Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day

Most of you know by now that I am currently following a very strict Paleo diet on a mission to find healing and wholeness for this old body. 36 days in and it has gotten so much easier, now that my pantry is stocked well and I know what I can and cannot have. Another thing that has helped me along is finding friends and fellow bloggers that are also cooking "clean" and focusing on their heath.
One blog I found has a great Foodie Pen Pal Program where folks essentially share their favorite food items/recipes/inspirations with each other. We are each matched with someone to send to, and someone else will be matched to send to us. You can read more about it here.

This month I was matched with Leslie from Mykitchenisopen. Leslie is a super sweet woman who has overcome a lot in her life and is also on a path of healing and wholeness. She's so sweet!

So here's what I received for the month of February!

 So excited to get mail!!!

 I love the tissue paper! 

Unwrapping is half of the fun!! 

Can you see the cute ice tray there in the front?

 The cookie cutters, coasters, and magnets were such a fun gift! 

In a house full of males, I love fun, girly items!

 I'm also really into hot teas, so trying a new brand was exciting!

Loved all of these dried fruits! I pack a snack everywhere I go,

as not to be tempted to break the diet because I'm hungry.

 My favorite thing to take with me is a homemade trail mix, so these fit right in! The peaches had a really odd smell, but were yummy, while the banana chips were amazing!

This was my very first month being a Foodie Pen Pal and I was matched to send to Tambra Means over at GingerMantra. She recently ran the Disney Princess Half Marathon and is one heck of a lady. Head over to her blog to see what I sent her ! Can't wait to do this again next month!

Long Nights

At midnight, he cried out. I waited a few minutes, then went in. He was very warm to my touch. I picked him up and he continued to cry. I rocked him and he continued to cry. I laid him down and he continued to cry. Sang to him, more crying. Changed him, more crying. Fed him, crying, crying, crying. Checked his temp. The loud, automatic thermometer that speaks his temp said, " Your body temperature is 94 degrees Fahrenheit." I knew it was lying. I took his temp like 10 more times, and that darned lady kept changing her mind about how warm my son actually was. I threw the thermometer across the room. I gave Ian a dose of infant tylenol, then rocked him as he cried for the next 3 hours. When he fell asleep around 4am, I tried to lay him down, but he was awake in a heartbeat, crying out again. I continued to hold him through the sunrise.

All in a night's work for a momma.

Whole30 Results!!!

I cannot believe that I actually completed the Whole30 challenge! If you don't know what I'm talking about, read my previous post which details the diet I have been following. Or click this link-  Whole30 Rules

 The first weekend, I was mostly starving, basically because I couldn't figure out what to eat so I wouldn't break the rules. Surrounded by donuts, easy freezer meals, celebrations with cake, and the Super Bowl party buffet- making smart choices had to be a decision I was sold on. And I was. For the super bowl party, I made one thing to bring, so at least I knew I could eat that. And what do you know- it was the only thing I could eat. For lunches out with friends, I didn't want them to feel limited at all by me, I simply asked them to choose a place with salad options- and from there I knew I could modify enough to be safe. For long days out, I always threw an apple in my bag, and even carried a Paleo friendly trail mix (nuts, seeds, cranberries, dried bananas) that would fill me up enough to not be tempted by other options.

The only ways that I ever deviated from the rules were -I did drink diet sodas- but MUCH more limited that I used to. And I did use honey when necessary to give a little sweet taste to some muffins and smoothies I made. YUM.

I won't lie- after about 5 days, my gut was really feeling the difference. I had never really thought much about "being regular" or any kind of "poop schedule".... But there was like a period of 48 hrs where I felt pretty crampy and just a little off from normal. Once I pushed through that ( hot teas helped a lot!!), I began to notice that I was very consistent in going #2 at least once a day, which although gross to talk about, made me feel a lot better! I wasn't belching as much as normal, and I wasn't ever feeling bloated or heavy.

