Summer Smoothies

I had my wisdom teeth taken out, its not been a fun week! But I have come up with some new and AMAZING Summer Smoothies!

Watermelon Lime Slush Recipe 
4 Cups Watermelon 
3/4 Can of Frozen Limeade 
2 Limes Juiced
Sprite
12 - 18 Ice Cubes 


Blend Watermelon, Frozen Limeade, Lime Juice and Ice together until blended well. Put back into Freezer for about 30 minutes. Scoop it into half a glass of sprite! Easy and so good, with Mexican Food! I can't wait to make this one again! 

Breakfast Banana Smoothy Recipe 

2 Large Bananas 

1 Cup Strawberries 

1 Cup Cherry Yogurt 

12 Ice Cubes

1/2 Coconut Milk 

Blend it all together, You can add 1/4 Cup of Oatmeal, if you want! ENJOY! 

6/22 - Friday Update

This week has been great! I spent a lot of time with my family. I got to 143 pounds. I had some really great workouts. My house has been cleaner then it ever has been, thanks to my "Moms Chore Chart"  you can see it HERE. Most of all, I am happy.

Today I went to my normal Friday class at the gym, and my yoga pants were falling off of me!!! I was worried about them falling down and I would give everyone behind me a show! haha!! These pants were so tight on me, 5 months ago. I had to wear a big t-shirt to cover up my muffin top they gave me! Its a good feeling when you can see the difference. It makes me feel like all my hard work is paying off! I went to the local swimming pool last week and my swim suit that was tight on me last Summer is a sack on me! It makes me sad, cause it was super cute : ( But I am closer to wearing a bikini and not thinking twice about how I look in it! Last week I went off the diving board. I was brave enough to get out of the water, stand on top of the high dive and not care who saw me!

Today at class I used 12 pound weights! We did wall squats and everyone was moaning and crying how they hurt so bad, and I kept checking to see if I was doing them right, because they did not hurt at all! I felt like I could sit that way for an hour! We did some new exercises though that I loved and can't wait to do them next week in my workouts, I could feel the burn on those!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Of course I found this on Pinterest.com! 

My Grocery List

When I refused a cupcake, I was asked if I even eat! Haha!!! Oh it makes me laugh. I eat and I eat a lot, I just eat the right foods. I thought I would share my grocery list. This is my list on a big grocery trip, these are the things that I like to stock up on, or never be without.

• Coconut Milk
• Strawberries 
• Coconut Oil 
• Almonds, Plain or Lightly Salted 
• Greek Yogurt
• Bananas 
• Sweet Potatoes 
• Organic Whole Grain Bread 
• Eggs
• Celery 
• Carrots 
• Pineapple ( Fresh or Canned ) 
• Apples
• Oranges 
• Deli Turkey Meat, Low Sodium
• Ground Turkey 
• Chicken Breasts 
• Granola 
• Blueberries 
• Bottled Water
• Black Beans
• Brown Rice
• Oatmeal 
• Malt - o - Meal 
• Frozen Cranberry Juice
• Frozen Orange Juice 
• Orange Juice with added Calcium 
• Cranberry Juice 
• Cottage Cheese 
• String Cheese
• Shredded Cheese
• Lemons 
• Frozen Green Beans and Peas
• Frozen / Fresh Broccoli 
• Watermelon 
• Raspberries 
• Blackberries
• Mushrooms
• Wheat Tortilla or Pitas 
• Tomato's
• Garlic
• Spinach 
• Lettuce
• Low fat Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing 
• Peanut butter
• Honey
• Tilapia or Salmon 
• Onions
• Squash ( If in Season ) 

I think thats about it!!! It looks like a huge list, but this feeds my family of 5 in about a week! Like I said, we eat and we eat a lot. But I am still losing weight and I have never felt better! Found this on Pinterest, and it is so true! I can workout for hours but if I don't eat healthy, I will not loose wight! 

Craft Night - Fridge Cork Boards

Last weekend was my monthly Craft Night. I made fridge cork boards. They turned out cute, and they clean up my fridge!!!

This is how I made them! 

What you Need

4 Picture Frames 

1 Roll of Cork 

Paint 

Paint Brushes 

Screw Driver

Sticky Back Magnets 

Remove the stands from the back of all the frames with the screw driver. Remove all the glass. 

Paint your frames any color you want. This took a lot of paint, they are not easy to cover. 

