Soup

One of my favorite things to make these days is soup. I've tried once or twice in the past but it didn't turn out so great. But I've started to make soup like I actually know what I'm doing and the results are pretty tasty!! I did a repeat but added to version I made before- Pot Roast Soup. This is Teagan's favorite soup. We ate out for dinner tonight and I told Teagan I had made this soup and she asked if she could have it for dessert! This time, since I didn't actually have a leftover pot roast, I bought some on sale stew meat. I browned up the meat. I used 12 cups of water, 12ish ts of beef base, 1ish ts of onion soup base. I added in several pinches of that special smoked salt I bought recently at a Farmer's Market. I added a healthy dash of "best"ershire sauce. Then cut up potato and fresh green beans. Also added in some chopped onion. I had some for lunch yesterday- it was very good! Next time I heat some up, I'm going to toss in a bunch of baby spinach. Soup is just a super easy way of using up produce. It's a great way of getting in several servings of veggies at once. It's comforting and tasty no matter what time of year. In fact, I'm thinking I might add some oyster mushrooms to my soup when I heat it up. Any thoughts on that? Do you have a favorite soup? So far, I'm just making them up as I go. Either a beef or chicken base and then... whatever veggies suit my mood!

Funky, Funny, Feel Good Friday Fragments!

Click the buttons above to go visit our lovely hosts- Mrs444 and The Girl Next Door. Here's my fragmented list of things that I felt good about this week!

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I posted over at FitCity Indy yesterday. As often as I can, I've been attending every other week chats on Twitter that FitCity hosts. There is a different guest each chat who is there to answer questions about food, fitness, healthy lifestyle. This week, I posted about how those chats are magic- at least for me. Hop over and I hope you will leave a comment and maybe include a link to your favorite online motivation for staying focused on fitness! Click the button below.

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A week ago, I went out with a group of theatre friends. Actually, I only ever worked with 3 of the women in the group. 4 of the women I have met through these nights out (I get invited because I'm still friends with Christy). We went to a local hibachi place and had a blast. I enjoyed 2 small glasses of wine and those small glasses of wine certainly helped me find great humor in the turtle tank when I ventured off to find the bathroom:

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I greatly enjoyed this week's Farm Fresh Delivery again! This week, instead of just accepting what was sent, I went online and customized my delivery bin. I got strawberries (2 containers), blueberries (1 small container), an artichoke, an avocado, 2 kiwi, a bunch of radishes, a bunch of carrots, a pound of peas (in shell), a pound of green beans, a lemon, oyster mushrooms, baby spinach. My kids have created a new favorite snack- hollow out a strawberry and fill it out 3-4 blueberries. Never would have been possible with regular strawberries but the ones we got were HUGE!

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I had a very frustrating drive home on Wednesday. It had already been a long day and I was exhuasted and I had to go do the mom-school-Teagan-Ball thing and all I wanted to do was go home and put on my red athletic pants (from Ashli) and zonk out. So that kind of lets you know my mood. Our route home is usually mostly highway. Yesterday, we cam upon major traffic so Christy and I decided we'd take our back roads route. It usually serves us well. Not this time. Traffic, traffic everywhere. Red lights at every turn. I finally got on the main road that goes from one side of town to the other (116th Street). The stretch I would drive would be about 5-6 miles. Not long after turning onto this main road, and immediately hitting a major back up, a woman passes by on her bicycle. Ha ha ha, right? Traffic starts to move and we pass her.

Traffic backs up again and she passes us. Hm.

We finally get to a major cross road and have caught up to each other. Traffic looks bad so I opt to head south and then cross over and come back up north. Traffic was bad that way, too. We finally make it back up north and are about to the cross street near home and what do I see?

Yep. That's her. Yep.

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Happy Friday!! Any big, fun plans for the weekend??

Teagan has pre-k graduation on Saturday morning (*sniff, sniff*).

2 more local Farmer's Markets open this weekend (not sure I will get to them but we'll see).

Sunday, the church choir kids are going to lead the congregation in a worship song for the first time!

I also have some planting left to finish- herbs, peony, sneezeweed.

