Fresh & Healthy

  • Life on the Farm: Pigs, Cows, & Planting Tomatoes….Oh My!

    The girls had to go check out the pigs.  Thankfully they were really tame because they were pretty big!

    Our girls love animals and always enjoy spending time with ANY animal they come in contact with…yup including the pigs, ha!  During our recent trip to the Midwest to see family the girls spent some extra time on the farm.  The guys happened to be working cattle so they got to watch some of that process as well as hand feed the pigs.  The girls quickly discovered that there was only one barn cat (out of the 15) that would even let them get close enough to pet it!

    My cousin Renelle was in town from Colorado so in between hand feeding the farm animals and exploring with the kids we planted tomatoes for Grandpa Verlyn and Grandma Doris to enjoy later this Summer.  I am thankful that the girls got an opportunity to spend time on the farm as well as some time getting to know their grandparents and great grandparents a little better.  We have a lot of great memories of our time in Kansas!

    To Brina hand feeding the pigs and petting at the same time.

    This pig’s got it made….lounging in the shade being hand fed grass from Karlie!  What a life!

    Hand feeding the pigs

    Giving the cows a special snack!

    They couldn’t feed the cattle fast enough as soon as they brought a handful the cows pulled it through and were munching away on it.

  • Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals

    It was great having some extra time this past weekend with the family over Memorial Day.  Only a couple more weeks of packing school lunches and then we’ll be into Summer Break!  I am really excited about having the girls home for the summer and we have a lot of super fun activities planned.

    Lunch Box Meal

    • Ham Sandwiches
    • Fresh Carrots
    • Pickles
    • Animal Crackers or Granola Bar
    • Chips
    • Fresh Apple
    • Vanilla Yogurt
    • Juice Bag

    The girls are getting really good at packing their lunches, but I know they will enjoy having a little break once summer hits.  Thankful they are still excited about bringing their lunch to school.  Every once in a while we’ll have them eat at school as a special treat and even then sometimes they prefer to take their own lunch.

  • Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals

    The girls always love taking school lunches.  It is hard to believe that before long the girls will be done with school and summer break will be started.  We are looking forward to a lot of fun activities over the summer together.

    Lunch Box Meal

    • PB&J Sandwich for Karlie & Soy & Jelly Sandwich for Brina
    • Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce
    • Yellow Pear Tomatoes
    • Apple Slices
    • Strawberry Yogurt
    • Chips
    • Water Bottle

    Thankful the girls enjoy taking lunch to school.  It is nice knowing exactly what the girls are eating for lunch.  Over the next few weeks we’ll have a few field trips and other activities over lunch so not too many more days and they’ll have a break from packing their lunch boxes everyday.  We’ll have to make sure to go on a few picnics this Summer to keep up the  fun.

  • Kids in the Kitchen

    Karlie’s so proud of her “heart” shape plum

    The girls love hanging out with us in the kitchen.  They pack their own lunches for school (almost everyday) plus they like to pitch in with making dinner many nights too.  Learning to use a knife to cut fruit, vegetables, and other items was an interesting process, but they have done really well and are getting better.  While they are cutting produce and we are making dinner we enjoy a few minutes of chit-chat and catching up from that days events.

    Brina cutting up her peach

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    It was great to have Jake back home again last week!  Although, I didn’t get everything done I hoped (do we ever get caught up) I was able to make progress in the right direction.  Hoping to make some more progress this week.

    Last week’s goals

    1. Read Imagination Station: Showdown with the Shepherd by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 5)
    2. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    3. Play a board game
    4. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    5. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Schedule dentist appointments for (Jake & Bridgette) – Jake’s already gone to his and mine’s next week
    8. Schedule eye appointment for Bridgette – didn’t get to this one

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read) – getting closer to being done!

