buffalo chicken dip one night for a snack and then yesterday had a cupcake and some candy corn at a goodbye party for a friend. Here are my pictures from today:

Here is my recap from the week:
Day 1: Align: The Fundamentals: This workout is basically a beginner DVD. IT is 45 minutes long and teaches you all the basic moves the trainer will use for the rest of the program.  You only do this “workout” once at the beginning and can refer back to it if you are confused as to how to do any of the moves as you progress through the workout calendar. I did use my mat. I didn’t have to use a chair but if you are a beginner a chair is recommended. I also did the workout bare foot. I felt great after this workout. I felt so stretched out and fell like I can do all the moves without modifications at this stage in the game.

Monday night I was lying in bed and I had muscles that were aching that I haven’t had ache in a long time. It felt so good. I love working new muscles. I’m excited to see my results with this program. I think my biggest challenge is going to be the tricep pushups. I’m still after 6 months not great at pushups. I can do more than I could do one day one which was 0 but still find them challenging especially now that I am pregnant and have a tendency to tip forward. I cannot wait to see if I can do more pushups at the end of these eight weeks.

Day 2: Define: Lower Body:  This workout is 21 minutes long. It was over before I knew it. I loved the flow of the entire workout. There is a lot of lunges in this workout so if you cannot do lunges then this workout  is not for you. There is also some time spent in down dog and pigeon. I loved this workout and it made my legs feel weak afterwards. It was such a great feeling. I didn’t break a sweat but knew I was working.

A few hours after my workout I could feel some other muscles I used that haven’t been used in a while. I was still having a dull ache when I walked up stairs. I love this feeling as I know that I worked!

Day 3: Define: Upper Body: When I started this workout I kept thinking where is the upper body workout. It seemed to start slowly into the upper body workout and have more of an overall stretch. A few triceps pushups didn’t really seem like an upper body workout but by the end of this 20 minute workout my arms were sore. It had a great variety and hit many different arm muscle groups.  I love that I can still do full pushups while pregnant. I love how strong my upper body is and am excited to see how much stronger this program can make them. This was another workout that I felt like I blinked and it was over. I also liked that 20 minutes and it was done and then I could get on with my day.

Day 4: Sweat: This has to be my favorite workout of the series so far. It was so incredible. It is 37 minutes long but it felt like I blinked at it was over. It was an all over workout. I couldn’t believe how many pushups I did. I did them all on my toes too. No modification for this girl. I felt so great after this workout. I felt like I could run a million miles. I’m already feeling more limber and feeling like I’m sitting straighter. I even find that it is hard to sit on certain chairs with my feet under me which is a bad habit I have. I’m excited to continue this program and see my results.

Day 5: Rest: Today was a rest day. I didn’t really rest though as we had a play date in the gym at church this morning. Before everyone got there we ran a few laps and then I spent some time playing and holding babies. It was such a fun morning and a great break. Also I did yoga with the girls as they wanted to do their ABC yoga. I cannot believe after just 4 workouts how much more flexible I am. I also cannot believe I lost a pound this week so far. While I thought this program was easier than the 21 Day Fix I’m still seeing results.

Day 6: Define: Lower Body: Today I pushed myself a little harder. I really didn’t feel like working out as we spent most of the morning raking leaves and bagging them for the garbage men. I also picked up all the sticks that were in the yard. Lots of squatting and lifting. So I just wasn’t in the mood to workout but I made myself as I knew I’d feel better afterwards.

Today  started the warrior series on my left leg as it repeats twice on the first left you do and then only does it once on the second leg. This way I evened out the series from Tuesday and did two rounds on my right keg and two rounds on my left leg. I felt so great afterwards. I was ready to tackle the rest of the day.

Day 7: Define: Upper Body: Today I felt like I was moving though muck but I know it was because I had a cupcake with lunch and didn’t eat my normal lunch as we were at a good bye party for a friend and I didn’t plan well. I did do all the pushups on my feet and I can fell myself getting stronger and more flexible.

Here is my meal plan for week 2. I’m switching back to the 21 Day Fix meal plan as it is one less thing for me to think about.

