iPhone rewind {april 2013}

What did we do before iPhones and Instagram??

I just love capturing all these sweet little moments during the day 

when I don't have my big camera handy.

 ::Me & Amber::Swinging::The Whole Park to Ourselves::

::Trapped in the Bathroom::Victim of the 20 Minute Car Nap::Eatin' a Cupcake::

::Watching the School Bus::Playing Outside::Me & My Buddy::

 ::Double Step::Suckers from the Bank::Sick Boy::

::Trucks are his Thing::Making Salsa::Lunch Date::

::Slidin' in the Park::Izzie Girl::Salad Stealer::

::MOPS Monday::Wathcing the UPS Truck::Detoxing from Lolly & Pops::

::Patio Dinner::Bye Murano, Hello Highlander::First Swim::

::Laying Out::Grilled Banana:: Lovin' Our Sunroof::

advocare cleanse {day 7}

My favorite thing about the Advocare Cleanse has definitely been drinking the Spark.  

I really haven't missed my daily (or almost daily) Diet Coke at all.  I have noticed a noticeable different in my energy level during the day and I don't have an afternoon crash.  I would love to continue drinking Spark post-cleanse, but the only problem is that you can't drink it while you are pregnant or nursing, which means at some point I won't be able to drink it for around 2 years.    (And no, we aren't pregnant. I'm just thinking about the future.)  But, if you aren't pregnant or nursing you should totally try out Spark.  We have been drinking Pink Lemonade and Fruit Punch, but Fruit Punch is definitely our favorite. 

I was in a rush to get to the gym before I took Pearson to school this morning so I made a meal replacement shake mixed with peaches before we left.  Not gonna lie, I'm not a fan of the meal replacement shakes.  They definitely fill me up, but even with fruit mixed in, there is still a funny taste I don't care for.  I had an eye doctor appointment this morning so I also didn't get around to eating a mid-morning snack.  Since I hadn't really "eaten" anything, by the time lunch rolled around I was starving!!  I stopped by Chipotle and got a burrito bowl.  I totally forgot that I'm not supposed to have corn, so I cheated just a bit! Oops!!

{Brown Rice, Chicken, Pico, Corn, Lettuce, Medium Salsa & Guacamole}  

 I was stuffed from having such a big lunch so I skipped out on an afternoon snack and drank a second Spark drink before my second workout of the day.  I don't normally work out twice a day, but the gym I go to was have free demo classes and you know I love free stuff!!  Even free workouts!!

Our dinner was delicious tonight!  I made Chicken Stir Fy & Brown Rice

{Brown Rice, Grilled Chicken, Scrambled Egg, Zucchini, & Frozen Bag of Vegetables}

We will definitely be making this recipe post-cleanse.  It was really easy and really good. 

7 days down......only 3 to go. 

first swim of the season

Today it was 85 and sunny, which sounded to me like the perfect weather for our first swim of the season. 

Once I got Pearson out of his stroller, he couldn't have agreed more!! 

Olivia was pretty happy to be there with us too!!

Carson went on a trip with Pops so it was just the little ones today. They were precious together!! One of them would start splashing and the other would follow and then they would just giggle and laugh and run around.  It was too cute!!

We were at the pool for almost two hours this afternoon and I'm pretty sure this smile never came off of his face!! He had an absolute blast today!!

Of course the smile had to come off during snack time. This kid is serious about his food!!

 Oh boy, I see lots more days like this at the pool in our near future!!  So glad warm weather is finally  here!!!  (Well, at least for the next two days.  I think it's supposed to be 57 on Thursday.  Weird.)

Wanna join us next time???

samples at sam's

This morning Ashley and I took a quick trip to Sam's with these two cuties!!

They were sweet to each other for about 5 minutes before they starting pushing, biting and scratching.  Ha!!

While we were walking around a lady offered the kiddos a full size sample of a Kids Clif Bar.  They loved them!!  

After we shopped around for a while, we just decided to feed the kiddos some pizza.

