Down a Peg

I went for my first work out at Curves last night and also had a weigh- in and measure. I went in there feeling so proud of myself for the weight I have lost, only to have them tell me that I need to lose another 75 lbs! According to their BMI and body fat % analysis I am still crazy overweight which frankly made me feel like crap. I did my work out and felt a little better afterwards.

They were also trying to push me to join their online program where they dictate what you eat every day for every meal including snacks. I wasn't impressed with that. How on earth are you going to live a normal life when you have to be told exactly what and when to eat? This is my issue with most weight loss companies. They're always looking to put you on their program and squeeze every last penny out of you. Then when you're out of money or on your own, you're in trouble because you're used to taking their supplements, following their diet plans or eating their meals. So, basically they're there to screw you over if you're not paying them.

I have seen so many people yo- yo diet and end up being heavier than they were at the beginning of their "diet" and having serious health issues like heart problems. I ask myself again and again why people do this to themselves. I guess the answer is, it's easy and they don't think of the long term. If someone has to tell you what and how much to eat, there's a problem!

Okay, that's the end of my rant. I will be going back to Curves, but don't think I will be joining because of their so called healthy eating plan!

Hoping for Health!

Things seem to be looking up around here. My dad has his surgery to remove the cancer from his bladder last Tuesday and is doing well now. I spent the day at the hospital with him and my mom last week when he had his surgery. His heart rate was up and down, but that was normal since he has A-fib and they haven't quite figured out the dosage of meds he needs yet. He said he's feeling good now and now we just wait for the results from the lab to make sure they got it all. He's frustrated that he can't get back to doing his regular activities already!

After all of this craziness with my dad's health, I decided I needed to find a good doctor. My old doctor couldn't care less about me, I'm pretty sure he just wanted to write prescriptions and get people out of there. I found a new doctor close to our house and he immediately wrote up a sheet of blood work for me to get done. He's testing me for arthritis, diabetes and everything else under the sun. After that he will be doing a physical. I haven't had one of those in about 10 years since my old doctor charged extra for them! When I mentioned my knee pain and my mom's arthritis, he seemed a bit concerned. I'm hoping it's just bursitis though!

My weight loss had slowed down for a while, but it looks like it's getting started up again now. I have been walking 5 km a day to take Ceili to school, so that works out to 25 km a week more than I was walking before. That's probably what's helping! I'm feeling pretty good and still eating clean, although I do have a treat now and then and I'm not going to feel guilty about it. No matter how much weight I lose, I find myself criticizing my body and I know I need to stop. Before, I would look at myself and think "man, I need to lose weight". Now I look at myself and say "look at the saggy belly" but then I remember that I once had 40 lbs of fat in that belly and I feel confident. I need to be sure I don't put myself down like that because I have two impressionable little girls watching me very closely! I've now lost 2 shirt sizes and 4 pants sizes so I definitely think that's an accomplishment. I'm going to try out Curves gym again starting tomorrow because I bought a 30 day trial so I hope that will help me build more muscle.

This was just a big blabber-fest about everyone's health, but I think I'm done now. Back to the ever- growing laundry pile!

First Day of Kindergarten

Yesterday our little girl, Ceili took a big step. She had her first day of kindergarten! She was so excited and nervous all at the same time. I was so excited for her too, but so sad for me because this is the end of having her all to myself every day! Thankfully she's only in half days or I would have really lost it!

It seems like yesterday I had just given birth to her and was holding her for the first time. Now she's 5 years old and going to school! I just can't believe it, time sure goes by quickly once you're a parent.

We took a few pictures, as you can see she wants to make crayons when she's grown up...precious. Then we did our usual first day tradition, started when she went to preschool last year- took her out for a special breakfast before school. Matt said that he wants to be there for the first day of school every year for our girls which I think is wonderful. Then we took her to her big, huge school. When I went to take the picture of her, she looked so tiny in front of that giant school!

We were early so we wandered around the school for a bit. We got her settled then the national anthem came over the intercom and we all stood. That's when she looked up into my eyes, her little bottom lip quivering and said "Mommy, I don't want you to go". I started tearing up! I talked to her and told her she would be alright and everyone there was her friend. She went and played a bit and then we left.

