Acceptance

My life is not perfect (shocking...I know). I honestly hope those that read this don't think from my post, pictures, etc that my life is. I am a huge ball of mess in my head most of the time. I do strive each and ever day to be positive despite the negative world we all live in that the media loves to broadcast.

I had my melt down last night...where I could have just cried for hours. I just had hit a point from doing SO much since my husband is currently recovering from surgery. From being single mom 95% of the time (huge praise to you mamas out there that do it all alone...I don't know how), to getting everything ready for baby, to cleaning...food prep, etc...I just hit my wall and needed a good cry. A good cry is what I did.

After talking to Tate about it all and him making me feel better...a Target run and talk with my BFF is what was needed. So at 8:30 last night I left to go walk the aisles of Target and it was so therapeutic. I found a couple super cute mirrors for the nursery that were on clearance (SCORE), picked out ice cream and got a few other items all while chatting with my bestie.

After reflecting on this all...I came that I really need to accept that everything is not going to be 'perfect'. In reality...I know my house, marriage, life are not perfect. Nothing is. But to me...I always was trying to find this time that it would all be perfect to me. The point where the house is sparkling clean and there was no dog hair anywhere, Turner was being his lil' perfect self and my husband was home cooking dinner or building me something ;)

What is perfect is that I have my family with me under one roof. I have a husband who is the most patient human ever (seriously...he has to be to deal with some of my stuff) and gives me constant support even though he doesn't always verbalize it to me...I have my health and my family has their health. I have a beautiful miracle growing inside of me and a dog that loves all of us even though she has been not getting much attention as she would like. My life is perfect to me. God has blessed me immensely.

Being super OCD and type A like myself...accepting that things will not always fall into place on my schedule or how I would like it to takes some time. I don't expect me to be OK with everything overnight. It's going to take constant prayer.

Acceptance that the house will be a mess most of the time, that dog hair will scatter the floors, that repeat meals and leftovers will happen frequently and that the nursery may not be done before this baby arrives is happening. Taking it one day at a time and just 'breathing' is all I can do. Continuing to talk to God through prayer will happen daily. Soaking in every moment with Turner as my only child for just a little bit longer will happen more frequently and learning to just let go of things will constantly be reminded to me through this post.

So to you other ladies out there that feel the same way, know that you are not alone. Everyone has their own struggles. Learning to accept those struggles, talk about and work through them is what helps. Things that I have learned that have helped me are...prayer, working out (especially yoga which I hope to start up after baby), NOT reading the news since the media likes to splash every negative story imaginable, staying positive even in moments that you find it hard and surrounding yourself with those you love that are positive. Life is way too short.

I posted this recently to my Instagram and it's the most real life picture I ever posted. Honestly, it was also the best picture out of the group. Turner throwing a tantrum because mama isn't holding him (he's a total mama's boy right now), Tate's injury and me big and preggo trying to keep it together :)

Also...if you find yourself sulking from looking at other peoples IG pictures/Facebook posts or what they write on their blog thinking that persons life is 'perfect', stop it. We can all get sucked into that mindset and it's not OK. The struggles are real for everyone even if they don't share it. I can promise you that. So if you find yourself doing that, give yourself a social media break and see how you feel. You will be amazed what can come when not scrolling through your phone.

Happy Friday!!!!

XOXO,

Food challenge update

A few weeks back, I blogged about the 100 day food challenge that Tate and I started. Now that we are 3 weeks in...I thought I would give you all an update on how it's going!!!

TOP 10 THINGS I HAVE FOUND GREAT ABOUT OUR FOOD CHALLENGE:

TEN

It is so much easier than I had thought

I honestly thought I would have a hard time finding foods to eat since I am a very picky eater and that I would slip up all the time...but it's been the complete opposite. I have yet to have any type of candy (even as a cheat snack) and find myself munching on a raw carrot when I get hungry.

NINE

Meal planning weekly is much easier than doing it monthly

I use to meal plan for the whole month and then try to buy as much as possible at the beginning of the month. It was always hard figuring out meals towards the end of the month and then meals would get switched around because things would come up, etc. Now I meal plan for the week ahead usually on Friday evening and sometimes hit up the grocery store that night after Turner goes to bed (it's a bonus that nobody is @ the grocery store on Friday night).

EIGHT

Some people think we are a bit crazy, but MORE people have been intrigued.

