Things I'm Loving Thursday

I see these "Things I'm Loving" posts all over the place and I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon this week.  Here's some of my favorite things as of late...

1.  Kombucha...

...this isn't my usual brand but it's organic and it's on sale lately at the Fresh Market so I'm a temporary convert.  The lemon raspberry ginger flavor is my favorite!  It's delicious and incredibly good for you.

2.  PiYo...

...this is not getting old any time soon.  I am noticing huge improvements in my core strength, my balance, and my attitude towards fitness.  I'm learning I don't have to torture myself to see change.  Amazing stuff!!

3.  Snyders Gluten Free Pretzels

...I am not gluten-intolerant, but I do feel better when I limit gluten in my diet.  I also don't eat a lot of empty carbs but I've been running more lately and notice a huge difference in my energy levels when I include some carbs in my diet and these are one of my new favorite indulgences.  

4.  VBS...

...these two are having a great time this week and are learning so much.  It's a good reminder for me to keep my faith instruction fun so they continue to be so enthusiastic about it.  I'm glad I volunteered on Monday to see what a great job they're doing with the kids.

5.  My spiralizer...

...I'm using it to make all kinds of yummy food.  The latest thing I tried was broccoli noodles made from the stalks, marinated overnight with greek dressing, olives, feta, and carrots.  Insanely good!  Noticing a love for food here??  :-)  

What are you loving lately?  Hope you're finding some good stuff too.  

Finally Friday!!!

We made it to Friday!!!  Woo-hoo!  Miriam is on her way and we're looking forward to a fun weekend with her.  In the mean time, we've made the most of the last 24 hours doing some fun stuff, like playing with our new bat cave...

(aren't hand-me-down toys great??)

Last night, we also got to join our friends for dinner at the Outback.  We followed it up with some delicious fro-yo from Orange Leaf.  That wedding cake stuff is delish!!  I'm trying it with the nerds next time.  I used to get nerds blizzards every time we went to Dairy Queen as a kid.  I hope it's as yummy as I remember...

There's nothing like good food and great friends to brighten your day!!  It was a great way to celebrate my anniversary too while I wait to celebrate VERY soon with my man.  That's right...we've been married 4 years now and what a wild ride it has been.  I can't wait to see what excitement is in store for us in the coming years.  God is good!!

This morning kicked off bright and early with a crying Colton.  Poor guy took his diaper off part way and ended up with a wet bed.  I started my day with laundry before my COFFEE and breakfast...not exactly the way I had planned to start my day but worse things have happened.

Our first stop of the morning was to the Fresh Market to score some Ahi Tuna during their Friday sale.  Of course, we had to visit the lobsters...

...and you know me, we can't leave the store with out some Kombucha...

...we might have got some sea salt and caramel popcorn too.  I can't wait to try it!!

Our next stop was a fun play date with a couple of friends before we headed off to the gym.  I spent an HOUR on the elliptical, something I don't do very often these days, but it all happened because I got so caught up reading this book...

I can't put it down.  Such a great read!!

I finished up with some quick lower body weights before heading out of there.  We had a quick stop at the library to restock our stash of books before heading home for lunch.  Today's featured was quite tasty if I do say so myself...

Sauteed spinach and homemade sesame chicken that knocked the socks off the take-out stuff and was unbelievably easy thanks to this great recipe.  Budget Bytes never lets me down.  I love her recipes!!

I also ate some more of those delicious black grapes I got yesterday and a couple bites of this addictive stuff...

...the boys and I love it!!  SOOO good!

Since I was a good girl and got all my chores done, I get to spend nap time doing some more reading while I wait for Miriam to get here.  Lucky me!  Have a lovely weekend!!

Playing Around and Finally, Some Energy

We made it to the Fresh Market in time to score some cheap ground beef last night but they were all out of the bacon...good thing they run the special every Tuesday this month.  Gotta get there earlier next week.  I got lazy and decided to cash in a coupon for a free burrito at Moes rather than cooking last night and ended up wishing I would have just made my own dinner....GRRRR!

