tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837554829862578542024-03-13T08:08:53.361-07:00Urban MommaGone CountryStephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.comBlogger269125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-75637501428899670392015-11-04T07:14:00.000-08:002015-11-04T07:14:40.023-08:00Ultimate Reset Results!! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am so excited to share more in depth about my experience with the Ultimate Reset! I know a lot of you have been following my journey the last 3 weeks, so first let me share what led me to begin the Ultimate Reset! <br />
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It's no secret that I have struggled with my nutrition and have gained a lot of weight. And I am a Beachbody Coach, for crying out loud, so I should have it all together, right? Wrong. I am human. I struggle. Last year was extremely stressful for me, and I ate my way through it. And then, I didn't know when to stop. I realized my unhealthy obsession with food. But once I gained so much, I felt helpless, which I know so many people do. I felt defeated, like I couldn't start one more time, like I wouldn't follow through. But something needed to happen. I felt so defeated, that I just kept eating. Now mind you, I LOVE working out, and I don't mind working out 6 days a week. But the saying, "you can't out-exercise a bad diet" is true. I worked out like crazy, but I also kept eating way too much and the wrong foods to boot. I struggle big time with my eating habits. <br />
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My husband kept mentioning that he thought the Ultimate Reset would be a good idea. I knew a little bit about it, but not that much. I knew it was something that Beachbody had, that people got great results, and just a few tidbits about it. I have had gallstones, gallstone "attack" symptoms, little nodules under my skin, and stuff that Tad thought the Ultimate Reset could possibly help. As well as clean out my body of all the crap I have put in it. <br />
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So, I finally decided that I wanted to do it. It seemed scary. I didn't know what all it entailed. But am I ever so glad I made that decision. I just needed something to kick my butt in gear and show me that I do have self-discipline, I can do hard things, and I can follow through with something that seems so daunting. The financial investment was a huge motivator. There is no reason to spend the money and then not follow through. The bracelet they give you was a great motivator for a visual person who likes to see their visual commitment. And plus, the fact that this program cleans out the toxins, removes food groups for a time, and resets your body to healthy functioning is great motivation to not cheat. There's no reason to do it if you are going to undo the work that is being done by the healthy eating and supplements!! <br />
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So, here's a short explanation of what the Ultimate Reset is, and then I'll share my results!! <br />
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The Ultimate Reset isn't just a cleanse, or a detox. It is those things, but it is a longer program than most, because they want an easier, more gradual cleansing of your system. There are 3 phases: Reclaim, Release, and Restore. There are supplements on a schedule for each phase, and during each phase, you are eliminating more food groups. They want your body to work on easy digestion and restoring your cells, so some of the harsher food groups as well as strenuous working out are eliminated for this time. They give you a recipe guide with a specific meal plan for each day, and there are shopping lists for each phase available online. It did take a lot of work in the kitchen each day, but that is part of the process. Being part of the making of your own food, and even doing conscious eating, deep breathing, and being more conscious of your sleeping and drinking!! It is about more than just weight loss, or detoxing, it is an all-encompassing spiritual journey where you are encouraged to take time to walk outside, get into nature, do yoga, and practice deep breathing. <br />
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So, here are my results!! <br />
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-Clearer skin<br />
-More energy (not that I was never tired, but there were afternoons that I would usually be sluggish, where I would be surprised at my energy level!)<br />
-Weight loss<br />
-Looser jeans, actually out of my 2 main pairs of jeans!! <br />
-13 POUNDS GONE!! <br />
-9 INCHES GONE!! <br />
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<em>Just so you know, I am mortified to show you these pics, and I have never shared anything like this before. But I figure, if you do all the work to come read my blog, and are scrolled down to this point, you might as well really see the difference in my before/after pic. OMG!!! </em><br />
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I am so proud of my results!! If I can do this, anyone can. And it just proves to me that I had that hard-driven self-discipline inside me all along. I just wasn't tapping into it! And this is just the beginning of my journey and my Before/After pics!! Follow my journey, and see where this springboard will take me!! <br />
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And if you want to check out what the Ultimate Reset is, check out <a href="http://myultimatereset.com/steph4given">myultimatereset.com/steph4given</a>!<br />
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And if you are interested in starting your own health/fitness journey, please let me know!! I am an online Fitness Coach, and it is my mission to help people find a program that will work for them, and to Coach them through to see real results!! <br />
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My next Challenge group will be starting Monday, November 30! It will be a 21 day Boot Camp to get results before Christmas!! I still have spots available!! Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-83000176038677832702015-07-23T08:10:00.000-07:002015-07-23T08:11:37.657-07:00Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken & Veggies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love me a good slow cooker meal. I like slow cooker meals more because of the convenience of throwing everything into the crockpot in the morning or at lunch time, and then dinner is done. I can smell it cooking all day, and I don't have to run around like a crazy person trying to prep dinner in the afternoon! Don't get me wrong, I do love to cook. And I love making a meal. But sometimes, life gets hectic and I don't feel like putting forth the effort of chopping and prepping and cooking. Sometimes I just want to eat when I'm hungry, without working for an hour to make the meal. I have more energy in the mornings, and it's easier to throw it all in the crockpot! <br />
But, with that convenience, there comes a price. My husband has often commented that slow-cooker meals aren't usually as tasty. It seems like there is always something missing, or it's not flavored enough, or it's just not amazing. So when I find a slow-cooker meal that is amazing, and the whole family loves it, I know it's a winner and must be documented!! So, that is what I'm sharing with you today! A slow-cooker meal that is to die for, and one the whole family will love! <br />
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<a href="http://damndelicious.net/2015/06/05/slow-cooker-honey-garlic-chicken-and-veggies/"><em>Slow Cooker Garlic Chicken & Veggies</em></a><br />
<a href="http://damndelicious.net/2015/06/05/slow-cooker-honey-garlic-chicken-and-veggies/"><em>Damn Delicious</em></a><br />
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8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs<br />
16 ounces baby red potatoes, halved<br />
16 ounces baby carrots<br />
16 ounces green beans, trimmed<br />
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves<br />
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<em>For the sauce:</em> <br />
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce<br />
1/2 cup honey<br />
1/4 cup ketchup<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 teaspoon dried basil<br />
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano<br />
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper<br />
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In a large bowl, mix together the soy sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and pepper. <br />
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Put the chicken thighs, potatoes, carrots, green beans, and soy sauce mixture into a 6-qt slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, basting every hour.<br />
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Optional: Preheat oven to broil. Place chicken thighs onto a baking sheet, skin side up, and broil until crisp, about 3-4 minutes. <br />
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Serve chicken right away with potatoes, carrots, and green beans, garnished with parsley, if desired. <br />
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Bon appetite!! This was so good! And both times I've made it, I didn't have it in the crockpot more than 4 hours, and the veggies weren't done. So I took the chicken out and broiled it, as per the instructions above, which gave it an amazing crisp from that delectable sauce. And I took out all the veggies and sauce and boiled it on the stovetop for about 10 minutes, or until the veggies were soft. Last night, we had to eat at church, so I did all that and then threw it back in the crockpot and took it with us! It was the perfect transportable, one-pot meal! Smells amazing, too! <br />
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I hope you will try it! Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-32399021638941979502015-03-16T12:33:00.000-07:002015-03-16T12:33:33.933-07:00Hope in the Pit of Depression<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's no secret that this past year has been one of the most challenging for me. I won't go into details as to why, but the extra strain has caused issues with depression/anxiety like I don't normally struggle with. I have always been quite an emotional person (I'm a girl, give me a break!) but not always what I would consider depression. I still don't think that I've experienced depression to the full degree, like I know some people do. I know I haven't.<br />
However, it feels as though my emotions take over sometimes, and when my logical brain tells me that something isn't that big of a deal, my body and emotions take over and say, "Wait a minute, buddy, this a huge deal and we're not going down without a fight!" It's exhausting, really. And while I don't know any of the medical side of these things, and have no idea how depression and anxiety are linked, I do know that I don't want to live here. It has been so bad lately that I have lost sleep, and have been afraid to be around certain groups of people. I tell you this not to just spill all my dirty laundry, but I have always been about being an open book, telling it like it is, and about transparency.That has always been kind of my mission, something important to me. I don't think we were meant to bottle things up inside, never share them with anyone (especially the body of Christ), and go on as though everything were okay. I'm also not for sharing every little deep, dark secret and not moving forward. But I think on the flip side, that we tend to stuff things down, especially in the church, and pretend like we are okay. When we're not. We're so not. <br />
So again, I don't claim to be an expert in the fields of depression and anxiety, but I know for me, there are certain things that I think are important in combating these feelings, and I want to try my best to move forward with these things so as to combat the devil's push to drag me down with him. Here are the things I want to engage in more, especially as the feelings of depression/anxiety overtake me:<br />
<br />
1. Getting sufficient sleep<br />
2. Getting a high-intensity workout <br />
3. Taking care of myself and eating healthy<br />
4. Being in the Word and daily connected to God<br />
5. Being intentional about being around the people who love/care for me<br />
6. Counseling with solid, wise, godly women who care about me<br />
