It's almost here (although I am in a bit of denial). I am starting back at work next week. At least they ease us back in slowly. We are back Wednesday and Thursday and then we have a 4 day weekend and the kids officially start back on that Tuesday.
I like work, I really do. I like the challenge of it. I like getting to know a new group of kids. I like trying to improve my teaching each year. But I miss MY kids so damn much.
I also miss the flexibility of the summer schedule. During the school year everything is so rigid and our schedule is locked in.
I was just participating in a discussion on a health website I have joined. Everyone was discussing schedules and someone had asked if we could post a "day in the life" example of our week/ day so that they could see how everyone fits in healthy eating/ cooking and exercise in their busy life.
Some of the people seemed much busier than me. It is crazy how some people's lives are so complicated. I think I was somewhere in the middle. But what I liked is that everyone who responded said you just have to find the time to be healthy and make it a non-negotiable priority, just like brushing your teeth or washing your clothes.
Here is my typical schedule during the school year.
M-F
Up at 4:30am, let dog out, lace up shoes and head to the gym no later than 5.
Work out from 5-6am (MWF is weight training/ intervals, TuTH is cardio/ stretching)
Home by 6:05am, where husband is waiting to go to the gym from 6-7:15.
6:05-6:30 Feed the cat and dog and let them out, make breakfast and set up for kids, get work bag and lunch ready
6:30-7 Shower and get ready and PRAY the kids stay asleep. Its about 50/50 chance they wake up.
7-7:30 Get the kids dressed and teeth brushed, eat, husband gets home from gym
7:30 Get everyone in car, kids and husband drop me off at work (yup, we are currently sharing a car)
8-3 (M, THUR, FRI)
8-4:20 (TUES, WED) Work
3-5pm on TUES and THURS, take Liam to Karate or wait to be picked up after karate is over.
as soon as we are home-5:30 Get dinner ready, dishes done, etc.
Eat by 6pm, but usually by 5:30.
6-7pm play with kids either outside, on a family walk, watching a show, reading, etc.
7pm- Start baths/ PJ's (On Tues, Wed, Thurs husband leaves for training at 6:30 so I do both kids...the rest of the week I only have to do one kid)
7:30-8pm (or 9 if it is a bad night with both kids) any combination of rocking, feeding, begging, bribing, reading to the kids to get them to be soundly asleep
8-9/ 9:30pm: any combination of the following: snacking, blogging, Facebook stalking, answering work emails, correcting mass amounts of essays, cleaning up messes, staring at the wall and enjoying silence, talking to my husband, watching TV.
9:30: Pass out in bed.
Midnightish: My darling daugher is STLL (at 14 months) waking up screaming to eat. The getting her back to sleep thing seems to take about 20 minutes.
Am I busy?, yup. If it sounds like an unusually crazy life, you probably don't have kids and might think pretty hard before you do...because I am pretty sure this is the average life of a regular mom.
On the weekends it isn't too much different, except that my husband works and instead of being at work I am taking the kids to activities, play dates, etc. I live for the weekends, mostly because my husband is home no latter than 5 both nights and we can both be there for the bedtime routine.
So if you are like me, and feeling bad about gaining a few pounds or not being perfect in every way...I recommend doing as I did here and writing out your typical schedule. It has helped me realize that I am doing all I can to stay healthy and that I cannot be too hard on myself, I am doing the best I can right now....and sometimes that just has to be enough.
So I am off to enjoy my last few days with a slightly less frantic schedule...thank the Lord for Summer Vacation!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Wait, what, 6 lbs..are you kidding me?!
After yesterday's post I weighed myself and I am up 2 more pounds. Are you kidding? I am tryin to remember my own advice, there is a lot more to weight gain then just fat, but I know it ain't 6 lbs of water weight.
I am trying not to get down on myself and not to make excuses. I know that it has to be a combination of factors, the biggest being I have just cut my breastfeeding down to one feeding at night and this is clearly screwing with my metabolism. But since it isn't socially acceptable orconvenient to have a 10 year old hanging off your boob...I have to deal with the fact that no more breastfeeding=less eating.
This is a reminder that my health, weight and how I feel about myself all need to be a priority and something that I constantly monitor. I am clearly eating too many calories, bottom line.
Soooo, back to myfitnesspal to track my calories for a few weeks. I don't NEED to weight 132 lbs to be happy, but I strongly suspect that if I don't get myself in check I will keep gaining.
Good thing I went to the gym this morning, or I'd be living with serious regret after that weigh in.
I am trying not to get down on myself and not to make excuses. I know that it has to be a combination of factors, the biggest being I have just cut my breastfeeding down to one feeding at night and this is clearly screwing with my metabolism. But since it isn't socially acceptable orconvenient to have a 10 year old hanging off your boob...I have to deal with the fact that no more breastfeeding=less eating.
This is a reminder that my health, weight and how I feel about myself all need to be a priority and something that I constantly monitor. I am clearly eating too many calories, bottom line.
