I am hoping to make it a point to mention/ review/ discuss (not sure of the right word here) some of the blogs I read on the regular.
I was a blog reader LONG before I ever started my own. I am super jealous of people with customized, carefully crafted and well-followed blogs. Maybe someday, when I find some kind of real blog focus and find a bit more time, I can be as good as the blogs I read.
I know for a fact that many of my friends and family read my blog, even though many do not formally follow me via "follower" (though I wish they did because it would make me look better) and that many of them have never read a blog before mine. So I hope that my blog reviews may lead them to look at some other blogs.
The blog I'd like to give a shout out to today is:
http://alifetobraggabout.blogspot.com/
I have been following this blog for a while now and it is one of 3 that I check first when I log on to blog reader.
If I was to describe this blog I would call it a healthy lifestyle blog of a regular girl, who is also a wife of a military man. She typically blogs about her workouts (she is trained as a personal trainer), her recipes/ eating, and of course just randomn life stuff. She is pregnant right now and has been documenting her pregnancy, but it has not taken over her blog.
What I like most about her blog is that she lives the life I am trying to live. What I mean by this is that she is healthy and fit and it has become a lifestyle for her....not something she is attempting, or doing when she feels like it. I can relate to what she says because I am finding that in the past year I am finally just starting to LIVE healthy instead of TRYING to be healthy.
I have really appreciated her blog and personality since she has been pregnant. It has proven that she truelly is a healthy person who vows to take care of herself because she continues to be just as dedicated while pregnant. I have to admit, sometimes when I read healthy living blogs where the blogger is single or does not have children yet, I can get a little snarky and think things like "oh just wait, you are not going to have time to work out once you have kids." However, this blog never makes me feel that way. I think she has her priorities straight and I look forward to reading about how she keeps it up when her sweet baby is here. It is certainly inspiring to read about the miles she is running in her second trimester.
The last thing I LOOOOVE about her blog is her recipes and food pictures. I swear this woman has healthy and exciting cooking down pat. Her recipes include very healthy and balanced ingredient but I have yet to see anything that looks like/ tastes like the stereotypical "health" food. If you are looking for some creative and fun recipes that look gourmet, she's got 'um. I admit, as much as I would LOVE to cook like her, it ain't gonna happen with the job I have and the life I currently live, but I have tried many of her recipes and I love that she is willing to share her creations.
So if you are looking for some inspiration, are hoping to make a lifestyle change, or are a mamma or mamma-to-be who needs a role model for staying healthy through all of life's change...check out A Life To Bragg About.
My only caution is to warn you that you may "hate" her just a tiny bit for being so fit and beautiful (even while 27 weeks pregnant).
Monday, August 15, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
A life in progress
Today at the beach I couldn't help but watch a few young girls in their early 20's who were sitting right near me at the beach.
I was by myself with the kiddos, dragging my 200lbs of crap across the sand, while Charlotte hung off of my hip and I keptyelling at gently reminding Liam that he was not to run into the water before he got sunblocked up.
These girls were all pretty, tanned and in bikinis with their nice sunglasses. All they had to carry was one towel and a summer Coach tote. They chatted with each other about when they got in the night before and when so and so was planning to meet them out that night.
I saw them looking at me in a "oh look at those cute babies, someday I can't wait to dress my own kids in cut bathing suits and show them off at the beach" kind of way. I know they wondered why I was alone with the kids on a Saturday. I am sure they checked to see if I had a wedding ring, and if so what it looked like. They watched at I spent hours chasing Liam, building sand castles and running around with two kids in the waves.
They seemed nice. they gave the kids the obligatory smiles and hellos. They didn't seem annoyed when Charlotte cried.
As I observed them I couldn't help but think of my own life. I WAS a girl just like that not all that long ago. A girl who came to the Cape with her friends and smiled at babies and who dreamed of my own future.
What I didn't understand back then is how life is never, ever exactly how you imagine it to be. At 23 I am pretty sure that the image I had of how my Saturdays on the beach would be, did not include that my husband would be absent from the picture because he had to work all weekend long to make up for the wages he lost being a stay at home dad. I know that at 23 I didn't think I would have to work so hard at staying healthy (because at 23 I was skinny and had a good body without being healthy). And I am certain that I had no clue how exhausting it is to bring my beautiful babies to the beach.