7. Memorizing Scripture, writing it on notecards, keeping it near me and in front of me<br />
8. Using essential oils that can calm and soothe<br />
9. Listening to the Holy Spirit's guidance for my life (not trying to run the show on my own)<br />
10. Realizing that when I am weak, He is strong. He wants me to learn to rely on Him.<br />
11. Trust in Him. He's got this. I don't have to carry it on my own. <br />
12. Set aside time to do things that are enjoyable to me. (Sitting in the sun, reading a book, cooking, listening to music, getting away by myself, date nights with my husband, a walk on the trail with the kids.)<br />
13. Filling my mind with positive, true things. Listening to podcasts of sermons, worship music, books on cd. That I would consciously fill my mind with the positive and true instead of passively filling it with worldly TV shows, songs that don't speak truth, and people's talk that doesn't align with God's plan and truth. <br />
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So, those are just some suggestions. Things that have been rolling around in my head lately about how I can combat these ugly feelings. These feelings that overwhelm, try to take over, try to take me out of the game to advance His kingdom and feel His blessings. Through Him we are more than conquerors. I don't need to bow my head in shame. I don't need to compete with other people. I don't need to worry about situations. I don't need to have a pity party. He is all-sufficient. He is enough. Satan is feeding me lies that I don't need to entertain for one second. Out with the old, in with the new. I am a new creation in Christ. <br />
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I hope this will be an encouragement to someone. Someone out there who feels alone, like no one understands, or can't get over that hump. Be proactive in getting help, seeking out truth, and not bowing to the one who is trying to pull you down. I'm not speaking on my high hill because I've done all these things and I'm perfect now. I'm speaking as one who is in the pit, and looking to get out. Maybe we can do it together. If you have an encouraging word, quote, verse, or things that have helped you out of the pit, please post them below! Sometimes we need to just know we're not alone. Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-90568800194569982532015-02-14T07:20:00.001-08:002015-02-14T07:20:26.518-08:00Week 5 Results and a Motivational Talk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, sorry I'm a few days late but I think I will start blogging about my results on Saturdays instead of Mondays! I had a goal to have a perfect week, and though that didn't happen completely,<em> </em>I did much better and can really see that eating healthy and using my containers for my nutrition has become a habit for me! That's the awesome part! I'm not fighting against myself as much because I know that eating healthy and using my portion containers is what I will be doing each day. I do still struggle against myself, though, and find that the evenings and weekends can be especially hard. There are also lots of holidays, special events, holidays, etc. but I once heard that if you count up all of those events it's like over 120 days out of the year! In other words, we will not continue to move much closer to our goals if we let ourselves slip every time there is some kind of special event. In other words, we have to have self-control! <br />
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And it can be hard to have self-control in situations where we had previously let ourselves eat whatever we wanted to, in whatever portion sizes we wanted. To go into those situations with renewed focus, set on our goals for ourselves, and not listening to the well-meaning friends and co-workers who are not living out <em>our</em> journey towards <em>our</em> goals, and politely say "no, thank you." <br />
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No one can make you reach <em>your</em> dreams. No one can even set your dreams for you. No. You set the bar high. You write them down. You put in the blood, sweat, and tears. And then you get to glory in your results. That's what being a Coach is all about. Helping people to see their potential, to envision what their lives could be like if they set their mind to reach their goals. And that's the beauty of our Challenge groups as well. I am committed to you getting healthy and reaching your goals. You are in a group with others who are doing the same thing. And together you motivate and encourage each other to keep pushing play and saying "no" to the things that pull you away from your goals and "yes" to the things that push you towards them. And when you feel weak and vulnerable, you have that Challenge group to encourage you, give you the words you need, and to keep pushing forward!! Well, those are my tips for the week! And without further ado, here are my current results:<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>5 pounds lost</em></span></strong><br />
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Slow and steady wins the race. I am still in this. Still fighting. Still pushing play. I have moved into the Beta round with T25 and am really enjoying the new set of workouts. Yesterday was double day and I got Core Cardio and Upper Focus done. Felt so good! <br />
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So if you're in the place in your life where you're ready to make a change, then do it. Set the bar high. Reach out to others who will help you reach your goals. No one can stop you but you. And I am here to help. I am here to Coach you, cheer you on, answer any questions you may have, and to be your encouragement everyday. That's what I do! And I would love to help you reach your goals!! Envision yourself reaching them, and that's a great place to start! <br />
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And as always, I am here to help. If you want to get started on your health and fitness journey, I'd love to be there for you! Fill out this form to get started, and I will get in contact with you! <br />
<a href="https://steph4given.wufoo.com/forms/z1vf6znx03uidy5/">https://steph4given.wufoo.com/forms/z1vf6znx03uidy5/</a>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-8017077327673231012015-02-13T12:50:00.001-08:002015-02-13T12:50:19.030-08:00Green Chili Stew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I haven't been using my slow-cooker as much as I'd like, and the other day I just wanted to throw something in for dinner to make my evening easier. I wanted to find a recipe that used stuff I already had, and I knew I wanted to use some ground turkey, since I had it thawing in the fridge. So, I pulled out my trusty "Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: Feasting with your Slow Cooker" and was perusing it to find something that would fit the bill. I came across this <em>Green Chili Stew,</em> and seeing that I had all the ingredients, decided to make it! <br />
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The recipe actually calls for ground sirloin and ground pork, but I swapped in the ground turkey. I actually didn't even see that it called for the pork, and though it would have made it even tastier, I didn't have any on hand. And let me tell you, it was just fine with the ground turkey! Usually, slow cooker recipes aren't always the best tasting recipes. Easy? Yes. Time-saving? Yes. Makes the evening less chaotic? Yes. But often the slow cooker meals are just missing something. They just aren't as tasty as the regular home-cooked meal. So I wasn't expecting much from this recipe. <br />
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But oh my, was I wrong about how this would taste! It was so good, and even my kids were scarfing it down like they hadn't eaten all day! I LOVE recipes like those! To feed all 5 of us is one thing, but to find something that we all love and want more of? Score! So, I can't wait to share this recipe with you! I will give you the exact recipe out of the cookbook, and then tell you my variations and suggestions! <br />
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<strong>Green Chili Stew</strong><br />
<em>Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook</em><br />
Jeanne Allen<br />
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3 Tbsp. oil<br />
2 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1 large onion, diced<br />
1 lb. ground sirloin<br />
1/2 lb. ground pork<br />
3 cups chicken broth<br />
2 cups water<br />
2 4-oz. cans diced green chilies<br />
4 large potatoes, diced<br />
10-oz. pkg. frozen corn<br />
1 tsp. black pepper<br />
1 tsp. crushed dried oregano<br />
1/2 tsp. ground cumin<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
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1. Brown onion, garlic, sirloin, and pork in oil in skillet. Cook until meat is no longer pink. <br />
2. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.<br />
3. Cover. Cook on Low 4-6 hours, or until potatoes are soft. <br />
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<strong>Note</strong>: Excellent served with warm tortillas or corn bread.<br />
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This is the exact recipe. Now I'll tell you how I made it! <br />
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I did not have sirloin or pork, so I used ground turkey and it was delicious. I peeled the potatoes before I diced them, and I cooked it on high for about 6 hours. I have found that if I am cooking potatoes in a slow cooker, they have a hard time getting done unless they are on high for awhile. I used homemade chicken broth that I made from the bones of a whole chicken, so I'm sure that added some yummy flavor. I debated about putting black beans in, but I didn't. We served them up with corn tortillas that we fried in a pan for a couple minutes on each side. The kids were begging for more and I couldn't fry those tortillas fast enough! It also made enough that we had it another night for dinner this week! <br />
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You should definitely try this recipe soon! So simple and so tasty! <br />
<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-46121554561803278692015-02-02T06:54:00.001-08:002015-02-02T06:54:29.057-08:00Week 4 Results and My Perfect Week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, honestly, last week kind of killed me! My hormones were in full swing and I used that as an excuse, to my shame. But I don't want to dwell on <br />
the past! That's what can get me down, and I'm just going to keep moving forward! But also, my weight fluctuates so much throughout the week, and that is normal as well. I had actually hit the 5 pound weight loss goal last week, but it has gone up some since then. I am still at a loss of about 2.5 pounds, and the Superbowl party we went to last night didn't help! But my goal for this week is to have a perfect week! To stop making excuses and to plan for all my containers to be used each day. The containers are from the 21 Day Fix and it tells me how many of each container to eat each day. <br />
So to catch some people up on what I do each day, I am doing T25 for my workouts, which has Shaun T as the trainer. I go through 5 weeks of the Alpha round, and I am in my fifth week this week. Then, I move on to the Beta round for 5 weeks. I am thinking about doing the 21 Day fix after that (meaning the workouts along with the nutrition portion) and then moving onto the new 21 Day Fix Extreme after that! It comes out today, and I'm really excited to get it here in a few weeks! <br />
So, for each day, this is what the 21 Day Fix allows me to eat:<br />
<br />
4 Green containers (vegetables)<br />
3 Purple containers (fruit)<br />
4 Red containers (protein, and Shakeology counts as one red container)<br />
1 Orange container (Nuts, seeds, Fix dressings)<br />
1 Blue container (Healthy Fats)<br />
4 teaspoons (nut butters, oils to cook with)<br />
<br />
So, as you can see, the 21 Day Fix eating is clean eating. No processed foods, no sugar, no junk. But they do allow for 3 "cheat" drinks each week and 3 "cheat" snacks each week. So you can have wine or almond milk or juice for cheat drinks and chocolate chips or chocolate covered raisins or other things for your cheat snacks. It tells you all about it in the guide! I love that it allows for cheats and doesn't expect you to be completely perfect for 3 weeks! It is so effective that most people who do it just continue rounds of it because they love how it's simple, it's effective, and you don't have to count calories!! <br />
