current favorites.

There's no rhyme or reason for this post I just want to share some things I've been loving with you all. Probably because when I find products that I love, I obsess over them and want everyone around me to experience the same joy. ;)

Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder // Some people really luck out in the hair department and are fortunate enough to go days sans greasy roots and stringy hair. I was not one of the lucky few. I was, however, blessed to stumble upon this amazing dry shampoo/volumizer that smells fabulous, doesn't leave a white residue, and actually works. This girl, who has had to wash her hair every single day or every other day for years, has been able to go up to four days between washings. Gross. And fabulous. This small size has lasted for months and has been well worth the $12.

Rifle Paper Co. Phone Cases // I'm extremely particular when it comes to phone cases. . .I don't like anything too bulky, it has to be cute, has to be colorful so I can find it easily when I set it down, has to be able to withstand being dropped a few (hundred) times without cracking the case or breaking the screen, and it can't cost an arm and a leg. As you can see, I have several demands. ;) My in-laws gave me this phone case for Christmas last year and it was fabulous because it had a hard shell that protected the back and sides, with a soft inlay that protected the edges on the front. I dropped my phone more times than I care to admit and never had a single issue with it. Since my phone recently decided to give up the ghost, I bought a new one and subsequently ordered this case. I'm just as happy with it as with the first!

Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter // I didn't get serious about using any lotion/body butter until a few weeks ago. However, it has since become a necessity as my skin has started to get super itchy . For weeks I've been searching for a firming lotion/stretch mark cream that doesn't smell awful and doesn't leave me feeling greasy for hours. One lotion in particular that I tried had such an awful smell that I threw it away after using it twice, and that made my frugal heart break a little. After reading some articles and talking to a few friends, I decided to try the Burt's Bees stuff and it's ahhh-mazing. There's no smell (which I love), it soaks in within a matter of minutes and leaves my skin incredibly soft (which I love), and it prevents me from feeling itchy all day long (which I really love)! This is the kind of stuff that I plan on keeping around even after baby comes to get me through the winter!

PinkBlush Maternity Dresses // (For starters, it's ridiculously hard to take a photo of a dress, so here's my 14 week baby bump photo.) I can't even describe how much I love these. The fabrics are amazingly soft, the cuts are comfy, they're nursing friendly, and they'll fit like non-maternity dresses after baby comes! I'm all for maternity clothes that I can still wear after baby arrives. The downside is that they're a bit pricier than what I normally like to spend on clothing (because I'm cheap), but I'm finding that's just the case with maternity clothes in general. (More fabric, higher costs? Specialty clothing, higher costs?) With PinkBlush, I wait for one of their awesome sales or search online for a coupon code before placing my order and that makes the purchase even better. 

Have any products you've been loving lately?

second trimester helps.

I'm now well into my third trimester but I still can't even believe the enormous difference between my first and second trimesters! (That sentence deserves all of the exclamation points.) I was still sick and throwing up, but I wasn't completely exhausted and sick and trying to avoid food at the same time, and that made all of the difference. Sure, pregnancy is different for everyone, but that first trimester for me was a killer and my second trimester was heaven-sent in comparison. (Find first trimester helps here.)

Here's what I loved during weeks 14-28. . .

1 //  Heartburn aids. Again, different for everyone, but my heartburn got progressively worse as the second trimester went on. At first I was able to get by by popping some antacid tablets (these were/are my favorite flavor!) throughout the day and night (hint: buy multiple bottles and put them everywhere! Your purse, car, desk at work, nightstand, etc.), but by the time I was waking up and eating between 6-8 at night alone, I figured it was time to try something else. My doctor suggested giving Gaviscon and Zantac both a try, but unfortunately neither one did much for me. Around weeks 26 and 27 my heartburn started making me throw up at night, and at that point my doctor finally wrote me a prescription. Life changing! As long as I take my pill first thing in the morning, I don't have issues with any foods and can make it through the night with a few Tums. Hello, salsa! Hello, chocolate!

2 // Sleeping with an extra pillow. Everyone raves about pregnancy pillows and they sound really great. But. Shelling out $80+ for a body pillow wasn't something I was comfortable with. I did the next best thing and found an extra pillow laying around; I found that as long as I placed the lower half between my knees and the upper half under my belly, I was waking up with less back pain than before.

3 // Prenatal massages. Although sleeping with an extra pillow definitely helped with the lower back pain, it didn't completely get rid of it. So I searched for a Groupon and booked myself an appointment for a massage, went to said appointment, and left vowing to return. It was several days before I started to have back pain again!

