Wow- what a whirlwind! Hailey and I have been on adventure around the south since Tuesday. Where exactly? Well, it started Lake Oconee visiting Nana and Papa John.

She was in luck because her Great Grandma Betty was in town from Green Bay.

I guess news of Hailey’s visit traveled fast because her Great Aunt Lynn and Great Nannie came over to spend time with her, too. She’s quite the loved little lady.

From there, we had a switch of plans and ended up heading to my old stomping grounds of Marietta (in the ‘burbs of Atlanta, for those not familiar). I got to catch up and talk weddings with my bff, Kristin, and squeezed in a quick shopping trip, too. (loving Anthropologie and J Crew BTW…)

The tough part about being in Atlanta is that there are so many people I wish I had time to visit, but it was just a quick trip before we were on the road again to Greenville, SC where we got to spend time with my bff, Christen and her sweet boy, Crawford.

Trips like this sure make me wish I lived close to friends and family, but I consider myself blessed that they’re within driving distance.

Sunday we were finally home and settling in and I was pumped about making a grocery list. I’m serious. I get excited about meal planning. This new pescatarian challenge is allowing me to get creative with dinners! On this week’s menu?

Sunday- Homemade black bean burgers & Sweet Potato Fries
Monday- Meatless Mexican Burrito Bowls
Tuesday- Chana Masala & Steamed Broccoli
Wednesday- Grilled Salmon & roasted vegetables
Thursday-  Sweet Potato Chili
Friday- Vegetable Pasta and Salad

I had Hailey in the bjorn at Healthy Home Market and at some point she started giggling relentlessly. I was quite confused until I realized she found a mirror. Baby girl just loves herself!

We left with our stash…

And after a quick stop at the fish market and other grocery for bagels and jalapenos, we headed home. Weekly grocery total was around $95. Not bad for 6 dinners, breakfasts and lunches.

And last night’s homemade black bean burgers? Success!

Whew- quite the long post this morning!

Do you have any meat free meals planned for the week?

Please share! I’m always looking for new ideas

Francisco.

Fraaaan cisss co.

It’s fun to say.

Know what else is fun to say?

Pescatarian.

A pescatarian is someone that is a vegetarian, but also eats fish and other seafood. At least, that’s my understanding of it. It’s also what David and I will be for the next 38 days.

Why? Well I finally got around to watching Forks Over Knives and found it incredibly inspiring.  Though I’m not ready to go vegan, I am ready to make our diets more plant-focused. David said he’d be on board for a challenge, so we decided to give up meat until Easter.

No red meat, turkey, chicken, pork, etc.

I’m excited because I feel it will challenge me to get more creative in the kitchen and provide more wholesome dinners. So what will I be eating? In addition to bean and grain based dishes, I’ll be noshing on…

Bagels with scrambled eggs, spinach, peppers and onions, topped with fresh salsa.

Tuna salad on greens with mandarin oranges and pecans.

Spinach and avocado salad, salmon, baked sweet potato and roasted mixed vegetables.

Oh yes, and martinis are meat-free, too.

Thank goodness because it’s the WEEKEND! Wahoo!

Are you giving up anything for Lent?

Now that I’ve posted Hailey’s 5 month update, it’s time for me to post by update as well. Although, to be honest, there isn’t a whole lot to update you on since there wasn’t much change this past month.

Unless you noticed that I shrunk an inch or two Guess my camera angle was a bit off.

Let’s start with exercising. For the most part I have a steady routine down of 4-5 days a week. 3 days of Couch to 10k and 1-2 days of pilates. However, since getting sick last Wednesday, I haven’t exercised hard (I did a long walk, but nothing to break a sweat). I’m glad I did. Clearly my body needed rest. But now my body is craving movement. ‘WORK ME OUT’ it’s yelling to me. (that’s what she said…)

Healthy eating has been going really well. There isn’t a whole lot to write about. There are times when I feel like I’m eating a larger portion that I might need, but for the most part, I feel really great about my food choices. I could focus of drinking more water.  Note to self: HYDRATE.

Overall I’m feeling really great, despite the fact that there isn’t much change. I can wear all my pre-pregnancy clothes and I feel like I’m better shape than I ever would have imagined I could be after having a baby. I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made.

