Every Day May Not Be Good...But There Is Something Good In Every Day!

Guess what?!? It's raining AGAIN in central VA! We had 17 days straight of rain in the last month. Then just a few glorious days of sunshine, then today. Rain all day long. I can look at this in either 2 ways...I HATE RAIN, it sucks because we have to stay indoors and with 2 boys that is so hard. OR, I LOVE RAIN! It is watering my grass for free. Making my flowers and garden grow. And we need the rain, since we didn't get enough snow this year.

I have had really great days and really, really crappy days. But I always try to find the good in my life. My miscarriage last year, was a HORRIBLE day, but I gained an understanding that it happened for a reason. That it was better that way. As hard as it was to go through it, I not only survived but I became STRONGER because of it!

You can choose to be happy in your life or you can choose to not be. You get to make that choice. Life isn't perfect for anyone but its important to be thankful for the good that we do have in our lives.

So how are you going to look at the day today? 

What is ONE thing that is GOOD in your life today? Comment below! Let's celebrate your amazing day! 

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I Workout Because...

Over the years my reason to workout has changed so much. Originally it was to lose weight to get pregnant because having PCOS made me gain more weight and also difficult to lose weight. Or to lose weight for an upcoming trip with the family.

Now it is so much more. I almost died last year. I have been given a second chance to be with my family. To live a life. And darn it, I better not waste it! That means being the best that I can be. That means taking care of me everyday. That means actually working my butt off to find time to exercise and eat better ever single freaking day. I have come up with emotional and physical reasons that actually rock me to the core on why I choose to exercise and eat healthy every single day. It is so much more than just for my family but it is for me too! It is apart of me and is the main reason why I have changed my lifestyle.

Need help finding your why? Ask yourself these 5 questions!

1.  What makes you come alive?

2. What has happened in the past that made you really think you need a change?

3. How will it affect those around you if you decided to not change and if you decided to change?

4. How would you feel if you stayed the same and never felt?

5. What are you willing to do to get the results you want?

I challenge you to sit down today and think about why you want to exercise. why you want to eat better. And if it doesn't have you crying or emotional dig deeper! Now the second part of this is to WRITE IT DOWN and place it where you see it everyday! Don't just think about it, put it into action! 

Want more help in finding your why and/or achieving your goals? Let's work together. I am a virtual health and fitness motivator, support and educator. This is what I do. Through online private groups and personal emails I help people just like you rock your workouts, and balance your life to achieve your goals!  Send me an email and let's chat! 

What is your reason? Comment below!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!

Kids Photo Books

A few months ago we lost all of our photos that were stored on a backup hard drive. ALL. OF. OUR. PHOTOS. Pictures from before Mason was born, all of Collin's birth pictures. Anyways, it was an accident and I have finally accepted it. Good thing I post a lot of the pictures to Facebook and on this blog. That has helped.

Anyways I have a lot of catching up to do as I haven't made any of Collin's baby books and I still have Mason's year 2 to finish, and start year 3 and year 4. Yeah, a lot to do. I am so proud of myself. But I just finished this one so I am so happy! Check it out. Do you do special books for your kids?

 
Click here to view this photo book larger

**Update! I got a good amount of work done on Collin's 0-12 months baby book today, even with the missing photos I have been able to find lots of them. So thankful for social media! (still working on it but making progress!) 

1. Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

5 Rainy day Toddler Activities

We are on about day 17 of straight rain here in central VA! I feel so badly for Mason's preschool teacher. All the kids are going stir crazy not being able to go outside and play on the playground. So her and I am sure other teachers and parents are on the lookout for fun indoor activities for the weekend to keep these kiddos entertained!

Honestly I am at a loss as to what we can do, so I went to the internet to find more actives. I feel like we have done a lot of these ideas but here are more ideas to entertain your kiddos! What do you do that is special for rainy days?

1. Pretend to go camping. 
   
2. Build a tent in your living room out of blankets and chairs. Or use a real tent and hang some Christmas lights on the outside to have the "stars" shinning brightly! Don't forget to bring the flashlights, snacks, and books. Or make it an igloo and pretend to hunt for polar bears and go ice fishing. 

1. Recycle, reuse, renew. 
   

1. Find broken crayons, put them in an oiled muffin tin, and place them in a warm oven to melt. Let them cool and pop them out of the tin. Use your new "rainbow color-wheel crayons" to draw pictures for Grandma and Grandpa.