4 // New bras. Around the start of my second trimester as everything started expanding and growing, I was in desperate need of some new bras. It took a few trips to various stores to find the right size/fit, but it was a necessity. Sports bras also turned out to be helpful for sleeping comfortably at night!

5 // Maternity jeans. Before hitting the stores to find some pants fit for an expanding waist I had nightmares of loose-fitting grandma jeans with a surprisingly high crotch. (Something to the tune of this.) Fortunately, I was wrong. So very wrong. Maternity jeans are sparkles, cupcakes, unicorns, and rainbows all rolled into a single clothing item and that makes them fabulous. My favorite jeans came from H&M and Target, and I never paid more than $40 a pair.

6 // Body lotion. Stretch mark cream, body butter, plain old lotion--whatever you want to use--was so, so helpful for me! Although I had been dutifully lathering up after getting out of the shower each day in order to avoid stretch marks, I started getting super itchy toward the end of my second trimester and really began to appreciate the goodness that is lotion.

What helped you through your second trimester?

Any suggestions on third trimester helps?

how i keep my sanity while in the moving process.

After moving 4 times in the last 3 years, I feel like I'm finally getting a grip on this whole moving thing. There are plenty of other people out there who move way more often than Ben and I do, but I still feel like I deserve a gold star or something for packing up all of our stuff 4 times. Trial and error has taught me a few things about moving....

1. Weeks (and I really do mean weeks) before moving, purge! If you give yourself plenty of time to go through things, you'll be able to ship that old CD to your brother or give a stack of no longer wanted WWII novels to your 70-year old neighbor instead of dumping everything off at a thrift store. But you'll also have time to make those runs to the thrift store to get rid of stuff. Take this opportunity to get rid of things you don't love, no longer use, or are broken. Ain't nobody got room for junk.

2. Use up your food. There's nothing more annoying than having to move boxes of canned food or bags of sugar and flour. Depending on how much food you keep in food storage/your pantry, start trying to use up as much food as you can in the 1-2 months before moving. This is usually when I'll plan meals around whatever random cans of food we have, or use up the miscellaneous food items we have in the cupboard

3. Reserve a moving truck and find "movers." Unless you're paying for professional movers, make sure you get that truck booked as soon as you have a moving date! (Most places require at least two weeks of notice and a moving truck is pretty essential to moving. The bigger the truck, the less likely it'll be available with short notice. We found out the hard way once. :)) Instead of hiring people to pack and unpack the truck, Ben and I are blessed to have great friends who are always willing to help - in return, we try to give as much notice as possible and like to have doughnuts and water bottles or pizza and soda to offer depending on what time of day the move is. Clean up is easy and stomachs are fed.

4. Clean the new house/apartment before moving into it if you're able to. There's nothing that breaks my little heart more than having all of my boxes and things brought into a dirty house. I just don't handle dirt well in general, but having to unpack things in a dirty space makes my skin crawl. Ben and I like to go over the day before to wipe down closets and shelves, doors and cabinets, walls and ceiling fans, and door handles. We also sweep the entire place and mop. Sure, the floors are going to get dirty the next day when 10 people are hauling boxes around the place, but it really helps. Also, moving all of the boxes into one (or two!) specific room(s) keeps your movers from walking all around the place getting the floor dirty or muddy. I also try to keep ahead of the guys and quickly sweep the spots where the furniture will be going right before they bring it in. (I'm a nutcase; it's fine.)

5. Use Styrofoam bowls. These are great for packing dishes to prevent scratches and chips. When packing bowls, simply place a styrofoam bowl between each dish. When packing plates, cut slits all around the sides of the styrofoam bowls to flatten them out and place between each plate. People say diamonds are a girl's best friend, but Styrofoam bowls, newspapers, and packing peanuts are mine!

6. Label boxes clearly with the room and 1-2 items. For example, when packing up my linen closet I'd write "linen closet" with "sheets & towels" below that. That way, when you're digging through piles of boxes, you can easily find clean towels when you want to take a shower after moving.

7. Wrap your furniture! I can't tell you how many pieces of furniture we've saved by wrapping it all with this stuff and this stuff. Tight corners can sure be hard on couches or large dressers, so making sure that those pesky corners are protected is well worth the time!

You've probably moved a million times more than I have...

What tips and tricks have you learned along the way?

first trimester helps.

