Monthly Goals Review & Healthy Breakfast Recipe

by Mollie


   This year I have been really challenged to spend my time well.  To be "in the moment" with what I am doing, whether it is playing with my kids or working on a task... I want to be focused and disciplined.  


 Since January I have been setting monthly personal/fitness goals and I thought I would share with you last months goals and how I accomplished them and then my upcoming goals for May. I would love the accountability! 


April Goals

• Get into a Bible Study (some girlfriends and I are starting one!)
• Organize girls closet
• Organize sewing corner
• make girls Easter dresses
• go on a date with my hubby
• spend less money
• clean out my car
• clean out Ronnie's car for him
• do an act of service - deliver a meal
• be nicer

 I missed a couple of my goals, but my plan is to roll them over into this months goals... 


May Goals
 I'm taking a page out of Mandy's book and starting to break down my goals... 

do:

• clean out Ronnie's car for him
• Vacuum both cars
• Organize sewing corner
• Get girls passports
• Go on a double date with Sara & Wes
• Go visit BOTH great grandparents
• Finish painting projects for Master Bedroom
• Eat more whole food
• Do my daily planning EVERY DAY

go:

• Take a minute off my mile time
• do 5 perfect push ups in a minute
• Hold a 2 minute plank
• Attend Stroller Strides 3x a week
• One workout on the weekends.

read: 
Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony

learn: 
 memorize 1 Peter 3:1-6

be: 
merciful- pray every day for mercy opportunities and ways of showing it




 I really like the idea of being intentional.  Ronnie and I are trying to sit down every night and plan out our days together.  Literally hour by hour. Not that we HAVE to stick to it (life happens right?) but it does allow us to be much more productive throughout the day.  Its not for everyone, but its working for us right now..


Speaking of something that's working.. I have been making "Egg Pizza" for my kiddos the last week for breakfast and they LOVE it! I wanted to share the recipe. 


 Egg Pizza
makes 4


2 Bagel Thins (we use the everything bagels)
4 eggs
4 TBSP shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
Salt & pepper to taste


Turn your oven onto broil high. Preheat a skillet over medium high heat.  Fry each egg using a bit of non-fat cooking spray and allow them to cook through (I poke the yokes cause we dont like them runny).  On a baking sheet lay out the bagel thins.  Top each bagel with an egg and a TBSP of cheese.  Put under the broiler for 2-3 min until cheese is melted and bagel is toasted.  Allow to cook and enjoy!


 Its a low calorie, high protein, healthy breakfast! I have been serving it with 1/2  banana or some honeydew melon. 


 I hope you have a great week!

Insta-Saturday...

by Mollie

 

I was kinda grateful that Jeanette posted Insta-Saturday because I was totally behind this week.  I am NOT grateful that it was because Jeanette was in the hospital with her little one.  (she is totally in our prayers Jeanette!)

 Here is my week at a glance..

We just discovered the pint size shopping carts and HOLY toledo does this make my shopping easier with my girl.  Ronnie and I got to jet out really fast with Zoie to the store to grab dessert for family night dinner and it was so fun! 

I have been doing a bootcamp type class for two months now.  It is so nice to have a super hard workout done by 7am. 

a) I got new shoes

b) I got some snuggles

I got to go on a Women's Retreat with my church and some girlfriends and I went to lunch.  I totally had one of these for dessert... AMAZING!

Those blue eyes and two tiny teeth melt my heart...

Pretty sure I could quote every word for you...

The hubs got me tickets to Cirque du Soeli for my birthday and we got a quick beach date in before.  We saw Totem and it was INCREDIBLE! The way the performers can move their bodies is astonishing... 

Hope you all had a good week too! 

Quinoa and Black Beans

Mollie and I are doing this detox diet with our friend Christy over at onefunmom.com.

We are only on day 4 of the 2 week program, but I am loving how changing my eating for this detox is making me feel.  

Yesterday, I was a bit tired.  I think it was just my body responding to no sugar in my body.

Today I feel great!  I feel like my body has kicked itself into energy mode.

Yay!

Mollie and I wanted to post a few recipes for family friendly, healthy meals that go along with this diet.

Today, my recipe is for Quinoa and Black Beans.

I have to admit that I had never tried Quinoa before this diet, but I like it.  And I LOVE this recipe!  Super healthy and only about 75 calories and 1.5 grams of fat per serving (Serving size is as a side dish, but you could easily add some chicken to this recipe and get a great main dish that is still very healthy.)

Here it is...

1 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped (I don't like onion so I leave it out, still good!)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (If you don't want any spice, leave it out.)
1 cup frozen corn
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Saute onion and garlic in oil until brown.
Add quinoa and vegetable broth.
Season with cumin, cayenne, and dash of salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, cover, simmer for 20 minutes.
Add frozen corn and heat 5 minutes.
Mix in beans and cilantro.

Can be eaten hot or cold.  Gotta love that!

Hope you enjoy!  I'm off to drink more water...

Happy Thursday everyone!

 

Good-bye baby.