Soooo, back to myfitnesspal to track my calories for a few weeks. I don't NEED to weight 132 lbs to be happy, but I strongly suspect that if I don't get myself in check I will keep gaining.
Good thing I went to the gym this morning, or I'd be living with serious regret after that weigh in.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Damn you 4 lbs.
First off, I finally fixed my blog so anyone can comment. People have mentioned they wanted to comment on posts and could not. I think I have solved that...so comment away!
I really need to do a health check in here because I am trying to step it up this last week before I go back to work.
I am now on the 4th phase of NROLFW's stage 1. I wont bore you again with the details, but basically I am still doing the same exercises, but with less reps and more weight. It has gone well except for a few mornings where a trainer at my gym seems to keep training woman using the exact equipment I need. I guess that is a good thing being that the he sees the exercises as valuable.
The only thing about this program is that I have been slacking off on the days I don't lift. You can only lift every other day, so I have stuck with Mon, Wed, Fri. I should still be waking up Tues, Thurs to do some good cardio, but ever since returning from vacation I am finding it hard to pull myself out of bed when I am not following the program.
I MUST change that this week because I am 4 lbs heavier than when I left for vacation. I do think about a lbs of that weight is muscle gain...but the other 3 is due to slacking and also due to a serious and passionate fling I have been having with frozen yogurt.
There is something about summer that just screams ICE CREAM and lately my husband has been on a "go for a drive and get a frozen yogurt" kick. And I have fully and willingly participated in each and every trip...which I am 100 percent sure is why I am up a few lbs. The thing is, my husband does some pretty serious training 3 days a week, plus he does physical work AND he goes to the gym. He CAN eat frozen yogurt. I am not nearly as active and cannot throw away a days clean eating with such a sugary treat.
So, I have thoroughly enjoyed my cones. I will not regret them at all...but since the scale has not budged downward since returning from vacation...frozen yogurt and I are officially broken up. Maybe we will have one last fling before the snow starts falling, but not until I have myself back to where I was.
I really need to do a health check in here because I am trying to step it up this last week before I go back to work.
I am now on the 4th phase of NROLFW's stage 1. I wont bore you again with the details, but basically I am still doing the same exercises, but with less reps and more weight. It has gone well except for a few mornings where a trainer at my gym seems to keep training woman using the exact equipment I need. I guess that is a good thing being that the he sees the exercises as valuable.
The only thing about this program is that I have been slacking off on the days I don't lift. You can only lift every other day, so I have stuck with Mon, Wed, Fri. I should still be waking up Tues, Thurs to do some good cardio, but ever since returning from vacation I am finding it hard to pull myself out of bed when I am not following the program.
I MUST change that this week because I am 4 lbs heavier than when I left for vacation. I do think about a lbs of that weight is muscle gain...but the other 3 is due to slacking and also due to a serious and passionate fling I have been having with frozen yogurt.
There is something about summer that just screams ICE CREAM and lately my husband has been on a "go for a drive and get a frozen yogurt" kick. And I have fully and willingly participated in each and every trip...which I am 100 percent sure is why I am up a few lbs. The thing is, my husband does some pretty serious training 3 days a week, plus he does physical work AND he goes to the gym. He CAN eat frozen yogurt. I am not nearly as active and cannot throw away a days clean eating with such a sugary treat.
So, I have thoroughly enjoyed my cones. I will not regret them at all...but since the scale has not budged downward since returning from vacation...frozen yogurt and I are officially broken up. Maybe we will have one last fling before the snow starts falling, but not until I have myself back to where I was.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Pizza, Pizza
I love pizza. It is cheesy and saucy and garlicy and all the things I love all in a fun, hand-held slice.
However, I never get pizza unless I make it myself. The calorie count on most takeout pizza is out of control. A friend once told me that a pizza place she worked at used one whole stick of butter in a small pizza. I have serious issues with takeout food, as it is the reason I gained every pound that I have worked to get off.
BUT if you make your own pizza, you can really control how healthy it is and make it really, really good.
Lately we have been having pizza and a big salad on Friday night.
Here is what I used:
1 whole wheat pizza dough. They have these at Trader Joes, Stop and Shop and whole foods. I get a bunch at a time and freeze them. And of course if you are a much better homemaker then myself, there are great recipes for your own healthy pizza dough.
Part skim shredded mozzarella
Crumbled feta
2-3 very ripe tomatoes or a can of whole tomatoes drained
1/2 package baby spinach, 1 package mushrooms, 3-4 cloves of minced garlic (you could use any veggies you like, I have used red peppers, broccoli, asparagus when I have had it)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 450
Roll out pizza dough on a floured surface. We like ours pretty thin.
Place dough a greased baking sheet or pizza stone.
Brush edges of dough with small amount of olive oil
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on med/high and saute garlic and veggies (not the tomatoes) until lightly cooked
Slice tomatoes very thin
Put a light layer of mozzarella cheese on crust
then spread tomatoes out evenly (this is a substitute for sauce so you want enough to cover pizza)
spread out cooked veggies
Then spread a light layer of feta cheese over veggies
**I also love to add diced kalamata olives or olive paste
Place pizza in over for about 10 minutes, or until crust is starting to brown.
