The Bell Family

FIVE on Friday

2015-02-13T09:09:00.000-05:00

Friday!

I am so glad it's finally Friday. This week has seemed to drag on. This weekend is going to be a busy one so I'm sure it will go by far to quickly.

Today I am linking up with the girls for Five on Friday

ONE: The boys and I made Valentines cookies to send to their cousins for Valentines. They may not have been the prettiest cookies, but they were yummy! I think I'm starting to get the hang of decorating with royal icing.

TWO: My husband and I are finally going to see American Sniper this weekend. I'm pretty sure we are the last to see it!!

THREE: I am running my second 5K for the year (1 per month is the plan) tomorrow. I will be running the Spartan 5K at Athens Academy. I'm a little nervous about this one because I am not a fan of cold weather and it's supposed to be around 25 degrees in the morning!!

FOUR:Kerry and I are going to a new restaurant for a Valentines date on Saturday. We originally planned to stay in and not fight the crowds, but the boys will be with their grandparents this weekend so we thought we may as well enjoy an unusual night out.

FIVE: I discovered tthis recipe and I love it so much!! I'm a huge fan of guacamole and feta so putting it together was pretty amazing!!

I hope you all have a great weekend and a very Happy Valentines Day!!

February Goals

2015-02-06T15:48:00.001-05:00

It's already 6 days into February and I'm finally blogging about my goals for the month. I feel like when I put something down in writing I am much more likely to stick with it.

February Goals

1. Run a 5K ...I am registered to run my 2nd 5K of the year, I will be running the Spartan 5K on February 14th.

2. Plan a Valentines date night with my husband.

3. Have friends over for dinner. I love to be a hostess. And having friends over for dinner doesn't happen nearly as much as I would like.

4. Start Jamie Easons 12 week fitness plan

FIVE ON FRIDAY

2015-02-06T09:27:00.001-05:00

It has been awhile since I have linked up for a 5 on Friday and today I actually had the time to blog so I thought why not. I haven't had the time to blog at all so my Five on Friday are pretty random.

~ONE~

Walker and I set a goal to run a 5k every month in 2015! We ran our first 5k together last weekend and we had so much fun. I love that it's something that we can do together that is active, but also have quality one on one time. We hadn't trained much at all so we definitely didn't run a fast 5k, but Walker finished 4th in his age group and he was pretty excited about that.

Chilly Dawg 5K January 24, 2015

~TWO~

I just finished my 2nd round of Whole30! It was so much easier this time around. I have discovered so many recipes and learned so much about food and nutrition throughout the last 30 days!

~THREE~

Since turning 30 my body is definitely taking on changes that I didn't expect! I have always heard people say that as you get older its harder to stay fit and I have seen that first hand! I feel like I have to set goals for myself and really push myself to see results now. I think before the past year it came easy to me and I really took it for granted!

~FOUR~

Speaking of setting goals....I plan to start Jamie Eason's Live Fit 12 week workout plan next week. I hope that I will be able to blog about my progress during the next 12 weeks.

~FIVE~

I have to confess that I am very excited about seeing Fifty Shades of Grey!!! I am planning to go next weekend with some friends. I read through all the books in a matter of days and am so curious how they are going to make a movie thats even remotely close to the books!!

Merry Christmas 2014

2015-01-12T06:34:00.001-05:00

I have been a little behind on blogging, lately. December was an extremely busy month for us and it's hard to believe that it has come and gone. Between traveling, weddings, and all the fun that comes along with Christmas it all seems like a blur looking back. We had a great Christmas spending time with our families and celebrating the birth of Jesus. Here is a look back at Christmas 2014 in pictures.

The Night before Christmas

Making cookies for Santa

The final product

Never too old for matching Christmas pajamas

Before the chaos

Christmas Morning

And we agreed not to exchange gifts!!!

I love it so much!

Christmas tradition, having dinner at Waffle House : )

All the girls with our sweet grandmother (and great grandmother)

Sure do love this women

Happy 7th Birthday, Carson

2015-01-01T06:24:00.000-05:00

December 30th we celebrated Carson's 7th birthday. It is hard for me to believe that my "baby" is already 7 (I guess I can't really call him a baby anymore).

When you woke up this morning you came downstairs to 7 balloons for 7 years and breakfast of your favorite donuts. You were so excited to finally be 7!!

