Getting, Getting, Back, Back to blogging, blogging.

I have taken quite the hiatus, but as a new resolution I want to start blogging again. I love blogging when I stick with it, mostly because I love looking back on old things and remembering. I was going to try to use wordpress but their site sucks, blogger is much more user friendly and has way more options.

We are now a family of 4 + cat. We welcomed our gorgeous little girl on March 15th. She is amazing and we are all so in love with her.

We are transitioning over into a fully gluten free household after J being diagnosed with celiac, we figure it'll just be easier if we don't have any gluten in the house. So I will definitely be looking for more recipes if anyone has any to share, I can only pinterest so much.

Okay well I think that's all for tonight.
Day 1.

Happy Saturday

 

The view on our family walk today. Arizona sunsets are the best.

Um, check please!

 

For a healthier sweet treat, whether to end a date night, for the kids or just because you want to check out these cute snacks. These would also make great appetizers or desserts to bring to the next "i decided to go at the last minute and forgot to buy something" party you attend. Just take Pineapple, Banana and Strawberry preferably local (if possible), stick a tooth pick through them and dip sides in dark chocolate. Lay on parchment paper and let dry. If it's hot make sure to keep these cold/chilled so they don't melt!

Let me know if you make these and love them, I'm addicted. Also whats your favorite healthier alternative?

Beginner's Workout Challenge

Bathing suit season is right around the corner, for us in Arizona it's already here. So who wants to take the time to start getting their health/weight on track in may?  Here is a great workout plan I found that is amazing for beginner's. No excuses.

Do you think this is doable for you? Comment below if you are going to join me on this! I've lost a lot of weight so far, but I need to tone and shape up!

Dear Bethenny Frankel

Thank you for creating Skinnygirl! Sincerely, Me.

But on a serious note, I was recently given the opportunity to try out this Skinnygirl daily on the go bar. I was so excited to see this product in my sweet heart vox box from influenster as I am a big fan of Skinnygirl Margarita's, however I was a little disappointed when I saw the flavor. Coco-nut... Coco-nut.... I hate coconut... But Ms. Frankel wouldn't steer me wrong would she?! No she definitely wouldn't. I decided to try the bar and I was in love immediately. The coconut flavor was mild enough and mixed with peanut butter it was SO DELICIOUS! I went straight online to http://www.skinnygirldaily.com/ to see how I could order more! I am so in love with these bars, the only down side for me was the price. Being a one income family these are a little pricey but if you think of it as a meal replacement it's not as bad. I would definitely recommend trying these out for anyone who has a sweet tooth but is still trying to stay healthy! They also have Banana Oatmeal Dark Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Multi Grain Pretzel and Greek Yogurt Blueberry crisp flavors! Yum Yum Yum!

Eggs in the oven?!

I have seen this idea posted on pinterest plenty of times, frankly I am not a huge egg fan but I know they are good for you and I needed a convenient and fast on the go breakfast. SO i tried the whole eggs in a cupcake pan in the oven thing, I used some hot peppers we got a the farmers market as well as some turkey sausage mixed into the egg whites!

Preheat oven 350 degrees, Grease Pan (olive oil/pam), poor mixture into cupcake pan (can do just eggs), cook 10-15 minutes- I just sort of poked at them until they felt like they were ready.... store in fridge in plastic bags, grab and go or place on toast/bagel!

Here is the final product:

Place them in ziplock bags and grab and heat for an easy breakfast!


 Simple, fast meals, for a mom on the go!

Rainy Day

I was supposed to start my day off by going to the local co-op to pick up lots of veggies, however the rain stopped that plan! Today has been just a relaxing day inside, I finally decided to bake some spaghetti squash instead of just throwing it in the microwave:

So these are the spaghetti squash after I pulled them out of the oven, baked them for one hour at 375 degrees. Make sure before you bake them you puncture them with a knife in a few places. The smell of them when they came out of the oven was so so so Delicious!

Here is one of the squash cut open, if you have never made spaghetti squash before you will see that the inside has seeds that will need to be scraped out.

Here is after the seeds were all out and I used a fork to string the squash, notice the fact that it has a "noodley" look. I think this is such a fun vegetable!

