Tasty Tuesday - Sugar Free (And not diabetic)

Two weeks ago I made a huge change to my nutrition life - I eliminated all sugar from my diet.  This included artifical and real sugar.  Why?  Because it was pretty much warranted.  No, I do no have diabetes.  My pancreas is still functioning just fine (and that is majorly wonderful!)  The reason I dropped from my life will be better explained in a few paragraphs but just know it is not a earth shattering reason that led to this change.


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Saying I'm sugar free sounds so harsh and snooty.  Really guys it isn't either because I do allow myself some base steals like - that pineapple cake that I overshared that has Splenda in the mix and a dash of aspartame in the topping!

I can tell you that dropping sugar will never be the easiest decision and actual change to participate in.  However, if you have will power that is really strong you can totally do this.

Last week was easy peasy for me (week two).  Really it can be for you too if you truly want to do this.  I've decided to take on the role of cheerleader and helper for all of you that are interested in deleting sugar from your daily food consumption.

I recommend you check out my high-light reel from last week's Tasty Tuesday post.

Today I want to share some information I find and found very key in supporting my decision to change my life all together by eliminating sugar from my diet.


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The first few days of a sugar detox are quite difficult.  Most of us are addicted to sugar and we have no clue.  Sugar is the filler, whether its white or brown sugar or a substitute, that keeps us coming back to the trough to stuff our faces.  Nearly everything we eat has some sort of sugar added to it to get us hooked.  Food companies are like drug dealers - they know how to get you on their product.  Always remember that.

In March I realized my sugar intake was stupid high.  I was the girl who was working out to eat.  Are you guilty of that?  If you think about it working out so you can eat bad food is really idiotic.  Why are you busting tail in the gym if you want to burden yourself with sugar, bad fat, ugly carbs, and empty calories?

Here's a secret: I have nutrition training because it was my major in college (which I switched from late in the game) and I know the detriments to sugar on our systems.

Aging -
Sugar is the fuel for wrinkles, bad skin, thinning hair, cavities, etc.

Healing -
Sugar slows our healing processes and makes us more susceptible to illness and disease.

Energy-
Sugar depletes our energy levels - you may get a ten minute sugar high but the crash from sugar is horrendous.

Disease-
Sugar is a major culprit for not only diabetes (for the love of God most regions refer to diabetes as sugar ha!) but also obesity, heart issues, chronic yeast infections, and more.  There's also research that shows cancer and sugar are buddies - yuck!

I would like to be totally honest with you and tell you the reason for me removing sugar from my diet is strictly vanity.


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Yes, I admit it.

I don't want hideous skin.

I don't want to age with a bloated body.  Fat and sugar are BFF's and I can do without sugar being stored in fat reserves.

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I want to age like Jennifer Anniston dammit!  Sugar will not lead me down that road!

When I say I live sugar free now I'm kind of lying.

I do take in natural sugars from select fruit I eat.  Also, I do allow myself to splurge and make some desserts with substitutes.

Remember the key to life is everything in moderation?  Well I do allow myself a glass of wine here and there and when I'm on a holiday I will splurge a bit and enjoy sugar and carbs that normally I steer clear of.  These that I indulge in are generally a sweet treat or alcohol.  I have no desire for starch any longer.  Just last weekend when I was on my bestie beach weekend I had beer (Mich Ultra and some rum but I knew the sugar and carbs in those had to be balanced out.  I'll talk more about that in a later post.  You know...so you closet drinkers can adapt to making this change.  Yes, I see you.)

When you go sugar free you have to read the labels of everything.  I plan on devoting an entire post on this.  Nerd alert:  I love reading food labels.  Seriously, I will pick up random crap at the grocery store just to read the food label for fun.

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A little sneak peak at food label reading - don't mind the calories or fat go straight to the carbs and sugar numbers.