I also know that at 23 I was clueless about what would REALLY bring me joy. I used to envy the moms on the beach who had 2 beautiful babies, a brand new Volvo SUV, a giant diamond, a killer body, and got to stay at home all year without any worries about money.
Now I realize that nothing is as it seems. If anyone has ALL of that, it didn't come for free. Once you have kids, and get older you have to work HARD to be healthy and look good.The material objects come with a price of their own. It might mean a husband who is never home because of the demands of his job, or one who is really sleeping with his secretary and gives his wife fancy things to keep her "happy." I also realize that staying home all year with the kids is fabulous, but not totally realistic for most people.
At 23 I had an picture in my head of the life I would have. Some of it came true. I have beautiful babies and a great looking husband who loves me and who is fun and funny. I get to spend my summers on the beach and I do stay home with my kids for part of the year. I am working on the health/ body stuff and doing the best I can and I am learning to be a better and healthier person.
So what if my husband and I share a beat up old Ford. I would love a fancy pair of sunglasses, but odds are my daughter would pull them off my face and break them. And I would much rather get to take my kids on fun trips, then have a huge diamond any day.
I miss my husband so much when he has to work, but I cherish the times we have together. I would rather give up every material thing I have, then have my husband go back to a job where he barely saw his kids.
My life is certainly a work in progress, but I can honestly say I am happy. When I watched those young girls, I couldn't help but smile and think about the person I used to be. I loved that part of my life. But it is nice to have come to a point where I am no longer wondering when my life will begin. It might not be exactly what I expected, but life is pretty good.
I was by myself with the kiddos, dragging my 200lbs of crap across the sand, while Charlotte hung off of my hip and I kept
These girls were all pretty, tanned and in bikinis with their nice sunglasses. All they had to carry was one towel and a summer Coach tote. They chatted with each other about when they got in the night before and when so and so was planning to meet them out that night.
I saw them looking at me in a "oh look at those cute babies, someday I can't wait to dress my own kids in cut bathing suits and show them off at the beach" kind of way. I know they wondered why I was alone with the kids on a Saturday. I am sure they checked to see if I had a wedding ring, and if so what it looked like. They watched at I spent hours chasing Liam, building sand castles and running around with two kids in the waves.
They seemed nice. they gave the kids the obligatory smiles and hellos. They didn't seem annoyed when Charlotte cried.
As I observed them I couldn't help but think of my own life. I WAS a girl just like that not all that long ago. A girl who came to the Cape with her friends and smiled at babies and who dreamed of my own future.
What I didn't understand back then is how life is never, ever exactly how you imagine it to be. At 23 I am pretty sure that the image I had of how my Saturdays on the beach would be, did not include that my husband would be absent from the picture because he had to work all weekend long to make up for the wages he lost being a stay at home dad. I know that at 23 I didn't think I would have to work so hard at staying healthy (because at 23 I was skinny and had a good body without being healthy). And I am certain that I had no clue how exhausting it is to bring my beautiful babies to the beach.
I also know that at 23 I was clueless about what would REALLY bring me joy. I used to envy the moms on the beach who had 2 beautiful babies, a brand new Volvo SUV, a giant diamond, a killer body, and got to stay at home all year without any worries about money.
Now I realize that nothing is as it seems. If anyone has ALL of that, it didn't come for free. Once you have kids, and get older you have to work HARD to be healthy and look good.The material objects come with a price of their own. It might mean a husband who is never home because of the demands of his job, or one who is really sleeping with his secretary and gives his wife fancy things to keep her "happy." I also realize that staying home all year with the kids is fabulous, but not totally realistic for most people.
At 23 I had an picture in my head of the life I would have. Some of it came true. I have beautiful babies and a great looking husband who loves me and who is fun and funny. I get to spend my summers on the beach and I do stay home with my kids for part of the year. I am working on the health/ body stuff and doing the best I can and I am learning to be a better and healthier person.
So what if my husband and I share a beat up old Ford. I would love a fancy pair of sunglasses, but odds are my daughter would pull them off my face and break them. And I would much rather get to take my kids on fun trips, then have a huge diamond any day.
I miss my husband so much when he has to work, but I cherish the times we have together. I would rather give up every material thing I have, then have my husband go back to a job where he barely saw his kids.