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Focusing on healthy living, kinky turtle, giant strawberries, efficient bicyclers, and weekend plans... What do YOU feel good about this week?

FitCity: Twitter Chats Are Magic!

Back in February, I became a FitCity Mom Blogger.  I attended my first Twitter Chat in February, as well.  The chat was with Matt Larson from the Ransburg YMCA.  His topic was beating workout burnout (which often hits in the wintertime).  My introduction on FitCity was on Feb 4.  That Twitter chat was on Feb 9. 

I blogged about that chat.  It was a true lightbulb moment.  Matt said that it is recommended that you get 60 minutes of exercise a day.  I had a mild panic attack at my keyboard- I struggled to give up my lunch hour to get in 30 minutes of exercise, where would I possibly ever find an HOUR to give up?!  Matt clarified that it doesn’t have to be 60 minutes all at one time.  You can break it up into 10-15 minute times during the day.  Major ah-ha moment! 

2 weeks later, I participated in the next FitCity chat with Annessa Chumbley as the guest.  Annessa is from Flourish! and was chatting about navigating the grocery store.  I didn’t learn anything brand new but things I already knew were reinforced.  For example, shop the outside loop of the grocery store.  That’s where you find produce and meat and dairy and eggs and you skip the boxed, packaged, processed, factory made stuff. 

After that first chat, I was inspired to become more active and finds ways to incorporate more exercise into my day to day activities.  I work a desk job.  I often sit on conference calls.  Now, when I’m locked in my office and listening to a call, I mute the phone so they can’t hear me and I get up and march in place or do lunges and squats at my desk for 10-15 minutes.  In the afternoon, I will take 10 minutes to walk up and down a long hallway.  In the evening, I will take the family out for a walk after dinner.  In the evening, my 5 year old daughter and I will play Just Dance on the Wii. 

After that second chat, I started making changes to how I thought about food.  That chat was on February 23.  On March 1, I officially started a campaign to become a Healthier Me.  I decided to try and become the one thing I really never thought I would be- a runner.  I started to look at food as fuel that would either enhance or hurt my running performance.  I started to focus on fruits and vegetables- items found on the outer loop of the grocery store.

I did, unfortunately, miss a couple of chats.  But I got back on track with Twitter chatting on April 20 with guest April Adams.  She’s a dietician and author of the book, “Back to Basics.”  I was almost 2 months into my commitment to becoming a runner, living a healthier lifestyle.  I was starting to struggle a little with my choices in regards to food.  I was in a bit of a rut.  This chat was a huge boost to my confidence because it reinforced that I am knowledgable and I am making great choices.  I was revved up again and eager to stock up on fruits and veggies. 

Last week, our Twitter chat guest was Emily Collins from On Track Fitness.  Emily’s topic was overcoming workout hurdles, mental blocks.  I was eager for the chat.  I’d stalled out with my running program.  I’m following the Couch to 5K interval training program.  I had hit a hurdle on Week 4 with that first 5 minute run.  So I stayed on Week 4 for about 2 weeks until I conquered it.  By the end of Week 5, there is a 20 minute run and I was stumped yet again.  I couldn’t break that 20 minutes.  I could go 13-14 minutes.  I got advice on breathing, stride, mental tips… nothing helped.  For weeks, the best I could do was run a mile and then my body would just quit.  I was really hopeful that the Twitter chat would yield the same “magic” results for me- it would take my hurdle and help me find a way over it. 

It did.

That chat was on Tuesday and the very next day, I ran for 29 minutes. 

I’ve decided that the Twitter chats must be magic.  The first one got me fired up to find ways to fit more purposeful activity into my day.  The second one helped me get focused on changing my food choices.  The fourth one that I attended helped me feel confident in thos changed food choices.  And the last one clicked something into my runner’s brain to get past that mental running hurdle.

Ok, ok, I know the chats aren’t really magic.  Something I have learned over the past 3 months is that the best way to stay focused on being healthy is to surround myself with message about health.  Attending the FitCity Twitter chats is one way to keep healthy living right in front of me.  Being a fan of FitCity on Facebook is another way that I keep my active lifestyle fresh.  I’m on Facebook frequently and have found that seeing updates in my News Feed from Active.com and the Couch to 5K Running Program and Flourish! also keep healthy choices fresh in my mind.  I read the blogs of people who have changed their lives by changing how they choose to eat and be active- like The Anti-Jared - or that inspire others to get and be healthy like On Track Fitness. 

