Dinner Winner

Last week I wrote about our struggles with dinner, but this week I write about our triumphs!

A friend read my post Picky, Picky, Picky Eater and immediately informed me of this amazing product that has changed dinner time in their house, the Dinner Winner Tray by Fred & Friends.  I am willing to try anything with my kids, so I hastily purchased two trays via Amazon as I could not go another night fighting my kids to eat their dinner.

The kids were immediately drawn to their colorful new "plates" and I loved the retro design and feel. I let them both see the trays before I started to prepare dinner, and told them we were going to play a little game while we ate. Mommy was going to put a treat under the "Finish" top and if they ate their way down the path and got to the Finish space, they could have whatever I put under there.

I had them in the palm of my hands. Games? Prizes? Mom is actually letting us have dessert???

I explained to them that some nights the spaces on the trays would be filled with things that they don't eat all the time, and that they had to try them. I also explained that if they didn't eat all (ok, 90%) of the food on their tray that they wouldn't get the AMAZING prize (which has been M&Ms the past four nights), and that is ok.

Let me tell you this - for four nights in a row my kids have been asking to play "Dinner Winner" and are absolutely elated when they sit down to eat!! I got them both to eat the crap out of a ham and cheese quiche, they are eating their vegetables, and last night I even got Marlo to eat "weird" pizza that had fresh herbs on it. I am still in shock.

They have been so good at waiting to have their prize too. And totally understand that if they don't eat the food in the spaces they don't get the prize, as has happened for each of them one night.

I know there are articles out there that tell you not to bribe your kids to eat, and not to make them eat all their food, etc., but we tried those methods. I tried the "You don't have to eat all of it" method or the "try bite" method, but nothing worked. The kids ended up just walking away from dinner and then throwing huge fits at bedtime because they were so damn hungry. This might not be the best way to get them to eat, but for four days it has worked for us!!!

I wish they made this for adults, but instead of a food prize it was a pill you could take to lose 10 pounds!

Living Clean/Paleo: You could...you just don't want to

I am no expert on weight loss, eating right, or health in general. I am just an average sized woman (ok, bigger than average at 5 foot 9 inches tall) who like most women reading this, has struggled with her weight for the latter part of her life. I have tried all the fad diets, lost and gained too many pounds to count and fluctuated from a size 10 to a tight size 16 (after baby #2).

When I was younger I thought I was fat. I was not. Looking back at pictures of myself, in a bikini, I can't believe I ever thought I had a weight issue, but then I look to my left and right and see my skinny mini friends in their string bikinis and remember why I felt that way. I was not as thin as the girls I was friends with (and have always been the biggest of my friends) but I was not nearly the beast that I thought I was at the time.

It wasn't until I went to college, stopped dancing and started eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, that I started to pack on the pounds. For 4 years I ate cheesesteak after cheesesteak (after pizza, after calzone, and sometimes in the same day) and never worked out. There was one summer, after sophomore year, that my mother actually got me a personal trainer to try and get me back into shape while I was at home. It was a quick fix, but as soon as I went back to school I gained whatever weight I had lost in those three months back in one week of nightly peanut butter sundaes.

After college my weight really fluctuated, with two periods of weight loss (around 30 pounds each time) and lots of weight gain in between. I was going to the gym most days, but still eating whatever I wanted, so the weight never stayed off. I joined Weight Watchers at one point and lost 30 pounds, and joined a dance studio and danced my ass off (literally, as I went down two dress sizes). But then the weight came back on, I started having kids and yada, yada, yada...there I was this January weighing more than I ever had and my size 16 clothes were tight on me.

It was in January, as you all know, that we began our Paleo adventure, giving up carbs, sugar, dairy and gluten. It was a struggle, but we powered through and the weight started to melt off. Then I hit a plateau, and didn't lose anything for a few weeks. It was then that I started working out again. I joined a local pilates/barre studio and now go 3-4 times a week to cardio barre classes, and let's just say I am red faced and dripping with sweat after each work out.

A few weeks in to working out again I noticed incredible changes to my body.  Things were tightening and shrinking, and I was actually ok with seeing myself in the mirror naked again. The combination of working out and eating right was once again burning my body fat and getting me back in shape.

