Mojo and my Garmin vivofit

For a couple of weeks now, I've maintained my motivation.  I'm eating healthier.  I'm being intentionally active.

I'm not dieting.  I'm not counting calories.  I'm not weighing in on a regular basis.

I haven't officially started running.  I haven't started hitting the workouts hardcore.

I'm starting out by just making changes, getting in the habit of making healthier choices consistently, easing my body into the idea of running again.

In terms of food, I'm just following the basics.  Focus on veggies and fruits.  Avoid fried foods and fast food.

In terms of activity, I have been focusing on getting at least 30 minutes of intentional exercise each day.  There are days when the family schedule makes it impossible.  But I just learn from those days.  I learn that I need to plan ahead when I've got a crazy busy day so that I can exercise in the morning or at lunch.

Here are some key things that have been helping me along the way!

1. Getting involved in groups.  I have joined a friend's group on cleaner eating.  I've signed up for a pilot program through a trainer I know.  2 friends and I are going to lead a healthy living group at church.  And I'm just flat out relying on the healthy people in my life to give me a "like" on Facebook or provide some words of encouragement.  I need cheerleaders and I need accountability/responsibilty.
2. New clothes.  I picked up a couple of new sports bras and a couple new shirts.  Putting on workout clothes that fit and don't leave me feeling fat is a definite good thing.
3. Support from my family.  Jeff doesn't give me a hard time when I put on a workout dvd after putting the kids to bed.  The kids are helping me shop for healthier food.  Teagan exercises with me sometimes.
4. Financial commitment.  I bought new running shoes.  And a Garmin vivofit.  This was a chunk of change and I will get my money's worth.

I was very torn between the Jawbone UP24 and the Garmin vivofit.  From what I was reading, they are both top of the market and very comparable.

I have to admit that I totaly got the vivofit simply because it was what they had on the shelf at my local running store (The Blue Mile).  And I also have to admit that I still want the Jawbone UP24.  I like the Garmin but I don't love it.  Yet. But I'm liking it more and more each day. I was initially frustrated with the software and lack of clear instruction and lack of customer service.  But it's getting better.

What I do like about the vivofit:

• It's comfortable.  I also like that I can change the band if I buy other colors.  And the band comes in 2 sizes.
• I like the display on the band - I can easily see the time, number of steps taken so far, number of steps to go to reach my daily goal, miles walked so far, and calories burned.  I'm finding that knowing the steps I've taken and the calories actually burned is very motivational for me.
• I really like the reminder to be active.  If I sit still for an hour, a red bar appears on my display. Then, another little bar adds on for each additional 15 minutes.  All I have to do is get up and walk around to reset it - but I notice that the longer I am idle, the longer I have to walk to reset.  But I really like the reminder to get up and move!
• Now that I worked out the software and app issues, I like how easy it is to sync the band to the app on my phone.
• I like the Garmin Connect website.  And if I ever use another Garmin device, I can have the info from that device in this same website.
• Battery life. The Garmin battery lasts for 1 year.
• Sleep tracking.  I wear it at night and then I can see how restless I was overnight and also note in the morning how I'm feeling upon waking.

What I wish the Garmin had:

• Connectivity to other apps (like RunKeeper, My Fitness Pal)
• A way to input my food.  Not sure I would use it right now but it would be nice to have it.
• Since it's a Garmin, it would be nice if it had a mapping feature so I could see the route of my walk/run.  Even if that was just part of the app...

The Garmin vivofit cost $130.  If I eventually try the Jawbone UP24, it runs $150.

I've got some mojo working.  I'm motivated and feeling good with my progress so far!

I Hate Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has sure been in the news a lot lately.  And by "news," I mean Facebook and Pinterest and Twitter, of course.

I keep seeing things about how awesome coconut oil is for your hair, your skin, for cooking, and now even for your teeth.

Coconut oil is not good for you.  It's not beneficial in any way.  It's not good for you inside or outside.  It isn't going to give you soft, supple skin and it isn't going to be some fantastic leave in conditioner for your hair.

I don't care if you rub it on your elbows or excema spots.  I don't care if you swish it in your mouth for 20 mintues.  I don't care if you eat a spoonful every day or blend it into a smoothie.

You can talk all you want about triglycerides and lauric acid and boosting metabolism and thyroid function and improving digestion.

I want everyone to know that I hate coconut oil.  And no one should buy it.

Because I do buy it.  And if everyone keeps getting all crazy about it, the prices will soar, the quality will go down... Already this weekend, I got 2 of the last 6 jars at Trader Joe's and it was totally out of stock at Target.  So I am starting a campaign to STOP people from buying coconut oil!

I like to use it on my skin.  And in my hair.  And I did try oil-pulling (where you swish it in your mouth for 15-20 minutes) and it was kinda awful but kinda awesome, too.  And I cook with it all the time.  And I do like to put a spoonful in my smoothies.

