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There is a food scale up for grabs here!!

I had been rocking an ipod from 2005 but I had never known another ipod so I didn’t know any better.   I didn’t know I wanted this one until Mallard surprised me with it!  It takes video, works as a pedometer (I don’t use it for that thought), of course it works as the standard ipod too. 

Regarding my life and my health, I like to be up-front with all of you.  After all, this is a health blog! 

I had an outpatient surgical proceedure on Tuesday.  It wasn’t anythign major.  I want to keep this as general as I can…which is hard.  Basically, I had some issues with my reproductive system.  My OBGYN wanted to do a uterine hystoroscopy to look for polyps in my uterus.  I was put under general anesthesia for the proceedure.    He did not find polyps.  He did find that my IUC had become misplaced.  My original OBGYN could have misplaced it originally or it may have just become “mangled” over time.  So, he took out the IUC.  Unfortunately, my situation is not just that simple.  I will have to have a different surgery within a year or so to correct the real problem.  I must wait until I am able to take two weeks off from work and school to have the other proceedure performed.  I will have my IUC replaced soon since I cannot have more children right now and I love hormone-free birth control.  It was just by chance that I didn’t become pregnant with my IUC misplaced.  I can’t imagine attending nursing school while pregnant and caring for a 2 year old!

Before surgery:

 The nurse took my vitals and she told me that my heart rate was low.  She asked if I was a runner.  I said, ” I run every other day and I use the elliptical for cardio on my ‘off’ days.  But, I don’t think I consider myself a runner yet”

She also told me I had fantastic blood pressure.  For some reason, I love that compliment.

After Surgery:

I thought I would be able to get right back to my routine the next day.  After all, my doctor told me I could run, lift and do whatever I felt  “up to” the next day. 

I felt bloated and crampy the next day.  It was like the worst PMS of my life times 12…and I had to resume my parenting duties.

I didn’t try to workout until 2 days post-op and I stuck with the elliptical. 

I feel like my “old self” again now but the whole healing process made me think a lot about the wayI treat my body. 

With  lots of time to “relax” for 24 hours (which I never do) I re-read some of my favorite books about nutrition.

About a year ago, I had bought Eat Clean Diet For Kids And Family  and I loved it so much that I bought  The Eat Clean Diet .  So, when I saw The Eat Clean Diet Recharged, I was a litte too excited.  New recipes and I love it just as much as the others.   Though the d-word put me off at first these books are not in the same realm as almost all other ”diet books”  .

While I do “eat clean”, there are parts of my diet that are not considered clean.   I love Kashi cereals.   Kashi cereal is kind of on the fence when it comes to clean foods.  It’s processed yet it has a good ingredient list.  However, I just found out that it’s made by Kellogg’s, a company that I do not want to support.  The only other “unclean food” that I ingest is artificial sweetener.  No, I still haven’t kicked the habit.  Other than that, I don’t have any other “unclean” vices.  I bake but I am not a huge sweets eater so I usually don’t indulge.  Ironic that I do use artificial sweetener though. 

Eating Clean is not just about what you eat but when you eat as well.  There have been  studies that suggest total number of calories consumed is the determining factor of weight and body fat.   Basically,  it’s all calories in calories out.  Yes and no.  If one is starving all day and then consuming enough calories for a whole day at night.  Any exercise during the day will not have been as intense or effective as it would have been if the body had been properly fueled and replenished.  I do not starve all day.  But, I do find that I tend to eat less throughout my day and more in the evening. 

Healthier Habits

1. Eat more complex carbs during the day and less of them at night!  Eating the bulk of my calories and carbohydrates in the evening.  I am typically busier (as we all are) during the day so it’s easy to eat less than I realize I am.  It makes no sense to eat more of my daily carbs in the evening when I am  winding down the day.  I need them more for energy during the day!

2.  Eat earlier.  Because I don’t normally sit (other than at work) until Snuffy is ready for bed, I tend to eat my largest meal way too late.  Most days it’s within an hour of going to sleep.  Not good. I need to change that.  Tosca recommends eating no later than 4 hours before bed.  I don’t know if that’s feasible yet but I am certainly making an effort to finish my last meal earlier than I do.  Tosca also recommends eating breakfast within an hour of rising.  I never do that …ever.  That may be a future goal.

