A Natter: More baby talk :)

Workout: 15 minute hot-legs workout + 15 minute no crunch ab exercises + 2 mile interval run


Me: My BB keeps trying to bite me when I'm breastfeeding her.
RC: I think she's trying to tell you something.
Me: I know, but it's just so sad. She's growing up so fast...
Me: Sigh...
Me: She doesn't need me anymore!

I think my BB IS trying to tell me something, that she's ready to move away from breastfeeding.

When I first started, I had a 6 month goal in mind. I was actually prepared to stop when I went back to work because I didn't know if I was going to have any problems with pumping. I was blessed with a good milk supply, so the 6 month mark came and went.

We now do a mix of mainly breastmilk and one or two bottles of formula at daycare, but it seems she's ready to go all bottle. My BB is growing up way too fast.

I didn't realize I was going to take the weaning so hard. I knew I was going to start next month, but this kind of took me by surprise. Last night, she bit me again before sleepy time and I really thought I had missed the last real feeding. I got really sad, like in a blink of an eye my baby's first year had passed.

I was hopeful this morning and all was going well for a couple of minutes, then she stopped and did it again.

Note to self: try to live in the moment and cherish every minute of it!

Off to sulk, just a little bit. Do you guys have any experience with breastfeeding? Am I just being coo-coo?

ADios :)

Work It Out: Camels Drinking @ Oasis

Workout: 30 minute Energizing vinyasa yoga flow

I love this flow, it's 30 minutes but it packs a punch! Plus, I don't get bored - win, win :)

I was browsing the web and reddit.com is one of the places I like to go. It's a total "geeks rule" site and they come up with the most interesting and random things. BTW, as much as I consider myself a geek I am nowhere near geek enough to post on their site. They take geekiness to an ultra-chic level ;)

The post that got my attention today was Camel Drinking at Oasis.

Side note: My favorite band is the Beatles, Oasis is #2.

It's a random pic but I found it hilarious, then I read the comments, and realized they were referencing this post: Camels drinking at an oasis

Ahhh, the power of an "an".

One of the beauties of reddit.com are the comments section. Today, among other things, I learned the band (minus Noel) is now known as Beady Eye and they put out a new album. Noel is supposed to put one of his own out in the Fall. This should be interesting!

Do you guys like Oasis? I know they were big in the US in the mid-to-late 90s, but then something happened and you never heard of them on the radio again. At least that's what it felt like. They're albums since them have all been really good, IMHO.

Ok, enough about Oasis - tell me some of your favorite bands or sites that you visit?

ADios :)

Little Things: Banana Coconut Cream Burritos!

Workout: none :(

I had an odd night of sleeping last night. I attribute it to not putting my pc down until after 9:30, then doing some light house stuff I usually do around 10. When will I learn?

I got to bed around 10:30ish and my lightning bug app did work - I think. It was that "in-between I'm not sure if I'm asleep" type of deal when the wind woke me up an hour later. It was just odd.

I was tired, too tired to choose working out over 40 extra minutes of sleep. Sometimes you just have to give in, but then the grogginess that comes with that decision makes you think otherwise. I may have been a little pissy today, just a little bit.

So it was more walking breaks for me today, before we hit the 110+ mark outside.

I was planning a night time yoga relaxing session. I figured I'd give it a try while watching some TV, but that was before knowing I wasn't going to be done until 9.

My back's been feeling sore again, so for all you future Mama's, make sure to make core work and elemental part of your post-baby workout routine. I'm afraid I didn't do enough of it and I'm paying for it now :(

On to today's little Gem: Banana Coconut Cream Burritos!

• 1 ripe banana
• 2 dates
• 3 T coconut flakes
• 1/4 c walnuts
• 3/4 c ricotta cheese
• 3 T chia seeds
• 3 tortillas

1. Microwave the dates with some water for a minute to plump them up a bit!
2. Mix the banana, dates and ricotta cheese in the food processor.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix
4. Divide the mixture and wrap them up in the tortillas
5. Enjoy!

Oh yeah - so good and surprisingly filling!I thought I was going to be hungry a couple of hours after I ate this, but it held up a good 4 hours :)

I am putting my PC away now, have a good one tomorrow :)

The Salad Case: 110 Degrees

Workout: 15 minute hot-legs workout + 15 minute no crunch ab exercises + 2 mile run

That’s right folks, I’m melting!

It was a friggin’ 110 degrees in El Paso today, the heat wave is going strong. My poor BB turned into a little tomato just walking from the car to Target today, I’m hot just thinking about it.

On a good note, my alarm actually worked this morning. I put it in the bathroom to force me to get up out of bed to turn it off. It worked :) I got to do the weights plus go on a 2 mile run in perfect weather. I’m so glad when I get the workouts out of the way!