I absolutely love getting to be your Mama. You are the sweetest and most loving little boy. You are a ball of energy and always keep us laughing. You hardly ever want to sit still and I'm sure that causes problems at school, but it's no different at home. You still don't sit through dinner without getting up at least once. Every night you ask to be carried upstairs for bed and every morning you want to to be carried back down. Even though, you are getting bigger I don't mind carrying you because I know these days will be gone far too soon.

You LOVE sports of any kind, but especially football!! You love to watch football, play football with friends and even play football on the Xbox with your daddy! On the night of your birthday you chose where to eat dinner based on a place that had a T.V., so that you would't miss out of the UGA bowl game.

Birthday lunch at LaParilla

Having dinner at Sakura

There aren't enough words for to express just how much your Daddy and I love you! I will continue to love you for as long as I live, and in my eyes you will always be my baby!! Happy Happy Birthday my sweet blonde haired, blue eyed baby!!

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

2014-12-19T10:12:00.001-05:00

Last week we had the opportunity to go to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for a few days. Kerry received the trip through work and it was most likely the best vacation we have ever been on. The trip was an all-inclusive and we didn't have to spend a dime on anything if we didn't want to!

Everyone was so nice friendly every where we went! As soon as we arrived in Puerto Vallarta we were greeted at the airport with drinks and a chartered bus ready to take us to the resort. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel and it was so nice. As soon as we walked in there were people greeting us with food and cocktails. The entire trip felt like a non-stop party, but so much fun. There were activities every night that you could do or you had the choice to go and do things on your on if you wanted. Even though this trip was technically for work it was meant to be enjoyed and there were no events that you were required to go to. Here are a few pictures from our trip...and the pictures don't begin to describe how nice it was and how much fun we had.

Greeted with food and drinks

Unlimited Margaritas (my favorite)

Welome Party by the pool

SO MUCH FOOD!!

Room with a jacuzzi

Bingo by the pool

Tequila tasting

Surfing lessons

Day at the spa (massages and pedicures) with this amazing view! And this was all included!!

Of course Kerry found a casino!!

They always left chocolate on our pillows at night

Farewell Party

Having too much fun

Farewell party

More tequila (and he doesn't even drink)

I had at least 2 plates of chips and guacamole everyday while we were there!!

Beautiful Beach

Costa Rica

2014-12-02T07:58:00.001-05:00

We had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica over the weekend (yes, only for the weekend). We went to celebrate the marriage of Bart and Stephanie who live in Costa Rica. We left the Friday after Thanksgiving and came home on Monday. It was a fun weekend, but definitely not long enough! We stayed at this beautiful resort. Here are a few pictures from our trip.

A glimpse of the resort, this picture doesn't do it justice!! It was beautiful!

These guys were everywhere

The Marina at Los Suenos

Perfect setting for a wedding

Dressed and ready for a fun night

Elevator "selfie" because I was so in love with this dress!! : )

Gorgeous reception

With the Bride and Groom

Face painting at the wedding

Looking a little tired at the end of the night

Thanksgiving 2014

2014-12-01T14:46:00.004-05:00

We had a great Thanksgiving! Carson and Walker had the whole week off of school which was nice since Kerry and I were leaving to go out of town at the end of the week. We got to spend time together going skating, shopping and visiting with Santa.
On Thursday we went to Sandersville to have Thanksgiving lunch with my side of the family. All of my brothers and sisters were together under one roof. Since there are 7 of us this is very rare. I love getting to see all the cousins together. We had a great lunch and the kids all got to play together for awhile. We headed back to Athens around 4 so that we could pack our bags and head to the airport early on Friday morning to go to Costa Rica for our friends wedding.
Here are a few pictures from our Thanksgiving.

My handsome boys

All the girl cousins with their matching shirts

Babies always love him

Zip line in the backyard

All the cousins together

Our Visit With Santa

2014-11-26T08:02:00.000-05:00

We originally planned to see Santa on Monday since the boys had the week off of school and it would most likely not be too crowded. On Monday afternoon when we were getting ready Carson told me he had a headache and didn't think he wanted to go (which isn't like him at all). I checked his temperature and he was running a fever of 101.8. We stayed home and thankfully with some tylenol Carson was quickly back to his old self. I made an appointment with his pediatrician just to get him checked out and in the clear. Knowing that we are going out of town this week I certainly didn't want to leave town with a sick child.