However, it doesn’t mean I’m ready to stop challenging myself. I really want to achieve a stronger core and more toned arms (those pesky arms seem to keep my focus). For this next month, I plan on (resuming and) keeping up my Couch to 10k program, as well as adding back in real yoga. (I found a studio that offers CHILD CARE and am stoked about trying them out next week!)

I’m .5 lbs away from achieving my pre-pregnancy weight, though, to be honest, I’m not too concerned about the number. I feel great, haven’t had to count calories (not that I’m against it, but just happily surprised that I haven’t had to go there!) and haven’t felt deprived in the slightest.

And even on the days where I notice a bit of extra skin around my belly button, I find it doesn’t bother me. I’m a lean, mean, mommy machine and want my baby girl growing up knowing that being healthy and treating your body well is far more beautiful than being a certain size or shape.

So this month’s focus:

-more water

-yoga

-clean eating (more details manana!)

What’s your focus on this month?

Yesterday morning was full of packing because Hailey and I were off to good ‘ol GA! I know I’m not the first to realize this, but it’s amazing how much stuff you need to pack for someone so little.

Breakfast

1/2 cup dry oats microwaved with almond milk, topped with chia seeds, Nannie’s pecans and a dollop of Daisy pumpkin butter.

Lunch

Since we skipped snack, I was hAngry come lunch time. Wanting to avoid fast food, I googled ‘health food grocery store’ in Columbia, SC. Rosewood Market was the first to pop up, so off we went. I love finding health food stores because they usually have a wonderful selection of healthy foods to grab for lunch on the go. Rosewood Market was no exception!

Beside the display case full of freshly made grain salads, roasted vegetables, etc, they had a hot food section with a mouthwatering selection. The man behind the counter was incredibly friendly and happy to explain the differences between Thai fish cakes and seaside cakes (when is the last time you’ve heard choices like that at Burger King??)

I stopped to admire their bulk bins (my favorite part of healthy markets!)

before checking out. The cashier was also incredibly friendly, as was an organic farmer named Gene who was in line behind me. Are all people in Columbia this friendly?! If so, I’m moving there.

My lunch was a delicious combination of seaside cakes (a tofu and sea vegetable take on crab cakes) with cocktail sauce, brown rice with a flavorful sauce of some sort and steamed vegetables that included kale, carrots and onions. Every. Single. Bite. was phenomenal. So fresh! Check this gem out if you’re ever in Columbia!

Driving on…

Snack

We stopped at Mom’s office so Hailey could say hello and I munched on a ThinkThin crunch bar, which the company sent me to sample. The bar is made up of almond and cranberries and other various crunchies and I enjoyed it! So did my rumbling tummy.

Snack

Once I arrived at my parent’s place, I chowed down a peach Chobani and blueberries, followed by some delicious Wisconsin swiss and crackers.

Hailey was excited to spend some time with her Great Grandma Betty and finally meet her Great Aunt Pat! (Truth be told, Hailey was screaming right before this picture… I think I messed up her nap schedule, but it was still a good time!)

I was excited to sip on this delicious glass of red.

Dinner

We assembled homemade pizzas for dinner. Mom and I split one that was loaded with veggies- tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, onions, mushrooms… DElish! I ate 3 slices.

Looking back over this, I want to go back and eat everything from yesterday again… so many scrumptious bites!

How do you stay healthy of road trips?

I remember when Hailey was only a week old thinking about how I wish she’d stay this little forever, but I can honestly say that every month just keeps getting more and more fun. I’m really hoping this continues forever. or until she turns 14 and inevitably decides I’m no longer cool. Can we skip that part?

We don’t have another pediatrician appointment until 6 months, but I can tell she’s still growing just fine. She’s in size 2 diapers and mostly 6 month clothing. 3-6 month stuff is pretty snug.

She’s still sleeping wonderfully. We had one rough night where she was up every hour, but I totally blame myself and 2 two cups of coffee. Oops. But usually we bathe at 6:45, nurse her at 7:00 and she’s down between 7:15-7:30. She wakes up at 6:30 and nurses, then goes right back to bed for another 1.5 hours.

We still swaddle for night time, though I’ve found her like this once or twice in the morning.