When we left I cried; it was out of pride for our big girl mixed with a bit of nervousness for her and sadness for myself and Abbey because we would be missing out on so much time with her. I knew she would be fine there and she was safe, I just knew this was the end of having her home during the day. Next year will be a full day!

Anyway, I survived after my tears and walked home with Abbey. We got a lot of laundry and cleaning done and went back to get Ceili. She was very excited to see us and tell me all about the things she did. She had a great day today as well so we must have picked a good school. I'm happy that she loves school so much and I hope it continues!

Warm Yam Salad with Chipotle Drizzle

Myself and Matt were craving yam fries the other night. I was also craving that delicious chipotle dip that comes along with them at many greasy spoons. I know that dip is totally unhealthy so I came up with my own version. This is what we pulled together and it tasted like heaven!

Baked Yams:
1 Yam per person (we used 3 smaller yams)
Drizzle of olive oil
Sea salt & pepper to taste

1) Heat oven to 420 degrees F.
2) While oven is heating, wash yam and cut into thin strips. Place in large container with lid and drizzle olive oil on top with the salt and pepper. Shake around to coat.
3) Grease large baking sheet and pour yams on. Try to be sure they are not stacked ontop of eachother as they won't crisp that way.
4) Bake for 20 minutes, flipping once. Broil for a few minutes if they aren't crisp to your liking.

Sauce & salad:
1/2 cup greek yogurt (I used fat free)
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 chili powder
Juice of 1 lime
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of mustard powder
Dash of dried oregano leaves
A few drops of hot sauce of your choice
1 Roma tomato, diced
3 Green onions, chopped

1) Mix up first 8 ingredients and add a little water if needed to thin into runny consistency.
2) Top warm yams with tomato and green onion.
3) Drizzle sauce over and enjoy!

Cleanse #2 and Changes!

Matt and I just finished our second Juice Reboot Cleanse on the weekend. It seemed harder this time around but we did it! We changed it up and had vegan dinners instead of the juice because we were having a really hard time with the green juice. In fact, when I even think of kale juice I almost gag!

I only lost 4 lbs this time around, but of course Matt lost 8! He always loses faster than me, but that's okay. I am still happy because I'm now down 38 lbs in only 3 months! I have to say I'm really proud of myself and feeling great. I am down 2 jean sizes and 4 bra band sizes (of course I shrink there first! lol). I splurged and treated myself to 2 new pairs of jeans, some bras and a new swimsuit because my old one might have floated away if I went swimming in it! Better fitting clothes feel great! Matt had clothes stored away in a smaller size so he has a whole new wardrobe too. I didn't have that since I haven't been this small since around the time Matt and I met back 12 years ago. Here's a little comparison of last August and this August.

I took a photo of all of our fruit and veggies for the juice cleanse too. This time we only spent $75 on juice supplies and we went through it all. We were pretty happy that it cost less this time around! We got many items on sale at our local discount produce store so we were lucky.

I have had quite a few friends and family members finally notice I'm losing weight and asking how I'm doing it. Many are very interested in clean eating and juice cleanses and I think it's totally awesome! I'm so sick of seeing fad/shake/medication diets and my friends following them and falling off the wagon and gaining what they lost plus more back. If everyone would just eat real food we would all be a lot healthier!

Too Much!

Our clean eating is still going well. Got off track a little during camping, but got back on when we got home last week. Still have a couple of pounds to lose again since camping though.

Since we got home, we started seriously looking at buying a new house. We are hoping to buy an acreage. Looking is fun, but trying to get ready to sell is not. We have to pack up alot of our stuff and find a storage place to keep it for the time being. We're also no sure if we should even sell this late in the year because most people want to move in June or July, not September or October! We found a couple of acreages that interest us, but want to look at them again.