Most of the time when I go to Sam's I get quick easy freezer meals and stuff for Matt's lunch but today I got alot of stuff I have never gotten before.  I got Scrubbing Bubbles, Glass Cleaner, Pledge, Goldfish, Kids Cliff Bars, Squeezy Pouch Apple Sauces, Strawberries, Bananas, Whole Wheat Crackers & a Gallon of Milk.  

What are some of your favorite things to get at Sam's??

advocare cleanse {day 6}

I found a description online and thought it described The Advocare Cleanse well for those of you who might not really know what Advocare is........

The 3 Components of Advocare's Herbal Cleanse Box 1. Fiber Drink: is like taking the”lint off the lint trap” after every load of laundry! It gently cleanses, allowing heat to transfer so your metabolism is raised, which is necessary to burn fat!
2. Herbal Cleanse Tablets: is like an “S.O.S.” pad - more deeply cleansing the intestines and colon.
3. Probiotic: Probiotics are good bacteria, these are the highest quality on the market – formulated to survive through the hostile environment of the low PH/high acidic stomach, so it can make it safely to the large & small intestines where it needs to be to kill the bad bacteria. Probiotics metabolize toxins & carry them out of your system! Probiotics also metabolize vitamins for your body! 

My friend Allie made this handy dandy sheet to remind us which things we need to take each day.

We are both still truckin' along with the cleanse.  We are feeling pretty good, losing some weight, but I have to be honest.......we both have some pretty funny cravings.  Matt came home from work today wishing he could have some biscuits and gravy and I can't stop thinking about a peanut butter shake from Sonic.  I haven't even had one before but it just sounds good and I can't get my mind off of it!!  We may or may not celebrate the completion of our cleanse with Sausage Gravy & Biscuits for breakfast on Saturday and a Peanut Butter Shake from Sonic. But then it's back on track with healthy eating before we totally blow it on our cruise in a few weeks!!!

Anyways, here's what we ate today......

For breakfast....

{Scrambled Eggs with Sausage & Whole Wheat Toast}

 I was out an about all morning so I didn't have a morning snack.  I was starving when I got home so this lunch hit the spot!! 

{Leftover Oven Baked Fajitas over a Whole Wheat Tortilla & a Cutie}

We spent the afternoon at the pool, but I came prepared with healthy snacks.  I munch on an apple and some almonds and drank lots of water. 

For dinner, we grilled out again!!

{Shrimp & Veggie Kabobs and leftover Sweet Potatoes}

And it's possible that we might have had another fried banana drizzle with almond butter.

6 days down......only 4 to go!!

meal planning monday

 10 Day Advocare

Monday: Shrimp & Veggie Kabobs and Salad

Tuesday: Asian Chicken Stir Fry

Wednesday: Baked Chicken and Veggie Medley

Thursday: Zuchinni Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries & Roasted Zuchinni

Friday: Baked Talapia, Pineapple Rice & Asparagus

Saturday Breakfast: ?????

Saturday Lunch: ?????

Saturday Dinner: ?????

Sunday Lunch: Last Sunday Lunch 

Sunday Dinner: ?????

diaper love

Yesterday I hosted a shower for my friend Christie and Baby Everley  

Christie is our first Mama in our ABF to have a second baby, so our ABF decided to start a diaper shower tradition for baby #2.  To make Baby #2 showers even more low key, we also decided to have the showers at a restaurant where decorations aren't needed and each person pays for their own meal.  This was definitely the easiest shower I have ever hosted!  I love hosting fun showers, but it sure was nice to bless this Mama without all the extra fluff!!  

All I have to say is that after seeing all the diapers Christie was blessed with, I'm really excited about this tradition!!

I love all these girls, and it was such a fun morning just chatting, eating and showering Christie and Baby Everley.

Of course Christie mainly got diapers at the shower, but a few girls got creative with their diapers and made opening the packages fun!

Carissa made her diapers into a diaper cake.  

 And Courtney put all of her diapers in a cute basket with a little girly outfit included.  Christie already has a little boy so she is getting to experience all the fun clothes that having a little girl brings. 

