Fat-burning FOOD??

I've been working hard-core on my fitness/weight-loss goals and have worked out for 8 days in a row now!  And now recently I've been looking into the benefits of interval running and now foods that can help burn fat too.

Oh yes, you might have heard this before, but there are FOODS that can burn fat for you!!  How cool is that! "Some foods require more calories to digest than they contain. Also, some foods boost your metabolism thus causing you to burn fat faster than just diet and exercise alone"

So I was looking through the 101 Fat Burning Foods list and trying to make meal options using only things on the list, and it's so do-able!  Now don't get me wrong, there's a lot there I DO NOT LIKE, like hot peppers, eggplant, fish, sardines, etc.  But there's a lot there I normally eat anyway, like blueberries, cranberries, apples, spinach, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, turkey, and so much more!

Here are some meal ideas I came up with using only the list (granted it's FINE to not JUST do this list but I was just playing and seeing what can be made with JUST THIS):

Breakfast

1. oatmeal with fresh blueberries

Lunch

1. spinach salad topped with cranberries and nuts and an oil dressing, fresh cauliflower

2. turkey/spinach sandwich on whole grain bread, beets (I used to like them when I was kid, maybe I still do??)

3. tuna sandwich on whole grain, broccoli, apple

3. bean soup, or white chili soup

Dinner

1. pork chops with light seasonings

2. lemon-pepper chicken

3. chili

Snacks

orange (citrus fruits are even more effective on an empty stomach), milk, peaches, green tea, caffeinated coffee actually helps burn calories (but not if you load it with sugar and cream like I do!)

Check out the links and leave me some more meal ideas!!

5 Fat Burning Foods and the science behind it

15 Fat Burning Foods to help boost your metabolism

101 Fat Burning Foods!

Creativity.

How's that for a very NOT-creative title for a creativity post?  LOL  I happened upon this piece of boxing down in the basement the other day and thought it would be fun to let Eli paint it.  I thought it looked like a little city, but as Eli was painting it he was calling it a castle.  So a castle it was!  We added some flags and called it good.  Now if I were REALLY creative, we could've added more STUFF, but I'm just not that good.  So here's our castle.  (The picture's a little bad, I could NOT get it to be in focus!!) But I encourage you, tap into your inner creativity (it's there, trust me! we were ALL children once!) and help your child create something FUN!

Monday Meanderings - Apr. 25

Alright, this week I HAVE to get with it!  Last week I did so bad in the homemaking department! In one week span, we were down to ONE diaper, ONE diaper wipe, virtually NO toilet paper, and the last trash bag!  ACK!  I guess with Outage (AKA having to drag the kids with me EVERYWHERE) and also the increase in gas prices, I've been avoiding errands.  A little too much so, I guess!  So I need to get back to my lists. Ahh, lists....

Bible Study... Genesis.  

Memory Verse... 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (I'm going to keep this for the whole month, I think, instead of changing it every week)
"And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."

Husband Encouragement...

♥ Wash sheets.

♥ Laundry washed AND put away so it's not all folded all over the couch when he wakes up and has nowhere to sit.

♥ Tidy up.

♥ Prepare the lawn for being mowed.  It needs done soooo badly now but he just hasn't been home to do it, and it takes more hours than what I've got kid-free.

♥ Be supportive.

♥ Prepare a nice dinner for his day off.

Train Them Up...
* Reading time with Eli.

* Get outside as much as possible. (we played in the rain last week!)

* Have Kevin put Carter's car seat together (which means I need to bring it up from the basement so it's right THERE for him and we don't forget)

Personal Goals...
* Read next chapter in marriage book.  I kind of lost motivation.  I have such a HARD time concentrating on more than one thing.  For awhile it was reading that book and now lately it's been working out.  I have a hard time allotting a little bit of time to several different things.

* Daily Bible reading.

* Run 3.1 miles (5K) in increased time or with slight incline.

New Habit of the Month...  {APRIL} Spray down dining room table nightly.