Looking for a house/selling has been stressful enough, then I got a call from my dad Thursday that changed everything. He went for a scan of his bladder because he was having some problems and they found cancer. On Thursday I was thinking "oh, no big deal, they'll do surgery and it will be gone." But yesterday it sank in...my dad has CANCER. He had it before I was born, but he has been cancer free for years, I never really thought about it returning. Since yesterday I have been like a zombie, my head feels all foggy and I know I've been grouchy with Matt and the kids. He is scheduled for surgery next month so I am really hoping that they can get rid of the cancer, but my mom said there's a lot of it. I'm feeling absolutely numb and want to run away, but I know that won't help anything. At least I have a very supportive hubby who has been through cancer with his mom so he totally understands.

I'm going to run and hang out with Ceili in the yard for a bit and try not to think about anything!

Pizza Cravings are Under Control

I was having the biggest pizza craving ever a few weeks ago. I toyed with the idea of ordering a pizza and then flashed back the stomach cramps that come along with greasy, preservative filled pizza. And then I remembered this wonderful recipe that curbs the cravings and tastes just like junk food!

Pita Pizza
1 whole wheat pita
1/4 cup grated cheese (I used low fat cheddar)
1/4 bell pepper, sliced
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 chicken breast, cooked & sliced
2 Tbsp organic spaghetti sauce

1) Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Put pita in oven right on rack for about 4 mins.
3) Take pita out and place on baking sheet. Top with sauce, chicken, veggies and cheese.
4) Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and pita edges are brown.
5) Enjoy!

Sleep and Sugar

Since we had our meeting with the sleep consultant and put a plan into place, our four year old's sleep has improved quite a bit! It has been a week now and she now sleeps 10 hours at night and has about an hour long nap in the afternoon, that is far more sleep than she has ever had! She is generally in a better mood and is much easier to deal with. The tantrums she was having before were starting to make me crazy. The worst tantrum she has had in a week was last night before bed and that was because she was overtired (we put her to bed too late). She had a screaming fit and was using every excuse in the book to get us back into her room! I did what we were told to do, take her back to her room without speaking to her. She was very angry with me, even this morning but she eventually calmed down last night and went to sleep on her own.

I have made the decision that we will keep this schedule as long as she needs this amount of sleep. If there is a birthday party or event (as long as it's not a family member or close friend) during nap/quiet time, we will be missing it. When she goes to the birthday parties and events and misses out on the quiet time or a nap that is needed, she is sleep deprived for days and then Matt's and my nerves are shot and we end up being grouchy with each other and the kids. In the end, it's not fair to anyone. So from here on in, any acquaintances birthday party is NOT more important than my children's sleep and our sanity.

Speaking of sanity, since we have committed to clean eating, I have been experimenting with sugar and our children. I have found food coloring, white sugar, fructose, etc really affects them. It makes them absolutely crazy! And surprise, surprise it also affects their sleep! I know that I can't ban sugar completely because there will always be sugar at birthday parties and school, but I am really trying to avoid the nasty sugars around our house unless it's a special occasion. I have a few friends who limit their children's sugar intake so it should be easy enough to keep up. Our biggest problem will be people we know who give their children a constant supply of slurpees, suckers and gummy bears and Ceili and Abbey will see that and wonder "why can't I have that?".

The picture in this post is Ceili playing outside in her clover crown after a good nap. We were really enjoying out time together because we were both well rested and in a great mood!

Sleep Help Day 1

We had a difficult day today and it made me even more anxious because I knew we were starting the new sleep plan for Ceili, our 5 year old daughter today.

The sleep consultant told me to watch for when she was tired and put her for a nap then (yes, she still naps for around an hour a day which is surprisingly normal!). She was acting tired at around 12:30 pm after we had lunch so I put both girls for a nap. Abbey, our 17 month old was out like a light. Ceili on the other hand was acting crazy in her bad, saying she couldn't sleep. I went in to check on her at one point and she had changed her clothes, taken every bow she owns down off of her bow holder and had played with a bunch of toys in her room. Needless to say there was no nap for her and she ended up having a meltdown afterwards saying she was "sooo tired".

When Matt came home at 4:30 pm she was eating an apple for a snack and we had to keep her awake because she was nodding off and spilling apple slices everywhere! She got her second wind, thankfully and ate supper fine. I gave them both a bath right after bed and got them into pj's. They had a snack and Ceili brushed her teeth and went potty then we read a couple of books to them. She was excited because she got a sticker on her chart for doing those things.