Anything with more than 10 grams of sugar I stay away from.  I also look for foods with less than 15 grams of carbs per serving.  Skip down to the ingredients list and if you see more than five ingredients start getting worried.  If there are more than three ingredients you cannot pronounce - do not buy it.

But what about sugar subs?

Once upon a time sugar substitutes were considered fabulous (we call it the 70's and 80's when all bad things were amazingly awesome.  Like smoking in the grocery store!)  Then research proved that they are actually quite disgusting to your health.

This includes Splenda.  I worked with diabetics during the great Splenda rush and people were treating it like a form of gold.  Personally, I never liked it because of the horrendous after taste.  (However, in the sugar free cake mix it is undetectable!)

Sugar subs are linked to cancer - this hurts my feelings because Sweet n Low was my home slice for close to ever.

Here is some food for thought -

Sugar substitutes that are made in labs (just like medication that has a 45 minute listing of side effects from uncontrollable bowels, to adult onset acne, to decreased liver function, to death) and over time those subs have been tested on mice.  There has been a direct link between cancer cell formation and mice who were given the substitute.  Now I do get that they give the tiny mice an insane amount of the substitute but still - the chance is there.

And think about this - do you really want to eat something created in a lab?  We weren't made to do that, folks.  Our bodies should not be completely fine with eating anything created by people in goggles and white coats.  Unless we are Frankenstein then it is totally normal.

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Are you using that thinking cap yet?  Scary stuff isn't it?

Now breathe because we have something called natural substitutes!

Truvia is a great natural sub that you can learn to like.  It is really the only one that I personally trust on the market.

If you do THM you can enjoy their sweetening blends that are much more delectable for our sweet tooth selves.  (Don't worry I'll talk more about this in another later post.  Thanks to Emily over at Simply A Rough Draft I'm on this bandwagon whooping and hollering.)

I'm going to zip this part up because I plan to write more in another post on sugar subs, sugar alcohols, sugar, and more sweet stuff at another time.

What should you do to start your sugar detox?

First things first - take a tour of your kitchen.  This may hurt a bit so be firm with yourself.  You have two choices to make when you go through your food items:

Carb keeping or carb dropping.

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Carbs and sugars are one in the same but we won't get into the big differences right now.  That is another post entirely.  (Are you catching on this is becoming a big fat teaser post?)

I decided to drop carbs with my sugar.  That translates to bye bye bagels, English muffins, and other bread products I had.  It also meant that potatoes were put on the bad boy list and sent to food prison.  Flour?  No I'll take flowers instead, email me and I'll tell you where to send them to!

Sweetened cereals - fed to the birds.

Snack crackers - put in a box for the kids and hubby.

Candy - toodles.

Since I live in a house with two smaller children and a husband (who needs to gain weight) I seperated out what could stay for them and had to be banished from me.  My area of the kitchen is on the counter and is a nice selection of vegetables.  My refridgerator is filled with eggs, fresh meat, some cheeses, and veggies that need to be chilled.

I do not eat junk food.

I do not drink anything sweetened.  My coffee is black, my tea is unsweet, and my water is infused with lemon.

I promise my life is really good and I'm always satiated and happy with what I eat!  It is hard but it can be done, I promise!

I snack on mixed nuts (heart healthy blend) and I am slightly addicted to them!

But here's the crazy part....

Three weeks in I'm not ever "hungry" anymore.  I'm healthy and satiated.  I'm down a handful of pounds (5 to be correct right now), and feeling amazing.

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I'm not quite Jennifer Anniston <wink> but I'm working on it!

For next week I am putting together a post on nutrition labels and sugar subs.  My goal is to make it semi hilarious.  I want you to love this life change and love taking care of yourself.

Let's start a discussion!  Comment, email, get over on social media with me
SnapChat:  abullnojoke
Instagram:  abrownieworld
Twitter:  abrownieworld
Email:  abrownieworldblog@gmail.com
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Friyay!

