Five on Friday: Let It Snow!

This week was much shorter than anticipated thanks to the welcomed winter weather. The snow was gorgeous and with every flake, I was transported back to my childhood in northern Indiana...and while the amount we ended up getting was no where near the depth of that from my yesteryear, it did provide an opportunity for many fun activities. Please join me, Darci and others for this week's Five on Friday.

 

 

[one]

The week began with a lot of excitement. G finally got to experience snow!!! On Sunday we took a drive about 15 minutes from the house to show her some "good" snow. And then, much to our delight, we received snow on Tuesday! What fun! 

 

 

 

[two]

G had her 9 month well visit on Monday. She is growing like the cutest weed you've ever seen. Our doctor gave me advice on how to begin the transition from formula to more solids. We gave it our first true go on Tuesday. She did really well and did not seem to be hungry or miss her bottle as I had anticipated. She seems to be handling the transition well and is balancing her formula bottles well with her solid food and Sippy cup. She had her first bite of pasta...she's a fan!

 

 



[three]

Tuesday was a wonderful day to just hang out. My hubby was home and G was in bright spirits. I thought it would be great fun to work on a little art project to send to her Granna.

 

 

[four]

Yay for Friday! The first gathering of God's Girls at my church is happening tonight! I am thrilled to join an amazing group of Godly women leaders to work with this special group of young girls. There will be food, fun, a devotion, discussion and other wonderful things that you'd expect at an all girls' lock-in. (I can't stay for the lock-in but will definitely be there to hang out for a while...Woohoo!)

 

 

[five]

G's first Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and I've been searching for a simple idea to send with her for the other kids at the sitter's house. I ran across this idea from Cupcake Cutiees. I'll adapt it to meet my design taste but I love the sweet sentiment. So cute!

 



A night for Mexican Rice

It's been a long couple of days battling G's fever. It comes and goes and the only other symptom beside sleeping more is her runny nose. I took her to her 9 month well visit with her pediatrician today. She is healthy and looking good according to the doctor. There was no concern over her fever and just like most things at this age, this too shall pass.

I treated myself to Chick-fil-a (which I LOVE) and have not had in ages. I've been staying away from fried foods and haven't had any in quite some time. While the food was delicious, it felt heavy and not as satisfying as I once knew it to be. (Let me be clear, this is no reflection on the food...it was GREAT...it just goes to show that my body knows the difference now between what I should be eating and what I want to be eating.)

I opted for something lighter for dinner. It's really yummy and while it's not Taco Tuesday, I enjoyed a little ethnic flair anyway.

Mexican Rice

2 1/2 servings

1c. cooked rice (I used brown but you could use white)
6oz ground beef (I used venison), browned and drained
2 cloves of minced garlic
1tbsp EVOO
2tbsp tomato paste
1tsp cumin
1tbsp lime juice
1/8c low sodium chicken broth

Cook your rice as directed and set aside. Sauté the garlic in the oil. Add the meat. Cook until browned and then drain. Add the tomato paste, broth, and cumin. Mix well. Stir in the rice. Add the lime juice and mix well. Enjoy!

This is the first time I have tried this recipe. It was scribbled on a notepad so I'm not sure where it came from exactly. Next time I believe I'll add some red and green peppers, black beans and some corn for some additional color and flavor. Overall though, it was pretty good and has a lot of potential.

Just for Fun

While G does not sit and "watch" a lot of television, we do enjoy the music of DisneyJr. The Henry Hugglemonster theme song continues to be her favorite. I can break out in the chorus and she is bouncing, smiling and moving to the beat. I do end up singing it all day long...it's that catchy!

9 months and then some

And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.

James 5:15a

 

 

Baby girl is sick yet again. Although I know as her mother I have done what I can to keep her well, this is a season we must go through. I just keep telling myself that by the time she enters elementary school her immune system will be so prepped that she will not miss a day of school due to illness. Her stomach seems to have settled this morning and her 101+  temperature is back down, so now it's just a waiting game to see if the fever stays at bay.

 

I'm thankful for the above verse this morning. I continue to pray for healing in our home as we've had various illnesses pass through. The Lord is faithful to answer our prayers and He continues to pour down His goodness. So, as for this morning, we'll rejoice and worship the Lord with our daughter and then catch up on some snuggles and enjoy another episode of Doc McStuffins.

 

Today is also a special day in our home. G turned 9 months old at 1:33a.m. I cannot believe she is this old! Her milestones are so bittersweet.