Meal_Plan_10_27_14

 

Here is my schedule for week 2:

I hope everyone has a great week. I cannot wait to see what week 2 of Piyo brings. I’m also excited as my challenge group starts preseason today. I cannot wait to see what these ladies do in the next 30 days. If you are interested in joining us please let me know as I still have a few spots left. Have a blessed day!

MOPS Mommy Olympics

So this morning we had a ton of fun at MOPS. We held our second ever Mommy Olympics. This is such a great team/table building exercise and got everyone in the group mingling. If you are a MOPS group and are interested in specifics please leave me a comment. I'd love to answer your questions or even hear if your group has done something similar and what events you used.

We started off with a parade of nations. Each table came up with a team name. We encouraged moms to wear their team color (our tables are color coded). We had them parade onto stage and pose for a picture which will be used for rewards at our next meeting. We played the Olympic Theme song during this part.

Next we lit the Olympic torch. Out coordinator Sarah was so awesome at making this mommy specific. She had a backpack full of baby stuff and had to dig through it to find the lighter. Stuff was flying everywhere. The baby doll fell on the ground. It so made me laugh. I'm going to have some big shoes to step into next year when I take over as coordinator. 

Next we did the Baby food eating contest. Each team picked two participants. They had to keep the baby food container on the table. We used stage two baby food so it wasn't too bad to eat. When the timer was started the mom had to remove the cover and start to eat it with a spoon. Then a second mom sat down at the table and did the same when the first person was done.  The team that ate the food the fastest won. I don't have any pictures from this one as I was a participant.

Then we had four other events scattered throughout our church that the teams rotated through. We tried to get each table to see as many different tables as they could. Since our group is close to 70 people you don’t always get to talk to everyone on a MOPS morning. Tables were competing against all eight table and not just the table they were with at that station.

Event 2 was what we called the cheerio roll. We got a six foot table and placed one set of legs up and the other down so the table was slanted at about 45 degrees. We placed three cups at the end. A big gulp, a solo cup and a dixie cup. Participants had to roll Cheerios down the slope and get them in the cups. They got 3 points for the smallest cup , two points for the medium cup and 1 for the large cup. The team with the most point won. They had 3 minutes to get in as many Cheerios as possible. We learned that three minutes was way too long. We should have shortened the time as most teams racked up some huge scores

Event 3 was a stroller relay. Each team had an umbrella stroller with a baby strapped into it. They had to run with the stroller over some obstacles. Then they had to find a specific piece of clothing to dress the baby it. Person one found pants, person 2 a shirt, person 3 socks, person 4 bib and person 5 a bib. After they got their article of clothing on they strapped the baby back in the stroller and came back through the obstacles to their next team mate. The entire team was timed. The team that did it the quickest won.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Event 4 was stacking blocks. We got two large Mega block containers. The team had to pick three moms as builders.  The team had two minutes to build the biggest tower possible. They were measured and the tallest won.

Event 5 was toddler trivia. Everyone at the table had to play this one. One mom would get the buzzer. She was the only one who could answer the questions for that round. Each round had three questions that pointed to a specific children's book or movie. The first question would be hard but if answered correctly would give the team 3 points. If at any time they gave the incorrect answer the team was out. If they couldn’t figure out the movie or book the team could ask for the next clue.

After the first group went we realized the questions were too hard and opened it up to anyone on the team could answer the question. You still couldn’t discuss amongst the table members it but anyone could answer it.

 If any MOPS group would like to see the questions I've attached the file here:

https://www.scribd.com/doc/244154332/Toddler-Trivia

Prizes will be given at our next meeting. There will be prizes given for first. Second and third place for individual events and then there will be an overall prize for first second and third place. For the overall prizes the tables will get a photo magnet of their team. For the individual prizes they will get candy medals (I show these in another blog post in a few weeks).

I think everyone had fun. There was lots of laughter and some healthy competition. I cannot wait to do it again next year!

Sugar Addiction!