Then the nighttime routine began. It was Matt's turn to put her to bed so she got to choose a "dream card". I put them together by finding photos from magazines and gluing them onto heavy paper. The photos are of things like a field of flowers, mountains, a lake with geese, etc. Matt and Ceili talked about the picture before bed and helped her to visualize what could be happening in the picture to help her be calm and have sweet dreams. He also did the usual routine of telling her a story and singing a song. He said she was pretty crazy and not calm at all though.

She came out of her room once and went potty again then tried to argue about her slippers because she couldn't find them. Matt reminded her of the rules and she went back to bed and was asleep by 8pm! What a change! I am hoping that she sleeps through the night and feels rested in the morning.

Mirror, Mirror

It has been just over a month since we started eating clean and it is now starting to feel like second nature. I don't even think twice while I'm walking through the mall and smell the greasy foods in the food court. I have been planning our meals at the beginning of the week and the new recipes have been a hit in our house! Ceili calls the sprouted rice we eat "bird food" but she loves her bird food, haha!

I have lost 17 lbs to date and I actually like what I see when I look in the mirror now! I feel great about myself and biking has become my new favorite activity. I can't wait until I lose 20 lbs so I can post progress pictures! I haven't liked looking at myself in the mirror for a long time, so I know I am making progress.

In other news, we have a sleep specialist coming to help us out with Ceili because she is struggling to fall asleep and stay asleep long enough in the night. I never thought I would be paying someone $500 to help us get our kid to sleep! She has never been a good sleeper, but it is just getting worse so we know we have to do something. We have tried all natural sleep aids for kids, new routines, earlier bedtime, pretty much everything and we're at our wits end! I'm anxious to see what she says.

It`s way later than I thought and I need my beauty sleep, so I will sign off for now!

A New Lease on Life!

Clean eating is still going great! We eat as much as possible organic and are making pretty much everything from scratch. I have now lost 15lbs and feel like a new person. I haven't weighed this little and felt this good in over 5 years.

Yesterday we put together the bike trailer and went for a little ride and today I packed the girls up and went on a longer ride. When I got home I was sweating and thirsty but man did I feel great!

I have a friend who started eating clean about a week before us and she is feeling the same way. More energy and loving the healthy grub.

I thought I would put together a little blog post sharing my favorite clean and healthy recipes for those of you who would like to try some. I have a few friends asking what my favorites are, so here it goes!

Breakfast:

Breakfast Pita

Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Muffins

Lunch & Dinner:

Chicken Gyros, so juicy and delicious!

Southwestern Chicken Chopped Salad

Asian Noodle Bowl, this is amazing! We eat it once a week in our house.

Greek Salad with Baked Pita. Filling and delicious!

Quinoa Chicken Fried Rice. Matt says this tastes like "junk food" but it's not!

Cilantro Lime Shrimp, tastes just like buttery shrimp from a restaurant but with no butter

Snacks & Desserts

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Apple Sandwiches, great after exercise!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream, this is a real favorite around here

Chewy Granola Bars, so yummy

The longer I do this eating clean thing, the more I look at a lot of the recipes on Pinterest and shake my head in disgust. They are so full of artificial ingredients like color, flavor, and refined suger and flour. I can't believe that I used to eat that stuff. Now if I eat anything that contains refined sugar or is processed I get severe stomach cramps. Tells you something, doesn't it?!

Getting Easier Every Day

We are still doing great with our clean eating! I have reduced the amount of carbohydrates we are eating as well and it's working great. Matt has lost 12 lbs and I have lost 11 lbs. My pants are already starting to get loose and the ones that were too tight are actually feeling comfortable now!

I have tried a bunch of great new recipes like Asian noodle bowls, Greek salad with chickpeas and all kinds of delicious salad rolls. I also made homemade clean granola last night and homemade nutella spread today and both are huge hits with the kids!

I feel so much better inside and out since we have started clean eating. I didn't expect to feel so good and I honestly didn't know if I had the willpower to do it. I thought that when I made the kids a snack, I wouldn't be able to resist having a cracker or taste of what they were having. Now I make the snack and give it to them without even batting an eye. Joe Cross is right, you need to eat mindfully. I always have to remember that and it makes it so much easier. If I don't feel hungry, I don't eat. But if I am hungry, I eat mindfully and eat something healthy and something that I know will make me feel full.