We went to the doctor early Tuesday morning and thankfully Carson was negative for the flu and strep (those were two things I was most concerned about). Our pediatrician thinks Carson had a bad cold and his body was trying to fight it off. Since we got the clear from the doctor we decided to go to Lawrenceville to see Santa. When we got to Bass Pro around 11 we realized Santa wasn't going to be there until 3...so we decided to make a day of it. We had lunch with Kerry, went to build-a-bear workshop and walked around the mall. Here are some pictures from our day.

Getting the all clear at the our favorite doctor

I love how all the rooms are painted in his office

I can't even remember how many times he has been here!!

They love all the games at Bass Pro

Carson always keeps his hands in his pockets!

Finally getting to see Santa

Five On Friday

2014-11-21T05:36:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Leslie from A Blonde Ambition for confessional Friday and the girls for Five on Friday.

-ONE-

We normally put our tree up after Thanksgiving and since we have been married we have never decorated earlier. This year we went ahead and started to decorate!! I know people have their pet peeves about this, but we are going out of town for 10 days between now and Christmas, so I want to enjoy my decorations for as long as I can. I

love the feeling in my home when it's dark and the tree lights are shining. There is still something so magical about this time of year to me!

-TWO-

I set a goal for myself to work out at least 15 times in the month of November. Well it wasn't really going well until this week!!! I have managed to take a Pure Barre Class or go to the gym Every. Single. Day this week!! Woohoo! I guess knowing I'll be in a bathing suit in less than 2 weeks lights a fire to get moving. : )

-THREE-
My husband and I worked on this table for the last week and I am in LOVE with the way it turned out! Our dining room has been empty for a very long time and I'm so excited to finally see it with a table! I know this table will be special for years to come just knowing that we worked on it together and laughed so much during the process.

-FOUR-

This has got to be my favorite meal lately!! This week makes the third time I have made this chili recipe!! It is Whole30 and Paleo approved!

-FIVE-

I had pictures taken, ordered and received my Christmas cards! I'm going to wait until at least the 1st of December to mail them out, but feeling oh so productive!

Family Pictures

2014-11-16T22:08:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again where we are deciding what to wear for family pictures and picking out the perfect Christmas card to send to friends and family. I am pretty certain that the 3 boys I live with dread this so much every year. However, I am certain that they love looking back at pictures from the past years just as much as I do!

I contacted several different photographers to get pricing on photo sessions and scanned through their availability. After much deliberation I decided to let a friend use my fancy camera (that never gets used) and see what kind of pictures she could get. We have so much going on this year that I just couldn't fathom spending $200 on a photo session that included ONE actual print or download! I have paid so much for pictures in the past and sometimes it has been worth it and sometimes it has been a complete waste.

We picked the coldest day of the year to take pictures!! It was so windy and cold and the sun was setting quickly! However, I think we got a couple of good pictures and that was worth it to me!! Here are a few outtakes from our day (more like 20 minutes) at the Botanical Gardens. And of course I am saving the best ones for our Christmas cards!

This is how most pictures turned out! What you can expect with the 3 guys?!?!

Walker could have gotten the marker off his hand first

How did I get so lucky?!?

A little blurry

Trying to recreate a photo I saw on Pinterest! Ha-it didn't go as planned! (As with many of my Pinterest ideas)

This was my favorite picture of all the ones that were taken.

Confessional Friday: {Link Up}

2014-11-14T08:50:00.000-05:00

Woohoo it's Friday! Today, I am linking up with Leslie for Confessional Friday.

1. I confess I drink way too much coffee!! I used to have 1 cup every morning and now I'm a 3 cup a day kinda girl! I was a little too excited when I got this notification in my email this week!

I made it to the GOLD level at Starbucks! I'm really not even sure what this means-excpet the fact that I drink a lot of coffee!

2. I completed the Whole30 challenge a little over week ago. I blogged about my experience mostly for my own personal record. However, the Whole30 website and Facebook page found my blog and shared my post on their website. My blog is written for fun mainly so that I can look back years from now and see what we (my family) were up to. I confess I was a little excited when I saw that I had over 20,000 views to my blog within 48 hours!! I love knowing that someone else was inspired through my journey! I have always had a passion for fitness and healthy eating and love that I could share a little of that with others.

