Tag: linky party

31 Days of Beach Living: Days 23-29 Busyness

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31days day 23-29

 

 

This writing a new blog post every day for 31 days is tough! I knew it would be but I did have a hard time visualizing the impact on my family. And, since I spout sage advice on “family time”, I listened when my oldest stated bluntly, “Mom, you are on the computer again. It’s all you do lately.” That was an “Wow, Okay!” moment for me. Hence, the long break in blog posts. 

Here is what I was up to during those days of no posts:

1. Football practice and a really awesome football game with the oldest Green boy. The GN Buckeyes are heading into the last game of the season with a 7-1 record. This upcoming Saturday we play the #1 seeded team. This means practice very night except Halloween.

2. Running errands in my new favorite outfit: lululemon athletica Wunder Under Pants and Contempo Jacket with an awesome black skull scarf from Target. I could seriously wear this everyday… it might become a problem.

3. Hanging with my family. We even WOD together on the weekends and odd weekdays. Just this past week the middle Green boy set a new bench press PR. He only weighs 74lbs but benched 35#. The oldest Green boy has been programming his own WODs to increase his leg strength and explosiveness.

4. Baking and cooking for friends and family. I have this thing… I bake cakes and desserts for my close friends and family members on their birthdays. On Monday, I baked a GF version of a pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap-almond crust. Find the recipe here at Tried and Tasty. I substituted almonds and GF Gingersnaps from Trader Joe’s in the crust. I also made her some grassfed beef chili and GF green chiles cornbread.

5. Watching football. It’s a family hang out time. We also use it as our cheat meal day.

6. Visiting with my mom and lots of FaceTime with my brother and new niece.

7. Sewing a quilt for my new niece.

8. Oh, I pulled my hamstring muscle. I decided to do the splits (which I used to do in yoga frequently). Yes, I still managed the splits but hurt myself proving that 38 year olds can still do them.

9. And, the best sister in the world surprised me with an 90 minute massage this week. Gotta love sister’s with a CMT license and an opening in their schedule.

I learned this week that it is okay to take a break from your blog… And, that writing a post everyday takes time.

day23-29 collage

31 Days of Beach Living: Day 22 A List

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31days day 22

You know how we are all pressured to make a grand list every New Year. Well, I am starting a new trend. Let’s make smaller lists each season.

Let’s make the list more doable and fun!

Here is my list for the remaining days of Fall.

fall list

What will be on your list? Post some of your most favorite Fall activities.

31 Days of Beach Living: Day 21 BTB2

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31days day 21

This picture captures it all… An awesome weekend at Bend The Bar 2 at CrossFit Cafe, home of 8th place Masters (45-49) competitor in the 2013 Reebok CrossFit Games Jeff Ernsberger.

Thanks to E.M. Elento Photography for this incredible snapshot of athlete Scott Penny and I at the Men’s RX event.

BTB-20131019-0308

Please click on the picture to see more amazing photography work by E.M. Elento Photography!

31 Days of Beach Living: Day 20 New Life

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31days day 20

Life is our most precious commodity. Closely followed by family and great friends.

I was lucky to have new life added to my family this month. A new niece to cuddle, buy cute girlie clothes for, and do awesome girls only stuff. My brother and sister-in-law brought forth this new life. And they did a fabulous job! 

Camillia Rose Quinn October 16, 2013 10:21 p.m. 7lbs 1oz 20" long

Camillia Rose Quinn
October 16, 2013
10:21 p.m.
7lbs 1oz 20″ long

Hold those that you love close to you and never lose a moment to hug and kiss them.

Life is precious and we need to treat it as such.

31 Days of Beach Living: Day 19 Study Time

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31days day 19Study time and the livin’s easy… well not so much. 

Anyone else notice that their brains don’t retain information like they use to in school? Or, is it just me as an adult with 3 kids, a husband and a few domesticated pets?

