Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Tacos have always been one of our favorite meals. I've started to use chicken most often though because I really like how it cooks in the crockpot.  Set it, forget it, then shred it when we're ready! Piece of cake ;) The recipe is so simple, too, that Aubrey basically made it this time. 

 She dumped in all of the ingredients (except for the chicken -- I did that part), then she turned it on "low," set the timer and we were done!

Ingredients:

3-4 good sized skinless, boneless chicken breasts

3 tsp homemade taco seasoning

(I have a container ready to go of this. I'll list the details below)

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp garlic

1 sliced red pepper

1 sliced onion

1 cup salsa

That's it! Set on low for 6 hours, shred, stir, and you're all set for some juicy, flavorful tacos!

The girls have recently decided that "they don't like tacos," even though they've never had an issue with tacos before. Perfect. 

So - I thought serving them as create-your-own nachos would be fun... and hopefully they'd eat them. I put 1 serving of corn tortilla chips on each of their plates and set out all of the fixings on the table. They were PUMPED to load it all on their plates. This is the first time I've done this, and of course they thought it was amazing and ate everything. Let's see how it goes when I try next time ;) 

We had chicken, lettuce, cilantro, tomatoes, (homemade) guacamole, & cheese.

Delicious!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder.

1/4 tsp. Onion Powder.

1/4 tsp. Dried Oregano.

1/2 tsp. Paprika.

1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin.

1 tsp. Sea Salt.

5 Days of Dinner - 21 Day Fix style

Clean Eating is simple, really. Make meals with real food. If you're like us though, you're kids give a hard time about eating anything...even the things we KNOW they like.

How do we get our kids to eat dinner? Well, sometimes we don't. Here's what we do that has gotten the best results:

1. Plan everything on Sunday and include them in the planning process. This way, if they try saying they don't want (fill in the blank) for dinner, we can say "well, you asked us to cook it!"
2. "Eat or go to bed." It's not that exact... they don't actually get directly in their beds, but they definitely don't get a second choice. We cook one meal, and everyone eats it. There aren't any other choices, so they eat it or they are hungry.

So this is what we'll be eating this week.

MONDAY - Salsa chicken & Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers

**The chicken will cook in the crock pot while we're all at school. When we get home, I'll cook the rice, assemble the peppers, and put in the over by 5:45 so that we can eat as soon as Bob walks in at 6:00. 

***The kids will NOT eat all of the pepper, but we'll convince them to have at least a few bites ;) They'll like what's inside though. 

TUESDAY - Shakeology for the kids, leftovers for Mom, and Dad is on his own. 

**Their favorite is chocolate with banana and peanut butter. 

***We're in the car for over an hour on Tuesdays driving to dance, then they are in class for 3 hours. Tuesday night dinners are always tough. We have to be prepared ahead of time or we end up in a drive-thru which the kids love but I do not! 

WEDNESDAY - Pulled Pork and Broccoli

**The kids have choir and lacrosse, so dinner time is very tricky. We'll probably pack snacks for lacrosse then have a very late dinner after lacrosse. 

THURSDAY - Tacos and Fajitas

*I use the taco and fajita recipes from the Fixate cookbook. 

**It's Cinco de Mayo!!!! Of course we're having Mexican!!!!

FRIDAY - Pizza night

**homemade crust and tomato sauce, regular mozzarella cheese. 

*** I use the 21 Day Fix tomato sauce recipe from the Fixate cookbook you can find here. 

So there you have it. Our week of 21 Day Fix approved meals! 

Piyo - Month 1

I have completed month 1 of Piyo!!! Tricep push-ups are a BIG DEAL in Piyo, and while they are not amazing or perfect, they are definitely getting there!!! The two moves below are from one of the workouts that was in week 4 - different and fun! I'm definitely more flexible because of this program, and my core strength is so much better!!!!

The two additional workouts included in month 4 that I haven't discussed are "Strength Intervals" and "Drench."

