Breakfast Smoothie

I'm all about easy, delicious meals...especially breakfasts. Morning time is the busiest time of day at our house so I don't typically spend too much time on breakfast. One thing I love to make are smoothies. This morning I made a good one and it was super simple!

1 cup Vanilla Almond Milk
1/4 cup Pineapple Chunks (I used canned because that's what I had on-hand) plus 1 tsp pineapple juice
1/4 cup Frozen Strawberries & Bananas
1 tsp Ground Flax Seed

Blend it all up in your Blender or Magic Bullet and enjoy!

Being a Mom of Boys

When we first found out we were pregnant with Hunter I was over the moon excited!! I had it set in my mind that we were going to have a little girl and she would be girly and prissy and I would put bows in her hair, put her in petty dresses and everything would be glittery and all sunshine and rainbows...
Until that ultrasound at 16 weeks confirmed it was a BOY! Now don't get me wrong, I was still happy but I will admit I was disappointed that what I had planned was not the reality. I think it took about another month after that before I really accepted the fact that we were not having a girl and that I was going to have to learn to love cars and trucks and dirt!
It didn't take long to discover that I love being a mom to a little boy! They're easy as pie. Not only are they 12 times easier to dress since everything pretty much matches and goes together but there is no hair to fix and put bows in!
But, there we were 4 years after Hunter was born, sitting in the ultrasound room waiting to hear the verdict of the sex of our second little miracle. This time I thought for sure I would get my girl. NOPE, another boy. Once again I was stuck in the middle of a bit of disappointment and the joy that this pregnancy was totally healthy because we had suffered a very emotional and difficult miscarriage just a year before.
I can now say that I love my boys and the thought of having girls scares me. They're sassy and moody and expensive lol!! Plus with boys, I am still Queen of the House. And boys love their moms forever and ever no matter what! I think I was made to be a mom of 2 sweet little rambunctious, messy, adorable men.

First time on the road

This past weekend I ventured out on a "real" road on the bike for the very first time. I'm surprised I didn't pee in my bike shorts because I was so nervous! There were cars and stop lights and road kill and all of that fun. I know I have to get used to it at some point since in just a few months I will be riding 150 miles up to Austin but I wasn't sure that I was quite ready yet.
The hubby kept assuring me that I was doing great and I will pat myself on the back because I did manage to keep up with him. I think next time I should be slightly more comfortable but for my first time on a busy road I guess I didn't do too bad.

Only 81 more days until the MS150!! Ahhhhh!!!

Finding my Happy Place

Ever since I can remember I have had one goal when it comes to my body...to lose weight! I can't remember a time when I didn't want to drop a few or more pounds. It has been a constant battle and one that has brought on many issues with my health, both physically and mentally.
Most women also share the urge to want to be thinner. It's just the way society works these days.
I am embarrassed to admit it but as a little girl I worshiped all of the models in fashion magazines and wanted to look just like them. Sad, I know, but I just thought they were so perfect looking...while I was sitting there with buck-teeth and acne and an un-dying LOVE for food! I mean, I. LOVE. FOOD! I love to eat it, cook it, smell it, watch cooking shows, find new recipes...I think you get the point lol! The only thing I don't like about food is the fact that it has calories and such.
This love/hate relationship with food had plagued my entire teenage and most of my early adult years. It wasn't until a few months ago while in the process of losing my baby-weight from Ethan that I realized that I had been going at it all wrong my entire life!! After reaching my "goal weight" I noticed something...I was still not happy with my appearance. I had been chasing a number on the scale thinking that once I got it then everything in the world would be right. But I was wrong. I realized that I needed some muscle on my puny frame and the only way to get my body to look the way I wanted it to would mean I would need to eat to gain weight from my muscles and change some old habits.
So now instead of "dieting" and feeling miserable I am loving the fact that I have learned that I need to properly fuel my body so I can get it to perform at its best while I'm breaking a major sweat in the gym. I've finally found my happy place and I'm never leaving it! :)
This brings me to my next venture in life...but for now I'll just keep you guessing what it is. Stay tuned ;)

