One Worn Out Momma!

Whew! Yesterday I hit a wall! I was going, going, going all day long. No mid day rest/nap or anything. Just too busy to do it. I was gone from 9:15-1 doing church stuff and going to the gym. Came home showered, cleaned the house then taught piano from 3:15-5:45. Then went to Best Buy with the hubs to pick up his laptop and was there longer than I expected, picked up a late dinner and got home, ate, put the kid down and it was 8pm. After my body realized that I was satisfied with food I just crashed! I wanted to fall over and go to sleep. I was in bed by 8:30 and out like a light by 9, probably earlier but I don't know when I fell asleep.

Lesson learned. I need to rest mid day or else I will crash during the day. I was exhausted during teaching and almost fell asleep on my feet at the store but Mason was screaming so much that I couldn't. (he decided he didn't want to nap yesterday either.) So now I know, I have to schedule in some resting time. At least I accomplished a ton yesterday though! Positive note, always think about the positives!

QOTD: Do you take a mid day rest/nap while pregnant?

Workout Goals for the Week

Next week is Christmas! Can you believe it. Let me say that again, NEXT WEEK IS CHRISTMAS! It feels like it has snuck up on me this year which seems weird that Christmas would sneak up on me but it has. I have way too many things to do this week to get things done and sent out on time before it is too late.

One thing that I can no slack on this week is my exercise. I have really taken a break for the last 2 weeks from heavy cardio training due to my cold or whatever I had. I still don't have my full voice back. Everyone is asking if I am getting sick, nope getting over being sick. (The hard part about being sick while pregnant is you can't take anything to help you through it.)

I decided that today would be the day that come feeling 100% or not I was going to get my exercise done. It needs to be done. I do not want to gain excess weight with this pregnancy unless. In the last 2 weeks, when I haven't exercised, I was gaining the 1 lb a week that can happen. So at this point I am -2 from my pre-pregnancy weight for this pregnancy. Still 30 lbs over what my pre-pregnancy weight before Mason. Exercise is so important to me right now. I am using it as a tool to help me stay as healthy as possible and so that I can have a healthy as possible pregnancy for my baby. And eating right of course. But since next week is Christmas, I know that I will indulge just a little, and I did this weekend when I made my mom's yummy candy cane cookies. I might of had a couple.

Goals for this week:
Monday- 30 min elliptical, 2 miles walk-treadmill-CHECK- Totally did it today
Tuesday- 3 mile walk/run, Prenatal Pilates at home- CHECK- updated 12/17
Wednesday- 30 min elliptical, 3 mile walk-treadmill- did Pilates stretching 20 min- updated 12/18
Thursday- 2 mile walk/run, prenatal yoga
Friday- 30 min elliptical, 1 mile run
Saturday- 4.5 mile walk/run with training program

We shall see how this works. But I am determined to do better always. I am in full training mode now for my 1/2 marathon as I only have 9 weeks until race day!!!

QOTD: Do you hit it hard at the gym when you are getting back into the swing of things?

Good Eats- Holiday Treats

Tonight I was schedule to go to a cookie exchange but sadly I am still not feeling 100% and don't want to bake my germs into the cookies or scare the other ladies away with my lovely cough! Ahem. 

I thought I would share with you what I would have brought tonight just for fun. We were asked to bring an appetizer so naturally I wanted to bring pumpkin pie. (plus I would have had to make 2, one for the party and one for the hubs. IT IS HIS FAV!) It counts as an appetizer right??? And the cookies, well let's just say there is a yummy little kick with them. They are super easy to make too. Delicious too!

Both recipes are from Pilsbury, go figure. Now keep in mind these are Holiday Treats. Eat them in moderation because they are in no way healthy foods so eat with caution because the cookies, well, it is hard to have just one! 

Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Pie

A crunchy oat topping complements every bite of creamy pumpkin pie. Refrigerated pie crust makes it super easy! (but I make homemade because it is just more fun!)

