2017 Goals {3}

Anyone else find it hard to believe it's the last day of March? It's exciting that we are that much closer to nice, spring weather but it feels so crazy! Time doesn't stop!

You can read up on my past 2017 Goals updates here and here. It's really fun to see the progress I've made and cannot wait to continue! I suppose I don't want time to stop :)


GOAL #1 - Read
It has become more clear that I read faster when I am really interested in a topic. The second book I read was Zero Down Your Debt: Reclaim Your Income and Build a Life You'll Love by Holly Porter Johnson and Greg Johnson. It was a very quick, simple read and a lot of the information wasn't new to me. That being said, I really enjoyed it! The chapters were short, mostly to the point and had action items for you to do to overhaul your budget or debt repayment plans. The reason I read it was to gain more knowledge of a zero sum budget which is something we'll work towards when our debt is paid off. The premise is to put away enough money to cover the next month's expenses with last month's paychecks. It's pretty simple but you should wait until your debts are paid off so that you can devote your money to that versus saving it for a zero sum budget. You could certainly do it at the same time but we're doing fine with our current system so why rock the boat?

I've just started the next book and it's pretty interesting so far. April will be all about decluttering as I prepare for the garage sale so it's perfect timing!

And I of course have an update on my favorite author, Michael Connelly! His Amazon Prime show, Bosch, is releasing season 3 on April 21. I'll be binge watching that soon enough!


GOAL #2 - Control Finances Better
We didn't make much headway in the finances department, but we did finally get all of our exterior and interior plumbing updated. HALLELUJAH! Oh my goodness, that is probably the highlight of this month. It's been a long time coming and our basement is finally looking like less of a underground sewer. Yes it was disgusting. Now that it's been fixed, we'll be taking a hard look at our remaining debts to figure out a game plan. You know I love an aggressive reduction but it might not be as aggressive as I'd like. We'll do what we can.


GOAL #3 - Cook More, Cook Smarter
This has continued to be my most successful goal. I've had a lot of issues with eating well (proper portions, variety, etc) so it's been especially encouraging to see my commitment to this last. I didn't fair too well at the beginning of the month and it definitely showed. Gaining weight is so darn easy! I did however, jump right back in and feel great! I might not follow my prepping plan or eating plan 100% of the time, but I feel mentally stronger which is such a big thing for me. I feel better equipped to think about portion control or deciding it is in fact okay to eat a slice of cake once in awhile. I did switch it up a bit this last week. I was reading how someone had pasta for breakfast and was able to still lose extra weight after pregnancy. I latched on to that so fast because, heck yes, pasta for breakfast! I can eat it anytime.

For this particular week, breakfast was kale parsley pesto with whole grain thin spaghetti and lemon pepper rotisserie chicken, lunch was honey mustard chicken with steamed broccoli  and dinner was two eggs, turkey bacon and canned spinach. I've still been able to lose a little weight this week so that's pretty cool and I do actually like eating pasta for breakfast! I look forward to eating it right away when I get to work (I eat a little unsweetened applesauce before work). It keeps me full until at least noon-1pm which is when I typically like to take lunch anyway so it's worked out perfectly! Because I'm following the 21 Day Fix meal plan, I am only allowed 2 servings of carbs in addition to fruits (so I'm getting plenty overall for enough energy). However, I do feel a little limited if I eat both servings right away in the morning. I might change that up a bit or I might not. I like eating pasta for my carbs.


GOAL #4 - Form Healthy Habits
I've changed my whole outlook on this. I originally preferred to workout first thing in the morning and be productive during my lunch. I wasn't achieving either one and it was driving my crazy. I felt like a failure and then I'd just keep being a failure. I'd eat too much because I had already given up. I didn't workout because I'd rather do something else. Often times, I'd end up wasting my whole entire day. I feel at my worst when I am unproductive so this system was clearly not working for me.

Here's my schedule now: 
AM: I wake up whenever Owen decides to wake up, I get them ready, feed them a snack, get myself ready and eat a pre-breakfast snack/prepare our meals/snacks for work (yes, I said "our"! Gpsice is working out and eating better right along with me now!)

LUNCH: I eat my lunch, read for 30 minutes or more and often take a 30 minute walk around campus. I keep it inside if it's cold.

PM: We workout! I may get something else productive done or I might not but there is zero guilt!

I really like this schedule now because I'm being productive and/or efficient all day long! Productivity makes me happy, helps me feel whole so it's a win-win-win! I am eating well, I'm reading  more, and I'm working out more!