I was the champion study partner in school and even in college. It helps that I have selective Type A personality habits. Really helps out with note taking and organization of said notes. At least back then it did. Not sure if it helps now. Pretty sure I have adult ADD… read a few pages then get distracted by the dirty sock sticking out between the couch cushions. Then go back and read the same few pages over again not realizing it until I get to the end. Ugh!

But, today is a study day. Mandatory study day. The boys are already done with their homework and get outside time. Not me. I get to read and take notes until I get this information down. Part of my nervousness is that I get to demonstrate this new information tomorrow. Little do the Green boys know that they will be my practice goons tonight. Mwahahaha! I figure if I can do a complete physical examination on three boys then I am good to go on anyone.

I also found that I need a bunch more to get me through studying… lots of coffee and healthy trail mix. And piles. Lots of piles. These piles of knowledge will later infuriate my husband. He is a no pile kinda guy.

My desk... It's a mess.

My desk… It’s a mess.

 

I know several moms that are back in school… How do you find time to study? And, how have you adapted to studying as a parent and wife?

For me, it is made simpler with school in session and iced coffee. Life of a student midwife:)

31 Days of Beach Living: Day 18 Community

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31days day 18

 

This weekend I had the honor to judge at a local CrossFit-based competition called Bend The Bar – Hampton Roads. It was Event 2 and included an RX division on Saturday and a Scaled & Masters divisions on Sunday.

My throat hurts and I am exhausted… and no, I didn’t even compete.  Judging is hard -there are a bunch of numbers & counting. If you know me at all, I am easily confused by numbers.

Community. CrossFit is amazing. It is the best community I am having the pleasure of experiencing every day. Every one is cheered on until the buzzer beeps or the last rep is completed. No one comes in last. We all finish and go deep into the pain cave to test our fitness and our strength. It is amazing.

Community can happen in many different ways. Neighborhoods. Schools. Like-minded parents. Church. But, this community brings together a broad spectrum of people. Each and every person comes into the box unique and, well,  just different. They may even be people you wouldn’t normally “hang out” with or find in your toddler group. But as soon as that 3, 2, 1… Go is shouted, we are all the same. We are all CrossFitters. And, we would do anything for each other. 

I have met some of the most incredible people at our CrossFit box. And, met new people and re-met blasts from the past at events. The community continues to grow. You have your box community as your inner circle. Surrounding that inner circle is the wider circle of your city and the boxes within that geographical range. Then you have your State and Region… and even wider is National and International communities.

I am so happy to have this community. It is invigorating and special. Made even more special when athletes give you hugs for pushing them past their perceived limits and encourage them to dig deep during a WOD. Wow! Witnessing the struggle, the accomplishments, and the personal victories is what makes this community special and awesome.

Me judging WOD 3! KB swings and Box Jump Overs. 5 mins of suck.

Me judging WOD 3! KB swings and Box Jump Overs. 5 mins of suck.

 

My CFC community at our New Year gathering 2013.

My CFC community at our New Year gathering 2013.

Wings and beer after my CFC community kicked butt at flag football.

Wings and beer after my CFC community kicked butt at flag football.

My CFC community celebrating our first baby shower at the box.

My CFC community celebrating our first baby shower at the box.

 

31 Days of Beach Living: Day 17 Simple Spaghetti Squash

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31days day 17

Yep, simple spaghetti squash! Really only four steps and you will be eating a Clean alternative to pasta.

spaghetti squash

Step One: Prepare your squash.

Wash off your squash with a good fruit & veggie wash. Rinse well. Pat dry with towel. Pierce skin with a knife in several places.

Step Two:  Cook your squash.

Place entire squash — do not cut in 1/2— onto a rimmed baking sheet. Cook at 375°F for 1 hour 30 minutes. Flip it over 1/2 through cooking time to ensure it cooks throughly. Cooking is done when you can easily pierce with a knife.

Step Three: Turn your cooked squash into a veggie noodle.