So what the hell is the point of this post? Here it is...anyone can lose weight. There is no magic pill or gadget you can buy to help you lose weight fast.

Just follow this simple equation: stop eating crap + start sweating = weight loss. 

Obvious right? I think so.

Every time I tell people how I have lost these last 25 pounds they always say "Oh I couldn't do that," or "how do you not eat pasta and bread?" or "I couldn't give up cheese.." And to that I say, "you could, you just don't want to."

No one is force feeding you that brownie. You can survive without eating all that cheese. Just don't do it. Just don't put crap in your mouth!! Or more importantly, don't buy it in the first place.

I struggled tremendously when on vacation with my family this past weekend. I ate chips with salsa, I ate salty nuts, I ate a couple of skinny cow ice cream sandwiches...and a burger with a bun. I had Hellman's Mayo - and it was delicious. I fell off the wagon hard, and I felt like complete shit. I was shocked at how fast all that crap I used to eat affected my system! Now I am back at home and struggling like I did in the beginning of eating Paleo, but I am determined to get back on the wagon and back to feeling as good as I did just one short week ago.

I can't see myself ever going back to eating processed calorie-filled foods I was eating BP (or before paleo :). Sure I will cheat here and there but this is not a diet for me, it is a lifestyle change. Eating this way, in combination with working out has done wonders for my body, my spirit, my attitude, my sex life...I could go on.

Back to the point of this post...It is not easy to lose weight, but anyone can do it. It is not rocket science. Stop eating processed calorie-filled foods and start working out. I am not saying you need to eat Paleo like I do, but find something that works for you. Stop making excuses. It will take time, and it will be hard work, but just shut up and do it. Find the time to work out - wake up before your kids do and go for a walk or a run. Stop buying the crap you usually buy at the grocery store. Start taking care of yourself now while you still have the chance.

And don't get me started on what you are probably feeding your kids (yes, this I will judge you on because it is under your control). That is for another post...

For now, put down the diet soda and stop eating those pretzels. And take the stairs.

We Love Lovage BabyBlends

Every day I come across something that I wish I had invented or created myself. Sure there are obvious ones like the iPod, but I am talking things that make a mom's already hectic life even easier. The Nose Frida comes to mind - so simple, so gross, yet so satisfying. I wish I could take credit for it's creation. I also wish I came up with the idea for the organic baby food delivery service, Lovage BabyBlends.

I love my golden beets! And this top isn't bad either!

I had every intention to make my own baby food with Val. I bought an immersion blender, I bought all the little food containers - I was ready to make it happen. I reached out to friends who make their own baby food and they told me how easy it was, so I bought some organic veg at Whole Foods and had planned to boil and puree some squash for baby Val. Yeah, that never happened. When you are home with two kids, who only nap at the same time once in a blue moon, you are lucky enough to have time to take a quick shower, let alone make your own baby food. I gave up the notion of being that perfect mom who purees her baby's food, and settled for Plum Organic pouches just like I had with M - and she turned out just fine.

Two weeks ago I was approached by Jessica, the founder of Lovage BabyBlends, and was asked if I wanted to try their product. I am always hesitant when a company owner approaches me to try their product and review it for the blog - I tell everyone I will be completely honest, which doesn't necessarily mean it will be a glowing review. Well, Jessica, you are in luck because I have nothing but amazing things to say about Lovage!!

Let me start with their packaging. The 9 flavor variety pack is hand delivered to your door step in the

cutest little cooler (reusable of course), complete with Lovage logo (see right). The flavors are individually packaged in reusable BPA-free containers, with color matched logos. I am a sucker for attractive packaging, so she had me at my first unzip.

Val and I started our taste test with the Golden Beets flavor, a favorite ingredient in our household. I cannot believe how velvety smooth they are able to make this baby food. It almost tasted like cream was added, but for sure it was not. Val gobbled up all she could, as I couldn't stop eating it myself. All of the subsequent flavors (I couldn't get enough of the Minty Peas!!) we have tried have had that amazing texture, and could double as a side dish to any adult dinner entree.

Because we only use less than one container a day (that is when I am not eating it myself) I put 5 of the flavors in the freezer. All I had to do was pop one for tomorrow in the fridge and about 24 hours later it is defrosted and ready to go. We don't heat up our baby food but if you want to they have directions to follow on the site. 