STRENGTH INTERVALS; Only 20 minutes but the perfect mix of cardio and strength work will DEFINITELY get you S-W-E-A-T-Y!!!!!!!!!!!!

DRENCH: This one is 50 minutes. This one makes me very much aware of how thankful for my 30 minute workouts! The kids asked 325,439 during this workout "if I was done yet," and I was watching the clock like a hawk. The workout itself was great - challenging the whole time, for sure, but since I've gotten used to 30 minutes, 50 minutes seemed like an eternity! It's okay though - it's only on the schedule a few times.

So overall, I'm definitely happy with my decision to begin this program. I'm excited to begin month 2!!!! I've only lost 1 pound and 2 inches during the first month of Piyo, BUT, my eating has not been wildly impressive..... I'm kicking my planning and effort up a notch, so we'll see what's in store for month two ;)

Clean Eating: Chicken Marsala

I love, love, love chicken marsala. However, the traditional recipe isn't quite clean and is definitely NOT 21 Day Fix approved.

Bummer.

However, I started to think about what it was about the dish that I loved so much.... I'm pretty sure it's the flavor of the marsala wine with the mushrooms and chicken. The good news is - all three of those items ARE clean AND 21 Day Fix approved :-)

So, this recipe is not creamy nor is it loaded with fat, but it was full of flavor! I totally recommend..

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp olive oil
1 small package of mushrooms
1/4 cup marsala wine

Instructions:
1. Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper to taste. Brown in the olive oil (about 4 minutes per side.) Chicken will finish cooking later.

2. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add marsala wine and mushrooms. Stir to de-glaze pan and cook off alcohol for at least one minute.

3. Add chicken back into pan, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken.

Finish off with some sauteed asparagus (with very little olive oil, salt, & pepper) and brown rice, and you have yourself a clean, FLAVORFUL, balanced meal! 

For 21 Day Fix purposes.... you have 1.5 green, 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 tsp. 

Enjoy <3 p="">

Piyo - two weeks in....

Piyo is DIFFERENT than most workouts I've done. As soon as I start thinking that the workout is a waste of time and nothing is happening, I realize that my legs or abs or shoulders are on FIRE and I want to collapse to the ground!

So far, my schedule has consisted of the following workouts:

ALIGN: Don't get excited. You'll probably be confused. This is 40 minutes of teaching terms and positions. It's not an actual workout. Consider it an "off day."

DEFINE LOWER BODY & UPPER BODY: 18 minutes long each. You probably won't get sweaty. It's not incredibly difficult. Just go with it. She knows what she's talking about.

SWEAT: Great! It's a little longer than 30 minutes and it involves burpees ;) You'll feel productive and will sweat!

CORE: Hello abs! The side plank sequence and I are not friends yet. We're working on our relationship.

BUNS: More like BUNS and LEGS, LEGS, LEGS!!! Shaking legs and dripping sweat. Yes, you'll feel proud when you're done!

I can't wait to get to the rest of them..... check back in a few weeks for a review of the rest.

PS. Piyo LOVES tricep push-ups!

Review: 21 Day Fix & P90X3

As of Saturday, I will have completed one full round of 21 Day Fix and the entire P90X3 program!

For the visual people..... here's a little Venn Diagram (lol, the teacher in me!) to compare/contrast....

Before these two programs, I had not enjoyed (or even fully completed) a single workout video in my life. I thought they were cheesy.... for people who haven't even walked around the block in year. I didn't like learning from the TV; I enjoyed listening to my music while working out; I never thought they were productive enough; I liked the gym.


Then I had kids. And I felt guilty leaving them to workout at a gym. I jogged with them during the nice weather, but that didn't work out when it was 20 degrees. Eventually, I fell into a habit of only exercising during the summer. YAY! for three months of exercise. BOO! for only exercising for 25% of the year.


I NEEDED a solution. I decided to give these DVD's a chance -------- I'm HOOKED!

I was completely wrong when I thought the workouts would be a waste of my time. They COMPLETELY kicked my butt. Some make me sweat more than others, but ALL make me work in different ways... it is CONCENTRATED effort for CONCENTRATED results!