My blog stats for ONE day!

3. I confess it absolutely drives me insane when people don't RSVP for an event!!! I am hosting a wedding shower for friends this weekend and have only had SIX people respond saying that they were coming. I sent out 35+ invitations. I hate not being prepared..I'm hopeful that more than 6 people will come, after the time and effort that was put into the preparations for the shower!

Whole30- Day 31!!!

2014-11-07T10:32:00.000-05:00

I successfully completed the Whole30 challenge! I am so excited I made it 30 days!

I went 30 days without eating sugars, sweeteners, alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy or any preservatives. 30 days ago, I was unsure if I could really go without these things for an entire 30 days. Before I began I thought I would just cut out some of the things, but the more I read about Whole30 I knew that you needed to be very strict in order to experience any changes at all. So, I decided to dive in head first and do exactly as it was supposed to go.

Now that the 30 days is over I look back and think that I chose a busy month to try my very first Whole30. I went to fall festivals, ballgames with tempting concession stand food, the pumpkin patch, and Halloween parties with plenty of sweets!! I know now that I can do this at any time if I was able to stay strong through all the temptation that has been in front of me.

What Changed?

So I knew that there would be physical affects after completing the challenge, but what I didn't know were the psychological changes that would occur. I feel like a different person than I did just 30 days ago! Crazy to think that the foods we eat (or don't eat) can have such an affect on your mind and body.

The number ONE thing that I have noticed is how well I sleep!! I can't get over how much your diet can affect your sleep! I now fall asleep easily, sleep through the night and wake up feeling refreshed!! There are so many other small things that I have experienced I am sure I will forget to list them all. These are just a few that stand out in my mind:

1. Clearer skin

2. NO more reflux!!

3. So much more energy

4. I no longer crave sugar

5. I can live without cheese!! : )

6. Just all around in a better mood

DID YOU LOSE WEIGHT?

I know so many people do this for weight loss and that was not the case for me, I was so tired of putting so much crap into my body and wanted to see if eating better foods would really make a difference in the way I felt. However, I did lose a little weight. My total weight loss for the Whole30 was 7 pounds. And that was with very little working out. I feel like my body looks the same from the minute I wake up in the morning until the time I go to bed at night (which is not how it used to be) I haven't once felt bloated during the last 30 days!!

I can't believe I am posting these, but they are true un-photoshopped pictures. The first was taken the morning before I started the challenge and the second is the morning after I finished the Whole30.

These photos are proof that the saying is true "Abs are made in the kitchen." I knew my abs were under there I just couldn't stay away from the junk food to reveal them!! I know there are many people that would not prefer to look so muscular, but for me I love it. So these photos are my motivation when I fall off the wagon again.

SO WHAT'S NEXT?

Over the course of the last 30 days people would ask me "So what will you do when your 30 days is over?" Well- I don't plan on stopping what I'm doing. I will however not be quite as strict. I have no intentions of going through a drive through and ordering a hamburger and greasy fries (and I can guarantee it would make me sick if I did). I plan to slowly incorporate some things back into my diet such as natural sweeteners like honey, vanilla extract, etc. (which were all off limits during the Whole30). I have missed an occasional glass of wine, cheese on a salad, and a piece of bread with dinner every now and then. But, I have discovered so many foods that I never even thought about eating before and I have loved them!! These are things that I see myself cooking from now on.

This was a lifestyle change for me not just a 30 day challenge. I will definitely have some of those foods I missed on occasion. But, I will continue to live the Whole30 lifestyle for the most part. I don't see why I would stop now with so many positive changes that I have noticed. I am eating great food, loving the changes in my body, and feeling wonderful! Why stop now?

Confessional Friday

2014-11-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

It's FRIDAY!! Today I am linking up with Leslie at A Blonde Ambition for confessional Friday.

1. I confess that I successfully completed the Whole30 challenge this week (more on that here), but went waaaay overboard with sweets since it ended!! I'm going to have to throw all the Halloween candy away!! I am not good at resisting when it's right in front of me!!

2. I confess I am ready to decorate for Christmas TODAY! And if it were up to me I would go ahead and get started....but my husband thinks its a little early! There are only 47 days until Christmas!! That's not long!

3. I confess I am not liking the time change at all!! I have been ready for bed by 8:00 every night this week!! Why do we have to do this anyway??