So this week, I am committing to a perfect week. Hopefully, no cheats, except for what the Fix allows me. We even have pizza day tomorrow at our homeschool co-op, but I am going to have what the Fix allows me to have for pizza, and leave it at that. I don't need 3 pieces! <br />
So stay tuned for next week's results and see if I stuck to a perfect week! <br />
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And as always, message me for help with your health and fitness. I have my next Fitness Challenge group starting on Monday, February 23! I would love to help you get started on your Fitness journey! Also, check out my page on Facebook, <em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/stephjourney?ref=aymt_homepage_panel">Steph's Healthy Journey</a></em>!! Click Like and Get Notifications to see me in your news feed! I feature healthy recipes, motivation, and keep you in the loop about special promotions, new workout programs, and how I can help you!! <br />
If you want to take the next step and contact me, then fill out my form <em><a href="https://steph4given.wufoo.com/forms/z1vf6znx03uidy5/">here</a></em> and I will get in contact with you and talk about how you can start your Fitness Journey with me at your side, cheering you on, and with other people keeping you accountable in one of my Challenge groups! <br />
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-68524950086391922162015-01-26T15:07:00.001-08:002015-01-26T15:07:25.863-08:00Week 3 Results<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, it has been 21 days officially since I began this journey. I took a few days off last weekend, ashamedly, but I got right back on track after that. I know I missed my week 2 results, and the reasons for that are that it was a holiday weekend, I took a few days off and wasn't disciplined in my eating, we were staying at someone else's house, and I didn't weigh in on that Monday. So, I'm so sorry about that! But I am happy to report my week 3 results to you! <br />
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<strong><em>4 pounds lost</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>1 inch off the belly</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>1 inch off the chest</em></strong><br />
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It might not sounds like much, and honestly, I wish it was more. But the truth of the matter is, I'm also building muscle as I burn fat, and muscle weighs more than fat. So just because the numbers don't reflect a huge weight loss so far, slow and steady wins the race! So, I'm happy. I'm coming up on my 5 pound reward, which is to treat myself to an espresso drink from Starbucks or Five80 (a local coffee shop) since I have free cards for both places. Money is tight right now, so I figured a free reward for my first 5 pound goal was a good idea! And of course I won't be going for a 400-500 calorie drink! Just something simple and low calorie, but definitely a treat for me! Good options at coffee shops include coffee, a latte with skim (almond, soy) milk and sugar free syrups, a cappuccino, or iced tea. Things along those lines. Stay away from the frappuccinos, mochas, and drinks with lots of added "sugar items." The calories add up quickly and you would be surprised how many calories they are! Just look up the caloric content if you don't believe me! <br />
So, that's all for now! Stay tuned for next week's results! They will be posted here on my blog next Monday! <br />
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-46110979178270260942015-01-23T19:56:00.003-08:002015-01-23T19:56:59.812-08:00Egg Muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am almost 21 days into my weight loss journey, and it takes 21 days to build a habit, so I think I'm doing pretty good! I came across this recipe for these egg muffins, and I altered it with a few things, and they tasted awesome! So awesome that I didn't want to share, and so I made a whole other batch of them so my family can enjoy them and I will still have some for myself for the next week or so! <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Egg Muffins</strong></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>12 eggs, whisked, with 4 yolks removed</em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>veggies of your choice (about 1 cup) (I used onions and sweet pepper)</em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>4 slices of turkey bacon</em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>cheddar cheese</em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>salt, pepper, garlic powder</em> </div>
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1. Fry the turkey bacon in a pan, and then set it aside on a paper towel.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMi-r62nq7X4VNP_katZ9MXTpDZnOf4Wak8zWH5viDpLZzLlz-Q_TzZ31saUUIalID2glgsuC8cHCqLG5cJYQwnXNKDSXqMGm7QztPObsyblMeA9ZLzLvYTM8RyaqYHQftGKjKragvxU0/s1600/20150123_103135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMi-r62nq7X4VNP_katZ9MXTpDZnOf4Wak8zWH5viDpLZzLlz-Q_TzZ31saUUIalID2glgsuC8cHCqLG5cJYQwnXNKDSXqMGm7QztPObsyblMeA9ZLzLvYTM8RyaqYHQftGKjKragvxU0/s1600/20150123_103135.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a><br />
2. Sauté the veggies until soft, adding salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste, and then add the turkey bacon, torn into pieces, back in. Mix together.<br />
3. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray, and then evenly divide the cooked veggies/turkey bacon between the muffin tins.<br />
4. Put the whisked eggs in a pourable container and pour the eggs into each muffin tin, filling about 3/4 full. <br />
5. Top with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese.<br />
6. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until cooked through, and the tops look semi-golden brown. <br />
<br />
You can store these in the fridge or freezer, and it would be best to double the recipe so you have some to freeze! The serving size is 2 egg muffins, especially if you are doing the 21 Day Fix containers! And that would count as 1 red, 1/2 green, and a small amount of blue (not even half!) Enjoy! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>It's a horrible picture, I'm so sorry!</em> </td></tr>
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These are seriously so delicious, so easy to make, and takes the work out of the morning's hectic schedule! Breakfast already made! Cook some up today! Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-3641137541447402452015-01-15T09:06:00.003-08:002015-01-15T09:06:20.419-08:00Healthy Meal IdeasI know for me, I love food! And hence, I am in the position where I need to lose so much weight! So I have to have a plan that allows me to be creative in my cooking, find things I like and enjoy, and not limit the endless possibilities in the kitchen! The 21 Day Fix affords me just that! With all the options of clean food that I can eat on the plan, the possibilities really are endless. There is also a really fun 21 Day Fix Meal Swap Facebook group that gives me new ideas as well! But there are so many meals that I can make for my family and then just know how much of it I can have. <br />
I am going to give you some examples of healthy breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks with links to the recipes or I will try to give you my recipe if I can! Here we go! <br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Favorite Breakfasts</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em><a href="http://www.onelovelylife.com/raspberry-museli/">Overnight raspberry museli</a></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>2 eggs</em> with veggies, salsa, and cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>waffle</em> with yogurt, fruit, and honey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>Fruit Smoothie</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>Shakeology </em>(see below, under snacks)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>Toast</em> with peanut butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Favorite Lunches</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>Can of tuna</em> with celery and onions, pickle relish, salt and pepper. Either plain, with lettuce, on whole wheat crackers, or on one piece of toast as a sandwich and eat the rest plain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>Stir fry</em>: chicken, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, peanuts, feta cheese, salsa verde. Served with or without a tortilla to wrap it in. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>Whole wheat spaghetti noodles</em> with pesto and feta cheese.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em><a href="http://chicagodavis.blogspot.com/2014/01/vegetable-stew-giambotta.html">Vegetable stew (Giambotta</a></em>): I will be making this soon! It is so yummy! Racheal Ray recipe!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Favorite Dinners</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em><strong>Sweet potato stir fry</strong></em>: sweet potatoes, turkey kielbasa, onions, sweet peppers, zucchini, and possibly some cheese on top! Recipe courtesy of a friend. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em><strong>Thai Basil Chicken</strong></em>: Soooo yummy! Just sauté chicken and red peppers together, add fresh basil leaves, and you have a meal! Serve with rice and have as a bowl or in tortillas! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><em>Meatloaf</em></strong> and homemade mashed potatoes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><em>Fish tacos</em></strong> with pico de gallo and shredded cabbage on corn tortillas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><em>Salmon</em></strong> (or tilapia, or any fish, really), quinoa, and sautéed veggies</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><em>Jerk Pork Tenderloin</em></strong> with spiced red potatoes and grilled pineapple </span><br />
<a href="http://thetwistedonion.com/home/jerk-pork-tenderloin-with-spiced-red-potatoes-grilled-pineapple/">http://thetwistedonion.com/home/jerk-pork-tenderloin-with-spiced-red-potatoes-grilled-pineapple/</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><em>Favorite Snacks</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>veggies and hummus</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>cottage cheese</em> with green grapes and cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>Shakeology:</em> One of my favorite recipes is Chocolate Shakeology with 2 tsp. peanut butter and 1/2 banana, I also add spinach and I don't even taste it! Strawberry Shakeology is actually my favorite, and I love it with orange juice or almond milk as the base, ice, spinach, and 1/2 banana! Yum! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>apple</em> (with or without peanut butter)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>2 hard-boiled eggs</em> with the yolks mixed with hummus, healthy devilled eggs! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">peanuts, sunflower seeds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Well, I hope this gives you some yummy options for healthy meals and snacks! And I hope it shows you that you don't have to eat boring, bland food and deprive yourself of anything yummy! You can even eat carbs on the 21 Day Fix!!! In moderation, of course! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">So, Happy "Dieting!" Message me if you would like to be a part of my next Fitness Challenge group where we post daily motivation, healthy recipes, fitness tips, and encouragement!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-44406832862661995392015-01-12T06:08:00.002-08:002015-01-12T06:08:58.106-08:00First Week Results<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Okay, so I completed my first week on my weight loss plan! To recap, I am doing the nutrition plan from the 21 Day Fix, and T25 for my workout plan for the next 10 weeks. I am also drinking Shakeology daily, which is a superfood meal replacement shake, and I usually have it in the afternoon so I can have extra energy to get through the sleepy afternoon time! I have about 50, yes 50 pounds to lose. I have lost weight before, but then lost focus and gained weight back. I am motivated this time and determined to lose this weight by the summer! Glad you are taking the time to follow me on this journey, and hopefully you will join me! <br />