A photo sneak-peak of 21 Day Fix ;)

Photo sneak-peak of P90X3 ;)

I start two months of Piyo on Monday.... stay tuned for that review... I'm NOT so great with the flexibility :/ But I think it's necessary! We shall see :-)

How to Fit BBQ's into a Healthy Lifestyle

Beginning a new lifestyle is challenging. Finding a routine early on is crucial since we are all creatures of habit. Especially when we are working toward a health/fitness goal, we often tend to do and eat the same things every day. We develop a schedule, and we stick to it. That's why weekends are typically a challenge - there's less of a structured schedule.


Well, My brother and sister-in-law were in town last weekend, so my family had BBQ's planned all weekend. The old me would have tossed up my hands and said let's do this! I would have justified NOT being mindful of my meals or activity level because:

"It's rare that everyone is together."
"It's just this weekend."
"One weekend won't make or break my fitness journey."

While all of those statements are true, something else is true too...

"I love my new life. I can easily fit clean-eating and my workouts into this fun, family-filled weekend. That's what I'm going to do because a BBQ or two isn't going to slow me down!"

So that's what I did. I made a game plan. I started with a list of goals for the weekend. Call me cheesy, but it makes me happy to see it written out:



*I really wanted to finish my book, but I put it twice on the list by accident lol

**I chose not to have carbs with dinner so that I could have some corn tortilla chips with guac and not feel left out of the snack situation ;)

*I enjoy a cold, adult beverage on a warm day at a nice gathering. There, I said it. BUT, I'm not willing to let alcohol get in the way of my goals. SO, I picked a day and that was it!

The rest of our weekend consisted of healthy meals and as much activity as possible!! 

SATURDAY:

We had HOURS of dance class before BBQ #1. I started the morning with a jog with those two, packed our stuff, including my healthy lunch-on-the-go ---> SHAKEOLOGY! ;)

SUNDAY:

BBQ #2.... Filled with as much activity as possible! This was my alcohol day, but I did NOT have any carbs with dinner...lotsa protein and veggies :) Then some corn tortilla chips with guac.

MONDAY;

First, I planted flowers in new hanging baskets on the deck railing and the new veggie garden fence. (There's more to come with that veggie garden fence... it's super cheesy but I'm going to LOVE it!!)

Then....

P90X3 Isometrics followed by Lunch...  Strawberry Shakeology + watermelon + mint = WHAAATTT?!?!? Was that a frozen cocktail I just had?!?! Amazing!!!!

Later...a clean dinner and a family walk.... 

The ending to a perfect weekend full of family, fun, fitness, & clean-eating!

<3 nbsp="" p="">

Unperfect Attendance and Family Fun

Our children are involved in a lot of activities. I think activities are important for a variety of reasons, but finding balance is tricky. As a parent and a teacher, commitment is a big deal to me. I want my children to know that if they are a part of a class or team, they must respect the teacher/coach and the team/class by showing up, working hard, and making it count. Attendance is obviously a huge part of that.

Sister Photo 2015

However, various school events come up that I want them to experience, but they have to miss their other obligations because of them. Do I let them skip practice or do I make them be fully committed?

Sometimes it's not an event that we skip for. Sometimes they are just too tired. It's obvious as soon as they get off the bus that they need a rest day. Do I say - grab a Red Bull and let's go? No - they stay home because their little bodies need a day off.

I struggle with knowing when it's okay to skip and when skipping is setting a bad example for the future. This week we skipped dance because we went to their school's annual carnival. Last night they skipped their track meet because they were too tired. (Of course they deny their exhaustion, but their exhaustion-induced, demon like behaviors give them away every time.)

At this point, their absence from activities really doesn't matter. It's not like their absence from track is affecting anyone's potential high school scholarship. When DOES it matter though? I let them skip when they need to now because they are so little, but these conflicting events will keep happening. They will keep getting tired, but one day they won't be little anymore. Will I know when it matters? Or will I be the mom that lets them skip things "because they need to"... and then they turn into the college kids that skip class all semester... and then the employees who call out of work too much?