If I have fast foods ads in my face all day, that’s where my mind will stay focused.  If I stay passive and let the ads online and on TV and on billboards tell me what to eat and how to live, I’d spend most of my time eating burgers, fries and milkshakes or taking in a more-than-you-should-ever-eat buffet while heading to the casino to sit at a slot machine before going to sit in the hot tub and then sit and watch a movie and then stuff my face with this brand of ice cream only found at this store and if you don’t like how you look you can just have plastic surgery and…

Or I can purposfully surround myself with positive messages about healthy eating and active living.  I don’t anticipate seeing billboards along 465 for carrots or kiwi or running shoes.  I doubt I’ll watch Glee and see ads for broccoli or the health benefits of natural fiber found in fruits and vegetables.  I can’t imagine turning on the radio and hearing an ad that encourages me to put the car in park and walk the rest of the way home.  But I can choose to read those healthy focused blogs, to see tips and articles from health focused groups on Facebook and Twitter… to keep myself surrounded with postive, healthy messages.

If you are looking for a place to get started to build your own online healthy community, I’d really encourage you to sign up for the FitCity e-newsletter, to fan the FitCity Facebook group (look for fun stuff coming there soon), to participate in the FitCity Twitter chats (the next one is Tuesday, May 25 at 7 p.m. with returning gues Annessa Chumbley- just search/follow #indyfitchat).  Comment on the blog posts here and get connected in to this health focused community!

Do you have favorite ways to keep healthy choices in front of you?  Any favorite health focused blogs or websites or groups?  Have you participated in a FitCity Twitter chat and learned something new or had a positive impact from it?

Unfamiliar with using Twitter to chat?  Let me know in the comments and I will find a way to make the information easy to follow so you can participate, too!

When Moms Go Out...

A few weeks ago, Teagan's preschool hosted a "Dad's Night." There was a baseball theme and they had hot dogs and popcorn and played games and had a tournament (which the kids, of course, won). Last night, it was "Mom's Night." The school hosted a "Bruisers and Ballerinas Ball." Semi formal attire... so I wore the dress and heels in the pic I posted yesterday. And we borrowed a dress for Teagan from my friend, Amy. Love this pic- this is Teagan's friend, Ethan. I loved his little suit and tie!! Remember how I went and helped my friend, Satch (she's the school's cook and did all the yummy treats for the Ball)? And that one of the pretzel rods that I dipped and sprinkled had already started to set so the sprinkles didn't stick? Satch was kind enough to save that special pretzel rod just for me!! We did some dancing and singing and played with balloons and hokey-pokey-ed. And I started to notice the lovely fashions around me. Everyone had taken some special care in appearance for the evening. I was especially taken by the variety of shoes that the moms were wearing!! I gotta say... heels are NOT my thing. For years, I've been a flats girl. My heart (and feet) were thrilled a few years ago when ballet flats made a comeback. I recently bought my first pair of heels in quite some time. I wore them all day today. And all evening. And I will NOT be doing that again anytime soon! My left knee hurts, my feet are tired... how do women do it?? It was a very nice evening. Most of all, I gotta give major props to Satch for the hours of work she put in to making all of those treats. She made little banana pudding cups, chocolate mousse cups, the dipped pretzels, and a variety of cookies. She works at the school in the morning until after lunchtime. Then she goes home and bakes. So she spent many, many hours doing the work for this shindig- I only helped out for 2 of those hours. And her food is amazing. So, so, so good. If you are in the Indy area and need some amazing sweet treats for a get together... I highly recommend my friend, Satch!! You can reach her through her Facebook page- The Blue Spatula.

Fear of Success

This post is dedicated to my friend, Ashli. Ashli is my friend from church. She is the one who got me hooked in to Music Team. She is the one handing me down lovely pants and dresses. See, she is also working on losing a few pounds and shrinking in size and getting more fit.

