Back on Track

I decided back in August I needed to get in shape and make better food choices. I did really well for awhile then the holidays hit and I got off track.

I joined the YMCA in September and have been pretty good about going at least 3 days a week. I have mostly been doing spin. I even got new bike shoes for Christmas to use in class.

Sometime last week I hopped on the scale and I had gained 5 pounds! I was so frustrated. I had been holding steady at the weight I was, I am sure due to gaining muscle since my clothes have been loose. So when I saw that number go up I knew I needed to make a change. I am sure some of it was all that yummy food and treats I had been eating over the last month, but I haven't been eating a ton so I knew that wasn't the main reason.

I decided to start going to core 2 days a week in addition to spin 3 or 4 days a week just depending on our schedule. I am not going to lie. I planned Zach's speech appointments around the classes I like to take at the Y. Exercising has been great. It makes me less stressed, have so much more energy and overall happier. It also helps me get any frustrations out and helps me handle the bad moments with the kids a lot better.

I also decided it was time to get our feed choices back on track. I joined Spark People and am tracking my food and my exercise. The website is great because it also offers daily meal ideas, which is where I got most of my meal plan from. It is making me more aware of what I eat and keeps me accountable on my exercise. I do like to see those numbers from my calories burned. I am also cutting back on alcohol (not that I am a heavy drinker) but I am only going to drink on the weekends and not have that occasional glass of wine during the week.

A healthier me means a healthier family and my children making healthy choices as well. It is so good for them to see me exercise and eat foods that are good for you. I am not perfect and will still eat out occasionally but I know this will make me think differently about where we go and what we get at restaurants.

I know a lot of people are wanting to make healthier choices in 2013 as well so I decided I was going to post my meal plans here each week with a link to the recipes (if I have one). I love sharing recipes and love helping other people out. Not all my meals are 100% healthy and this week is probably worse because of New Years Eve. But dinners are mostly healthy. So I hope this helps at least a few people and we can all keep each other on track in 2013.

Week 1

Sunday:

  Breakfast – Cinnamon Rolls

  Dinner-Steaks, Broccoli Casserole, Twice Baked Potatoes

Monday: Breakfast – Clif Bar and orange Dinner – Pizza with friends (New Years Eve)

Tuesday: Breakfast – Baked Egg Cups- http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=300231 Dinner – Southwest Chicken Stew with brown rice- http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=16861

Wednesday: Breakfast – Healthy Muffins- http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=2052975 Dinner – French Dip Sandwiches with veggies-http://www.familycircle.com/recipe/beef/french-dip-sandwich/

Thursday: Breakfast – Eggs Sandwich Dinner – Salmon on Greens with Lime Ginger Dressing-http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=101

Friday: Breakfast – Clif Bar & Banana Dinner – Turkey and Black Bean Sloppy Joes- http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=69882

Saturday: Breakfast – Ham & Cheese Omelets Dinner – Whole Chicken with veggies

 

**Next time I am going to try and link the recipes into the word. Blogger is being difficult :)

 

Paci Intervention

This weekend we tackled going paci free with Austin. He is was seriously addicted. We decided to just go cold turkey. I got a lot of advice and we contemplated cutting the nipples off and giving to him that way or having him send them to the paci fairy. But in the end we thought since he was so addicted we would just take them away and tell him they had gone bye bye and he was a big boy now. I cut up a few and threw them away so I wouldn't be tempted but couldn't bring myself to do that to all of them.

We started out at bedtime and did our routine like normal. We put him down and left the room. First thing we heard was him searching the room. He went through his bed, drawers and closet. Then we heard a tiny "Awww man!" and he started to cry. It was heartbreaking and I have to admit I almost caved. But we were strong and he only cried for about 30 minutes on and off. The next morning was the worst. He woke up at 5:30 screaming "My paci is gone" over and over. Ryan went up there to try and soothe him but ended up just getting him breakfast. He was very clingy the whole morning and I think they only word he said all morning was paci.

We decided to take him to the store and let him pick out a big boy toy for being paci free. He picked a really cool John Deere Animal Toy. And seemed pretty proud of himself. He did not nap but I figured that would be the case and he doesn't always nap on the weekends I think because Ryan is here and he wants to spend time with him. He had one mini meltdown around 3:30 when he gets kind of sleepy anyway but I just told him he was a big boy now.