3. Less sweetener.  I need to give it up all-together but I think that would be a recipe for Splenda relapse   I am using more Truvia and other natural sweeteners.  I need to just enjoy real flavors.  But, that Starbucks Black Tea gets me everytime

4.  More protein!  I am starting to lift weights more seriously and I cannot possibly build the upper body strength that I want while consuming the minimal amount of protein that I am consuming now.   My body needs more protein if I am going to lift more and continue to run consistently.  I also need to rely less on nut butters for my protein and fat.  After I have realized that I haven’t had much fat during the day, it’s far too easy to sit down at the end of the day with some apples, pitas and obnoxious amounts of Naturally More PB .  I am expanding my protein horizons.  I will introduce more tofu, fish, a little chicken, and some new protien powder into my diet.  I realize protein powder is not the answer to every protein deficiency, but I have no problem with protein powders in moderation.  To be clear:   I will still be eating nut butters just not in the huge amounts that I have been.

5. Eat more often.  For me, very day has a different schedule.  That’s true for many of you as well and many of  you still make it possible to eat 5-6 times through your day.  Some of you even make a point to have protein and carbs at each meal.  I need to stop making excuses for eating irratically and start eating more often. 

I would eventually like to experiment with raising  my calories.  April has had great success with her quest to increase her metabolism.  Love. That. Girl’s . Blog.

I also love this girl’s blog.

I love it so much that I used her work out for my first day of my Healthier Habits Challenge .  I guess this is more of my challenging myself to get real.  But I would love some company!

I used the moves on this post as my guide for today’s workout.

Thanks , Janetha!!  I like the way you move

In other news, Snuffy turns two March 8!!

I found an organic cupcakery for the occasion!  A review will be coming !

The party will be at a place called Run JUMP and Play.

They have swingsets, treehouses and giant inflatable slides and jumping pits!  We invited 6 two year olds and 10 more  kids under age 8!! Fun times!

Recent Whole Body Loves

Broccoli + Cauliflower +Oikos+Curry Powder

Brownie Batter

The new workout plan is intense weight lifting 3 times a week and running 3 times each weeks with one rest day.  I love running but I have come to the conclusion that my body’s optimal happy place cannot be reached with running alone.  I have also seen some amazing results that others have shown from weight training.  I love my body and love to workout.  I am excited to start a new routine.  Health is a lifestyle for me but it’s also a hobby!  A new way of working out and nourishing my body is exciting for me.  I can’t wait to share the results along the way!! 

If you are an avid weight lifter/ bodybuilder or a runner who cross-trains with heavy lifting, please share your experiences and advice!  I would really appreciate it!!

However, I saw The Biggest Loser brand of chocolate protein on sale so that was my first chocolate protein purchase.  It tasted so artificial that I couldn’t eat it more than once. Yuck!  So I picked up a can of April’s fave and I love it!  Thanks April!

Let’s Compare

I really like The Biggest Loser show.  I don’t like that The Biggest Loser name is thrown around as much as Tina Turner.

Now onto our star player…

Surprisingly Delicious

The nutritionals are pretty comparable

Nutrition Facts for Biggest Loser – Protein Powder in  Chocolate

Notice:   these values are based on one scoop of The Biggest Loser Protein Powder

I am a Sweet Potato girl myself

Do you use protein powders? 

 Do you have a favorite brand and flavor?  

 I tried Hemp Vanilla about a year ago and I have just now branched out to Whey…thoughts?

Then, I began to use some of them  to make banana soft-serve.  

Banana Soft Serve with this guy

 Although I enjoy both the banana oats and the soft serve, I have accumulated a massive amount of frozen bananas!  

I made up this recipe as I went along.  It was going to be a version of my mom’s sugar cookies.  But, I found that the dough was missing something.  (One must always taste the dough to be sure the cookies will come out)

Banana “Sugar Cookies”

2/3 cup Earth Balance

3/4 cup Raw Organic Sugar

1 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

3  Frozen Bananas (microwaved until soft)

4 tsp. Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk or Milk of Choice

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a cookie sheet lightly with olive oil or canola oil.

Mix Earth Balance, Sugar,  Milk and Vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add Bananas and mix until combined.  Sift togother dry ingredients .  Add dry ingredients in small amounts to banana mixture.  Combine very well.  You may find that you need a sprinkle more of flour at this point.  Adjust accordingly. 

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.  The texture will be chewy and slightly cakey.  It’s definitly not your typical cookie.

Pink Barbie Sprinkles for Snuffy

I would like to try to adjust the ingredients and lose the sugar in this recipe… more on that soon!

I finally used my food processor to puree some baked Butternut Squash.  I know, I know more orange food! 