Cut your slightly cooled squash in half lengthwise. Scoop/scrape out seeds & discard. Use a fork to shred the squash. This part takes the least bit of effort. It usually just falls apart into noodle-like strands.

spaghetti squash 2

Step Four: Eat your squash.

Place squash noodles on a plate or in a bowl and top with your favorite sauce. I prefer mine with a yummy basil spaghetti sauce and ground turkey meatballs.

Oh, forgot about Step Five. This step only pertains to those with kids.

Bribe children to try these “extra yummy super delicious” noodles with homemade chocolate chip cookies.

31 Days of Beach Living: Day 16 Is a Bucket List Really Just a Fear List?

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31days day 16

This summer our family found ourselves with a free weekend… Yeah, a weekend with no sports, no summer birthday parties, no family gatherings, no Holiday BBQ’s. Weird, huh?

So, what does a family do with a whole day free?

We check something off our fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants bucket list <you know the list you make up as you go>. We can’t be the only family to have one of these. It’s also your go to rainy day gotta get out of the house list.

!!!!!ROCK CLIMBING!!!!!, yell all three Green boys and the hubby.

Oh man, as a mom afraid of heights this is not a good rainy day bucket list activity.

So, what does a mom afraid of heights do? She sucks it up and joins in the excitement of the Green boys. In order to bolster up my scaredy cat nerves, I decided to wear my new lululemon athletica shorts and tank top. That’ll totally make me feel brave. Yeah <with enthusiasm>!

We headed over to the local rock climbing gym, Virginia Beach Rock Gym. We spent 30 minutes learning to auto belay. This rock climbing technique is a mechanical device that rock climbers use to control the climbers fall or descent from the climb. Our instructor picked me to go first and “demonstrate” to the kids how to belay. Yeah, I fell on my buttocks. Pretty sure the oldest Green boy took video and posted it to Instagram.  After this short lesson, it was on to rock climbing. I have to admit it was fun. I still got scared to climb up to the top of the courses. But each time I ascended, I did climb a little higher. It is also amazing to see how little fear kids have in life. They see the fun in the adventure, not the failure. We can learn something from kids. Have fun, not fear!

fear quote

Facing fears is tough. It’s uncomfortable. And, it can be slightly embarrassing in front of your boys. It is also a great lesson for your children. Our kids need to witness us facing fears and how we react or overcome those fears.

If you never face your own fears, how do you support your children and facing their fears? Bucket lists are good for facing fears. Encourage your kids to write down things they would love to do in their lives. And then do them with your kids! 

But, I am here to tell you if any one of those boys writes down swimming with sharks… They are tough out of luck! I don’t do sharks and that is okay, too.

rock climbing collage

31 Days of Beach Living: Day 15 Living with C.D.S.

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31days day 15

C.D.S. is a very serious affliction. It affects moms worldwide daily about 10 minutes before the school bus arrives. It makes us cranky. It makes us wish that the bus wouldn’t be so punctual. It makes us pine for an I.V. of Sumatran Roasted brewed deliciousness. And, even in our fatigue-induced delirium want Earl Grey…

—-COFFEE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME—-

Yep, I suffer from it most days. Especially today. 

I even opened the fridge to see if there was any iced coffee… There was but not enough to fill up my reusable Starbucks cold cup. The bus was due in less than five minutes. Not even enough time to brew a fresh pot. Bummer.

What to do?

1. Take ten minutes in the kitchen to whip up one of my favorite home made coffee add-ins, e.g. pumpkin spice or coconut cream.

-OR-

2. Take two boys in the car to buy a coffee, and thus have to bribe them with a doughnut or cookie to get them into said car. And, run the risk that I might buy myself a treat and lose bonus points in my Clean-Eating Challenge. 

Option #1 is the clear winner. Dragging my boys anywhere in the car immediately after school lets out is torture. Plain and simple torture. Pretty sure its against all Geneva Convention Regulations.