I will admit that I wasn't perfect this week. Shocking! But coming from a holiday season that was full of sugar and sweets, overindulging, baking, and no boundaries, last week was a huge success for me. I didn't even have any sugar until Thursday night when we had my mother-in-law's birthday party. I had some serious sugar withdrawal headaches this week, ya'll! But the nice thing with the Fix plan is that they allow for 3 treats a week, plus 3 treat drinks a week. They know that it just might not be doable to expect perfection and no "cheating" on a clean eating plan. So, it works! <br />
The main day that was a struggle was Sunday. I am so used to just "taking off" on the weekends, and it's hard to continue that focus into the weekend, especially because there are usually special events. So that's really where I need to reign it in to continue seeing the best results. <br />
So, without further ado, here are my first week results:<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">2 pounds lost!!</span></strong><br />
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I know, I know, it isn't the Biggest Loser. It's not 5 or 10 pounds. But around 1-2 pounds a week is a healthy amount to lose each week, and I'm happy for a loss!! <br />
Stay tuned for weekly updates and results, and as always, please contact me if you are interested in one of my Fitness Challenge groups that are run on Facebook! I would love to Coach you through your journey! <br />
Also, I have a new page on Facebook called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stephjourney?ref=aymt_homepage_panel">Steph's Healthy Journey</a> and I would love for you to "Like" my page and click "Get Notifications" under that so that you see me in your news feed! <br />
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Have a great and healthy week! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><em>Keep Going!!!</em></span></strong> </td></tr>
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-11556166628617561192015-01-06T17:16:00.002-08:002015-01-06T17:16:58.460-08:00Early Riser Mom?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Awhile back, I wrote about the <em>Maximize Your Mornings Challenge</em> over at <em><a href="http://inspiredtoaction.com/">Inspired to Action</a></em>. It was basically a Challenge that I read about that challenged moms to get up before their kids in the morning to spend precious, quiet time with God, get some kind of workout in, and start to plan their day. There was some awesome accountability on Twitter, opportunities to study the same things in the morning, and just that mom camaraderie of being intentional together to make our health and relationship with God a priority. Over the years, I have gone back and forth between getting up early and sleeping in. But I must say, when I get up early, I have a head-start on my day, and when I sleep in, the day seems to run me. <br />
With all my responsibilities these days, I really need to get up before my kids, spend <em>quiet</em> time with God (the key word being <em>quiet</em>), get my workout in, and know what I need to get done that day. It seems so simple, and yet the concept is so profound. I want this to be a new habit this year. To consistently get up early. Not just now and then. Not just 2-3 times per week. But that my norm would be to set that alarm for 5:20 or earlier, and be disciplined enough to get going. On the <em>Maximize Your Mornings Challenge</em>, they even encourage moms to not hit the snooze button. To be disciplined enough to just get out of bed when the alarm goes off. Is it possible?<br />
I think being a stay-at-home mom affords me the opportunity for many freedoms in how to run my day. I am in charge. I am in charge of so many things. I am in charge of the house, finances, homeschooling my children, our CC community, my Beachbody business, the menu for the day (so essentially, the health of my family!), and so many more little things. It gets busy. I think when things get busy and overwhelming, the tendency can be to get lazy. To sleep in. To stay up late to "relax" but then struggle to get up in the morning. And these bad habits may be contributing to my "depression" and "anxiety" that have plagued me this last semester. I put quotes around these words to sort of label my feelings but not necessarily diagnose a super serious version of these things. <br />
So, as a New Year's Resolution of sorts, I want to commit to getting up early. And in doing that, to put my relationship with God and my health as 2 of my first priorities in my day. I get up, spend time with God (usually doing my Bible Study that is over the book of Galatians) and then do my workout for the day. I seem to be more motivated to get up when I know I am not working out right away. I get to drink my coffee and pre-workout formula, and just relax in God's Word in the quiet of my house! That kind of motivates me to get up!! <br />
The key to making this a reality is to plan the night before. If I don't lay out my pre-workout formula, coffee, Bible Study, workout clothes, tennis shoes, workout dvds, and water bottle the night before, then chances are I'm not going to get up at 5:20 and dig around for those things. <br />
I have to plan. I have to plan to succeed. And <strong>THAT</strong> is what I plan to do. <br />
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<em>How do you start your mornings?</em> <br />
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-63318836479458362852015-01-04T14:45:00.001-08:002015-01-04T14:45:23.670-08:00My Personal Weight Loss Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Okay, this is a risky, scary, put it all out there blog post, and I'm excited and scared to post it!! A lot of you know that I'm a Beachbody Coach, but a lot of you may not know that I struggle with my own weight. I, like a lot of you, struggle with emotional eating, and it's been an emotional semester for me. I have had a lot going on, and have been the busiest that I've been in awhile, not to mention emotional struggles that have been through the roof. That has reflected in my weight, gulp, <em>gain</em> over the last semester especially. But I know that for my health, as an example to my children, as a leader and a health and fitness Coach, that it's time for a change. It's time for me to publicly commit myself to what I want to help others do - get healthy. I have the tools for success. I have the Challenge groups, the most amazing meal replacement shake, phenomenal workout programs from Beachbody trainers, and now it's time for me to put that all together for my own success story. I do best with a high level of accountability, and this is going to be it. This blog. You all.<br />
I am going to post weekly how I did, my results, and my weight loss. Maybe eventually I will feel comfortable posting before pictures and weight amount, but for now, we'll just stick to weight loss amounts. Yes, it's scary having this kind of public accountability, but it's what I need. I need to get healthy and treat my body the way it is meant to be treated. As the temple of God. I need to run the race in such a way that I take care of myself so I can be the best mom, wife, homeschooling mom, Coach, Director, friend, and most importantly, the daughter of the King. <br />
So, who's with me? Does anyone want to commit themselves to this scary Challenge? Whether or not you want a Beachbody Challenge Pack and Facebook Challenge group or you just want to publicly declare that you, too want a change and are committed to putting it out there for accountability sake!! This is my big moment to commit. Are you there? <br />
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I am going to be doing the 21 Day Fix container system for my nutrition and T25 for my workouts. I plan to follow the T25 schedule for the next 10 weeks and then pick another program. I want to be more active, so if that means sneaking in a run, a Zumba class, playing at the park with my kids, or just adding in some extra squats or push-ups throughout the day, I want to strive for excellence! <br />
What's your plan? <br />
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-25098724610567045532015-01-01T09:44:00.001-08:002015-01-01T09:44:46.920-08:00New Year, New Me! New You? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I, for one, am so glad to have the holiday season over! I do love the holiday season, and everything that goes with it. But I'm also glad when it's done and ready to declutter my house of Christmas decorations, get back to our regular routines, and not have so much going on and things that need to be done in preparation for Christmas! <br />
Our Christmas season was filled with lots of fun things, memories made, and time with those we love. We only have a few days before we go back to school, CC, Bible Study, and the regular swing of things. I'm savoring these last few days of vacation! <br />
One thing I want to get in gear for is the classic weight loss plan that follows the holiday season! Yes, we all do it, and we all come up with plans, resolutions, join gyms, try it for a week, and then give up for the rest of the year. But what if there was a way to get all you need in a package that made sense, was easy to follow, and was proven to work?? <br />
I'm talking about the full Beachbody package. I'm a Beachbody Coach and we have amazing plans that work for people. Busy moms, hard-working people, people who need to lose weight, maintain weight, or need to start slowly for a large amount of weight to lose. <br />
The way it works, is that we have all kinds of workout programs to choose from. P90X, Insanity, T25, PiYo, Insanity Max 30, and the list goes on!!! <br />
But one of our most popular programs is called the 21 Day Fix, and it is on sale this month!!!!!!!! The 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack is on sale for the month of January and this is how it works:<br />
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<strong>Workout program</strong>: Comes with workouts for every day of the week, plus some extra workouts, all 30 minutes each.<br />
(always a modifier with every workout)<br />
<strong>Shakeology</strong>: Our superfood meal-replacement shake that tastes awesome, curbs cravings, and is proven to aid with weight loss (Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Greenberry, and Vegan flavors)<br />
<strong>Fix Container system</strong>: Portion containers that teach you how to measure out your food daily, eat clean, and not count calories. It's genius!! <br />
<strong>Challenge group</strong>: Daily accountability in a group of other people who are also going through their program, daily posts, and encouragement!<br />
<strong>Me as your Coach</strong>: I am committed to following you through your program and being your cheerleader as you work hard, get results, and have questions along the way<br />
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So if you, like me, are ready to make a change is 2015, then let's chat!! Fill out my form, and I will get in contact with you so we can figure out which program is best for you, how you can capitalize on your time this year, and how you can feel better by making better choices that will change your life!! <br />
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Link to fill out my form: <a href="https://steph4given.wufoo.com/forms/z1vf6znx03uidy5/">https://steph4given.wufoo.com/forms/z1vf6znx03uidy5/</a><br />
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I will be starting my next Challenge group on Monday, January 19. This is the day that can change it all for you. Time to start getting rid of all the holiday junk in your house! Change is around the corner!! I'm here for YOU!! Are you ready? Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-21749167368277993662014-12-26T08:53:00.001-08:002014-12-26T08:54:27.777-08:00Grateful for Christmas Break<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ahhh. The day after Christmas. Time to unwind, clean up, and relax. I was so ready for Christmas day. For all the craziness of the season to finally be over. Not in a bad way, just ready to relax and enjoy versus the days leading up to Christmas that were filled with hurrying around, millions of trips to the store (with 3 kids in tow), and last minute projects like Christmas cookies and Christmas cards. Each thing is enjoyable in its own right, but when all is said and done, they are big projects that Mommy ends up finishing herself. I'm excited for this week between Christmas and New Years. I am hoping to relax, get some projects/deep cleaning done that I don't usually have time for, and do some fun things out of the ordinary like playdates, playing with Maddy during nap time, and playing with the kids with their new Christmas toys! <br />