Now to the main star of today’s post, my Salad Case!

In the mix today:

• spinach
• roasted veggies: broccoli, brussel sprouts, onions, carrots
• 1/4 c feta cheese

I don’t know why I've never thought about roasting onions before. I’m usually the type that curses myself for not adding enough onions to a dish so this was such a welcome addition. They were nice and sweet, plus they add so much flavor. Are you Team Onion?

What is the weirdest salad ingredient you’ve ever had? I gotta say, the weirdest one was the yogurt on the roasted veggie salad last week. It was really good :)

Hope you have a great week!

ADios!

Foodie Friday: Winning

Workout: 15 minute hot-legs workout + 15 minute no crunch ab exercises


I used to think cardio was the only way I could loose or maintain weight, but adding weights and yoga makes it so much more fun :)


Today's workout was just what the doctor ordered, too! I'm still recovering from the cookie/cake binge c/o my co-workers. I know it wasn't a binge, but sugar on top of sugar is probably not a good idea ;)


Putting yesterday behind me, I broke out one of my Pumpkin Pie Burritos I stored in the freezer for breakfast and let me tell ya, they hold up well! I just let it thaw over night and it was ready to go this morning. The convenience makes it 2x as good :)

For lunch I had my roasted veggie salad case, but I was starving so I completely forgot to snap a pic until the last and final eggplant layer. I always try to save the best tasting veggie for last. What's your favorite veggie?


No bean burritos for snack time today, the office is deserted on Fridays. Instead, I had some Chobani goodness :)



For dinner the combo was:



corn + cream + bacon =a Winning meal

• 1 onion (or 2 - I can never get enough sauteed onions!)
• 8 slices bacon
• 3 cups corn
• 1 T flour
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup table cream
• 1/2 - 1 cup milk

1. Saute onions + bacon until bacon is cooked. Drain as much bacon fat as you can.
2. Add corn and saute until warmed through
3. Add flour and stir
4. Add cream,chicken broth and milk
5. Stir and simmer until desired consistency
6. Enjoy!

I topped mine with avocado and shredded cheese - so glad we stayed home for dinner :)

Plus, we made some chai tea smoothies for desert. It's 106+ today, the ac + me are bffs!

Speaking of "Winning," I just had to share this post, Dad Takes on_Biggest Challenge. I loved this quote:

"My daughter even ASKS me to braid her hair now. Which, as you can imagine, is the total Charlie Sheen version of winning."

One year when I was 6 or 7, my dad was responsible for getting me to school. As hard as he tried, he couldn't even handle pig tails so a couple of weeks later they gave me my first pixie cut!


Too bad I turned out just like him, cause I can barely master the hair-in-a-bun. Judge for yourselves:



So not winning!

Did your dad ever have to pull braid duty?


Have a great weekend :)

The Book Report: The Help

 

Main Characters:

• Aibileen Clark (a sweet gal who was a maid/nanny)
• Minny Jackson (a sassy back-talking lady and a maid who can cook!)
• Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan (a girl who wanted to become a writer)

Plot:

• Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s - enough said!
• What was life really like back then? How did people interact, what where the social norms?
• How does change come about?

Random thoughts:

• I know, I'm the last person left in the world who's read this book. I know.
• I don't know how to explain it, but I get this feeling like I know Abie, Minny and Skeeter first hand. I wish they'd invite me over to their meetings, or something.
• Abie + Minny seem like they're the type that can teach you a thing or two about life. I wish I could ask them questions, too.
• Skeeter sounds like a fun gal to hang out with. When she started dating Stuart, I wasn't a big fan. I kept thinking she was going to give up her New York dream and thought it was kind of sad.
• I loved the way Kathryn focused on the relationships between people and all the different types of bonds that were formed.
• I was a little scared for all of them, that suspense of not knowing if anything might happen to them - it was always there for me. It wasn't blatantly obvious, but it was there. I thought they were all very brave.
• The part that I liked best in the book was the relationship between Abie + Mae. I found it so sweet and genuine. Being a mom, it's just the best feeling in the world. I can't imagine not wanting to spend any free second you have with your baby - I felt so sorry that Elizabeth was missing all that.
• The book gave me a new-found respect for all those people that sacrificed and are still working to make racism a thing of the past.