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Pay all upcoming bills
    4. Work on Spring Cleaning
    5. Get paperwork signed for new Home & Auto Insurance Policies – almost completed
    6. Remove remaining leaves from the lawn – didn’t get to it
    7. Clean up the sticks and trees that have fallen & had been cut down – other items took priority this weekend
    8. Reseal Jungle Gym & Swing – it rained
    9. Give Skipper a bath – decided to wait since it rained
    10. Treat the lawn – didn’t want to treat it since it was going to rain
    11. Work on the deckstill have more to do but made progress this past week

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4 – went over budget
    2. Payoff the Van – hoping to make an extra payment
    3. Pay medical bills in full – making payments

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read Imagination Station: Showdown with the Shepherd by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 5)
    2. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    3. Play a board game
    4. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    5. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Bridgette’s dentist appointment
    8. Schedule eye appointment for Bridgette

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Pay all upcoming bills
    4. Get paperwork signed for new Home & Auto Insurance Policies
    5. Remove remaining leaves from the lawn
    6. Clean up the sticks and trees that have fallen & had been cut down
    7. Reseal Jungle Gym & Swing
    8. Give Skipper a bath
    9. Work on the deck

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Vehicles
    2. Pay medical bills in full

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week was busier than normal while Jake was out of town the whole week at a conference.  I am so glad to have him back home again!  It was a rainy weekend, but thankful to have some time together with the family.  I was able to get caught up on a few projects last week too.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read Imagination Station: Revenge of a Red Knight by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 4)
    2. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    3. Play a board game – we didn’t play a board game but we did a contest and game outside together including an obstacle course designed and laid out by the girls
    4. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    5. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Schedule May Volunteer Dates
    8. Schedule dentist appointments for (Jake & Bridgette)
    9. Schedule eye appointment for Bridgette

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – I almost did it (it was 4 days this week)!
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)caught up and current once again!
    4. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read) – reading through it!

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Pay all upcoming bills
    4. Work on Spring Cleaning
    5. Get insurance quotes & make a decision on Home & Auto Insurance Policies – got the quotes and made the decision just need to sign the paperwork this week
    6. Remove remaining leaves from the lawn – it rained this weekend so we’ll have to wait to do the leaves next week
    7. Clean up the sticks and trees that have fallen & had been cut down – since it rained we are waiting on this project
    8. Reseal Jungle Gym & Swing – the rain delayed this weekend project
    9. Give Skipper a bath – didn’t give Skipper a bath because of the rainy week and mud
    10. Treat the lawn – waiting until a non-rainy weekend

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Work completed for clients
    4. Schedule May work dates

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Send out the Alms & Legs Meeting Time and Place

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4  – went a little over on the grocery budget this week
    2. Payoff the Van – made a payment and included a little extra the first part of the week
    3. Pay medical bills in full – continuing to make payments

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read Imagination Station: Showdown with the Shepherd by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 5)
    2. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    3. Play a board game
    4. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    5. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Schedule dentist appointments for (Jake & Bridgette)
    8. Schedule eye appointment for Bridgette

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read)

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Pay all upcoming bills
    4. Work on Spring Cleaning
    5. Get paperwork signed for new Home & Auto Insurance Policies
    6. Remove remaining leaves from the lawn
    7. Clean up the sticks and trees that have fallen & had been cut down
    8. Reseal Jungle Gym & Swing
    9. Give Skipper a bath
    10. Treat the lawn
    11. Work on the deck

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Pay medical bills in full

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.

  • The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy

     

    A few weeks ago I got a book from SheSpeaks called The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy.  Haylie Pomroy is a celebrity nutritionist and wellness consultant.  She has Grammy and Academy Awards winners to Super Bowl champions and Olympic athletic clients that she has helped, including Jennifer Lopez, Reese Witherspoon, Cher, Raquel Welch, Robert Downey Jr., and more.  Her nickname is the “metabolism whisperer” because she has helped numerous clients lose weight, enhance their health, and meet their personal goals.   She currently has integrative healthcare clinics in Beverly Hills, Burbank, Irvine, and Fort Collins.