 I can’t help myself! 

Pureed Squash with a hefty sprinkle of Pumpkin Pie Spice and Vanilla Oikos is like a creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake

Snuffy would rather have her Stonyfield Yo-Baby .   She has basically been living on the stuff for the past 3 days.  She has another nasty virus.  Darn my schedule.  I hate having her in childcare with sick kids.  She does love it there and our babysitter is great with Snuffy.  But, any childcare facility tends to be a virus extravaganza.

I cannot count the number of times I was asked to replace Elmo’s binky today.

She’s taking it well though. 

We had to make a Target run to pick up a few things (like my sanity) and I caved at Starbizzle.

  That’s right, I bought my mucus-filled child a “Rainbow Cookie”

Of course it’s full of sugar and white flour.  But, ‘bizzle promises that all of their baked goods are made with natural ingredients and free of HFCS.  Oh yeah, and I tasted it too…dear lord it was good.  Definitly had about 2 sticks of butter in it.

Since Snuffy has been sick , she has been attached to my hip which means no running, no lifting, no biking or ellipticalling (new word, just made it up).      I tried to go run last night and all the dreadmills were taken so I had to use the elliptical.  I am determined to stick with my training schedule and be a good mama.  Therefore,   I had to get my workout in before Mallard left for work today.  I thought , “Hey , this Bloggy does it everyday!  I can so do this!”  I arrived at the gym super early and  I loved it.  The gym I belong to is actually a local community center that is undergoing some awesome upgrades.  They have an amazing indoor children’s pool for Snuffy.  It has a lazy river, a little kids’ slide , a huge twisting slide, a lap area, a waterfall and crazy fountains.  There is also a competition pool and an elevated track along with the weights and cardio equipment.  They have a coffee shop/bakery where all the baked goods are all natural and almost completely organic (GAHHHH!!)   As if all of this is not enough! I can’t wait to see what’s coming with the remodeling. Anyway, when I arrived at the crack of dawn, I expected some groggy ”New Year’s Resolution Runners” and maybe a few sleepy employees.  Boy was I wrong!   The trainers and desk personnel were just as upbeat as ever.  Everyone greeted me with a “Good morning!  How are you this morning?”  There were about 40 people lined up for an early spin class.  Most importantly there were more empty dreadmills treadmills so I was able to do my long run.  I felt so energized after!

I’m still looking into the HRM. I recieved some good feedback from a few of you(I love you guys!) If you have a Garmin or Polar, what model?  Any issues?

If you have ever suffered from an ED and you feel that this mat be triggering to you, please do not read on.

You may remember the last time I had my Body Fat tested.   Well, I was coming off of a very stressful time in my life and my weight was much too low as a result. More about that here.    When I posted the result of that BF testing I received a lot of concerned comments from my readers and fellow bloggers.  The number was normal Body Fat for an athlete but at the time I was not working out as often or as hard as I am now.  I had just forgotten to take care of my body when I went back to school. 

 So, when I got back to the gym, I wanted to know where my body was at so to speak. 

Flash forward to this week.  I have been working out consistently for months.  I run 3 to 4 times each week .   I lift weights and do an hour or so on the elliptical or recumbant bike 3 days out of each week.  My body feels better than ever!  I have gained some weight but it was needed.  Once again, I wanted to check my Body Fat %  just to get an idea of where I’m at.  Well, this time it was 17%  .  Yes, that is higher than last time.  It’s still a very healthy BF% . 

 My initial reaction was disappointment.  But then I thought, “Did I really expect to have gained all lean mass?  This is a healthy Body Fat Percentage.  I feel better than ever .  I can do so much more in the gym.

  I could never have run as long as I do now at the previous weight.

 Plus , the trainer who tested me looked at me like I was from outer space.  “Wow, ” she said, “you’re doing great!  Just keep doing what you’re doing.  “   

 I really feel good about where I am. 