I let them dry and cut out my cork to the size of the frame. You want to make sure the cork is a tight fit, but not bending in the frame. 

Add your sticky round magnets to the back of each frame. I put four in each corner and one in the middle. 

Last I put it all together! Put the cork board in, add the back, and hang it on your fridge!!! 

Woohoo its done!!! 

Wednesday Workout

Everyone is asking how I am losing weight, I was told yesterday I am looking tiny, I have never been told that!!! I have been told by multiple people that I am their inspiration. Me, someones inspiration? I never thought I would hear those words. Because of all the questions I am getting, I am going to be more specific on my posts about my eating and exercises that I do. 

Today I had a great workout at home! I am liking working out at home more then I like going to they gym. I found a bunch of workouts on Pinterest.com, that really worked and they are fun to mix things up. 

This is what my workout was today! 

I stretched for about 2 minutes, and jumped right in to Arms. 

I used an 8 pound weight for all exercises. 

I did all of these 10x on each arm, 2 sets. 

I did all of these 10x on each side, 2 sets. 

I did this, 30x, 2 sets. 

 This workout was hard! I usually put my hand facing each other and lift. Keeping both hands forward is a whole new workout! I did this 10x, 3 sets. 

I did all of these 20x. on each side. Or 30x for the wide leg plank and v-crunch. 

I did this set without stopping. A 5 minute leg and butt workout. 

I finished with 10 different sets of arms, 10 x. and 100 different sit ups. 

I did 5 minutes of stretching. 

DONE!!! 

Wood Flower

I made this wooden flower also at Super Saturday, but I love how it turned out so I am going to share it! I made it the exact same way I made the flag. It was pre-cut and I just painted it!

Thanks again ladies!!!

4th of July Craft

I made this at Super Saturday, a craft day at my church.  I loved how it turned out and it was so easy!

The boards were pre-cut, so all I had to do was paint the boards, sand the edges, and put stain on the sanded edges. I waited for them to dry and added the vinyl. This took me about an 1 1/2 hours to finish!

Thanks so much for all the hard work that was put into this craft day! I appreciate it! 

My Weekly Cleaning Schedule!

My house was starting to become a nightmare to  clean. I would get only about half a room cleaned before I had to move onto the next thing. I felt like I never had enough time to do anything, because all I was doing was cleaning!

I came up with a weekly Cleaning / Chore schedule for myself. I wrote it up on my computer and printed it out! Because I like to check things off, I put it in a picture frame. I can use a dry erase marker, so that I don't ever have to print out another page again! I set it up in my kitchen and loved it the first day I tried it! I got everything done on my list, my kids were played with and happy and I did not feel overwhelmed. Every mom needs a chore chart!!! 

My weekly chore chart is what works for me and my family. Every family is different and has different things on different days. You can't make a HUGE list of things to do on Monday if you have work and baseball and soccer, you will never get it done. So plan your chores around what you have that day of the week. I made a list of all the things that need to be done in the house. Then I added them to each day, I put one longer task on each day along with a couple shorter tasks. I added a large list of things that need to be done everyday, to add to each day. 

Hope this helps, ENJOY! 

Kids Chore Charts

I found these FREE printable chore charts for kids HERE. I made one for each of my kids. I put each chore chart in a plastic page protector. I taped the chore charts to my fridge. I use a dry erase marker to check off each item. The marker comes right off at the end of the week. My boys LOVE them. They have done their chores 3 days in row!  ( This is huge for my kids! ) Each month I am going to change up there chores a little so they don't get bored and I want them to keep working.

A couple months ago I made a Chore Can with sticks that you pull out. You can see how I made it HERE. I added two spots labeled CHORE STICK on the charts. So they can have a deferent chore every day. They like choosing what they do for the day.

I added chores to the chore charts like, Feed the Dogs, Make Bed, Brush Teeth, Read 15 Minutes, Pick Up Toys. I chose jobs that each of my kids can do without to much help from me.

We decided we would let them each choose a treat at the end of the week. It is something small like making a treat, going for ice cream, or choosing a coloring book or crayons from the dollar store.

Thursday Workout and Snack!

Today was legs and butt and I made sure I worked out really hard!!! I was able to get a good 45 minutes in of exercise. I did a lot of kicks, and squats. I wore my 2 pound weight gloves, to add a little extra work out. These are couple of exercises that I found on Pinterest, that I added to my workout today.

My workout was followed by a super simple smoothy. 