Some people have stated they would never be able to do this and think we are crazy for doing it, but more people have asked questions and want to know more. Co workers have asked for certain recipes of things I make and would like more information on items that are in food. Some have even tried to better their diet but not necessarily do the full transformation of real food eating. I love educating others!

SEVEN

I'm learning so much!!!

WOW...I can't believe how much I am learning while doing this. I really can't believe all the stuff they put in processed food that is not good for us. I feel like I have only scratched the surface on information that is out there about what is in our food.

SIX

My energy level changed within the first week.

This one blew me away. I have a 5 month old who LOVES to get up very early in the morning. I'm talking on average...5:30 am. I usually don't go to be until 10:30 pm. Before we started this challenge, I always felt tired and was dragging through the day. I was always yawning and just wanted sleep. Now...I am not even really that tired at the end of the day. I have so much energy through out the day and feel like I get so much accomplished without feeling like I need a nap. I honestly have never felt so great!!!

FIVE

I have tried new foods that I am loving!

It is widely known I am a very picky eater. I hate cooked veggies and cooked fruit. I don't like 'blah' food. Well, when you've committed yourself to something, it forces yourself to eat food you wouldn't have tried before. Now, I still don't like cooked veggies or fruit, but I do love raw veggies. I can't get enough of snap peas...just love them. I also love my spinach salad I have everyday with a hard boil egg, sea salt and pepper and some olive oil...so delicious. We make our own homemade granola and it tastes amazing (I have never liked any granola out of a box). I also make whole wheat muffins that are super delicious! My list is growing and I love it!!!

FOUR

Cheat meals are OK!

This one is big and needed to keep one sane! Tate and I have agreed that we get one cheat meal day. That means we get one cheat breakfast, one cheat lunch, one cheat dinner and one cheat snack. We could take it in one whole day or break it up during the week. We have broken it up and have stuck to only the one. Sometimes we feel like crap after wards and regret it, other times we feel satisfied. Sometimes it's not even a full cheat meal because 1/2 the meal was actually healthy. 

THREE

I'm starting to notice a change in my body.

I feel like I have more muscle tone and my stomach pooch is going away. I feel like I have always had a lil' stomach pooch even before I had Turner...I always thought that I wish I had a baby for an excuse why I have this. Tate's noticed a change also. I love that within in 3 weeks I am noticing that change so I can imagine what I will feel/look like in 10 more weeks.

TWO

I feel even more connected to my husband.

We've been on the same page for awhile on finances and raising Turner, but I always battled with him on my eating habits. In his profession, he learns so much everyday about eating healthy and the benefits. He would hear me complain about my stomach pooch that I hated (to which he would disagree that I even had one), but tell me if I wanted to feel better about myself....I should eat better! I was too stubborn and thought working out would get me to where I wanted to be. Well...now that I've seen a change, I know my husband was right that eating better is the biggest way to see a change in your body. We agreed that when doing this, we would do it together and share the responsibility of making lunches, dinner and snacks. I love having his help with all this! 

ONE

Everything about this is POSITIVE!

There has not been ONE SINGLE negative thing that has come of this change we've made. Everything truly has been positive and I am so grateful for it. I can honestly see this becoming a lifestyle change. I look forward to the weeks ahead to see what more changes I will see. 

I hope to soon blog about some of our recipes we've fallen in love with during this challenge and also the strength training workout Tate created for us. We will be taking our measurements again when we reach the 6 week mark so I am anxious to see how far we've come to reaching the goals we've set.

Would you ever consider doing a real food challenge? 

Fitness Fun (Healthy Snacks)

Another fitness/health tip that my great husband provided me and I will share with all of you!!!

Plan for healthy snacks throughout the day!

How many times have you gotten hungry and didn't pack a healthy snack option? It happens to people all the time and they go for the quick fix bag of chips, candy bar, pop, fast food, etc.

Source

By planning ahead and packing healthy snacks with you each day it will help you avoid the temptation. Try packing almonds, fruit, Greek yogurt, veggies, etc.

Google images

I am a very picky eater and have a hard time finding things I like. Some things that I pack for snacks are:

Oatmeal

Fruit

Celery and/or carrots

Almonds

Cottage cheese

String cheese

Boiled egg

By packing healthy snacks, this will give you a boost of energy, save you money and help you avoid those unnecessary high calorie quick fix items!