    Food is not the enemy, it’s medicine needed to rev up sluggish, broken-down metabolisms and turn bodies into fat-burning machines! – Haylie Pamroy

    The  book came during a very busy time with our family so it took me a little longer to read the book and get prepared so I could start the plan.  After reading the book I wrote out my meal plans for the entire week and went shopping.  I have to admit the planning and shopping took me a lot longer, especially the first week.   I am about done with my first full week and the recipes overall have been really good.  I did find a couple here and there that were not my favorite so I picked another one to try out the next day and saved a few new ones for next week. I really like that she gives a lot of variety in her recipes.  She also does a great job explaining the science behind it in her book.

    A little more about the Fast Metabolism Diet:

    • It is four weeks (28 days) of fat-burning meal plans with more than fifty recipes (includes vegetarian, organic, and gluten-free options too).
    • No need to count a single calorie or fat gram.
    • Rotate what you’re eating to induce precise physiological changes that set your metabolism on fire.
    • Haylie Pomroy has over seventeen years experience helping people lose weight, improve fertility, overcome health challenges, and reach optimal health while still enjoying real food and not going hungry
    • Going through the plan you will lose weight and feel better, plus you may also see your cholesterol drop, your blood sugar stabilize, your sleep improve, and your stress level decrease as well
    • Eat a variety of real, delicious, and satisfying food.
    • Drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day

    There are three phases you will go through every week.  She recommends you start on Monday, but you can do whatever day of the week works best for your schedule.

    • PHASE ONE (Monday-Tuesday): Lots of carbs and fruits (Phase 1 is for the carb lovers, fruits, pasta, rice, bread, crackers and pretzels, and includes a cardio workout).
    • PHASE TWO (Wednesday-Thursday): Lots of proteins and veggies (Phase 2 is focuses more on muscle building, giving you foods that include lean proteins and targeted vegetables and includes a weight lifting workout).
    • PHASE THREE (Friday-Saturday-Sunday): Some of the food from phases 1 & 2 plus healthy fats and oils (In phase 3 your your body is ready to enable the “thermogenic three – hormones, heart, and heat”  I like the the workout for this phase, it includes yoga or relaxing massage or deep breathing exercises)
    • Repeat for four weeks!

    The first week has been crazy busy, but I have managed to stay on track.  I have been prepping the breakfast, snacks, and lunch the night before so that it will help during the busy days.  So far on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I have made dinner those nights and saved the leftovers for the next night to cut down on all the cooking.  Any leftovers for each phase I have been freezing for another night later in the month.

    I did have a small headache at the end of the first two days, but I am not sure if that was allergies or my body adjusting to the new foods.  I was really hoping that I would feel awesome with a ton of energy within the first a couple of days, instead I think I was actually a little more tired (but it was a really busy week with Jake out of town and starting a new meal plan).

    I have been keeping the book on the kitchen counter for reference to the recipes and made myself a little chart to remind me what food groups I need to eat on which days and what to pick for each meal and snack.  Also, the night before when I am prepping for the next day I will write what I am planning on eating for the next day on a sticky note as a quick reminder.  It has gone pretty smoothly and since I have been cooking the main meal for the entire family it has been neat to hear their reactions, they have enjoyed all the recipes (one night the girls had 2 bowls of soup)! 🙂

    Most of my shopping has been done at Trader Joe’s, Aldi’s and some at Whole Foods.  Finding some of the foods took awhile at first and I noticed a difference in prices from store to store, but it is worth it if it means I am healthy and have more energy in the long run.  At least for our area I found that Trader Joe’s and Aldi’s had the best prices (I think they are part of the same parent company too).

    I have already planned out my menu for next week, went shopping, and am looking forward to seeing what it brings.   Hopefully, I can stay on track and complete the full four week plan.  I already have several meals in the deep freezer for upcoming weeks so that should help with those busier days.  If I continue to plan ahead and prep the night before I think it could be very beneficial.  So far the food has been delicious and the bonus is its healthy for me too.

    More information about Haylie Pomroy:

    A special thanks to SheSpeaks and Haylie Pomroy for sponsoring this post!  Any specific product information was provided by Haylie Pomroy and SheSpeaks, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own.  We received a complimentary copy of the book for sharing information and our family’s experience.