Sugar is pretty easy to substitute if you have a conversion chart. I usually  use liquid sweeteners like honey or agave nectar. Don’t try to substitute a teaspoon of honey for a teaspoon of sugar as they are NOT equal.  My favorite sugar substitute chart comes from the  gracious pantry. Here is her free downloadable chart (http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/free-docs/sugar-substitution-chart.pdf) for substituting different types of sugars.

Why is sugar so bad for you?

It provides you with no nutritional value. It adds a ton of extra calories without any nutrients. Your body y craves it. So the more sugar you eat the more your body will crave it! You actually go through withdrawal when you cut out sugar from your body. This is why many will have a headache if they cut soda out of their diets cold turkey.

 

What will cutting out sugar do for you?

Most report that by cutting sugar out of their diet they have more energy. This is because you are not spiking your sugar when you eat it and then hitting a sugar low later in the day. Your body isn’t demanding more sugar to stay energized quickly after you eat the first round of sugar in the morning.

Why isn’t Stevia good?

Stevia is recognized as safe by the FDA but has some side effects. IT has been shown to induce dizziness, muscle pains, nausea, vomiting, gas and bloating when used in large quantities. IT also has been found that some preparations of the stevia leaf aren't valid for human consumption. Some preparations lead to lower blood pressure which can cause problems. Pregnant and nursing women are advised not to ingest it. Stevia also lowers blood sugar so if you are a diabetic this isn't a great option at all. It is also known to break down into a carcinogenic compound which is unknown at the time if it would cause cancer with long term ingestion.

What has cutting sugar out done for me?

When I first started this clean eating journey six months ago I didn’t think we ate that much sugar. I don’t like to drink soda. I drank my coffee and tea black or with a little honey. I didn’t eat ice cream often or have cake every day. What I was surprised to find was how much sugar was hidden in everyday items.  Breads had sugar in them. Yogurt, Milk, and even hot dogs had sugar in them. It was eye opening how much sugar we were ingesting in processed foods.

Now six month later we don’t use the white stuff. We always use a sugar substitute. I make my own bread so I know exactly how much is in it. I make my own pizza crust, tortillas and sauce. I now know that we don’t consume lots of sugar!

How do you start?

If you drink soda cut it out today. It doesn’t matter if it is diet or regular. Just get rid of it! If you add sugar to your coffee or tea use one of the substitutes instead of sugar. Just doing these two things will help tremendously. Then start looking for hidden sugars in your foods.  Start dissecting your pantry.

I hope this gives you some good ideas how to get rid of hidden sugar in your diet. Have a blessed day!

How does the 21 Day Fix eating Plan differ from Piyo?

So after doing the21 Day Fix eating plan for the last six months I decided to switch to the Piyo eating plan. I wanted to highlight the differences and then give you my meal plan for this week.

 

The calculation of calories is slightly different between the two programs. The 21 Day Fix assumes a calorie deficit of 750 where the Piyo program has a 600 calorie calorie deficit. This difference is due to the difference in the programs. Each has a specific formula of categories you can eat from and these categories are slightly different.

For the 21 Day Fix I am in the 1500-1799 calorie range being pregnant. For the Piyo workout I am in the 1600-1799 range. For the 21 Day Fix my allowed containers are: 4 greens, 3 purples, 4 reds, 3 yellows, 1 blue, 1 orange, and 4 teaspoons. For the Piyo program I have 6 servings of primary vegetables, 2 servings of secondary vegetables and grains, 3 servings of fresh fruit, 6 servings of lean protein, and 4 servings of healthy fat.

The lean protein in the Piyo program is like the red container for the 21 Day Fix. The portion size however is about half that allowed with The 21 Day Fix. The green container in the 21 Day Fix is like the primary vegetables in the Piyo program. I do get two more serving of vegetables with the Piyo eating plan. The Purple container is like the Fruits in the Piyo program. The yellow container is like the secondary vegetables and grains. The blue, oranges and teaspoons seem to be all wrapped up into the healthy fats for the Piyo program. Most of these healthy fats that would have been considered a blue container in the 21 Day Fix are half the amount of the blue container in the Piyo program. For example one serving of hummus in the Piyo program is 1 Tbsp where in the 21 day fix the blue container is 4 Tbsp.