 

 

 

I've been doing pretty well with keeping up on her "favorites" and various milestones to include in her baby book and her 1st year photo album. In celebration of today, I thought I'd list 9 things about her 9th month!

 

1. She is becoming quite the carrot top! Her red fuzzy head sets off her beautiful blue eyes.

 

2. She has mastered the backwards crawl...and can slither forwards if she really thinks about it.

 

3. She loves the song "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes".

 

4. She is beginning to clap!

 

5. She is doing a lot more "self feeding" and loves her Puffs. The only food she has refused is beets (and I don't blame her but we thought we'd try.)

 

6. Her two best friends are Bella the Moose and Baby (her baby doll).

 

7. She is teething again.

 

8.  She says "da-da".

 

9. She "talks" non-stop and loves it when Daddy, Granna or Aunt KK talk to her on speaker phone. (hmm...I wonder where she gets that from)

 

She has already achieved so many firsts. As much as I miss some of the other things, I know it will only get better from here. Speaking of firsts, her first Valentine's Day is coming up. I'm really excited to make Valentine Day cards with her for her friends at the sitter. I'm also excited about the jumper that I have planned to make her...fingers crossed I get it done in time!

 





Five on Friday: Mini-Goals



I don't know if there is scientific evidence that a full moon changes the behavior of children, but based on my classroom (and mommy) experience, I'd say there appears to be a strong correlation...

::via::

With that being said, I'm grateful it's Friday and I'm excited to be joining Darci and many others for Five on Friday!

 

 

I decided to dedicate today's five to my current weight-loss mini goals. I'm really excited about aiming towards and achieving the personal goals that I have set before myself. I'm off to a good start and I can only hope that my discipline will pay off. The current mini-goals provide incentives for each amount of weight lost. I'm well on my way and I'm excited to say that I've already met my first goal!

 

[one]

10lbs down earned me The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook! I can't wait for it to get here!

[two]

15lbs down (almost there) earns me this tree charm necklace. It will have pretty much what you see. A "G" for my daughter and a crystal to represent her birth month.

 

[three]

20lbs down will get me this ADORABLE Tervis Owl water bottle. I've been eyeing it for a while but did not want to dish out the cash...so why not treat myself! I am really excited about this one!

 

 

[four]

At one time I was down 25lbs and I can't wait to get there again. For this mini-goal I'll be earning a new set of Ginsu knives. I've been wanting a good set of knives for a while now, especially with all of the mincing and dicing I do.

 

 

[five]

Eventually I hope to hit 30lbs down, and while I'll still have a bit more to lose, I'll be in a much better place. When this weight loss goal comes around I'll be completing my set of Noritake dinnerware. We have most of the set from our wedding (five years ago) and I'd finally like to complete it.

 



 

Have a fabulous weekend!

Finding the will power...

Since Monday I feel like things have been an uphill climb. I've been told in the past that "when everything is going wrong, you must be doing something right." Satan hates anything we do to become better examples for Christ...and caring for myself is no exception. I think of all the times when I have not been at my best and he has used those times to drag me down.

Despite obstacles this week, I am determined to do my best. I've gotten in cardio Sunday, Tuesday and tonight. While browsing Pinterest for some inspiration,  I ran across the following quote:

 

 

Drawing on the strength of the Lord to further my discipline is essential. Those three little words, "Change me, Lord" can have monumental effects when you truly let go and let God. As I've mentioned before, this is not an area of my life that I have ever readily given over to the Lord. The time has come. Over the last three weeks I have been asking Him to change me...and change me He shall. I hope you too will find the Source of Encouragement and move forward against whatever challenge you are facing.

Going Stir Crazy!

I can't believe I have been inside this house since Thursday!!! Between fighting a sinus infection, the hazardous weather and my sick daughter, I had no reason leave and really no where to go. I'm actually welcoming the work week tomorrow!

A lot of my energy is coming back, which is also welcomed. I've felt so lethargic over the last week that having some pep back in my step is nice. Today I got motivated and began cleaning out my kitchen cabinets (I still have a lot to do), painted my nails, got my sister-in-law's  birthday gift together, made lunch, moved some tubs down to the basement, began some laundry, walk/jogged for 20 minutes and I have every intention of cleaning the bathroom and my daughter's room before going to bed. I may regret all of this activity tomorrow but I'm tired of being stagnant.