Questions

• Have you read this book and would you recommend it? Duh, and duh - never mind, I know the answer ;)
• I found Skeeter's thoughts on smoking and the Surgeon General interesting. I know it must have taken years to sink in, I mean it still hasn't to lots of people. Her reaction made me think of how we react to all the warnings today about plastics and pesticides, it kind of makes you think - what am I doing to myself? I've started buying glass containers, gave away all my non-stick pans and bought myself some cast-iron skillets that I use every day now. I'm also trying to buy organic milk and veggies from the Dirty Dozen list, but really these are just little dents in the grand scheme of things.
• Back to the book!
• Kathryn mentioned a Mexican wanting to join the DAR and I guess I didn't think there were that many Mexicans in the South at the time. I didn't know if she was bringing it up to add another dimension to the segregation/racism issue? Do you all know what that was about?
• I know the racism issue has gotten better, but it still out there - have you ever experienced it first hand? I'm from west Texas which has a predominant Hispanic population, so I haven't really been exposed to it. The first time I felt it was on a leadership trip to D.C. - where one of my roommates told another one to hang-up the phone because "They were Mexican." The room went quiet and all the girls looked at me. I was shocked, but I just asked her "I'm sorry, did you just say something?" I got no response, I moved on but I still remember it.
• Some people believe that being handicap and/or overweight are today’s new racism targets, but with wider accepted discrimination. In a way, I could see their point in the work force. The good looking people always seemed to get the promotions. You should have walked the hallways during my Exxon days! I can’t think of one girl who wasn’t pretty working there and most of the guys were good looking as well.

Like I said (and I'm sure you've already heard), this book is worth reading! It covers a touchy subject, but doesn’t throw it in your face. The focus is on the people, the relationships that made change possible one person at a time.

A Natter: Workplace Sabotage!

Workout: 40 minute Core Strengthening Yoga Flow

Co-worker #1: I brought cookies today!
Me: Cookies?
Co-worker #1:Yea, my mom had a bunch leftover from one of her meetings and I didn't want to keep them at home.
...
Me: Are you guys having a party today or something?
Co-worker #2: Party? No, that's for our Snack Time today. (every Thursday at 3)
Me: Oh yea, what are you making?
Co-worker #2: Warm tortillas with butter. Some beans if people aren't digging the butter.


[Side note:  if you've never tried warm tortillas with butter - do yourself a favor and go do so now!]
...
Co-worker #3: I couldn't buy the cake at Sam's so I'm just getting one from Albertson's.
Me: Oh yea, I guess birthday celebrations are this week. That should be more than fine :)
Co-worker #3:Yea, they make good cakes!

Oh yea! Seriously, I could have not brought any food today and met my daily caloric needs thanks to my co-workers.

We have Breakfast Wednesdays, Snack Thursdays and monthly birthday celebrations. After Thanksgiving, we celebrate the 12 Fattening Days Before Christmas so I really have to be careful around work.

When I worked at Exxon, they had enough money to provide lunch and/or cookies for A LOT of their meetings. They even had a Taster group that you had to be nominated to where you got to try new things and give your feedback. It was the best nomination I've ever been given! Whoever came up with brownie-covered macaroons was a genius. Seriously!

The bad thing was, I gained 5+ pounds working there in 6 months so I really had to scale it down after that! It was so hard, too - food was everywhere!

Do you find yourself being sabotaged at work? If so, how do you handle it? Any tips!

It was so much easier to say no during Lent. I know one guy who passes on food by saying he gave up sugar, but he had some German Chocolate cake today so I guess it's a selective sugar thing!

I honestly think it's hard to say no more for the camaraderie than the food, sometimes! Others, the chocolate and the coconut is all the camaraderie I need!

ADios :)

Work It Out: Alarm Clock!

Workout: 2 mile run in 19 minutes

Check it out bloggies, my new alarm clock!



I finally got it yesterday! However, it was only after I was about to step out of Walmart (without a lot of unnecessary stuff) and head for my car. I had to go back and get it, luckily there was no line!

I also picked up some new shoes for my BB.

The sandals weren't doing their job and she was able to take them off as soon as she set her little mind to it - the socks never stood a chance. I went with sneakers instead, we shall see if they work any better!

Any tips for keeping shoes/socks on babies?

I was all excited last night when I was setting my alarm, but then I realized that I may need to return it. It's missing the tab to cover the battery and the radio picks up absolutely nothing. The only reason I got it was because it was mp3 ready and had the alarm wake-up to radio setting! Fist pump!!!

Note to self: check the volume of the alarm when setting it.

That's right, I didn't wake up until 5:30 and when I walked in to the bathroom I could barely hear the alarm still going. Oh well, you live and you learn.

I was still able to get outside and run 2 miles in perfect weather! I've been running on the treadmill so this was a very welcome change!

On a totally different subject, I got roped into watching the second showing of Marley & Me last night because you just can't say no to a cute Lab!