MUST Do...

* Trim the bushes. (I started this a couple weeks ago and it was more difficult than I thought.  Hard to reach and the branches or thicker than I expected so they're hard to cut)

* Write a thank-you note to the Clarks for hosting us for a wonderful Easter!!

* Call the school to confirm Eli's participation in kindergarten roundup.

* Prepare something for the MOPS newsletter.  (last one for the year!)

* Return library stuff.

Zone(s)... Dining room.

Menu -

M - ham, green beans, fruit salad

T - steaks, roasted potatoes, cooked carrots

W - salad?

Th - TBD

F - brats?

S - friends' house

FUN THINGS! 

* No preschool today because of Easter break.  Always nice not to have a schedule to keep.

* MOPS picnic Tuesday. And a short visit from Kevin's aunt in the afternoon.

* Kevin's home Tuesday night!

* Hannah's going to my friend Nikki's house during preschool time, and it will be my turn for a break!

* Going away party for a close friend of Kevin's on Saturday.

3 things I'm thankful for today...

1. The RISEN Savior!
2. A fantastic Easter celebration with friends.
3. A lazy day today.  =)

New link: Kids Can Have Fun

I just found a new website this morning that I'm quickly falling in love with as I continue to browse around.  It's filled with tons of fun printables from motivational charts (kind of like a chore chart), All About Me booklets, Cut and Paste activities (cutting pizza toppings, ice cream cones, spring planting supplies, and tons more), beginner drawing pages, craft ideas, puzzles, printable games (there's a balloons n slides version of Chutes and Ladders you can just PRINT off! looks super cute) and tons more.  So go check it out, Kids Can Have Fun.

The End of the Beginning...

This is one of my favorite songs, by David Phelps.  The entire gospel in one song. Especially love the end! Makes me tear up almost every time--God is just so amazing, so powerful!  "His death wasn't the end but the beginning of life that's completed in you. Don't you see, He did all this for you" Happy Easter everyone!  Christ is RISEN!! (note: you might have to pause the music on the previous video first, because  apparently it automatically starts)

Oh glorious day.

3 MILES!

So I just started running a couple months ago, not really following any sort of plan.  I'd heard of the Couch to 5K program but I thought I'd just try things on my own.  Having a treadmill I'm able to run to music or how we have it set up in the basement with our old TV and DVD player I'm also able to watch movies, and for me having that distraction makes a huuuuge difference!  Plus I still keep it set at zero incline, which also makes a huge difference in these states of rolling hills.  I was able to knock out my goal of 1-mile no-stopping right away, I couldn't believe myself!  When I DID used to run back in the day (high school) I was just a sprinter and the most I did was one lap (1/4mile).  Then pretty soon I did a full 2 MILES without stopping (!!!), and the new goal was to run 3 miles.  And guess what y'alls!!  I did that last night!!!  I RAN 3 MILES WITHOUT STOPPING! After having done several runs with music I went back to a movie and was nearly done with 2 miles before I even knew it, so I kept going to see how far I could get and made it all the way to 3 and then stopped, and still felt GOOD!  Tired but not gasping for air--I finished with a half-mile walk as I continued to watch my movie and was sooo proud for accomplishing such a big goal for myself!  And guess what,  5K is only 3.1 miles, and I can SO do that!  Doesn't it just sound cool to call it 5K instead of 3.1??  LOL  Now no, I will not be signing up for tons of races--remember I run at zero incline zoned out to a movie or music in perfect weather conditions.  I'm not there yet, but maybe someday...

So there we have it, #11 is crossed off my 30 Before 30 List!!

27 days

Alright, guys, it's time for me to kick into high gear.  My family is heading to the beach in 27 days so I'm going to use that as my motivation to start getting into better shape FOR REAL! Cuz who wants to go to the beach for the first time in years feeling the heaviest and chubbiest in years?!  Not like I'm going to spend my days laying out in the sun; it's a family gathering in which I am SO EXCITED for, but still.  You know what I mean, right?