Fall Ball

2014-11-03T08:47:00.000-05:00

Carson and Walker both decided to play baseball this fall. Fall ball is a short season so it was a quick, but busy 6 weeks. They each had 2-3 games a week needless to say, I felt liked we've lived at the ballpark lately. During the fall the team names come from minor league baseball teams. Carson was on the Rivercats and Walker was on the Sandnats. They both had great coaches that were so encouraging and really helpful. Carson is already wanting Spring ball to start so that he can play again. Walker on the other hand is not so excited. He got hit by a ball during one of his games and was actually excited for the season to be over. I think he was scared so much by the hit and I can't imagine that he will want to play again for awhile. They both finished up their season this week. Here are a few pictures that I was able to get throughout the season.

Warming up before his game

The only thing close to a team picture for Carson's team

He was so proud of his trophy! We were also freezing!!

Before the first game.

Walker after his last game with his trophy.

Sandnats team picture. They don't get professional pictures during the fall so this was the best we could get.

November Goals

2014-11-01T12:05:00.000-04:00

How is it that it's already November?!?!? This year is flying by. I really love the month of November. I love the weather, the upcoming excitement of the holidays, family get togethers and so many other things. I'm blogging about my goals for the month of November, it helps in keeping myself accountable for the things that I want to accomplish. Here are few things that I'd like to accomplish in November.

1. Have our family pictures taken and order Christmas cards.

2. Get the majority of the Christmas shopping done! We are going on two trips in the next month and I know the weeks before Christmas are going to fly by!

3. Go to the gym/Pure Barre 15 times this month!! I have been a total slacker lately :(

4. Re-paint the boys bathroom and finish painting the laundry room (I embarrassed to admit how long ago I started on that)

5. Organize the playroom (makes me anxious just thinking about that)

Halloween Fun

2014-11-01T10:02:00.002-04:00

We had so much fun this Halloween. Carson wanted to be a ninja and Walker wanted to be a Vending machine..yes a vending machine. So the ninja costume was no problem to find, but of course you can't just go out and find a vending machine costume. So, Kerry and I decided to see what we could come up with. Kerry is the best when it comes to building things and having a vision for something when there is nothing to go by. We worked together hot gluing pieces of cardboard and painting each part. Kerry added lights to each shelf in the "machine" and made it look even more realistic. On Halloween night Walker's costume was a huge hit! I started to feel bad for Carson because I don't think people even realized he was there. It seemed that each and every house we went to they gave Walker extra candy because they thought he had the best costume. He had is picture taken by complete strangers a minimum of 10 different times...He was most definitely loving all of the extra attention. After the boys got home they sorted and counted all their candy. I love that they always do this because I can remember doing the same thing with my sister and brothers when I was young. Here are some picture of our Halloween.

Love my little Ninja

The lights really made the costume- there was even a box built in where people would insert candy and it would fall down into the box!!

Attempt to get a picture before Trick or Treating

Riding in the golf cart with a blanket was definitely the best way to trick-or-treat!!

One last picture when we got back home

Look at all that candy!!

Trip to Washington Farms

2014-10-25T18:11:00.001-04:00

We finally made it to Washington Farms.The boys think they are too big for any of the activities at the Pumpkin patch, but I was happy they agreed to go and at least pick out a pumpkin. Kerry had to work all day so it was just the three of us. We went and had lunch at LaParilla afterwards (which was really hard, considering I'm in the middle of the Whole30 challenge). Here are a few pictures of our day.

Washington Farms 2014

Carson found one

LaParilla for lunch

Whole30: 20 Days In!!

2014-10-25T08:13:00.000-04:00

Today is day 20 of my Whole30 challenge, that's 2/3 of the way through! I can hardly believe I have made it to this point! To be honest- I did not see myself lasting this long with no sugar, wine, cheese, milk, etc. But, I have and I couldn't be more excited to finish out the next 10 days. It is not excitement because I want to have those things again, but more so to see what other changes I will experience in the final days of the Whole30.

Since I have cut out sugar completely I no longer crave that rush. I have found that I am satisfied after I eat a meal, where as I would normally need something sweet to end with or I felt unsatisfied.