In all seriousness, if you haven't yet experimented with coconut oil, you should.  I like it better than olive oil or any other oil when I'm cooking in the skillet.  As weird as the oil pulling thing is, I am already appreciating benefits like a reduction in inflamation in my gums and added lubrication in my throat (important for vocalists).

So go ahead and get yourself some coconut oil.  Just stay far away from my suppliers.

Weekly Menu - Mar 9

I can't keep counting the weeks - I'm losing track.  But I want to stay accountable to cooking at home.  Special thanks to some of my best cheerleaders - The Risky Kids and Chaos and Craziness.  Plus I've had a lot of support from my Facebook fans - ya'll rock!

Jeff is traveling on business this week and I have some busy evenings so the schedule is a bit different.  Normally, this kind of schedule would mean that I just give up on cooking and go out to eat because it's easier.  Except that I don't think it really is easier anymore!

Sunday afternoon, I am going to cook up about 3-4 lb of chicken.  I'll go with whatever is on sale, honestly - thighs, breasts, whole chicken.  And I'll most likely throw it in the crock pot while we're at church.  And then come home and shred 2/3 of it and cube 1/3 of it.

The cubed chicken will then go into a poppyseed chicken casserole for Sunday's dinner.

Monday I'll use half of the shredded chicken to make mesquite chicken pasta.

Tuesday I'll use the rest of the shredded chicken to make bbq chicken sandwiches.  Last week, I did pot roast in the crock pot.  It was kind of dry so I was concerned the kids wouldn't like it.  Jeff picked up hawaiian sandwich rolls and found this awesome Margaritvaille Sweet & Spicy BBQ sauce (it has a great ingredient - I can pronounce all of it and there is no high fructose corn syrup).  So we made shredded beef sandwiches.

Wednesday, as usual, we have church.  This week, our healthy living group kicks off after dinner.  The dinners at church aren't always the healthiest - that's what happens when you are feeding a diverse crowd.  So I'm thinking I will pack my own salad.  My fave salad these days is just a big serving of broccoli slaw, toasted sliced almonds, and salsa ranch yogurt dressing.

Thursday I will make game day meatballs again.  I plan to adjust the recipe a bit by trying a different chili sauce (seeking better ingredients) and maybe a different jelly.

Friday I have an after work commitment and won't be home until after bedtime.  Which means Jeff is on his own for dinner.  He might decide to take the kids out.  He might decide to plan his own menu for the night.  I'm eager to see what he chooses!

As far as sides go for each of these dishes, I'm basically going to wing it.  We try to keep a good amount of fruits and veggies around and will simply serve whatever looks good at serving time.

Lots of Little Equals Big

I'm a big believer that we don't have to make huge, all encompassing, sweeping gestures in order to make a positive change in the world.

Each and every one of us can start to improve our community, our family, ourselves, our world with small gestures, small givings, small opportunities.

The key is that when we all commit to giving those small blessings, big things can come from it.

There are opportunities around us every single day to make changes and improvements.  Sometimes, we just need to be willing to be a little creative, to feel more empowered, to see the bigger picture.

I have a friend who is a volunteer court appointed advocate (CASA) in the foster care system.  Back when I was a social worker in therapeutic foster care, I relied heavily on the CASA in my cases that had one.  These were volunteers who stood only for the child.  Not for the plan, not for the parents, not for the state.  For the child.  It's a special job!

Anyway, this friend has a case and the kids have been bounced around, as is often the situation for foster children.  And now they are being placed with mom as she has been working her plan.  Unfortunately, where mom was able to find houseing wasn't in the school district where the kids have been attending and thriving this school year.  And no one in authority seems to be able to make the transportation needs happen so these kids can finish out the school year in the school that has loved them, supported them, and helped them grow this year.

So this friend took thing sinto her own hands and is asking for donations from people she knows.  Not everyone can give generously.  And maybe that's why the donations have been a bit slower to come in?  Because the problem feels big.  Because it doesn't feel like a grand enough gesture.  Because it's not a donation that will change the world.

Except that it will.

It will make a difference for these 2 kids to be able to stay at their school.  It will make a difference for their mom to know that even strangers love them and root for them enough to give to them like this.  It makes a difference to the social workers and volunteers and court employees who deal with the frustration of not being able to fix the problem on their own.

Then I saw this video from Cross Point Church in TN.  This is a big church.  It's not my kind of place.  I started to loosely follow their pastor - Pete Wilson - after he spoke at the Experience Conference 2 years ago.  And he shared this video:


Again - this is a big church with multiple campuses.  Which is why a single donation of $1 per person meant that they could collect $6,000 at that one moment on a Sunday morning.

But watching it immediately brought me back to my friend and those 2 foster kids.