Of course I looked up some data on female athletes and BF when I returned home.  Why do we always feel the need to compare ourselves to others?  I am so guilty of this.  The other day, I went to a salon to get my nails done.  This is something I almost never do!  But, I saw a sign for a new place that had a special and the rest is history.   The woman who did my nails was one of those people that just had great energy.  I thought, “She looks so happy and healthy and beautiful.  I would love to have her adorable little body and flowy, shiny hair!”  Well, while she was doing my nails, the woman commented on the goosebumps on my arm.   I was super cold.  She joked that it was because I was “thin”.   Normally, I would be taken aback at a comment like this.  But, since this woman was thin I took it in stride and smiled back.  She said, “ You can’t weigh more than 100 pounds“.   Oddly, this comment didn’t bother me either.  I said, ” Actually, as of this morning , I weigh 11X.”  (Definitely more than 100 pounds )  She said, “Huh?  That’s only 2 pounds less than me!  But you look so much smaller than me!”  I laughed and said, ” That’s funny, I was just thinking that you looked so much smaller than me!”   We tend to  compare ourselves to other women all day long.  Sometimes, we don’t even notice.  This experience was so eye-opening for me.  Here I was thinking this woman had such a great shape and stature and she and I were basically the same size!  Also, she was comparing herself to me just as I was to her.

Not only do we compare our bodies’ appearances, but we also tend to compare our bodies’ athletic performance.   I see this a lot at the community center where I work out:  Woman A sees Woman B doing the same routine with heavier weights.  Woman A wonders, “Should I be lifting heavier?”  We look at other people’s posted splits and think our own runs just don’t measure up.  A woman working out 3 days each week may find that other ladies work out 6 days each week.  Does that mean that the woman is not working out often enough?  The point is that while others are a great tool of inspiration, we must realize that we are competing against ourselves.  We are competing against our own best times, heaviest weights, longest runs, etc. 

As I stated earlier in this post, my workouts have gradually gotten more intense as my body has become stronger.    I did set another distance PR.  I have “run-walked” that far before but never just run that distance with no walking breaks .  If you read WBL on a regular basis, you may notice that I just had a PR.  Keep in mind my runs are short and my paces are slow because I am such a new runner.  But, I really want to increase my distance…A LOT!  Within just a few short weeks (okay two months) , Spring will arrive and the weather will allow for outdoor running almost everyday.  I would love to have a long run distance of around 10 miles.  I want to be able to take off on  6-10 mile runs 4 times a week .  What better way to enjoy the gorgeous Spring weather?  To increase my distance, I have been using a “10 mile race”  training schedule.  That’s why I keep “PR-ing” i distance.  The training schedule has me running 3 days each week.  I have been doing the Iron Pumping Challenge on my “off days”.   My body certainly loves to get moving.  I love the balance of running and strength training.  Fueling my workouts has become more of a priority.  Ensuring that I get enough protein has become increasingly important to me. 

   I have found some wonderful ways to bring more protein into my diet. 

Vanilla Oikos on my Sweet Potato (You must try it!) , BBQ Tofu,  roasted Brussel Sprouts

I would love to find a good, all natural BBQ sauce.

I’ve tried a  few of Annie’s flavors to no avail

Sorry Annie… Love your bunnies, not your sauce.

I used this instead.

Back to my recent obsession with orange produce…

This is Vanila Oikos and Pumpkin with a lot of Pumpkin Pie Spice!  I was inspired by Caitlin.

I had forgotten that I had frozen half of a baked Buttercup Squash a few months ago so it was a nice surprise  to find it in th freezer! (I’m a dork like that )

 But I needed some protein with my complex carb….  Vanilla Oikos saves the day!

I am definitly stocking up on these next Fall so that I can bake and freeze more! 

This is my favorite new way to get protein!!

Brownie Batter with Vanilla Oikos (of course) and Naturally More…  Oh. My. Word. 

  April, this tastes like the real deal.  Thanks for introducing me to this lovliness!  I can’t wait to try your protein cookie dough!

I’ve also been working to incorporate more anti-oxidents into my diet.  We old ladies begin to look for ways to slow our aging

For some reason, I feel that frozen fruits that have been microwaved until warm taste sweeter than the fresh fruit itself…wierd

Frozen (microwaved ) blueberries with 365 High Fiber Cereal…AMAZING.

  I have loved the taste of bran flakes since I was a kid.  I must have been an odd kid

My real excitement for the week was the arrival of the book I ordered used from amazon!

(Yes, it really was my excitement for the week)

Please diseregard the open cabinet…

Snuffy’s new favorite snack

Celery with Honey Almond Butter

You better bet my table and chair and child were all covered in Honey AB after that.

Once again, I’m asking for your recommendations.  I have a Nike Sport watch.  I like it.  But, I want something that I can use to measure my heartrate for other activites and use for distance on oudoor runs as well.  Any thoughts? Polar?  Garmin?  Anyone?