I find that it does take a lot more chopping and prep work to eat clean. I have to remember to soak the beans the night before, take the time to chop the veggies for dinner, etc. but it is totally worth it!

I have had a few people saying to me "what diet are you on?" I make sure to mention that it is not a diet, it is a change of lifestyle. I look forward to continuing eating this way because I am enjoying all of the homemade, natural foods and feeling well. I don't plan on going back to my old way of eating ever!

Quinoa Salad Rolls

We have been eating clean for almost a week now (including our juice reboot) and so far so good. Our fridge is stocked with lots of fruits and veggies and I'm having a lot of fun experimenting and creating new recipes! I have also tried a few off of Pinterest, most of them totally delicious. I find myself appreciating flavours so much more since we did the juice cleanse and I feel great. I haven't had to take an Advil for my aches and pains in over a week!

I bought some rice paper wrappers at the Asian grocery store and wanted to do something different with them. I was thinking salad rolls but wanted to add something to them. White rice isn't such a good idea, but quinoa is! Here is my recipe for my new recipe that I can't get enough of. I have made these a couple of times and changed up the ingredients.

Yields about 8 spring rolls, depending how much fill them!

Ingredients:
1 cup Quinoa, dry
2 cups Low Sodium Organic chicken broth
1 tsp Sesame oil
1 tsp Organic soy sauce
1 tsp Rice Vinegar
Rice Paper Wraps
1 lg. Cucumber cut into sticks
Bean Sprouts
1 carrot, peeled & shredded
3 Green onions chopped (I found if cut lengthwise they were too hard to bite)
1/4 Cup unsalted chopped peanuts

1) Cook quinoa as per package directions using the chicken stock and add the sesame oil and soy sauce. Once cooked add the rice vinegar. Allow to cool before using.
2) Wet rice paper wrappers and lay out on a flat surface. Layer quinoa, veggies and peanuts on the wrappers.

3) Roll up and enjoy!

I also made this dressing as a dip for our salad rolls and it was great!

Juice Reboot- Day 3

I am writing the day after my 3rd day because I was so tired last night and had to be up early to take Ceili to school. Yeasterday was almost the hardest day for me. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I knew I couldn't give in and eat regular meals all day!

I weighed myself and I was only down 6 lbs total. I was a little discouraged but knew I didn't drink enough water on Saturday so that probably played a part. Matt was already down 9 lbs!

We started with Apple Carrot juice for breakfast. It was supposed to have ginger, but I really didn't feel like putting it in. We tried straining it this time to see if it helped and it did! Less pulp meant less gagging. I had a lemon ginger tea and Matt had a lemon zinger tea with it. Then we packed up our water and my coconut water and headed to my parents house for a visit because it is my mom's birthday today.

Matt forgot to drink any water while we were out, so he was parched by the time we got home. I drank my coconut water at my parents place as well as some water so I felt fine. He said he was starting to feel light headed and weak. I made us the Garden Variety juice for lunch with more apple and less kale. The smell of the kale was starting to make us feel ill! We strained it again and it wasn't as frothy this time so it was a little more bearable. We all laid down for a nap, but I couldn't sleep. I didn't feel so tired for a change.

We skipped the afternoon snack again and ate an earlier dinner of real food- baked yam and steamed broccoli with a bit of lemon juice and salt and pepper. It was so delicious! I enjoyed the yam most. After dinner I made our dessert juice- watermelon, blackberries, lime and carrot, filled our water bottles and stuck them in the freezer. I also made my morning juice because I wanted to keep juicing once a day. Matt went to rake the lawn and enjoy the beautiful weather and I cleaned up around the house.

Once we put the kids to bed, we drank our dessert and I worked on our lunches for the next day. I made us each a spinach salad with bell pepper, mushrooms, red onion, tomato and some hard boiled egg and this amazing dressing. I had one taste and was in love! That will definitely be a regular recipe in our house.

We went to bed a bit earlier than usual because we were worn out and I was very much looking forward to a more normal day!

