Tuesday, August 28, 2012

A Quick Note On Smoothies

I love smoothies. So much so that I made a spur of the moment purchase of a pretty little personal sized blender. I've had a smoothie everyday for the past week and a half. Here is my equation for my breakfast smoothies.


- 1/4 cup of yogurt (I eyeball it) *note* I use regular plain or vanilla or strawberry or peach yogurt. The smoothie frenzy I've been noticing has everyone using plain Greek yogurt, but I'm really not a fan. I've tried to be, but it just wasn't worth it.
- a variety of fruits, frozen and fresh
- a couple tablespoons of ground oatmeal *note* I used our food processor to make this "oatmeal flour" to thicken the smoothies, and to make them last longer in my tummy
- a splash of orange juice

I'm about to start putting spinach in them. The only reason I haven't thus far is that I haven't had any in the house.

So there we are. Putting my pretty little smoothie to use every single day :D

BT

Monday, August 27, 2012

Snapshots Lately

As the summer comes to an end, I am rejoicing at the thought of fall. But until then, we've had a few super hot days, so we attempted beach trips and otherwise enjoyed the comfort of our air conditioning.









BT

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Workout Wednesday

I'm proud to say I had a few good days in the last couple weeks, but embarrassed to admit most of them were terrible. I have come across a couple lifestyle items that need my attention during these reflections. I believe once I correct these lifestyle choices working out will fit better into my life, I'll have more energy to workout, and I'll be a much better role model for little Alexi as she gets older.

The big one is water consumption. I have never in my life had good water drinking habits. When I was younger I was just too much on the go that I didn't stop to think about it. I didn't really learn the difference between thirsty and hungry either. Now I still don't drink enough water, but instead of being on the go, I spend my time in a house with a fully stocked kitchen. I know that not drinking enough water contributes to much of my unnecessary snacking. I'm convinced that it also has contributed to my groggy, low-energy days and physical stuff and soreness.

The other big one is living a sedentary life. Sooner than I like that will change because I'll have a crawling child, but besides that, I spend too many hours sitting and laying on the floor. I would say I'm living the lifestyle of a cubicle job without the job.

My fix for these two problems is this: a month challenge. I have the bottle set up with the amount of water I need each day. Also there will be an alarm set reminding me to drink water. There will be another alarm set to go off reminding me to move. And my moving will be more than just standing up and sitting down. It'll either be a walk, unloading or loading the dishwasher, gathering laundry, switching laundry, putting clothes away, jumping jacks, dance session with the baby, etc.

Why a month? It takes just about that long to create habits, and that's what I want these to become. Eventually I want to automatically do these things without alarms and water measuring.

Join me if you'd like!

BT

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Focus For the Week

What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

I found that question posed on pinterest a while back and it struck a chord. How many things am I thankful God gives me versus how many I thank Him for. I am called to be thankful! He wants to hear about the most basic of things.

What are you thankful for?

BT

Friday, August 17, 2012

Food Friday

This week I talked myself into two unknown worlds. First, I bought asparagus for cream of asparagus soup. I've done a tiny bit of cooking and eating of asparagus but cream of soup is a change. And I also bought an avocado to mess with. I figured if I tried guacamole with half and used the other half in a different lunch I would do alright.

So yesterday I made cream of asparagus soup. During the making process I started measuring out my half and half I discovered it was curdled. Yuck! The power of the Internet proved itself, thankfully, and I found a suitable substitution and the soup turned out SMASHING!! (come to think of it, smashing is not a normal word for me to use. Must be all the BBC I've been watching.) Then this morning I used half of the avocado in a smoothie and will be using the other half in egg salad for lunch. I have spinach for a salad during supper and probably for a smoothie or two in the next couple days.

This week I also received my mini blender!! That very night I went out to buy smoothie supplies. I'm excited at the possibilities this will open up. It's convenient (gets to sit out on the counter because it is pretty) and it can be very health conscious.

My other grocery shopping experiment is with munchies. As much as I'd love to completely eliminate them from my life, I like them way too much with lunch or whatever. So I found the Special K cracker chip and the pepraige Farm cracker chip options. I'm sticking to the serving sizes (yes, counting them out) and I've found that they both can satisfy that desire for crunchy saltiness. Are they "healthy?" No. Are they as bad as Lays? No :)

Good reflections...ready for next week

BT

PS yes I know, another boring, no-picture post...oh well...come back Internet!!!!!

*update* I may be mistaken but I think I made an asparagus soup before, while I was pregnant. Since I can't remember for sure and I have no recollection if it was good or not, I'm not going to count it...

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Letter Writing

On Facebook, Twitter, just about any social networking website or venue I have found a group of people who bemoan that nobody writes letters anymore. Funny thing is, those people don't take the step of writing one first. Sadly, I used to be one of them. I had a life changing experience though; well life changing when it came to my thoughts on letters. I became an employee of the United States Postal Service.

Let me stop anyone who wants to try to bash the USPS in front of me. I won't stand for it. I no longer work there, and I didn't enjoy everything there, but I believe in what it is. I also believe it still has a place in our world. So if you want to complain about it, tell me it's out of date, complain about their prices, you need to find someone else to talk to. Otherwise prepare yourself for a large dose of reality from inside the post office with way more information about it than you ever wanted to know.

Okay, rant over. Back to letters.

Letters cannot be matched by anything online or on your phone. A phone call is special, an email is mundane, Facebook is convenient, but a letter is a keepsake. Handwriting shows the personality, the emotions, the effort in a way an email cannot. Words on a page can be read over and over and over again; where a phone call you must rely on your memory. Not to mention I don't know a single person that doesn't get a little giddy when there is a nonbill letter in their mailbox.

All of that to say, I have resigned from the club of bemoaners. I bought fun stamps, I have a file full of addresses, I made a large stack of stationary, and I have the perfect desk for letter writing. Next goal, birthday and anniversary (and graduation, wedding, baby) cards...

When did you last write a "just-because card?" (I did yesterday)

BT

Ps I finally decided I couldn't keep waiting to update my blog till I could add photos. So, sorry about the ongoing lack of photos, words will have to do till we get internet.

Friday, August 3, 2012

And Breathe

The other night I hit my wall. I found myself hiding in the bathroom doing nothing at all except enjoying the quietness. The knowledge that Chad had Alexi allowed me to just breathe. Then I started thinking about needing to get a bath around for her and her nightcap and how to keep her awake to finish it and and and... My quiet moment was ruined and all I wanted to do was cry. It was time. I went out to where Chad was, asked him to put Alexi to bed, and went out for a walk.


It was the most refreshing walk I've ever had! It did a couple things for me. First, it got me out of the house without a diaper bag; only someone with a child knows what a relief that is! It signified that I didn't need to be thinking about Alexi's eating schedule, if she needed to burp, did she need a diaper change, am I playing with her enough, none of it.
Second, being without Alexi allowed me to walk down a road that was not stroller friendly (no good shoulder) and more hilly than I'd walk with Alexi. (read: better workout, switching up the routine)
Third, it was a walk. I've been pretty crappy to myself in my head about me shape or the lack of it. This post baby stuff is for the birds. And I find I feel the best about myself after and during a workout because I know I'm working to change that which I hate.


Fourth, it reminded me that Chad and I are in this adventure together. Being home with Alexi all day everyday sometimes causes be to forget. I start feeling like I have to do it all. But I don't, I'm blessed with a wonderful husband!
Fifth, Brandon called!! Half way through my walk my brother called and talked the rest of my walk. He was on his way back to Illinois from Arizona. I love my family!


The slowing down, taking a time out. It's just what the doctor ordered ;)

BT