Category Archives: Moms

Car rides with toddlers

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When I told people we were taking Ryder to Lubbock, I swear every one of them got a look of horror on their face. Yeah yeah yeah I know, a 5 hour drive with a 1 year old isn’t ideal. But we wanted to go to the game and knew he’d have a great time

We planned accordingly. I downloaded lots of learning games on my iPad, packed tons of snacks and left an hour before nap time. Ryder is perfectly fine in the car for an hour. So we figured if he took an hour and a half nap, we already killed 2 1/2 hours right there! That left about 2 1/2 hours left to entertain him. If you aren’t familiar with Texas cities, Lubbock is roughly a 5 hour drive West of Dallas (4 1/2 if you go over 70 and don’t stop to go to the bathroom).

Everything worked out perfectly. He actually ended up sleeping a little longer than an hour and a half. When he woke up I crawled in the back seat with him and we played games, read books, ate some snacks and hung out. He didn’t get fussy till about 30 minutes outside of Lubbock. But let’s be honest, we were all getting a bit squirrelly at that point!

Car rides with small kids don’t have to be miserable if you can plan accordingly. I know you can’t always plan your trips to fit your child’s schedule but if you can I promise it’s worth it.

Here is my list of must haves for long car rides with a young toddler:

🔹Snacks

🔹Water

🔹Diapers/wipes

🔹Plastic bag/trash bag to throw trash in

🔹Backup outfit (you never know)

🔹Books, games, toys

🔹IPad loaded with movies and games

🔹Blanket in case they get cold but you are hot and need the air on

🔹Backup bibs if your kid is a drooler like mine

🔹Socks. Ryder’s feet always get cold in the car

If you’re one of those parents who doesn’t want their kid just sitting and watching movies, then download educational games! I found animal games that teach sounds, colors, etc for Ryder that he absolutely loves.

Like I said, car rides don’t have to be miserable. You can make them tolerable if you plan accordingly and bring enough things to entertain!

Brown Sugar Salmon

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Dinner last night was a brown sugar salmon. I’m not a huge fan of salmon but my husband is. So I try to make it at least once a week. Plus it’s good for me so I suck it up and eat it. This recipe is super easy and tastes great!

Ingredients:

✴️ 2 Salmon filets

✴️ 2 Potatoes

✴️ 8 oz green beans

✴️ 1/2 oz Dijon mustard

✴️ 1/2 oz light brown sugar

✴️ 1 oz milk

✴️ 1 Clove garlic

✴️ Salt

✴️ Pepper

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 400

Rinse green beans and chop off ends. Rinse off potatoes and chop into cubes. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. I’m a small bowl combine mustard and brown sugar. Rinse off salmon and pat dry. Mince garlic and set aside.

Place potatoes in a small pot and boil. Cook until tender, 14-18 minutes. While potatoes cook, place salmon on a nonstick pan and sear. 2-4 minutes on each side. Remove from burner and place on baking sheet. Brush salmon with brown sugar mixture. Roast in oven for 7-10 minutes.

Return pan used to cook salmon to medium heat. Add green beans, 1 tap olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook beans for 6-8 minutes.

Drain potatoes. Mash potatoes and mix in milk, sour cream and garlic.

Plate dish and enjoy! 🍴

Lunge Variations

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I love lunges! They are easy to do at the gym or at home if you’re limited on workout equipment. There are so many different lunge variations too! I rotate these 6 into my leg workouts at different times. There are more variations of lunges and even squat variations that you can mix in. But these are the 6 I’m featuring today. They’re easy and they get your butt, legs and abs working!

1️⃣ Side (lateral) lunges

2️⃣ Crossover lunges (there are so many names for this one)

3️⃣ Reverse lunges

4️⃣ Walking lunges

5️⃣ Tic tocs

6️⃣ Front lunges

Happy lunging! 😂💪🏻

Just a smile

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“Your smile is your best accessory.”

This is so true. People react differently to you if you use a smile. Think about how often you smile during the day. Are you the first to smile at people or are you smiling in response to them smiling at you? Or do you even smile back at all when smiles at? I’m guilty of zoning out and not realizing someone was smiling at me till they’ve already passed or gone. Then it registers and I feel so bad after! I feel I need to find them and apologize for seeming rude. 🤦🏼‍♀️

One of my favorite things to do during the day when I’m out and about is to ask someone how their day is going. When I’m at the grocery store checking out, I always say hello to the worker and ask how their day is going. You’d be shocked at how rarely people ask others something simple like that. Sometimes I get a confused look and other times it’s as if a switch flipped and the person almost gets excited someone asked about their day. Think about how you feel when someone you don’t know says hello and asks how your day is going. (In a non creepy manner of course) 😉

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that put a smile on someone else’s face.

Try making it a habit to ask at least one random person a day how their day is going. Also, try to be more cautious of your facial expressions. Do more things with a smile. You might find that it actually puts you in a better mood when you do! 👍🏻

Positivity breeds positivity! ➕

Boost Your Immune System Naturally

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We are approaching cold and flu season!! Help boost your immune system with the foods you eat every day! Many fruits, veggies and meats are high in vitamins and minerals that help your immune system to fight off infection. Below is a list of 6 (yes there are way more) vitamins found in certain foods that can help you keep your immune system strong and functioning at its best! 💪🏻

1️⃣ Vitamin C- Helps protect white blood cells from toxic compounds. Ex: leafy greens, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, strawberries, citrus fruits and many more.