Well hello most magical day of the week!  Alright for this week it is the most magical day and I'm so totally excited to admit that while you are reading this I am on the way to the beach with my most bestest friend in the whole entire universe.

And that makes my No. 1 -





Headed to the beach with my best friend!

I'm working backwards for this Friday 5.  Today I am cutting the apron strings, putting the Kool Aid and crackers back in the cabinet, and leaving my babies to spend the weekend with an assortment of their beloved family members (their delicious daddy, their favorite nana, and the other grandparents.)
Yes, my best friend and I are busting county and state lines to hopefully a warm and sunny South Carolina coastline.

Check out my post from Wednesday where I pulled the first five things from my Pinterest search on Girl's Beach Weekend!

No. 2



School is out for summer!

For me!  I wrapped up my stint at school on Wednesday.  Though I love it there I am glad to welcome in summer time and get ahead on some other things before my own kids are out.  Now my focus is on growing my cleaning business.  Oh and some blogging stuff :)  Like paying more attention to the series I want to do on giving up sugar, cooking, etc.

Check out my Tasty Tuesday post - yes I brought it back this week!  I talked THM, Sugar Free Living, and Aldi!

No. 3

Did any of you catch this episode of Psych? Haha.

Appointments everywhere!

This week has been very busy.  My daughter's vision has been growing worse so we were out to get that checked.  She really wanted contact lenses because she is suddenly self conscious about her glasses, eyes, and mouth - don't ask, I don't know.  I hate that she received my screw ball genetics for vision.  At least she didn't get my math genes.  Anyway, no contacts this year but we made a deal that next year she could try them.  Thank GOD for some Walmart glasses - I got my girl a brand new pair of glasses that are super adorable for a total of $38 (that is lenses and frames!)  We purchased her last pair at the Walmart Vision Center and were very pleased with the price and quality of what she got.  I tell you they will one day take over all markets...groceries, tires, glasses, hair, meds, clothing, banking....

Wednesday was a super happy appointment - hair day!  I celebrated finishing up the school year by getting my horrible roots and brassy ends remedied!  Lizz is the best of the best and I love that crazy girl to pieces.  We have some hilarious discussions while the bleach is eradicating my gray hairs.

My bestie had an appointment on Tuesday to get her nails did with her mother-in-law.  Oh it was funny she was texting me play by plays. Apparently the pedicurist was wearing a questionable outfit that led us to talking about massages and "happy endings" and then I got the text of all texts - a vomit face with "MY EYES!  I JUST SAW UNDERWEAR!"  At least it wasn't vajayjay!!!!  But still yucko.

Did you catch my Monday post - every Monday we're at the horse farm.  My girl is doing fabulous in learning the necessary English riding skills.  I'm so proud but find out why we are all also so sad.

No. 4

Mother's Day Rocked!

I had such a nice Mother's Day!  Actually the whole weekend aside from a brief tummy bug was fabulous.  Saturday we went on an adventure to the next county over for plants and it was a bust.  Then my stomach waged war against me.  My husband had a stomach virus the entire week before so I figured I was succombing to it.  He took the kids to a family get-together with some visiting family members from Atlanta that he hadn't seen in years.  I laid around reading Where'd Ya Go Bernadette and willing the stomach bug to pass.  Good news is that it did!  I made a delicious pineapple cake (sugar free) and did my nails.  The kids ended up spending the night with their nana - the hubs and I enjoyed the weather and watched The Cobbler.  Have you seen it?  Sunday was church, a trip to Lowes where I scored lots of gorgeous perennials for a romance garden I planted that day, and lunch at Sixty-Six Pizza.  Come to Winston-Salem and eat there.

If a day is spent with good food, family, and my hands in the dirt planting pretty things I am super happy.

Yesterday I posted quick tips on getting your home all ready for the upcoming summer!  Check it out by clicking here!