So one spaghetti squash filled a large Tupperware full of "noodles".

So today I used the squash as a spaghetti base, I topped it with tomato sauce (no sugar added and low sodium), yellow squash, zucchini and a little bit of Parmesan cheese!

A great healthy rainy day meal.

I love Cooking

I love cooking, especially when you put the food together and it just looks "pretty". I love using lots of veggies to give our food a bright and colorful feel. Healthy food can be fun too!

This was dinner the other night:
-Boiled Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast that was shredded
-Anaheim Pepper
-Can of green chillis
-Corn
-Black Beans (no salt added)
-Red Pepper Flakes!

I ate it as is in a bowl, my other half added salsa to his and put it in a corn tortilla. Today I had some of the left over and topped them with avocado! So delicious and good for you!

Yes that is a guitar spatula for those who are questioning, it makes your food taste better... Or so we seem to believe, we use it with our drumstick wooden spoons. My son loves the fun kitchen accessories we have!

Dear Apple Cider Vinegar

Could you taste a little better.... please?

So for a while now I have friends who have been preaching to me the benefits of apple cider vinegar. But taking shots of vinegar... doesn't sound too great to me. However on my journey to a healthier me, a healthier scalp and a journey to lose these remaining pounds I decided to take a shot at it. So today I purchased Heinz All Natural Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (with the 'mother'):

So I am sipping it, in a cup of water. Plugging my nose as I take each drink. I'm sure this will be an acquired taste. But the benefits are astounding:

• Potassium – helps to prevent brittle teeth, hair loss and runny noses.
• Pectin – helps to regulate blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol.
• Malic Acid – gives ACV the properties of being resistant to viruses, bacteria, and fungus.
• Calcium – supports strong bones and teeth.
• Ash – gives ACV its alkaline property which aids your body in maintaining proper pH levels for a healthy alkaline state.
• Acetic Acid – It appears that this acid slows the digestion of starch which can help to lower the rise in glucose that commonly occurs after meals.

You can also give ACV to your pets! People say adding honey and other things to it help it taste better but I am just going to tough it out for now!

Who else has added Apple Cider Vinegar to their daily diet? Have you seen benefits? Please share them! 

As much as I don't like the number 13, I'll let it slide.

I don't know what it is about that number, but I just don't like it. I don't know when it started but I just know I don't like it. I remember when I went to get my first license plate for my car they handed me one with a 13 on it and I asked them to switch it because I just felt like it would be bad luck, luckily they did. BUT I will not let my dislike of that ugly number ruin this year or my hopes for it so...

HAPPY 2013!

2012:
-Lennon turned one and has been growing and just such an amazing human being to watch.
-I joined two amazing companies and have seen my sales grow, plus I get to talk about two things that I love and use on a daily basis.
-My relationship is stronger than ever and I am proud to see that we have grown.
-I've learned much more about myself and about life.
-I got a promotion and a raise at my 9-5(or 7-3:30) and I have learned so much within this company.

I really know 2013 will bring so many more blessings to my life. One of the things I am focusing on again is getting healthy, I was doing so good I lost 80 pounds and then the holidays came around and I started slacking so I want to get back on track! One thing I would like to tell you about is Greens a daily vitamin supplement you put in your water:

Build your immunity and it helps with weight loss, click on the picture for more details. It's cheaper and better than the leading alternatives! Plus it's something I use daily. 

What are key things that helped you change around your mentatlity in regards to becoming a healthier person? I need any tips I can get to get me back on board!

Thank you to anyone and everyone that checked out my blog in 2012, I know I can be scatterbrained and sometimes lack content but I appreciate every view. I can't wait to see how this grows in 2013!

we're still here

On our way to 2013, I try to explain to people that I still can't believe how much faster time goes by once you have a child. It's way faster than I could ever had expected!

The holidays were good, we got pretty much EVERYTHING except a vacuum but we got some awesome gift cards that will be used to purchase that. We are putting together our 2013 goals, not resolutions (because I feel those are easy to give up on, but goals! What are you hopes/goals for next year? Do you do a resolution ever year?