Looks like the swaddle is on it’s way out. But not completely, yet. For naps I swaddle just her legs. I’ve tried no swaddle before and it turned into a 40 minute cry fest. Her legs are just so busy and she kicks so much that she is unable to go to sleep.

She is typically (always have to say typically, since things change day to day) napping 3 times. Around 9:45 she takes a 40 minute nap. Around 1:00 she naps for 1.5 hours and sometimes around 5:00, she’ll take a 30 minute cat nap.

She’s discovering more everyday. She babbles all the time and it will sometimes escalate into shrieks of joy. I think she is excited that she has found her voice. She is also using her mouth to experiment with various expressions. Her newest and favorite at the moment is the ‘squenched’ nose.

She still adores her feet and pulls her socks off so she can suck on her toes as often as possible.

Although I spend much of my day interacting with her, she is also pretty good at self play especially in the exersaucer. She loves using her feet to push herself around in the circle to play with the various toys.

She has also taken a stronger interest in Koda. I love watching them watch each other and envision a beautiful friendship to come.

Her motor skills are developing as well. She can take the pacifier out of her mouth and put it back in by herself. She loves to stand. Her hand always seems to be opening and closing and her little pinches can hurt. And her giggles. I love her little shrieking giggle, which she does quite often, especially if we tickle her ribs, bounce her on the bed or sneak up and scare her (sounds mean, but she loves the surprise!). Bath time is always good for some giggles, too.

I’ve begun to get emails about what she is eating. At this point, she is still exclusively breastfed. She eats 5(ish) times a day (6:30ish, 10:30ish, 2:30ish, 5:00ish and 7:00) *Always ‘ish’ because every day is slightly different and I don’t follow a strict schedule with her.

I am going to write a post with more details on the topic, but I plan to begin introducing solids around 6 months, so in the next few weeks. She is showing signs of interest (grabbing, air chewing, etc). I am highly considering taking the baby-led weaning approach and will write more about it at a later time.

I feel like I haven’t done much baby-related posting lately, but it’s because I haven’t had a whole lot to write about. Things are going smoothly and I love living everyday with my little family.

If you have any questions or any ideas for topics you’d like me to discuss, please just let me know!

My my my, where do I even start? I guess with Saturday morning. Which was gorgeous! Since it was 60 degrees and sunny, we decided on a family trip to Lake Norman State Park. It’s only about a 20 minute drive and offers some beautiful trails for hiking around.

Someone thought this trip was the BEST DAY OF HER LIFE.

Afterwards we grabbed lunch and visited REI. One Prana shirt (SPLURGE- but I love it) and one trip to Target later, we wrapped up a pretty awesome day. I was still on the mend from my sickness, so we decided to have a relaxing night in and after Hailey went to bed, we both settled onto the couch for an evening of reading and chili.

If you’ve read the Hunger Games series, you know it’s impossible to put down, so come 11:20 or so, we were both still reading on the couch…when our doorbell rang. It made me jump a mile high and Koda started barking like crazy. But what really made me jittery? No one was there.

Logic would say it was probably just some dumb kids but in the moment with our sleeping baby upstairs and just reading about some of the crazy pods that The Capitol had in place, I was jittery. I closed up the curtains and when I turned around David was standing there with shoes on and Koda at his side. I reallllllly didn’t want him venturing outside, but he insisted. He handed me one gun (who did he think I was, Katniss??) and took another (FYI- we’re the wrong house to mess with) and he and Koda headed out to take a lap around the house while I called the police (told them it was a non-emergency) and they sent an officer to drive around, just in case. I stood there, barely breathing, until I heard Koda and David return. The coast was clear.

Stupid kids shook up my whole night. It took me two episodes of How I Met Your Mother before my nerves were calmed enough to go to sleep.

In the morning, I was extra sleepy and David seemed to have caught my sickness. So a relaxing day was in order. More reading, some documentaries (am I making us sound really cool or what?!) and laundry made for a cozy Sunday. Especially when the snow started falling.

Hailey’s first snow flurries!

We rounded out the weekend with a healthy dinner. Clearly we both needed a solid dose of nutritional goodness so we could finally kick this cold out of our house.

Sweet potato with Smart Balance and cinnamon, broccoli and salmon with feta, spinach and red bell pepper.