Originally, I was going to get our YeLLoWMeDaiSY sale going today... but Mollie is sick and we are lagging a bit (maybe "the cleanse" we are doing with our friends at onefunmom.com will pick us up a bit).

So instead I decided that it is finally time to say "good-bye" to my baby.

Our oldest is about to turn 10, and he is getting the "babies" (he's 4) room.  We start painting this weekend.

Our "baby" is moving in with our middle son.  Oh, the fun they will have together (you can read this as "oh, the sleep that we are going to loose because they will have fun together").

I am excited to post about the tween room that we are going to create for Jax (built in desk and map wall for starters), but sad to see the baby room go.

I took some last shots (I have done this with all our baby rooms).

We never went crazy on the decorating of his room, because we knew he wouldn't be in here very long.  But he has the sweet silhouette kids in white frames on his wall that I LOVE.  I used them for a friends baby shower a year ago which was really fun!  I think I may transfer them to the wall next to his bed in the new room.

The changing table, that I am not sad to not have to use anymore!  He also has a shelf with his favorite books on top.  I can't even count the number of times I have read him "You can do it, Sam" in the middle of night when he can't sleep.  Pretty sure we both have it memorized.  And all his baby shoes are there, as well.  (Oh man, this saying goodbye thing is hard!)

Let's move on...

 As I was taking these pics, Little Man decided that he wanted to do an impromptu puppet show behind his rocking chair.  He didn't really get the concept that he should keep his head down, but he was hilarious with his rabbit puppet.

So, good-bye baby room.  I will miss you!!!  I will miss all those late nights spent rocking Little Man to sleep.  I will miss all the stories read snuggled up in your bed.  I will miss all the afternoons spent playing on your floor with Little People.

We are growing up.  We are moving out and moving on.  And as much as I want to make time stand still, I know this is right.  I know that Jax needs his space, and that the other boys will be so happy together.

Good-bye, baby.  Good-bye.

 

Day #1 of "the cleanse"

by Mollie

 Se we are getting started today on the cleanse with Christy over at One Fun Mom. If you are interested in doing this with us today is the day!

  As Holly mentioned last week I have started to up my game when it comes to exercise.  I started going to Stroller Strides 3-4 times a week. For all you doubters out there Stroller Strides is an INTENSE workout.  I always leave there sweaty and TIRED! Then to up the game even more I started a program called Body Back.  Its an intense workout program for mama's who want their body back.  Its twice a week at 5:45 in the morning (EARLY!) and its boot camp style.  My trainer is AWESOME and she has pushed me to do things I never thought I would do.  I have noticed a serious change in my body with inches and feeling stronger but I haven't seen a difference on the scale. I know the answer is food.  I want to have a better relationship with food. I want to be healthier, eat less processed food, and overall just feel better.  Ronnie and I had actually been discussing purging our kitchen and eating organic when holly told me about the cleanse and we decided this would be a great way to "kick start" our journey into eating better.

  Holly and I are going to be posting recipes that are healthy and good for the whole family.

Here is a great recipe for Turkey Meatballs!

Ingredients:
1 small onion, grated
3 garlic cloves, minced (or I like to grate these too..Rachel Ray style)
1 large egg
1/4 cp. dried bread crumbs
1/4 cp chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cp. grated parmesan
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (10oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
3 tbsp. ketchup
1 lb. ground turkey meat.

Directions:
Combo to onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, ketchip, parsley, parmesan, spinach, salt & pepper into a large bowl and blend.  Add turkey. Shape into 1 1/4 diameter meatballs. Place on large baking sheet.

Bake @ 400 for 10-15 min on each side.

Serve with 1 cp. mixed veggies and 1/2 cp. of quiona OR 1/2 cp whole wheat pasta and your fav organic red sauce.

Enjoy!

Blessings,

  

Insta-Friday

Mollie and I are going to be linking up with Jeannett at Life Rearranged today.

Fun!

Here's my week in instagram...

 My little firefighter at the Children's Museum.  Big boots to fill!

 After the rain last week, we went out and flew our space shuttle kite at the boys' school.  It was such a beautiful day, and the boys had a great time chasing their kite around.

 So, the new motto of "Be Kind to Yourself" has been everywhere around here lately.  (You can check out my friend Courtney's giveaway here)
She asked the question of how are you kind to yourself?  This is my answer...  Yogurtland.  I go get some chocolate and tart yogurt, sit in my empty car, watch people go in and out of Target, and enjoy the quiet.  That is how I am kind to myself.  (My waistline isn't being too kind to me, but next week is "The Cleanse" at onefunmom.com , so I'm just getting ready, you know?)

Mother-Son date knight at Chick-fil-a.  So fun!

My latest art project.  A work in progress.

Just a glimpse into my week.  It was a fun one, but a busy one.  What else is new?

Happy Friday everyone!

 

Spring Cleaning

Mollie and I are linking up today with my good friend, Christy, over at one fun mom.

It is Spring, and it is time for a little cleaning (on the inside).

We are joining Christy and her "14 days of full body detox and weight loss".

