July 18: 6 Weeks

No bump picture this week! Too busy packing and getting ready for Hawaii. I love this flashback picture though. Its one of my absolute faves out of any picture Andrew and I have together. We had such a great day for our engagement shoot the Fall before our wedding. Heading out of town has me reminiscing about the time leading up to our wedding and our very special day! 


How Far Along: 6 Weeks
Baby is the size of a: Pomegranate Seed
Gender: It's a surprise!
Weight Gain: None so far! 
Maternity Clothes: No
Stretch Marks: No
Sleep: Getting up more...but I usually get up a few times
Best Moment This Week: Telling Andrew's parents
Miss Anything: No
Movement this week: Nope
Cravings: No
Queasy or Sick: Still very tired all the time. Feeling a little queasy on and off throughout the day but nothing too bad...Knock on wood! 
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button In or Out? In
Wedding Rings On or Off? On
Looking Forward To: Leaving for Hawaii in exactly one week!

July 11: 5 Weeks

How Far Along: 5 Weeks
Baby is the size of a: Peppercorn
Gender: It's a surprise!
Weight Gain: None so far! 
Maternity Clothes: No
Stretch Marks: No
Sleep: Had a few rough nights where I am up around 2am and can't get comfortable.
Best Moment This Week: Telling my family
Miss Anything: The occasional drink. 
Movement this week: Nope
Cravings: No
Queasy or Sick: Not yet, but I am tired all the time!
Gender Prediction: Not really. Although, a tiny feeling maybe it's a boy.
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button In or Out? In
Wedding Rings On or Off? On
Looking Forward To: Telling Andrew's parents at dinner on Friday!

We're Havin' a baby!!!!!

July 4, 2016

4 Weeks

How Far Along: 4 Weeks
Baby is the size of a: Poppy Seed
Gender: No idea!
Weight Gain: None so far! 
Maternity Clothes: Not Yet!
Sleep: Still the usual, waking up a few times a night. Nothing has changed
Best Moment This Week: Telling Andrew. I knew 3 days before I told him and it was killing me 
Worst Moment This Week: It was 4th of July and we had tons of different things going on. The worst part of being pregnant and no one(not even Andrew) knowing, was hiding the fact that I wasn't drinking. So much harder than  thought. IDK how we are going to make it through Hawaii!
Miss Anything: No
Movement: Nope
Cravings: Not yet 
Queasy or Sick: Not at all!(I hope I didn't just jinx myself!)
Have You Started To Show Yet: Nope
Gender Prediction: No Clue on the gender, and we don't plan to find out. 
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button In or Out? In
Wedding Rings On or Off? On
Happy or Moody Most of the Time: Happy but noticing I am a lot more sensitive than I had been in recent months. Not sure if that has anything to do with the pregnancy.
Looking Forward To: Telling our families!

Clean Eating Taco night!

Taco night is a favorite in my house. Its easy to make as a 21 day fix or clean eating meal too! Our typical taco night, pre-21 day fix, only needed a few minor adjustments to make it work. The key to having a successful 21 Day Fix taco night is measuring. Before "the fix" we would just load up our plates and go back for seconds. A person could eat 3-4 tacos, nachos, and maybe even a piece of quesadilla. Everything was loaded with cheese and sour cream and Margaritas were always a MUST! (I will be posting a few margarita options for Cinco de Mayo so stay tuned!)

1 Green, 1 Yellow, 1 Red and 1 Blue

Here's what we ate:

Clean Tacos

• 1 lb organic ground turkey (see seasoning recipe below)
• organic plain greek yogurt
• Whole grain hard taco shells or 2 corn taco shells 
• lettuce
• onion, chopped 
• black olives 
• salsa 
• organic mexican bend cheese or another 21 day fix approved cheese
• avocado 
• Frank's hot sauce for some spice

Directions:

1. Cook ground turkey on stove top in a pan. Once browned, drain and add 3/4 cup of water and desired amount of taco seasoning and mix up.

2. Chop or shred lettuce and onion

3. Make your tacos!!!

21 Day Fix container count:

2 Whole Grain Tortilla Shells = 1 Yellow

Ground Turkey = 1 Red ( I fill my red with turkey and greek yogurt) 

Cheese & Avocado(optional) = 1 Blue

Olives = 1 Orange

Lettuce, Onion and Salsa (optional) = 1 Green

Frank's Hot Sauce = Free

Taco seasoning for the meat: 

• Ingredients
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp pregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Directions 
• Mix all spices together
• Use desired amount to season your meat

This is a 21 Day Fix free food!

There were plenty of left overs so we can take tacos for lunch the next two days! It's great because it feels like a cheat meal but it's not!

Quick update!