My life is certainly a work in progress, but I can honestly say I am happy. When I watched those young girls, I couldn't help but smile and think about the person I used to be. I loved that part of my life. But it is nice to have come to a point where I am no longer wondering when my life will begin. It might not be exactly what I expected, but life is pretty good.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Tofu stir fry: because I need more meatless dishes
This is sort of my own recipe, but I do confess That it is really a mix of many recipes and based on what I had in the cabinet.
If you check in with me on the regular then you know that I don't really measure anything out, so this is all estimates.
What you need:
1 block extra firm tofu drained. I like to take mine out in the morning, layer paper towels on a plate and put more on top and leave it in the fridge so the liquid all comes out. Cut tofu into 1 inch blocks.
Honey
Low sodium soy sauce
Red pepper flakes
Sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
Any mix of stir fry veggies that you like. Trader Joes makes a nice prepackaged mix.
Soba, or other stir fry friendly pasta of choice. I used wheat spaghetti because it was all I had. Soba noodles would have been better.
In a large bowl mix 1/2 cup soy sauce and a few sprinkles of pepper flakes, honey to taste, the sesame seed oil and sesame seeds.You want enough mixture to coat tofu and have extra to put in veggies. I kept tasting it until it was good.
Add tofu to mixture and mix to coat
Put bowl in fridge to marinate for about 30 minutes
Heat oven to 375
Place tofu on sprayed pan and bake for 15 minutes, turn tofu and bake for another 15,or until Golden
While tofu is cooking, boil pasta..but only cook it 3/4 of the way
Stir fry veggies in a little bit of sesame oil
Mix in noodles and the remainder of the marinade and cook for 2more minutes.
Mix everything together and enjoy.
Here what it looked like:
- Posted using BlogPress from my
Another one of my goals is to improve my blogging. Now that I have an ipad, picture taking for the blog is much easier. This is my practice post.
P.s. If you really hate tofu, you could make the same marinade for chicken. Tofu is something I have learned to love and this recipe makes it sort of crunchy, which is how I like it best.
iPadp
If you check in with me on the regular then you know that I don't really measure anything out, so this is all estimates.
What you need:
1 block extra firm tofu drained. I like to take mine out in the morning, layer paper towels on a plate and put more on top and leave it in the fridge so the liquid all comes out. Cut tofu into 1 inch blocks.
Honey
Low sodium soy sauce
Red pepper flakes
Sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
Any mix of stir fry veggies that you like. Trader Joes makes a nice prepackaged mix.
Soba, or other stir fry friendly pasta of choice. I used wheat spaghetti because it was all I had. Soba noodles would have been better.
In a large bowl mix 1/2 cup soy sauce and a few sprinkles of pepper flakes, honey to taste, the sesame seed oil and sesame seeds.You want enough mixture to coat tofu and have extra to put in veggies. I kept tasting it until it was good.
Add tofu to mixture and mix to coat
Put bowl in fridge to marinate for about 30 minutes
Heat oven to 375
Place tofu on sprayed pan and bake for 15 minutes, turn tofu and bake for another 15,or until Golden
While tofu is cooking, boil pasta..but only cook it 3/4 of the way
Stir fry veggies in a little bit of sesame oil
Mix in noodles and the remainder of the marinade and cook for 2more minutes.
Mix everything together and enjoy.
Here what it looked like:
- Posted using BlogPress from my
Another one of my goals is to improve my blogging. Now that I have an ipad, picture taking for the blog is much easier. This is my practice post.
P.s. If you really hate tofu, you could make the same marinade for chicken. Tofu is something I have learned to love and this recipe makes it sort of crunchy, which is how I like it best.
iPadp
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Day 2 NROLFW
I just returned from day 2 of the lifting program. It was almost a no-go after my daughter decided to wake up as my fingers touched the doorknob while walking out the door. If you are a parent you know there is nothing more depressing than when you REALLY need to get something done and you are banking on your kiddos sleeping for a few more hours..and then all of a sudden you hear their "sweet" little cries/ voices. UGGGHH.
So after a falied attempt at rocking her back to sleep as I grumbled in the rocking chair, I decided to wake up the husband and run out the door. I mean you can't quit a program on day 2.
So I successfully did it.