  • Fun Edible Snacks

    The girls love it when we put together a snack with a silly edible face.  Usually after Awana on Sunday evening while they are taking their baths I will get a small snack for them to eat before heading to bed.  I don’t want to give them something too heavy or unhealthy so there is usually a mix of fruits and veggies.  On this particular silly face they had:

    • Fresh Watermelon Slices
    • Fresh Honeydew Slices
    • Orange Pear Tomato
    • Two Ritz Crackers
    • Two Slices of Pepperoni
    • Two Whole Cashews
  • Grape & Blueberry Fruit Smoothie

    The warmer weather brings with it some great smoothies!  Our family enjoys smoothies especially throughout the Spring and Summer Seasons.  This is one we had recently. Most of our smoothies we make to order per person since all of us have a variety of tastes and preferences.

    Grape & Blueberry Fruit Smoothie

    • 1/4 cup fresh or frozen Blueberry
    • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen Purple and/or White Grapes
    • 1 cup Milk (dairy, soy, or coconut)
    • 1/4 cup Yogurt (plain or flavored)
    • 1 fresh or frozen Banana (optional)

    Put all the ingredients together and blend until it is smooth.  Enjoy!

  • Travel & Vacation: Road Trip Snack Container

    Have I mentioned before how much we enjoy traveling???  🙂  We have been blessed with a number of opportunities to travel over the past few years.  On a quick side note – While it is great to get away and explore new places it is always wonderful coming home.

    You may have noticed one of my previous posts about these Road Trip Snack Containers here or here, but I want to encourage anyone with kids who take roads trips to try these out.  These have come in very handy over the past few years at our house.

    The girls are always super excited to see what I have packed in their snack containers.  It helps with the “I’m Hungry” statement you hear in the middle of a road trip and it allows you to pack a little container for each kid instead of bringing the whole box of crackers or nuts or whatever it is you typically bring.  Plus it gives the kids a variety of snacks to choose from, kids really do love having choices!

    The girls have yet to finish an entire snack container on the trip so usually it provides snacks throughout the time you are away too.  It always surprises me what they choose to eat first.  I cannot count the number times that they go for the nuts or fruit over any of the sweet treats.

    One Child’s Road Trip Snack Container

    Items that we packed for this road trip:

    • Animal Crackers
    • Raisins
    • Whole Cashews (without shells)
    • Fruit Marshmallow Bites
    • Cheesy Bugles
    • Fruit by the Foot
    • Peanuts
    • Sweet Tarts
    • Chocolate & Mint Swirl Marshmallows
    • Golden Raisins
    • Chocolate Covered Raisins
    • Whole Peanuts (with shells)
    • Fruit Chews
    • Whole Pecans (without shells)
    • Ritz Crackers
    • Whole Pistachios (with shells)
    • Organic Applesauce (in a squeeze bag)
    • Flavored Peanuts
    • Cheese & Peanut Butter Crackers
    • 2 Packs of Flavored Fruit Drink Packs to add to their bottled water (1 Kooleaid Fruit Punch & 1Mixed Berry)
    • Rainbow coated Sunflower Seeds
    • Ritz Bites Peanut Butter Crackers
    • Rice Krispie Treat
    • 2 Million Dollar Mints

     

    All packed and ready to close up so we can put them on the girls car seats before we go to bed!

    We don’t stop a lot on road trips unless we need gas, go to the bathroom, or for a quick meal (a lot of times we’ll pack a picnic lunch to eat on the way).  The kids are content to read, work on workbooks, play games, or occasionally watch a movie if it is a long road trip (our rule is that the trip needs to be 5 hours or longer before a movie is part of it).

    We picked up the containers at Walmart for a couple of dollars.  The stickers were at Hobby Lobby in the scrapbook section and we used a 40% coupon.  We have used these Road Trip Snack Bins for several road trips with our girls and they have held up well.  Once the trip is over and they have finished eating the items in the bins all you have to do is wash them and store until the next family adventure.  It is a blessing to be able to travel with our family.  We have created many amazing family memories on the road together.