No. 5



This week I have been super engaged in my Twitter feed.  Probably because I'm crazy about live tweeting while watching my favorite shows.  It is my new wind down method - weird right?  Which reminds me if you are on SnapChat add me!  abullnojoke is my name on there and I would love to be friends! What you see above should snap to add me on :) My IG is more active than normal (did you catch the night of the bobcat?) @abrownieworld.
 




Five things I pinned this week!

Low carb doesn't always mean low sugar but I may just scope this baby out for a treat one weekend.

I want this house.  I was on a moving kick all week.  I want to pay off all my debt and move really badly.  No, it isn't happening.  I'm just dreaming.

For the rest of my life, please!

So true, so freaking true...I blame my kids.

Getting Ready for Summer (At Home!)

I guess it isn't a secret I have a cleaning side business.  If you read the blog regularly then you know that and you probably saw my spring cleaning posts which can be read here, here, here, and here.

We're now moving into summer (yay!) and I felt like it was time for another cleaning post to get us ready for the busy and yet laid back time of year.  Today I have compiled a list of tips and to do's to get your home summer ready!

Clothing -

Pin this summer capsule here!

I would wish that for all of us the winter wool could be packed away for the warm months.  I know that some of you experience chilly temperatures year 'round.  So for those of us who do not have the need for long sleeves and leggings it is time to sort them!

2 piles -
Donate & Keep

If you have space in your closet to keep your winter clothes then neatly organize them to be stored away for a few months.  

If you do not have room then you need to invest in storage totes.  Don't scrimp on these.  I have found Rubbermaid to be the only ones I trust.  Make sure the lids secure tightly (if they have the locking handles then they are a must!) and the plastic is thick!  These can be stored in basements and attics easily.

Now to pull out the summer clothing!  Go through each piece - try it on and make sure you like the way it fits and looks.  If you don't - donate it!  If you want to make some money - have a yard sale or start an account at a consignment store.

Also, try on those summer shoes too.  It is safe to say summer shoes wear out a lot faster than shoes for other seasons because strappy sandals and flip flops are just made that way!

Toiletries

This pin will show you one blogger's must haves for summer make up!

Ladies it is time to go through your beauty products.  You know to keep your eyes healthy those shadows and mascaras need to be chunked after a maximum of six months.  Is it time to lighten your shades?  Now is the time to evaluate your personal make up counter!

This is a great time to check cleansers and lotions for expiration.  Also, if you're like me you switch to a different shampoo and conditioner for the warm months so go ahead and prep for that change.

While you're in your bathroom you need to take stock of your First Aid supplies.  Summer is the time of year for bites, cuts, burns, and boo boos.  Make sure your peroxide and neosporin is in date and see if you have enough bandages for the summer.

Kitchen

Bring the outside in as you freshen up your kitchen!

Here's a little info on me - I have kitchen items I do not use in the summer.  To be totally honest with you I don't do much crock pot cooking in the warm months (we grill or eat raw) so I pack it away for the summer.

There are other gadgets that I put away at various times of the year.  When summer comes I tend to pull out my toaster oven because I hate the idea of heating up the massive oven on a 98 degree day!

Cleaning out your cabinets and taking stock of what you have is a great idea for this month.  Soon the kiddos will be finished with school and you'll need the space (especially if you have boys, oh man!)

Now is a very popular time to look at your serving ware and your cookware.  If your regular dining set is missing pieces this is an incredible time to purchase new dishes.  May is the month to buy your kitchenwares because they are on incredible sale!  This is also the month to purchase kitchen essentials (mixers, blenders, crock pots, etc) because this month they will be at bottom dollar prices.

Many of us do entertaining during the warm months - take stock of your entertaining items (dishes, plates, cutlery, tablescapes) and decide if they will be used this year or if their condition is warranting a new purchase!

Laundry Room/Catch All Room



I don't know about you but my laundry room is my catch all room.  Take some time to identify your catch all room and declutter it!  For me this will take a while!  Admitting!  If you have Christmas items in there it is time to let them go or organize them with the others.  Throw away what needs to go, donate the stuff you are keeping for really no reason at all, organize the stuff you need to keep.  Remember - minimalist approach is a rewarding approach!