Here is workout 2: stage 1:
15 minutes arc trainer warmup
2 sets of 15 Deadlifts with 10 lbs on each side of bar
Alternatine sets of:
2 sets of 15, Dumbbell shoulder press with 10 lb dumbbels
2 sets of 15 wide-grip lat pul downs 40lbs
Alternatine sets of:
2 sets of 15 (on each leg) lunges with 15 lb dumbbels
2 sets of 12 swiss-ball crunches
Now I am drinking my protein smoothie and dreaming of bigger muscles because I have to do something to block out the 3rd "Little Einstein" episode of the morning. Yes, I am letting my one year old watch TV so I can blog.....so shoot me.
So after a falied attempt at rocking her back to sleep as I grumbled in the rocking chair, I decided to wake up the husband and run out the door. I mean you can't quit a program on day 2.
So I successfully did it.
Here is workout 2: stage 1:
15 minutes arc trainer warmup
2 sets of 15 Deadlifts with 10 lbs on each side of bar
Alternatine sets of:
2 sets of 15, Dumbbell shoulder press with 10 lb dumbbels
2 sets of 15 wide-grip lat pul downs 40lbs
Alternatine sets of:
2 sets of 15 (on each leg) lunges with 15 lb dumbbels
2 sets of 12 swiss-ball crunches
Now I am drinking my protein smoothie and dreaming of bigger muscles because I have to do something to block out the 3rd "Little Einstein" episode of the morning. Yes, I am letting my one year old watch TV so I can blog.....so shoot me.
Monday, August 8, 2011
NROLFW and other stuff
I just returned from the gym and my official day one of the New Rules of Lifting for Women program. I will now refer to the program as NROLFW because it is easier and because it makes me sound hip and exercise savvy.
Day one was pretty easy, but I am really getting why it will help build muscle. Originally I considered skipping level one, because I had been lifting a lot and thought it might be too easy. But after really thinking about the program I realized that since it is about lifting heavier weights, not how much you exercise, that I had better start at the bottom. This was good because I had also spent the last two weeks eating road food, sitting on my butt in an RV and NOT lifting anything more than my two crazy kids.
So here is what level one, workout A involved:
15 minutes warmup on arc trainer (not part of the program, but required when your body is still asleep at 5am)
2 sets of 15 squats with squat bar, 10 lbs on each side
Alternating sets of:
Pushups, 2 sets of 15...Did I ever mention that I SUCK at pushups and even 30 girly pushups is seriously hard for me?
Seated Rows, 2 sets of 15 with 40 lbs
Alternating sets of:
Step ups, 2 sets of 15 with 15 lb dumbells. I used a aerobics step with 4 extensions on each side.
Jackknife prones, 2 sets of 8. If you do not know what these are, I seriously suggest you youtube these are try them. They are freaking killer in a burn sooo good kind of way.
And that was it. Now so bad right? If you get the book you will know that the stress is quality, not quantity. You are only supposed to lift every other day, so tomorrow I will be doing intervals on the arc trainer or I'll go for a long hike or something. I will continue to check in and let you know how I am doing. Day 1 is DONE.
Now on to even more important things like EATING. I am going to try and post my weekly menus here when possible. It helps me stay on track and maybe, just maybe someone out there cares about what I am eating. So here is this week's. There isn't anything too new, so I doubt I will do any recipes:
Monday-
Spicy Grilled chicken with veggies kabobs (cherry tomatoes and squash). Sadly I will not be eating this, as I have a funeral to go to and will most likely have a subway sandwich...but it is what I am preparing for the family.
Tuesday-
Ground turkey meatloaf stuffed with light mozzarella, peppers and spinach...served with broccolini
Wednesday-
Tofu stiryfry with toasted tofu and mixed veggies (peppers, mushrooms, baby corn, bok choy, etc.) on brown rice
Thursday-
Spicy shrimp bowl found here
Friday-
Fish tacos, found here
Saturday-
Veggie pizza on whole wheat crust and Greek salad.
Sounds good right? I love to eat, and eating healthy can be good eating.
Day one was pretty easy, but I am really getting why it will help build muscle. Originally I considered skipping level one, because I had been lifting a lot and thought it might be too easy. But after really thinking about the program I realized that since it is about lifting heavier weights, not how much you exercise, that I had better start at the bottom. This was good because I had also spent the last two weeks eating road food, sitting on my butt in an RV and NOT lifting anything more than my two crazy kids.