Specially since I have had my fair share of Marley moments, including one last night. This brings us to my second note to self: don't buy any squeaker toys for Abacus!

Abacus was playing with his new rubber duck, which he loved! It stopped squeaking for maybe 10 seconds when I noticed he had already ripped the little beak off when I got to him. I couldn't tell if there was a squeaker inside or not, but if there was, it was nowhere to be found.

I had learned (from a previous Marley moment) that you can give dogs some hydrogen peroxide if you want to induce vomiting. Trying to give peroxide to a 90+ lb dog is not fun, trust me! What's a gal to do? Must.use.trickery!

I soaked two pieces of bread and layered some turkey and my poor Abacus ate it! He threw up twice but no squeaker could be found, so we're officially on the poop watch. Fun, fun, fun!

Have you had any Marley moments?

ADios :)

Little Things: Chillaquiles

Workout: 30 minute full-body strength workout

Sometimes I believe laziness is the mother of all inventions!

Case in point: yesterday's dinner!

The thinking went like this:

• I need to use my Mama's homemade enchilada sauce before it goes bad
• Enchiladas for dinner it is, plus a side of pinto beans
• Man, baked enchiladas sound good - but they're a pain to roll!
• I know, let's make chillaquilles instead!
• Maybe I should forget about the beans, one less pan to wash. No, I need the beans to take some of the heat off.
• I know, let's just add the beans to the chillaquilles.
• An egg sounds good, but not another pan to wash.
• I know, let's try the egg setting on my microwave!

Amazingly, the egg came out ok - that's good to know when in a morning rush :)

So that is how I got to this ONE PAN WONDER:



Easy + Delicious = Chillaquiles!

• 8 tortillas
• 1 onion
• 1 can beans of your choice
• 2 cups enchilada sauce
• 2 cups cheese

1. Saute onions in some olive oil then add cut up tortillas, cook for 10 minutes
2. Add the beans, cook for a couple of minutes
3. Add the sauce, cook until desired enchilada thickness
4. Enjoy!

What are your favorite one pot wonders?

Okay, flipping to Marley + Me and getting the last scene with Marley is just plain wrong!

Off to find something more uplifting and to finish making the rice pudding for tomorrow's pot luck breakfast!

ADios!

The Salad Case: Forget it!

Workout: Chatturanga-and-Up-Dog-Tutorial 15 minutes

I did it to myself again! Last night I went to bed around 10:30 but couldn't go to sleep, so I pulled out my phone and opened up Lightning Bug. The app works like a charm, but after I'm out - I'm out. I have no idea what happens to my phone. Last night, it got stuck between the pillows and my alarm was muffled once again.

I had plans of buying a new clock this weekend, but that was foiled by an impromptu trip to Walmart that I wasn't prepared for. I don't know why this happens, but anytime I go into a store my mind turns to mush. So I forgot to buy the alarm and the two other things that I know I forgot but that I can't remember at this very second. Arrgh!!!

Then on Sunday we went to Sam's to pick up some stuff, like veggies for my Salad Case, right. So I pick up the brussel sprouts and veggies, but I forget the most important ingredient: organic spinach. Double arrgh!!!

So today, I bring you the spinach-less salad case - tadah!



I just had to double some of the roasted veggie portions:

• brussel sprouts, a couple of handfuls
• broccoli, carrots and cauliflower
• a small handful of craisins
• 1 strawberry chobani yogurt as the dressing that brings it all together
• sprinkling of celery ('twas a mistake)

Overall, a good flavor (minus the celery, of course). I actually couldn't finish it because I felt stuffed, I didn't know salads could do that to you!

So back to the Shataranga + Up Dog Tutorial, I know it was only 15 minutes but I'm so glad I took it. For all intents and purposes, I'm a yogi wannabe and really new to it. I can do most of the 2 level classes, but taking this tutorial makes me want to take some of the level 1s to really get the "theory" behind the pose.

I'm an instructional manual type of person, pretty good at following directions. Are you?

I think I need to get past the idea that Level 1s aren't challenging. Just tell that to my buddies Shataranga + Up Dog and see what they have to say ;)

Have you ever stayed away from a class that was "easy" and been shocked that it wasn't?

ADios!

Happy Fathers Day x Two!

 

READER WARNING: This post may get a little bit mushy!

I was blessed to have one of this world’s most wonderful men as a father, it’s true :)

He has taught me so many beautiful things, shown me such love. He has always been there for my brother and I and sacrificed so much for us. I will always be grateful!

If I couldn’t be blessed enough, God led me to this man!

My husband, my best friend and Brielle’s #1 Dad. I can already see the bond that they have and I know that Brielle is one lucky girl ;)

Plus, the doggies feel the same way :)

God Bless all the Dad’s out there!