This is totally one of those things that I wish I had thought of first. A couple clicks online, and delicious fresh baby blends can be delivered to your door step. Just click here to start the process. 

I am so excited to have had the opportunity to try Lovage BabyBlends, and look forward to being a repeat customer!!

More Minty Peas please!!

Fresh, Local Baby Food Made with Love

a guest post by founder of Lovage BabyBlends

Lovage isn’t just a plant, baby food company or sweet name. We consider it a concept that consists of nutritious food Made with Love starting at the farm and ending with you. We believe that good and honest food is a right, not a privilege. We believe these concepts and tastes are ingrained into us starting with our first foods, which sets the precedent for the rest of our foodie life. Here is how “I” turned into “we” and our mission began:

When my beautiful niece Ellery was born on Oct 16, 2012, my sister knew that she was going to feed Elle fresh, local, homemade baby foods for the highest nutrition and best taste. She works from home and is lucky to have the time to make foods for her baby. At the time, I was working 80-hour work weeks with several friends in the corporate world with babies as well. I don’t have a baby (yet!) but I was wondering how parents with similar schedules could provide their baby with fresh foods.

I quickly found out they wanted to but couldn’t because of time constraints and would love a service to provide this for them. They also felt unknowledgeable with the baby food store brands and would constantly wonder, “What do these ingredients mean? How do they attribute to their babies growth during this crucial time? Why are they funky colors? Where are the ingredients coming from?”

I began speaking with lots of parents and found out this was a widespread issue, not just with working parents but all parents. I knew I had to do something about this especially since I’ve always been passionate for nutritious, local foods and an expert blender. It was a tough decision to leave behind all the benefits of the corporate world but I knew my mission in life was to provide others with this service one family and baby at a time. I spent the last six months researching and creating the perfect firsts bites for Ellery and other babies, and brought on a team of like-minded experts to join me. 

Our team includes a nutritionist that helps us find the healthiest ingredients and to provide parents with nutritional facts for babies growth. The best local and responsible farmers and distributors to source our ingredients from. The most reliable food consultant to ensure the safest cooking process. And seven of the cutest babies that helped us discover the tastiest recipes. We’re excited to share with you the fruits of our labor which is why we set up various delivery options, convenient pick-up locations with great missions and the safest products to deliver our tasty Babyblends in.

With our mission, we hope to make the process of spreading the Lovage concept tastier for babies and easier for families.  

~Jessica Runnals, Founder of Lovage BabyBlends

not about anything

When I got pregnant I heard all the time how breastfeed would take all those extra pounds, I would loose it and never look back.
Now breast feeding never really worked out for me and the food in America is so yummy I'm still looking like a chubby 9 month pregnant women.
How does anyone do it? I work from 9-6 Monday to Thursday, I leave home at 8.15 and get home usually 6.45 by then I'm so tired and just want to chill plus any classes at gyms are over and done with, on Fridays my hubby works and I have alone time with my bg so we try to get out and do fun things but no gym, no gym ever it feels like.
I used to be really big (well I'm only one size away from that really big) and joined ww, it worked great for me, I had a goal and I had a firm week to week thing, but ww is a lot of involvement, the cooking, the counting, the meetings, and all that took up so much time, it made me think less of those snacks in between coz I had to plan everything. I'd love to get back to that, but I have no time now.

What did you all do? Seriously though, with very little time, no family around to help out and a young baby.
what happened to me?
where did I go?
I have gained pounds and a little wonderful amazing girl, but where did my will power go?

Do you ever feel lost and then ashamed for that feeling?

I always try to be honest with anyone who asks me about who things are at home, with baby and all, If things at the moment are good, I'll say just that, but if they are not so good I'll say that too, no one else seems to though, everything is always peachy.
I have been reading this blog www.motherhoodwtf.com
it's so funny, open and honest and it makes me feel better about life and the world.
I do picture this women as tall, slim and very very pretty coz that's how she sounds, but nice, a little bit scary, but she sounds nice....
I am hoping that my postings on this blog might not be as funny but they are open and honest, I think we need more of that in this world...
lots of love to you all.
xx