Quick Yummy Lunch

We've been busy round these parts. We're in full remodel mode right now trying to get our house ready to put on the market. Did I mention that we found the perfect house for our family in the perfect location for the perfect price? So, now we've got to get our little home ready to sell and get a movin'!!
That means I've been painting like a mad women, cleaning out our rooms/closets and donating all the junk we've accumulated over 9  years of living here, and trying to make some this house look like someone else's dream home.

In the busyness of it all it would be super easy to just grab lunch out while I'm making multiple runs to Home Depot or Lowe's.  I'm trying to avoid that though.  I've found a great lunch I can have here at home that's not only super quick, but also healthy.  I got some frozen salmon patties at Costco and I can cook those up in about 10 minutes.  They're great on a whole grain sandwich thin loaded with fresh spinach and smeared with some Laughing Cow Light cheese.  A side of apples is the perfect addition.  

Time Flies

Goodness gracious!  It's been so long since I've blogged.
Time flies when you're having fun and then it drags and drags when you're sicker that sick.

For a couple of weeks we were super duper busy and having lots and lots of fun.  The hubs and I went on two spectacular dates (we saw The Artist, which I highly recommend!! and we had dinner and a fabulous restaurant, Bess' Bistro, in downtown Austin).  I even curled my hair!

Yes, that's me in old school curlers.  I have 4 kids people!  I don't have time to use one of those fancy curling irons.

And I mean who wouldn't want to look their best for this guy?  He makes me weak in the knees.

We celebrated my sweet grandmother's 80 birthday.  Her favorite color is purple (she wanted to paint her entire house purple) so we all wore purple and had a wonderful surprise party for her.

I took lots of pictures of her and her eyes were closed in every single one.  BTW, all my grandparents are still living.  I am so blessed that not only do I get to enjoy spending time with them, but my kids are getting to know them too.

Then the sickness hit.  It.hit.all.of.us.  We all got a stomach bug.  It went through us one at a time, just dragging out the misery.  So we had about 12 days of being home bound and the hubs and I cleaning puke off the floor because several little ones couldn't make it to the bathroom/bucket to save their lives.

I think we're finally back to being semi-normal (you can only be a little normal in our family), so things are looking up!  I might actually get to hit the gym tomorrow.  Oh my word.  Time alone at the gym.  I can't wait.

Rapunzel, Rapunzel Let Down Your Long Hair

I mentioned the other day that I've been taking Biotin on a daily basis for my hair and nails.  I just wanted to take a quick minute to show you the proof that it really works. 

This picture is from September.  I had just gotten it cut and it hit right above my chest.

This picture is from this weekend.  My hair has probably grown 4 or 5 inches in 5 or so months.

My hair is in such better shape since I started using Biotin.  It's thicker, shinier, fuller.  It's just great. I get complimented on it all the time. 

I like to keep my nails short, but they're growing like crazy.  I have to clip them at least once a week to keep them the length that I want.  I used to have huge problems with my nails peeling (you know where they'd just sort of split apart at the top).  I don't have that problem anymore.  They're hard as rocks.

I got my Biotin at Costco.  You're supposed to take 3 pills and I split it up during the day.  I take one with each meal (along with my Fish Oil and CLA).  I think if I took it all at once it might upset my stomach.

Anyway, if you're wanting to grow your hair or nails out I definitely recommend taking Biotin.  It's for sure helped me.

What's Working For Me

I lost got rid of 4 pounds last week.  I haven't lost gotten rid of that much in a week since I did the detox.  I'm feeling great about it.

Source: eat-clean-train-mean.tumblr.com via Heather on Pinterest

I wanted to share a couple of things that I've been doing that I really feel like have helped me to shed the pounds.

1.  I'm working out like a mad woman.  I'm doing an hour of cardio, plus strength training 5 times a week.  I've also thrown in several 90 minute Bikram Yoga classes on top of that.  Hello Calorie Burn!

2.  I'm being extremely mindful of every single thing I put in my mouth.  I'm trying to eat 100% clean foods (nothing processed).  The key word here is trying.  I've eaten 1/2 a whole wheat bagel thing several mornings and I ate several foods at our Super Bowl Party that weren't clean.  Overall though, it's been mostly clean.  For breakfast I usually eat 1/2 a whole wheat bagel thin topped with a couple of egg whites or steel cut oats with blueberries.  I also have some coffee with unsweetened vanilla almond milk.  For lunch I'll either have a Green Monster Smoothie or a big spinach salad.  For dinner I'll have some grilled chicken breast or salmon with brown rice and veggies.  If I get hungry during the day between meals I'll have a metabolic reset shake or an apple with some peanut butter.  It's all pretty boring food, but it's working for me right now.  I'm sure I'll get sick of it soon and have to jazz it up a little.
I'm also drinking a ton of water.  This hasn't really been an issue since I started doing Bikram.  It makes me so thirsty that I can't get enough water.