The Book Report: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  - talk about a page turner!

Main Characters:

• Mikael Blomkvist (handsome journalist)
• Lisbeth Salander (coolest hacker)
• Vanger (old rich guy who knows how to get what he wants)
• The Vangers (a well established Sweedish family with a lot of skeletons in the closet)

Plot:

• Who done it? Who killed Harriet Vanger?
• How do you prove that you really didn't slander a very rich entrepreneur without revealing your source? Specially if it's a source that may have lied to you?

Random thoughts:

• Little did I know that according to the wiki, Larson witnessed a gang rape of a young girl named Lisbeth when he was 15 and didn't do anything about it.
• He never forgave himself and wrote three manuscripts that bring the issue of violence against women to the forefront.
• He was a publisher that worked at a political magazine and he passed away in 2004, prior to publishing the tree manuscripts that make up the trilogy.
• The book is VERY graphic and disturbing in some parts. A couple of nights I wished I had never started it because I wanted to know who the serial killer was, ASAP. I wanted to get that squared away!
• Some hacker stuff was semi-explained, it's always interesting reading tech-y stuff. I always find it so amusing to watch shows like NCIS because some of the "searches" or things they hack into in 30 seconds is soooo off the map.
• After reading some of the reviews on BNN, I was surprised by how many people didn't like it. I guess I could see their point that the male lead, Blomkvist, was kind of lack-luster. What's funny is I actually thought of him as a supporting character to Lisbeth, who I thought kind of ran the show.

Questions

• Have you read this book and would you recommend it?
• Do you think Blomkvist was set up to publish a faulty report? I never got the reasoning behind this if he was - did I miss something?
• Did you know right away who did it? I always had a feeling it could be that person, but I mainly thought it was because they were jealous of the relationship between Harriet and Vanger

Overall, a good read and I'm planning on reading the second book as soon as it's downloadable from the library, I'm on the waiting list!

Foodie Friday: Beware of the Corner Bakery!

Workout: 30 minutes full-body weights workout

I gotta say, I've been very proud of going to sleep early this week. I averaged a 10:30 time but still managed to hit the snooze a couple of times every.single.day. Next week, I'm planning on a 10-10:15 bed time - baby steps, people. Baby steps :)

Last night, the world came to a screeching halt at my work - in the form of a power outage. Everything went down, including ... dun.dun.dun - the database! I was on call and a lot of co-workers had to stay until it was all back up which wasn't until 8:30. Have you guys ever had a work emergency?

We all worked as a team so our manager brought in some Corner Bakery goodies to thank us for the hard work. Woo-hoo!



Then this happened:




I checked the calorie count of this Cinnamon Creme Cake goodie:



BIG MISTAKE! Total Calories 770!!! Which is ok if you're splitting it, like I usually do. NOT OK when it's just me!!!

So I put my fork down and tried to contain the damage!



Lunch was way more healthier!



But the Corner Bakery totally did me in today, 'twas a Foodie Fail and the damage was done!

You'd think I'd try for a healthy dinner, right? WRONG, I had me some of this:



It seems any time I have sugar in the AM, I can't seem to make right decisions the rest of the day. Does that happen to any of you?

I have to come up with a new slogan or motto to help me beat down the sugar in the AM, I'm tellin ya! Any ideas?

Hope ya have a great weekend!

ADios :)

A Natter

Workout: None :(

6:30 in the AM

Me: Oh, I need to get my phone before I forget it...
Me: Huh, look - I guess the alarm is still ringing
Me: Ohhhh, maybe I shouldn't put my phone on the cushy pillow? Maybe that's why I didn't hear it this morning?
Me: Oh well, it seems the universe does not want me to work out on Thursdays :(
Me: I really need to buy another alarm clock!

That's right folks, overslept and I actually went to bed ~10:30 too! No big deal, that only means more walking to do today and a grreat workout tomorrow :)

 I use my phone for practically everything: gMail, pictures, navigation, texting, gReader, mp3 player, games. alarm clock.  Some of the coolest apps I've found:

• Lightning Bug - helps me fall asleep when I can't turn my brain off :)
• Myfitnesspal.com - awesome calorie tracker
• Baby ESP - breastfeeding log that helped me track the time and the side so that my barely functioning mind wouldn't have to!

What are some of your favorite apps?


Also, with all the talk about cell phone radiation that could lead to cancer, have you thought about your phone in a different way?


My brother-in-law, Eric is an Electrical Engineer and worked at a cell-phone company. He's always warned us about using blue-tooth because of the radiation so we never bothered to get one. Do you guys use them?



