My name is Sandra and I am a germaphob.

For those unfortunate enough to have been around me for very long, know that I am a germaphob.  Its not a secret and I can openly admit it.  I get very annoyed when people let their sick kids go to school. I just cant understand it!! When the parent is sick they use that as an excuse to do very little housework or they call in sick to work. Uh how about your kids!!!!!  Now a cold isn't such a huge deal to me though I don't like my kids having colds because the snot and whining is almost unbearable and then it turns into a man cold for daddy.  On of my hugest fears in life is the pukey flu!!!!!!!!  It seriously scares me and when I think we have been around someone that has or has just had it I start to panic. Literally.  I feel my heart start beating fast and I lose all appetite. I start filling the kitchen sink with vinegar, lemon, lavendar, and any other germ killing thing I can get my hands on.  I frantically start washing door handles, walls, cups, bathroom and any other surface the kids might touch!!! Honestly, its that bad. Brett laughs and shakes his head. So I am reading this blog post about how to PREVENT the tummy bug and we are going to try it!! I mean what can it hurt to try right? I love real grape juice so this shouldn't be to hard!!!!  When the kids go back to school in September you can bet they will be having this for breakfast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

This is what we started with.  I sure hope this works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Almond butter and sunshine!!!!

Following my new diet is getting pretty tough in the mornings. I know i know, what diet isn't tough right?  But no grains?  Doesn't the word breakfast mean grain in some other part of the world??????  I cannot eat eggs otherwise I would be all over that!!  So today began with making some homemade from scratch(OK almonds) almond butter!!!!  It was pretty interesting to try!!!  I put in 2 cups of raw almonds into my food processor and started it on high. You could also use roasted almonds if  you preferred.  Now bear in mind this process is a bit long. 10-15minutes I think it was. Enough time to clean up the kid's breakfast messes cause that's what an awesome mother does! ha ha jokes on us. 

After a couple minutes this is what you will end up with. 

Keep at it I promise it will eventually start to clump as the almond's oil come out.  If it starts to build up on the sides, and I'm sure it will, just stop and scrap it down.

As you can see it really starts to clump up and form a ball as it goes around similar to dough. Hey , guess what you do next???? yup keep it mixing!

And not too soon after you have almond butter!!!!!!!!! 

Now mama can have apples and almond butter for breaky!!!! A favorite snack out this house!

The whole day was gorgeous and sunny and that mean BBQ time!!!  OK OK yes, anytime in BBQ time but I finally decided to not be lazy and fired it up! Hudson really loved his corn on the cob!!!!

Today was a busy day!!  Sierra and I spent most of the morning in the walk-in clinic waiting room to have her checked out after her accident again, but on the way home we did stop to grab a slushy drink for the kids! I allowed myself an XS double double coffee!!  We made some lunch, grabbed some drinks and then headed off to the zoo!! Wait, don't I live in the zoo?  Anyway, we got to the zoo with 10minutes until the hippo feeding which is one of my faves!!!  Sierra was on her scooter then off her scooter then walking, then we had to go all the way around the elk to the other trail and we got there just in time to see them waddle into the water.  Awesome. I got to see some hippo ass. But we did get to see the new squirrel monkey babies!!!!

Then it was time to come home for dinner!!!!  We wanted have an early dinner so that we had more time to play outside before bed while the sun was shining! Here is what the kiddos had!!

~gluten free pasta with sun dried tomato Alfredo
~broccoli, cherry tomato, carrots
~balsamic vinegar dressing
~frozen raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries

Little Hudsy's plate!

For my dinner I cooked up some red pepper and garlic chicken and the left overs to be used my salads.

MMMM my supper!!!

~romaine lettuce
~red and yellow peppers
~cucumber
~chicken
~pine nuts
~balsamic dressing

It was so yummy!!!!!!!!  For dessert we decided to make berry milkshakes!!!! As always I didn't have any!!!! I'm such a good girl!

~vanilla frozen yogurt
~frozen berries
~skim milk

I made more of my salads for the next few days because I am so dedicated to my healthy eating! wow that didn't sound believable at all. But I really have been doing good!!!!  Tomorrow is Ab Butt and Thigh class followed by another 30mins of straight abs!!! Very excited!!!!!!! To end the night we played outside. All three kids played on the trampoline, the older 2 don't bounce while Hudson is on.

