FREE photos at Target....starting 10/27

Beginning Sunday (10/27), 4x6 photos will be on sale for 10 cents each.  There is currently a Target store coupon available for $5 off 50 4x6 prints.  With the sale price and coupon, that's 50 prints absolutely FREE.  Keep in mind each computer allows two prints each for coupons so that's 100 photos FREE!!  Click here to get your coupon.

Amazing deal on Vera Bradley baby bags...this weekend only!!!

Vera Bradley is having an ahh-mazing deal on baby items this weekend only.  The Messenger baby bag, regularly priced at $118, and the Baby bag, regularly priced at $99, are both on sale for $49.99.  They have some oh-so-adorable patterns that would be perfect for a boy or girl.  Also, for any baby purchase, you score a FREE Bunny and Bear book ($8 value).  Not only that, but if you spend $50 or more in baby style items, you get 3 pairs of baby socks ($19 value) FREE.  Still not done.....spend $75 or more and receive FREE shipping AND an additional 25% off your order.  Here is an example:

Buy one Messenger baby bag - $49.99

Buy one Baby bag - $49.99

Get baby socks - FREE

Get 2 baby books - FREE

Get FREE shipping 

Get additional 25% off

Pay $74.98 total for 2 bags, 2 books & 3 pairs of socks!!  This weekend only!!

6 months of pure love and happiness...

So today baby T turned 6 months old.....half a year....ALREADY.  Where did the time go?  I found myself looking at his little hands and feet a bit longer today.  Studying his little ears and mouth and giving him extra kisses.  I can't believe my baby, the little boy doctors told us almost didn't make it, is growing so fast.  I caught myself tearing up as I thought back to how much joy, love and happiness this boy has brought to our lives.  I can't even begin to explain how lucky I am that I was chosen to be his mother.  So a big Happy (half) Birthday to my baby boy!  Mommy loves you to the moon and back!!

Please stop growing my baby boy.

 

 Family photo during the hubby's lunch break.

 

 This boy LOVES the camera!

 

I cannot believe how big he's gotten

Coupon for Lindt chocolate

If you're a fan of chocolate (I mean, who isn't?), head over to Lindt Chocolate USA's Facebook page and "like" it.  Once you've liked their page, look for the post marked by today's date with a link for how to get a $2 off 1 chocolate bar coupon (you have to watch a quick video to get the coupon).  You can also click on "photos" where you will find a picture that states "Save $2.00".  Click the photo and you'll see the link.  Now, go get your chocolate!!

Week 1 - Temptation, temptation everywhere...

Since deciding to start Operation Healthy Mom on Sunday, things have completely changed.  I've become very much aware as to what I'm allowing myself to put in my body, just ask the hubby.  Sunday was the day I had made the decision to finally make a change (if you haven't read about it, you can find it here).  That afternoon I planned out a shopping trip and made the decision of preparing my meals for the week.  Ha, so much for that idea.  The Broncos game was on and I couldn't leave to go grocery shopping during it (do you know who my hubby is?).  I didn't let this get me down though.  I headed to the store immediately afterwards and found a few goodies to begin this change of healthy eating.

 

From this... 

 To this.....these are my goodies!

Needless to say it was almost 9:30pm by the time I got home and there was no way I was going to spend the next several hours preparing meals.  I did, however, know while at the store that this wasn't going to happen and picked up a few salads for dinner, keeping it easy and healthy.  For dessert I had a single chocolate rice cake with a small amount of natural peanut butter, absolutely delicious!!  The hubby wanted something for dessert that I would've loved to have also, a good 'ol Snickers.  He even asked me if I'd be mad if he ate it.  I laughed and told him that I wouldn't be mad, although deep down I was actually jealous.  Temptation number one and.....Operation Healthy Mom gets a point.

Day one  proved to be even more challenging.  Who decides to go to the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot the day after deciding to take control of her life?  This woman right here.  Talk about temptations EVERYWHERE!  This was the first time I had ever been to this festival and I just wanted to try everything from everywhere.....BUT....I stuck to my plan.  For anyone that isn't aware of this festival, they offer different food "samples" (a small portion) of a certain country's authentic foods and wines, so you can only imagine how hard it was.  We were there during lunchtime and I was hungry.  I only tried 2 samples and was rather proud of myself.  I chose to have a beef empanada from Argentina and a spicy salmon and tuna bite (more like a mini roll) from China.  They were both amazing.  Although I debated getting a shrimp taco from Mexico, I resisted the urge.  This is saying a lot because my weakness is Mexican food.  To drink.....water!  You heard it right.  At a festival for wine, I drank water.  What's even better?  I brought my gallon of water with me & was drinking straight up.  Imagine the amount of weird looks I got, especially since I wrote "Drink Me" on it (a gallon of water a day is my goal).  We did a lot of walking around the park so by the end of the day, I didn't feel as guilty about what I ate. Temptation number two and.....Operation Healthy Mom gets (I'd say) half a point.