1. Create an in-home drive in theater. 
   
2. Take some old boxes and paper plates and have the kids make their own cars, turn out the lights, grab popcorn and beverages, and put on their favorite movie.

1. Mix education and fun.
   
2. Pull out old magazines and catalogs and let your kids find pictures of animals, food, babies, or cars. Give them safety scissors and glue sticks to make collages. Or have them make their own picture out of the colors they find! 

1. Get messy! 
   
2. No outside dirt play, play in the tub with shaving cream, bathtub paints, and bath crayons. Don't want a bath? Paint with finger-paints or, for easier cleanup, let your kids paint with chocolate and vanilla pudding cups. That way they can lick their fingers without the nasty after taste of paint! Yummy!
3. Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

How To Control Weight Gain During Pregnancy

Yesterday was the first time in this pregnancy that I literally had a freak out over my weight on the scale. I have only gained 8 pounds in 21 weeks but seeing the numbers on the scale scared me to death. I am a plus size lady. And honestly the idea of getting closer to 250 pounds scares me so much! I worked so hard before getting pregnant to get those numbers down and well, it is going the opposite direction. Most most moms-to-be fear this and it is often inevitable: WEIGHT GAIN.

But my doc today summed it up best when we were taking about this..."Do you know how many women out there wish that they have only gained 8 pounds at 21 weeks pregnant. Just goes to show what healthy eating, and exercise can do for pregnancy! (which we talk about at every appointment, I tell him my exercise routine for the week!) Whatever you are doing, keep doing it because it is working!" Looks like I will be sticking with my shakeology and 30 minute workouts, and strength training 5 days a week.

(Me at 20 weeks with all 3 of my different pregnancies!) 

With Mason I gained 55 pounds. He was born at 39 weeks weighing in at 7 pounds 4 ounces (Wow, so weird to think I gained that much). Collin I gained 20 pounds and he was born at 40 weeks 5 days weight in at 7 pounds even. For most moms weight gain is something that is just going to happen whether you like it or not. And how much of the weight you gain can be controlled, but there is never any guarantees how much weight you will gain in the end. Check out how each of my pregnancies have been so different in terms of eating and exercise! 

Talk with your doctor about exactly how much weight they recommend for you to gain during your pregnancy. The common rule for an average pregnancy is to gain between 25-35 pounds. But that really what most women thing they should gain regardless of weight prior to pregnancy. It varies for women who are overweight and underweight too. Overweight women, like me, are now being advised to gain less than the average recommended amount while underweight ladies should gain more in order to support their pregnancies. And if there are twins or triplets, then the weight gain will be even more.

So how do you control your weight gain while pregnant?

1) Thing to help you NOT gain too much weight...DO NOT STOP EXERCISING! Unless advised by your doctor, you can continue normal exercise and daily routines, at least walking. Just move your body. As much as we want to sit and eat ice cream all day everyday, it isn't going to do you or your baby a bit of good. Aim for a good 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 days a week. I have been doing 21 Day Fix yoga & pilates, Cize, Diary Of A Fit Mommy's Fit For Two 2nd Trimester workouts and the Beachbody On Demand Active Maternity 2nd Trimester workouts. 

2) Do not eat for two! You are eating for you and a tiny little human. Not an adult sized human. The recommended caloric intake increase is only 300 calories in the second trimester, and 500 calories in the third trimester and during breastfeeding. 300-500 calories is really not that much in terms of foods. It can be easy to over eat and over indulge. So make sure that you are diligent in what you are eating. 

3) Eat 5-6 meals a day. Not big meals, small meals just like you did before you got pregnant. Making sure that you are getting veggies, fruits and protein in as much as possible, and limiting your sweets and sugars intake. Stick with whole fruits and veggies, good carbs, lean proteins and in the right portions. Stay away from sweets, treats, breads because we often eat too much of them in one sitting and those are filled with excessive calories. Indulgent meals are okay on occasion but do not make it a regular thing. Try not to give into those ice cream cravings on a daily basis because it could cause you to gain over the recommended amount of weight during your pregnancy! 

**Want to know my #1 tip to have a healthy pregnancy? CLICK HERE! Because I have done it! 26 pounds total gained and I gave birth to a healthy baby girl!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!