There are lots of things I would never wish on someone: cancer, homelessness, blowing a tire on the freeway, being framed for a crime, canned black olives, shrinking new clothes in the dryer, being forced to kill a giant spider, a bad hair day, and constant morning sickness. Sure, I haven't experienced half of those, but canned black olives are no joke.

I'd also argue that constant morning sickness is no joke--but it's bearable when you find what works for you. I feel like it took me a rather long time to figure out what worked for me and my nausea, whereas some women figure it out quickly. I guess I just like to do things the hard way. :)

Here's what worked for me...

1 // Plain, simple snack foods. Basically, anything that didn't have too much flavor. My go-to's were saltines, animal crackers, fruit snacks, and dry cereal. I found that if I ate something as soon as I woke up (literally, the moment I opened my eyes! I kept a box of cereal on my nightstand.) and if I continued to eat something (anything!) every 2 hours, I didn't throw up as much. Constantly keeping some fruit snacks and a bag of animal crackers in my bag was a lifesaver on more than one occasion. In fact, since I'm still getting nauseous and throwing up every once in a while, I keep 1-2 snacks in my purse at all times.

2 // Gatorade and Sprite. Hydration, hydration, hydration. I quickly learned that throwing up was even worse when you haven't been drinking very much. I've never been a fan of soda/carbonation, but Sprite really helped with my upset stomach and those times when food sounded like the worst thing in the world, it was nice having something in the fridge to fall back on.

3 // Unisom + Vitamin B6. Okay, if I were the kind of person to worship things, I'd worship this drug combo all day long. This stuff saved me. My doctor wouldn't prescribe Zofran since he's against it (he's also just a weird guy in general and I'm looking for a new doctor) and basically told me to call him if I was still sick at 14 weeks. Since I was convinced at one point I was going to throw up an organ wasn't okay with that, I started googling things and found that taking 25mg of Vitamin B6 and 1/2 of a Unisom (two thumbs up for the cheap knock-off brand!) at night worked for severe morning sickness. I always took/take mine at night since Unisom is a sleep-aid and I didn't want to be falling asleep at work, and they seemed to last until the next evening. I only wish I had discovered this sooner!

4 // Ziplock baggies. It's gross, but these were great for throwing up. I didn't even think of using ziplock baggies until my mom gave me a handful as we headed out the door to drive home from Utah. They fold up small and are easy to stash in your purse or in the car door, they contain the smell (so gross- I can't believe I'm blogging about this), and they're disposable...no mess to wash out/clean.

5 // Preggie Pops. A girl at work recommended trying Preggie Pops. I bought the kind with vitamin B6 added and they helped quite a bit the first week or two that I had morning sickness before it got worse. They're especially helpful when you can feel the nausea coming on but can't entertain the thought of eating anything.

6 // Sleep. So simple, so helpful! Days when the morning sickness was really bad, I'd come home from work and sleep for an hour or two before Ben got home and then I'd end up going to bed early so I could get 9-10 hours each night. It definitely wasn't productive, but it helped!

7 // Ice water. I've been a little turned off from the taste of water the last few months, but I found that drinking ice water (or just really cold water) helps with the taste and I was/am able to get my recommended amount. 

Let me know if you have any morning sickness tips or tricks! Anything is appreciated!

how i protect myself from identity theft.

One Saturday morning back when I was 9, I was sitting backwards on the couch in our living room looking out the window as I waited for my dad to drive me somewhere. As I was watching cars go by, a red car quickly pull up to our curb and a man opened the little door to the mailbox. He then took the envelopes my parents had set inside that morning for the mailman and sped off.

It turns out that the envelopes contained checks for various things - checks that were wiped clean and filled out by the man in the red car's wife. I remember my mom talking about what a hassle it was to deal with the bank and prove that had been identity theft victims; there were stacks of papers to go through, bank accounts to close, and handwriting tests to show innocence. Seeing what an unfortunate event it was for my parents to go through, I've been leery of letting my information fall into the wrong hands and especially of putting too much personal information out there!

 How I Protect Myself From Identity Theft

 

1 // File away important information in a safe place.
A while ago I bought a fire-proof file box that has a lock on it* and also bought some hanging file folders. I have files for our important information (birth certificates, SS cards, marriage license, Ben's passport, etc.), car loan papers, bank account papers, insurance papers, and tax papers (I do one file for each year). Don't carry around more personal information in your wallet than you have to - I know too many people who always have their SS card on them and it makes me nervous for them.

*Don't leave the key in the lock or you're really not doing much to protect your information!

