boy: a noise with dirt on it

a mommy-friend of mine invited the boys and i to toddler story time at a local library recently.  actually, she invited us weeks ago but i finally got it together enough on my end so that we could attend. it was a morning event so i got up super-duper early just to ensure we'd make it. a lil late, but we made it.  i feel like i have to start getting everybody ready like 3 hours before we have to be somewhere, seriously.  and when we are rarely making good time, Chiso suddenly has to go go to the restroom as i am loading up the car or Dego throws up on us.  never fails!  but hey, we made it AND we even got a nice breakfast in!

i had egg whites with black pepper, mozzarella almond cheese, a little homemade guacamole, low-fat turkey sausage, and french toast with strawberries!  big breakfast to support my activity levels these days which includes hitting the weights again, nursing around the clock, and keeping up with my 3 yr old. among other things.

Chiso has requested pancakes for like 2 weeks straight now. maybe even longer than that.  so made him some sprinkled with mini chocolate chips, sugar-free syrup, and a little fat-free Redi Whip.

our boys warmed right on up to each other and enjoyed the crafting, songs, and puppet show.

 Maranda is a mom of 3 boys herself so i know she feels my pain can relate to life with these little knuckleheads!

 our first official outing together.  we did it!! we're pros now. i actually avoided leaving the house with both boys for the longest...but the saying is true. 'ain't nothin' to it but to do it.' after that? piece of cake! for the most part. thinking, i.e. worrying, about every single thing that could go wrong is no way to live. i've learned to be prepared, prayerful, and cautious, not crazy.  Chiso's independence could not have come at a better time though. for him to be able to get in and out of the car himself, clean up his toys and messes, retrieve and/or throw away Dego's diapers, and turn on the bathroom light so i don't have to get up lol helps out big time. sigh...no more baby Chiso!

just another one of those bittersweet mommy moments.

well all that fun didn't result in a nap at our house, but Chiso enjoyed himself and has asked to go back countless times now. Maranda is a pro at finding free & fun stuff to do around our city, and i recently came across Houston on the Cheap with even more ideas galore.  check it!

i got to bed way too late so my early gym date was definitely out this morning. i hit the streets for some sprints once Sonny got home instead. i haven't run full speed in almost a year and i'm sure i'll pay for it tomorrow and the next day!  i did ladders:

i started slow and only went 'down' the ladder from 5 to 1.  that was all i had, woof.  also, here are two foodie items being adding back into my diet that i've posted about before: almond cheese (gotta cut down on the dairy cause of bloating) and calorie-free Grey Poupon mild & creamy mustard. i got great feedback via Instagram about Daiya vegan cheese so i'm gonna step out and try that brand next.

Q: what have you tripped over that wasn't even worth tripping over once you did it?

le

250 cals in 20 min

i walked into the gym this morning and there were a cluster of stairmasters both to the left and to the right of me.  i counted 12 people total marching like crazy.  i also noticed that every single one of them were hunched over with either their hands or forearms resting on the rails.  why do we do that?  i think it's a combo of seeing others do it, and because they are just there.  let's be honest..it makes it easier too.

stairmaster tips:

• rails are there for balance- don't abuse them.
• watch your posture. no hunched backs or shoulders. stand up straight and tall to elongate that spine. muscle imbalance doesn't look good on anyone.
• no hands!! the more you involve your upper body and tip forward, the less work your legs do.  that would be cheating. keep the weight in your heels so your quads, hams, and glutes feel the full effect.
• stay centered-  in the middle of the step, AND in the middle of the stairmaster itself.  if you feel like you're sinking and might fall off, slow down and warm up to high speeds gradually.  in retrospect, if you are at the very top and darn near tipping over waiting for the next step to appear, SPEED UP!
• either put your hands on your hips or in front of you with your elbows bent and fists up, like a boxer.  you can also swing your arms naturally (while they are still bent @ 90 deg.) with each step. opposite arm with opposite leg, just like walking.

that said, i have a quick, effective interval stairmaster workout i like to use.  i can't stand looking at the time and thinking 'dang, only ___ minutes have passed!?!?' that's another reason i love intervals because they make the time go quicker.  you are constantly switching speeds and movements.  plus, doing the same boring speed the entire time is such a motivation killer. (60 and 90 are speeds, fyi)

0:00 - 2:00 straight step (warmup) 60

2:00-2:30 straight step 90

2:30-3:00 left side step 90

3:00-3:30 right side step 90

3:30-4:00 straight step 90

4:00-5:00 skip a step 90

5:00-6:00 straight step (active recovery...heart rate is coming back down) 60

REPEAT 3x's (sans the warm-up).  when you get to 18:00 min., slow down to 40 and cool down for the last 2 min. with a straight step.

* side note: if you have the interval option on your stairmaster machine, use it! makes it so much easier to push one quick button to toggle speeds instead of having to hold it down each time to go from 60 to 90 and back. 

i start craving my oatmeal smack in the middle of my morning workouts- couldn't get home fast enough this morning!  today i did an egg white/turkey sausage scramble with 1 laughing cow cheese wedge and some salsa for around 275 cals.  staying within the 250-300 calorie range satisfies me until my mid-morning snack.

here's to a productive Thursday!

le

what's is your go-to elliptical machine?

first sunday

we got up early and attended early service this morning.  we were running late, so i had a banana and a handful of almonds in the car.

when we don't go out to breakfast after church, i usually make a semi-big breakfast before our early afternoon dinner.  for some reason i can eat one time on sunday and be fine for the rest of the day. so weird.  this morning we all had egg white omelettes with garlic and herb cheese, turkey sausage, and ranch new potatoes.  chiso and i also had prune infused oatmeal; sonny can't stand the texture of it, so none for him.

i must have lots of cheese on my eggs! i use a particular cheese i will devote a future post to. so, you'll have to just check back for it! it gives my food flavor but keeps it light on the fat and cals.  once my omelette is done on one side, i flip it, then add the cheese so it can melt while the other side finishes up. then i fold it in half. you can add so many things to your omelette (onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, whatever) but when i'm pressed for time i just keep my egg whites solo.  i usually do 3 eggs whites- that's pretty filling for me.

i have an on/off relationship with coffee. sometimes i think i just like the smell rather than actually drinking a cup. however, when i do save my starbucks money and make my own at home, it's more like adding coffee to my cream and sugar! it's gotta be sweet. i found this little treasure at HEB last week and had to test it- pretty darn close.

a nap sounds good right about now. happy sunday!

le