I know I've started using the speaker function a lot more and thought about putting in a land line. I also plan on buying an alarm this week so I don't have to sleep next to my phone. I guess the "I didn't hear my alarm" trick won't work next week ;)

I soooooo want this wake-up light simulator, but I just can't justify the price :(

ADios!

Work It: Sweet+Sweaty

Workout: 30 min Sweet + Sweaty Vinyasa Flow

Guess what? I went to sleep around 10:30 - for two days in a row!!! Go me, MAJAH improvement.

However, I guess I was so tired I hit the snooze button not once, but twice. Which meant I needed to make a decision: 30 min yoga or 30 min extra sleep?

I chose the yoga and I'm so glad I did! This Vinyasa flow was really good and relieved a lot of the tension in my shoulders.  Too bad it didn't stop me from burning some yams!

Today's dinner was a total fail! I forgot to defrost the salmon so I went with a french toast/yam fries combo. I ended up over roasting the fries in the oven, don't you hate it when you do that?

The french toast was pretty good, though. I used the GHEE (or clarified butter) that I picked up yesterday at the International Market. Say what, clarified butter? I've been reading about it on the blogosphere but to be honest I couldn't tell the difference taste wise. I guess it was easy to cook with and it turned out the right type of crispy, but that was about it.

Have you all cooked with GHEE? Do you have any recommendations?

Despite the dinner fail, we found out today we'll be heading to Las Vegas a couple of months from now. Woo-hoo for Las Vegas conferences!

The only thing is, what's there to do in Vegas with a 1 yr old? I picture lots of pool time and maybe some Lake Mead time, Circus Circus but not sure of what else. Any suggestions?

Off to research Las Vegas + babies!

ADios :)

Little Things: Pumkin Pie Burritos

Workout: 25 min weight session + 1.75 mi in 16:00 minutes

Who would have thought that going to bed at 10:30 would result in me actually hearing my alarm this morning! What a revelation :)

It was a good "schweaty" workout plus I got a dose of this:




Doggie envy! Dulci got a raw hide while I got worked out because she's a little OCD. She likes to lick her paws otherwise and that drives me up the wall! Do your pets do anything that annoys you?

I had planned on making some carrot cake burritos this week, but the bananas weren't ripe enough :(

What's a girl to do? I know, raid your pantry and make some Pumpkin Pie Burritos!




I'm lovin' this theme!

Here are the magical ingredients, which makes 3 servings:

• Libby's - 100% Pure Pumpkin, 1 1/2 cup
• Sun-Maid - Natural California Raisins, 3/8 Cup (40 g)
• Raw Almonds - Almonds, 45 almonds
• Great Value - Pitted Prunes, 1/4 cup (40g)
• Bob's Red Mill - Chia Seed, 2 Tbsp
• Mission Tortillas Plus! - Multi Grain Wrap, 3 tortilla
• Pumpkin Pie spice - as much as your heart desires!

1. Puree the pumpkin and prunes
2. Add all the ingredients
3. Wrap, refrigerate over night and enjoy :)

The nutritional info per serving:

	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sugar	Fiber
Per Serving:	492	73	19	15	27	19

Oh so good!!! The calorie count is a little high, but that's mainly because of the tortillas and the almonds - I shouldn't have gone with the wraps. Oh well, no regrets with this little breakfast. Plus, I wasn't hungry until lunch time so it was a win win :)

The rest of the day was a good one, too. My parents came over for some playtime with the BB - I love watching them together!

I also got to pick up some of this:



I went to an International market and just walked the isles. I wanted to try something new, but as much as I love eggplant - I'm not sure about pickled eggplant salad. Would you try it?

Instead, I tried this Armella Spreadable Tahini and it was Derkilicious! Seriously, it was on the same level as Nutella! RC said it reminded him of cupcake frosting! Cupcake frosting - that good!

The nutritional info is kind of blury, but 1/8 of this jar is about 250 calories. Not Nutella bad - but could be very dangerous!

What's your favorite international pantry item that you've tried?

ADios :)

The Salad Case: Birki's

Workout: 20 min Strengthen and Tone Your Entire Body Yoga

Sorry if you get this twice, I accidentally deleted the pics :( Blogger fail!





My reading habit strikes again! This time it led to another missed alarm in the AM, but I was able to try this little 20 minute gem! I'm normally intimidated by level 3 classes, so I'm glad I tried it. Yes, there were some advanced poses, but you can always work towards those that you can't get.

The flow packed a punch in a short time and got me going. I also tried to go on some 10 minute quick walks because every little thing counts!

In the Salad Case Today, drum roll please...