2 // Shred, shred, shred.
I may be a bit paranoid about this one, but I never ever throw away papers or receipts that have my name, address, or any personal information on them. I haven't gone as far as making sure to shred every single receipt, but I do shred a good portion of them. Also, I cut old credit cards into teeny tiny pieces and throw the pieces away in 3 different trash cans just to be safe. (I warned you about the paranoia. ;)

3 // I'm weary about what I share on social media.
If I tag a location or check in on social media, there's a 75% chance I'm not still there. A) I don't want people to know that I'm not at home, and B) I don't really like having people know exactly where I am. (There are a few exceptions to this, however.) I don't post a lot of information on Facebook or Instagram - e.g., I don't post my hometown, what high school I went to, pictures of the layout of my apartment, etc.

4 // Don't open emails that raise a red flag.
I don't open emails unless I know the sender, the email address seems legit, or I read the first line that shows up and it sounds like a real person. I automatically delete emails that show up with a "no content" warning and I never, ever, ever reply to emails that ask for bank information, tell me I'm being sued and need to pay money, or ask for any other personal information. Even if it's a legit email, I refuse to send my SS# and bank account information over the internet and ask them to call me.

5 // Create good passwords & change them often.
It kills me that people use "Password" or "1234" as their password. How easy it would be to hack into your computer or phone! I make sure all of my passwords are completely random and have a good mixture of lowercase and capitalized letters and numbers. Never write down passwords, and don't use the same password for every single account. If you can lock your phone, do it and never store information on it that you'd regret putting there if someone stole your phone.

6 // Check your credit score often.
When Ben and I were engaged, we had to meet with a church leader each week where he'd give us advice on a variety of things. One thing that stood out to me is that he mentioned checking your credit score every 4-6 months to make sure that someone isn't stealing your identity. The following three companies offer one free credit score check each year: Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. If you use Mint to track your money, it'll do an automatic credit score check every few months and we've really liked going that route.

7 // Remember that's what in "public" can, heaven forbid, potentially become public information.
After the checks had been taken from our mailbox, my mom started dropping off mail with any personal information/checks at the post office drive through because she didn't want to risk having mail stolen again. Just like mail, any information you leave out on your kitchen counter could be seen by the plumber, a nosy neighbor, your teenager's friends. Nothing is private unless it's stored and locked away!

What do you do to protect yourself from identity theft?

Whole 30: Week 4

Today's my last day of Whole 30!!! If you couldn't tell by the exclamation points, I'm pretty excited about making it all the way through without giving up! I'm down 8.5 pounds from March 1 and my clothes fit great. I plan on continuing to eat clean and sticking with Whole 30 foods for the most part since I've felt so much better this month, but will also allow myself to eat non-Whole 30 foods every so often. I can't tell you all how excited I am to make cinnamon rolls this weekend for General Conference!

What I've Been Eating/Doing This Week

I have to admit that I slacked off quite a bit this week as I got sick of making food multiple times a day and eating the same things over and over. Instead of making actual meals some nights, I'd dig through the fridge and eat stuff that didn't necessarily make up a meal. For example, I'd eat a bowl of strawberries, a handful of carrots, a sweet potato, and some tuna. Or a pear, some jerky, a fried egg, and some broccoli. I realized that I definitely do better with actual meals and meals that are better balanced. Friday night we went out to dinner with friends and I decided to have a slice of pizza since I was only a few days away from being done with Whole 30. Worst decision ever! I was so sick that night as my body digested the gluten and dairy, and now pizza sounds awful. (I guess that's why they say slowly add things back into your diet. :)) I didn't make any new recipes, but we used our favorites from the previous weeks.

^^Spaghetti squash, ground beef meatballs, diced tomatoes, & cantaloupe. Mixed green salad with a cilantro-lime vinegarette (grilled chicken not pictured). Two fried eggs & a banana.^^

Results From Week 4

I basically feel the same as last week - healthy and energetic! Sick of eating the same foods, bored, and getting lazy with food prep. I didn't get my 10,000 steps in each day this week, and with colder weather, I didn't too much in the way of physical activity. I lost half a pound this week.

Goals For the Upcoming Week

Stick with eating clean for the most part and work on discovering new recipes! Also, make the perfect cinnamon rolls for General Conference. ;)

Whole 30: Week 3

What I've Been Eating/Doing This Week

The third week was a whole lot easier than the previous two, mostly because eating clean has become almost second-nature and I crave things less. Granted, I was dying for a slice of chocolate cheesecake Saturday night, but the craving went away after I had a fried egg. Like I mentioned last week, food has become a bit boring but I tried to pick up some "new" fruits and veggies this week for variety. I also made a point of searching out new recipes on Pinterest. We really loved this one, and since it ended up making enough for 6 meals for both of us, I didn't have to make as many meals this week. It was a nice break!