As I mentioned before, I didn't do so well at the beginning of the month. I had high expectations for myself, but I was seriously slacking. I jumped back on board two weeks ago and have done really well. On top of that, I've lost a total of 6.5 pounds! I've got a ways to go to meet my goal but that is such positive reinforcement. Gary is doing this with me too which is pretty exciting. He's been a great accountability partner for days I feel like wavering a bit. I'm letting him be a little more relaxed with his eating plan but it's what feels good to him.

We did come up with a pretty intense goal in relation to our birthdays though. From September 13, my birthday, to September 22, the day before Gary's birthday, we'll both be 30. So, we pledged together to lose 30 pounds (each) by September 18, the midway point between our birthdays.That was 26 weeks from when we decided to do this so that'd be about 1 pound a week. So far, we're doing well!


GOAL #5 - Travel
Can you believe I've changed my mind yet again? We have FINALLY decided that we are in fact going to go on a trip just the two of us at some point this year. We'll be taking the boys on a short overnight visit this summer which is probably as much as we'd like to handle in a hotel with them anyway!

What really swayed my decision was an adorable idea that Gary had. He wanted us to sit down and watch a bunch of videos on our vacation ideas. We then had to write down our likes and dislikes, review them, and then independently name our top 3 choices. We reviewed Charleston, Boston, DC, San Francisco, San Diego and New Orleans.

Our #3 was San Diego. We would LOVE to take the kids here someday too!

Our #2 was Boston. We would also LOVE to take the kids here. I'd love to go here now but it'd be much cooler with them so it's got to wait.

Our #1...........................................

NEW ORLEANS! 

Knowing how often I tend to change my mind on this issue, Gary said we had one month to think about this decision, come up with hesitations, and to fully commit. At this point, we're still holding strong so I think it's fair to say this is where we'll go! Perhaps we can time it to the end of our weight loss challenge!

What's for Dinner {41} - Irish Nachos!

When Gspice came up with a fun date night idea, I started looking up recipes right away. His idea? Irish Night so we could celebrate St. Patrick's Day from the comfort of our own home. I thought it was such a cute idea and found a recipe we just had to try! We had also talked about watching a movie that would be appropriate for this particular day but when we sat down to eat, we decided a couple episodes of Better Call Saul would do just fine. So beyond the recipe we tried, there wasn't an ounce of Irish in there... We tried :)

The recipe we decided to make was so darn easy and delicious. If you're looking for a good appetizer or side dish, you should consider this! We paired it with some beer battered fish fillets.

Irish Nachos adapted from The Gluten Free Homestead

*We made only enough for us so our quantities are low. If you want to use this as a party appetizer, I'd definitely check out the original recipe or just pay attention to how many potato slices you have.

• 3 medium russet potatoes, wash with a vegetable brush, sliced ⅛ inch thick
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup Sargento Mexican shredded cheese
• 1 package turkey bacon, baked per instructions and cut up into pieces**
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• sour cream for dipping
• Tabasco for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 450℉
2. Toss potatoes with olive oil and dashes of salt/pepper. Bake potato slices on a foil-lined baking sheet for about 15 minutes, turn over and bake another 15 - 20 minutes until golden and slightly crisp.
3. Use any leftover olive oil to coat bottom of the pan. I didn't want ours to stick! In our case, we used a square cake pan lined with foil for more easy clean up!
4. Make one layer of potatoes and top with cheese and bacon bits. Create more layers until the ingredients are gone. Season potatoes with salt and pepper. Bake for 5 minutes to melt cheese. Then sprinkle with scallions.
5. Scoop up your serving and add a dollop of sour cream and even hot sauce for extra dipping!

**Gary also asked me to use this as the moment to declare that I liked the turkey bacon. I bought turkey bacon because I really, really dislike bacon but I knew we couldn't make this recipe without it. Though he would have preferred the real stuff, Gary said he's willing to forgive me that it was turkey bacon.

Jack {21 Months!}

As I start thinking about writing the kids' next update, I always reference the last post or two to see what I wrote last time, to see what might have progressed since then or to reference any other changes. With Jack recently turning T-W-O (how did this happen?!?), I was desperately trying to find his 21-month update on the blog and his baby book. Well, I apparently didn't write one! So, here we are, a few months after I would have originally posted it!

Jack is still a very sweet, cuddly momma's boy which literally melts my heart. Owen is more independent and prefers his daddy so it's nice to have one prefer me just to even it out. Jack is so excited when you come into the room, will run up to you to give you a big hug. He'll give lots of kisses (which is probably why he and I get sick so often these days!) and high fives and knucks. I hope he stays this sweet forever! Jack would win over all the ladies if he does :)

On the flip side, Jack also has a tendency to freak out a bit these days. He still melts to the floor but not nearly as badly as he has in the past. Instead, he'll just scream at the top of his lungs. It's such a pleasant sound.....NOT! It sure gets his point across though so I'll give him that.