These days, there isn't much "down time" where we can just relax, catch up on stuff, or work on projects. Life has been full of lots of busyness but also lots of blessings. This summer, while on vacation, I was really trying to take that time to think, pray, and counsel with people about what "things" I should keep in my life for the next school year. I have lots of opportunities to do things, be involved, and serve. But the reality is, I can't do them all! And when I try, I end up frustrated, miserable, and exhausted. I am still in the same boat. I think after all that thinking, praying, and counseling, I dropped 1-2 things out of our hectic schedules. It was good that I actually did drop 2 things, but I could probably do better. I just don't like being the frantic mom who is always running behind, stressed out about something, showing up early to everything because I have to prep, plan, prepare something. This semester, Thursdays were my favorite day of the week. I have bible study on those mornings, and it was the one place I could go, be around godly women, socialize, make new friendships, and just be. I didn't have to serve, work, show up early, coordinate, or run around. I could simply partake and take in what was being offered.<br />
Now, I'm not saying that I just want to relax, be on vacation, and <em>take</em> instead of <em>give</em> all the time. I'm just saying that sometimes it feels like I am just go, go, going all the time and rarely have the time to just be. That's why God knew He had to include the "Be still, and know that I am God" verse in the bible. Just for me. And maybe you.<br />
Those moments of being still and quiet are so rare, and yet so vital to our relationship with God. We forget that. Satan tempts and lures us with all these "things" we need to be apart of, serve in, and do, and yet God tells us to just "be still." Now, of course we are to serve, love, care, give of ourselves as a living sacrifice, and I get that. But hopefully not at the expense of our still moments.<br />
So this next week, I am hoping to get some of those still moments. To relax, and to get some reading time in. I am looking forward to reading the appropriate book for my life season right now by Lysa Terkeurst called "The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands." Hopefully I will get a book review out about it once I finish it!! <br />
So, Happy Holidays, my fellow exhausted, weary Moms!! Get some rest and some still moments in soon, and let God speak to you about what you should keep in your life, and what you may need to let go of!! Blessings!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-58593713655367673882014-05-27T13:05:00.003-07:002014-05-27T13:05:56.030-07:00Almost Summer! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't believe we are almost done with another school year!! Phew! That was a busy one!! I, for one, am so glad that some activities are ending for the summer, so we can rest a little more and not be out every night of the week! There have been lots of changes lately!! </div>
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The kids are doing well, finishing up the school year, and growing so much!! Madelynn is finishing up her second grade year, and just finished up her second year of Classical Conversations!! She has been having fun playing outside, enjoys watching Judah and Ruth and helping with them, and has learned so much this year! She is my big helper! She has even started making some of her own food, including scrambled eggs with peppers and sausage, by herself! Tad has been teaching her how to skateboard, and they have been going on long bike rides together. She is getting so big! <br />
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Judah is doing preschool this year, and he has done really well. He enjoys sitting at the table and having his own school to do alongside Maddy! He is left-handed, and has learned how to write pretty well this year! He did a few sessions of swim lessons and loved it, especially when Tad got in the water with him on the last day of swim lessons!! He would be beaming the whole time!! Tad has also been teaching him how to skateboard, and he loves that! He is a joy!<br />
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Ruth is getting so big! She is now speaking in sentences, and can definitely get her opinions across! She is tiny but loud! She is my sweet cuddler and likes to encourage and make people happy! This week she told me, "I like your ponytail" and "you did good on your workout." She makes my day!! <br />
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Within the last few months, I have become a new Team Beachbody Coach. It is so fun to help people on their journey towards health and fitness, as I am on my own journey as well! I just finished up my T25 workouts, and started the 21 Day Fix, which is a workout program that comes with different sized containers, and it tells you how many you can eat of each a day (the different food groups) and also comes with workout DVDs. You get to eat so much food, are not starving, and the weight easily falls off. People have had such great success with it! It was on backorder for a month because it was so popular, but it is now back in stock! Let me know if you want more details, or details about a Fitness Challenge group! <br />
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About a week after I signed on as a Coach, I was asked to be the Director of the Classical Conversations in our area! So a lot is going on right now! I am so thrilled for the opportunity, and excited to embark on a new area of work with CC! I have enjoyed tutoring the past 2 years with CC, and this will be a fun endeavor as well, and an awesome ministry opportunity! <br />
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We have been busy at our church as well. Tad and I both sing on the worship team, Tad leads the worship team, and we enjoy doing other things there as well. We have been blessed with a vibrant congregation and a Pastor that preaches the Word diligently! What a blessing! <br />
So, as we get ready for summer, and look forward to a family wedding/vacation this summer, we are feeling blessed. Tad is still enjoying his job as a mailman, and has lost a ton of weight running around the neighborhoods delivering mail! He loves being outside, so it is the perfect job for him! Hopefully we can see many of our Ohio friends and family this summer, and enjoy some time off of school! Happy (almost) Summer!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-21564370980255182032014-03-15T15:10:00.002-07:002014-03-15T15:10:47.634-07:00The Classical Model of Education<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you homeschool, then Dorothy Sayers "The Lost Tools of Learning" is a valuable read. If you homeschool and participate in Classical Conversations, then it is an even more valuable read! I just finished reading this essay, and in it found why Classical Conversations is such a crucial program for our young ones, and as they grow up in this program. <br />
There are three basic tenants to classical education: the grammar phase, the dialectic phase, and the rhetoric phase. I didn't always quite understand what classical education was, but these three tenants pretty much sum it up. The grammar phase is our Foundations program through CC, and it involves memorizing lots of facts and information, such as history sentences, history timeline, geography, Latin charts, math equations and formulas, English definitions and grouping of words, and science data. At first glance, it might seem unimportant to memorize all this information at such a young age when they don't understand half of what they are putting to memory. And mind you, a lot of the information is put to song, so the kids love it and it is easy to memorize, even for the parents!! And Classical Conversation's model is that a homeschool parent teaches all the subjects in the class, showing the parents that we can teach our children all the subjects, and we don't have to wait for or expect an "expert" to come teach our children these subjects, we can teach them!! And all this information is just one stage in the 3-part Trivium and all of these information "pegs" will be useful in the future as they begin to remember and interact with this information in the dialectic phase. This first stage is the knowledge phase, and is appropriate for the younger ages, approximately 4 years old through 6th grade.<br />
The next phase is the dialectic phase, in which the child starts to interact with all that information that they memorized in the grammar phase. As they get older, they become old enough to think through this information, to start to question some of this information, and to have questions about life. This is where we can direct a child to ask appropriate, respectful questions and to discuss this information in a logical way. Students have a class on logic, learn to form their own arguments, and to dissolve illogical arguments. This is the understanding phase. The students wrestle with information, learn how to debate, and learn to form a solid foundation of truth, and not just to believe whatever they are told or hear. As stated in her essay, Dorothy says, "<em>History, aided by a simple system of ethics derived from the grammar of theology, will provide much suitable material for discussion</em>." They also learn to write essays, and to really be able to put their thoughts and knowledge into valid writing. <br />
The final phase is the rhetoric phase, in which there is a lot more freedom as far as what they learn. <br />
Another quote from her essay is as follows:<br />
"<em>Indeed, at this stage, our difficulty will be to keep subjects "apart," for Dialectic will have shown all branches of learning to be inter-related, so Rhetoric will tend to show that all knowledge is one."</em> <br />
This phase is the sort of culmination of the first two phases, as the student has learned the information, how to grapple with that information, and can then focus on more specialized fields of interest, stemming from his study of Theology, hopefully, and can even begin to study a language other than Latin. Throughout the Trivium, the student will learn the construction of the language of Latin, which will help him to not only learn other subjects well, but in itself is the derivation of many terms and words we used today in our language and other sciences. <br />
Dorothy says, of her digesting through the Trivium, "<em>I am concerned only with the proper training of the mind to encounter and deal with the formidable mass of undigested problems presented to it by the modern world."</em> Because as she compares modern education, at the time this was written, with a sort of mediaeval education that she is trying to return to, she realizes that there will be some differences between the child with modern education and the child with a classical education, but the child with the classical education will, no doubt, be able to apply the tools of learning that they have received to any new study that they will encounter. They learn the integration of subjects, meaning that each subject relates to the other subjects as they all relate to God. There isn't such a hard divide between subjects where the student couldn't see how they worked together as part of the beauty of the creation of God. <br />
So, I hope that this gives you a little glimpse into what classical education is, how Classical Conversations works and what they base their education model on. I didn't always understand what it even meant for someone to have a classical education, but now that I have learned more about it, I am astounded by how beautiful the Trivium works together and how the finished product, i.e., the student who has been trained by these 3 branches, is a wonderfully educated and cultured adult who has the tools to discern and interact with a world with lots of differing views and philosophies. We don't have to worry about the classically trained child, for they have found the lost tools of learning, and are hopefully able to take those with them wherever they go. <br />