So here are the details...

Goal: To lose belly flab and 10 lbs before beach time.  (total weight loss goal is actually 17-20 lbs but for this time frame, 10 lbs  in 27 days is pretty hefty in itself, for me anyway) Think I can do it??

Why? So I can fit into my current clothes better and not have to buy new clothes to hide trouble spots (my un-toned stomach!)

Things I'm willing to give up for 30 days:

* coffee (except for donut days, notice how I'm not giving up the DONUTS? LOL C'mon I just like the plain kind, no frosting, so I can dunk!)

* pop (We don't EVER have any in the house except for birthday parties, but we DO end up going out quite a bit here and there, in which I almost always get a pop with it, therefore I end up drinking more pop than I probably realize. And yes, I call it POP and not soda or anything else people call it)

* home pizza.  I eat pizza ALLL the time. I just love it and every brand/restaurant has its own flavor. I won't give it up COMPLETELY cuz when it comes to friends events, with the few options we have around here, pizza is a common choice!

* Fast Food (more specifically, the fries and hamburger kind)

Exercise... Every day even if it's a casual walk. When I don't have much time I can do... The Shred (it's only 20 min) Up my running distance (also means budget in more TIME to do that) and add in some dumbell strength training.

Food choices...

* Drink more water.

* Buy lots of fruits and veggies.

* Start the day with high-protein breakfast

* Write down what I eat and count calories when possible.

To help meet my goal I need to...

* Get to bed earlier so I have energy.

* Take AdvoCare Supplements. Whatever ones I have left still.

* Try on old pants every couple days so I remember what I'm doing this whole deal for!

So here we go! This is hard for me.  I've always LOVED going for walks (practically impossible these days, or casual sports, also impossible these days) but HATED working out!  But I'm trying to learn to like it.  And trying to learn how to establish a consistent routine with it.  Soo hard to do in these early parenting years, but there IS time, it's just been a matter of committing to it and being productive!  Cheer me on! I need all the support I can get! And if you want to join in with some accountability, LET ME KNOW!!

My purse smells like puke.

That pretty much sums up my life these days.  Although yes, my purse does literally smell like puke.  Oh the joys of being a mom.  Several of my "fun things" I've had planned lately have fallen through, and I've been left feeling so bummed, in tears actually.  The kids have been so disobedient and I am just so frustrated.  I was maybe going to reschedule our children's museum visit for tomorrow, but after we got home from another bout of miserable errands I decided they don't deserve a big outing like that right now.  And we'll stay home working on obedience instead.  Whatever that means.  For real though, we need to get serious. And by we, of course that means ME. 

Ugh, some days I just really hate being Mommy. Three kids simultaneously needing my attention nearly every minute of every day. I go upstairs to do make-up and within a minute I hear crying or fighting downstairs.  I go to the basement to put the laundry in the dryer and before I'm back I hear yet another fight about something ridiculous, like who gets to sit in the rocking chair or who hit who.  I go to set the dining room table for breakfast and the baby has gotten in the cupboard and has dumped Cheerios all over the floor, and everywhere I step I crunch something. And when you put the kids in bed and then go back to check on them and literally can't find your daughter anywhere upstairs, that's AWESOME. Only to find her hiding in the very very back turned-in corner of her closet. Sheesh! There is literally no break.  And it truly feels like hell on earth sometimes trying to train these little ones. So so challenging that's for sure.

But now, I must return to life and 3 kids zoned out to Strawberry Shortcake on Netflix because for now that's what it takes.

Sunday Psalm

Psalm 16

Keep me safe, O God,

for in you I take refuge.

I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord;

apart from you I have no good thing."

As for saints who are in the land, 

they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.

The sorrows of those will increase

who run after other gods.

I will not pour out their libations of blood

or take up their names on my lips.

Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;

you have made my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs m e.

I have set the Lord always before me.

Because is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest secure,

because you will not abandon me to the grave,

nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

You have made known to me the path of life;

you will fill me joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.