 Before we left, I had all the girls "sign" a diaper for Christie to have.  Hopefully these little notes will bring a smile to her face when she has to get up in the middle of the night to change them!!

With all this diaper love, Little Miss Everley should  have no shortage of diapers for the first few months!!!  

advocare cleanse {day 4 & 5}

Whew, I'm so glad this weekend is over with.  

We had a fun weekend, but it was just hard sticking to our cleanse.  

We did have a couple cheats but nothing that should mess up our results.  

Our Saturday morning family breakfast tradition continued even while on the cleanse.

{Scrambled Eggs, Bacon and Whole Wheat Toast}

After breakfast I headed to La Madeline for a Baby Shower Brunch.  I resisted all these tasty looking treats and just had a little cup of fruit for my mid-morning snack. 

For lunch I made a homemade pizza.  

{Whole Wheat Crust, No Sugar Added Pizza Sauce, Vegan Mozzarella Shreds (since we can't have dairy), Sausage, Olives, Spinach and Red Peppers}

The pizza was edible but I have to admit, the "cheese" wasn't very good.  It kind of had a funny taste and it stuck to your teeth like peanut butter.  I will definitely NOT be using it again.  I'll glad take the extra calories of cheese when this cleanse is over.  There is no substitute for cheese!!  We also had a side salad with Olive Oil & Vinegar Oil.  We would have both definitely preferred Ranch, but this dressing was actually pretty tasty. 

 Saturday afternoon, I "cheated" and ate one kernel of corn at a Crawfish Boil.  Matt ate about 10 crawfish, but we aren't sure if that was considered "cheating" or not.  He just made sure he didn't stuff himself.  I snacked on fruit and hummus and carrots to keep myself from eating some of the other tempting foods.  When we got home I whipped up a meal replacement shake.

{MRS with Strawberries and Pineapples}

After dinner we dropped our little man off  at Lolly & Pops so we could go to the movies.  Talk about temptations........we both would have given and arm and a leg for a bag of popcorn!!!!

This morning before church we had a bowl of oatmeal sweetened with a little Stevia.  

Mid-morning snack was an apple.

Our church had a big service project today where we put on a little carnival for an apartment complex.  I had planed on us eating leftovers when we got home but we were so hungry while we were out there that we just cheated and ate what was provided......Tamales.  I know, I know.......not good for you at all, but it's all there was.  We didn't get home until 1:30 so we would have been starving if we hadn't eaten.  Atleast we ate a small portion!!

We both munched on some almonds for an afternoon snack and then we grilled out for dinner!!

{Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Baked Sweet Potato, & Roasted Green Beans}

I'm not going to lie, Matt and I usually have a little something sweet to eat every night.  It's a terrible habit that we have, but we both have a sweet tooth.  The last two nights we have had a pear but tonight we made a yummy little dessert that hit the spot.   

{Grilled Bananas with Almond Butter}

We will definitely be making this post-cleanse.  It was soooooooo delicious. 

I'm off to get our meals prepped for tomorrow. 

5 days down......5 days to go.

advocare cleanse {day 3}

Since we've been on the Cleanse we have really been trying to drink WAY more water.  

Our goal is to drink half of our weight in ounces.  It seems like a lot but it hasn't been all that hard since that's all we are drinking.  I really thought we would both miss cokes alot more but honestly I've been totally fine without my Sonic Diet Coke w/ Vanilla daily fix!!  I'm hoping I can kick my bad Diet Coke habit to just a few a cokes a week after the Cleanse. 

Tonight's entry is going to be short and sweet because I am pooped.  We just got back a little bit ago from buying a new {to us} car and we have a busy Saturday planned for tomorrow.

Breakfast: Spark, Fiber Drink & half of a Banana

Mid-Morning Snack: 2 Clementines

Lunch: Leftover Crock pot salsa Chicken, Rice & Beans and Blackberries 

 Mid-Afternoon Snack:  Almonds

Dinner: Oven Baked Fajitas on Whole Wheat Tortillas

Evening Snack: Apple

After we ate dinner I met up with some of my girlfriends at a Mexican food restaurant.  I just have to add that I am so proud of myself for just ordering a water.  Since I had already had my fajita fix, I wasn't tempted at all to order anything or even munch on tortilla chips.  And I guess it also helped that I don't care for this particular restaurants salsa either.  It is a little too spicy for me so I wasn't tempted at all.  

