Thinking about: How much work there is to do in this house before baby #2 arrives. We are the WORST when it comes to moving in and settling into a new home. Our downstairs office is still filled with half empty boxes and is a super mess. I have piles and piles of clothes to wash and put away (goal for today) and we just really need to get things organized. So that is what I am thinking about right now. I am working hard to find time during the day to focus on organizing but some days it just doesn’t happen for example Tuesday Edith was having a super cranky toddler day which meant I got nothing done, but that’s fine because I got to spend lots of time cuddling with her. I am really working on creating weekly goals and chores to keep myself on track. What system do you use?
Feeling: So much better! This pregnancy, just like Edith’s, started out with extreme morning sickness and while I still have an off day/afternoon here and there for the most part I am on the up swing!
Watching: Neil and I have been working to cut back on TV but we just finally caught up on Haven. Actually I fell asleep last night during the season finale episode so I will probably catch up during Edith’s nap aka my break time.
Reading: Nothing. I know I need to change this.
Looking forward to: Our midwife appointment tonight! It will be our first official appointment with our new midwife (my primary doctor is also a midwife but she isn’t accepting births for July/August).
Making me happy:Watching Edith develop! She is starting to talk more and more everyday. She is just an amazing kid.
The following post is sponsored by Girls Gone Sporty on behalf of Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation. All opinions are my own.
I’m so excited to share with you an awesome giveaway that two lucky readers will win!
As you may remember this past October I took on the challenge to participate in Michelle Bridges 12-week Body Transformation 4-week program. This program included one week of prep and four weeks of of meal plans, workouts plans, mindset videos and lots of support from Michelle, her team and other participants.
After just four weeks I could really see and feel a difference in my body and my mindset on fitness and eating. I lost a little weight, my clothes fit better, I had an increase in energy, I got back on track with my workouts and the program helped me to eat more mindfully. You can check out my posts here:
This is one program that I ACTUALLY STUCK TO. While I had a few off days I hoped right back into things and I followed through with the four week program and I saw results. I found the prep week to be essential to my success because it helped me prepare for the weeks ahead. I was able to get myself in the right mindset and ready to take on the challenge rather than just jumping in. The workouts were just what I needed to stay on track with my workouts and I loved how flexible they were as well allowing me to chose my setting (indoors, outdoors, gym). Lastly, it was great to have others to connect with via the forums so that I could ask questions and find support to help me push through the hard days. Now you can take my word for it or you can see for yourself what this program is all about and luckily two readers will have their own chance to experience the full program for themselves!
So the Pre-Season of Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation Round 1 is currently in session and open for sign ups! Since Round 1 of Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation kicks off February 3rd, 2014 and continues for 12 weeks the giveaway will be open until January 26th so that you have a full week to prepare! The awesome part is that everyone who signs up for Round 1 starts together and and finishes together so you will be taking on this journey with other participants who are ready to get their lives on a healthier track.
Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformationn program is delivered online by Michelle herself, where she will be your trainer, coach, and mentor at a cost much lower than a personal trainer. The cost is $19.99 per week of $199 one-time-payment
Pre-season: Like any great journey, preparation is the key! Michelle has designed 12 Pre-Season tasks to set members up for success and get the most out of their upcoming 12WBT Round 1. Every few days of Pre-Season, a new task will be unlocked for members to complete. Don’t worry these task are EASY to fit in and like I said above they were essential for me to stay on track so don’t overlook them!
Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation is not a one size fits all program. It’s customizable based on your fitness level and goals such as weight loss, running or strength training. It is even customizable for those who are breastfeeding or pregnant!
So here is the moment you’ve been waiting for and I am so excited to have the opportunity to offer 2 of my readers full Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation memberships.
Giveaway ends January 26 at midnight EST. Enter below.
Disclaimer: this is a sponsored opportunity with Foodie.com. All opinions are my own and I am seriously loving these recipes.
So it’s that time of year again when we are all looking for healthy recipes to help us stay on track to accomplishing out healthy living goals. However we don’t just want healthy recipes we want recipes that are exciting, tastes good and satisfies all our cravings. I’ve created a collection of my favorite healthy recipes that will satisfy you from breakfast to dinner and everywhere in between.
*If you are unable to see the slide show you can change your settings to allow ads or you can head right on over to the collection here.
There aren’t many foods that I have been really craving this pregnancy (with the exception of mint chip coconut ice cream – a flavour I usually hate) but I have been on a muffin kick and in the last week I have made two batches of muffins- one banana and the other blueberry-orange. I don’t know what it is but as soon as I started to feel a bit better I wanted to get into the kitchen to bake muffins. Side note this is a really fun activity with an 18 month old because they can help with pour, stirring and mixing.
So I really should have written down everything I did for the blueberry-orange as well because they were so good but instead I’ll share the recipe for my banana muffins instead which don’t get me wrong they were delicious as well.
Ingredients:
3 Small Bananas, mashed
1/2 cup almond milk + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, mixed and set aside for 5-10 minutes
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup coconut sugar*
1 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F and line or grease a 12 cup muffin tin.