I got corn salsa on my naked burrito and then started wondering about it on the way home, thinking maybe it was considered a grain, and therefore off limits on my whole30 experiment.  My hunch was right, and I had to pick all the corn off my chicken, avocado, and veggies....Major Pain!!!  It was pretty yummy, regardless. 

Before...                                                 and After...

Almost a member of the clean plate club...something I'm getting pretty darn good at these days.  Being the volume eater that I am, this plan is working well in that department.  

I played around with making a couple of condiments in the kitchen yesterday and am pretty happy with the results.  After looking for a chocolate sauce without high fructose corn syrup and failing miserably, I ended up making my own using a recipe Mickey tracked down at The Gracious Pantry.  

It was SUPER easy.  Just combine 1 cup coconut sugar (could sub honey), 1 cup cocoa powder, 1 cup water, and a splash of vanilla and simmer over low heat til a sauce develops.  Then, just store in the fridge and use as you would any other chocolate syrup.  I didn't taste it, since sugar is off limits on my plan but it got a thumbs up from the boys in their afternoon chocolate milk, which we make with almond milk.  

I enjoyed this instead...

...it's pricey stuff, but not as pricey as the adult beverages I'm abstaining from this month so I can justify it...and it's YUMMY!  I can't decide which is better, the ginger or the cranberry flavor...might have to do another taste test just to see. :)

I also made some Whole30 friendly ketchup.  Of course it's not as good as the real deal, but a good-enough substitute for me...not sure I'm gonna convince the boys to make the switch.  I do at least make sure their version doesn't have high fructose corn syrup in it.

We're gonna try it out on some sweet potato fries tonight along side some chipotle burgers I have prepped using the cheap ground sirloin from the Fresh Market yesterday (I ditched my original meatloaf idea when I realized it would mean another trip to the store...lazy!)  We'll be enjoying them bun-free of course.  :-) I used this recipe and subbed chipotle peppers for the jalepenos since I'm hoping for a smokier flavor.  It's a super-simple recipe and I hope it's yummy.  

The boys had fun playing with the mardi gras beads alongside me...

When I tell them to make a happy face, they stick their tongues out...silly boys!

I called it a night after my playtime in the kitchen and slept like a rock until the boys woke me up at 6:45.  Woops!  So much for getting up before them.  We hit the floor running and thanks to some already prepped veggies, breakfast came together in a flash.

Whole30 day 9 kicked off with two fried eggs and some egg whites on top of steamed collards and broccoli reheated with olive oil with a side of spicy avocado sauce and strawberries...and coffee with coconut milk, of course.

Our next order of business for the day was a stop by the gym for an upper body workout and a quick round on the elliptical.  I finally had some good energy today and put it into a fantastic workout...

I did 3 sets of each superset.  It felt great to feel energetic again.

We ran a couple errands quickly before heading home to meet some friends for a swimming play date.  They came bearing this awesome box-fort which the boys haven't stopped playing with since they left...

...if you ever have any giant boxes you're not sure what to do with, you can send them our way.  We LOVE them!

I was ravenous by the time lunch rolled around.  I had already snacked on some almonds and then polished off this salad...

...of mixed greens, avocado, strawberries, turkey sausage, and balsamic vinegar.  I also had some leftover cauliflower and the boys' rejected mango.  Hunger satisfied, finally!

Time to catch up on my bible study since I didn't get to it this morning and maybe catch another 20 minutes or so of the Bachelorette since I didn't get to all of it yesterday.  Why does that show have to be so darn long???  

My Life Is Not My Own...But It's Still A Lot of Fun

This post has taken me three days to finally finish...my life is not my own these days.  Haha!