• 2 handfuls spinach
• 2 c roasted veggies: brussel sprouts, broccoli, squash, carrots, red onions (amazing)
• 1/4 c roasted almonds
• 1/4 c cranberries

Talk about cruciferous! This was such a "meaty" salad minus the meat!

Guess what I got in the mail last week? That's right, I got a case of the Birki's!




I love Birkenstock sandal's even though they are kind of pricey. The multi-colored ones are my faves and these bubble ones did not disappoint!


Shhh, RC hasn't seen these yet so let's try to keep this between us ;)

Are Birki's even cool now? I know they were the rage about 15 years ago - yikes (I'm old), but they are so comfy that I'm addicted to them!


They were half-off and I just couldn't resist! After all, everyone knows that half-off really means you can get more than one ;)
 
Do you guys follow this golden rule of shopping?





I'll leave you with this cute Labrador ornament that my friend Michelle got for us - she's awesome and knows that we'd go k-crazy over it. We did - isn't it the cutest? Thanks Michelle!

ADios :)

The Book Report: Baby Smack Talk

Workout: 3.5 mi run in 33:10 min!

It's 8:33 pm as I write this and I'm barely sitting down. This weekend has been a whirlwind and I wouldn't want it any other way :)

I'm just so happy I ran today, I had planned on going yesterday but my BB(Baby Brielle) had other plans and wanted to get her weekend started promptly at 6 am. Richard went this morning so I was going to put it off until tomorrow, but then I just kept thinking "it's going to feel so good after you finish!" I kept repeating it a gazillion times and I'm so glad I listened to myself :)

How do you guys get going when you really don't want to?

I'm thinking the weekend posts will be like a very laid back book report. I am the worst at forgetting if I ever even read a book, much less what the plot was about so at least I'll have something other than my aging mind to reference!

This week's report deals with two books that I've read that deal with babies. As you all may know, this blog could have been named me.against.the.sleep.deprivation for very a very good reason: my BB :)

It was all very expected and I think I was doing fine up until I went back to work :( I tried doing the exercise thing before work and I still marvel at the fact that I was able to wake up (sometimes as early as 4:45am). Just crazy.

I started reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child because at 7 month's BB was still not sleeping through the night. I skipped right to the 5-12 months section and then I went back through to try to get a better understanding of baby sleep patterns.  I found it so funny to get a straight up "IN YO FACE" you're wrong section dedicated to the Secrets of the Baby Whisperer.

The authors share some opinions, like the importance of naps, but they are different and theirs styles kind of remind me of this clip:



In particular,  Weisbluth claims the "dream feeding" that the Baby Whisperer recommends is complete non-sense. His description of it is quite funny!


I've read both books and have found them both really helpful, so I'm not going to smack talk about anyone here. Instead, I'm just going to list the things I learned from each of them.

Disclaimer: I am by no means a baby expert and these are just some of my experiences with the topics that are covered in the two books. I do recommend reading both books for learning about different sleep strategies, though - they were really helpful for me :)

Baby Whisperer:

• Believes in an EASY going schedule: Eat, Activity, Sleep  -> You Time. For someone that had NO interactions with babies, this was very helpful. I really tried to stick with this but had some hiccups in the nap department. I could never time the naps right and so I got very little "You" time for me. I do a variation of this now, but mine is more like S(E - optional)AEY. Mainly because breastfeeding really helps BB go to sleep and I'm sticking to that as long as I can.
• Helps you define your baby's personality and gives many tips for what works best with each type.
• Recommends a structured night time routine and an early sleepy time and focuses on listening to your baby and meeting their needs.

Healthy Sleep Habits:

• Main premise is letting your child learn how to sleep on their own. In case you didn't guess, RC -= Mitchell! (RC's team "self-sooth.") He's not completely mean when he tells you to let them cry-it-out, he tries to get you to see that letting babies that are older than 4 months fall asleep on their own is equivalent to giving them their food or medicine. This was EXTREMELY hard for me, but luckily it only took two nights for BB to learn how to fall back asleep on her own. That first night was a doozy, but she picked it up fast :)
• Believes that healthy naps => healthy sleep habits. He asks you to plan your schedule around the baby's nap time. This can be difficult to do, but very well worth it.
• He also recommends a structured night time routine and an early sleepy time. This was a major revelation for me, because I didn't listen to the Baby Whisperer. I thought putting BB to sleep around 10 was the best and would give me the chance for a longer sleep period. Ha ha. Ha ha. What a fool I was! BB always started getting fuzzy around 7, too - duh, Cynthia! BB was tired! Now she goes to sleep at 7:30-8 and is so much less fuzzy

In the end, I learned that you have to keep trying things until you find what works for your baby. I recommend having lots and LOTS of patience and letting your baby reach the sleeping-through-the-night milestone on their time. Of course, I try to give my BB the best chance at doing that by trying to follow a good nap schedule, establishing a good night-time routine and still having lots of patience - I wish they sold patience in bulk sometimes :)

Have you guys read these books or know of any others that you'd recommend? Do you even believe in reading parenting books? I am all for them because learning to be a parent is a life-long process IMHO!