So here is what level one, workout A involved:
15 minutes warmup on arc trainer (not part of the program, but required when your body is still asleep at 5am)
2 sets of 15 squats with squat bar, 10 lbs on each side
Alternating sets of:
Pushups, 2 sets of 15...Did I ever mention that I SUCK at pushups and even 30 girly pushups is seriously hard for me?
Seated Rows, 2 sets of 15 with 40 lbs
Alternating sets of:
Step ups, 2 sets of 15 with 15 lb dumbells. I used a aerobics step with 4 extensions on each side.
Jackknife prones, 2 sets of 8. If you do not know what these are, I seriously suggest you youtube these are try them. They are freaking killer in a burn sooo good kind of way.
And that was it. Now so bad right? If you get the book you will know that the stress is quality, not quantity. You are only supposed to lift every other day, so tomorrow I will be doing intervals on the arc trainer or I'll go for a long hike or something. I will continue to check in and let you know how I am doing. Day 1 is DONE.
Now on to even more important things like EATING. I am going to try and post my weekly menus here when possible. It helps me stay on track and maybe, just maybe someone out there cares about what I am eating. So here is this week's. There isn't anything too new, so I doubt I will do any recipes:
Monday-
Spicy Grilled chicken with veggies kabobs (cherry tomatoes and squash). Sadly I will not be eating this, as I have a funeral to go to and will most likely have a subway sandwich...but it is what I am preparing for the family.
Tuesday-
Ground turkey meatloaf stuffed with light mozzarella, peppers and spinach...served with broccolini
Wednesday-
Tofu stiryfry with toasted tofu and mixed veggies (peppers, mushrooms, baby corn, bok choy, etc.) on brown rice
Thursday-
Spicy shrimp bowl found here
Friday-
Fish tacos, found here
Saturday-
Veggie pizza on whole wheat crust and Greek salad.
Sounds good right? I love to eat, and eating healthy can be good eating.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Big Goals
Well, as you could guess from my photos, I am back from vacation. It was a fabulous and exciting trip. We traveled a lot, had a lot of fun and I wouldn't change a thing. Now we are back to reality and I need to get back to my healthy living (which was VERY compromised on our trip) and it is time to set some new goals. So he is a list of my immediate goals in no particular order:
1. End my relationship with artificial sweeteners once and for all. I have settled on raw cane sugar to sweeten my coffee. Consuming artificial sweeteners goes against everything I believe in and the word Splenda will now be a swear word in our house.
2. Begin and continue following New Rules of Fitness for Women lifting program (starting tomorrow). I will let you know how it goes...should be interesting to start after 2 weeks of not being at the gym.
3. Eat less meat. After watching Food Inc and looking at my weekly menu, my husband and I have committed to reducing our meat consumption so that when we do eat meat, it is high quality and organic. I recommend every person get educated on how our meat is processed and treated. I LOVE meat, but I am disgusted by the chemicals and unethical practice surrounding the meat industry.
4. Buy more organic/ clean foods. I am determined to find a way to afford
as much local/organic food as possible. It is damn expensive to be healthy, but I am hoping if we cut down on the meat..It might free up some cash. This is coming from a person who dropped 250 bucks at Trader Joes today.
So wish me luck!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
1. End my relationship with artificial sweeteners once and for all. I have settled on raw cane sugar to sweeten my coffee. Consuming artificial sweeteners goes against everything I believe in and the word Splenda will now be a swear word in our house.
2. Begin and continue following New Rules of Fitness for Women lifting program (starting tomorrow). I will let you know how it goes...should be interesting to start after 2 weeks of not being at the gym.
3. Eat less meat. After watching Food Inc and looking at my weekly menu, my husband and I have committed to reducing our meat consumption so that when we do eat meat, it is high quality and organic. I recommend every person get educated on how our meat is processed and treated. I LOVE meat, but I am disgusted by the chemicals and unethical practice surrounding the meat industry.
4. Buy more organic/ clean foods. I am determined to find a way to afford
as much local/organic food as possible. It is damn expensive to be healthy, but I am hoping if we cut down on the meat..It might free up some cash. This is coming from a person who dropped 250 bucks at Trader Joes today.
So wish me luck!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
A vacation in pictures
4 generations
Sapphire pool Yellowstone
Yellowstone Buffalo Herd
Cooke City, MT
My loves
BearTooth Pass
S'mores
swinging Bridge, Libby, MT
Kootenai Falls
Daddy ATVing with his babies
grandpa fishing with Liam
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