A perk of having two kids close together is that they will likely go through developmental stages in a similar time frame. As Owen has learned how to use the potty, Jack has definitely become more and more interested. We talked about training him but decided to wait until he was in the next classroom at daycare. At this point, that's only a little over a week away so we might start training in a few months after he's adjusted to his new routine! Diapers have never really bothered me but it'll be nice not to have to spend so much money on them.

With the weather being pretty nice from September-December, we had quite a few adventures during this time. I'm so happy I was able to be with the boys more after deciding to stop working my second job. It's provided so many great memories! 

As far as stats go, his next appointment was at his two-year well child check and boy, am I excited to share that with you! Until then, here are some photos from all of our adventures!

2017 Goals {2}

To better meet goals, accountability is my friend. It's one of the only ways I am able to keep up with things but I'm not always great about finding that accountability. One thing I can do is post some updates!

I feel good about some of the new habits I've formed but I still have a lot to work on. Like I said in my first post about 2017 Goals, this year will be about purpose and progress. I try to make purposeful decisions about how I spend my time. Although I'm not doing very good every single day, I do see progress and that is exciting.

GOAL #1 - Read
This is one goal that is slow going. I don't often pick up a book to read so this may be a more challenging habit to form. With that said, I did begin one book and am about 60% of the way through. I chose to begin with The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin because I wanted to read about how someone else chose to live purposefully. It's an interesting read but it's also a little conversational so I find myself getting bored easily which is why it's been slow going thus far. I do like the book but if I'm a little too tired, I don't even attempt to read. I want to be engaged when I'm reading so that I retain the information better. I hope to finish that book by the end of the month so I can move on to the next one!

Here are the next few I'd like to read (that I for some reason left off my original list!):

Zero Down Your Debt: Reclaim Your Income and Build a Life You'll Love by Holly Porter Johnson and Greg Johnson

The Life-changing Magic of Tidying: A Simple, Effective Way to Banish Clutter Forever by Marie Kondo

Hungry for Change: Ditch the Diets, Conquer the Cravings, and Eat Your Way to Lifelong Health by James Colquhoun

OH and I found out that Michael Connelly will be releasing TWO new books this year and I am sooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (this is like Top Chef and Masterchef Junior excitement here!) One of them will be to introduce a new lead character so that'll be fun to read. c.a.n.n.o.t.w.a.i.t.

GOAL #2 - Control Finances Better
We haven't done much in this yet but I hope to change that in March. Finances always seem healthier when there is a plan so that'll be a focus soon. Hence the reason why I want to read Zero Down Debt! This is a budgeting method that we have not yet used so I am interested to read more about how to implement it. We still don't know the full amount of replacing our main sewer line yet but to pay down the rest of our debt would be a good thing! The ground was too frozen to replace it all so they've completed the half under the street but have the area underneath the sidewalk and grass yet to do. We also want to update the rest of our existing cast iron plumbing because it's in bad shape. It will take a little bit longer to pay off our debts but I do look forward to the day it's all gone!


GOAL #3 - Cook More, Cook Smarter
Now, this is a goal that I feel I am doing very well at! This has been one of my biggest struggles as an adult so it's pretty exciting for me to see this new habit in place. While I still see some struggles to work through, I am motivated to keep making better choices in the kitchen. One big struggle I have is the weekend - I don't currently prepare anything for the weekend ahead of time so I often make poor choices during this time. I'd love to set aside time during the week to prep those meals but that'll mean utilizing my weeknights better (which I totally need to do but that's a really hard habit to break!)

One thing I am really excited about is the Farmer's Market. I bought the $225 Market Share from Patchwork Farms versus our typical $150 investment. I look forward to buying MORE fresh vegetables over the summer! The boys especially loved the fresh green beans - even the yellow and purple ones! I just got lucky because those seem to be Owen's favorite colors :)

And of course, I love to document what I prep each week. In case you missed them, here you go! We hope to incorporate our crockpot more too! Perhaps that's what I could do for the weekend.....hmmm.

GOAL #4 - Form Healthy Habits
I've been doing a tiny bit better here. I have the desire to work out but that doesn't always translate to me actually getting the workout in every day. The best time for me to workout would be right away in the morning so that I don't let any other excuses get the best of me throughout the day. If I get the workout in before the day begins, my other goals are achieved at a higher rate as well. Despite wanting to form the best habits and get rid of old bad habits, this doesn't seem to resonate deeply within me just yet. I don't get the best sleep every night so I'm "too tired" to get up early. In reality, my body and sleeping habits would adjust but I need to develop the desire to wake up early in order for it to occur.