It's been quite a while guys! We have been so busy with all the holidays and just getting back into the swing of things after the New Year. Through out November and December we got to spend alot of time with our families and friends which always makes the holidays special!

We had decided to, again, work on our healthy lifestyle, or lack there of, in 2016. We have been fairly successful with our eating habits and not so much with our exercise. It seems that's our pattern. 

How do you get back on track after the holidays? 

For this new year we have similar goals. I am down a total of 7.1 lbs since I started the 21 day fix. Now, I was down 10 lbs but with skipping work outs and cheating a lot over the holidays I gained some back. But I am excited that I have managed to maintain my current weight :)  

So, here we are at the end of February and winter is in full swing. Last week we got about 22 inches of snow at our house. I love snow but I am really starting to get sick of this cold weather :) Its a great excuse to make some delicious soups to enjoy though! I know I said I would do chicken noodle soup next....but I am thinking maybe some chili instead. Final decision TBD! 

Do you have a favorite winter soup or recipe to get you through these cold days? Let me know so I can try it too!

Minestrone Soup...21 Day Fix Style

I have been trying to find new, easy recipes to keep me on the 21 Day Fix path. My husband suggested soups for lunch, now that the weather is getting cold. It's easy for me to make one big batch and pre-pack his lunches for the week, and its quick and convenient for him to heat up on lunch hour at work. 

Last week I made an Italian favorite...Minestrone! It was delicious and felt very hearty and filling. I adapted this recipe from Fit Mom Angela D. It turned out to be a wonderful version of a favorite soup.

Here's what you need:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, minced
2 ribs celery, diced
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
1-2 zucchini, diced

*veggies are depending on size. I used organic which were much smaller. I used the larger amount to make up for that. 

1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp basil
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatos
1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans
1/2 to 1 cup whole grain elbow pasta, uncooked(you can use any smaller size pasta. I used ditalini)

*I used 1 cup pasta and I would say that was too much, my husband liked it on the thinker side though

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (1 blue container)

Here's what you need to do:

1. In a stock pot, heat oil over medium to medium high heat. Saute garlic and onion until translucent. If oil is too hot the garlic will brown so be sure to stir occasionally and watch for over cooking. 

2. Add the carrots and celery. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. 

3. Add zucchini and all the seasonings. Cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring often. 

4. Add broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil

5. Reduce heat to a simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes

6. Add beans and pasta. Cook for 10-15 minutes until pasta and veggies are tender.

7. Serve with 1/3 cup parmesan cheese.

Serving size - 2 cups: 1.5 Green, 1 Yellow, 1 Blue

The only thing I would mention is I did feel 2 cups was a very large serving. You can always do just a cup if you want to have soup with dinner or a lighter lunch. If you are short on your Blue container this is great with or with out the cheese. So feel free to omit and save that Blue for something else. I am also going to be testing this with cooked pasta as the pasta obviously absorbs a lot of the soup. I'll let you know how that works out! 

Up next: Chicken noodle soup 21 Day Fixed!

What is your favorite soup for winter? Share in the comments below!

Getting back in the saddle.....after a week in Costa Rica!

Hi everyone! Hope you all enjoyed my last recipe post. Those Buffalo chicken bites are delicious.

Since my last post we have been very busy. On top of the usual fall activities we had a wedding in Costa Rica. It was amazing! We are so grateful we were able to make the trip to celebrate with the bride and groom. Unfortunately, the 21 day fix fell to the wayside while we enjoyed an entire week of food, fun and friends. It was an amazing trip we will never forget!

This past week we started back on the eating plan for the 21 day fix. We did not start the work outs back up yet even though that was originally the plan. I have already started feeling better. I feel more energized and more productive. Next week is Thanksgiving and we have a lot of family coming in from out of town. I am looking forward to all the good food and fun times. It's going to be tough, but I am going to try to make smart choices.

What are you favorite holiday recipes? 

Have you "21 Day Fixed" any of them? 

Are you making any 21 day fix or clean eating recipes for your Thanksgiving dinner? 

What are your tips and tricks to staying on track around the holidays?

Comment below and share your recipes and tips...I'd love to try them!

Below are some pictures from our trip to Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Beautiful view from the hotel

Pool...this pool housed the wedding reception. Guests went in clothes and all!

Private soaking tub on our terrace!

SELFIE...while exploring the 1st day.

We had three wedding crashers!!!! They were happily begging for food and getting plenty of lovin' from several guests.

Me and my hubby after the wedding. He looks so handsome in his tux!

GORGEOUS!

Delicious meal at the Mexican restaurant.

Assortment of foods from an appetizer buffet before lunch. 

Hotel: Dreams Las Marea Costa Rica (all inclusive)

Tux: Men's wearhouse

My dress: Anthropologie