I have lost 8 pounds in 30 days. Now for me, this diet has not been about weight loss, but about healing and health, so 8 pounds is actually more than I expected to lose in such a short amount of time. Throughout this entire process, I have made sure I was eating plenty, as I am still feeding my son and didn't want to jeopardize him in any way ( I even asked his pediatrician how he felt about me doing this diet). I did take some before and after pics, but those will just be for me to see the results, as I'm not really comfortable posting those at this time ( I did just have a baby folks!)

As for my disease- see the post Dermatomyositis -I am currently having NO MUSCLE WEAKNESS and my rashes have been present, but not actively worsening. To me, this is great news. Not 100% sold that it's all because of the diet, but I plan to continue being as strict with Paleo for a least another few weeks ( some say 6 weeks is the magic number) and then possibly adding in a few things (like beans or rice) and seeing if things stay the same or change in any way. There are just so many variables and triggers that can set the disease off..... it's a tricky road to recovery, but I'm willing to do the work to have the results.

God has been so faithful to me through this past weeks. Whenever I feel self-conscience, whenever I'm upset that I can't eat what I want, wear what I want, be outside when I want- I can always remember that these trials are not forever- that this world is not my home- and that there is nothing that defines me except for the very being that created me. All I want is to be who I was created to be.

Whole30 COMPLETE!

For those of you who may not know, I just completed the Whole30 challenge.  Since a lot of people have no clue what that even entails, I found this outline of it on whole9life.com.

What is the Whole30?

Certain food groups (like grains, dairy and legumes) are probably having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it.  Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent?  Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury?  Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try?  Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped?  These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat – even the “healthy” stuff.  So how do you know if (and how) these foods are affecting you?

Strip them from your diet completely. Cut out all the inflammatory, insulin-spiking, calorie-dense but nutritionally sparse food groups for a full 30 days.  Let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing.   Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices you’ve been making.  Learn once and for all how the foods you’ve been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term health.  The most important reason to keep reading?

This will change your life.

We cannot possibly put enough emphasis on this simple fact – the next 30 days will change your life. It will change the way you think about food, it will change your tastes, it will change your habits and your cravings. It could, quite possibly, change the emotional relationship you have with food, and with your body. It has the potential to change the way you eat for the rest of your life. We know this because we did it, and thousands of people have since done it, and it changed our lives (and their lives) in a very permanent fashion.

Our Whole30 program, as outlined.

Eat real food – meat, fish, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats.  Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re totally natural and unprocessed.  Don’t worry… these guidelines are outlined inextensive detail in our Shopping Guide.

More importantly, here’s what NOT to eat during the duration of your Whole30 program. Omitting all of these foods and beverages will help you regain your healthy metabolism, reduce systemic inflammation, and help you discover how these foods are truly impacting your health, fitness  and quality of life. 

        Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave         nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc.  Read your labels (and your Success Guide FAQ), because companies sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize.

• Do not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, pre-packaged snacks or meals, protein bars, milk substitutes, etc.

•  Do not consume alcohol, in any form.  (NEW! And it should go without saying, but no tobaccoproducts of any sort, either.)

• Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, millet, oats, corn, rice, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa.  Yes, we said corn… for the purposes of this program, corn is a grain!  This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on.  Again, read your labels.

• Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, kidney, lima, etc.), peas, lentils, and peanuts.  No peanut butter, either.  This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, tamari and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).

• Do not eat dairy. This includes all cow, goat or sheep’s milk, cream, butter, cheese (hard or soft), kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream.

• Do not eat white potatoes. It’s somewhat arbitrary, but they are carbohydrate-dense and nutrient poor, and also a nightshade (refer to your Success Guide FAQ for details).

• Most importantly… do not try to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold.  This means no “Paleo-fying”  less-than-healthy recipes – no Paleo pancakes, Paleo pizza, Paleo fudge or Paleo”ice cream.  Don’t mimic poor food choices during your Whole30 program!  Those kinds of food miss the point of the program entirely.

One last and final rule.  You are not allowed to step on the scale during your Whole30 program.  This is about so much more than just weight loss, and to focus on your body composition means you’ll miss out on the most dramatic and lifelong benefits this plan has to offer.   So, no weighing yourself or taking comparative measurements during your Whole30.  (NEW!  We do encourage you to weigh yourself before and after, however, so you can see one of the more tangible results of your efforts when your program is over.)