Wedding Bells

The older I get the more and more weddings I seem to go to. I love seeing the differences in all of them and how you can see everyone's personalities in the smallest of details.
This Friday my cousin got married! Her wedding was beautiful and simple and slightly country-chic. From the burlap table runners to the LSU groom's cake it was the perfect representation of how I thought her wedding would be :)

We decided to bring both kiddos and I honestly prayed the whole way there that they would behave during the ceremony. Not only did they both do GREAT during the ceremony but Ethan stayed awake and in a good mood the whole night. (Which is a lot to ask of a 7 month old once it gets past their bedtime!!!)
AND we even got a family picture!


Congrats to the new Bride & Groom!!

Baby Scootin' Boogie

Ethan has been trying so hard to crawl lately but bless his little heart, he's a bit on the chunky side! We've got a lot of experience with "healthy" babies here at our house...Hunter was a big boy too...so I knew Ethan might take a little longer to crawl like Hunter did.
But over the last few days he's started the baby scooting...BACKWARDS! Poor thing gets his arms up, gets his legs ready and then just pushes himself back, and around in circles. At least he's getting somewhere I guess ;) Progress is progress and we'll take it!

Party Planning Time!

It's hard to believe that in just a few months Hunter will be 5 and Ethan will be 1. Where the heck is time going?!
One thing to know about me is that I absolutely LOVE planning parties. I start getting ideas months in advance. This year Hunter has decided he wants a Star Wars party. Now ideally, I would love to be able to bake a cake like this one...

...In all actuality it would probably end up looking nothing like that if I did it. I found a local bakery that can do a cake like this one but it's a bit pricey...so it's on to Plan B. I'm just not sure what Plan B is yet...thank God for Pinterest! I'm sure I can find a good idea there ;)

Now for the little, it's Cat in the Hat and I'm so very excited for that. (Yes, I'm rhyming) I found the cutest printables on Etsy!! And how adorable are these Fish jello bowls?!

The hubby is going to hate me before the parties are even upon us...I've been spending hours pinning up a storm but hey, they only turn 1 and 5 once, right?!?

Back from vacation...kinda...

Some of you might know that I have my own business, Sassy Soles Shoetique. I make Blinged-out Converse, Flip Flops and Shoe Bows. I took the plunge and quit my "day job" a little over a year ago and business just kept growing and growing and growing!! And I gotta say, business is great!...

...So great that I needed a vacation after the CRAZY BUSY Holiday Season! So I took one. And let me tell you, I have been ENJOYING it!! I have been able to keep the house nice and clean, spend more time with the kiddos, catch up on some pending home projects, etc. Not saying that I don't LOVE what I do with SSS but it's been a much needed change of pace. 

BUT I gotta get back in the game! I finally bit the bullet and took my first orders of the new year this week. I can't wait to get them started :) 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sassy-Soles-Shoetique/101293756630214

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SassySolesShoetique?ref=si_shop

Spinach & Turkey Egg Muffins

I've been seeing all of these posts on Pinterest lately on recipes for different egg muffins. I decided to make my own this morning and they were amazing!! 

The best part is that there are only 58 calories in each muffin! How awesome is that?!?

Here's my recipe...ENOY :)

Turkey & Spinach Egg Muffins~

2 Eggs

4 Egg Whites

1 oz 2% Milk

3 oz (approx 6 slices) turkey, chopped

1/2 cup frozen spinach (thawed)

2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese 

Salt & pepper to taste 

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. 

Mix all ingredients pour evenly into 6 tins. 

Bake for 22-24 minutes

Weekend Recap!