Given these smaller differences the program meal plans aren’t actually that much different. It may look like you are eating 6 servings of protein on the Piyo eating plan but in most cases it is equivalent to three red containers on the 21 Day Fix plan. You do have more vegetables in the Piyo meal plan. For my calorie range I get two more servings of vegetables than that of the 21 Day Fix but I get one less serving of the yellow (Secondary Vegetable) container (category) with the Piyo plan.

For this week I am going to try the Piyo meal plan. Below you will see a copy of this week’s plan.

 

10 20 14 Piyo Meal Plan

Since I am pregnant (or if you are breastfeeding) I need to take into account that I need to eat an extra 300-650 calories a day. It is recommended that some of these extra calories come from a protein. Also while breastfeeding adding another yellow or secondary vegetable is a great idea as it helps with milk production.

I think next week I will switch back to the fix meal plan as there aren’t many differences and I’m just used to and comfortable with it. It also gives me the protein I need to continue growing a baby.  I also have a challenge group starting Monday October 27^th with a few ladies doing the 21 Day Fix so it will be easier to walk them through meal planning when I’m doing it right there with them. The 21 Day Fix containers also make it easier for me to see portion sizes and have portion control. I now know what a portion looks like so it makes it easier for me to use the 21 Day Fix plan.

I hope this blog post was useful to all those that were curious of how these two program’s meal plans differed.  I hope you have a  blessed day.

Week 1 Piyo and 21 Day Fix Round 6 results

So I just finished another round of the 21 day fix. I’m excited to report my results. I’m 24 weeks pregnant tomorrow. Here is the before and after from this round. I cannot believe how much I’m showing now compared to three weeks ago.

 

 

 
I’m excited to report I only gained 2.8 pounds in the last three weeks. I’m right on target for my 1 pound a week. The baby is moving and having a ton of fun. Since I’m smaller this third pregnancy I can feel movements much more readily than my other pregnancies. I also started feeling the baby's movements much earlier than my other two pregnancies. I lost a half inches in each of my arms and a half inch in each of my legs. One thing that still amazes me that even pregnant my waist measurement still isn’t as big as it was when I started my weight loss journey in April. I still need to grow three and a half more inches to hit that number.

I’m still not wearing maternity clothes. I’m wearing my normal clothes. I did have to go from my 6s to my 8s this week. I can wear the 6s if I put a rubber band around the button. They fit everywhere else. The 8s I am constantly pulling up my pants! 

 

I’m so grateful I took the plunge to do this and become a coach. I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been and cannot believe how great my pregnancy is going. I also cannot believe how great I feel.

I decided to start doing Piyo for the next 60 days. I love the 21 day fix but after 6 rounds I’m ready to try something different. I’m going to miss my 21 Day fix workouts but I’m excited to see my results with Piyo. I’m hoping to increase my flexibility to make my labor and delivery even easier.

Here is my schedule for the week.

 

I hope everyone has a blessed week. I have a group starting October 27^th if you want to join me. I’m excited for this group. Can you imagine yourself going to all those Christmas parties 15, 20 or 30 pounds later? You’ll be all ready for the holidays. Contact me if you are interested.

I’m also looking for a few good women to join my team. You can make some extra money while helping other meet their fitness goals.

Have a great day everyone.

Apple Broccoli Slaw

One of my favorite parts about fall is picking apples. I love heading to the apple farm and picking. We went a few weeks ago and ended up picking 52 pounds of apples. 

You may wonder what we did with all those apples. I made three batches of crockpot applesauce. I simply filled the crockpot up with diced apples, added some cinnamon and nutmeg, and a cup of water and then cooked for 6 hours on low. Then I put it in containers to freeze in the deep freezer. I love being able to pull this out in the middle of winter.

I also made an apple pie for A's fifth birthday. She didn't want cake. She wanted that instead. I made two batches of apple bread. We also made a batch of apple pie ice cream.