 Delicious spicy tuna & salmon roll from China 

Gotta stay hydrated!!

Later in the week good 'ol Aunt Flough came pounding on the door.  I wanted to turn her away but she was here and ready to tear my insides out and put cravings in my mind that were hard to turn away.  Is it too much to ask for a big fat chicken burrito with extra cheese and extra sour cream from Chipotle?  Well NOW it is....bummer.  Nothing says "I've got this" like resisting food cravings when the lady you want to punch the most, in her non-existent face, shows up.  Friday was a little bit harder to keep on track.  By now, we had run out of "healthier" food in the house and I was just too tired achy lazy to go to the store (I know, excuses excuses).  Needless to say I headed for leftovers that were in the fridge, baked ziti I made for Tom the night before.  Although I was satisfied afterwards, I felt sick later on.  I was so bummed that I actually ate it but knew it wasn't smart to beat myself up over it.  On Saturday the hubby and I had a date night while Grandma K watched baby T.  We went to the movies and OF COURSE I just HAD to have popcorn.  I only ate a small amount (okay, maybe a medium amount) but ate a chicken Caesar wrap with fresh fruit for dinner that night. 

Woke up to this from the hubby.  Love!

Now I know everyday will be full of temptations but it's all about the mindset that I CAN do this and I WILL do this.  Below is the list of everything I've ate this past week:
  

My everyday breakfast (banana, a mini whole

wheat bagel with less than a tablespoon of

cream cheese and two hard boiled eggs with

fresh cracked pepper.

Breakfast everyday (except Saturday/Sunday) consisted of what you see above - 2 hard boiled eggs, a banana and a mini whole wheat bagel with 1/2 tbsp. of cream cheese.  On Saturday the hubby, baby and I went to Mimi's Café where I resisted the urge of pancakes and waffles and chose a croissant sandwich with eggs, bacon and cheddar cheese (only eating HALF) and a cup of fresh fruit.  I ate the remaining half of this sandwich for breakfast on Sunday. 
Snacks this week I had either a serving of craisins (100 calories), lightly salted rice cake with a tsp of natural peanut butter or chocolate rice cake with either natural peanut butter or PB2. 
Lunches I ate mostly chicken (flavored with spices and hot sauce), brown rice and a veggie or lean ground turkey (spices & tons of cilantro), brown rice and a veggie.  One day I substituted a salmon filet (salt, pepper, garlic and lemon) for the protein. 
Dinners (except Saturday) it was pretty much the same, chicken or lean ground turkey, brown rice and a veggie (I've become addicted to asparagus).  Saturday was "date" night (thank you grandma K for watching baby T).  I'm sorry, but you just can't go to a movie without having popcorn (like I mentioned before) so for dinner I chose a chicken Caesar wrap with fresh fruit on the side.

When I look at this list and compare it to what I used to eat, I'm so proud of myself.  I've been measuring out my portions to ensure I'm not overdoing anything, something I've never done before.  Instead of starting every morning with a large cup of creamer topped off with coffee (just being honest), I'm starting it off with a NanoLean shake (you can find out about NanoLean here).  Everyone sing with me, "The best part of waking up, is Folgers Nanos in myyyyy cuuuuup".  I love it because I'm using 16 ounces of my daily gallon of water to mix with the packet which turns it into a fruity drink.  I've convinced myself it's like drinking a big, sugary glass of juice (without all the garbage in normal fruit juice) and think of it as a treat.  Drinking this about 30 minutes before my breakfast actually makes me feel fuller a lot faster, definitely a good thing. 

 Starting my day off right. 

The delicious finished product. 

The only changes I've noticed so far is feeling more "awake" throughout the day, probably because I'm fueling my body with healthy food instead of processed crap like before.  I cannot wait to see these changes happen and what the upcoming weeks have in store for me!

Week one I'd declare a SUCCESS!!  Bring on Week 2!!!

Sneaky Peak of T's Spooktacular Shoot

So as much as I'd love to have professional pictures taken of baby T for just about anything new he does and every special occasion, I just don't know any photographers in this town nor do I want to spend a bajillion dollars to have them done.  Don't get this confused with me not wanting to spend every penny on my child because.....well.....who DOESN'T want to?  I just decided that I could take his pictures instead of some stranger, saving us money and giving me more bonding time with my son.

Well, the other day baby T and I did a Halloween photo shoot.  It was so much fun, although pictures are getting a little more difficult to take by myself since he's becoming more and more mobile.  So I figured I'd share some of the pictures with my readers.....just because.  I love every single one of them and if you can't tell, I'm OBSESSED with black and white photos.  There were TONS but I chose some of the best for you because I love you all (I know, I shouldn't have).  Enjoy!!