Hope you had a great weekend :)

ADios!

Foodie Friday: Derkilicious!

Workout: 30ish minute walk :(



Did you watch last night's game? Was it not "Derkilicious"? I do believe this new word can be classified as "ridonculous".

Look at me, getting all fancy-schmanzy and cultured on you guys ;)

I'm actually pulling for a game 7 so I'm going for the Heat in the next game! How 'bout you?

Last night after the game, (and after finishing watching this week's the Voice) I made myself go to bed around 10:30ish. I was feeling all proud because I'm trying to go to bed earlier so I can wake up for my AM workouts.

Note to self: don't take your nook with you to bed when you're in the middle of the following page turner that has to be digitally returned this week:




I ended up reading until 11:45 and knew I was going to sleep through my alarm - and I did :(

I made up for it by more walks and eating sensibly - booo! We all know I work out so I can fill up on all the yumminess that surrounds me :)

To help me through this, I actually took pics for my Foodie Friday post. I was playing with my new Vignette app on my phone and here are today's goods:

  

It all started with my "Derkelicious" carrot-cake burritos - I was so looking forward to it. Notice the coffee filter - we ran out of paper towels at work and I made do. Yesterday I forgot to mention that I blended the banana + carrots, added all the "magical" stuff then let the chia seeds do their thing over night. Oh so good!

 Lunch was home-made baba-ganoush, walnuts, greens +  whole-wheat tortilla.

Kids - iced coffee + honey = no bueno! Just look at this unhappy face:

I ended it up giving it to RC - that's what I get for trying new things!

Dinner was an old, healthy favorite: Sesame Chicken and veggies over brown rice. We also had some peach sherbert (it was really good) and now I'm enjoyin' my bowl of oats :)

Recently we got into this pattern of going out to eat Friday, Sat + Sunday. I'm trying to cut back down to only twice a week and I actually enjoyed making this meal. I think it helps knowing that I didn't have to go into the office tomorrow. Yay for weekends!

How often do you guys go out?

Have a great weekend!!!

ADios :)

A Foodie Natter: Carrot Cake Burritos!

Workout: 1.75 mi in 16 minutes




Me: I forgot to tell you, I made the most incredible breakfast burritos (exaggerate much, do I?)
Michelle: Ooh, what'd you make?
Me: Oh, it was so good and so easy to make. I'll have to make a batch for you guys next week. They were my carrot cake breakfast burritos!

That's right, folks - you heard it: Carrot Cake Breakfast Burritos!

I had to roast some eggplant because my weekly pot of roasted veggies wasn't going to get me through the week. I had some carrots out so I decided to roast those as well.

When I was prepping my banana + nut butter breakfast burrito (also delicious), it hit me - carrot cake breakfast burritos. Oh my gosh - a true foodie revelation!

Here's the magical ingredient list:

• 1 large banana
• 2 medium roasted carrots
• 1/4 raisins (I like to plump them up by microwaving them in water for a minute)
• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 2 T chia seeds
• dash of anise + cinnamon

Here's the nutritional info courtesy of myfitnesspal.com


Not too shabby for a truly delicious treat! I felt like I was cheating, it was that good!

BTW, anise is quickly becoming my favorite sweet spice. That's right cinnamon, you better watch out!

My parents always add it to their sweet tamales (which are incredible) and I barely realized I would like that taste in other places like my oatmeal, or these burritos.

I don't know much about spices and tend to play it safe. Are there any spice combinations that you absolutely love?

In terms of my workout, talk about squeezing it in! I woke up at 5:45 thanks to my alarm hubby (I didn't even hear my alarm this time) and decided to try to run a mile. The energy started slowly oozing out and I was able to get 1.75 in and still get to work on time!

I gotta give it up for these mini-workouts, I know they're short but at least I'm doing something :)
Do you have any favorite short workout ideas?

I know I'm rambling now, but just so you know - I take back what I said about yesterday's yoga! I'm all sorts of sore in the core area. Areas that I didn't even know where possible - so you GO my favorite online yoga instructor!

NBA Game 5 - woo hoo! I gotta say - it's been a most exciting series :)

Oh also, my diet was derailed today not by dingoes, but by a work baby shower. So many goodies, so little will power. They did have the most darling baby diaper bike:




ADios!