^^Chicken Vegetable Chili. Taco salad: spinach, ground turkey, guac, salsa, tomatoes, and carrots. Fruit bowl: pineapple, grapes, and coconut chips.^^

Results From Week 3

I feel fabulous! Healthy and happy with what I'm fueling my body with. I still have lots of energy as long as I make sure I'm eating a snack every few hours and drinking lots of water. Unfortunately, my face broke out again really bad this week so I'm pretty sure that what I was eating before wasn't causing the acne; it has to be hormonal. I lost 1 pound this week.

Tips & Tricks

I set a notification on my My Fitness Pal app so it'll remind me each day around 5pm if I haven't yet met my steps goal. It's definitely keeps me on track!

Eating clean can get expensive so I try to plan my fruits and veggies around what's on sale that week (with the exception of my pears!). I've also been buying lots of what's on sale and freezing it if possible for the next week.

Find a friend that will encourage you to keep going. Whenever I have a craving for something sweet, Ben will remind me that it's only 30 days and that I shouldn't give in now.

If you're going to a potluck or dinner party, offer to bring a dish or two that you know you'll be able to eat.

Goals For the Upcoming Week

Eat more veggies than fruit, and try 3 new recipes.

Whole 30: Week 2

Another week come and gone, and I can't say I'm sad to see it go! I've been craving lasagna and homemade rolls for a few days and can't wait to make slightly healthier versions of them for a Sunday dinner next month.

What I've Been Eating/Doing This Week

To be honest, we had a lot of the same meals as last week with the exception of a few new recipes... there's only so much you can do with meat, fruits, and veggies. While grocery shopping a few days ago I tried to buy produce we didn't eat last week in the hopes that it would mix it up a little. I'm currently sick of salads and definitely sick of chicken. Overall, throwing dinners together got a whole lot easier when I stopped focusing on recipes and more on what flavors would taste good together. For example, one night we had chicken sausage, sweet potatoes, onions, spinach, tomatoes, and carrots all thrown together; it was amazing! One evening I didn't have time to make dinner before running out the door, so I stopped by Chipotle and got a carnitas salad (just the lettuce, meat, pico de gallo, and guacamole) and it was wonderful in every way. I have a feeling I'll be back again before the month is over! We tried a few new recipes and loved this one, but didn't care much for this one.

^^Spaghetti squash, meatballs, & mango. Spinach, tomatoes, carrots, & chicken sausage mixed with sweet potatoes. Chicken fajitas with romaine lettuce instead of tortillas & mango salsa on top.^^

^^Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin & spinach, tomatoes, and carrots. Frozen grapes. The cinnamon rolls I made for my husband's thesis committee that were my biggest temptation this week. It was a struggle to not give in!^^

Results from Week 2

This week was a little bit harder as I got bored with the food, but I kept up with tracking my calories and steps with My Fitness Pal. I definitely didn't meet my goal of getting 10,000 steps in for 7 days (Sundays are my downfall!) and I didn't go to the gym once last week! I'm okay with it since my focus is mostly on eating clean. I lost 2 pounds, but more importantly, my clothes are starting to fit so much better! I took myself shopping on Saturday as a reward and bought a new church dress.

Tips & Tricks

I've heard that cravings persist for 5 minutes. I found that if I started thinking about sugar and I waited 5 minutes, I usually didn't end up needing to eat a piece of fruit or some coconut chips.

Frozen fruit. I loved sucking on some frozen grapes or strawberries when I couldn't get rid of those cravings. :)

As I mentioned previously, I had to make cinnamon rolls and it was awful. It was especially awful to come home after a bad day at work and see a few leftovers sitting there. I made Ben give away extra cinnamon rolls so we wouldn't eat them. Out of sight, out of mind!

Try the coconut oil cooking spray from Trader Joe's instead of using EVOO. It adds such a great flavor to whatever you're cooking!

Goals For the Upcoming Week

Drink half my body weight in ounces of water every single day. Run outside twice and go to the gym twice with Ben, as well as hit my 10,000 steps for 7 days straight!

keeping your family healthy rain or shine.