Love his smile.  Happy Halloween!

 Boo!

 My favorite out of all of them!  I just love his little smile/laugh.

Love the "spooky" feeling of this one.

Trick or treat from this cutie!

Halloween deal for the whole family...

Halloween is quickly approaching and you know what that means?  Candy, and lots of it.  Well if you need something to break up all that sugary goodness you'll be enjoying, swing on over to one of MY all time favorite places, Chipotle.  If you go dressed in ANY costume between 4pm-close, you can score a burrito, tacos, bowl or salad for $3!!  So save some room and get your "Boorito" on!

It's time for.....Operation Healthy Mom!

There comes a time in life where all of a sudden things hit you like a ton of bricks.  Whether this is making a change of a relationship, job or everyday activities, it just happens.  Usually you wake up one day and decide "today's the day".  Well, this was me today.  I can't exactly say I woke up with this overwhelming feeling of needing to make a change.  This feeling came over me after devouring a homemade breakfast made for a caveman.  Bacon, eggs, a bagel with cream cheese and a HUGE helping of hashbrown casserole (I won't even begin to tell you what's inside this dish).  Ok, ok....I had a second serving of casserole after the first (well, I'm being honest).  After finishing my plate, yep every bite, I plopped my body on the couch completely full & couldn't move for AT LEAST 10 minutes.  It was those 10 minutes where it hit me......I need to make a change.....NOW!! To-day.  Not tomorrow, not next week but right now.  This very second everything will change.  I no longer want to look in the mirror in disgust, throw on my oversized t-shirt and my maternity pants (ahhhh, yes I'm still wearing my maternity pants) and wonder which roll is going to show through my clothes today.  I no longer want to wonder what my husband thinks of me, although I know he loves me no matter what.  I no longer want to be unhealthy.  Everything is going to change.  It's time for....da da da...."Operation Healthy Mom".

Breakfast of Champions

I know I just had a baby 5, almost 6, months ago & I shouldn't be so hard on myself.  "It took you 9-10 months to gain the weight, it should take you that long to lose it".  I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've heard this.  Well, I don't have 9-10 months to wait in the hopes that this weight will "magically" fall off.  Getting healthy, for me, needs to start today.  Becoming a mom changes your way of thinking.  I NEED to be healthy for baby T, there's just no other options.  He needs me around for a long time and I need to do my part to ensure this happens.

So my journey begins now.  Healthy eating, exercise and dedication are my new life musts along with being a loving wife and mommy.  Keep in mind, I am human and I know there will be some slip ups from time to time (hello holidays, is that you knocking on the door) but this will be a lifestyle change.  I'm not looking for a number on the scale.  I've done that before always to be let down when I didn't hit a certain number by a certain date.  I'm looking to get out of that category of "obese" that I'm currently sitting in.  Would you have even guessed?  Yep, I'm considered obese....oh man.

So, please follow me along this journey of Operation Healthy Mom as I post before and after pictures, recipes of how I'm keeping my body healthy & what I'm doing for workouts (including the 1 mile family walk I took today - thank you hubby and baby T).  I know it will be a difficult journey but with dedication, motivation and support, I KNOW I can do this!!

What's for dinner?

One of the toughest struggles my husband & I have every night is what to have for dinner.  If I had it my way we'd be eating all sorts of delicious meals I find on the web/in my cookbooks (maybe a little exaggeration).  The problem...my husband is a picky eater.  Now, I'm kind of picky also but he is P.I.C.K.Y.  There are so many things he doesn't like that makes cooking tough sometimes.  I recently found out that one of my favorite dishes to make (TexMex Cavatappi) that I've made several times in the past he actually HATED!  This came as such a surprise to me because each time I made it, he'd finish his bowl.  You can only imagine how depressed I was.  His words: "I ate it because you made it but it was actually gross"....confused much?

One thing I did to ensure I'd have recipes I KNEW my husband would like...go to his mom, Momma K.  She gave me a few recipes she used to make when Tom was growing up that he liked, so I knew I was safe.  One of the recipes has now become one of MY favorite meals and I probably make it once a week.  The dish....Turkey and Spinach Burritos.  I have NEVER been a fan of spinach but for some reason, I LOVE these burritos.  They're so easy to make (even with baby T) and can even be prepped ahead of time.  I convince myself these are "healthy" burritos so I don't feel as guilty when I'm helping myself to a second serving (they have lean turkey and spinach, they've got to be healthy right?).   The preparation time is about 20 minutes so even the busiest of busy people can make this.  Here's what you'll need:

1 - package of lean ground turkey
1 - bag of frozen, chopped spinach (if you can't find a bag, just use 2 of the bricks)
8 ounces of cream cheese (brick)
2 cups of grated cheese (I like colby jack or cheddar)
1 can of Rotel (I like to use the hot) or 1 jar of salsa 
1 package tortillas
Cumin to taste

First, place the frozen spinach in a pot with about a cup of water, cover and cook over medium heat.  While the spinach is cooking, brown the ground turkey in a separate pan over medium to medium-high heat.  I don't really time anything, I normally just eyeball it to determine when it's done to my liking (spinach no longer frozen and meat browned).