Valentine's Day Review

Ahh Valentine's Day. An arbitrary holiday that most wish could go by unnoticed (for lack of money or lack of love) but each year it sneaks up on us and the greeting card salesmen rejoice.

I have lots of friends who like to dub Valentine's Day as "Single's Awareness Day". A day when storefronts and facebook posts seem to rub in your face the fact that you are single.

I have other friends who wait eagerly for their husbands to come home, dreaming of the special surprises that wait, only to get angry when their man has a meeting run late and comes home empty handed.

Still there are others who forget that it's Valentine's Day completely and when they receive a special card or gift from someone who cares for them, they are truly grateful.

This year, I covered all 3 categories. For Single's Awareness, Ian's outfit says it all. For hoping my husband would surprise me- I did have a little hope in the back of my mind for just a simple something; and he delivered ( balloons and a cute headband)! And for the special gift- I received dark chocolate covered Strawberries and Paleo banana nut muffins from two gals at my bible study, trying to love on me in a special way because of this diet!!

The best part of the day was getting to spend most of it at my church. Now if I haven't said it enough- I love my church. And getting to attend the women's bible study (called Engage) in the morning and the recovery group (called The Mat) in the evening was just the way I wanted to spend such a holiday. Only when we know the source of true and perfect love can we even begin to love others in a way that means anything at all. I want to love in a way that aligns with how Jesus loved. It wasn't always sweet, or kind- Jesus didn't avoid conflict. He simply told his friends and followers the Truth. And Jesus helped his friends in REAL ways, like telling them when and where to cast their nets to catch fish or raising Lazarus from the dead. Can you imagine what it would have been like for the disciples if Jesus had just said, "Call me if you need anything"! They wouldn't have even known what to ask for or had the guts enough to ask for it. So this week I'm keeping my eyes open to the needs of those around me and jumping in to help wherever I can.



Enjoy the pics and tell me all about your Valentine's Day!

 (no, I did not eat the chocolate bar!)

I didn't know I'd love someone this much!

 I am so thankful for my little boy. My life has changed completely since he entered it, and my heart will never be the same. Until you have a baby, you just can't fully comprehend the neediness of this helpless babe, the nonstop effort for peace and productivity, how you'll ever make it through a million days in a row with no sleep, and why you would willingly do this to yourself again and again because of the love you have for this child.

Now I had been a babysitter, I'd worked in the church nursery, I'd been someone who has loved kids my whole life. I told James when we got married that I already had the green light on kids, I would just be waiting on his yes. So a year and a half into our marriage, on our very first attempt ( and our last night in our old rental), Ian was conceived. The details of the future at that time were still fuzzy; I just wanted the pregnancy to stick, then I just wanted to be able to work right up until the end, and then my schedule didn't work right with daycare and we didn't have family nearby, and all of the sudden I went from climbing up the corporate ladder to being a stay at home mommy. I never imagined the agony over the decision of leaving my job, the difficulty I would have in those moments when I first stepped down from management, then quit my company completely. Having to the leave the great relationships I'd worked so hard to build, having to sacrifice all the income and accolades I'd fought so hard for, I had no idea what awaited me as I stared at the positive pregnancy test.
But when our little boy came, 3 weeks early but not a moment too soon, I knew I'd do whatever it took to make sure he had the best chance in life possible. All of my heartache and all of my hormones pale in comparison to the sincere joy I have every morning when I wake up to see his face. I am so thankful for him in a million ways that I will never have the time to tell- but just know this, I am thankful for my baby.

And for you mommies out there, confused on what to do next for your bundle of joy; these are a few of the questions I ask myself....

- Am I listening for God's voice? Am I asking for His next steps or just plowing along without a thought to His plans for my family? Am I leaving space in my head and heart for the lessons God has for me today? When you are scared or confused or feel conflicted- PRAY! When you are tired and weak and feel like a failure- Cry out to Him.