You're a what?!?!?

I'm a Beachbody Coach. Here I am:

Seriously though, I didn't even know that Beachbody coaching was a thing. I found out when I was purchasing my 21 Day Fix. If I signed up to be a coach, I got the package and all of future Shakeology and workout programs at a discount. It made so much sense. BUT, as I was filling out the coaching form and buying my Challenge Pack, here's the convo that went down between my Self-Conscious and me:

Me: "It makes so much sense to buy this package as a discount coach."
SC: "Really? C'mon. Who are you going to "coach? You can't stop eating potato chips."
Me: "I'm never going to tell anyone about it. I'm just doing it for the discount."
SC: "Because let's be real. If you told anyone, they'd say... 'say whaaat?!?!' You can't blame baby weight on your far from perfect physique since your 'baby' is about to start pre-school!"
Me: "You're right. Shut up!"

So my self-conscious way right. My secret's out. That's not ACTUALLY my head on that bikini bod up there. SURPRISE!!!!!

Here I am. With my "baby" on her 3rd birthday. 

I am not a personal trainer. I am not a nutritionist. I'm not an expert at anything, in any category. BUT, I have been following the Beachbody philosophy for some time now. I have begun my journey to a healthy lifestyle, but I don't have a destination. I have a mindset. I feel healthy. I feel strong. I don't necessarily have a weight loss goal or a pant size goal. My goal is to stay consistent. I won't hear myself saying "wow, I really need to start exercising again," because I don't plan on stopping.

I "outed" myself as a coach by accident. I was really enjoying my first round of 21 Day Fix and then I was REALLY enjoying my lovely P90X3. For anyone that knows me personally, I am a TALKER. I talk about everything and anything that I love. I talked about my experience, and here's the crazy part -- People actually cared! They had questions! They valued what I was saying! They wanted to experience this for themselves!! Before I knew it, I had a whole list of challengers and a growing team of coaches - BOOM! and just like that, I'm a Beachbody Coach!

If a Beachbody program or coaching sounds like something you are interested in, fill out the attached application. I would love for you to be there with me and the rest of my group for our lifelong journey to health and fitness!!

https://mommyjustrun.wufoo.com/forms/m10rtuvh0tx25aw/

Love,
Jamie

Supermom!

What qualifies a mom to be a "Supermom?"

 

I'm sure most of you reading this have been called "Supermom" at some point since becoming a parent.

 

Every single time someone calls me Supermom, my brain immediately thinks of every single mistake I made that day. Why is that? We all can shine in certain circumstances, but we also are making mistakes all the time.

 

-I had a little binky pouch strapped to my youngest daughter's car seat because it was a new, cool thing that didn't exist when my oldest was a baby. It appears that I'm so prepared to protect her from germs, right? Someone who either isn't a parent or did not have one of these new gadgets for their baby calls me Supermom. ........but she didn't see the baby drop her binky 3 million times and me pop it in my mouth to "get the germs off."

 

-Daugthers #2 and #3 only ate homemade baby food. It was a thing I wanted to do. I get called Supermom. ......they didn't see me give in to peer pressure and let the older ones eat 100 cheese puffs and drink too many juice boxes.

 

-I'm prepared with self-stick, disposable placemats for the kids to use at the out door ice cream shop. I get called Supermom. ........they didn't see me forget to clean their hands with hand-wipes before eating ice cream cones....with their hands!

 

 

Isolated situations can make it seem like we have it all together, but no one knows what is happening before or after those situations. And I'm pretty sure that no one has it ALL together ALL the time. Children are unpredictable - that's their job!

 

 

The only thing we do know is that we're all trying our best. 

 

If someone calls you Supermom, just own it, but NOT because this person is impressed that your children are impeccably dressed and accessorized, and you showed up to the party on time. Own your Supermom title because you love your babies, would do anything for them, and because you are doing your best..... even in the ugly moments when you feel like you're not.

