Clean Eating Butternut & Apple Bake

Another holiday has come and gone. Goal for Christmas dinner was to be as healthy as possible, and I totally did that this year. We had herb crusted beef tenderloin and a healthy version of Green Bean Casserole, recipes from FIXATE cooking show available with a Beachbody on Demand Membership. Homemade rolls, traditional mashed potatoes. The last thing we had, I am so proud of! It was a Clean Eating Butternut and Apple Bake. And it turned out AMAZING! Even my husband and dad enjoyed it! It was almost like a dessert and we did not miss the sweet potato casserole with marshmallows at all! This was PERFECT! I wanted to share it with you! You don't have to wait for the holidays to enjoy this amazing side! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Clean Eating Butternut and Apple Bake

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb chopped/cubed, peeled butternut squash
• 2 large apples, peeled, cored and cubed
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil in liquid state (or olive oil) 
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions: 

1. Place all ingredients in a 1 gallon-size ziplock bag or large container with a tight-fitting lid.

2. Shake well to coat everything in spices and maple syrup.

3. Pour out into a baking dish (I used an 8x8) and bake at 350 F for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes. * if you have a deeper baking dish this will take longer in the oven compared to a shallow dish. 

4. Enjoy

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Elyse Cheyenne: 3 Months

Elyse is 3 months. We have passed out of the 4th trimester! She is such a great baby! I can't believe how amazing she is. She sleeps like a champ. She doesn't cry all that much, if she does cry she is either hungry or tired. Matt can get her to sleep while holding her. I can't. If I am holding her she wants to be eating! And the best part...her personality is starting to shine! I LOVE IT! (Be sure to view all the way to the bottom to see her outtakes!)

Her Stats: 
Weight: 11 pounds 2 ounces

Christmas outfit #1

Christmas outfit #2

Christmas outfit #3

"HELP!" 

Christmas outfit #4

Christmas Morning with all 3 in their Christmas Church outfits

Christmas morning before the boys came downstairs. she got to see everything first since it was her first Christmas.

OUTTAKE:
My little helper trying to get her to smile!

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Setting Goals and GETTING Results

It's the beginning of the year and the #1 thing people do is set their RESOLUTIONS! But what often happens is that in about 3 weeks...the resolution fades away. Setting goals and sticking to the work required to reach your goals is HARD WORK! And it takes constant dedication to your goals to stay on track. Here are some steps you can take to make sure you stick with your goals and GET RESULTS!

1) Set Real and obtainable goals: 

Be realistic in your goals. Start with smaller goals that are obtainable rather than larger daunting goals. Like, lose 10 pounds by March. Instead of: lose 100 pounds by March. It isn't going to happen safely or without medical intervention. You have to be realistic with yourself or else you are just setting yourself up to fail. And no one wants to do that. Another great goal to think about is to slowly increase how many days you are exercising. If on average you exercised 2 days a week, like clock work, bump it up to 3-4 for a challenge. But automatically jumping to 7 days a week might be too much of a leap and can lead to getting burned out pretty quickly. Be realistic in your goals.

2) Make It Exciting:

When you start a new exercise routine, make it fun and exciting! Start a new workout program so that you have something new and different to do than what you have done before! Doing the same old boring stuff means you can get bored sooner and more likely to stop. Try a new workout that challenges you. The Beachbody On Demand All Access Pass is perfect for anyone that needs to change up their program frequently! Hammer and Chisel, 21 Day Fix Extreme, a Cycle class, hot yoga! There are so many things out there to up the anti in your workouts! And make it fun! Also make an end goal for what you are doing to. Like sign up for a specific race that looks awesome, or be able to do 10 military style pushups. Challenge yourself but make it fun and exciting.

3) Set A Time Limit

Give yourself a deadline on when you have to reach your goals by so that you are pushing yourself every single day. It gives you something to look forward to to make sure you stay on track and you can literally see what you have and haven't been doing to make sure you reach your goal.

4) Reward Yourself

Plan a fun reward for yourself for when you reach your goal. Don't make it food related but something you have wanted for a while. New workout clothing. New equipment for your home gym. Necklace. Anything that makes what you are doing all the more worth it!

5) Don't Give Up On Yourself

The only one that can stop you from doing what you need to do is yourself. Yes life happens, but you are the one who determines if you workout or eat healthy for the day. Don't let other people, circumstances or obstacles stop you from doing what you need to do every single day to get you one step closer to your goals!  If you want to change you have to WORK FOR IT! Take ownership for what you want to accomplish and don't stop until you reach it! 

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! Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Hope everyone has a safe and healthy New YEAR!

Collin, my second son, is still in the hospital so we will be spending the 3rd day there today. But...I did get to have some fun with my oldest this morning! We got in a GREAT little pajama dance party!

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! Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

How To Get A Baby On A Schedule

I will be the first to admit that I AM NOT A PERFECT MOM! I have ginger snaps quite often, thanks to my red headed short fuse. But I will say, that my kids are on a schedule. #2 and #3 seemed to fall into their brother's schedule. They love their schedules. They BEG to go to mommy quiet time every day and we know the signs when they are ready/beyond ready for bed. That is why, my kids are on a schedule! #1 when he was a baby, did not have a schedule until he was about 9 months old, when I realized that I needed some quiet time. Before that we were just flying by the seat of our pants trying to make everything work but once I got him on a regular schedule and routine our lives got much more calm and less crazy!

A typical school day in our house now looks like this:
Everyone up around 6:30am.
Breakfast by 6:40am
Get #1 ready for school at 7:00am
Bus by 7:15am
Back to the house for my breakfast and morning activities
Mommy quiet time by 11:30am
Get #1 from bus stop and wake baby from mommy quiet time 2:45pm
7pm reading time
7:30 get ready for bed
 all kids go to bed by 8pm

Even on the weekends #1 follows the same schedule. If you ever ask me to do play dates, they will always happen in the mornings. I desperately try not to schedule anything during the hours of 11am-3pm. If my kids don't have their naps/time away from me/me away from them. We ALL will but heads!

So how did I get even my newborn on this schedule? 

Consistency! Consistency is the Key to setting a schedule. In the beginning even when others were taking care of the boys I still tried to keep her on the same schedule. Making sure we were trying to sleep by 11am for the afternoon nap. She would always have a nap before then, but I made sure she was awake then back to sleep by 11am. Then making sure she was up by 3pm everyday. I have to have her on a schedule since I teach private music lessons out of my home 3 days a week. And she needs to be up and fed and happy for when I pass her off to my hubs while I teach.

Tips To Set A Baby's Schedule: 

• Make sure you are consistent everyday with your schedule. They will pick up on it. Make it a priority in your household and for everyone to be on the same page

• Know it takes a few weeks for the baby to pick up on the regular routine. It does not happen overnight

• Be forgiving. Sometimes during growth spurts or other times, the schedule just won't happen. Or you have an appointment during the "no appointment time". Be flexible and forgiving.

• Pick 2 times in the day that you HAVE to be consistent with. Mommy quiet time and bed time are our, must have, every day. The other times in the day are more flexible. But I have to have my mommy quiet time to get my workout in, lunch and work done. And night time. Well, if we don't get the kids in bed by 8pm it is bewitching hour and man, my kids can get pretty crazy!

• Talk to your baby and explain what you are trying to accomplish. Yes they are just a baby but telling them and trying to help them understand gets you used to explaining the rules to your kids. Even as they get older, you are going to have to explain it for the 1,000th time. 

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! Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!