Summer is near . . .

Here in Minnesota many of us have been limited to our outdoor activity! Well Summer is NEAR, June is almost here. 

I LOVE this time of year! Days are getting longer, the sun is warmer & Minnesotans are out everywhere with smiles on their face. In my home all this fresh air makes for tired kids during these last few weeks of school!

I wanted to share a few activities my family enjoys thru the summer. Maybe you can schedule in a few new ones for you and your family! I feel it s important to find the time to get your workouts in for some alone time yet make time to lead by example for your kids! 

My kids and I always hit up the Paul Bunyan trail for a long bike ride.

We like to pack water and trail mix!  At times we are just being silly, others biking fast, then there are times my boys find a hill to mess around on that is off path!  

Kayaking is a BIG activity for us, it is great for just about any age. 

We also have a paddle boat. I love seeing the kids paddle their little legs around the lake. They are having fun and not even noticing that they are being active!

 

My daughter and my favorite activity is paddle boarding! This is a great upper body and core workout. 

Depending on your Child's Age your activities will vary.

Here are a few more ideas:

Toddler: Running thru sprinkler

Playing at the park

Swimming

School Age:  Biking/Hiking

Tubing/Knee Boarding

Walking to the Library

Playing just about any sport!

Neighborhood kickball

Teens: Wake boarding

Skateboarding

Mountain Biking

Inviting them on your workout

Enjoy your summer with your family. The best part about being active together is the memories you all will create. The activity for our minds and body is just a bonus.  

Grilling Season!

Spring is here and that means it is time to GRILL! It makes meals and meal prep so easy!

For our family I will grill up red and sweet potatoes, tons of veggies and a protein. I love filling the grill with extra because it makes perfect lunches for the rest of the week. Not only are you cooking up your dinner but you can prep your weeks lunches. Added bonus is no extra dishes to do later. 

Last night grilling I layered in a foil pan many veggies. Asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and multi-colored peppers. You can have fun and change up your veggies with different seasons. Try Coconut oil, garlic, Cayenne pepper! This will give you veggies a new kick. Get creative and do not be afraid to mix up your veggies. 

Same for your protein I have found there is so much more that burgers and brats to grill. Now I love to grill Salmon, Shrimp, Pork Tenderloin, Kabobs and so much more. 

If you are not firing up your grill a few times a week it is time to start. Almost all our summer time dinners are on the grill. I will keep you posted thru the summer some of our favorite recipes. 

In addition to the spring time allowing us to grill to not forget to get out and be active in this beautiful weather!! 

I am back!

Sorry I have been gone for a little while. You know sometimes in life you need to shift your focus and take a break from a few things. Well my break was from blogging. 

As we learn to live a balanced full life we learn to say NO once and awhile. For the last two months I needed to be more present with my clients, had some personal development coaching, worked on my own meals and workouts and preparing my family for a 2 week dream vacation to Hawaii! 

Thank you for your patience in my break. I am currently feeling inspired to be back sharing with you.  As a woman many of us feel pressured to always be on top of things and to be perfect. However do you know we are perfect just the way we are. Even if we say no to something. I challenge you to look at your daily life, is there something you can take a break from? Something that can give you more you time? Go ahead and take something off your schedule for a little while. My next one is not to plant a garden this summer! As much as I love my garden I get stressed out from keeping up on it. I have a very large garden and then fun of it is gone. Just for this summer I will not plant one, then if I missed it maybe next year I will try one again or maybe I will plant grass! I will visit more of the farmers markets and see how that goes. 

 In the last 2 months I did not create many new recipes, I stuck with simple meals that was helping me get to my goals and feel better. However one evening I whipped up this stir fry. 4-6 Chicken Breast (cooked thru) then added a bag of Broccoli Slaw, Garlic and Liquid Aminos. This is super simple and tasty! I had never cooked with broccoli slaw talk about easy!

 I wanted to share a few vacation pictures! We visited Oahu and Maui for 2 weeks. This was our first time visit and my goal was to unplug and be active! Well we did just that. Surfing, hiking, beach walks, Stand up Paddle Boarding really just always moving.  Also made a lot of great memories with my husband and kids! 

 5 mile hike thru the Bamboo forest & seven scared pools.

I wish you health and happiness! Spring is here and it is so refreshing, get outside and be active! 

How do you start your day?

Each morning do you hit your alarm clock multiple times? Are you always running late? Maybe rushing so much you forget to pack a lunch or even skip breakfast? All you complete is pouring a cup of coffee in a travel mug? Are yelling at the kids to HURRY, when it really is not their fault? Then you find yourself stressed. By the time you are in your car your day has just started and all this is not a way to start your day.

As you proceed on with you day you may notice stress, feeling frazzled not feeling full filled or feeling bad for yelling at the kids!

Have you ever thought about starting your day differently?

I believe a great day actually starts with the evening before. Please note the tips I am going to share with you work for my family and are flexible for yours. Each evening I make sure my desk is cleaned off (because I work from home) and my kitchen is picked up. Having that completed I know I will wake up early in the morning feeling refreshed. Once I started this new morning routine I knew I needed to settle myself down earlier in the evening to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.