This week, she posted on Facebook about fear of failure... or maybe even fear of success. It's been sticking in my mind ever since. She said that she thinks she has a fear of success and that leads to self-sabotage as she gets closer to her goal.

I totally understand. I've certainly done that before. And I've certainly thought about it over the last month or so.

I can't possibly understand what goes on in Ashli's head. But I can share my own experience from my own perspective.

Is it fear of success or is it fear of the unknown?

Personally, I enjoy success. I like to achieve goals and I like how I feel when I accomplish something.

In my moments of weakness, when I am struggling inside my head and fighting the urges...

Here's what it sounds like, my self talk. "This is such a pain in the rear. I'm so tired of cutting up veggies, I don't have time to plan my dinner, I'm bored with grapefruit and spinach. It would just be easier to get a Big Mac. I deserve a Big Mac! I have been so good for so long and it would totally be ok to just go crazy for a day."

Then the fear talk starts up. "If I have a Big Mac... and fries... and soda... what if that is the end of the success I've had so far? What if I'm not really as in control as I think I am? What if a Big Mac leads to chimichangas and tacos and whoppers and deep fried everything?"

Then I remind myself... that this is an ongoing journey. I will slip and even fall and I will always have the option to make a different choice the next time.

So I think it isn't so much, for me, that I fear success. I think it's more a discomfort with the unknown.

For the past decade, my life has been all about fast food, sweet treats, and achieving a type of pleasure through food. Knowing that I could always grab a Big Mac or drive through for a milk shake or pick up breakfast at Chick Fil A. That was my normal, my comfort level.

And here I am, working really, really, really hard to create a new definition of normal.

And that can be overwhelming and, honestly, scary.

I think back to when Jeff and I brought Teagan home from the hospital... and we were suddenly overwhelmed and scared. But there was no out. I couldn't quit being a mom. Yes, I could take a break from time to time and it was good for me to take a break from time to time. But being a mom was and is always top priority. Even when I take a break.

I also think about parenting and how I parent... Do I focus on the long term goal? Am I set on what the outcome of my parenting choices will be? Am I determined that I will reach a certain goal of what kind of adults my kids will become?

No, I'm not. In all honesty, I usually focus on just getting through the day.

It's not that I'm going blind in my parenting role. I know what kind of mom I want to be and I have philosophies about parenting my children that are important to me. I study and read and seek to improve and work with my husband on the hard choices and the easy choices.

And I guess it's kind of scary to think about my relationship with food and exercise to be that way, too.

As I get close to a goal or a breakthrough... it gets scary to think about this change, this new way of living, about having this be my new long term. Kind of like the adjustment I made to becoming a mother.

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I do think that it's also possible that how we treat ourselves and how we think of ourselves and how we talk to ourselves plays a big role in how we approach our bodies and our goals and our desires. In my past, even though I wasn't overweight at the time, I didn't treat my body with love and respect because I didn't feel I deserved it. I felt shame, anger, resentment towards my body. So I punished myself in my own way- messing around with a lot of other guys. Not sleeping around, just to be clear.

I've known people who have expressed that they fail at weight loss or getting fit because they get to that point where they are really seeing the changes and feeling better and stronger... and they don't feel like they "deserve" to feel so positively about themselves.

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I also think there is something to be said for living life waiting for what's next versus appreciating what's already here. What if we applied that to being healthy?

I believe in living in this moment because this moment is what I have. When I am feeling overwhelmed, the best thing I can do is focus on this exact second, this exact minute, this one task in front of me. I have to focus and channel my mind, my energy so that I can block out all the what ifs and have-to-do's.

Perhaps the same is true with getting healthy. If all I focus on is where I want to be, then I'm not taking time to focus on what I have right now. If all I want is to fit into a size 8, then I won't be content with the size 14 I've already dropped down to from an 18. I'm dismissing the success I've already had, I'm judging it to be "not enough."

That doesn't mean we don't have goals and that we don't want to accomplish and push and try harder. But maybe we could all benefit from taking more time to sit still with what we have now.

When I look in the mirror, am I thinking about what the shape of my legs will be in 3 months? Or am I admiring the new shape and muscle tone that wasn't there 3 months ago?