YUMMY!
I also love making my own pizza because I can make a little section of it the way the kids like it, which usually means just cheese and tomatoes.
However, I never get pizza unless I make it myself. The calorie count on most takeout pizza is out of control. A friend once told me that a pizza place she worked at used one whole stick of butter in a small pizza. I have serious issues with takeout food, as it is the reason I gained every pound that I have worked to get off.
BUT if you make your own pizza, you can really control how healthy it is and make it really, really good.
Lately we have been having pizza and a big salad on Friday night.
Here is what I used:
1 whole wheat pizza dough. They have these at Trader Joes, Stop and Shop and whole foods. I get a bunch at a time and freeze them. And of course if you are a much better homemaker then myself, there are great recipes for your own healthy pizza dough.
Part skim shredded mozzarella
Crumbled feta
2-3 very ripe tomatoes or a can of whole tomatoes drained
1/2 package baby spinach, 1 package mushrooms, 3-4 cloves of minced garlic (you could use any veggies you like, I have used red peppers, broccoli, asparagus when I have had it)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 450
Roll out pizza dough on a floured surface. We like ours pretty thin.
Place dough a greased baking sheet or pizza stone.
Brush edges of dough with small amount of olive oil
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on med/high and saute garlic and veggies (not the tomatoes) until lightly cooked
Slice tomatoes very thin
Put a light layer of mozzarella cheese on crust
then spread tomatoes out evenly (this is a substitute for sauce so you want enough to cover pizza)
spread out cooked veggies
Then spread a light layer of feta cheese over veggies
**I also love to add diced kalamata olives or olive paste
Place pizza in over for about 10 minutes, or until crust is starting to brown.
YUMMY!
I also love making my own pizza because I can make a little section of it the way the kids like it, which usually means just cheese and tomatoes.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
An Island Life for Me: Marthas Vineyard, Ice Cream and Feeling Grateful
Yesterday I took my babies on the ferry for a day trip to Marthas Vineyard. For you non-New Englanders out there, this is a large island off of the coast of Massachusetts. President Obama is flying there this afternoon for his annual vacation, so I knew we needed to go yesterday to avoid the presidential visit and the road block it entails. Two years ago we were there when he was vacationing and missed him at the restaurant we were eating at by about 3 minutes.
I make it a point to go there at least once every summer. The ferry is close to our house and it is a nice boat ride. I learned a long time ago that if I want to go somewhere, I need to be able to enjoy going on my own. Because I am a teacher, I am off all summer BUT everyone else has to work...so I have learned to enjoy doing stuff solo, or at least without any other grownups. The down side to this is it is EXHAUSTING! I have to lug all of our stuff, a double stroller (which is a total pain in the arse to get on and off the boat) and two toddlers.
I cannot tell you how many people tell me I am nuts for doing this. I don't really know why. The simple truth is, I can sit around on my butt all day, which would be easy but totally boring...or I can just get out there and bring the kids to places where they can have some fun experiences. Is it tiring? YUP, but I would have to live with regret if I didn't get out there and try to have fun. I try to live by this motto a lot because I live in a town where I have no roots, no family (other than my husband's parents) and I have had to learn how to enjoy myself by myself. I also believe very much in kids being outside and on the go as much as possible in their years leading up to school, because once school starts, so do the strict schedules that last for the rest of one's life
Some days it is easy to forget that I live in such a beautiful place. It is way too easy to take the ocean, beaches and beauty for granted. Some days I get sad that I don't live near my closest friends and family and I want to be mad that I have to take the kids most places on my own...but then I look out at the ocean and I think about what people pay to come to such a beautiful place, and I watch my kids crawling/ running into the waves, and I remember that I am lucky and need to experience what my town has to offer. And one of these things is a pretty inexpensive boat trip to an amazingly beautiful island.
It was a really nice day. We took the 9am boat, hit up my favorite bakery...the home of Backdoor Donuts. I indulged on a giant apple fritter, the same kind I get every year which is big enough for 6 people to share.We hit up the beach for a few hours, went to the famous Flying Horses carousel, had a picnic lunch, browsed some shops, got some ice cream and took the 2:15 boat home.
It was a pretty horrible day for healthy eating BUT I did push the double stroller around all day so that totally cancels it out, right? Here are some photos from our day:
Charlie-Girl looking fab in pink shades!
Siblings getting along
Yup, that chocolate one was mommies: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, no regrets on that one!
The boat home...it was a long day!
Monday, August 15, 2011
When the husbands away
What do you eat when your husband takes off on an unexpected MMA training and you don't want to cook a big meal.....
Yup, sprouted grain English muffins w. Natural peanut butter, bananas, honey and cinnamon. YUM! some advice:
don't cheap out on cinnamon. Good cinnamon is worth the bucks.
using BlogPress from my iPad
Blogs I envy..
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).
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).
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