-Am I doing what's best for baby? Or for me? For my whole family?Or for my marriage? Some days you'll neglect yourself for your kids (ok, most days). Other days you need to let the kids make a mess or watch too much tv to let your husband truly feel honored and cared for. Some days you need to take time with your girlfriends (MAKE it happen). And some days, your heart may break as you drive to your 12 hr work day, but you know it's what's necessary for your family. 


There's no perfect momma out there. Knowing that simple truth is like 73% of the battle. If you are a mom, you were called to be one. No matter how your children came to be yours. So stop worrying, stop comparing, and go be the amazing, incredible mom that I know you are!!!!

I remember this feeling,

 just complete shock that he really was in there all along, 

and he was finally in my arms. (Pardon all my chins)

Paleo Day #19

And almost 3 weeks in to this Paleo diet and it's still hard to snack/eat/plan meals accordingly. Going out to eat has been funny too. Saul Good has an amazing menu with lots of salads and a few good meat selections. BD's Mongolian Grill was awesome for how they label everything and it's really easy to tell that I'm getting everything just how I like it. Smashing Tomato has a great salad that I just asked to have  no cheese which was simple enough ( although I could smell someone's BBQ chicken pizza and was drooling).
Cooking has been difficult as well. I'm one of those ladies who has the opportunity AND enjoys cooking for her man, but since he's not on the diet with me, it's been humorous to say the least. I still cook meals for both of us, then add a roll or garlic bread with his. Or put cheese on his after it's on his plate. Or I try to trick him into thinking he's getting the good stuff, only to say "Could you tell that was gluten free?" or "Those aren't mashed potatoes, that's mashed CAULIFLOWER".

My new Dutch Oven!

Farmer's Pie with mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes

I have lost 5 pounds, which is crazy because that has not been my goal in all of this, but it makes sense since I ate horribly before this and I have not cheated, except for a swig of Cherry Coke.

As for how I'm feeling... I definitely feel my muscle weakness more this week. It may be because I've had lots of kids to watch this week and I don't let anything stop me from hugging and holding and twirling the kids around. I've also been really digging my bible study, but have to watch myself because without thinking I will start to hunch over or have really bad posture over my notebook, then have to re-adjust often. I also have a new rash across my shoulders and chest. Was it that v neck I wore last week when I got stuck behind a wreck and could feel myself getting a sunburn through the windows? Not sure, but it's crazy how I have to think of all kinds of little things like that. Like a vampire or something, trying to avoid the sun. 1 Peter 5:10 gives me hope though. "So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation."

Hope you all have a terrific weekend. And here's a pic of halftime during our Super Bowl Party.

The Super Bowl party was a success!

A Young James and L J

 Found these pics from the summer James and I started dating... Seems like so long ago.

I've lived a lot of life in my short number of years and I haven't done everything perfectly, that's for sure. But when I stare into my son's eyes, when I see my husband during church as we serve together, when I lay my head on my pillow at night and say my prayers; I will forever be grateful for a God who loves me and for Jesus who rescued me from, among other things, myself. I will never recover from the cross.

9 Months Old!!!

Ian had his 9 month check up today. Cannot believe my little guy is 9 months old already. Been out in the world longer than he was inside of me baking. Time is just flying!

19lbs, 15oz (45th percentile)

29 1/2 inches long (70th percentile)

Ian takes 2 naps, has 4 momma feedings/ 3 solids feedings, loves bananas and sweet potatoes, sleeps from 9:00pm to 7:00am, loves his bright orange ball with tiny spikes, petting his kitty and dog, riding in the back of the double stroller with a friend (he likes to rub the kid's head in front of him!!), tapping on his toy drum while singing (ok, screaming). He still wears cloth diapers often, still loves to cuddle, and still does not crawl.

He was really into the paper

Ian is one of the most content babies I have ever met. I mean, as long as conditions are right (aka clean diaper, has had his nap, is fed) this kid is happy. He will sit in one place for a long time just playing with one toy. He will lay in one place just patting himself with both hands. He will put his own pacifier back in,  he will spit up and not cry about it. Words cannot express how cool this kid is.