1 Banana 

1 Cup Strawberries 

1 Strawberry Yougurt

1/2 Cup Coconut Milk

12 Ice Cubes. 

Blend till smooth! 

Tuesday and Wednesday Workouts

Tuesday: It was so hard to wake up at 5:35. I laid in bed for 10 minutes arguing with myself about going or not. Then I decided that I won't regret going so I got up and went to my 60 minute spin class. I did 15 minutes of lifting Free Weights. I came home and had a big bowel of strawberries dipped in greek yogurt and cottage cheese. I actually liked waking up that early. I had time to myself and got in a long workout.

Wednesday: 15 minutes on the treadmill. Then 25 Minutes of Abs, using an exercise ball, and a medicine ball. I did a lot of plank variations as well. I wish that I had a little longer workout. So today is a day that I am going to make sure I am eating very healthy and staying active all day long.

Some of the ab exercises I did today. I found this on Pinterest of course! 

Birthday Greetings

For my husbands Birthday, I wanted to get my kids involved! I wanted them to understand how important Birthdays are in our family and it takes us all to make that special day happen! So, my two year old and I wanted to make something fun! So we decorated the walkway and porch!!! Each sidewalk square said something else! It was fun making it and he liked coming home from work to see it! My kids were so excited for him to come home, they could not wait to show him our art!

Then we made handprints in a plate. ( Pictures coming soon )

We baked a birthday cake. I let the kids choose what type of cake. I let them put in all the ingredients, and turn on the mixer, and even though it was a HUGE mess, they loved it!!! 

We made him birthday cards. I let them use my scrapbook paper, and make what ever they wanted! 

I let my kids pick out the party supplies and decorations. They helped decorate. 

It was not just a special day for my husband, but it was a special day for me and my kids. I loved seeing them get so excited and happy about the little things. Can't wait for the next birthday to do it all again! 

Mondays Workout

Today, I ran around my neighborhood, a 10 minute run. I got home, drank some water and let the real workout begin. I did sets of 20, then 15, then 10, then 5, of each workout. These are some Pins from Pinterest that I added to my workout today. I worked out all muscle groups. I used 8 Pound weights for arms. I drank a Slim Fast Chocolate Shake and water during my workout. I used the resistance band for arms and legs. I used the exercise ball for abs.

My New Exercise Routine

The last two months I have worked out 6 days a week rest on Sunday. I usually work out my entire body, Arms, Back, Legs, Butt, Abs all in one hour. It feels great working all my muscles, but I don't get sore anymore, like I used to. Today I have started a NEW weekly workout routine. I get a short amount of time each day to exercise, I need to make the most of it! This is what I am going to do this week! I will post each day, about my workouts and show what exercises I did.

Monday - 10 Minute Run. 45 Minutes Weights, Resistance Band, Exercise Ball. Workout all muscle groups. 5 Minute Stretch. 


Tuesday - 55 Minutes of Spin Bike. 20 Minutes of Arms / Back. 5 Minute Stretch. 


Wednesday - 20 Minute Run. 30 Minutes of Abs. 15 Minutes Yoga / Stretching. 


Thursday - 10 Minutes of Cardio. 45 Minutes of Legs and Butt. 5 Minute Stretch. 


Friday - 55 Minute Toning Class. 


Saturday - 10 Minute Stretch. 1 Hour Bike Ride. 


Sunday - Rest. 

2 Month Pictures

It has been over a year since my journey of weight loss has started. Its been 2 months since I have really kicked my butt into gear!!! I can't believe that I was ever satisfied with staying at 157 - 160. I love the results of my 2 month pictures and I can't wait to see what the difference is next month!!! These pictures just make me want to work so much harder! I love feeling beautiful again, I love fitting into my clothes, and not have to hide my fat tummy with a pillow when I sit down! I love the strength that I have, and the muscles that I am building. This is the hardest thing I have ever done, and I am so happy with my choice to start!

Before - 174   Now - 145 

FRONT - 2 Months ago - 157       Now - 145

SIDE -  2 Months ago - 157       Now - 145

174 Pounds - 157 Pounds - 150  Pounds - 145 Pounds

This is my journey to a healthy me. Can't wait to add a 5th picture!!!! WooHoo!!!!

See my 3 Month Before and After Pictures HERE! 

52 HEALTHY Snacks!!!

I came up with a pretty big list of healthy snacks that I like, between meals! Some of these can even be sides of my meals, or desserts! Enjoy!!!