What would happen if everyone who saw my friend's plea for donations would donate $5?



Not a single one of us can save the world all on our own.  But if we listen and stay aware of the needs around us, we just might be able to brighten up someone's world righ tin this moment.  If we work together, we might be able to take on some of the bigger problems that need bigger help.

Lots of little gestures work together to create a big change.

Be part of something big.

Setting My Heart

I have a mom voice.  I'm ok with that.

I also have a yelling voice.  And I use it more often than I'd like.  More often than Jeff would like.  More often than my kids would like.

Sometimes, I yell to be heard.  I'm ok with that.

But mostly I yell because I'm angry.

I attended our Ash Wednesday service at church last night.  And the focus was on setting your heart on God.  Praying that my heart becomes more like His.  We even sang.  "Change my heart oh God. Make it ever true. Change my heart oh God. May I be like you."

And then there was the Scripture.  The Scripture that spoke to me.  And I came home and read it in different translations of the Bible.  And it spoke to me each time.

This is from Joel 2:13.

for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
    He is eager to relent and not punish. (New Living Translation)

God is kind and merciful.
    He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot,
This most patient God, extravagant in love,
    always ready to cancel catastrophe.  (The Message)

You already know He is gracious and compassionate.
He does not anger easily and maintains faithful love.
    He is willing to relent and not harm you.  (The Voice)



He is not easily angered.

I am sometimes.

He is filled with kindness.

I'm not always.

God is kind and merciful.

I try to be.

He puts up with a lot.

I could work on that one.

He takes a deep breath.

It even tells me how to handle it when I feel angry!

Most patient. Extravagant in love.

I want to be like that.

I am setting my heart on God.  On this merciful, kind, gracious, loving, patient God.

Menu Check In

There are some dinners that are big hits and some that will not be repeated.

First, a note on modifcations.  I don't generally follow a recipe very strictly.  I might the first time I make something.  However, I will delete or sub ingredients based on my family's preferences.  One standard sub is that I will use grapeseed oil, coconut oil, or olive oil in place of most any other oil in a recipe.  I will also eliminate most anything especially spicy the first time I cook it.  And I use whole wheat flour instead of white.  Most every meal includes a basic veggie or fresh fruit and salad.  It's super easy to serve up everyone's fave veggies when I stick to raw foods like apple slices, strawberries, pineapple, baby carrots, sweet peppers, etc.

1.  Chicken nuggets.  Our slightly modified version of the "chick-fil-a knock off" recipe is a big hit.  Modifications: skip the pickle juice, whole milk instead of skim, and I don't really measure out each of the spices (I'm more of a dash of this and pinch of that kind of cook).  I served this with ranch potatoes last night and Teagan even had seconds!

2. Cashew chicken.  I modified this one a lot for our first time.  My friend Nancy made it after I'd posted it and gave some feedback from her family.  I had not frozen the chicken so I didn't cook it in the crock pot.  Personal preference but I find that chicken seems really dry if I crock pot it all day when it's not frozen.  So I did this on the stove top and it was still tasty!  I used coconut oil instead of canola oil.  I used a smidge less soy sauce and a bit more brown sugar.  I skipped the garlic and the red pepper flakes.  I used ground ginger instead of fresh (since I had it on hand).  It was very tasty!

3. Homemade pizza night.  This one is a hit because the kids get to be very hands on.  We buy naan in the bakery section, jarred pasta sauce, and each of our favorite toppings.  Each kid gets to come in and build their pizza however they choose.  Bake for about 10 minutes and done!  Serve with salad and fresh fruit.

4. Game day meatballs.  Teagan especially loved the meatballs!  She's really been my biggest cheerleader in all of this cooking.  We used mini meatballs from the freezer at Trader Joe's.  I'd like a different chili sauce - something with a bit more zing to it.  And maybe a different jelly than grape next time.  Just to mix it up.

5. Any kind of taco night.  Whether we do ground beef or chicken, crunchy or soft... taco night is always a hit.  Zach likes all the parts separate, Teagan likes to build her own burrito, Jeff likes the basics and taco sauce, and I like to have layer upon layer of flavors (avocado, fresh salsa, black beans, cilantro lime rice, etc).

Dishes we won't be repeating:

- Bowtie lasagna.  It was basically just pasta and sauce.  I liked it but the family didn't.  They just aren't big pasta fans.

- Pineapple teriyaki chicken.  Unless I figure out a lot of modifcations... like just working some pineapple into that cashew chicken recipe...

The best part if that I am finding recipes that I want to try - some just for me and some for the family.  Like a ceviche recipe that doesn't have ketchup in it.  And a poppy seed chicken casserole that I think will be yummy but would also make a great nurturing casserole - a dish you take to someone who's had surgery, lost a family member, had a baby, etc.  And then there's this corn and jalapeno dip that sounds perfect for me.