Since Mollie has joined one of those insane, wake up at 5 am workout groups, and I have been trying to get into bathing suit shape, we have decided that a little inside spring spruce up would be good for us.

I have never tried this before, so it will be interesting to see what happens.  

Usually, when the pounds start creeping up on me, I revert to the Weight Watchers program that I did after my second son was born.  It works really well for me, and I love how Weight Watchers taught me to cook for myself (as opposed to other programs where you just buy their food and then are left trying to figure out how to keep off the weight once you stop eating their food).  However, I am really good at working around the system (i.e. eating carrots all afternoon so that I can have points left over for a brownie before bed).  

I know I can eat healthier, and I should eat healthier.

This detox is a step towards that goal.

If you want to join, just let Christy know by going to her site.

Here's how it works...

We have bought the Trader Jo's "Complete Body Cleanse" kit ($12.99), and we will start Monday the 23rd.  (That gives you a week to "clean out" your fridge of cookie dough, or whatever other goodies are lurking about.  At least that's what I have to do.)

Christy has a printable grocery list to get you on the right track with the diet portion, and will be posting a few recipes (she has 4 kids, so it will be very family friendly).  Mollie and I will be posting some recipes as well. 


We will also be accountable to each other.  I know around day 3 I tend to get a little grouchy as all the sugar leaves my body, and that can make for a mean mommy.  I am looking forward to the encouragement I will receive, and that I can offer to others in the group.  It's good to go through this together!

You can join us and track your progress on the FB site or in any of our comments.

Do you need a little spring spruce up?  Join us.  This should be fun!?

Happy Tuesday!
Holly

p.s. Be on the lookout for a YeLLoWMeDaiSY sale the end of this week.  Yay!

Easter Marathon

Mollie and I have taken some time off this past week for our Easter Marathon.

No, we didn't actually run 26.2 miles.  But it felt like it.

Between family visiting, our other jobs, and trying to make this season special for our kiddos, we are pooped!

My parents decided to come visit during Spring Break this year.  They usually come for Jackson's birthday in May, but the kids are always in school and that isn't much fun.  So, this year they came while they could enjoy being with their grand kids.  We had a great time.  We took them to see the butterflies at the Wild Animal Park.  So amazing!!!  Hundreds of bright, big, and beautiful butterflies fluttering all around.  It is quite magical, and it only lasts for about a month so you gotta go if you can!

 This orange one was my favorite.  

I also had a little work to do, like making a couple custom pieces.  This is a Batman cape that a mom ordered for her son's birthday.  He is obsessed with Batman, so she asked for the logo and a longer cape that would drape on the floor.  So fun!

 Of course Little Man had to put on his batman jammies and try it on to make sure it "worked".

We also had an egg coloring extravaganza.  6 boys and 2 dozen eggs.  I was a bit nervous about this one.  Not gonna lie.  One of my best friends had to leave town to be with her dad, and I knew her husband probably wouldn't have time to color eggs with their boys.  So we had them over for pizza and a massive color party.  It was so much fun, and went a lot smoother than I had thought.  It probably helped to have everyone outside, but they did a great job!

 It is such a blessing to be able to share life with these boys!  I love them!

And in the midst of it all, I really wanted my boys to focus on the meaning of Easter.  On the resurrection of Christ.  So we had some fun projects that we did...

 This was our painters tape resist cross finger painting art.  (What a title) 

And our Easter garden...

 And our lava lamps...

Yes, I realize that this has nothing to do with Easter.  Jackson just saw a pin the other day about the 10 greatest crafts for boys and HAD to try this.


And we had to make these...

since Easter dinner was at our house this year.

Simple table settings, but the polka dot runner was, of course, from Pinterest.


 My disclaimer about ALL this is that Pinterest is a blessing and a curse.  I LOVE the fun ideas I get from some very creative people.  I HATE that I always want to do it all!  I counted all the "projects" we have going on around here the other night... at least 5.  Why do I do that to myself?  I want my kids to have great memories of childhood, and unfortunately I have kinda bought into the lie that in order for those memories to be great I have to do all these THINGS with them.  Ugh!!!

I am working on this.  Trying to chill a bit.  Work in progress!

In the end, we had a great day of celebrating Jesus with our family.

 We got up and ready for the early service at Church so we could be with Geoff (since he had to leave around 9 and wouldn't be home until 3:30).  6:15 was so worth it!  Mollie did this great stations of the cross for the children where parents went through different tents with their kids and were able to explain the reason for Easter and the power of the Resurrection.  It was so special to be able to go through it as a family.  Yay Mollie!

 Me and my sweet Middle Man.  His eyes kill me!

And we had a great time being together.  Hunting eggs...

 Jackson's eggs are getting harder and harder to find. :)

And finding Easter baskets...

 I found Darth Vader "eggs" at Target this year.  Perfect for the Little Man.  (I'm not sure if I should be worried yet that this is his favorite guy.)

I am so blessed and thankful for the family and friends that are around me.  Friends, family, and children who would love me even if I didn't know what Pinterest was.

And that is the most important thing of all, to me.

Happy Thursday!