I have another 10 days to go and I feel like I could continue far past 30 days. So may of the things I have done over the last 20 days I will continue to implement from now on. For instance, I have completely cured my "need" for creamer in my coffee and I'm loving using 100% pure coconut milk as a substitution. I have also discovered so many recipes that will become a part of my family's weekly menu. Here are a few pictures of some of the things that I have made and really loved!!

Whole30 approved banana nut muffins!! There is absolutely no wheat or dairy in them!!

Crock pot Salsa Chicken (with Whole30 approved salsa)

Caramelized bananas with almond butter and toasted pecans

Hamburger with a sweet potato bun

Homemade chicken soup topped with fresh cilantro and avocado

I didn't cook this, but has come to be my favorite take out meal. Chipotle salad with chicken. (Most of the items on Chipotle's menu are Whole30 approved. I can't believe I had only eaten there once before!

Whole30 Fruit Dip

2014-10-22T16:20:00.000-04:00

I made a recipe the other day that I found on Pinterest and created one of my own in the process. This is a recipe I came up with that is Whole30 approved. It is simple, quick and has very few ingredients.

What you'll need:

2 over ripe bananas (the kind you would use for bread)

1 Tbs. of coconut oil

1 cup of cashews

Directions:

Place the cashews into a blender; blend until they are in powder form

Melt coconut oil and add to the cashews

Add the bananas and blend until you get a smooth creamy consistency

Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

ENJOY!

A Table for the Entryway

2014-10-17T08:52:00.000-04:00

I have been wanting an entryway table since the day we moved into our home. I have searched everywhere for the perfect piece of furniture that would fit in that spot. With no luck, we finally decided to attempt to build something that would fit exactly like I wanted. I searched Pinterest for ideas and came across these plans HERE. I loved the look of it so we decided to use the plans and adjust accordingly. Here are a few pictures of the process and the final product.

At Lowe's getting all of the supplies

Sweetest husband hard at work

Making Progress

Almost there!!

All we need is to stain the wood and add a coat of paint!!

The finished product!! I still need to find one more basket for the bottom shelf.

I am so happy with the way it turned out! We have gotten so many compliments from friends and family, when they have come to visit. My husband is super handy and can seriously build or fix anything! Now on to our next project....A farm table for out dining room!! : )

My Journey with Whole30 (so far)

2014-10-15T05:48:00.000-04:00

I have decided to try and complete the Whole30 challenge! If you are unsure of what the challenge is take a look here Whole30 and it will give you all the information you need. The main part of the challenge is to stick to whole foods for 30 days! Essentially this means no bread, dairy, alcohol, legumes or sugar (only naturally occurring sugars in fruit and vegetables), and absolutely no processed foods at all.

My decision to try the Whole30 came from a mix of different places. I have competed in fitness events, enjoyed working out, challenging myself to eat clean and try new recipes for as long as I can remember. However, I recently had a fitness photo shoot and limited myself from so many of my favorite foods. After the photo shoot was over, I went a little crazy with my eating habits and was seriously lacking motivation for going to the gym. My body changed very quickly and I begin to hate the way I looked (this could have a lot to do with turning 30...I can see that metabolism isn't what it used to be). I couldn't find the motivation to step back in the gym and I kept eating donuts (literally) for breakfast. In my head I would say "This is the last time, tomorrow I will get back on track". Well, those tomorrows quickly turned into weeks and before I knew it- I had been eating terrible, I had not been in the gym in 2 and half months and had only taken a hand full of Pure Barre classes (and when I say a hand full- I mean 6).

I don't know what finally caused me to commit, but I believe it was just feeling unhealthy and knowing that I have so many things coming up in the next few months and I want to feel my best.
And, so 10 days ago I just said "Let's do this today." And here we are 10 days later.

What has been the hardest part?

For me not eating wheat products and dairy has been the toughest thing. You just don't realize how many things have wheat and dairy in them. I constantly check labels and have spent many hours in the kitchen preparing food and reading the back of boxes (and washing dishes).

You're supposed to eat 3 balanced meals a day, following the Whole30 meal plan, and avoid snacking. This is so different than what I am used to and what I usually preach to people. I am used to eating 6 small meals a day so this has been quite a challenge. I still sometimes snack, but the things I am snacking on now or so much more healthy than I was ever snacking on before.