Now that the holidays are (ALMOST) over I'm going focus on getting back on track with my weight loss. For those of you who don't know I have lost 85 pounds so far since my son was born in September of 2011. I have about 50 more pounds I would like to lose, so I hope I reach that goal this year! Luckily I have some of my favorite protein in stock (ItWorks Chocolate Pro-Fit).

I have had such an amazing years and am loving seeing my page views grow, thank you to each and every one of you who does take your time to read any post by me. If you have a blog I would love to read it too!

Avocado Egg Salad

So I don't like eggs unless they are deviled or in egg salad. Two unhealthy things. I try to eat hard boiled eggs because I know they are good for you but I just can't get into them. Recently I came across a recipe for Avocado Egg Salad on pinterest and I knew I had to try it, I love avocados and it is a way to make egg salad healthier. My one problem with most recipes I found through other blogs is they included Mayo (which is one of the grossest things that you can eat in my opinion) and lots and lots of salt.

So I took multiple recipes from different sites and adapted it to make it my own:

• 4 whole Hard Boiled Eggs
• 1 whole Avocado, cubed for easier smashing 
• 1-2 tablespoons PLAIN Greek yogurt
• Red Pepper to Taste
• Chopped Green onions to taste 

Boil the eggs first then mix in all the other ingredients, if you would like it creamier you can blend in a food processor. This recipe goes good on bread, in a wrap or simple over a bed of lettuce. However you prefer it!
  
Here is a picture of my recipe

Some people add radishes/spinach/onions to their recipe you can really make this your own! If you have your own variation I would love to hear about it! You can also use either fresh lime/lemon or vinegar to help the avocados not brown.
 

AND we're back...

Sorry for the hiatus, we had little one's first birthday party two weekends ago, then last wednesday we left for San Diego! We got home Sunday night, Monday was little one's birthday but he woke up with a cold so we didn't do too much except cuddle cuddle cuddle. Tuesday I woke up feeling horrible and decided to go to urgent care Wednesday and was diagnosed with a sinus infection and so it's been a rough couple of days in our house hold. Now my lovely other half who has been taking care of us is starting to feel sick. We need a healthy household ASAP.

On a healthier note, we are doing no fried/fast/or added sugar foods for the next 35 days. Why 35 days you might ask? Well Jacob saw this online one day and it inspired him and he came up with the idea.

We are also trying to eat as much gluten free food as possible and we will see how we feel at the end of 35 days. We want little one to grow up loving healthy food, he already is addicted to Carrots, Bananas, Strawberries and Grapes! Lead by example!

I would love for any of you to share healthy recipes with me, I always need new ideas! 

I leave you with a picture of my little man at the beach, he was not so sure of the sand on his feet (he doesnt like being dirty) so he sat on my lap most of the time.

Smoothie Recipe!

Peach Smoothie Featuring the ItWorks Vanilla Protein Powder! YUM!

Happy Humpday

To those who aren't into Thursday yet! Sorry for the lack of posts and updates this week as been hectic, work has been busy, my work at home job with It Works has been super busy and my son is getting in two new teeth! So needless to say it's been a little chaotic!

BUT it's almost the weekend! My dad is coming to town to visit us and hopefully we can get some of my son's pictures done to send with his invitations! I've found a couple gluten free bakeries to do his smash cake, that's really the only thing I'll be spending money on, everything else will be D.I.Y!

What did you do for your kid's first birthday? Low Key or All Out?


On that note I wanted to leave you with some amazing results one of my customer's experienced recently, only three weeks of using our products and her body has changed dramatically:

Check the products out see what interests you, ask questions. These products work I know from first hand experience, I use It's Vital daily, I use the defining gel about every other day and I try to use the ultimate body applicators "wraps" if I have them on hand.

Colonoscopy

So today I had a colonoscopy ordered by my doctor due to some "issues". It's a weird and touchy subject to talk about with people, because people are uncomfortable with the subject. PLUS it's not normal for someone of my age to be getting one, but my doctor suggested it and it makes me feel better knowing that nothing is wrong.

The worst part about the whole thing was the "prep". I was given a RX for this stuff called Moviprep, it tastes like super salty mountain dew. You have to drink that the night before you procedure and then the morning of. With nothing else except a clear liquid diet. I read SO many horror stories about the "prep" process that I think luckily I psyched myself out about it, because honestly it wasn't that bad. I mean it wasn't fun running to the toilet all night and all morning but other than that I really can't complain.