I think Jeff is enjoying that this is easier on the budget since he usually pays the check when we eat out.

I know Teagan is very excited about homemade dinners at home.

While Zach isn't saying it, he's my little homebody and it's easier on him to not be out and about in the evenings.

And I am finding fulfillment in preparing food that my family is enjoying.

And as I work on combining this menu planning and eating at home with healthier living... being in the kitchen is a very good thing for me.

Lent: Drawing Closer To God

This is a reprint of a post from last year: My Lent Vent.  I'm not venting this year - but I still think it's important to understand why a person sacrifices something during Lent and what the intention of this season really is.  I am prayerfully considering my own Lenten sacrifice this year for the first time in my life.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

Growing up, the idea of "giving something up for Lent" was foreign to me.  Somewhere along the line, I heard about Catholics who would give something up and who would also not eat meat on Fridays (instead eating fish).  I didn't get it.

In the past decade, it seems that "giving something up for Lent" has become a pretty popular idea.  So popular that even those who aren't Christian have begun to follow it.

I've never felt an inclination to give something up for Lent.  Still don't.

But I have observed something.

I have several friends who have posted on Facebook about what they are giving up for Lent.  People are posting about giving up chocolate, soda, diet soda, artificial sweeteners, sugar, alcohol, and even Facebook.

Each year, as the sharing of Lent sacrifice begins, I often wonder... do people fully recognize what a Lenten sacrifice is really all about?

I've never felt a call to give something up for Lent.  I've never felt a call to fast from something.  Both are spiritual disciplines with a similar purpose - to draw closer to God.

My understanding of Lent sacrifice (or penance) and a chosen fast at any time of year is that there should be 3 main components to this holy time.

1. Drawing closer to God through prayer.  Spending time each day in prayer, spending additional time reading the Bible or in devotional study, stretching beyond your current prayers.  Try different kinds of praying, try singing while you pray, pray a few verses of a psalm, pray song lyrics, pray a mantra, pray without words.  During Lent, prayer should be focused on seeking forgiveness - recognizing our own sins and seeking forgiveness and strength to not repeat them.

2. Drawing closer to God through personal sacrifice.  This is the penance of Lent - giving something up.  It's not supposed to be fashionable or light hearted or fun.  It is often used as a way to reboot our health choices these days but I think the main idea of the penance is to give up something that will actually hurt and that you will add back.  It's giving up a luxury.  Generally, you aren't giving something up to benefit yourself.  You aren't giving up sushi so that you are spending less money.  You aren't giving up diet soda because there is nothing of nutritional value in it for you.  The sacrifice should be something you are giving up for God.  It should be something that hurts- and something that isn't just replaced by something else (giving up Facebook but then spending all your time on Pinterest, for example).  And again, the sacrifice is tied to our sins.  We sacrifice as a way of punishing ourselves for our sins, as a way of demonstrating that we recognize our wrongs.

3. Drawing closer to God by giving to others.  This is called almsgiving.  Purposefully taking action to help others.  Take dinner to a friend who has had a house of sick kids.  Take a friend out to dinner who has been going through a hard time.  Send thoughtful cards to friends and family to say that they are loved.  Buy bags of new socks and roam downtown and hand out socks to the homeless.  Organize a food drive for a local food pantry.  Step outside of your comfort zone to each God's children that you might otherwise disregard.  Seek to be aware of the needs around you and then do something to address them.

And here's the thing... through these 40 days of Lent and prayer and sacrifice and giving... once Easter comes, you don't just stop.  These 40 days are a time to realign your faith.  To strengthen your spirituality.  To build on your relationship with God.  That doesn't just end after 40 days.  There should be learning and challenge and growth and change that occur.

And maybe that's why I don't specifically give something up for Lent.  While I don't spend 40 days very specifically focused on prayer and my sin and sacrifice and penance and giving to others... I do feel that these are things that are part of my ongoing relationship with Christ.  Am I perfect in them - no way.  But am I working to grow in them all the time?  And not just during Lent?  Absolutely.  Do I see the value in fasting or penance?  Absolutely.

I just hope that those who are publically sharing their sacrifice are just as willing to publically share their prayers and their giving.  Or that those who publically share their sacrifice are privately sacrificing something else - something that is just between them and God and not about wearing their Lent Badge for 40 days.

Maybe because it feels like Lent has become trendy that I haven't felt a draw to participate.

I have friends that have even come to me and sought out some spiritual guidance in determing their plan for Lent.  I admire and respect that - those who take it seriously and who aren't afraid to share how seriously they take it.

How do you recognize the season of Lent, if at all?  Do you practice prayer, penance, and almsgiving?  Were you raised in these traditions or is this something you decided to do on your own?  Do you have a spiritual foundation in your choices?