Today....

I discovered Beck would much rather stare at himself in the mirror than lay on my bed while I get ready. Good to know.


I whipped up this simple, yet so delicious salad for lunch.
P.S. I'm loving salads for lunch.

{ romaine, spinach, strawberries, apple slices and a splash of brianna's strawberry vinegarette }

I got to snuggle with my baby. He's not much of a snuggler these days, so I cherished every minute (all two of them).

The husband and I enjoyed making this yummy pizza for din din.

And man, was it good!

{this whole wheat dough, except I used all wheat flour; pesto sauce; chicken; tomatoes; fresh mozzarela; basil}


Today was a good day.

a must read

Just finished this book.

Wow. By far the best book on nutrition I've ever read.
It could easily replace all of my nutrition classes in college.

Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much.

That's the overall theme of the book. Simple huh?

His evidence and research is quite impressive. The whole book attacks our "Western Diet" and the many health problems our diet can cause. He also talks about how we've shifted to viewing food as "nutrients" rather than the food itself, and therefore the food industry has resulted to injecting the latest nutrient in anything and everything in order to claim its "healthy" (fiber and whole grain in Froot Loops??). He goes on to talk about the importance of how our crops and animals are fed and raised- "you are what your food eats."

Here are a few of my favorite snipits:

"A whole food might be more than the sum of its nutrient parts."

"...we're getting substantially less nutrition per calorie than we used to."

"...the most important fact about any food is not its nutrient content but its degree of processing."

"..we should avoid any food that has been processed to such an extent that it is more the product of industry than of nature."

"..avoid food products containing ingredients that are a) unfamiliar b) unpronouncable c) more than five in number or that include high fructose corn syrup."

I could go on forever. There is SO much great information in this book and when it comes to advice on nutrition, it is the closest thing to the Word of Wisdom I've heard.

Here's the problem (not really a problem): I'm never going to be able to shop at the grocery store the same. Eliminating processed foods is much easier said than done. I don't think I could ever give up baked goods completely (I just added to my favorites tab these, these and these...and I can't wait to make them).

It's all about taking baby steps. Baby steps to being more healthy. Not just to lose weight (although I won't complain about that side effect), but to increase my overall health. I would highly recommend reading this book...it will change your whole outlook on how you eat.

a new friend

{notice the pudgy fingers and wrist roll...love it}

Meet Mr. Bedlington. A present from Beck's Mimi.

Beck now cuddles (or chews on) this bear every night. He always has it pulled up by his face when I go to check on him at night...

don't worry, I move it.

check out my sweet kicks

Thanks Uncle Jared!

Push up challenge

To help with my health quest, the husband and I decided to take on this challenge. I am fully aware that it sounds crazy and quite impossible, but after looking at the program, it actually looks doable.

For my initial test, I maxed out at 8. Sad, I know. But I decided that if I'm going to do this, then I'm going to do real push-ups, not wimpy girly ones. Last night was day 1 and it wasn't bad at all. I doubt I'll be saying that much longer :)

Anyone want to join us??

I'm finally ready

All of January thoughts of resolutions flew in and out of my head. Lasting not much longer than a fleeting moment. I had plenty of things I thought about resolving to do, be better at, etc, but for some reason I was struggling to actually committ to them.

Well my friends, it's time. And I'm ready to committ. (it only took me a month)

First and foremost, I want to be healthy again. My baby is 5 months old now and I'm sick of having my squishy stomach roll over my pants when I sit down! The I just had a baby excuse has long expired. It's been a lot harder than I thought to squeeze exercise time in between taking care of my family and working. But it's totally possible and I have to make it a priority. However, exercise isnt' enough. I am going to eat healthier too. I'm eating more salads, less processed food, and eliminating virtually all treats (I still have to have one treat a week).

I have created a budget and we're going to stick to it. I want the reassurance of knowing we have a good savings put away for a rainy day. Plus, it's good to exercise a little discipline.

I want to be more positive. Focus on the good, give people the benefit of the doubt, be more patient.

I need to be better about reading my scriptures. Travis is the one who makes us read everynight and I need to be more supportive of his efforts. Together we need to make it a priority to attend the temple more often. We havent' been in a really. long. time. It's sad when I think of how many hours each week we spend watching TV, but can't find time to go to the temple. Granted we can't take the bambino with us to the temple, but still.


That's probably a good start :)
I'm excited! Here's to making a better me (wife, mother, and person).