It seems like every week is just FLYING by lately and that there are just not enough hours in the weekend to get everything done that needs to get done. I'm sure I'm not the only one that is experiencing this. I think it's called getting old!
This past weekend was a great one though. I ran the furthest distance to date for me so far...a long 11 MILES!! And what's even better is that I did it with one of my most favorite people. She is really a great friend and to be honest I don't think I would have been able to do it without her! Around mile 3 my knee started to act up like it does every now and then and I thought I was done for. I really, really thought about giving up...until my wonderful friend yelled at me and told me I WAS NOT GIVING UP. {She says she didn't yell but she did lol!} AND you know what, she was right!! I was able to work it out over the next mile or so and after that we were smooth sailing.

I am so proud of myself for doing the entire 11 miles! For someone that could barely do a mile about 6 months ago I would have to say I've made some good progress :)




After our run we joined a few of the other people I run with for some breakfast at this little hole in the wall place called Gourmet Bakery & Cafe. And let me tell you, it was AMAZING! If anyone is ever in the area and wants a good breakfast GO THERE!

http://www.thewoodlandsgourmetbakery.com/

Sunday morning I went on my very first bike ride on my new road bike with the hubby! AND I DIDN'T DIE!! I was terrified to clip in and out of the pedals but I did it. Woot Woot!
We only did about 10 miles and my rear-end is still sore. The hubby says it'll get better and he better be right because this is no bueno :/

All in all it was a very active, busy weekend and I loved every minute!

Beast-mode is ON!

So I've been workin it hard lately and doing HIIT everyday. I've gotta say, I'm sore and tired but I think I can see a difference already! Maybe it's just wishful thinking but we'll see. So far this 30 day challenge is going great! Can't slow down now!!!!

43 days and counting!

I received an email from the Woodlands Marathon letting us know that there are 43 days left until the half marathon! I am so excited about it. And I'm even more excited that my running coach is making is run the ACTUAL course in 2 weeks! That way I can know what to expect and where I need to improve before the actual race. 13.1 miles, here I come!!

Macho Woman...eventually!

As you can see, I'm not exactly the most muscular of specimens. I'm actually pretty puny in my upper body. My legs are where I pack all of my strength, always has been that way.
And so I have decided little miss skinny arms needs to beef up! I've been trying but not as hard as I should be. That's where this little thing called the 30 Day Challenge comes in to play.
I am in LOVE with Lisa-Marie's body from BodyRock.tv. Well, not in a "girl on girl" kind of way but in a "OMG I have got to look like that one day" kind of way. I mean really, her body is almost fake looking because its so perfect! And they are now doing a 30 day challenge aimed to get everyone's body fit for the new year so naturally I decided to jump on board. I took my before pics (even though I really didn't want to) and I'm hoping the build some definition over the next month! I will be blogging my progress and whether or not I am still alive in the end. Those workouts are killer!!

It's just a little bike ride...

My Husband is a cyclist. Me, not so much. He's done the MS150 the last 2 years and I am so proud of him for doing so. If you are not familiar with the MS150 it's a bike ride from Houston to Austin. It's a little over 150 miles, about 160, but who's counting, right?!
Well, this year I am doing it. And I'm very nervous!! My hubby keeps assuring me I'll be fine but I'm not so sure. I'll keep ya posted on how the training goes!! ...if I don't die in the process!

1, 2, 3 Stitches!!

As I'm sure many of you know, 99% of the time when you talk to your children it goes in one ear and out the other. Especially when you're telling them to do something...like "use your inside voice" or "pick up your toys" or "watch your step going down the stairs". That last one is one my 4 year old will remember from now on after this past weekend though.
Now, I'm not exactly the most graceful of people. As a matter of fact I am probably classified as a level above clumsy. And unfortunately my wonderful rambunctious son, Hunter, takes after me in that respect. We're constantly having to tell him to BE CAREFUL!
Yesterday, as I'm right in the middle of changing my 7 month old's diaper, I hear a couple of bangs and a crash and I look up to see Hunter laid out on the tile floor. Somehow though he still had his feet on the second to last step. This was immediately followed by him screaming bloody murder. Now keep in mind, I at this point have no clue what the heck happened as I am still changing a diaper, so the only thing I could think to do was tell for my hubby to come assess the situation.
It's a bloody mess! Turns out he busted his chin wide open! After going back and forth, Hubs and I decide to just get a butterfly bandage and hope it closes...Which it doesn't. So to the emergency clinic we go! :/
3 stitches later Hunter is as good as new!
And ever since then he has been holding on to the handrail and taking one step at a time. I think he finally learned his lesson!!