But one of the favorite things I made with all the apples is an Apple Broccoli Slaw. It is yummy as it has tartness from the vinegar, sweetness from the apples, and crispness from both the apples and slaw.

Apple Broccoli Slaw Recipe
Ingredients:
2 10 ounces bags Broccoli Slaw mix
2 medium Apples Diced finely
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Spicy Brown Mustard
1/2 tsp. Freshly Ground Pepper
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

Directions:
1. Mix vinegar, oil, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Mix broccoli slaw bags with apples.
3. Add mixture from step one to mixture in step 2. Stir until thoroughly coated.
4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes prior to serving.

For those that are on the 21 Day Fix 1 cup of this counts for approximately 1 green, 1/4 purple, and 1 orange.

I made this three times and each time the girls eat it all gone. Hope you have a blessed day.

Pumpkin Yogurt

So today A had snack day at PreK. This week they are learning all about pumpkins. So I decided to stick with the theme and make pumpkin yogurt and then made homemade pretzels in the shape of pumpkins. I even died the bread dough orange.

She has such a cool teacher. Today they got to become junior scientists and explore pumpkins. Her teacher cut a pumpkin open and had them touch the seeds.

 

They did an experiment to see if a pumpkin floats or sinks. Do you know? More on this in a minute. They got to estimate the number of seeds in a pumpkin. Miss Julie even took home the seeds and is going to roast them so they can have them tomorrow.

 

I will always remember Brian and I's first Underwater Haunted Quarry with Splash Water Sports Inc. For the pumpkin carving contest you had to take a pumpkin underwater to 20-60 feet and carve it. The pumpkin couldn't have any prior markings or be punctured before you got to depth. Those pumpkins are buoyant! It took so much weight to get it to sink. It also reminds me how much I miss diving and miss my Splash family!

From this year's Underwater Haunted Quarry (Picture credits Jeffrey Massetti Owner/Master Instructor of Splash Water Sports Inc. ) 

So now that I've went on a tangent I will give you the recipe.
Pumpkin Yogurt

Ingredients:
2 cups Pure Pumpkin Puree (make sure it has no added sugar or salt)
1.5 cups Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
2 tsp honey

Directions:
Mix together in a bowl until well blended
Chill for one hour
Enjoy.

1 and 3/4 cup of this counts for 1 purple, 1 red, and 1 tsp on the 21 Day Fix eating plan.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as the kids did. It must have been a huge hit as A came back with the bowl almost clean and ABC finished it off at lunch time. Hope everyone has a blessed day.



I'm back

After a crazy month I am back to blogging. Between MOPS starting up which I'm the co-coordinator of our local group, starting a new play group called Mommy Connection, taking over the nursery on Sunday mornings at church, A starting school and AWANA, teaching B and C their letters and just general house and pregnancy stuff it has been busy here to say the least.

I figure I'd start with an update to my progress. I am still doing the 21 Day Fix. I'm loving it. Now that my belly is growing a little bigger some of the moves are getting a little difficult but I am doing almost all the moves without modification. I am still using 8 and 10 pound weights. I am still following the eating plan. I'm still drinking my Shakeology every morning. I do "cheat" every once in awhile but still try to make healthy choice when I do. For example last night when I was hungry I went for an extra serving of nuts instead of chocolate.

I have gained 10 pounds so far this pregnancy.  By this point in pregnancy number one I had gained 28 pounds and in pregnancy number 2 I had gained 35 pounds. I am proud of myself as I never thought I could continue to exercise while pregnant. It has helped me keep my energy level up. It has helped me keep my hormones in check. Even with taking extra progesterone each week (a precaution as B&C were born at 27 weeks and there is a 52% chance I would deliver early again) my mood has been much more even this time.

I am excited that over the next few days I can share some fun things with you. I have a new broccoli slaw recipe to share with you that uses apples. I have some posts that I want to share with you on some of the letter things I have been doing with B&C.

I'm not quitting. I'm going to keep going as long as my OB says I can. I'm excited to continue sharing this journey with you all. Hope you all have a blessed day.