Toys



May is a great time to go through the surplus of toys your children may have.  You know what has made the Hot 10 list since Christmas and you know what has lost its luster and not been touched since sometime in October - 2010.  If you can - take advantage of the time when the kids are still in school to go through their toys and books.  Donate away!  Have a yard sale!  Eliminate :)

Don't forget to go through the "outdoor" toys too.  Is your daughter too tall for last year's bike?  Are the roller blades too small?  What about pool toys?  Are they in good shape, too young for your growing kids?  Evaluate and donate, yard sale, or store for use.

Adults have outdoor toys too.  It is time to decide if that bike you got five years ago that you haven't rode in five years really needs to continue to decorate your garage.  Also, if you have been gifted "outdoor" items that have never been unboxed maybe that's a sign to move them on.

Toss your broken items.  Garages are filled with them.  Trust me, I know.

Blankets



If you live in a place where the temps will crawl up to 95 soon and the humidity will be high then may I suggest you pack away some of those polar fleece throws and blankets?

Outdoor Spaces

Here's a great link to a Home Depot Outdoor Cleaning Tips post!

Clean the porches and decks with leaf blowers and also pressure washers.  Evaluate whatever you have on these areas for your decor - moldy and mildewed items could use some Simple Green to clean them up!

If you have storage bins outside - inspect them and start the tossing process.  Unfortunately, weathered items are not donation friendly.  

Make Summer Spending Money -

I like this idea!

If you have a lot of things that are in good condition you should really think about having a yard sale!  Yes, it takes work and patience but you can make grocery money or some fun money to spend on something fun for summer.  

If you decide to yard sale keep these bits of advice in mind:

*Only sale things in good condition.  Poor condition should be recycled or trashed.

*Price your items but remember this isn't Macy's.  Yard sale prices run between fifty cents and ten dollars.  Keep that in mind.  The purpose of a yard sale is to make a little money off your stuff not to break the bank!

*Be a people person.  You'll need patience and to understand people will want to offer less than you are asking on nearly everything.  Just be prepared for it.  It is a yard sale not a gateway to an episode of Cops.

*Advertise your sale and have clear signs directing customers to your sale.  If you don't advertise and you put up one sign only then you're not going to make the money you could be making.

For clothes and shoes remember consignment shops can really be an asset!  Many of them have a simple fee of $5 and you receive 40% of your sales.  Little effort and some cash - yes, please!


Happy tidying up and prepping for summer!  See ya later gator!

Girl's Beach Weekend (Pinterest 5)

Time for another installment of Pinterest 5!!!  The day of the week I plug in a word or phrase or holiday or whatever to Pinterest and share the first five things that pull up from the search!

This week my phrase was Girl's Beach Weekend!  Why?  Because my bestie and I are beach bound this weekend.  No babies, no sports events, no screaming, no crying, no laundry.  Just two girls off to lounge by the pool and laugh.....a lot!

So what did Pinterest say fits best for the weekend ahead?

This is a wine slushie!

Well well....so this concoction is wine, smirnoff, strawberries, and who knows what else.  Sounds very yummy but also very sugary...eeeeeek!

Well that is the goal!

This came up in my search but the tags on it are bachelorette party.  Well of course none of that pertains to us old married hotties but ya know the shirt totally fits us to a tee.  I also immediately thought that these were for a Luke Bryan concert.

If we were going about an hour north of where we are actually going...

Here is a North Carolina thang.  In Wilmington, not where we are headed, this little choco-holic donut place exists and you can get insane donuts.  I plan to break my detox a little here and there but not over anything quite like this!!!

Hey hey this is useful!