Once the spinach is cooked, drain it in a strainer.  While I'm waiting for the meat to finish cooking, I usually grate the cheese and blend the Rotel (remember Mr. Picky? He won't eat tomatoes or anything that looks like a tomato so I usually disguise it by blending it, muhahaha).  Unfortunately for me, my grater broke (seriously how does this happen?) so I had to use the packaged cheese already grated.  There's nothing wrong with using this kind of cheese.  In fact, it'll save you a little time if you're in a hurry.  I just prefer to use block cheese that I can grate myself because it seems to melt better but for tonight, I'll be using the already grated cheese.
 

(Left: Rotel from can and yes, there was a piece of the

label that fell in but was removed. Right: Blended) 

Once your turkey is browned, add the cream cheese and salsa/Rotel.  Break up the cream cheese so that it can melt a little easier.  Mix everything really well.  Once the cream cheese is close to completely melted, add about a tablespoon of cumin.  Remember that when it comes to spices you can always add more later if it needs it but you can't take it out.  Start with a little bit, taste your mixture and determine if it needs more.  I don't measure the cumin when I add it in because I love cumin so for me, you cannot have too much.  Once the cumin is added, add in the spinach.  Mix everything together and let cook another 5 or so minutes (again, I don't time anything).  

While the mixture is finishing up, lay out your tortillas and spray your dish with a non-stick cooking spray (no judgies, I only had butter flavored from my baking stash).  Fill the tortillas evenly with the mixture, fold and place in your baking dish.  Once you have all your burritos filled and in the dish, top with the cheese.  Use more or less depending on how YOU like it.  Cover with foil & bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.  

If you prepped ahead to make for later (like I did....thank you afternoon nap time), just take out of the fridge about 15 minutes prior to cooking.  You can serve your burritos with pico, sour cream or even guacamole (or fresh avocado slices), although we just eat them straight from the oven.  

**Disclaimer - DON'T eat straight from the oven.  You WILL burn yourself!!** 

Obviously we let them cool and then eat.

 For the last 5 or so minutes, remove the foil to allow the
cheese to crisp just a bit.

There you have it.  That's what's for dinner!

You know you're a mom when...

I have never been one to be in the mindset of "I must have THIS particular brand" of baby clothing, toys, furniture diapers.  I've been the person to go for whatever is the cheapest or what I can get a better deal on.  No we're not broke nor do we NEED to get cheap diapers but there's nothing wrong with wanting to save money, right? - (Please don't get your panties in a wad.  That statement in no way is trying to insinuate that you're broke if you buy off brand) -  Yes, I still have the ever so popular name brands (Huggies & Pampers), but I've also taken a liking to store brand diapers.  In my opinion, they work just as good.  Ok, they aren't as cute (no Elmo or Mickey) but they do the job.

 I've always preferred the Pampers Swaddlers because, not only are they blanket soft (yes, I would cover my body in Swaddlers to stay warm at night) but they have the best invention ever...the wet indicator.  I cannot even begin to tell you how many diapers I've changed that weren't wet (and yet I still threw them out).  It may sound crazy or even a little OCD but once I've removed a diaper from little T's tushy, I just can't put it back on.  I know, I know...wasteful, especially for someone looking to save money.  The only problem, we can't use these diapers on Tommy anymore (enter big sad face here).  Ever since he developed eczema, these Swaddlers have caused irritation on him.  We (along with his Pediatrician) believe it's from the slight scent that these diapers have so, for the last 2 1/2 months or so, no more wet indicator for these parents, boo hoo.

Well, you know you're a mom when you get super excited over a diaper.  YES, this was me this morning.  I opened up a box of Target brand diapers from Tommy's stockpile (see photos below) and....wait for it......they had the WET INDICATOR!!!  Oh my goodness I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was/am.  We bought these diapers originally because they were hypoallergenic, on clearance AND there was a Target cartwheel offer for an additional 20% off (if you haven't heard of cartwheel, you can check it out here).  Hello, remember me??  Saving a dollar momma?  If that's not incentive to buy a box then I don't know what is.  So, I probably wouldn't cover my body at night with these ones but they are soft enough & Tommy doesn't seem to mind nor do I think he even cares (he's 5 months for goodness sakes).  But you know who does care....this lady right here and what's even better....they're still on clearance at Target!! Whoop whoop!!

My day....MADE!!

 Tommy's, ever so growing, stockpile.  It's a good thing

he has his own walk-in closet!

 The "magical" box

You see that yellow line?  Yep, wet indicator...wahoo!!