3.  I had a big talk with my hubs.  You know the one..."I'm fat.  I hate being fat.  I hate that you have a fat wife.  You deserve better.  So on and so forth."  He was so sweet and said I was beautiful and that he loved me, but he also said he doesn't want me to be unhappy and he wants me to be healthy.  So I asked him to keep me accountable for what I eat and how much I'm exercising.  He hasn't really had to say anything to me.  Just knowing he's watching has helped keep me in track.  He's awesome.

4.  I'm consistently taking a couple of supplements.  CLA, Fish Oil and Biotin.  I don't really know if these have helped me git rid of the weight, but I'm sure they're not hurting.  My body definitely needs the Omega 3 from the fish oil and the CLA is supposed to have good weight loss benefits.  Since I've been taking the Biotin my hair and nails have been growing like crazy!  My hair seems so much thicker and I know a lot less of it is falling out (it seemed like it never stopped falling out after I had my last baby).  Like I said, I don't know for a fact that these are helping, but I feel good about them.

That's about it.  There's no miracle pill or exercise, I'm just working hard to achieve the results that I want.  There you have it.

Oh Bikram, How I Love Thee

I did my third Bikram yoga class this weekend and I'm hooked.  I love it.  It is so hot and so intense and so hard, but it is so good and I'm in love.

Seriously, I'm not sure I've ever sweated this much in my whole life.  It's 105 degrees in that room!  I look like I took a shower with my clothes on.
Here I am 15 minutes after I finish all sweaty and red faced.  Don't let the smile fool you.  I thought I might die.

If you know me you know I'm not a morning person, but I got up at 5:15 (yes in the AM!) and went to a 6 am class because that was the only time I could go.  That's how much I love this class.
Besides the fact that I nearly sweat to death and bend my body into positions that I didn't think were humanly possible another great thing about Bikram is that it makes it so easy for me to drink my 100 ounces of water.  I drink at least 32 ounces during the class and another 32 pretty soon after.  I have to or I feel like I might die.  I've been freezing my water before I go so that it starts to melt during the class and it stays nice and cold throughout the 90 minutes.
If you haven't tried a Bikram class yet you really should.  I was afraid I would be the biggest person in the class and the least flexible, but that wasn't the case at all.  I felt totally comfortable and I'm so glad that I am going.

Best Friends, Best Super Bowl Party

I seriously believe that I have the best friends in the whole world. They are amazing. We love each other like family and I can't imagine my life without them.

This weekend they threw the best Super Bowl Party ever. They've got an enormous front yard and set up a screen to watch the game outside and brought out a couch, chairs, and fire pit. There was also TONS of yummy food. I contributed chips and salsa and Pioneer Woman BBQ Jalapeno Poppers.

Here's Jerad and Eli in front of the fire pit ready to watch the game!

The boys got to make some s'mores, which they thought was awesome.

It was kinda cold so we enjoyed the game snuggled under a blanket on the couch. My oldest may have been a little worried about the game.

Here's me with three of my little rascals and Lindsay with her one little football player. I love her boy and you can see how much Seth loves her!

One of the great things about my friends is that when they get an idea in their head they go all out.  They decided they wanted to use the Super Bowl as a way to meet more people in their neighborhood.  They put fliers on the doors of houses all around the neighborhood and invited everyone to the party.  Lots of people they'd never met before stopped by and hung out.  It was incredible.  I see lots of movie nights in their yard coming up in the future and they are going to make a huge impact on their community (did I mention that Lindsay and her husband both teach at the same high school?  She works with the "at risk" kids and he's the Athletic Director and Head Football Coach.).   

I am so thankful for the people God chose to put in my life.  They make life fun and are there when life isn't fun and help make it better.

Lord, Send Me

Everyday I pray for God to send people to help rescue those that are in slavery.  The children in bondage, the women and men enslaved around the world.  I pray that God would raise up an army to rescue the helpless and hurting and oppressed.  I pray that He would move in the hearts of people to take a stand against modern day slavery and bring redemption to those that have been sold as property and not valued as human life.

Today I stopped praying all those things.  I stopped asking for God to send someone and I started asking for God to send me. 
Lord, use my hands to loose the bonds of wickedness and undo the heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free  Isaiah 58:6

Lord, use my feet to go to where others will not go, to walk the path You've laid out before me

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:  

"Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?"  

Then I said, "Here am I!  Send me."  

Isaiah 6:8