I think it's pretty common in our culture to always be rushing and looking forward and finding what's next. And I think that can be damaging because then we miss out on what's already around us.

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So those are my scattered and rambling thoughts on the fear of failure, the fear of success, the potential for self sabotage.

I need to remember that this is a lifetime, lifestyle change and that it will take time to adjust and get used to it. And that, again, like parenting, the changes will keep coming. There isn't a final destination where everything is just done. Life will continue to change around me and I have to be able to adjust with it. I have to remember to treat myself kindly, with love and respect and admiration. And I have to remember to focus on what I've accomplished so far, what I have right now, and not get bogged down with where I haven't gotten to yet.

No Time!

Whew!! It's a busy couple of days and I didn't have time to write anything last night and haven't had time so far this morning and won't be at my computer all afternoon! Last night, after bath time and bedtime, I went to help a friend with some sugary treats she's making for the Mother's Night event that Teagan's school is hosting this evening. I chopped chocolate candy coating and dipped pretzel rods and sprinkled the dipped pretzel rods. I only messed up twice- I spilled melted chocolate (forgive me, Father, for I have sinned) and I didn't get sprinkles on one pretzel before the chocolate began to set.

Today, I'm wearing a DRESS of all things. An even bigger deal... is that I'm wearing heels! I tower over everyone at work today! But the event tonight is a Ball and I need to be dressed up. Teagan will be wearing a borrowed gown- it's gorgeous and I love the look on her face when she tries it on.

I shared a pic of me in my dress on Facebook today as part of Inspiration Wednesday.

I will get back to "real" posting tomorrow!!

Soccer

First, I would like to take a moment to share a safety tip. This is Zach. He is 2 years old (31 months, actually). He likes to be a big boy. He likes to drink from cups and bottles the same way his big sister does, the same way his parents do. But you have to be careful. Because this adorableness... Can lead to this... Don't let the cute face distract you. Seriously- don't look in those big brown eyes! But DO look at that upper lip. He created such a strong suction on his upper lip that he actually gave himself a hickey!! But the real reason we are there is to play soccer! Teagan is participating in soccer through the local YMCA. There is a different lesson each week- on team work or a healthy diet or respect. The first 30 minutes are practice and drills. The second 30 minutes are a game- which is crazy hilarious to watch! All the kids have these ginormous jerseys that they wear. They work on passing and dribbling and kicking and running and shooting. They focus on not using their hands. They practice the overhand throw from the sidelines. They talk about in bounds and out of bounds. Some of the kids really pay attention. Some of the kids cry. Some of the kids stand around. Some of the kids do... watever it is that she's doing... Generally, she does pay attention. She is learning about endurance and team work. We, as parents, are learning a lot about encouragement and where the line is to push and where the line is to let her stop. Teagan really gets in there and gets aggressive with the ball. She isn't quite to a point that she takes the ball and runs it down the field. But she is a great team player and is often available to assist the player who does have control of the ball. She is focused on the other yellow players. She wants to make a goal but seems to really understand that each goal accomplished is a team effort. She can take a fall. She can make smart moves. She has a mom and dad and little brother cheerings from the sidelines. But most of all... the thing she really loves about soccer... and I can tell that this is what she loves best because she's got her signature focus face on (the tongue sticking out)... ... is when she RUNS! And, of course, the celebrating when she gets to where she's going. Soccer is held each week at a small local church. This is a fantastic outreach for them and they take advantage of it well. If I didn't have a church home, I would be interested in visiting this church because the people are so friendly. The church provides a nice port-a-potty (it really is nice- the pot itself has this little door for the bottom of the toilet so it isn't just a hole leading down to worst uckiness, the bowl gets cleaned with this blue water scented stuff, and there is even a sink and soap and paper towels!). The church also sells concessions- hot dogs, nachos, chips, fruit snacks, drinks, etc. We typically go to McAlister's Deli for lunch but... Teagan has asked to eat lunch at soccer next time. Hot dogs, bottled flavored water, and being part of this little piece of a community. Now if only there was an easy way to instantly get the stink off my kid before she gets in the van...