We woke up to some gorgeous weather Tuesday morning.  I considered running to Story Time, but didn't figure everyone would appreciate a sweaty lady leading the show so we opted for a walk instead.  The fresh air was nice even if it came with a lower heart rate.  Our featured stories were...

and

I remember The Lady With The Alligator Purse from when I was little so it was fun to share it with my kids and their friends.  The Deep Blue Sea is a very simple book that helps to teach about colors.  We had some technical difficulties AGAIN with our music so I am in the process of trying to come up with a solution.  Here's to hoping we've got the glitches worked out by next week.

We had a fun play date after story time with a few of our story time friends.  I love our small little town and the friendships that are developing out of events that are available to all of us moms of little ones.  It's so fun to watch them all growing up together and to have people to relate to along the way.

Meal times are quite the adventure these days.  Tuesday's lunch took us over an hour to finish.  Colton, my little eater, devoured his food in no time, but Mason needed more time to warm up to the idea of eating his food and deciding on his plan of attack.  He's a VERY particular boy.  First, he needed his airplane to watch him...then he needed his chair in just the right spot...after that he changed his mind at least 4 different times about what he wanted to eat.  He finally decided he wanted noodles, but of course not the ones I gave him, and he finally decided on a peanut butter sandwich instead...apparently I made it wrong, so he decided to scrape of all the peanut butter with his spoon and eat it plain before he rolled up the bread to eat it like a "tacquito"...his words!  He remembered that from WEEKS ago.  They both ate more than their fair share of pirate's booty too.  I can't blame them--that stuff is good!  As usual, Colton was trying to get his hands on everything Mason decided he didn't want.  I think he ate twice as much as Mason...and he's already the bigger of the two.  Maybe Mason will surprise me and be the bigger eater at dinner tonight.  They definitely know how to keep me guessing.  At least they both ended up eating and now are FINALLY sleeping quietly after playing for at least an hour in their beds.  I really am learning to just go with the flow with these two little guys.  

I put off getting out in the yard to trim some overgrown bushes but finally got my butt in gear and got out there to get it done.  It does feel nice to finally check that chore off my to-do list until everything grows back...sooner than I'd hope I'm sure.  At least these little guys are easy to take care of...

I'm looking forward to some pretty sunflowers and some spaghetti squash thanks to the boys little project.  They made that cute sign for me at the gym too.  We seriously have the BEST gym!

We were able to squeeze in a quick trip to the gym last night too.  I was due for a good back and biceps workout and even got to zone out on the elliptical for a bit as I finished my book...

It's definitely a MUST READ!  I loved it!!!

On our way home we swung by the Fresh Market for some Tuesday deals...

Though not everything at The Fresh Market is a deal, you can get some great bargains if you shop on the right days for the right things.  They have a FABULOUS meat and seafood department.  I also scored this yummy treat...

I love my kombucha!  This one was only $2...a steal in Kombucha world.

We came home to an easy dinner I prepped earlier in the day--chicken caesar salads, made using this dressing recipe. I've never met a recipe from SkinnyTaste I didn't like, including this one.   It ended up being a pretty fabulous day.  

Yesterday started off with FABULOUSLY long chat with Mickey.  After that, we geared up for a trip to The Loggerhead Marinelife Center for their story time.  The boys weren't too interested in the story time but they sure did get a kick out the turtles and the play area...

That place needs to be on our monthly rotation.  We survived the whole outing with NO STROLLER...just holding hands and doing good listening.  The boys are growing up so fast!!

On our way home, we swung by the gym for  a legs workout.  I'm slowly working my way to loving legs day.  I am definitely hooked on the weight room and have to make myself throw in a little cardio....quite the opposite of how I used to be.  Gotta do what keeps my interest and for now it's pumping iron.  

The rest of our day was spent doing normal stuff...a trip to the store, a wagon walk, and lots of eating and playing.  Oh, and we had some real action with the potties yesterday but the boys also had some fun with them too...

They are such goofballs!!!   

Now, call me crazy, but I'm hoping they wake up soon so we can get in a run before it gets hot out there.  It's produce day and soon this day will not be my own either.  I wouldn't have it any other way...  Life is good!  What blessing those two little goofballs are.