And finally, the winner of the free case of Chobani is…

Megan!
I really want to try the blood orange! I’ve been looking everywhere and actually found the other 2 new flavors today, but still no blood orange. I’m not usually an apple-cinnamon kind of person, and I like my Greek yogurt with some fat and that one is 0%, but I bought one to try since it’s been getting rave reviews on so many blogs.

Please email me at Brittany@ahealthysliceoflife.com with your information.

Have you ever had to call 911?

I was a bit surprised by the lack of urgency in their voice. It sounded like I was calling the local pizza shop. I hope I never have to call with a real emergency.

I loved hearing your suggestions yesterday on natural cold and sinus remedies. I found out a few new tricks I didn’t know and now I’m looking forward to finding grapefruit seed extract (Thanks, Lisa!).

I spent more time than I care to admit to curled up on the couch, and though I think I’m over the hump, I’m not back to 100% yet. However, I’m feeling good enough to get some things done and not continue my Gossip Girl episode marathon. Speaking of, the first Gossip Girl episode is just bizarre. There is even a different Eleanor Waldorf. WTF? (Well, that’s fantastic!)

I digress.

I also had plenty of time to let my mind wander about things I’m loving lately and wanted to share…

Our new antenna. You’re picturing bunny ears, aren’t you? Think again!

This compact, flat box that is easily concealed by curtains is bringing us all the major networks, plus a other random channels. Instead of having DVR, we bought a Roku Box (about $100). Roku lets us stream content through Netflix and HuluPlus. It feels good to have finally cut the cord with the cable company (well, DISH to be exact).  Old cost of monthly TV bill: around $70. New monthly cost: $16 (for HuluPlus and Netflix).

These two.

Picture repeat, I know. Hailey was quite a little angel yesterday (if you discount the one screaming episode when I tried to put her down for a nap without her legs being swaddled… more on that next week). She played in her exersaucer and wiggled on her mat for quite a while. She even gave me an 1.5 hour nap in the afternoon! David managed to finish up work stuff a little early and took on full Hailey and dinner duty while I snoozed on the couch. That’s love.

New paint. When we first moved into our house 2 years ago, I was determined to jazz it up with COLOR. This led to me painting the master bedroom this color.

While I actually liked the color, I could never bring the whole room together, so 2 yeas later, I went back to neutral. It now looks like this:

Much more calming. Now I just need new bedside tables, lamps and art (to bring color into the room)…. any suggestions??

Chobani. Even though I didn’t indulge yesterday (no dairy for sinus reasons), I’ve been enjoying the box of Chobani’s new flavors that they sent me to try out!

Apple Cinnamon is hands down my new favorite. It’s incredible. Especially with some LOVE grown granola mixed in. The passion fruit has good flavor. The crunchy seeds take a little getting used to, but I love the authenticity that the seeds bring. Real passion fruit, people! And the blood orange, I think, is the most unique, and also yummy.

But, don’t take my word for it. Try all the new flavors yourself! Chobani has generously offered to send one Healthy Slice reader FREE Chobani!

To enter:

Tell me what new Chobani flavor you want to try the most (mandatory).

For an additional entry

Tweet about this giveaway and/or post about it on your Facebook wall with a link to the post. “I want to win the new @chobani flavors from @ahealthyslice – enter here http://ow.ly/986V7 ”

Contest ends Sunday at midnight.

Have a fantastic weekend!

It finally happened.

I got sick.

I can’t remember the last time I’ve really been sick. I had a stomach virus about 4 years ago that was almost worse than childbirth. Almost. But since then, it’s been a little cold here or there.

This can’t compare to the stomach virus, but I am, without a doubt in a brawl with my sinuses. It started out innocently enough with a stuffy nose, but I now have a constant headache around my eyes, a stuffy nose and definitely some drip that’s making my throat burn.

Oh, and a 5 month old child. Did I mention that?

I blame the community pilates mats. Lesson learned. I will overcome my lazy attitude and BRING my own next time. Sigh.

So while I’m crossing my fingers and toes that Hailey doesn’t catch it and that she’s up for bumming on the couch all day while sipping hot tea (chances of that happening are slim to none), I’ll also be attacking my sinuses with every natural remedy I know. I’ve looked into traditional medicines, but with breastfeeding, I’m holding of on those a last resort. So, homeopathic it is!