In the last year and a half that I've been working at a hospital, I've caught 30 million colds. Or at least it feels like it. Fortunately, employees are required to get the flu shot (I'd avoid it like the plague otherwise!) and I haven't had to deal with it, but being even slightly sick from a cold can really wipe a person out. I'm all for preventing illness and love learning new tips to do just that so I want to share a few with you today from my friend, Alyssa. I especially love her reminder to keep up on daily vitamins!

Keeping Your Family Healthy Rain or Shine

Author: Alyssa Craig

Sick days are a part of normal life. A single illness can seem to cycle through the family from one member to the next and back again for weeks. While you’ll never be able to protect your family members from every single bug, you can help prevent illness and help reduce the amount of downtime when an illness does strike.

Staying Healthy

When life gets busy we tend to forget the basics of staying healthy. Check out these tips and reminders to help you get back to the basics.

• Proper Nutrition and Plenty of Water: Nothing can replace a diet full of proper nutrition. This includes a lot of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, lean proteins and minimal to no processed foods and few foods that are high in fats and sugars. Good nutrition also includes drinking plenty of water and staying away from sodas and energy drinks.

• Exercise Regularly: Get your family active to help boost their immunity. Encourage family members to join a sports team, play games outside, or consider going for walks as a family.

• Take Daily Vitamins: Even with all you can do on your own, there are probably going to be gaps in your family’s nutrition. As a supplement to good nutrition, help your family members remember take a daily multivitamin. Gummies and chewables are available for children and adults.

• Get Plenty of Sleep: Another great way to help your family stay healthy is to make sure everyone is getting enough sleep. The amount of sleep needed varies by age, ranging from 12-14 hours for kids 1-3 years and going all the way to 8-9 hours for kids 12-18 years.

• Wash Hands Frequently: Germs are easily picked up everywhere so encourage your family to wash their hands often. If you are looking to go green, consider stocking your home with an organic no rinse hands cleaner like this one.  

• Stay Away from People Who are Sick: This seems like a no brainer but it must be said, avoid those who are already sick. If you can, stay away from large social gatherings where your family may be exposed to a variety of illnesses.

Reducing Down Time

Even when you follow all the advice above, you or one of your family members may come down with something. Here are some tips to help the sick one get back to feeling better quickly and to keep them from spreading their illness to the rest of the family.

• Quarantine the Illness: While this may not always be possible, try to keep the sick family member secluded from the rest of the family. Not only will this give them more quiet so they can get better quality rest, but it will help keep them from sharing the illness with other family members.

• Cover Nose and Mouth: If the illness involves a cough, sneezing, or a runny nose, encourage the sick family member to cough into their elbow and sneeze into a facial tissue. Then promptly apply some cleaner, as mentioned above.

• Disinfect Everything: Germs spread quickly, so do as much as you can to clean the house and disinfect all doorknobs, light switches, cupboard handles, and anywhere else all family members may touch on a daily basis.

• Do Not Share Things Like Cups or Towels: Even when you are not showing symptoms, you may still be carrying sickness causing germs. Especially during this time of year, do not let your family members share things like cups or towels to keep germs from spreading.

• Keep Common Areas Clean:
  This includes the bathroom, kitchen, living rooms, and family rooms. Keep these areas clean as much as possible to prevent the creation of an environment that fosters the growth of bacteria.

• If You’re Sick Avoid Preparing Food Others Will Eat: This may be difficult to do if you have a young family, but if you can have older children or your spouse do the cooking while you are ill. Food can be a carrier of germs, so avoid infecting your family and ask someone else to do the cooking for a bit.

Keeping your family healthy is a top priority and while illnesses may come even after your best efforts, you can help minimize the consequences and have your whole family back in tip top shape in no time!

Whole 30: Week 1

My Motivation

If you read blogs or have an Instagram account, I'm sure you've heard about the Whole 30 program that everyone and their dog seems to be doing. (No joke, I know someone who made their dog do the Whole 30 program, haha.) I'd scroll past each blog post or Instagram photo with zero interest because it looked like it took too much work to make the approved foods, or maybe I was just in denial with how bad my eating habits were. Until recently, I'd never turn down a treat or I'd eat seconds at dinner, rice/pasta/bread became a staple at meals, and I definitely wasn't getting enough fruits and veggies. I'd been feeling sluggish the last few months, my face seemed to be breaking out more than normal, and my pants started fitting a bit tighter than I'd want them to. ;)

What is Whole 30?

If you don't know anything about Whole 30, here's the gist of it:
No sugar, no dairy, no grains and no legumes for 30 days. This is the list of approved foods.