 

......and maybe the most deserving reason for the Supermom title are the moments when we evaluate our own parenting behavior and think about all the ways would could/should have handled a situation better. The fact that we are evaluating ourselves at all makes us Supermoms because it shows how much we care, that we are always trying to improve, and that want to be the best moms not can be!

Why MommyJustRun?

I took a year off from teaching when Amy was born. I also ran in the Broad Street Run that spring. I did most of the scheduled runs during the day, so the girls were with me for the majority of them.

Mother's Day 2010, 1 week after the BSR

When I would get tired and slow down or take a walk break, Addison, who was two years old at the time, would say "Mommy just run!" 

She said it in the most innocent and excited way. She knew nothing about self-doubt, motivation, goals, fear, endurance, ability, and so on. She just knew that she loved going for the ride, and I was her Mommy who, to her, could do anything! I was supposed to be running, so I should be running! Duh! 

So, I kept running every time she reminded me, And you know what, I was usually okay. 

"Mommy Just Run" reminds me that I (and I think many grown-ups) get in our own way. With everything. Kids keep it simple. They love to see their parents doing productive things. And they really do think that we can do anything. 

Addison started telling me "Mommy just run," but her sisters followed right along. 

Addison almost 4, Amy 2: "Mommy Just Run!"

Addison 4, Amy almost 3, Aubrey about 8 weeks: "Mommy Just Run!"

Addison 6, Amy 5, Aubrey 2: "Mommy Just Run!" 

Addison 7, Amy 5 (hiding behind the blanket), Aubrey 3: "Mommy Just Run!"

Usually I walk fast because I either have a kid strapped to me and/or a dog with us. They still tell me "Mommy Just Run," but it means more to me than what it says. It means "keep going because....why not?" 

Do I have a perfect body? Nope.

Ideal percentage of body fat? No.

Do my skinny jeans fit? Button: yes. 

Suitable to wear in public? No.

Do my daughters see me active and get to spend time with me while I'm exercising? YES! 

And that's pretty much all that matters to me. I'm not a super athlete or in the most amazing shape, but that's not really what I care about. My kids think I'm pretty awesome and that I can do anything - I'm the luckiest Mom in the world!  

3 years went fast!

Today I turn 33. When I turned 25, I was preparing to deliver our oldest daughter. My purpose in life was to have babies. As soon as a baby was born, I got my body back in shape and prepared to have another. Before I knew it, we had three beautiful daughters, and our family was complete.

Since I knew that we were done having babies, I tried to hold on to every second of every stage. I forgot to worry that much about getting back into shape since I wasn't preparing for another pregnancy.  Somewhere along the way, I really stopped caring about the number on the scale and whether or not my pre-pregnancy skinny jeans fit. I was proud of my body and thankful that it created our three amazing daughters.

But, our baby is turning three. Three years have passed since I delivered her. The time has come for me to care again. So, for my birthday, I am giving myself a mission. I doubt I'll ever have the same mindset that I had in college about being skinny. I don't use the word diet or weigh myself a million times (in front of my children at least.) I have three daughters - that means I have three little people that I must set a good example for.

I want my daughters to grow up in a household where eating is fun but healthy and exercise is a part of life.

SO - to hold myself accountable for this adventure I'm taking, I'll be posting photos on Instagram each day for 30 days. The photos won't always be me exercising, but they'll include some proof that it's happening.  Wish me luck and check in to see how I'm doing!! :-)

#1

Addison Sienna

 

Addie is creative and hilarious as ever. She most definitely marches to her own hip-hop beat! Addie is a big 1st grader that can read, write, and even do mental math!!! She spends more time with notebooks and clipboards making lists, charts, and diagrams than she does playing with toys. She's scary smart and surprises me all the time. She's stubborn and motivated. She looks like Mommy but acts like Daddy. Another perfect combo :)

Finally, these two :)

Stewie came into our family 5 years ago. He and Amy were both babies. Stewie has grown up with our family.

