Southern Sayin' Of The Month

I live for the light of a full moon. -me

Saturday, August 31, 2013

After the 30 Days

Well, Whole 30 is done. Finished. Complete!  Nick and I completely transformed our diet by cutting out sugars, alcohol, dairy, legumes and grains for 30 days. Transforming our diet changed our bodies from the inside out, but it also changed our minds.

I find it easier to make meal choices now and I no longer feel like I want to indulge in a sweet treat or drink simply because "I deserve it." What I deserve is a healthy body and the paleo dietary lifestyle has given me that.

Have I "cheated" since we finished on Tuesday? You bet...I got a big chocolate shake (one of the things I craved a lot). It was delicious while I drank it, but afterward I thought, "That wasn't really worth it." I understand now why a friend said to cheat big. Plan a meal, eat it, and then go right back to paleo.The way she explained it was that eating one healthy meal a week doesn't make you healthy, so eating one cheat meal a week doesn't make you unhealthy.  Tonight Nick and I are going out to Cheesecake Factory for a belated birthday meal...that meal will be worth it! Then we're back to paleo tomorrow. :)

Now that I have my eating habits in a healthy place, I'm ready to add an exercise plan. I exercised a bit through Whole 30, but my focus was on what I ate. After all, you can't out exercise a bad diet...abs are made in the kitchen!
I've also loved the interest from friends in the Whole 30/paleo lifestyle. I have one friend who is halfway through her own Whole30 and several others that have asked for more information. Let's make clean eating the new norm!
It's been a great journey, but I'm not finished. These are habits that can last a lifetime!

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Oh Pinterest!

Seriously, what did we even do before Pinterest? I guess we bought a hundred magazines for inspiration, but I still don't think it compares to the collection of ideas, items, and inspiration that is Pinterest. Here are a few things I've pinned lately:

Thoughts:
For my love of the moon!

Because it's true.

...and pumpkin spice lattes (I know they're not paleo!)


Eating Paleo:
A new breakfast recipe I can't wait to try: carrot raisin cake

Need to know

Gettin' my snack on!


Buy me:
Marley Lilly does it again!

90s kid!

Even though it's sold out right now :(

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Another year begins...

This guy started Second Grade yesterday.
He wants to work at Subway or be a soccer player when he grows up!

 I feel so thankful that I can send him to school without worry in my heart. I know he is loved, protected, and nourished by the education he receives. We have been blessed with some of the most wonderful teachers, and I can tell how much he loves them and school by the excitement on his face when he gets into the car in the afternoon.

Yesterday was about
-meeting new friends and seeing old ones too
-doing place value in math
-reading
-having a cupcake for a classmate's birthday

This morning he was excited because today is...Enrichment Day! It's going to be a great year!

Friday, August 23, 2013

Being A Stay At Home Mom

These are a few things I need to remember for myself, but that others also need to know.

-Not every day is full of sunshine, craft projects, and trips to get icecream. Some days are, but many days are not.

-Some days are full of endless laundry and dishes, whiny children, dragging all three babes with you on every errand, parking lot nursing sessions, cleaning up disaster area bedrooms, interrupted naptimes, and if we're talking about yesterday then it also means helping the refrigerator repairman do his job with a baby on your hip, two inquisitive children and one crazy dog looking on.

-Some days are frustrating because your "clients" are often unreasonable. Let's just say it was a long day at the office yesterday.

-Thankfully I have great co-workers. Like a Mama who will meet me in the Walmart parking lot to sit with the children so I can run in alone turning a usual 30 minute trip into a 5 minute one. Or a cute husband who plays Fifa Soccer with the Monkey because that's just one thing Mommy can't do.

At the end of the day it is so worth it. When one falls asleep in your arms as you nurse him, one calls out for you during a thunderstorm and wraps her little arms around your neck for comfort, and one lets you tickle his back because he's having a hard time falling asleep (in anticipation of the tooth fairy's second visit this week).

Being a stay at home mom is hard work. But it is the job that I am most passionate about and feel most grateful to have!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Every Little Moment

I cherish every moment with this little guy. There are so many thing I love about him that my heart is full.


 The bow of his lips. The way his cheeks remind me of a full moon. How he digs his toes into me while he eats. The way his body curves into mine so perfectly. Sometimes I wish I could keep him little, but I know that's not possible so I'll just cherish every little moment.