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If interested,<a href="https://www.tragedyandhope.com/trivium/the-lost-tools-of-learning/"> here is a link to Dorothy Sayers "<em>The Lost Tools of Learning</em>,"</a> from which this blog post was based off of, and where Classical Conversations gets its basis. Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-78363485515898982292014-03-10T08:10:00.001-07:002014-03-10T08:10:31.808-07:00Fitness Motivation for Summer!!<span id="goog_1406095859"></span><span id="goog_1406095860"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey, guys. Sorry I haven't been blogging much lately!! I have been so busy with all kinds of new things going on!! One of them is that recently I became a Team Beachbody Coach. This means that not only can you get awesome Beachbody products from me, like Insanity, P90X, TurboFire, Combat, and T25, but I can also coach you along as you use the products to get the best results!! And my favorite Challenge pack is on sale this month!! <br />
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Last summer I started doing Combat, and did the whole 60 days, and saw incredible definition that I have never seen on my body before!! I was losing weight, feeling strong, and looked forward to my workouts!! I still go back to those workouts because they are so fun and effective!! <br />
Some other coaches and I are starting a Challenge group starting on March 24 and it lasts 60 days. It basically is a private Facebook group where you get support, accountability, motivation, and can post your goals and successes!! <br />
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I am participating in this Challenge group as well and planning on seeing amazing results just in time for summer!! There are other Challenge packs on sale as well, like Les Mills Pump (which Tad just ordered and is super excited about!) and Ultimate Reset!! Plus a myriad of other workout programs not on sale but they are awesome, including the 21-day fix that was so popular last month they sold out!! <br />
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So really, you are getting a great deal to get a Challenge Pack and start this 60 Day package because it is a COMPLETE package. It includes everything to help you get on track and get into the best shape of your life for summer! <br />
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Come on, let's do this together!!!!! <br />
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-63475978471542938442014-02-11T14:55:00.002-08:002014-02-11T14:55:15.243-08:00Busy, Busy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sorry I have been so absent lately from my blog; there is just so much going on right now! I don't feel too overwhelmed with the amount of things on my plate, it's more the emotional handling of all the things that are going on right now. It is interesting to see God's hand in the little details of life, and how He lines things up for us, and blesses us in tiny ways that only we can recognize as His hand. He keeps us steady. He hasn't forgotten about us. He is waiting for us to diligently seek Him. I often find myself thinking about how much I have to do, how full my plate is, or how I am going to get everything done. And in my devotional, it talks about how Jesus led a busy, full life when He was on earth. He had people who wanted his attention and company and He knew His mission and plan for being on the earth. And yet, He still got up early and sought that time away, by Himself, with the Lord. It's kind of a funny concept to think that He would need to do that, but what a huge statement for us and how connected we need to be to Him before we start our day. How can we go through our hectic day without Him? <br />
I feel like I have gotten off track of a lot of things lately, and that's often how I roll. I will go from disciplined, to lacking in most areas of my life. And then I will realize that I need to get back on track and really apply some discipline. Areas like eating right, working out, spending time with God, my priorities, or how I spend my time. So I am trying to get my priorities back to where they should be, and apply some discipline. It's not easy, but I want to get back on track and feel more in control of my life, instead of just letting everything happen to me. <br />
I am not one who enjoys spontaneity too much, or plans changing quickly, or sudden decisions being made that are out of my control. It's a control thing, I guess, and I should be able to go with the flow a little more often but I struggle with it. Lately, I think God is trying to see if I will trust Him as things change without my "permission." "I will hold you, I am already in control, all you have to do is trust Me," He says. It's hard. I want to hold tightly to those things that I feel are in my control. But really, nothing is in my control. <br />
These are the times when we can either throw up our hands and give up, curl up in a ball and deny what is happening, or push through in faith, and choose to trust God even when you don't know what is happening, or what is going to happen. I hope I can push through in faith, and come out more than a conqueror through Him who gives me strength. <br />
"<em>His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness</em>." 2 Peter 1:3<br />
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-23325499539932679472014-01-09T16:16:00.002-08:002014-01-09T16:16:23.701-08:00New Workout Routine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, the holidays killed my weight loss plan. I know it's so hard for everyone to be disciplined during all those holiday parties and functions, with all those devilish goodies, cookies, and fatty meals. They are lovely, but they are deadly, too. I think I learned some valuable lessons from it all. Like, if you binge all holiday season, you will waste so much of the time you spent burning that fat off, and you will have to start over, and that is depressing. And, treating yourself to holiday food is okay, in moderation, but once you let yourself go and just binge everyday all day, making up for all those months you "couldn't have that stuff," it is a recipe for disaster. And also, when the new year finally rolls around, and you have the will-power to get your booty in gear, you will feel depressed looking at the "old you" in the mirror, the you that started out many months ago and lost weight. <br />
So, here we are. I guess I didn't think I would erase so much of my hard work, but I learned that eating that junk will do harm very quickly. It also sent my gallbladder into "crazy mode" and started giving me attacks with too much fatty foods. I really wish I would have had the sense to at least be disciplined until those holiday functions, and then given myself some extra liberty to enjoy those foods, instead of just "taking the holiday season off." That was a bad idea. It wasn't my intention originally, but I just got so busy that I even stopped working out for a few weeks, trying to get caught up on all the Christmas duties. <br />
I am excited that I have the discipline to lose this weight though. It has been tough, to try to break away from that "binging mode" that is so easy for me. I hate to admit that I am a binger, but I like to keep it real. I am an eater. And I don't know when to stop. It seems like I am either doing really good, or really bad. Before the Christmas break, I was in the habit of working out everyday during the kid's nap time. But then that changed because Ruth started waking up about an hour into her nap and I was afraid I was waking her up. And if I try to workout early in the morning, it wakes up the kids as well. Then I started to workout in the morning while the kids were awake, and that can be very distracting because they need me so many times during it, or are crawling around my legs while I am trying to do it!! So I started going to the Y a little before 6 in the morning, and one of my friends wanted to join me for accountability! So we go about 3-4 times a week. I cannot even tell you how great it is to get that workout done early, and without interruptions!! <br />
I am slowly getting my groove back with logging all my food on My Fitness Pal, and trying to stay within my range. That is the hardest for me. I am in the habit of working out again. The Y in the morning, or I do a workout dvd the other days in the morning. But the biggest challenge for me is staying on track with my nutrition. The hardest thing for me is the events with food. It is so hard for me to say no. And when I'm feeling stressed, anxious, angry, overwhelmed, etc. I feel like I "deserve" those horrible snacks. Which is actually doing a disservice to myself. <br />
I am so glad that I have my weight loss group on Facebook, because without those amazing ladies, I would be lost. I wouldn't have as much motivation to keep going. But with their daily motivational posts, encouragement, and just the friendships I have formed on there over the last 9 months, it inspires me to keep going. To start over. To keep making good choices, and not beat myself up for past failures. And it helps that they are believers and that the encouragement is also towards the things of God!! Such a blessing!!<br />
So, what are your New Year weight loss goals? Are you maintaining, trying to lose that pesky holiday weight, or starting fresh, trying to lose weight for the first time? What are some helpful tips you could share that would help someone who is in the daily fight to be healthy and workout? <br />
If you qualify for any of these, keep going!!! And feel free to post on here your successes, setbacks, advice, or encouragement!! And for pete's sake, read <em><a href="http://chicagodavis.blogspot.com/2013/11/recent-weight-loss.html">Made to Crave</a></em>!! Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-40591366487807683232014-01-06T12:54:00.004-08:002014-01-06T12:54:41.416-08:00The Homeschool Slide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I first thought of possibly homeschooling, and believe me, it wasn't my idea, I didn't know how I was going to replicate "real school" at home. I wanted to make sure that Maddy was getting the full "experience" and one of my main concerns was that I couldn't give her all of that, because I am only one person, only good at certain things, not all of them. I think when we first started, and even up until recently, I was still holding onto that "homeschool mom guilt." I think we all do it. We wonder what we are missing, what we haven't taught, what we forgot, what the "other kids" are doing. Ok, I still do it. I wonder, "Is she reading as well or better than other kids her age? Will she know everything she would learn in music class at school? Will she excel in art without having "art class" like they do in school? Will she get that kid-interaction and learn how to deal with other kids?" I know she is getting some of these things through Classical Conversations, and for that, I am so glad. She is learning the tin whistle, art, doing science experiments, learning about artists and orchestra, and doing weekly presentations. She is learning to sit in a classroom, when to be quiet, lining up in a line, and making friends in her small class. But as far as what we do at home. I always wonder if we are doing enough. I think sometimes I pile too much into each day, just trying to "fill in the holes." I have an "other" category that includes the things I think of or stumble upon, and realize she should be learning, or should already know by now. <br />
So what is the homeschool slide, you may ask? Well, I think it means that it's where we, as homeschool moms, can take a load off and not worry so much. It's not where we get lazy and stop teaching things. It's not where we drop the ball and watch TV instead of school our children. It's just where we stop the anxiety, and comparing ourselves to other moms who homeschool, or don't, and concentrate on all the wonderful blessings we have in being a homeschool mom. I have realized that it is such a privilege and joy to have my kids home with me all day. I get to teach them about life, and let them experience things with me that they wouldn't get if they were gone all day. They learn more things about how to run a house, how to take care of the baby, how to entertain themselves when mom has things to do, how to work independently on school, how to play when mom sends them off to play "together," and are interested in helping me cook when they see me start to get ingredients out. <br />