We will only be gone about 36-48 hours so I'm packing super light.  A couple bathing suits and a couple maxi dresses is what I'm thinking.  Of course when it comes time to pack I'll pack what I just stated and then a couple pair of shorts and shirts and an extra pair of shoes or two and ya know.....over do it.  A girl needs choices <wink>!

Well aren't you smart Pinterest.

I didn't search with the words Myrtle Beach in my keywords.  However, we are headed to Myrtle Beach so this was wild.  Our game plan is to lie by the pool/beach and get our sun on (don't worry I wear SPF) and do some shopping and eating and have a little lady like drinks.  There is always the risk of wanting to do something different so maybe we'll venture around Horry County for a little bit.  (But I doubt it!)


Are you going on any fun quick trips with your bestie this summer?!?!?  Share it!

Tasty Tuesday: Playing Catch-Up or Ketchup!

Hey beauties!  How are you today?

Do you like my title today?  Ha I make myself laugh.

Tasty Tuesday is back after a brief hiatus.  I'm not really coming at you with recipes but I am coming at you with some food love.  So enjoy!

THM

Do you know what that acronym means?  I had no clue until I took off into my adventure of being sugar free.  I would see THM on Pinterest and be like - hmmm?  Then my lovely blog buddy, Emily (seriously, why can't she be closer than Texas) sent me some info and it was THM.

So what is THM?

Trim Healthy Mama

And I am in love.

I bought their cookbook (second book they have published) last week as a "Mother's Day Gift" to myself. Boy, am I glad I did!  I love it!

The book is written for us every day girls who want a healthier lifestyle.  I can get my sugar free on and rejoice that the food is so delicious.  You can get your diet in balance with this too no matter what your issue is!  (Carbs, sugar, bad stuff made in labs...)

Last week I made one of the meatloaf dishes and it was a fast family favorite.

The coolest part I have to share with you is this:  It isn't a gimmick.

This isn't a "program" and it isn't a buy-this-now type deal.  Yes, the girls have their own products that you can purchase BUT they also give you ideas on how to substitute those for things you can pick up at...wait for it....Walmart!  Or Whole Foods.  Or wherever.

Do I recommend this book?  You bet your booty.

Some of the offerings of this cookbook include:

Crock pot meals
Skillet meals
Breakfast offerings
Desserts
Smoothies
Sippers
Side dishes
Salads
and more

****

Sugar Free Update

Guess who lost three pounds last week JUST buy cutting out the sugar?  This girl right here! 

I have to admit sugar free isn't the easiest choice to make.  To survive the first week of being sugar free you have to have willpower.  Let me just tell you I have it and I used it and I'm going to continue pushing forward!

My meals are very planned out now and that works great for this scorpio.  I eat things I really love and stay away from the things I thought I loved.  After making it five days my body was totally on board with me saying no to candy and baked goods.  Really - I thought the addiction to sugar was a little stronger than it actually ended out being!

On Saturday I made a "sweet treat" to celebrate making it through my first week and to also celebrate Mother's Day.  Every good mama deserves some cake, right?  Right!  

You can pin this by clicking here

This pin was all me.  I love pineapple and I'm sugar free so why not?

You need to know a few things about this recipe -

1.  There is Splenda in the cake mix. I personally despise Splenda.  However, you cannot taste it in this mix.  Yay!

2.  Sugar Free Cool Whip has aspartame in it.  I'm not sensitive to it but I really do not want it in my diet.  I can tell you that the amount is quite low for a serving of the cake which is 1/10th of the cake.

3.  I did not use pudding in my "icing" - and it turned out delicious.  It was more poke cake style than regular cake style.

The cake was delicious and enjoyed by all!  I plan on making a smaller one to take with me on my bestie beach weekend :)

OK let's talk about regular food...

My meals now are planned, as I stated earlier, and they are very filling.  I'm eating less because I'm not loading my lunch box with junk that has loads of ingredients made in a lab or high on the salt and sugar scale.  High salt and or high sugar leave you craving more food and since I ditched them my food cravings have dwindled.