I weighed myself this morning and am down a total of 9.2 lbs since the beginning of the cleanse! This starts me off in a good place to start loosing weight and feeling more healthy. I am happy that I did the cleanse, as awful as it seemed sometimes. My clothes are feeling more comfortable and I am more comfortable in my skin already. I am proud that I am eating what my body needs, not just what it craves and am hoping that I can carry on long term eating clean and healthy.

Juice Reboot- Day 2

I woke up this morning feeling hungover. I felt so exhausted and my body ached all over! I dragged my butt out of bed at 7:30 am because the kids were up, but I wanted to stay in bed so badly. Another day of juicing made my stomach turn but I knew I had to keep this promise to myself.

I went to the washroom (for the one millionth time!) and then weighed myself. Down 5 lbs, woohoo! I was very surprised to see the scale move that much after only a day.

Once I got the kids their breakfast- delicious looking toast and fruit, I started cutting up oranges, carrots and beets for our morning juice "Sunrise". The flavor of the beets really grossed me out in our last drink that contained them. I was making the juice as Matt was getting up and he looked at it with a disgusted look on his face. He said his stomach had been bothering him all night and he didn't know if he even wanted to drink anymore juice. I told him that it was his decision, after all he is only doing this cleanse to be my support. He decided to try some juice for breakfast. We agreed that it was okay, but the beet flavor was still there. We each had a lemon tea and a bunch more water and got ready for the day.

We decided to take the girls to the park to get out and do something. It was only a 10 minute drive, I made Matt stop at 7-11 so I could pee....again! I drank my coconut water on the way as well. Matt opted out of the coconut water today. We had a good play at the park and were ready for lunch. At that point I could have died for a burger! We came home and had our lunch juice, another green one "Mean Green". I added more apple and some pear to it because the last batch I made was so horrible. This wasn't as bad, but still wasn't easy to get down. The kale taste is very strong in all of the drinks. We managed to gulp it down and voted for a vegan spinach salad for dinner.

We all had a nap and I slept better than ever. I have been so tired and have been sleeping so hard. It was time for our afternoon snack, but neither of us felt hungry so we skipped it. A couple of hours later I made our spinach salads with mushroom, onion, bell pepper, cucumber and a bit of dressing made of balsamic vinegar, EVOO, garlic, salt and pepper. It was wonderful! I have never enjoyed a salad more. And I felt so full and energetic afterwards! Afterwards, I made our dessert drink made of watermelon, limes and blueberries and put our drink bottles in the freezer for later because we weren't hungry for dessert.

We are just drinking our dessert now and it's very good. Because we put it in the freezer for a couple of hours, it is like a slush and perfect for a warm day like today. I will have my tea right away and call it a night.

As I think about it more, my eating was just an addiction and I am giving myself a "rehab". My body is going through withdrawals complete with headaches, exhaustion and aches and pains. Matt has been freezing cold and had a headache all day so I guess his body is going through the same thing. I need to break this addiction so I can start fresh and give my children a positive example to follow when they eat and start healthy habits for them!

One more day to go, I can see the light!

Juice Reboot- Day 1

I survived the first day! It started out great, loved the citrus juice with a bit of carrot for breakfast! I had a lemon tea along with it and headed off to take Ceili to school with my water in hand. I was feeling energetic and was in a great mood.

We take the bus and I usually end up walking a lot while she's in school to kill some time. I have used my pedometer a few times before and it's around 12,000 steps by the time the day is done. So I walked and shopped (and tried to avoid the food aisles!) and drank water. Then I realized that I needed to drink my coconut water, I had never tried it before so I was hoping for something delicious and coconut flavored. I popped the can open and tasted it and I have to say, it was awful!! It's like soapy water to me, but I gulped it down.

We got back home and it was lunch time, so I made the kids lunch and got my liquid lunch out of the fridge. It was the "Green Lemonade". This took a lot of holding my breath and gulping because it was like drinking water from an algae filled swamp. I drank it all and felt full. I texted Matt at work to see what he thought of it and he felt the same way about the coconut water and lunch!