Now this is not to say that that's all we do for school. My homeschooling philosophy is very academic, and their studies are very important to me. My mother-in-law is a wonderful example and counsel for me of a homeschooling mom who is strict with her kids studies and has had kids who have graduated highschool and gone on to colleges where their teachers have commented that their mom did a great job. They have been at the top of their classes and have done well in college. So I look to her for advice so that I can help my kids succeed as well. <br />
Not everyone has the same philosophies in homeschooling as I do, and that's okay, but for me, academics is very important. But I guess my point is that we have to give ourselves a break sometimes. So many veteran homeschooling moms talk about how they wished they weren't so strict and hard on their kids in the early years. How there were tears and frustration, and how they didn't need to be so hard on them. I have Judah doing preschool this year, and I am pretty lax with him. I have realized that there will be no permanent damage done if we skip a week of his school, or have a lighter week, or if we don't do our "curriculum" one week but do other stuff instead. And with Maddy, I have to make myself take a day off once in awhile if it's absolutely necessary, and try to not feel guilty about it. We can take those breaks, we homeschool for crying out loud!! <br />
So I guess in conclusion, I have realized that homeschooling is not ever going to look just like "regular school," and that's okay. In fact, it's more than okay, that's the point!! We can give our kids different experiences, a closer bonding with their siblings, and greater responsibility around the house, more hands-on, one-on-one intereaction, and a deeper studying of God's Word that they might not get at school. As in everything in life, our perspective is everything. If we focus on where we are lacking and what we are not doing and how we are failing, then we will be miserable homeschooling moms. But if we focus on our precious time with our kids, the responsibilities they are learning, the unique teaching times we have, and how we get to see their eyes opened to the world around them as they learn, then we will be joyful and content in our homeschooling journey that God has called us to. I know it's not for everyone, but if God has called you and your family to it, then be grateful that you have the opportunity to stay home and teach your precious children!! <em>And embrace the homeschooling chaos!!</em><br />
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-52318546343086639502014-01-04T06:29:00.000-08:002014-01-04T06:29:23.177-08:00Vegetable Stew (Giambotta)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6jUr0E7PqRSo_qup-TK_H4N8K5L3PkE2t1Zp4Sg_c7Ntc9CEV9k3WFIIU7sZX7wDB38OW_Yi54JfF7Sz-k2YVKW1lxvlQqMaWAjqrqhyphenhypheneXlUcdmyV6aYDtpxVOocuHUbJ_W7nSyBpVI/s1600/20131230_180534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6jUr0E7PqRSo_qup-TK_H4N8K5L3PkE2t1Zp4Sg_c7Ntc9CEV9k3WFIIU7sZX7wDB38OW_Yi54JfF7Sz-k2YVKW1lxvlQqMaWAjqrqhyphenhypheneXlUcdmyV6aYDtpxVOocuHUbJ_W7nSyBpVI/s400/20131230_180534.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I think I originally saw Rachael Ray cook this vegetable stew on her show several years ago, and have made it several times since. It is vegetarian, which I usually don't do, especially for dinner, but this one is so filling because of the amount of vegetables in it, and it is so delicious! Comfort food for sure, for those cold, winter evenings! I think another selling point is that you are suppose to serve it with crusty French bread cooked under the broiler with garlic and parmesan. It doesn't get much better than that, right? <br />
I have been suffering from gallbladder attacks lately, and one way to dissolve the gallstones is to eat clean, eliminating fatty foods from your diet and adding in lots of healthy, fresh foods and increasing your water intake. I haven't been completely faithful to all of that, but I have definitely been adding in lots of fresh foods, fruits, vegetables, and lemon water. So that is why I wanted to make this soup again. And don't be too scared by the amount of vegetables, it truly is so delicious!! And since there are so many, you stand by your stock pot and throw in the veggies as you chop, starting with the veggies that take the longest to cook, and so forth. So, happy winter cooking!! <br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Vegetable Stew (Giambotta)</span></strong><br />
<em>Rachael Ray, The Food Network</em><br />
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<em>1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling</em><br />
<em>1 bay leaf, fresh or dried</em><br />
<em>3 cloves garlic, 2 whole, 1 cracked from skin</em><br />
<em>2 onions, sliced</em><br />
<em>2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped</em><br />
<em>1 eggplant, chopped</em><br />
<em>1 zucchini, chopped</em><br />
<em>1 red pepper, seeded and chopped</em><br />
<em>Salt and Pepper</em><br />
<em>1 (28 oz.) can fire roasted diced tomatoes</em><br />
<em>1 cup stock, chicken or vegetable (</em>I used one whole box of chicken stock)<br />
<em>1/2 cup torn or chopped basil (10-12 leaves) </em>(I used some dried basil and just sprinkled it in)<br />
<em>4 (1-inch thick) slices crusty whole-grain bread </em><br />
<em>1/2 cup grated pecorino </em>(I used grated parmesan)<br />
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Preheat the broiler. Heat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil, bay leaf, chopped garlic and onions, and let them sweat while you prepare the other veggies. Work right next to the stove, and drop as you chop, in order of longest cooking time: potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and add tomatoes and stock, and cook 5 minutes more, to heat through. Turn heat off and add basil. <br />
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Next, char the bread under the broiler and rub with cracked garlic, then drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and top with cheese and pepper, and return to the broiler for 30 seconds to brown the cheese. Serve the toasts with the vegetable stew!! <br />
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Enjoy!! Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-87959118901107476052014-01-02T14:31:00.005-08:002014-01-02T14:31:55.332-08:00Happy New Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, it's another new year; Happy 2014!! It's that time of year...packing up the Christmas decorations, cleaning up the house (after the Christmas explosion and kids being off school), and planning to get back to school and other "normal" routines. I actually like the progression of things; I am always ready for a break from CC and school, and excited for Christmas, but afterwards I am ready to declutter the house of the decorations and get back to the regular schedule. I will miss the extra time I have to get things done, but I have been getting a lot of deep cleaning done that I usually don't have time to do, so hopefully that will make up for the rest of the school year where I don't really have time to do that kind of thing!! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Christmas Eve service</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A Lushes with Brushes birthday party: so fun!!</em> </td></tr>
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The kids have had fun being on break, but they also get bored and end up fighting, so I will be glad to get back to a more normal routine with schoolwork and normal chores, to keep them busy with constructive things. A little too much TV, computer games, and phone games around here! It's also a good time to think through things that could change; routines, schedules, working out, school ideas, extra-curricular activities. The break just gives me a little bit more time to think straight without so much to do all the time. Though I did feel pretty overwhelmed with Christmas duties, so I am trying to relax a little more this week, but that's hard to do! A mother's work is never done!<br />
I am reading a book called <em>Captivating</em> by John and Stasi Eldridge and I am really enjoying it. I thought I would have more time to read it while on break, but I feel like I have actually had less time to read!! But it is a great book so I need to carve out some more time to get into it. <br />
So what are you all excited to get back to after break, or are you excited at all? I have a new workout partner and we have been meeting at the Y before 6 am to workout, so that is good motivation for me. It feels good to get my workout done so early, before anything can ruin it and prevent it from happening. I did a workout at home this morning while the kids were awake, and it is ridiculous trying to referee and keep them occupied and get almost an hour long workout done. <em>Ridiculous</em>!! It just reminded me how going to the Y earlier is so much more practical. So that is what I will do tomorrow!! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Date night!!</em> </td></tr>
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Well, I guess this was just a rambling post with no real point or purpose. Just what is going on with me, with us. And I want to know what is going on with you!! So if you have read this post, let me know how you are planning on improving in January. Improving your marriage, schooling, taking care of your home, losing that "holiday" weight, or making your time with God a priority. Let's spur one another on towards love and good deeds!! <br />
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<em><strong>Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's Day!! </strong></em></div>
Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-75435782034102929552013-12-29T10:28:00.000-08:002013-12-29T10:28:30.816-08:00Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!</span></em></strong> </div>
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We have been so blessed this year and are enjoying being a family of five!! We had a wonderful Christmas with Tad's family, and all of his siblings were in town on Christmas day! I miss my family in Ohio and other places, but I look forward to seeing them this summer!! </div>
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Tad has had a change of jobs this past year and enjoys delivering mail for the United States Postal Service. He practically runs all day long delivering mail and has lost quite a bit of weight doing it! He has done several races this last year, including his first ultra-marathon in Arizona!! He finished 40 out of 50 miles, when he injured his IT band. I was so proud he made it so far!! He is also now the worship leader of our praise and worship team at church, and he is doing a great job!! </div>
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I have been busy homeschooling Madelynn, who is in second grade this year, and Judah, who has started preschool! I also teach Maddy's class once a week for a group called Classical Conversations, which is a Classical, Christan model of education and we learn a History Timeline, History sentence, World Geography, Latin, Science, English, and Math, as well as Fine Arts, Presentations, and Science Experiments. The kids love it! And it is such a good opportunity for them! I also enjoy working out, running, cooking (as always), and spending time with family!! </div>
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Madelynn is in second grade this year and is doing great in all her subjects. She has become quite the reader and also takes piano lessons (from me!) and swimming lessons at the YMCA. She has passed all of her swimming classes and is about to move on to Intro to Swim Team! We are so proud of her!! The wheels in her head are always turning and she is always asking questions, trying to figure things out, and trying to come up with solutions to problems. She is also a huge giver, and spends a lot of time making things for other people. I love those things about her! She is full of energy and spunk!! </div>
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Judah is doing preschool this year and is doing a great job. He is very smart! He just turned 4 on Christmas Eve! He does a preschool class once a week during Classical Conversations and is learning so much!! He loves art, wrestling with his dad and uncles, playing with his sisters, playing computer games, and cooking with Mommy. He is such a joy and is still my little cuddler. He also has been doing swimming lessons and has come to really enjoy them!! </div>