My Goal

My main motivation for looking into the Whole 30 program was getting my energy back and clearing up my face. I plan on eating fruits, veggies, protein, and healthy fats throughout the month of March and then reintroducing dairy, grains, and legumes back into my diet one by one. I'm curious as to whether or not any of those "forbidden" foods are breaking me out.

What I've Been Eating/Doing This Week

I've been using My Fitness Pal every day to log what I eat and keep track of my steps. I've made a conscious effort to get my 10,000 steps in every day (a breeze on days I work, but much harder for me on the weekend), and I kept myself busy when cravings hit so I didn't think about all of the sugary treats I can't eat. I've been drinking more than half my body weight in ounces of water and it's become a game to me to see how many fruits and veggies I can get in each day. I gathered a few recipes to try and I really loved this recipe, this recipe, and this recipe.

 ^^Chicken sausage, sweet potato, & broccoli. 2 fried eggs, 1/2 grapefruit, 2 slices of bacon, & 1/2 a pear. Asparagus, cantaloupe, and seasoned chicken.^^

^^Pear, grapes, & coconut chips. Homemade vinaigrette, salad, strawberries, mango, seasoned chicken. Spinach with mango salsa on top & tuna salad (tuna, 1/2 apple, green onion).^^

Results From Week 1

Day 1 was a breeze. I was excited to start making new recipes and spent a lot of the day prepping food for the coming days. Day 2 and 3 were rough as I dealt with headaches and no energy from the sugar detox. I found that I was getting really hungry an hour or two before dinner and bedtime those days, so I started adding more protein to my lunches and dinners. Also, I couldn't stop thinking about sugar and all I wanted was a giant slice of chocolate cake. Days 4-7 were so much easier! I found that I was thinking about sugar less and less and that I started to crave a big bag of carrots or an apple. I noticed around day 5 that I had tons of energy and wasn't crashing around bedtime. I lost 5 pounds last week but I don't yet notice a difference in how my pants fit.

Tips & Tricks

Food prep! I found that if I make food ahead of time, I'm more likely to eat right. Sunday night I made a big batch of pico de gallo and a batch of mango salsa, cut up fruits and veggies, and made chicken for my lunches throughout the week. Labeling the tupperware with masking tape kept me organized.

If you're going to a group function and know that there will be dessert, take your own! I went to a girls' night last week and knew that they'd be having ice cream, so instead of sitting out and watching everyone eat, I prepared a tupperware of grapes, pear, and coconut chips. It was delicious!

Buy a giant waterbottle and tote it with you around the house/to work/in the car/to church. I bought a 32 ounce water jug that goes everywhere with me.

Find a Whole 30 approved food that you love but don't normally eat a whole lot of and make that your treat. Even though I love pears, I don't normally buy them so they've made the perfect treat.

Throw a bag of jerky or an apple in your purse/bag each day as you head out the door. There's nothing worse than being away from home and realizing you're starving with only junk food around. It happened to me at work while I still had 2 hours to go. Needless to say, I was hangry by the time I got home. ;)

Goals For the Upcoming Week

Lift weights with Ben 3 times this week and get 10,000 steps in each day (especially Saturday and Sunday)!

Are you doing Whole 30, or have you before? Any recipes you love?

need some stocking stuffer ideas?

Today, my new friend, Alyssa, is sharing a long and fabulous list of stocking stuffer ideas! My favorites include art supplies for kids, portable chargers for phones (I got Ben one this year...shhhh!), card games, LED slap bracelets for runners, and baking supplies. :) Check out her 60+ ideas and let me know what some of your favorites are!

Stocking Stuffers to Add to Your Holiday Wish List

Author: Alyssa Craig

As you are running around, frantically collecting gifts to put under the tree or to ship to loved ones who live far away, don’t forget about the stocking stuffers! While larger presents usually go under the tree, stocking stuffer presents are a fun opportunity to get creative, as they have to be small enough to fit in the stocking! Consider some of these fun ideas and don’t be afraid to think out of the box.