We all had a good nap, I was completely exhausted! I was feeling groggy after my nap, so I started in on my afternoon snack of "Sporty Spice" juice. This wasn't as bad as lunch, but it wasn't fantastic either. I was still feeling tired and gross.

Matt came home from work and soon after I went to work making our dinner juice "Mean Green". I also made the girls some macaroni for dinner. I have to say even the water boiling smelled delicious to me! Our green juice was awful, much like our lunch. Matt couldn't even stand the smell of it! We drank it and rewarded ourselves with a slice of watermelon.

We went for a short walk and I just had some of my purple juice (citrus, carrot, blackberries and blueberries) with a banana because I am feeling so drained.

Over the course of the day, I realized that mindless eating has become a very bad habit of mine. I need to start eating mindfully and eating foods that my body needs, not processed things that are simply a craving and don't give me any energy.

Wish me luck tomorrow, I am hoping this gets easier!

Purple Citrus Punch Recipe

On a whim I decided to throw together a bunch of fruit and veggies tonight to create something for our juice tomorrow morning. My hubby and I have been having a juice every morning to try new recipes and prepare for the cleanse. I am slowly weaning myself off of my morning tea!

I tasted it and couldn't believe how delicious it was! Even the kids slurped it down and asked for more. Now I am left with only a half glass for breakfast!
I named it "Purple Citrus Punch" because it's quite sour but delicious and purple :) Here is the recipe for anyone who wants to try it out.

Purple Citrus Punch

2 Oranges, peeled
1 Grapefruit, peeled
1 lime, peeled
2 pears
1 handful blackberries

Put through the juicer alternating ingredients and enjoy! Keeps for 24 hours in fridge, but it's best to drink it right away.
Yields about 4 cups (2 servings)

Ready to Start Fresh

I haven't posted in way too long. Things in our lives have been absolutely nuts!

I have started my own home business selling children's clothes, a true passion of mine...clothes and am loving it so far. Most of my customers are fellow moms and I love talking to them and choosing new awesome items to order in! I am learning more about the market every day and Matt has been helping me do the spreadsheets and technical stuff.

I am also going to be starting a new adventure next weekend. Again, with Matt by my side we are doing a juice cleanse. After watching "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead" we decided to get rid of the junk in our bodies and start fresh! We are starting with a 3 day cleanse and I may continue onto 5 days depending how I feel. After that it's clean eating for this family! No more preservative- filled crap. I'm going to slowly replace our regular foods with clean foods as we run out of them so as not to break the bank. I'm not dreading this at all like I would have a few years ago. I am quite excited to begin this new journey and start fresh. We eat far too much junk food and "fast and easy" foods in our house and I'm done with it. I want to become healthier and feel good. I am suffering with migraines and daily aches and pains- things a 31 year old shouldn't be dealing with!

I am going to post about our journey here so that I can look back and feel good about what we have done!

Off to Pinterest to look up some more juice and clean recipes. Wish us luck!

Crying it Out Myths

One of my friends posted an article on Facebook about how damaging Crying it Out can be for a baby. It got me thinking about some people I know and how they use crying it out for sleep training. Then I got angry because all of us parents who use CIO (crying it out) the "proper way" are being attacked by the media and other parents when really the people who should be in trouble are the ones who use it but are completely uneducated about it!

I know I may ruffle some feathers here, but I feel that I need to make a few things clear.

First of all, and this one if my personal opinion; crying it out is not to be used before a baby is about 6 months old and can sleep through the night without feedings. If you are not feeding your baby in the night when he/she needs to nurse or have a bottle, you are depriving your baby of his or her needs. Babies over 6 months do not require nighttime feedings, but before that age they do. It doesn't matter if you are adding cereal to their bottles (big no-no in my books anyway) or feeding them a snack before bed and they are 5 months old. Their tiny tummies can't hold enough food or milk to last them the night.

Second point; No baby, especially a small one should be left to cry for hours on end without being soothed, calmed or reassured that you are there for them. Babies need their parents and to feel secure. If you just drop your baby off in their crib and go to bed for the night allowing them to scream and cry for hours until they can "soothe themselves" there is no doubt that this can cause mental harm to them. This is a huge mistake that a lot of people I know make. They don't read any information and just assume that crying it out means to let them cry until they fall asleep....and we all know what assume spells- ASS out of u and me! Crying it out involves going in and soothing your child in increasing time increments. So, every 5, 10, 15... minutes you need to check on them, lay them back down, rub their head, whatever calms them. It is not a quick- fix method. It takes effort and time.