What I Miss the most: And ALL of these I had at lest once a week (if not every day)
Wine
Coffee Creamer
Cheese
Chocolate Chip Cookies and Donuts
Gummy candy (gummy bears, worms)

I haven't experienced any weird headaches or side effects from any of the new foods I've tried. This has been surprisingly easier than I had thought it would be. I've read so many online post about how people felt awful the first few days/weeks and I was scared to experience those things, but thankfully I have yet to have any negative side effects. I think so much of this process has to do with your attitude. : ) It's 30 DAYS-NOT FOREVER!! You can do anything for 30 days!

10 Things I've Learned In 10 Days On Whole30

Everyday gets a little easier! I find that I have more energy each new day!
I have become more organized! The first week I went to the grocery store 3 times! I was able to write out a grocery list this week and meal plan with everything I'll need for the entire week.
Whole foods are much more expensive! However, we (my family) go out to eat a lot. So I am thinking that our grocery bill will still be less than the amount of money we were spending going out to dinner.
I have already added so many new things to my pantry/refrigerator that I have never used before and discovered I really like them!! (chia seeds, coconut milk, dried cranberries, and many spices)
I have cooked more and washed more dishes in the last 10 days than I probably have in the last month!
Telling people that you are doing the challenge will help with encouragement and support!! I have many friends that not only want to try it, but have already started!
Black Coffee is really gross!! I miss creamer and sweetener like crazy-but have found that a little almond milk makes coffee much more enjoyable than just plain black coffee.
I am sleeping so much better! I read this would happen, but was a little skeptical- I'm the person that has to take some type of medicine to help me sleep! No More!! : )
30 days seems like a really long time in the beginning, but taking it one day at a time is a better perspective! I am now 1/3 of the way on my plan and have no doubts that I will finish strong.
There is a plethora of information on the internet about Whole30!! You do not have to pay any money for any books for the Whole30 challenge. I have found myself reading something new about Whole30 several times a day!

So here is to the next 3 weeks (well 20 days to be exact)!

Weekend in D.C.

2014-09-15T10:32:00.000-04:00

I love to travel and always get excited anytime I have the opportunity to go somewhere. This past weekend Kerry and I went to D.C. to visit with some friends for their house warming party. It was a quick weekend trip, but a lot of fun.
We went to the Casino in Maryland on Friday night-which I'm sure was Kerry's favorite part of the trip (maybe it was mine too). I love to play poker and we had the chance to play a little bit.
Saturday we got up early and did a little sightseeing. There was a 60% chance of rain and we thankfully got out in time to see what we wanted and beat the rain. Here are a few pictures from our weekend getaway.

The only picture from our Casino night

White House "selfie"

Reflecting Pool

Lincoln Memorial

The squirrels in D.C. are extremely friendly : )

I'M 30!!

2014-08-29T10:59:00.000-04:00

I have had the WORST anxiety about turning 30!! I'm kinda glad this day has come and gone.

So aren't you supposed to have all your ducks in a row by the time you are 30!!? If you would have asked me 10 years ago where I wanted to be in life on this day; I would have confidently spouted out my exact life plan and how successful I would be. Well fast forward 10 years and I'm not exactly where I thought I'd be. I have been in and out of school working toward that "perfect" job and I'm still unsure what that is or if that really exist for me. Now, don't get me wrong I am extremely happy and thats what matters, right?! I have a wonderful husband that I adore!! He would do absolutely anything for me and two of the smartest, sweetest and most kind spirited children you could ask for. And, I have a job where I get to wear yoga pants and socks everyday!! So, maybe life hasn't turned out how I had it planned in my head, but if we knew exactly what our future holds there wouldn't be much fun in that! My goal for my 30th year is to live each day with no expectations and enjoy the small things. Life goes by quickly and I don't want to sit and worry about the things that I haven't accomplished, but instead be grateful for the things that I have. Life certainly has a way of throwing you curve balls. It's how you get yourself out of them that counts. : )

Dinner at McKendrick's Steakhouse

I wore all black on our date and I'm usually not a fan of all black, but I loved this outfit and of course my Christian Louboutin shoes

My favorite dessert, white chocolate cheesecake

Dinner on my actual birthday at Last Resort

First Day of School

2014-08-06T10:22:00.000-04:00

Is it really already time to go back to school?!?!? This summer has flown by...the older the boys get the time really does go by so much faster. Walker started 4th grade today and Carson started 1st. They really are excited about the teachers they have so I think this will be a great year for them.