Water. I’ll be chugging it.

Apple Cider Vinegar. There are a plethora of people that say drinking 1/8 cup of ACV mixed with 16 ounces of water will help by thinning mucus.

It’s not the most delicious thing you’ll ever drink, so if you want to try it, use a cup with a straw. Maybe I’m just drinking the (vinegar-flavored) kool-aid, but I think it works.

I’ll be laying off dairy (with thickens mucus) and instead drinking a lot of hot liquids, like my mom’s homemade chicken noodle soup that I have in the freezer.

Neti pot. I’ve boiled water (because I’m paranoid) and mixed in 1 tsp of salt per 2 cups of water.

Then, pour away. Makes me feels realllly sexy.

And maybe if I’m lucky (or if I whine and act pathetic enough) my sweet husband will bring me home some hot and sour soup, which, based on results from my childhood is the ultimate cure all!

What’s your favorite home remedy for sinus related ailments?

Sometimes on special days, you need to jazz things up a bit…

Breakfast

Forget diamonds, I added some sparkle to my breakfast, with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of chia seeds. They topped off a quick version of grilled banana French toast. The bananas are the key to making this SO good.

Post-Pilates Snack

I gave myself flower. (Kind of reminds you of “I love lamp” doesn’t it?) In organic gala apple form with a peanut butter center.

Lunch

I added some spice to the day with a Morningstar Farms spicy black bean burger, hummus, feta and spinach on a wheat roll. Cherry tomatoes on the side for some LOVEly color.

Snack?

I spent part of Hailey’s (accidental) nap time

eating cookie dough baking cookies. I skipped over to deliver some to the neighbors (Happy Valentine’s Day from the Valentine’s Fairy!… or bored housewife) after I sampled 1 or 2 (just to make sure they were edible, of course!)

Side note… know what happens when a sweet vizsla pup is hoping you spill and sits right under the mixer? This.

Snack

I finished off the BBQ with a side of pickles.

Dinner

A fantastic version of burrito bowls! The base was made up of romaine.  Followed by a mixture of brown rice, black beans and a can of Mexican Rotel. The next layer was the shredded chicken, peppers and onions. All topped off with sour cream, avocado and cilantro. Perfection.

Finally

After baby girl was put to bed and David was done with work, and after he sent me on a mini scavenger hunt around the house (Squee! ), we snuggled up with a glass of wine and an (unpictured) Reese’s mini.

Another wonderful Valentine’s day in the books.

PS- in case you missed it, check out me out on Blue Cross Blue Shield’s website. I’m the featured blogger for Women’s Heart Health Month!

Best thing you ate on Valentine’s Day was… ???

Love. That’s what today is all about, right?

Some people express it with chocolate and flowers. Some with teddy bears and cards (to Hallmark’s delight). But me? I say it with pork.

I’m not a big pork fan. I don’t know whether it’s remnants of guilt from when I had Sammy the pig as a pet, or what, but I rarely eat pork (unless it’s bacon. I totally eat bacon). But David? He likes it. Especially if it’s smothered in BBQ sauce.

So this year I said I love you with pork. And really, what man’s man can’t appreciate that? So make this for your guy and let them hug you extra tightly… and you don’t even have to tell him how easy it was to make!

Slow Cooker Shredded Pork BBQ

I based this recipe on one shared with me at my mom’s church group. It’s a keeper!

• 1-1.5 lb pork loin
• 1 bottle of beer (I used Yuengling)
• 1 bottle Sweet Baby Rays (I used sweet and spicy)
• 1 onion, sliced

Only 4 ingredients? Yup. Simplicity at it’s best!

Place the pork in the slow cooker in the morning. Cover with sliced onions and beer.

Set on low and let the slow cooker do it’s thing for 8-10 hours. At that point, drain the liquid and use 2 forks to shred the pork. It takes no time at all, as the pork should fall apart at this point.

Squeeze in almost all of the Sweet Baby Rays. I like to save a little extra for the buns. Mix well.

Serve it up on toasted wheat buns with dill pickle chips.

Throw in some veggies on the side, because you love him!

If you are going to say I love you to a guy with food, what do you make?