1. Handful of Almonds
2. Celery and Peanut Butter 
3. Granola and Greek Yogurt 
4. String Cheese
5. Strawberries dipped in Yogurt or Cottage Cheese
6. Dried Fruit
7. Whole Grain Crackers
8. 100% Natural Apple Sauce 
9. Fiber One Bar
10. 100% Real Fruit Popcycle 
11. Unsalted Pretzels 
12. Glass of Skim Milk 
13. Plain Popcorn
14. Orange Slices
15. Cucumber Slices and Cheese 
16. Deli Sliced Turkey or Chicken 
17. Baked Apples sprinkled with Cinnamon 
18. Glass of 100% Real Fruit Juice 
19. Handful of Mixed Nuts
20. Trail Mix
21. Frozen Banana 
22. Hard Boiled Eggs
23. Veggies Dipped in Hummus 
24. Slice of Cheese and Grapes
25. Cup of Yogurt
26. Ants on a Long - Celery covered in peanut butter, with raisins on peanut butter. 
27. Cherrys 
28. Small Sweet Potato 
29. Sliced Tomato with Cheese 
30. Whole Grain Cereal 
31. Fruit Kabobs 
32. Veggie Kabobs
33. Black Beans with Melted Cheese
34. Craisins and Peanuts 
35. Half a Grapefruit 
36. Animal Crackers
37. Watermelon Wedge 
38. Veggie Soup 
39. Glass of Coconut Milk
40. Sunflower Seeds
41. Frozen Yogurt
42. Fruit & Veggie Smoothy
43. Homemade Granola
44. Side Salad 
45. Baked Potato 
46. Pistachios 
47. Cantaloupe Slices
48. Sliced Bell Peppers 
49. Radishes Sprinkled with Salt
50. Glass of Veggie Juice 
51. Pineapple & Peaches in Cottage Cheese 
52. Grilled Pineapple 

Because this is my most Popular post, I have come up with an additional 20 clean eating snack ideas! 20 MORE SNACK IDEAS

3 Days Till I Post a Picture!

In a couple days I will post my 2 month pictures! I have been working so hard to make sure there is a difference. All my hard work is paying off! My workout clothes that are stretchy are now to big for me! I moved up a bar size in my tone and define class. I am getting complements about how good I look, and I am now getting asked what I have been doing to loose weight! Its such an amazing feeling!!! I love working out and I feel so good after, I feel like nothing can bring me down after a good workout! I love the new me!

Getting Closer!!!!

I am only 5 pounds away from hitting my goal of 140! I can do this, I can do this . . . I think!!!! Yesterday I put on a pair of pants that I bought about 2 months ago, they were HUGE!!!! Like falling off of me HUGE! So I put on a belt, I have not worn a belt for years cause I never needed it. Yesterday I tightened the belt all the way and it was still way to BIG!!! I am sad that my $50 pants are no longer in use, but really, I have lost 29 pounds, so GOODBYE PANTS!!!

My Favorite Healthy Breakfast Ideas

These are my FAVORITE 10 Heathy Breakfast Ideas!

#1 - English Muffin
Recipe 
2 - Large Strawberries Sliced 
1 - 100 Calorie Western Bagel English Muffin
1 TBLS Peanut Butter
- Toast Bagel, Add Peanut Butter, and cover with sliced Strawberries. Add a 4 oz glass of Juice or Milk. 
Approx. 271 Calorie Breakfast

#2 - Oatmeal
Recipe
1 Cup Cooked Oatmeal 
1/8 Cup Coconut Milk
1/4 Cup Blueberries 
-Add Everything together! 
Approx. 208 Calories

#3 Eggs
2 Eggs 
1/4 Cup Coconut Milk
1/4 Cup Chopped Green Peppers
1/4 Cup Chopped Tomatoes 
-Scramble all together and cook in frying pan. 
Approx. 214 calories


#4 Smoothies
Smoothies! Look At all my Smoothies I have posted on this blog, there are lots of them! I love smoothies cause you can make them super healthy and yummy with natural foods. 

#5 - Granola
1 Cup Greek Yogurt ( any flavor )
1/2 Cup Granola 
1/2 Cup Berries 
-Mix together! 
Calories may very.