We did the same thing for bed that night and he only cried for 10 minutes and never asked for the paci. He slept all the way through the night and woke up normal time happy and not crying. When I went up to get him he did search his bed and said "It's gone" but that was it. I think it is safe to say we are paci free!! It makes me sad because it does mean he is growing up but I am very happy and proud of him for handling it so well. I think it was way rougher on us. I do have a 3 day rule when it comes to training of any kind so we still have to get through tonight but I know we can do it!

Small Business Saturday

This Saturday is Small Business Saturday.

I fully support this day as my sister and her husband own a small business, Uptown Pups. It is a great pet store located in Atlanta. They carry all kinds of great items, toys, dog food, treats, dog clothes and much more.













My favorite part about a lot of their toys is they have a lot of indestructible ones which are very important with my crazy dogs who tear things apart in a second.

 

They also offer grooming, bathing, nail clipping and painting in the store!!!

They treat each customer like they are the only ones and they are very knowledgeable about all their products. So on this Small Business Saturday make sure to shop and stop by Uptown Pups.

Thankful

I am incredibly thankful for the last 6 months. I was not so sure about our move to Clarksville and I fought it for a long time, 2 years to be exact. From the moment Ryan got transferred to Clarksville we discussed moving up there but I didn't want to leave our home or our friends. As usual Ryan's work seems to have great timing when it comes to big changes with Ryan's job. Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful for Ryan's job and think his company is really good to us and great for him.

Ryan got transferred to Clarksville in May 2010. Exactly the same time as I stopped working and one month before we had our second baby boy, Austin. The 2 years that followed were pretty tough. I was adjusting to being a stay at home mom and having 2 kids and Ryan was driving over 200 miles a day and not getting home until late. In August Zach got really sick with Kawasaki's disease and was in the hospital for 5 days while they tried to figure out what was wrong with him. And then the following February Ryan's mom passed away very suddenly.

When to opportunity came up this past May to move I jumped at the chance. I was sick of never seeing my husband and my kids not being able to spend time with their dad. Turns out it was one of the best decisions we have ever made. We are less than 10 minutes from Ryan's work. We get to see him in the middle of the day by bringing him lunch or just stopping by to say hi for a minute. I have met some great new friends. And I absolutely love our house. We have been truly blessed by this move and more than anything I am thankful this holiday we have so much more family time and that is what is most important to me.

Turkey Day Deals

I have decided to start blogging. I want to be able to share the fun, crazy and hard times of our lives as well as some great tips I have learned and continue to learn as mom, wife, woman and friend.

I thought I would kick off my blog by sharing my new Facebook Fan Page I created called Rickels Recipes . If you don't already know, I am an Independent Consultant for Pampered Chef (R). I started my business when Zach was 8 months old and at the time did not have a job. I did it give us some extra income while I looked for a new job. Over the 4 years I have been a consultant my reasons have changed. I have had times where I didn't do very much and times where I was on the go.

I had originally intended to stop selling Pampered Chef this month. I started getting involved in a few things and re-evaluated and decided I was going to kick off my business again. We recently started Zach in private speech therapy (more on that in another post) and I thought a little extra income would be nice to have. That is what I love about Pampered Chef. I can do as little as as much as I want, I set my own hours and if my kids need me more or get sick I am here for them with the flexibility of my own business.

So go to https://www.facebook.com/RickelsRecipes and "Like" my fan page. You can also visit my website at www.pamperedchef.biz/laurenr.

There are a few great deals coming up from Pampered Chef, and you know we ALL love deals.

Stay at home in your warm bed on Black Friday and spare yourself from being trampled by overzealous shoppers. Just wait until Cyber Monday! The Pampered Chef is offering FREE SHIPPING on orders of $75 or more on November 26th! Wohoo!

In November stoneware is 60% off and you get a FREE Trifle Bowl!!! PLUS all our other host benefits!!

In December you have your choice of ANYTHING in our Pampered Chef catalog at 60% off- What would YOU choose? It can be a single item OR a SET! You also get a FREE set of dessert plates if you host December 1-18! PLUS all our other great host benefits.

 

I am looking forward to blogging and sharing my world!!