8 servings

Crust

 1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

I use this recipe by Ina Garten for my perfect pie crust! 

Filling

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (no pumpkin pie mix)

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk (1 1/2 cups)

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon salt

Streusel

¼ cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup quick-cooking oats

Topping

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed (3 cups)

Steps

1) Heat oven to 425°F. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie pan as directed on box for One-Crust Filled Pie.

2) In large bowl, mix filling ingredients until well blended. Pour into crust-lined pan.

3) Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix streusel ingredients.

4) Sprinkle streusel over pumpkin filling. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

5) Gently fold orange peel into whipped topping. Serve pie with topping. Store in refrigerator.

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Nutty Chocolate Hot Bites

(For cookie exchanges I call them Adult Nookie Cookies, cause they are hot, hot, hot!)

S'more flavors with a pinch of heat fill a yummy chocolate-chip cookie cup.

24 Servings

Ingredients

1 package (16 oz) Pillsbury® Ready to Bake! Refrigerated chocolate chip cookies (24 cookies)

1 ¼ cups Mixed Nuts with Peanuts

1 ¼ cups Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate baking chips

1 ¼ cups marshmallow creme

2 tablespoons half-and-half

1/8 teaspoon Ground Red Pepper (cayenne) (I use an extra dash to get a little more heat)

Steps

1) Heat oven to 375°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Place 1 cookie dough round in each cup. Using floured fingers, press dough to flatten slightly.

2) Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pans 15 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, remove Brazil nuts from mixed nuts; coarsely chop Brazil nuts. In 2-quart saucepan, heat chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, half-and-half and red pepper over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in remaining mixed nuts.

4) Drop about 1 tablespoon nut mixture onto each cookie. Let stand about 15 minutes or until chocolate is set. To serve, remove bites from paper baking cups. If desired, place each bite into a new paper baking cup.

My First Feature!

I was featured on Fit Approach for being a new Sweat Pink Ambassador! I am so excited to share my story with so many women! Check out the site to read other incredible stories and meet amazing women, just click below!

Fit Approach Sweat Pink Ambassador- My Aha Moment

Our Christmas Tree- vol 1.

I thought it would be fun to start showing off some of my favorite ornaments on our Christmas tree. Our tree is FULL of memories. We have ornaments from my parents tree that they gave us to fill our tree a few years ago that I grew up with. We have some from my own tree that I had in my room growing up and then we the the ones that Matt and I have been given or collected. We get at least 1 new ornament a year generally we get 3-4 which is pretty cool!

On our tree we have mostly Disney ornaments. I also have quite a few french horns and pianos all over. I have my students look for the hidden pianos and horns and try to see if they can count all of them. I have about 50 horns and pianos all over the tree. I kind of collect them.

We have our small but growing Star Trek collection for both me and Matt. Mason loves it because we have a Borg cube and when you turn on the tree it says, "We are the Borg. Enjoy you holidays. Resistance is futile."

Then we have a small smattering of other stuff, Arizona State stuff, Santa and other fun stuff.

So here is the start of some of my favs this year! In no particular order!

~Mason salt dough ornament that my mom and I made last year with his hand print. Needless to say, his hands have grown.~

 ~Gma gave this to us for Mason's first Christmas! I LOVE IT!~

 ~One of the many french horns all over my tree.~

 ~First ornament on the tree every year. It's tradition! Our first Christmas ornament!It is near the top in the very middle~

 ~Another collection from my mom and dad. Each blue ball, and there are I think 9, has a different image of favorite original attractions at Disneyland. The castle always goes near the middle. Sad story, a few years ago during a move a few got broken and I glued them back together. So the ones with the most cracks are in the back of the tree. Thank goodness my fabs were unharmed.~

 ~One of my former students went to WDW in the beginning of the year and saved this through the year as a Christmas gift to me. The daughter picked it out and everything since Cindy is one of my favs. (she was my fave till Brave came out. Sorry Cindy.)