The actual colonoscopy itself was super easy, they take you in, you get undressed and hooked up to some monitors. They then took me into the procedure room and told me to lay on my side, the lady gave me some anesthesia into my IV and said "you'll start to feel some burning as this goes in" and I replied "I can feel it in my throat" she then said "nighty night" and the next thing I knew I was waking up in the recovery room. Luckily all is good besides a few internal hemorrhoids which is normal after you have had a baby, but all other scares are gone for now!

If anyone else is suggested to get this by your doctor, do it. It can save your life, don't think just because you are young, or because there is no cancer history in your family that it can't happen to you because it can.

And on that note I am tired so I'm going to go read and relax! If anyone has any questions about the procedure or prep please feel free to ask.

Pizza and teeth cleanings

Today was not so good healthy eating wise... my mom watched our son and then brought over:

I definitely indulged in two pieces and they were delicious, but it's also a good thing i have my fat fighters:

 

Powered by NeOpuntia™ (a naturally based ingredient made from the "prickly pear" cactus) and the It Works! proprietary blend, Advanced Formula Fat Fighter delivers dynamic, clinically tested results for both men and women.

• Blocks some of the fat & carbs from meals
• Helps balance blood glucose level and reduce cravings
• Designed to be taken up to an hour after meals
• Cactus-based formula
• Does not contain shellfish

On another note, I also did one of my least favorite things today after work... I went to the dentist for a teeth cleaning, mind you the lady is super gentle because she knows i'm a big baby but it still hurts. I have braces AGAIN because when i was 18 and got them off I didn't learn to wear my retainer and I'm vain and so I need them again, but part of the agreement is to keep up with your regular cleanings. I want to cry whenever I get their phone calls, my next one isn't until december though.

I don't know how I am ever going to convince my son that going to the dentist is a good thing, if he ever sees me go he is going to be terrified.

How I got rid of my stretchmarks

As much as I love my son, I did not love the stretch marks he left all over my stomach and hips. Everyone said "they are your stripes" "you earned those" "wear them proud'.... But I didn't like them, this is where I was most intrigued by It Works! Before I decided to become a distributor, I ordered what we call the "skinny pack". As much as I loved the body applicators, I love the defining gel even more. My stretch marks are ALMOST invisible now, from being purple/pink/deep/gross....

If you are looking for something to help you lose your stretch marks/skin blemishes/firm your skin, definitely check out this product you will not regret it.

 

The product is also all natural! You can't lose in this situation, I promise you it works. The picture above is one of my clients who loved the product!

ON another note, tonight is Sunday.... back to work tomorrow... I am working only 4 days this week because I have to have a procedure done on friday, so it should be a long week. Fingers crossed that all comes back that I am healthy and well and whatever going on with me is just a scare. 

I finally have broken my plateau that I hit with my weight loss, I was stuck and I've lost about 2 lbs this week, I love seeing the numbers drop and just feeling better about myself. I've lost a total of 76lbs since September!

Yesterdays lunch is my new obsession:

 

So it was 1 medium sized organic boneless skinless chicken breast

fresh organic garlic, to taste, (I like alot)-diced

I did about 2.5 handfuls of organic spinach

1 tablespoon of flax

1 teaspoon of olive oil

red pepper flakes to taste

Spinach shrinks as you cook it so you could always add more as you go

 

It takes about 10-20 minutes to cook, make sure your chicken is cooked all the way through! 

 Then you are done, and you will probably full for most of the day! 

DIY

So we are almost out of laundry detergent, So i have decided I am going to make my own, to save cost and to use things that are more natural. The recipe I am using came from another blog I found through pinterest:

DIY laundry Soap

Instead of using Fels Naptha though we are using Zote Soap:

I will also be attempting to make it in a smaller quanity!

Do you have any DIY products you use? Have you tried this laundry soap recipe?

I will make sure to post my results.

PS the almond milk is a GO, i loved it! No gross feeling, no bloat, I would definitely suggest you try it if you are looking for a milk substitute!