In the base of an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment mix together the banana, almond milk and apple cider vinegar mixture, coconut oil and vanilla.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
With the mixer on low slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix until just combined.
Fill the muffin tins 3/4 of the way full and then place in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the muffin tin for 4-5 minutes before removing and allowing to cool completely (or enjoy warm with earth balance).
Goal 1: Organized Home. This past year we have been living in a bit of chaos. When we first moved out to Oregon we found an apartment near Neil’s new job but we quickly found that it was not the right area for us so we never really settled into our apartment. Finally in September we found a new home in an area we love however do to some mover issues it took us nearly a month to completely move in and once we finally did Neil got hit with a huge project that left him working 70-80 hours per week through Christmas. Needless to say unpacking got thrown on the back burner and while we have been able to set up our main living areas (for the most part) our downstairs office room is a disaster, we have no photos hung and we still have closets with boxes in them. That all being said this is the year that we organize our home, settle in and keep up with everything.
Goal 2: Fitness. How could I plan my 2014 goals and not include something fitness related? Well the end of 2012 was not great in the fitness department. Between Neil’s insane work schedule, out of town guests and oh yeah morning sickness my workouts were pretty nonexistent all of December. Here we are in the new year and well I am officially a January joiner. We joined our local community center gym which has a pool and classes as well. While it’s not the most exciting gym it’s $53/month of Neil and I to go and Edith is free to use the pool. So we are getting into a new routine of 2 pool days/week with Edith and I am planning 2-3 gym days. When I can’t make it to the gym I have a number of prenatal workout videos at home that I have from Edith’s pregnancy and some new ones that I am excited to finally start using.
Goal 3: Be More Present. These days I seem to have so much on my mind and often don’t feel like I am staying present. My goal is to spend focused time on the things in the moment and make sure to carve out focused time for the things I love. This means spending my days with Edith being focused on her while also taking time through out the day to focus on our home and keeping it tidy. It also means carving out time each week for me to blog and do any freelance work that I want to do. It also means making sure that each month Neil and I have a date night and since October we have been going strong with this and have had our date night already this month and we have one scheduled for next month already.
Goal 4: Take More Photos. I go through phases of taking lots of photos and then taking very few. I take photos throughout the week with my iPhone but when I say my goal is to take more photos I mean photos with a real camera. I think it’s important to document our lives in photos so that we can look back at things and I also would like to improve my skills and to do so I need to spend more time taking photos. Now I’m not talking hours and hours I simply mean 5-7 days per week taking at least a few quality photos.
Goal 5: Less Screen Time. Since I have been in my first trimester I have been watching too much TV and spending too much time on my iPhone. This year I would like to spend more of my evenings doing something more productive than catching up on TV shows every night. Now I’m not saying no TV just less TV such as one show per night but not until I have done something productive and Saturday nights are fair game to watch a few shows or a movie. Also part of less screen time is spending less time throughout the day checking my twitter, IG, Facebook and e-mail on my phone. Being a SAHM I find myself reaching for my phone all too often because well it’s there and it’s my outlet to the outside world some days. This year however I want to pick my phone up less during the day. I am actually thinking of just leaving it in our bedroom and checking in on it every 90 minutes just to see if I have missed phone call or text.
Let’s talk baby #2.
This time around I will not be sharing weekly updates on RWT but rather over on our family blog Naturally Family. If you have no desire to follow NF but would like to follow my pregnancy I will be posting links to my weekly updates and other baby #2 related posts under the pregnancy tab on the RWT top bar under BABY #2 (see below). So while I won’t be sharing weekly updates or other baby related things here I will be sharing my journey to have a fit and healthy pregnancy. I’ll be sharing my workouts, prenatal DVD’s that I enjoy and prenatal workout clothes (which I am in need of). I will also be talking about food and overall health. If you have questions please feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer them!
Tomorrow is Neil’s birthday and it is also his last day of vacation which means he’s back to work full-time and it’s just me and E all day. While I LOVE having Neil home (he was off for two weeks) I am ready to get back into our normal routine. I feel like since Thanksgiving our schedule has been a bit off due to the holidays, Neil’s vacation, my parents visit and oh yeah the morning sickness.
Now that I’m feeling better(!!) I am so ready to get back into our normal morning, day, evening and weekend routine. I really never knew how much I loved a routine until suddenly ours was thrown off for such a long period. I am ready to get back to consistent workouts and to try out my new prenatal workout video. Speaking of workouts we joined the local community center gym which means we have access to the pool, weights and cardio equipment. I’m so excited to be a gym member once again and to take Edith swimming a few days per week.
I am also feeling better which means back to regular blogging. I really have missed blogging but sitting in front of a computer screen has just added to my nausea so I have been trying to do it in short spurts but it hasn’t been very successful. Also since I’m feeling better that means I have been doing more composed meals and I am hoping to share some new recipes with you soon! I’m also taking recipe requests.
Side note I won’t be sharing my weekly pregnancy updates here this time but I will be sharing them over on Naturally Family and I recently shared some answers to readers questions regarding baby #2 if you are interested you can check them out here.