I wake 30 minutes before my kids, this is time for me to make my bed and head to my favorite spot in my home (my seating area off my kitchen) I start my day with a glass of water then a hot cup of coffee. But most importantly I take this 30 minutes for a devotional read, prayer and journal time. As a mom of 3 our days get CRAZY however it is such a exciting feeling to wake up in the morning knowing I a going to get some me time.

                     (My current devotional is 66 first dates by Gretchyn Quernemoen,
                    I highly recommend it  http://www.grace-for-today.net/home.html )

Then the next 45 minutes of getting kids ready, breakfasts and packing lunches does not feel so crazy because I have already had a little peace in my day.

I challenge you for 30 days to try a new morning routine. Set you alarm a little earlier and do what your heart desires!

Here are a few Ideas to enjoy and help your mindset:

Reading

Meditate

At home Yoga

Prayer time

Daily Devotionals

Journaling

 

This is my favorite place in my home where I start my  mornings!

I wish you the best in trying a new routine, who knows you and your children may head off each day a little less tense and happier! If something is not working or your days are full of stress try making a change there is nothing to loose only to gain!

Its a New YEAR!!

Its that time of the year where just about everyone is talking about their New Years Resolutions! We have all made one a time or two.

Honestly I do not care for that term, I prefer New Years Goals. I agree having a new year upon us is a perfect time for a fresh start, but why continue year after year saying you want to do something yet never fully accomplish it.

 

I started New Years Goals 2 years ago. It was then that I made a goal to read 1 book per month. Anything self improvement or business related. I kept tally of each book to know if I was on track of my goal. I ended 2012 reading 15 amazing books. Since then I have continued the great habit of reading that I have benefited from in so many ways!

 

 

I want to share a few simple tips on creating your NEW YEARS GOALS!

 

1. Get a Notebook:

 

2.Take some time and reflect on what you want!

Here are a few areas in your life you could create goals:

1. Career

2. Financial

3. Health/Fitness

4. Relationships & Personal

5. Contributions & Giving Back

 

When reflecting, DREAM big and don't be afraid of anything. You deserve anything you desire!

 

3. Write each of your goals down. A Goal is only a wish unless you write it down.

 

4. Make a plan on how you are going to get there.

Remember, if it is a BIG goal, break it down.

Example: You want to organize your home.  Start with Jan. you will organize your master bedroom (you can even time block a weekend to do complete it) then Feb. is your office.

 

5. Put a date on when you want to achieve your goal! This will give you a deadline and a sense of urgency!

 

Make 2015 YOUR year! You may have 1 BIG goal on your mind or a few things pulling at your heart that you want to achieve this year. Whatever it may be, you can do it! Stay positive, even when it may get tuff.  Keep your notebook of goals on your night table.  Turn it into a journal to keep notes and track of your progress. Reward yourself once you achieve it

 

Cheers to 2015! 

A Simple Holiday Treat

I love the combination of Caramel and Chocolate. During the holidays in the past I would try to think of a way to make Turtles for a Holiday treat. I was always stuck at the caramel. If you know my style I like simple. Last week I was at Target and came across this Lovely Caramels and knew they were my missing piece.   

You will only need 3 ingredients:

 

1 bag Lovely Caramels

1 small bag of Whole Pecans

1 cup Dark Choc. Chips 

 

Pre-heat Oven to 375

Place wax paper on cookie sheet.  Then Place 3 Pecans in next to each other.

Cut all Caramels in Half (I found they were plenty big) & place on top of pecans.

Place in oven for 7-10 minutes. Watch close because caramel will burn easy. You want to take out of the oven just as they are melted.

While in the oven place Dark Choc. in glass bowl and melt in microwave. Stir half way.

When you take pecans and caramel out of oven use a spoon to top chocolate on caramel right away.

Let sit to set or place in fridge to set faster.

 

Store In Fridge.

I am so glad I came across these caramels! I know they will be a hit this Christmas.

 

From my family to yours,

Have a Happy Healthy and Safe Holiday Season! 

Italian Turkey meatloaf

 

Life Style Coach Becky is sharing one of her family favorites! Feeding 6 mouths tends to be a lot of cooking! It is a priority to feed her little ones good nutrition yet keeping it simple is very important to this mom.

 

One day Becky was browsing through some recipes trying to add new ones to her menu plan.  Having options that are simple and the whole family will enjoy is very important. She came across one for Parmesan turkey meatballs, and was intrigued because her family loves anything Italian.  However, making meatballs is a tedious job, especially when you are feeding 6 mouths!  Changing the concept to a meatloaf saved her time.  Next, she looked at ingredients and it passed the simple test, however it was a little too simple.  She decided to add a cup of cottage cheese because they like the creaminess it brings and you can't have Italian without cheese!  Plus, with kiddos hiding veggies is always a bonus!  It was a big hit! 

 

Italian Turkey Meatloaf

2 lbs ground turkey
1 onion chopped
2 cups chopped spinach (or more if you like)
2 eggs
1cup cottage cheese
1tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbls Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven at 375. Sautée onions until translucent, mix all ingredients together except spaghetti sauce and Parmesan. Put meat mixture in a 9x13 pan, top with spaghetti sauce then sprinkle on Parmesan.

 

Thank you Becky for sharing this great recipe!