Breakfasts these days are eggs, turkey bacon or sausage, and avocados.  Oh and vegetables - omelettes are too good to pass up!

Lunches are big fat mixed green salads loaded down with my favorite vegetables.  I throw in a hamburger patty or grilled chicken or a boiled egg for protein.

Snacks are nuts mainly - I am all about Emerald's Mixed Nut pouches.  I also enoy Oikos Triple Zero for a snack some days.

Dinner is always fun because of my new cookbook (THM mentioned above).  I get a good balanced meal that is fresh from my kitchen.  And when I cannot cook I know what I can and cannot have from fast food places.

I feel so good.  

We are what we eat and now that I'm not a bag of Dixie Crystal I feel rejuvenated.

I went to Aldi...

Last week I decided to hit up Aldi for the first time in way over a year...maybe two years to be honest.  Love hate relationship is the best description I have for that place.  It is really like going to a consignment store - you're either going to get what you came for or leave empty handed.

It just so happened I hit one of my local Aldi's at just the right time.  

Eggs - which I eat TONS of - were 69 cents a dozen.  There was a limit of four so I met that limit head on!  

My kids love some milk in the evening and a gallon of milk was $1.89 - score!  

The meat choices were so very close to traditional grocery chains that I nearly snubbed it and walked on until I saw this - Chicken Thighs 49 cents a pound.  Say what?  I love cooking with chicken thighs because they are economical (normally not that economical) and are a great portion size.  You can imagine how thrilled I was to walk out with ten pounds of chicken for $5 and some change.  Those bad boys or should I say girls were wrapped in smaller packs as soon as I got home and placed in the freezer.  Yes, we are eating a lot of chicken.  

Click here to read this post about saving money and eating clean by shopping Aldi from Food Fun & Exercise!

Other notes on my Aldi trip:  

I was very pleased at the selection of organic items priced very affordable and the selection of NON GMO foods they had.  Aldi has really came a long way in their healthy offerings.

On the flip side if you needed bread - you were out of luck.

Some of their prices are identical to their competitors so there's no bargain.

All in all I think I'll do a monthly Aldi run and keep my regular practice of Harris Teeter as my go to.

Now it is your turn - what are you doing to be healthier for the summer?

Have you tried THM?

Are you an Aldi shopper?

Share away!

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Tales From The Pasture: Bad Timing

Looking back at this spring, thus far, I'm in awe over the growth of my daughter (C).  Sure, she's grown in inches but I'm watching just exactly who she is begin to bud as well.

A big part of her growth has been due to horses. In February she was surprise horse as a gift. A fall after a rough ride. Then building her confidence by lessons and rebuilding trust. Her goals now are lofty for a girl who started in April! It is as if that whole "little girl" title she has worn for 8 years is graduating to "my daughter."

There is such a difference between your little girl and your daughter. I am envisioning her as her three and four year old self in little dresses and sandals.  The captured memory in my head is of her icy blue eyes staring at the camera with smile on her face on our old porch.  She's holding a baby doll that looks like her.

When she transitions to becoming my daughter - I don't see those baby features anymore.  I see a more mature and changing young lady.  She needs me less because she wants to test her own boundaries more.

I have been excited (and stressed) for her to begin this metamorphosis into her own person - finding her own likes and dislikes.  Watching her learn to ride horses has been huge in her growth.  this school year I have watched my confident little girl turn into someone who allowed her confidence to be cracked.  When she fell from the horse in March; her who self took a blow.  She thought she could do this with ease but a bump in the road (punny, right?) tore her confidence to pieces.  Getting her horse riding lessons has been a huge gift not just for her but also for me. The ability to actually visually see her shed fear has been beyond miraculous.  Sure, it is a small step and many do it - but to see your own child lose a fear and put her head up in confidence and smile - you realize that is a total miracle that could easily be taken for granted.

With all this being said, you can imagine our immense disappointment when we received letter that said the riding lessons would no longer be after May 31st.