Though I haven't gotten up early to workout, I have utilized my lunch hour a little bit better. It's not my favorite time of day to workout but it still feels really empowering to get it done in the middle of the day. There's a group class that I did once and really enjoyed. I can see myself doing that on a more regular basis if I don't start working out in the morning. Or perhaps I could squeeze it in on the random day I don't get up early if I wasn't able to. I would also love to start jogging. I prefer to run on a treadmill so that would require me to devote a little extra time to workout which may not be my top priority.

Another thing I would like to work on is my resting heart rate. I have a Fitbit Charge 2 and while I know it may not be 100% accurate, I do feel it's a good gauge of what my heart rate is. And I've found it could be better. When I started wearing it, my cardio fitness level was in fair condition. In the few weeks since I've worn it, I'm now in the average section. I'd love to be in the good or very good category so that's something I can work towards. Below are some of the heart rate readings from my workouts last week. Pretty interesting stuff!

GOAL #5 - Travel
I keep changing my mind between going on a trip with the boys or without the boys. I think we've now landed on going with the boys to Chicago since that is a place we are very familiar. It would be a little more stressful to go to a new place and we just want to share our love for a city that we adore. We're thinking June right now but that could change.

What's for Dinner {40} - Three New Recipes that were DELISH!

I just finished eating one of the new meals I made the other day and HOLY COW.

It was soooooooo good.

I've been saving these recipes on Facebook for so long and though I'm happy that I've finally started making some, I really should have started sooner. That being said, I'm going to share the recipes that I've really liked. Because I gained a bit of confidence to try these new recipes due to the Tasty videos, I'll embed those as well! Hopefully, they will inspire you too!


One-Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta by Tasty on Buzzfeed 

8 oz linguine
2 T olive oil
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1¼ lbs large shrimp
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
4 c baby spinach
¼ c Parmesan
2 T parsley, chopped
1 T lemon juice

1. In a large pot, boil water and add pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. In the same pan, heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Add garlic and crushed red pepper, cook until fragrant.
3. Toss in shrimp, salt and pepper to taste, and stir until shrimp start to turn pink, but are not fully cooked.
4. Add oregano and spinach, cook until wilted.
5. Return cooked pasta to the pot, add remaining butter, parmesan, and parsley. Stir until well mixed and the butter is melted.
6. When the shrimp are cooked, add lemon juice, mix once more, then serve while hot.
7. Enjoy!

I changed this a tiny bit and then accidentally left stuff out in the end but it was still really good. I probably won't do this too often because it uses so much butter. I didn't end up doing this as a one-pot meal. I prefer to cook the shrimp a lot longer so we cooked the pasta separate so we could utilize the time better. I forgot to put in the parmesan and parsley but it was still good without it.


One Pan Salmon and Veggies by Goodful

2 lb small red (or yellow) potatoes, quartered
4 T olive oil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 T lemon juice
2 T fresh thyme
2 tsps ginger
2 salmon fillets
1 bunch (roughly 1 lb) asparagus

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

2. Cover a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper. Spread out potatoes on the pan and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Bake for 30 minutes.
4. Make salmon glaze. Combine salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon thyme, 2 garlic cloves, ginger, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Mix well.
5. Remove potatoes from the oven and push them to the top or side of your pan. Place your salmon fillets on the pan. Brush both sides of the salmon with the glaze.
6. Place asparagus on the pan and top with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of thyme on the asparagus and potatoes.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes. (The salmon should flake easily with a fork when it’s ready.)
8. Enjoy!

This was a super simple recipe to make so I definitely recommend making it. I ended up using frozen salmon so it wasn't the best salmon I've ever had but it was still okay. I couldn't find any ginger to use so I left that out. I also needed to cook my salmon a bit longer because it wasn't fully cooked through by 12 minutes. I think I went a few minutes more. I also used a lot less potatoes because I wanted to limit the amount of carbs/starch I eat.

Weekday Meal Prep Pesto Chicken and Veggies by Goodful

2 T olive oil
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 lb green beans
2 c cherry tomatoes, halved
½ c basil pesto

1. In a large pan, heat olive oil and add chicken. Season with salt and pepper. When the chicken is completely cooked through, remove from pan, slice into strips, and set aside.

2. Add green beans and cook until crisp tender. Return the chicken strips to the pan, then add tomatoes and pesto. Stir until fully incorporated.
3. Serve immediately or divide into 4 food storage containers and store in the refrigerator. Can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.
4. Enjoy!

This is the one I LOVED. I added red pepper flakes and a little more salt and it pretty much blew me away. I can't wait to eat it again!