My exercise ambitions begin tomorrow. I got a head start today by reconnecting with my treadmill. I was pretty impressed with what I accomplished. I signed up for an exercise challenge through one of my Spark Teams on Sparkpeople. The challenge requires me to get at least 30 minutes of exercise (not including everyday things like cleaning) at least 6 days a week. I'm still trying to decide how I want to approach this but one thing I do know is that I am going forward. I am going to do my best! I'm already looking at my week. I have a dinner at my in-law's tomorrow night and a meeting Tuesday evening. This may make things a little tricky with everything else that is still required of me but I can't let those things be excuses.

I'm really proud of how I've taken control of my eating. I am seeing great results. Over the last 3 weeks I've made it down almost 12 pounds!!! This has happened through a lot of prayer, good choices, discipline and conscious eating habits. I can't wait to do my official Weight Loss Check In blog post at the end of the month.

::via::

 

With this in mind, I've been trying to find some things that I can make for various occasions and events. Every Tuesday my first grade teacher team meets to discuss, plan and review various items for the school year...and of course there is food! I'm known for my baking and always try to please...however, baking goodies does not necessarily lend its hand to tempting treats (I can't bring myself to making brownies out of beans...tried it once...epic fail). I discovered this recipe for Healthy Cinnamon Roll Scones. I'll be making these for Tuesday...I hope they taste as good as they look!

 



 



I LOVE this!!!
::via::

Needs vs Wants

It's a rain drenched day in the countryside and we're home on the mend. The meds I was given for my sinus infection seem to finally be kicking in...I can taste more of my food and breathe a little better. The best part is that most of the pressure in my sinuses has been relieved. Thank you Jesus! G is still a snotty mess, continuing to run a low grade fever. The doctor said it's just a cold and like all things, this too shall pass...we just have to wait it out. Poor baby.

I've been doing really well with my sodium intake and portion control. I can't wait to do my weekly weigh in on Monday (I've never looked forward to that haha). I've been learning an important, long awaited lesson over these last few weeks: need the food you eat. I know you're thinking, duh, we NEED food to live. Yes...but do you need to eat pasta multiple times a week? Do you have to submerge everything in a tasty cream sauce? Do candy and other sweet things have to be a staple in your home? No.

Needs vs Wants is a topic that I teach in my first grade classroom. It's funny because I've never really applied it to my eating habits but it totally goes! Do I need another helping or do I just want one? When I want something sweet, do I need a handful of Rolos? I'm learning to accept substitutes. Substituting seems so much better than completely denying myself. If I want something sweet, instead of a handful of Rolos, I opt for an apple and peanut butter. Every once in a while I'll indulge, but I'm proud to say these sweet treats are becoming the exception instead of the norm.

I'm learning what my body needs. This is not to say that I do not occasionally enjoy a white fudge Oreo or a delicious creamy Alfredo, but I'm learning and embracing the idea of giving my body more of what it needs instead of what it wants. (And I'm told in time my body will begin to actually want what it needs...yippee!) I'm expanding my nutrition horizons. This week I ventured into the world of kale. This resulted in a go to "healthified" version of one of my favorite soups, Sausage, Potato and Kale, a BBQ Chicken and Kale pizza and a Sausage and Kale breakfast casserole. Yum!

I'm also learning how to balance the things I eat and portion control. A lot of prayer has also gone into this. I continue to give this "getting healthy" part of my life to the Lord. I honestly feel like this submission has been one of the biggest reasons I've felt so successful over the last 3 weeks. When I get the urge to go against my discipline, I feel that gentle pull bringing me back to what I know I need to do instead of what I want to do. I also believe this is a major reason why I'm feeling more content when eating. Just three weeks ago I would not feel "full" if there was food left on my plate or extra left on the stove. I would just have to have an extra helping! Now I feel content after eating. If I'm hungry a little while later I have healthy snacks just in reach. God is good and evident in all things.

This healthy way of life has also challenged me in my cooking. I'm finding healthy alternatives to many things I use...primarily sodium. It's amazing how many low sodium/sodium free options there are! (Thank goodness!) Tonight I'm treating us to a tasty Balsamic London Broil. It's a new recipe so I'm hoping it turns out well. I'll probably pair it with some brown rice and green beans.

This next week, since my illness seems to be subsiding (fingers crossed) I'll be beginning the exercise component of my health goals. Woohoo!

P.S. I'm so proud of my bestest for making it to the gym this morning! You rock!