I read it first since I had collected the mail.  Yes, there was a lump in my throat.  Yes, I had cold chills.  Yes, my heart sank.

This was really bad timing.

Just hours before this my daughter had told me she wanted to be up to cantering by the end of May.  Now the end of May seemed all too close and we would be without a trainer.  Giving her the news of lessons ending just hurt.

She cried.

That hurt.

We have a great teacher and now she would be looking to relocate her services.  This isn't a quick process.  There would need to be new horses for training beginners.  My C would be as heartbroken over her trainer as she would be over her training horse, Pax.

Bad, bad timing.

Having watched my C go from being deathly afraid of the animal to giggling on his back while he gently walked her about the ring I kept thinking - now is the time to continue!  We cannot stop now!  We cannot have a break!

But this is a life lesson.

A very unfair life lesson.

When things are going well there is always the chance for something not so grand to occur.  It is true for every person on the earth.  We don't always have good days.  We do not always get our way.  Sometimes things happen out of our control that cause us to change direction.

I cannot protect my child from life's curve balls and disappointments.  I can only love her through them and be supportive.

In this case...I'll be on the hunt for a new person and horse - to build trust and confidence with.

This is really bad timing - but we'll get through it.

H54F #17 of '16

Happy first Friday of May!!!  I feel like saying hello summer but this morning it was forty something degrees - say what?!?!

A lot of awesome sauce stuff happened around here this week and I am so ready to share it with you - let's do this!

1.  I had chickens on my Spring Bucket List...

And I moved them to my pending summer bucket list.  Well last Sunday after church I kind of sort of ended up buying seven little chickies.  If you have followed the blog for a long time then you know I love having my chickens.  My last flock died off - some to disease and some at the jowls of some adorable Labradors.  After our house incident in 2014; chickens were the last thing on my mind.  However, after re-establishing I have been ready for more backyard birds.  Here's to raising my babies (praying they are all girls) and to a really cool coop (my husband has set the bar high) in the coming weeks!

On another chicken note - they are the best animals for kids.  Dogs are great, cats are meh, fish die but chickens are fabulous animals for kids to learn and practice responsibility.  My daughter has had chickens since she was two and she adores caring for them and interacting with them.  I think it will be the same for my little man.

2.  My Reading Rider...

Monday was super insane busy.  Not only was it Monday it was day one of my sugar detox, riding lesson day, and Meet The Author Night at my daughter's school.  Yeah - we all kind of hit the ground running.  Oh and did I fail to mention that I had no childcare for my H-Man so he accompanied us to riding lessons.

3.  Muffins With Mom...

I will so miss the preschool days when they are a thing of my past.  This week I had a busy Wednesday but in the craziness I had a special little breakfast with my son at his awesome preschool.  It was difficult attending a carbs & sugar bash when I'm on a detox and maybe I did cheat and have a little indulgence.  Seriously ladies, how do I say no to an excited little face?!?!  Did you catch my Mother's Day (Another 5 Pins Post) and my very special from the heart Mother's Day post??

4.  4 Days & 6 Days

As of this morning I have four days left working at the escuela and 7 days until the beach weekend with my BFF.  Unfortunately, I still cannot find a bathing suit I like.

5.  Mother's Day

I wish all the good mommies out there a very happy weekend ahead!  I hope you are celebrated in whatever way is the best for you.  This week I had two mom posts.  My Pinterest 5 - a fun post I do weekly - was based around gifting ideas for mom.  Maybe you will find you feel the same way as I do on some of those ideas!  My second post was a more serious and heart felt look at moms...maybe my gift to you.

And speaking of Pins....this week I pinned these five to try, love, use, etc!  Get these pins by clicking my Pinterest link on the side bar!

This looks like my meal for the weekend!

This will be made this weekend!

I'm insane over pineapples right now!

I'm slightly in love with this dress and I want it badly for the summer.

Yes, please.

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