#6 - Fruit
1 Cup Strawberries 
1/3 Cup Low Fat Cottage Cheese 
1/2 Cup Pineapple 
-Dip fruit in Cottage Cheese. 
Approx. 206 Calories

#7 Breakfast Sandwich
1 Egg
1 100 Calorie English Muffin
-Cook Egg sunny side up, put onto toasted english muffin.
Approx. Calories 201

#8 - Easy Crustless Quiche
8 Eggs 
2/3 Cup Chopped Ham
1/2 Cup Spinach 
1/4 Cup Onion 
-Scramble Eggs put into 8x8 square pan. Add onion spinach and ham. Bake at 350 for 20-30 Minutes. This make about 5 servings. 


#9 Breakfast Burrito
2 Eggs 
1/8 Cup Chopped Onion 
1/4 Cup Diced Tomato's 
1/4 Cup Shredded Cheese 
1 Whole Wheat Tortilla 
-Scramble and cook eggs, onion, tomato's, cover with cheese and let melt. Wrap in tortilla. 
Calories May Very.


#10 Cream of Wheat
1 Cup Cooked Malt - o - Meal Hot cereal 
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk 

Approx. 190 Calories

Fitness Binder

It took me awhile to make this, but finally it is done and I am in LOVE with it! It is great for working out at home or at the gym. I have cardio workouts that I can take out of the binder and use on the treadmill or elliptical. Its great for the days that I want to switch things up!!! I had about 50 fitness magazines, I would pull out different workouts and I ended up with a HUGE stack of papers! This was a great way to put all my workouts in one place!

I covered the binder with fabric. I made 8 different sections, CARDIO, ARMS, LEGS, BUTT, STRETCHES, ABS, TOTAL BODY, and OTHER. I was able to find a place for all of my papers. I stuck a piece of card stock, in between each page. If the workout was small on the page I cut it down and glued it to the card stock. This project took much longer then I thought it would, about 2 hours.

Daily Inspiration

Another motivation Pin from Pinterest. I love it! Because this is ME!!!!

One Week Challenge

Tomorrow I am starting a one week Challenge. I found this on Pinterest and I know that it says 21 days, but we all know that I can't do that . . . . So one week is my starting point! Woohoo! This should be interesting.

Spool Table

I needed a table or stand for my boys room, to put the TV on. This is what I came up with. It turned out GREAT in their Cars themed room. They love it! I love it cause it cost me about $8.00 to make! This was super easy and I can't wait to make another one for my front porch, to put plants on!

What you need!

Large Electrical Spool

Sand Paper

Electric Sander (optional)

1 Can Spray Paint 

1 Damp Towel  

How I Made It! 

This is a larger electrical spool. I sanded all sides of the spool till very smooth and there could be no splinters. Dusted it all off with the damp towel and cleaned out the middle section. I spray painted it with "Banner Red"spray paint found at Hobby Lobby. I had to do 3-4 coats and 1 can covered it. Let it dry overnight before bringing it in to your house! 

This makes me sick!

Another Pinterest pin! Never eating fries again!!! The amount of calories in one small thing is gross!

Healthy Eating

I have been doing pretty good on eating Clean. I found a couple more inspirational pins on Pinterest. I need to stock up on this list of food. That way I won't feel the need to eat anything else! I am making my grocery list now!

Lemon Tilapia

I needed a new fish recipe, and this is what I came up with! It was pretty good and had a new flavor that my whole family enjoyed. I served the fish with steamed asparagus and grilled pineapple. Perfect light summer dinner!

Recipe

1 Frozen Tilapia Fillet 

1 Fresh Basil Leaf Diced 

2 Tsp. Lemon Juice 

Sprinkle of Salt 

Repeat for each fillet you are cooking. 


Thaw fish, put on 12x12 square of tin foil. Add basil, lemon juice, and salt. Wrap foil around tightly and grill at medium heat for about 10 minutes. ENJOY! 


Approx. 125 Calories

Fruit and Spinach Smoothy

Another SUPER HEALTHY SMOOTHY created by me! My kids never knew that it had spinach in it! This smoothy really filled us all up, my kids did not even want a mid-morning snack! 

Recipe

2/3 Can Pineapple 

2 Cups Strawberries 

1/4 Cup Oatmeal

2/3 Cup Spinach 

1/4 Can Frozen Cranberry Juice

1/2 Cup Orange Juice 
1 Strawberry Yogurt 

12 Ice Cubes 

Blend Everything but Ice Cubes until smooth.  Add ice cubes. Blend until no more thick ice chunks, and ENJOY!