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

2 1/4 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1/2  tsp. Cream Of Tartar

1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

Sea Salt (dash)

5-6 Frozen Bananas

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1  (12 ounce) package chocolate chips

1.  Microwave your frozen bananas in a large, microwave-safe bowl in 45 second increments until the bananas are partially thawed but not “spoupy”. 

2.  Mix bananas and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients excluding the chocolate chips.

3.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients until they are mixed but still lumpy.

4.  Add chocolate chips and combine  until there are chocolate chips throughout the mixture.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees until  a toothpick poked into the center of the cake comes out clean.  This was close to an hour for me.

It was love at first bite!

Couldn’t keep this to myself either!

See you soon with a real post!

Snuffy decided to take things into her own hands.  She put on both of my scarves and a reusable grocery bag and headed for the door

When that plan fell through, she turned to Pedro for entertainment

For Pedro’s sake, I was glad that Mallard was able to come home and play with Snuffy. 

Well… at least that was the plan.  The poor guy just can’t escape his work.  But, Snuffy was glad to be his right hand man  girl.

Mallard brought us a new Dry Erase Board

Um… the grocery list obviously didn’t fit .

I had been meaning to buy some eco-friendly water bottles for a very long time. 

Mission Accomplished.

Do flavors ever arise in your thoughts when you walk into the grocery store?  I walked into WF and immediately thought of squash.  Yes, I am a freak. 

I baked the spaghetti squash and scraped out the innards (what a gross word)

Done and done.

I had to go to Bed Bath And Beyond after an unsuccessful bathmat search at Target (pronounced Tar-Je)

I did find a bath mat but bath mats are boring.  I also found a Banana Keeper (or wth are these called?)

I keep wanting to call this a banana hammock lol

It’s always fun to have new tools in the kitchen.  Check out this post for a cookware giveaway!

So, once again I am asking for some input from readers and bloggers.  I desperately need a gym bag.  I have been using a tote that I recieved from the hospital when I gave birth to Snuffy.  It’s barely big enough for my shoes, clothes and ipod.  I can’t fit everything in it if I have to shower at the gym.  What kind of gym bag do you have?  Any suggestions?

I am also still participating in the Iron Pumping Challenge!

I love it.  I love that I am able to look forward to running days and cross-training days.

Onto less horrific challenges…  I am late in congratulating the ladies who ran the Disney Marathon!  Monica and Megan both finished the whole marathon even though they were feeling extremely ill!!  Running when feeling sick is hard but 26.2…now that’s challenging!  As a new runner, I find so much inspiration in your determination.  Caitlin, Meghan, Ashley and Deb also finished….did I miss anyone? 

Speaking of Caitlin, I am on board for her Iron Pumping Challenge!

Yesterday’s Iron Pumping Workout

Front Raises:  3×10 with 10 #

Lateral Raise:  3×10 with 10#

Military/Overhead Press:  3×10 with 15 #

Skull Crushers:  3×10 with 10#

Chest Press:  3×10 with 15 #

It was a short workout but I do feel like I accomplished something   I am feeling it today.

From moves to meals….

If you read my blog often, you may notice that I don’t post a lot of my food.  This is because a lot of what I eat are snacks or meals thrown together throughout my day between work and school and running after Ms. Snuffy.

Example:  I arrive home desperate for a snack. 

Vegetable +Protein+Carbs

…so I realize the Organic Ketchup doesn’t exactly count as carbs but maybe the baby carrots and breading on the Chick’n??  Work with me people!

Another favorite snack that I enjoy almost everyday.  Yes, I tend to develop snack  habits and then get burnt out on it and try something new.

Kale Chips, Hummus, Flax Pita

How about a new favorite? 

I found this recipe on April’s blog for  Low Carb Sweet Bread

Not that I am not a low-carb girl by any means, but I do like the high protein content.

I subbed Truvia for the Stevia because I had no Stevia. I subbed egg whites for the Liquid Egg Whites. 

When Snuffy saw me get out the eggs, she decided she wanted an omelet…

That must be her omelet face

 I also subbed a Cream Of Tarter and Baking Soda mixture for the Baking Powder.  That last substitution came from google.

While it was baking, I filled Snuffy’s Bunny Cup.

This is the bread “dough”

…and baked

YUM!

I mixed up some Stonyfield Vanilla and 1/2 cup of Pumpkin

and topped it with a slice of April’s Sweet Bread and a lil Cinnamon Raisin PB

It’s so fun to try recipes I find in this healthy blog world!  I sure could use a VitaMix to try more recipes!!  How cool would it be to win a Vita MiX!! Check out Katie’s blog for a chance to win!