Lately, we've been feeling like Stewie needed a buddy, even in the crazy house with 3 little girls. We've been wanting to get him a doggie sibling. Meet Bella. Bella is a year old and is now a member of our family. It's a little crazier around here, but it's nothing we can't handle. I think she completed our family :)

And us...

Life gets hectic, but I'd say we do a pretty good job of of balancing the chaos. Our "date nights" mostly consist of watching something on Netflix once the kids are in bed and hoping we both can stay awake to see the whole thing. We took our first trip this fall without the kids. It was the first time we'd ever been away from them for more than 24 hours. We had the best babysitter ever, so the kids had fun at home, and we had an amazing time away. We still joke around, do sweet things for each other, and get excited about the little things like we did 10 years ago, so I think we're doing pretty well :)

#2

Amy Leigh

Amy is 5 1/2 and still her sweet, happy self. She does cartwheels and back-bends all day long. She wiggles, giggles, and loves to cuddle. She's a kindergartner now, and has even lost two teeth. Her adorable lisp that comes with these missing teeth melts my heart! She looks like Daddy, but acts like Mommy. She's the perfect combo :) The world, through Amy's eyes, is good, peaceful and SPARKLY! 

#3

Meet Miss Aubrey Grace

She was not even in my belly when I last posted!

Look at her now!That face. She's going to be one heck of a mommy when she grows up - she takes the best care of her baby dolls that I've ever seen. She loves dancing and wears tap shoes all day - she even sleeps in them sometimes. She's hilarious and talks our heads off. She makes us laugh all day long. Except for when she's being gosh-darn stubborn. She can remember the words to more songs than I. I could stare at those eyes all day long. She's our baby!

We're Back!

Here we are!!! 

It's been over three years since I wrote here, and I kinda missed it. 

I'm back for now. We'll see how it goes. 

Since so much has happened, I think I'll do a little recap for each of us.. 

Check back tomorrow :)

Busy Week!

We've had a busy week around here! Addison is doing a 5-day cheerleading camp this week that runs from 6-7:30. (Pictures of Cheer camp will come after her "Pep Rally" tomorrow with her special cheer camp t-shirt!)

More exciting news about Amy's birthday: all of the decorations I ordered arrived today!!! They are ADORABLE, and I can not wait to put the whole thing together!!!!! Here's a glimpse:

The girls' lunch yesterday:

....how cute!!!

Their dessert:

...the recipe and instructions are from Disney Family Fun magazine. It was incredibly easy, the girls loved making it, and it tasted great!!!

Amy will be 2 in a few weeks!!!!!!!!!!!

I can not believe she's two already - omigoodness! I suppose that means we need another ;)

Okay - back to the topic of discussion:

AMY'S YO GABBA GABBA 2ND BIRTHDAY BASH!

Of course, the ideas have been rolling in. Here is a glimpse of what is to come............

iced-sugar cookies with Amy's "DJ Lance" hat....

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i'm not sure if i'll actually do these,

but the straight lines and matching colors make me feel good ;)

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mmm :) beautiful flowers in pretty glass jars. easy-peasy :)

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love it! we'll probably do these as a group project!

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not sure of the proper name here, but the "tissue paper-puff balls" make me very excited!

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::sighhh:: :-)

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and, YES!, Amy will have THIS cake! ...made by me!

(these characters will be my first real attempt at sculpting edible figures - I'm PUMPED!!!)

And, the most exciting part of all.... do you remember the photos of inspiration from Amy's 1st birthday party?!?!?!? Well, those pictures were taken by Le Poppy Design - who is the owner of the MOST AMAZING ETSY SHOP OF ALL TIME! I am happy to announce that Amy will have her VERY OWN Le Poppy custom designs at her party!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAHOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are coming this week, and I CAN NOT contain my excitement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND - remember that adorable cake?!?! All of her party products will match THAT CAKE! aaaahhhhhh :-) :-) :-) :-)