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Ruth will be 2 at the end of February and we love her so much!! She has been such a fun addition to our little family!! I can't believe how much she is doing at this age, but I think when they have older siblings, they learn to do more at an earlier age. She pretends with the kids, will lay down with a blanket when they are playing doctor, crawl when they are playing kitties, or call Madelynn "Mommy" when they are playing house!! It is so cute to watch them all play!! She has a similar personality to Maddy: loud, outspoken, very opinionated, and a ham!! </div>
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Well, we hope you enjoyed some of our funny family photos, and that you all had a great Christmas and will have a wonderful New Year!! We are so blessed to have our little family, and wonderful friends, and of course, salvation, blessings, and redemption through Jesus Christ our Lord. God Bless you all as we enter 2014!! </div>
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-46415811422451211272013-12-13T13:42:00.004-08:002015-02-14T13:12:48.589-08:00'Tis the Season (with a cookie recipe!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The mailman came to help decorate our tree :)</em></td></tr>
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Well, it's that time of year again. Time for all the hustle and bustle, getting a million little (and big) things done, and enjoying the holiday festivities that only come around this time of year. I love it, but I'm always ready for a break from the busyness of the holiday. I do enjoy all of our holiday traditions, and also doing new things each year to make it fun and different. Some of our yearly traditions include doing our advent calendar with candy for each day, making cookie plates to give to our neighbors and friends, decorating Christmas cookies with the kids, Christmas coloring books, decorating the tree as a family, watching Christmas movies, having Christmas pictures taken to go in our Christmas card, and having biscuits and gravy on Christmas day with Tad's family. There are lots</div>
of other things we do different each year that make it different and fun for us and the kids. It makes it so much more fun to have kids and to see their excitement over all the fun facets of the holiday season. We have chosen not to do Santa with the kids, but they know who he is and still enjoy watching movies about Santa and me teasing them about Santa bringing them gifts. We have just chosen not to tell them that Santa is real. <br />
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This year, we also have a cookie exchange at our church. While I have heard of these, I don't remember ever being a part of them so it will be fun. We actually have to make 6 dozen cookies for ours - 5 dozen to be shared with others (to take home) and one dozen to put out to enjoy at our women's Christmas party. And I am so proud of myself that I got all my cookies made almost a week in advance!! So I am going to give you the recipe for the cookies I made out of Allrecipes.com's new magazine!! I am so excited that they have a magazine since that is my favorite website to get recipes off of! So the recipe might seem a little confusing, because they take one of their top-rated recipes and then they test it in their own kitchen and make extra suggestions next to the original posted recipe. So I will post it that way, and then, after all that, I will give some of my own suggestions. <br />
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<strong>Big Soft Ginger Cookies</strong><br />
<em>Allrecipes.com</em><br />
<em>armagazine.com/ginger-cookies</em><br />
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2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 teaspoons ground ginger<br />
1 teaspoons baking soda<br />
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoons ground cloves<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
3/4 cup margarine, softened (from Allrecipes kitchen: Use butter, not margarine, for the best flavor)<br />
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
1 tablespoon water<br />
1/4 cup molasses<br />
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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt, and set aside.<br />
2. In a large bowl, cream together margarine and 1 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, then stir in water and molasses. Gradually stir sifted ingredients into molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut-sized balls and roll them in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. (From Allrecipes kitchen: We got a yield of thirty 2 3/4 inch cookies.) Place cookies 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly. <br />
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. <br />
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143 calories per cookie<br />
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So these cookies turned out pretty good, and taste pretty much like a gingerbread cookie, so if you like cookies with all those strong flavors, you will like these. I will say, the dough was really hard to work with, so what I found is that if you refrigerate the dough for at least 10 minutes or so, you can work with it and get it shaped into a ball and rolled in the sugar without it being all stuck to your hands and really messy. Once I figured that out (like on the last batch!!), it was much easier. It really was a great cookie to make for a cookie exchange too, because it was fairly easy and a tasty, popular option to give out. I think I will also make this one as one to put on our cookie plates for friends and neighbors. Or I might just do gingerbread men so the kids can decorate them. We'll see!<br />
So, as I love this time of year, I also am stressed out with all there is to do. But after these next few days, of scheduled events every night, we are almost totally free, so that will be nice, and less stressful.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Maddy helping to decorate the tree at church!</em></td></tr>
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Another highlight from this year is that we got a chance to perform at our annual homeschool group Christmas talent show. Usually, Maddy would display something she had made, but this year she wanted to play the piano (like one of the first songs she has learned!) and she did great! Also, our family sang "Jesus loves me" while I played the guitar and sang. It was so precious to this momma's heart! I have always wanted a singing family, so this is just the beginning! <br />
I hope you all have such a wonderful year of making Christmas memories and starting or continuing beautiful traditions with your families. Here are some links to some previous Christmas posts I have done in past years, with an advent reading schedule if you are interested!!<br />
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<em><a href="http://chicagodavis.blogspot.com/2011/12/cookie-plates.html">Cookie Plates</a></em><br />
<em><a href="http://chicagodavis.blogspot.com/2011/12/loving-christmas-break.html">Loving Christmas Break</a></em><br />
<em><a href="http://chicagodavis.blogspot.com/2011/12/coconut-snowballs-and-coffee-filter.html">Coconut Snowballs and Coffee Filter Snowflakes</a></em><br />
<em><a href="http://chicagodavis.blogspot.com/2011/12/homemade-gifts-christmas-sweets-in-jar.html">Homemade Gifts: Christmas Sweets in a Jar</a></em><br />
<em><a href="http://chicagodavis.blogspot.com/2010/12/time-for-christmas.html">Time for Christmas (with Advent Readings)</a></em><br />
<em><a href="http://chicagodavis.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-festivities.html">Christmas Festivities</a></em><br />
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283755482986257854.post-19979084109139638642013-12-07T07:53:00.001-08:002013-12-07T07:53:34.891-08:00Turkey Trot<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEjcs8USn0GfIG_uc6DnibeXr11F13dzH2_QnRLmS3xIRgxRorztW62OvGRgXNDOl5oHlwNoUSEgwijjYaBUWZAI2Q-PAiqbj8L06zXNMhYNXzkN9LwDeYfrEi9DhresQz3tLrq6HJJY/s1600/20131128_093359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEjcs8USn0GfIG_uc6DnibeXr11F13dzH2_QnRLmS3xIRgxRorztW62OvGRgXNDOl5oHlwNoUSEgwijjYaBUWZAI2Q-PAiqbj8L06zXNMhYNXzkN9LwDeYfrEi9DhresQz3tLrq6HJJY/s320/20131128_093359.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
On Thanksgiving day, Tad and I ran a 5k in our town called the Turkey Trot. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to plan to run a race on the day that I do tons of cooking, but I decided I really wanted to, and that it would be good to get a workout in on the day where I would stuff myself with food! The weather was forecasted to be very cold that morning, but I was still in. It was kind of weird, because the night before, I was in cooking mode, up late finishing my pecan pie and pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Then I was up early making crockpot stuffing and getting other things together. Then I had to switch gears and get in my race clothes and get ready to go. <br />
I haven't been running very much, because Tad is gone so much and it is just easier to get my workout in at home during the day. So the Monday night before the race (the race was on Thursday), I went to the Y and ran a 5k on the treadmill, just to practice and run since I hadn't in awhile. I did a 5k in about 35 minutes, and I wasn't happy with that time. It's hard to gauge it on a treadmill, and how fast/slow to start running. I always get nervous and don't want to start too fast because I don't want to burn out and have to stop. I was happy to get through it without stopping though. So my goal for the 5k was just to finish without stopping (which is always my goal for a 5k; I have run them enough to know I can do this) and to run it in under 35 minutes. I think my first 5k that I remember I ran in 36 minutes, the next one was 34 minutes, and I don't remember my time for my next one. <br />
It was freezing cold the morning of the race. We wore layers, and didn't want to shed them until right before the race. Tad's brother spent the night so that he could watch the kids for us; it was too cold to have them out. So it was a nice, fun time to get out together! I have always run better in the cold, so it felt good, but I was struggling mentally. Tad and I talk about how running is so mental, as well as physical. You really have to push yourself through, and talk to yourself while running, because your body tries to tell you it's tired, or to walk. Tad was having the same struggle, though we weren't running together. He is much faster! <br />
I have realized that I have to evaluate if I feel like stopping because my legs are tired, because it's hard to breath (always a struggle when I workout or run, maybe exercise induced asthma?), or just because I am feeling lazy and want to walk. But even if I can pinpoint which one it is, I still have to push through it, and keep running. <br />
When I hit the halfway mark, I looked at my watch and was at about 15:30, and thought "oh my gosh, if I keep this same pace I could finish in 30 minutes? What???" But it actually made me feel tired thinking about that, but I kept pushing through and trying to keep a good pace. It felt good to pass people, and to keep going even though I felt like walking. To keep talking to myself and get myself through, knowing that I was getting closer to the finish line. Tad finished in about 20 minutes, which is really good for him. He was hoping to get close to one of his first place times from a long time ago, which was 19:45 or something like that. He got really close, and finished 9th overall, out of over 200 people. So proud of him! <br />
When Tad and I run the same race, he comes back to find me and to help me finish the race. He just kind of paces me at the end, when I'm tired, and to remind me how close the finish line is! I look forward to this towards the end of the race! I finished in 31:07, and I was completely floored to set a new personal best!! I know this isn't a super fast time, but for me, it was my fastest, and I was so pleased with it! Especially since I hadn't really trained for the race, per say, though I workout 6 times a week so maybe that helped with the stamina to keep up a faster pace. I was so happy with my time!! And glad I had decided to do the race on such a busy day!! So we finished, went home, and packed up all our Thanksgiving food and went over to Tad's parents house to finish cooking and to spend our Thanksgiving day. It was a good day, and that race pretty much made my day!! I am so glad we could do it together! <br />
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613528709184691271noreply@blogger.com0