I ate my snack while admiring Snuffy’s artwork that came with her from the babysitter

Unless she is the smartest 21 month old in Ohio, I don’t think she wrote her own name.

Tonight, we are going to visit Mallard who is STILL out of town. Snuffy loves to swim in the hotel pool so it should be fun.

Yikes, unintended scary facial expression…

Mallard is still out of town so when the snow fell here in the ‘Nati, I was the one to shovel the driveway.  I broke out my Ski Coat circa 2006 to keep me warm. 

I also broke out my warm up pants from high school cheerleading.

Completed with the sweatshirt that I recieved from my high school boyfriend back in the day. 

Hey, I told you I don’t shop very often!

I have been sick this week but it’s just a sinus infection with some chest congestion…nothing major.  I took a couple of days off from running to give my body a little rest.  I did lift weights the first day which was planned because I have been running 4 days a week and lifting the other three.  By the third day of no running I was itching to run!  I never ever thought that I would want to run so bad!  When I finally did run, I set a new PR.  Hooray!  It’s a time and distance PR but I would rather not share it because it’s really not too far or too fast for the average runner.  But I don’t really consider myself a runner yet   I usually walk/run.  This time I ran the majority of the time.   I do love yoga as well.  These days I never seem to have the time to hit the mat though.  Yes, there are yoga downloads and whatnot.  But, since I only practiced yoga for a few short weeks, I feel that I still need to be in a class so that I can be corrected on form.

   How many days each week do you run?  If you aren’t a runner, what is your workout routine each week?

Afterward , I made a glorious mess off steamed veggies and Oikos with some new sauce.  I misunderstood Gina’s post on what to eat after a workout.  But, this meal was still freaking amazing.

The new sauce is something I tried at the in laws’ house a few weeks back.

The first time I tried this I loved the sweet and spicey flavor.  I was skeptical of the ingredients.  These kind of sauces generally contain HFCS and a lot of chemical crap.

But I was pleasantly surprised

A little hard to read, but the ingredients are all natural real ingredients.

I discovered another extrememly simple (yes I’m 5) new snack that  I love.  I roasted some carrots with a smidge of EVOO so that I have an easy side in the fridge.  Many times,  I need to feed a hungry Snuffy fast!  I love to eat these with roasted red pepper hummus or as Snuffy says “Mumm-eece” ( pronounce the last syllable as if it rhymes with lease).

What else is new?

A new favorite sweater.  Do you have a favorite shirt that just makes you feel good?  I love the feeling I get when I put on this sweater.  Thanks Mallard!  Merry Christmas to me

Taken in the bathroom because this is what happens when you try to take pictures of your favorite sweater with toddler in your life

I also unintentionally bought a new sports bra

Let me explain.  Remember that glorious run after a 3 day hiatus?  Well, I arrived at the community center ready to rock until I removed my running clothes from my bag and found no sports bra.  I don’t know about you ladies, but I cannot run with no sports bra.  So, I did something that I rarely do.  I drove the 4 minutes to the nearest sporting goods store and picked up a new sports bra.  It was needed anyway as I have been wearing 6 year old sports bras…don’t judge.

I finally broke in my Old School Dehydrator with something other than kale chips!

Not exactly incredibly aesthetically pleasing but they are tasty

I found the recipe here.  I literally googled macaroons dehydrator….I told you, I am 5 .  These contained a lot of cacao.  Luckily I like dark chocolate so the mass amount of cacao was fine by me.  However, I let them dehydrate for 24 hours since my Old School Dehydrator has no settings and they were a little dry.  Next time I will only dehydrate for 12 hours.  I would also like to try to make some vanilla macaroons.

This week I learned…

  The “Terrible Twos” are for real.  I worked as a nanny right before I became pregnant and I still didn’t fully believe that a child would go through a stage of massive fit throwing and moodiness.  Snuffy is sweet as agave one minute and crying on the floor the next.  But, I am learning how to bring her out of the fits .  It’s amazing that just identifying her frustration helps so much.

My body does need rest once in a while and when I listen to my body I feel so much better in every aspect of my life.  I could never have increased my speed and distance had I not taken a few days off from running to recouperate.

I must never buy diet orange soda again.  It’s addicting and bad for the human body…but it’s so delicious…like artificially made, bottled sunshine.

Anyone with a Sony Handy Cam?  You have to be out there!  I need help.