Basically what I'm saying is that people need to educate themselves before they even try CIO. There are guidelines which should be followed for a reason. Babies still require their basic needs to be met (such as diaper changes and reassurance if needed) at any age . If parents don't follow these guidelines, these babies could result in emotionally damaged human beings.

It really scares me to think that to some parents their sleep is more important than meeting the needs of their children. Don't get me wrong, I have two children of my own and have felt sleep deprivation first hand but when you make that decision to become a parent, you also make the decision to put your child first.

Keep in mind that this is only my opinion, since it is my blog after all but I had to get this off my chest. Phew!

Stuffed Meatloaf Muffins

I thought I should finally get around to posting one my family's favorite recipes. It's a little time consuming, but so very tasty. Even Abbey loves them! They are a great recipe for cold winter days because you can heat the house and have a nice, warm meal.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs Ground Beef
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1/2 Cup Milk
3/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
1 1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 Box of stuffing mix, prepared

1) Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl.

2) Pack mixture onto bottom and sides of lightly greased muffin tins leaving enough of the meat mixture to cover the tops of the "muffins".

3) Pack a little bit of stuffing into each cavity in the muffin pan.

4) Use remaining meat mixture to made "lids" for the muffins and pinch down around the edges to seal the stuffing in.

5) Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30-40 minutes.

6) Allow to cool a couple of minutes then remove from muffin tins and enjoy!

Note: Sometimes I make a gravy to go with this like beef or mushroom gravy.

Happy Birthday Doodle Bug!

One year ago tomorrow, after a very short labor I held little Abbey Florence Rose in my arms for the first time. I can't believe that it has been a year already!

Her little face was so beautiful and she had so much hair on that little head! She looked so different from her sister but was just as precious.

The moment she was born, I knew our family was complete. I had a feeling of completeness that I had never felt before.

Since she was born, she has changed immensely. Her hair turned from dark brown to blond, her face has changed and she has developed her own little personality. She loves snuggles from whoever who will give them, is very attached to her soother "Jefferey" and loves her meat and bread. Playing chase with her sister or the dog are her favorite pass times. She has developed a strong dislike for hats and mittens (just great for winter in a cold climate!). Abbey has learned to scoot, stand and take a few steps on her own but still can't quite get the hang of the whole walking thing yet. I have a feeling she's not far off though!

Happy 1st birthday sweetheart, we love you so very much!

Happy 2013!

Wow, I can't believe it's 2013 already, Every time I say the year, it makes me feel old! I remember when I was small and thought that by 2013 we would live on the moon and have flying cars!

We have a New Year's Eve tradition at our house and we followed it again this year. We get a bunch of appetizers, champagne and Christmas crackers and have dinner together followed by a movie. This year we loaded up on Asian appetizers and a giant shrimp ring and got some "kid champagne" (sparkling apple juice) because of Ceili and the fact that I am breastfeeding and didn't want to have alcohol. We had a delicious and fun night!

Every year at New Year's I reflect on the past year. What a year we had! We started the year off with a new baby then Matt went out of town the next week with work and I enjoyed a visit from my sister from B.C. I eased into having two kids much better than I had imagined. I have to admit, it is a bit more difficult now that Abbey's on the move, but it isn't as insane as I had thought it would be. I have learned alot about myself while dealing with these two little versions of myself! I celebrated my 30th birthday and my big girl turned 4 years old! We also saw her start school in 2012, meet new friends and grow and change so much. We enjoyed a family vacation to Cuba in June and survived the crazy flight home. We also got our new pup Boots this past year. So much has happened! There have been ups and downs, but we survived another year and when I look back I see much more good than bad.

Here are a couple of photos of our wonderful New Year's as a family.

Wishing you and your families a very Happy New Year and wonderful things in 2013!

Ceili and her "kid champagne"

Abbey didn't like her New Year's hat so much!