2️⃣ Vitamin E- An antioxidant that helps your body fight off infection. Ex: Spinach, broccoli, almonds, sunflower seeds, and many more

3️⃣ Vitamin A- Foods high in carotenoids (colorful foods) are turned into vitamin A in the body and gave an antioxidant effect that helps strengthen the immune system from infection. Ex: carrots, sweet potatoes, squash and many more

4️⃣ Iron- Helps your body carry oxygen to cells. Ex: beans, broccoli, kale, turkey, and many more

5️⃣ Selenium- Has the ability to slow the body’s over-active responses. Also lowers oxidative stress on the body. Ex: garlic, broccoli, tuna, and many more

6️⃣ Zinc- Helps slow down the immune response and control inflammation. Ex: yogurt, crab, oysters, lean meats, and many more

In addition to these vitamins, remember to wash your hands often! You can pass on millions of germs with the touch of a hand! 🤚

RLS

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RLS…..Do you battle with it? I do. If you don’t, consider yourself lucky!

RLS stands for restless leg syndrome. For most people it occurs at night when you are laying down. It’s a weird feeling. It’s as if you have to move your legs. You can’t keep them still. Mine often feels like something crawling up and down the inside of my legs, but it’s an aching crawling. It’s incredibly uncomfortable and miserable. It makes it SO difficult to relax and fall asleep.

RLS is most common in women, however it does affect men too. RLS is thought to be an inherited disorder. Anemia, iron, magnesium or folate deficiencies can increase RLS symptoms and occurrences.

There are a few natural ways to relieve RLS. Sometimes they work for me. Other times I just give in and take Tylenol. Here are a few things that have worked for me:

1️⃣ Warm bath with Epsom salt before bed

2️⃣ Avoid caffeine

3️⃣ Apply warm or cool packs

4️⃣ Take a magnesium supplement

5️⃣ Eat lots of leafy greens

6️⃣ Stretch

7️⃣ Massage

RLS is not fun. However it is manageable. Whether you treat it naturally or with medical professional help, you have options. Like many things, changing your diet, lifestyle and nighttime behaviors can help you manage your RLS and sleep more comfortably.

Chicken Enchilada Bowl

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I’m a sucker for easy healthy recipes. Especially during the week when I’m tired and don’t have a lot of time to cook. I made this meal a few nights ago and it turned out fantastic! I call it a chicken enchilada bowl!

Ingredients:

✴️ 2 Boneless Skinless chicken beasts

✴️ 1 poblano pepper

✴️ 1 Zucchini

✴️ 1 Yellow squash

✴️ 1 Onion

✴️ 1 oz shredded cheddar

✴️ 1 oz sour cream

✴️ 6 oz enchilada sauce

✴️ 1 tsp chipotle seasoning

✴️ 1/2 ounce tortilla strips

Recipe:

Chop the veggies into bite sized pieces. Pat chicken dry and chop into cubes. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in nonstick pan over medium heat.Stir occasionally until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Return pan used to cook chicken to medium heat. Add in veggies and cook till soft. Add in chicken, enchilada sauce, and chipotle seasoning. Stir for 2-3 minutes.

Plate chicken mixture and top with cheese, tortilla strips, and sour cream. Enjoy!! 🍴

Note: This recipe is is under 500 calories per serving!

Back day workout

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Its back day! My back day workouts have changed as well as my other workouts (see previous posts). I love when I get to change them up. I get bored with the same thing after a while so for me change is good! Plus, I love the feel of soreness in your muscles when you change up a workout. It’s like your body gets a little shock, like what just happened!?! 😂

I typically do back and bi together but I only included a few back exercises in this video. I’ll post my bi’s on another day. 😉

These are a few exercises from my back workout for the next 6 weeks:

1️⃣ Reverse grip pull downs 4×10-12

2️⃣ Cable rope pull down 4×10-12

3️⃣ Single arm cable row 4×10-12

4️⃣ Standing cable row 4×10-12

Happy lifting! 💪🏻

Adult Time

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My husband and I never go out during the week but Monday was our two year wedding anniversary. My mother comes every Tuesday evening to spend time with Ryder for a few hours so we snuck out for a bit to grab a bite to eat and celebrate. It may have been a day late but we celebrated the night of with Ryder as a family, so this was like an extended celebration! 🎉

Everyone has always said “couple time is important.” I rolled my eyes and said yeah yeah I know. But I understand it more when we are out and it’s just us two. Our conversation is different. Not a full 180 but it doesn’t revolve around every minute of Ryder’s day. We discuss more adult related items.

Being a stay at home Mom I forget how much I need that adult conversation. I’ve gotten so used to talking to Ryder, who only responds with sounds or his hands. Or (don’t think I’m crazy) the dogs. Yes I talk to our dogs. Not full on conversations! I’m not completely nuts. But I say things to them every so often. 😳

It’s very strange going from a job where you talk to roughly 200+ people daily, to one where you talk to beings that can’t talk back! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret leaving my job to stay home. I’m surprisingly happier than ever. It’s just been a very big adjustment. One I feel like I’m finally getting used to and getting the hang of. It took a full year! Better late than never I guess. 😂

Remember the importance of couple/adult time OUT of the house. You need it for your own sanity!

Egg muffin recipe

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I love breakfast! Some mornings I make avocado toast with eggs. Others it’s protein pancakes and fruit. This week I decided to make egg muffins! They’re an easy grab and go meal! (I of course heat them up before I eat them 😂) They’re so easy, healthy and taste great!

Ingredients:

-6 eggs

-1 1/2 cups Egg whites

-1 red pepper

-1 green pepper

-1 cup spinach

-6 slices turkey bacon

-1 pinch pink salt

-1 pinch pepper

-1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a muffin pan with cooking spray. Chop spinach, red and green pepper. Chop the spinach and cook in a non stick pan till almost crispy.

In a large bowl whisk together eggs and egg whites. Add in spinach, red and green pepper, bacon, salt and pepper.

Divide mixture into muffin pan cups. Top each cup with a little cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

Enjoy! 🍴🍳