9.5 Miles on the Books

As some of y'all might know, I am training for my very first Half Marathon!! I've got a little less than 2 months left until the big day and I am so excited. Every Saturday I meet up with my running group and we run, talk, gossip...you know all that fun stuff.
Today was my longest run so far...9.5 MILES!! I woke up all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, energized and ready to go! Until I saw what the weather was like outside. I dreary 38°...oh yeah, and it was POURING DOWN RAIN.
Now I'm not one to go hide inside when it's raining out. I actually love a rainy run. But I do not love it when it's a heavy rain on top of it being cold out. However, I still laced up my shoes and headed out.
When we got to the Y where we were all meeting I could tell quite a few people chickened out because of the weather. After about 15 minutes of us debating if we were really going out in it or not we decided to JUST DO IT! And I was so happy that I did...even if my hat and gloves were soaking wet and my feet turned into prunes. But I was glad that my shoes got a good washing. They still had a bit of color on them from The Color Run in November!!
So, I can now put down 9.5 miles in the books. I've got this! At least that is what I keep telling myself.




After my lovely 9.5 mile run my amazing hubby decided we needed lunch. Which is great...I was starving. He mentioned Curry Chips. Any other time I'd be all about that. Bu as you might know, Paleo is a no white potato diet!! Needless to say I broke Paleo...yes, I BROKE PALEO FOR CURRY CHIPS!! And you know what, I'm not ashamed. They were amazing. And one meal will not kill me. I hope! (There I go making excuses again! Lol)

PaleO-My-Gosh!

I decided to give Paleo a try. You know, eating like they did back in the paleolithic time. AKA the Caveman Diet. The Primal Diet. The OMG That's A Lot of Meat and Veggies Diet.
I started reading up on it a few months back when I was still trying to lose the last little bit of baby weight. At the time I didn't think I could give up my dairy and grains so I opted to go Clean instead. (Omitting anything processed or artificially flavored, etc) Let me tell you, it was the most amazing, life changing experience! Not only was it way easier than expected to follow, I lost all baby weight plus some and gained a new respect for my body and what I put in it.
Although I lost weight, I NEED TO TONE UP! That's where Paleo comes in. Bring on the meats, veggies, proteins and fruits! I am ready to meat like a man...a Cave Man...and get some Lean Muscle in the process!!! So far it's been a fairly easy transition. The only thing I really needed to omit from my diet had been dairy and grains. (i.e. my Greek Yogurt, Hummus and Oatmeal) I'm really praying I don't die without my hummus. It's my vice. I love it. But I think I'll be ok because I'm now allowing myself bacon. Lovely, salty, wonderful bacon. Noms!!
I'm hoping to add some recipes soon of what I've made so far. I should be able to make time after my run tonight :)

Happy New Year!

It's officially the New Year and we definitely sent 2012 off with a bang! 

Some of our friends always have a big New Year's Eve Party and this year it was nothing short of spectacular...a spectacular drunk mess but spectacular all the same. 

Last year for their party I was 4 months pregnant and the only sober one in the bunch. Now some of you might think that's awful but let me tell you it was the best thing ever!! It's like watching a movie. So hilarious. Well this year, I got to enjoy the festivities and we all had a blast. 

Now that it is the new year it's time to buckle down and get things back on track. I'm not setting any real "resolutions". I've already lost all the baby weight so instead of the typical "weight loss" resolution I'm going to try to tone up and build muscle. I'm going Paleo! I already cut of most processed foods when I discovered Clean Eating after I had Ethan in May so now it's all about bringing in MORE MEAT and cutting out the grains etc. 

My other non-resolution resolution is to get the house organized! Pray for me with that one!! 

Happy 2013, Y'all. It's going to be another crazy fun year!!