Monday, August 19, 2013

Going Into The Homestretch

Today is Day 22 of the Whole 30 Challenge. I can say, without a doubt, that this is the best I have ever felt. Here are just a few of the benefits of eating a paleo/primal diet: Wake up rested, no migraines, clearer skin, flat belly/no bloat, and a lot more energy!

It has made such a difference to Nick and I that we are transitioning the kids to a semi-paleo diet. By semi-paleo I mean that we are not eliminating dairy and some grains from their diet. They will still have organic milk, yogurt, cheese, oats, and whole wheat bread. Processed foods are out! Colson is completely on board...Lilly-Belle is still asking for her Kraft mac and cheese. :)  I will share another time how we are making the transition fun.

We've also been thinking about what will happen on August 28th. Our Whole 30 ends on the 27th....what's next? Our plan is to maintain an 85/15 or 90/10 paleo diet. I think we could definitely do 90% paleo, 10% non-paleo. One of the main things we miss are sweets. On Whole 30 you can't even make compliant "treats" because you are breaking the emotional association with food. But once Whole 30 is complete, we can make paleo desserts when we want a sweet. Of course, there's always that 10% when we break bad and eat a cheesecake, milkshake, etc.

Here are a few more things we've been eating.

Breakfast:
Eggs with Garlic Mushrooms and Cinnamon Apples cooked in Coconut Oil

Egg with Bacon and Avocado and Grapes

Bacon Wrapped Apple Egg Muffins
Recipe: For 4 muffins: Spray 4 muffin tins with cooking spray, line each with a strip of bacon. Mix up 4 eggs and 1/4 tsp of sea salt. Divide egg evenly between tins. Chop 1/2 an apple (granny smith or golden delicious are good) and divide among tins. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 min.

Lunch:
Grilled Chicken over Balsamic Zucchini and Onions with Broccoli Slaw

Picnic Food: Turkey Rolls, Carrot Sticks, Cantaloupe, Spinach salad, and paleo chocolate pudding for the kids.

Dinner:
Spinach Salad with Shredded Chicken, Broccoli Slaw and Blueberries

Califlower Crust pizza with tomato sauce and mixed veggies

Grilled Split Chicken Breast, baked sweet potato, zucchini chips, and mushrooms and onions.
I'm so happy to share our Whole 30 journey! *Another friend and her husband are starting their Whole 30 today! This makes me happy too. :)

Friday, August 16, 2013

Paleo Pizza

The other night I decided to make a paleo pizza. I hit up Pinterest (where else?) in search of one that was compliant with Whole 30. The Lucky Penny had a recipe for a cauliflower crust and then I used Trader Joes Tomato Sauce. We topped it with mushrooms, onions, and zucchini that I cooked in a bit of olive oil, s&p, and garlic. You could really top it with anything...I'm thinking of adding chicken next time.



It was delicious! I didn't miss the cheese. I didn't miss the sickeningly full feeling I usually have after eating pizza. I enjoyed everything about it!

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

What I'm Learning from Whole 30

These are my Top 3 Tips that I've learned in my first two weeks of  Whole 30.

Tip #1: Never (never ever!) leave the house without a snack. You will probably get hungry. And the food that is most readily available when you're out and about is junk. It's much easier to leave the house with a healthy snack than to have to seek out a grocery store or be restricted to eating cashews (just about the only thing you can find in a convenience store). Here are a few things I take:
* A piece of fruit of container of berries: apple, banana, blueberries, strawberries
* Nuts
* Baby Carrot Sticks
* Lara Bars
* Plantain Chips ( I get Nature's Harvest brand from Walmart)

Tip #2: Cinnamon is your friend (and so is every other spice). Season your food. Some people think that eating a paleo diet is bland and boring. And I'm sure it can be, but if you season your food you will never think that.
I like cinnamon...in my coffee, sprinkled on apples, on a baked sweet potato, and on roasted carrots. Cinnamon is my friend.


Tip #3: Just go and buy. Go to the grocery store and buy.
Buy meat.
Buy vegetables.
Buy fruits.
Buy nuts and eggs.

I had a friend ask me if I planned out all of my meals and I said, "No." Maybe some people do, but that would be overwhelming for me and seem like a lot of work. And with any dietary or lifestyle change, the less difficult it is, the more willing you will be to try it (and stick with it).

So, I just go to the grocery and buy from the categories above. Then I mix and match meats and veggies for dinner.  It's easy. A lot easier than making a lasagna or casserole.