3 days down......7 more to go

advocare cleanse {day 2}

I was back up and running again with the Cleanse today! 

I'm so glad to be feeling better today.  I even felt well enough to go to my Step class.  I wasn't able to work out to my full potential, but it sure felt good to be movin'!

The first three days and the last three days of the cleanse we have to drink a Fiber Drink.  We both chose Peaches & Cream.  The other flavor is citrus and from what I have heard it does a better job "scrubbing" but it's definitely harder to get down.  We went with the Peaches & Cream because it just sounded better to us and we didn't want to have a hard time drinking anything.  I wouldn't say the Fiber Drink is fabulous but it's not disgusting.  The taste is actually pretty good, it's just the consistency and texture that is kind of weird. 

Since we have a Spark drink first thing every morning, after drinking the Fiber Drink and then 8oz of water after that I felt pretty full.  I ended up just have a half of a banana for breakfast before I headed to the gym for a work out.  

Our mid-morning snack was 2 cuties and lunch was leftover Spaghetti and Roasted Brussel Sprouts.  I have to make these for lunch because Matt doesn't really care for them.  Oh my word, they are so good.   I follow this recipe, except I use Garlic Salt.

 For our mid-afternoon snack we had pineapple and for dinner we had rotisserie chicken from Sam's, baked sweet potatoes, & roasted green beans.  I've made these green beans with fresh green beans and also with frozen green beans, but tonight I made them with a fresh pre-packaged bag of green beans from Trader Joe's and they were SOOOOOO good.  I don't know what was so different about them, but they were amazing.  They really hit the spot.  

So far the cleanse has been really easy.......other than my little stomach bug interruption.  We'll see how this weekend goes though.  Matt has a busy day at work tomorrow where he might not be in his office much and then we have a pretty busy weekend.  I've planned all our meals but it will be interesting seeing if we can make it work and stay on track this weekend. 

2 days down......8 more to go.

advocare cleanse {day 1.5}

Day 1.5.........What's that you say?

Well, we had a little hiccup in our cleanse.

Actually, just I had a little hiccup. 

I caught a little stomach bug last night so I took the day off from all Advocare products.  Matt continued on to Day 2 without me and I'll join back in tomorrow.  I just couldn't bring myself to take a fiber drink when I couldn't even hold water down this morning.  My amazing husband stayed home to watch P-Man so I could sleep in and recover from the fast and furious bug I had.  Thankfully by 10am I was feeling soooooo much better.  I was able to hold hold down water and a piece of whole wheat toast.

I went ahead and ate a clean diet today, just skipped out on the cleanse products. 

For lunch, I had the sweetest pineapple I've ever had in my life and salad.

{rotisserie chicken, mixed greens, dried cranberries, slivered almonds, & raspberry vinaigrette}

 For snack we had apple slices and almond butter.  Almond butter is EXPENSIVE! Since I had never had it before I bought it at Trader Joe's.  First, they have better prices that Kroger and second, if you don't like something there, you can take it back no questions asked!  If I was going to spend $5.99 on a jar of almond butter I wanted to be able to take it back if I didn't like.  This snack really hit the spot this afternoon and the almond butter was pretty tasty.  

 Since I had planned on being at work all day, I prepped dinner last night.  After being sick in the middle of the night it was nice to just pull a yummy fresh dinner out of the fridge and warm it up.  We had a "Burrito Bowl". 

{Homemade Tex-Mex Rice, Crockpot Salsa Chicken, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Avocados, & Fresh Salsa}

**Technically we cheated because my salsa recipe has a tablespoon of sugar, but that's okay.  I'm sure a tablespoon won't hurt us!!

Matt just munched on some carrots and hummus and I had a pear a little bedtime snack.  

Hopefully tomorrow I will be back on track with Day 2.