I'm not quite sure what is nature, and what is nurture. My pediatrician said it's obvious that I'm doing a great job, which was nice to hear for sure. All a mom can really do is gather the best information she can; whether from friends, books, experiences, etc.- and put what she believes into practice.
A few things I've done that I feel have helped include:

- Get baby on a schedule. At just a few weeks old, I made sure we never missed a feeding, we developed some patterns in our days, and that Ian could start to anticipate what would come next. Even though some days we may be traveling, I might have been at work, or something crazy happened- I tried to make things as consistent for him as possible. We started out with a 3 hr eat/play/sleep and moved to a 4 hr eat/play/sleep at around 6 months. Ian woke up, got a diaper changing, had a meal, played hard for about an hr, went down for a nap, then repeat.

-Do what you are called to do. Now this rule seems to negate the previous one, but I really felt like after about 8 weeks, I needed to let Ian know that I was in control. This is not a method of "Cry it Out" per se,  but a"I will not let crying stop me from _________" method. What I've seen a lot is that a baby, especially a first baby, will keep parents from going out with friends, getting to church, finding time to read or paint or sew, taking a date night, or even stop a mom from showering daily because baby is fussy, hungry, needy, can't be alone........ .........PLEASE DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR BABY, but do know that you are allowed to put baby in the swing, securely locked in, and use the restroom. You are allowed to shower while baby sleeps safely in the crib. Take baby to the grocery, take baby out to eat, go where you need to go, get your baby used to being a part of your family, not the center of it. It's ok to check baby into the church nursery or the gym daycare and take time to replenish yourself. Just like any other job, you will BURN OUT if you aren't taking care of you. Your baby needs a healthy, happy momma!  I think I was 4 weeks post partum when I begged to be back in my serving role at church, needing to think about something other than diapers and bottles and spit up.

-Savor each moment. Whether your experience has been super sweet and easy, or a colicky or sick baby has been what you've had to struggle with, soak each day in. On the easy days, try not to wish for the next milestone and push your baby before he/she is ready. On the tough days when the crying just won't stop, put your other chores aside and rock that baby, love on that baby, and remember this too shall pass. The days are long, but the years are short.

-Ask for help. When you first have a baby, people shower you with gifts, bring you meals, and beg to do anything for you. Often times, you don't quite know what you need help with yet, and just crave sleep so bad that you tell everyone you're great so they'll go away and you can get some shut eye. Parenting is tough, and you are never off the clock, so learn when to call in reinforcements. In the beginning, I kept a running list of chores and projects I was trying to complete. That way if someone asked if I wanted help, or came over and offered a hand, I knew exactly what they could do.  Be genuine with your mom friends- they know what you are dealing with. I love working out a mom swap with a pal, I watch my kid and your kid for 6 hours today, you watch both tomorrow. Know who your resources are and don't be afraid to use them!



Have a blessed Monday!

The day before our Super Bowl Party

Tomorrow we will be hosting a Super Bowl party of epic proportions! At first, it was just supposed to be my lifegroup from church. Then my husbands lifegroup was planning to join us. Then a few other lifegroups decided to come too.  Now I'm thinking it's going to be around 60 people!!!!! Needless to say, we spent our Saturday cleaning.

Our house is in pretty good shape, especially because I'm still doing my 52 weeks of organization, so lots of places have been thoroughly cleaned pretty recently. But there are still plenty of places that just have little piles of stuff and with 60 people up in here, I'm sure someone will take notice. Cleanliness aside, I do love a good party, and am so excited to host all of these people who I love, in my house at the same time! So at some point tomorrow, I'll just have to let the house be as it is, and take the time to enjoy myself. I will be sure to post pictures Monday or Tuesday.

Speaking of pictures, we took Ian out in the snow for the very first time today.

 He could not stop staring at it, and would not look at the camera for anything. But from the looks of it, I think he's a fan of all that white fluff.

Off to bed before the 5am alarm for church tomorrow. The person making breakfast for us in the morning knows I'm Paleo and is making something special just for me! Thanks in advance Deb! I know it will taste great! Hope you all have a Sunday full of fun.