I'm sitting here watching my hubby fold laundry thinking of what to write about here first!!!  Its an early night here for our kids as they have had a few late nights in a row.  This reasoning is absolutely ridiculous to these kids but I assure you, hell hath no furry like my kids with little sleep!!!!!!  We were busy outside most of the day in the sunshine today, soaking up the vitamin D and for some of us, those radiating uv rays that usually cover us in freckles or blisters.  Papa and Daddy went and bought sand for the sandbox and the 3 kids jumped in right away!!!!!

I also did manage to plant a few of my tomato plants today! Seen behind Hudson above!! 

Dinner tonight was steak, new potatoes and salad on a stick! The kids really liked their salad on a stick and it made me quite proud that both the kids started to eat those before even touching anything else on their plates!!! I was a very good girl and had the steak and salad, no potatoes!

I have been doing really good with my eating lately and even Brett is proud! Because for all those that know me well, willpower is not my middle name.  So yay me!!!!  I will keep on it!!!! 

And after the sandbox was bathtime!!! Here is my funny picture of the day!!

Im back!!!!! Run! Run for your lives!!!!!

So its been awhile since my last post. I somehow got lost in life and fell off the bandwagon but I thought posting again would help me not only document our life but to encourage me to continue down my path.   Though somehow I don't remember this path being so bumping and steep when I was going down it!!!!!!!   So as I hike back up I will keep reminding myself of why I am doing this. To be healthy and fit and nothing more. Ok maybe a little for the "being a milf" thing but mostly for health. hehe. 

Thinking back on the years it took me to reach my **ahem** level of physical fitness, I honestly don't remember it being very hard!!!! I mean I actually remember it being easy and fun!!!  Now a days it takes so much physical effort and mental focus to see any ounce (and by ounce I mean ounce) of difference, that by the time I am at my goal physique, I am sure to be nominated for the "Courage to come back" award! Seriously!!! This is nuts!!!!!  My mother didn't tell me about this at all!!!!

It is very important for me to pass along healthy habits to my kids and we do so much of this together. Ok sometimes they sit on the couch and watch me do my workouts giggling.(picture a norwhale doing squats)  Truthfully, I am a binge eater. I wait until I am hungry and I eat to much too fast.  I also have crazy sugar cravings, put that altogether with my low will power and its a recipe for disaster. Preparedness is going to be a huge help for me. So yesterday I made a bunch of salad containers to have ready in the fridge to grab on the go or  when I am in starvation mode. 

mmmmm mango chipotle dressing!!!!

I put a little dish of hemp hearts in as well to add some protein and because they taste so yummy!!!

Today Sierra and I also did some baking of some healthy snacks! We started with basic banana bread which I added some stuff and substituted some stuff with!  I used half banana half grated zucchini, apple sauce instead of butter, added ground flax for some omegas and fibre, used egg whites to lower the fat etc.  oh lets not forget the dark chocolate chips!!! 

Notice there is only half left!!! and may I just say that I only had half a piece! Ya, I'm that good!

And last but not least we made an all time favorite treat here in this house! Chocolate power balls!!! I am failing to remember how to post a link so until I do you can find the original recipe here in my blog in an older post.  Today however I didn't really have much for walnuts, so today this is what when into the food processor: 1 1/4cup pitted medjool dates, 1 cup raw almonds, 1/4 cup each of walnuts, hemp hearts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, vanilla and 1/2cup dark chocolate chips. Oh and a handful of ground flax seeds!

I love these things, the kids love these things, and Brett loves these.  While the next picture uploads I may go to the fridge to grab one!!!

I don't feel so bad letting the kids have a few of these as a treat at all! And for me, they honestly curb any sugar craving I have. Yes they do have natural sugar in them from the dates and a bit of sugar from the dark chocolate, but in comparison to what we may eat otherwise............... I'd say its a great replacement!

So I did end up eating very healthy and I did complete 2 bodyrock interval workouts today!!!!  Lets hope I can keep up this pace, because I have some bigger hills on my path ahead of me and I cannot wait to hit the top!!!!