Making this change has been wonderful, and I'm happy that I've inspired a few of my friends to change the way they eat and one is even starting her own Whole 30 challenge!

Sunday, August 11, 2013

More Of What I'm Eating

Nick and I are two weeks into the Whole30 Challenge! I will admit that there have been some challenging times...like I want to take an icecream sundae to the face kind of challenging, but I eat some fruit and I feel better.

Here's a bit more of what we've been eating.
Whole 30 grocery haul for this week:
About 3lb of Chicken, Grass fed burger patties, Tuna, Cashews, 3 dozen Eggs, Spinach, Broccoli Slaw, Cauliflower, Carrots, Zucchini, Butternut Squash, Onions, Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli, Mushrooms,  Cantaloupe, Bananas, Apples, Peaches, and Blueberries.

Other things we've eaten but didn't purchase for the upcoming week include Applegate Bacon and Hotdogs, Dates, Plantain Chips, Squash, Cucumbers, Grapefruit, Grapes, Plums, Nectarines, Coconut,  Peppers, Asparagus, and more. I don't buy it when people say they get bored on this diet. There's plenty of variety!

Breakfast:
Eggs with bacon and grapefruit

Eggs, grapes and sweet potato hashbrowns. Coffee with Coconut milk!

Lunch:
Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Mango Salsa and Cucumbers in Blueberry Lemon Verbena infused vinegar

Chicken Salad: Shredded Chicken, Apple, Grapes, Cashews, Paleo Mayo, Tarragon, and S&P

Hotdog, Plum and Cucumbers with Balsamic Dressing

Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad with Squash and Peppers

Dinner:
Sweet Potato Burger Sliders, Broccoli and Cucumbers

BBQ Chicken, Roasted Carrots and Squash
Here's to two more weeks!

Friday, August 9, 2013

Sam at 8 months

8 months...I can't believe I just typed that. Our little one is growing so quickly (too quickly for Mommy's liking)!
Sweet boy!

I'm coming for ya!

Sly smile!


Weight: 17 lbs 
Length:  27 inches

Sleep: Naps twice a day. Seems to be trying to transition to one long nap and then a late afternoon catnap, but it may be a little early for that. We still wake once a night to eat. While I'd really love a full night's sleep, most nights I'm okay with getting up because I really enjoy nursing him and he is my last babe after all!
Awake:Belly scoots short distances. Has mastered the "reach" from sitting position (will roll over his hip to reach a toy, then sit back). Will get on all fours, but isn't crawling yet. Loves playing with his toys, especially is Colson or Lilly-Belle play with him.

Eating: Still nursing (with an occasional bottle...if we can get him to take it). Eating baby food twice a day. Loves puffs and yogurt melts. Can successfully get the puff/yogurt melt into his mouth about 50% of the time. 
Other fun facts: We are using MetaDerm on his eczema. We've seen some improvement, but I think some of the problem may be food allergies. I ate bananas one day and it was awful for him! We may be visiting an allergist soon.  Sam is having a little bit of stranger anxiety. He searches for Mommy whenever a new face appears.

Monday, August 5, 2013

In My Cart

Etsy, my favorite website when I need to waste time. Seriously, you can fine just about anything here and I love that the items are hand crafted. Here's what's in my imaginary shopping cart right now.

Monogram Canvas Duffle Bag from Teta Apparel

Sterling Bee Ring from Lavender Cottage

New Baubles Viva La Jewel

Yummy Smelly Spray from The Gnarly Whale

New Grocery Bags from Oh Little Rabbit
What are some of your favorite Etsy shops?


Saturday, August 3, 2013

Mini Vacay

Last week we took a mini vacay to Myrtle Beach. It was so nice to have a few days away to recharge and relax (as much as you can with three kiddos in tow!). We ate at Crab Catchers, our favorite place in Little River, spent a lot of time in the pool, took sunrise and evening trips to the beach (yes, no daytime beach for us...have you seen the fair skin our family rocks!), and took the babes to play in the arcade and have icecream. It was delightful!
Little Diggers

First time with toes in the water!

Preparing to jump waves

That's right people...it's a cat on a leash.

Sam loving the ocean breeze

Two of my sweet boys

Little Mermaid

She had sand in places sand isn't supposed to be!

More wave jumping

Pool time!

A little unsure about this...but he ended up loving it! I wish his skin loved it more. (Boo eczema!)

All smiles

Silly girl

Little Water Bug

Here comes a belly buster!

The higher, the better

Sacked out after a golfcart ride.

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