I got my pumpkin spice cream recipe from my good friend Gabrielle over at I Get It From My Mamma Blog. Her recipe is made from scratch— pumpkin roasting and all. I, in all my greatest wisdom, decided today was not the day to roast a pumpkin. No patience. Hence the change to the recipe with organic canned pumpkin puree. I highly recommend organic when using canned pumpkin. The taste difference is noticeable. I also replace the warm water with almond milk or coconut milk. I like the creaminess the two other options offer. I also just use a pumpkin pie spice blend. It makes me nostalgic and remember baking during the Holidays with my mom.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer Recipe:

1 can organic pumpkin puree

1/2 cup coconut/almond milk (unsweetened)

2 tbsp Grade B Organic Maple Syrup

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

2-3 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix

Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat until smooth with a wire whisk. Place creamer into a glass mason jar to store in the refrigerator. Use within 1-2 weeks. 

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

 

The coconut creamer was made out of necessity during a strict-Paleo challenge back in January. I searched many recipes, blogs, and Pinterest pins to find a recipe and ended up using those ideas as starting point.

Clean-Eating Coconut Coffee Creamer Recipe:

1 can coconut cream (or full fat coconut milk)

1 large farm fresh egg, raw

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled

2 tbsp pure vanilla extract

Place all ingredients into your Vitamix (or high speed food processor). Combine until smooth. Place creamer into a glass mason jar and store in the refrigerator. Use within 1 week. This creamer may leave an oil layer on top of your coffee. If this bothers you, just stir to reincorporate or drink faster:)

Coconut Coffee Creamer. And, yes that egg is raw, so it if grosses you out use the pumpkin recipe.

Coconut Coffee Creamer. And, yes that egg is raw, so it if grosses you out use the pumpkin recipe.

 

I quickly whipped up both creamers while a 1/2 pot of coffee was brewing. I chose the coconut creamer for the first cup. Best decision of the day, besides the hamburger with my husband for lunch.

Sweet nectar of the gods... coffee!

Sweet nectar of the gods… coffee!

31 Days of Beach Living: Day 14 Book Page Garland

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31days day 14

Once again, I turned to trusty ole Pinterest to get creative. I already had my sewing machine out and felt like making a garland for the mantle out of book pages.

pinterest book garland

Here is my inspiration. I was drawn to the garlands that looked full and gathered. A great project to keep you occupied between texts of your new nieces birth!

If you have any sewing experience – even just a little- this project is a piece of cake. All you need to know how to do is sew a straight line and fold paper.

I checked out my bookshelf for the materials. I wanted an old book and one that had sentimental value to it. Not just any book from a thrift store, but that could certainly be the perfect place to find one. You also have to have nerves of steel to rip pages out of a book, especially if you love books. I found the perfect pages for my garland. I had a diary as a pre-teen. I only used 4 pages. I took those pages out carefully and placed them in my childhood photo album. Then, I went to ripping. Ripping is important for this project. No neat lines needed. It is also supposed to be quick, like less than 45 minutes quick. Rip away!

My diary!

My diary!

Here are the ripped out pages and how I folded the pages.

Here are the ripped out pages and how I folded the pages.

The longest part of this project was folding all the pages. I decided to fan fold it in thirds length-wise. I did this knowing that I would then fold it in half when I got to the sewing. I choose brown thread and a quilting needle on my machine. I set the tension at about 4 and used a medium length stitch.

I had no real plan for the garland… I didn’t even count how many pages I had. Just began sewing and putting it together as I fed it through the machine. Let the fun begin!

Left to Right: Sewing finished just crinkling and opening the fanned pages. Garland mid-way through. Garland in progress.

Left to Right: Sewing finished just crinkling and opening the fanned pages. Garland mid-way through. Garland in progress.

This project did not take long and the results were fabulous and just what I needed to spur the Halloween decorating.

I even went back to Trader Joe’s for more pumpkins!

Mantle complete. I had everything on hand except for the pumpkins.

Mantle complete. I had everything on hand except for the pumpkins.