For the Kids

• Art supplies such as crayons, markers, a stamp set, or small paints and brushes
• Bath toys like rubber duckies, boats and bath paints for younger children
• Small stuffed animal
• Fun bibs to replace the ones that are likely well worn
• Magnet numbers and letters for the fridge
• Coloring books of their favorite movie or television show characters

Accessories

• Ties or bow ties for boys young and old
• Compact mirror for the ladies
• Pocket screwdriver
• Clutch purse for the women or a coin purse for the little girls
• Warm gloves
• Scarves, both warm and decorative
• Head wrap
• Mini measuring tape
• Tide To Go pen, a necessity for most of mankind
• Lint roller
• Portable charger for phones and other electronic devices
• Phone case to replace the one that has likely seen better days

Tasty Treats

• Bacon candy canes. Need I say more?
• Astronaut ice cream. Your kids will be telling their friends about this cool treat!
• Candy necklace or bracelet
• Gift card to your loved one’s favorite restaurant or treat store

Beauty/Personal Care

• Teeth whitening. If you don’t have any immediate plans to visit the dentist for professional whitening, consider getting your family member some whitening products.
• Lotions. Especially in dry climates, you can never have too much lotion during the winter.
• Chapstick. For some reason, chapsticks go missing as often as bobby pins and socks. You can never have too many of them.
• Makeup Brush Set. This might be a great gift for a teen who is just starting to wear makeup.
• Nail polish or patterned nail stickers
• Hair ties. Every girl can always use more hair ties.
• Electric toothbrush, for the orally hygienic member of the family
• Perfume or cologne

Entertainment

• A classic book such as Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Moby Dick, or Tale of Two Cities
• Card games like Old Maid or Go Fish for the younger crowd or Uno and Phase 8 for the older ones
• Headphones or earbuds
• Mad Lib books. These are always a hit at sleepovers.
• Mini portable speakers that can be used with phones or MP3 players
• Bananagrams

Exercise

• LED slap bracelet for bikers, runners, or walkers to be easily visible
• Fit Bit or Nike Fuel+Band
• Wireless headphones they will absolutely love
• Sports watch to track distance, heart rate, and speed
• A note letting them know you have signed them up for an event in which they have been wanting to compete
• Sports socks - a highly undervalued part of any athlete’s wardrobe

Pets

• Chew toys. Festive toys are especially delightful.
• Laser cat toy for both your’s and your cat’s entertainment
• I.D. tag with all of Spot’s information just in case
• Dog cookies so your pet does not feel left out of all the holiday eating
• A holiday outfit or sweater

In the Kitchen

• Reusable cupcake cups
• Mini whisk
• Measuring spoons or cups
• Mug with a favorite quote or picture of their favorite place
• Frother to make your drinks extra fancy
• Hot cocoa, coffee, tea, or cider packets
• Cookie cutters in fun shapes and sizes

Hobbies

• Bookmark for the bookworm in your life
• Mini notebook that can easily fit in bags or purses
• New journal (or diary if it is for a young girl)
• Microfiber cleaning cloths for a camera
• Mini tripod for phones to make it easier to take selfies
• Flash bounce light diffuser for the serious photographer
• Sketch pad and pencils

The holidays give you a great opportunity to show your loved ones how much you care and how well you know them with personalized stocking stuffer gifts. As you catch the vision and start collecting stocking stuffers, your only concern will be if there is enough stocking to contain all these great presents!

Tips for Reducing Stress

I made it through finals and the semester!!

Basically, I want to shout it from the rooftops and post annoying Facebook statuses and maybe even a picture or two on Instagram, but I'll refrain. This semester was the absolute craziest. I went into it thinking that it would a piece of cake, but somehow I ended up being busier than ever and personal time became non-existent except for on Saturday and Sunday evenings. I had a few meltdowns, I stopped cooking meals (I can't tell you how many quesadillas and PB&J sandwiches I've had over the last 3 1/2 months! Disgusting, right?), and too many times I ran out of clean clothes. Some weeks I was only home for 8-9 hours a day and that includes eating, sleeping, getting ready for the day, and trying to clean for a minute or two.

Besides the end of the semester making her presence known, December is always a stressful month for me. Church parties to attend, friend parties to attend, work parties to attend, treats to make for those parties, gifts to purchase, crowds at the stores, less sunshine, cold weather, etc. I'm sure I'm not the only one that completely stresses out around this time of year, so I want to share some tips to reduce stress that Ben shared with me recently while I was freaking out about finals. (His program directors emailed this out to all of the grad students...guess PhD's are stressful or something?? ;))

1. Have more fun, both individually and with friends.
2. Take care of your body. Eat better, get more sleep, and exercise.
3. Organize and prioritize your time.
4. Learn to say "no."
5. Adjust your perspective. Is "X" a crisis? Am I being a perfectionist?
6. Relaxation training.
7. Get more support.

I'm committing myself to eating less quesadillas, getting more sleep, saying "no" more often, and working on not being a perfectionist. :)