#21DayFix Me!

I'm a serial dieter.

Atkins, HCG, raw, juice, "eat-kind-of-clean all week and then binge on the weekends" (no joke, I actually thought that would work).

I have a friend named Chelsea, and I watched her total transformation from Day 1. She never harassed me to join her, she never stalked me and tried to sell me... what she involved herself in was so impressive, I started to want it. I started to realize that it wasn't about building a following for her, she just genuinely loves what she does - and has seen her body/life/mind completely change as a result. So, a little over a week ago, I tracked her down and told her I was ready.

She'd been waiting for me. ;)

What had sold me was all the before-and-afters I was seeing of the 21 Day Fix. It looked amazing - totally attainable.

There are a few reason why this program appeals to me:

- It sounds short term. I work so much better if I have the finish line in site... even if that just means it's the finish line for round 1, I still have a finish line. Just like when I was laboring to bring my son into this world, I so badly wanted to know when it would be over... how many more pushes? How much longer do I need to suffer through contractions to give birth without an epidural? I love that there's a finish line with this program, but every time you cross the finish line, there's an upcoming Monday that awaits a fresh start.

- The meal plan is foolproof. Not gonna lie, the color-coding system seemed a little intense at first, but it's really not bad. And, there are lists of foods that you can have. Figuring out how many containers of each color you get is simple. And guess what? Bread is on that list. Whole grain pasta is on that list. CHEESE is on the list! Portion control is key, and that makes me beyond happy. It's ALL about portion control... learning to eat for fuel, and not for fun. 

- Workouts are only 30 minutes and can be done in my living room (and all the working moms say "aaaaamen.")

Paul is doing it with me, which is wonderful. He doesn't need to lose any weight, but he needs to get healthier! Americanos aren't a complete diet. ;)

We are on Day 2 now, and I'm loving it so far! I also did an extra Yoga class last night (two a days? Who am I?) and so I'm feeling the pain today like no other. Today's workout is called "Dirty Thirty". Safe to say, I'm shaking in my Nikes.

Stay tuned!

Pan Seared Chicken With Olives. Except Not With Olives.

I made this dish last night, and it was delicious! So much flavor!

Pan Seared Chicken With Olives

My modifications: 

• I didn't use olives. Instead, I used mushrooms.
• I didn't have any chicken broth, so I omitted that from the sauce as well. I just used the juice from the rested, cooked chicken.
• I didn't pound out my chicken, I just cheated and bought the thin-cut boneless/skinless breasts.
• I didn't let them marinate for 30 minutes. I mixed up the marinade and poured over the chicken, then flipped the chicken around a few times to be sure they were evenly coated. Then they sat for a minute while I prepped the ingredients for the pan sauce, and then heated up the oil in the skillet.
• I didn't use dijon mustard, I just used plain ol' yellow mustard and it was still good.

Other than that, I followed the recipe perfectly, and it turned out so well. Of course, I had a major recipe win when hubby is out of town all week. I'll be making this again upon his return so he can ooh and ahh over my domesticatedness. ;)

A vacation with kids is not a vacation at all.

I live for vacations. Which is a little troublesome, since I feel like we don't take many. Haha... but, we planned this vacation a few weeks ago, to celebrate my husband's and Jen's birthdays in a snowy little town called Leavenworth, and to say we were all a little excited was an understatement.

Not only was this our first vacation as a group in quite some time, but this was the first time we were escaping together WITH OUR KIDS.

We questioned whether this would be a vacation at all, actually. Jessica and Davey's boys are older (meaning, they can use a toilet and put themselves to sleep), but Porter and Lincoln are 14 months and 9 months old. They still nurse, they still wake up a few times during the night, they are obviously still in diapers and need to be entertained and watched 24/7.

So, basically, this was a different experience entirely.

Here are a few ways vacation with toddlers is not a vacation at all.

• Stairs. Omg, do you guys realize that most houses are - by nature - BABY DEATHTRAPS? And this genius of a mother (talking about me) doesn't own a baby gate... because, you know, I like to live on the edge. The house we stayed at was three floors, with like a billion flights of stairs. I had to get creative, creating blockades with unused ottomans and dining room chairs on their sides. Porter is like a moth to a flame when it comes to stairs. He will drop anything he is doing to climb up some stairs; if he sees an opportunity, the stairs are like a irresistible, shining beacon of fun and imminent danger. He will RUN to them. So, when I successfully block off all the landings and I am thinking to myself "WINNING!", he scales the wall and climbs up the banister. I. Am. Not. Kidding.
• Babies Don't Care About Sleeping In. Porter and I came downstairs at 6am a few mornings we were away, and were promptly greeted by our friends Jen and Lincoln. Oh, hey guys. No sleeping in for you either? Not gonna lie, I was a little jealous that the Jones boys were still sleeping (as were their parents). I pretended to be all panicky when Porter started playing his xylophone outside of Jess and Davey's room, but I was secretly all "muahaha" when Jessica flung open the door and stumbled out half-asleep to the bathroom. I mean, I know she's earned her sleeping in (three kids later and blah blah blah)... but if Jen and I are awake and sucking down coffee, you will be awake and sucking down your lemon water, Mrs. Jones.
• You Can't Take Kids Into A Bar. When we were sledding, some kind stranger - (actually, I'm not sure who told us - I had retired to the car early because I had a frozen Porter Popsicle. So, yeah, I just waited in the car for everyone else to finish having a blast. Yet another reason why this vacation is now different, but I'll just keep moving for the sake of word count) - so anyway, so stranger told us that this little hole-in-the-wall down the road has the BEST pizza in town. Well, turns out, it was the town bar. Jen, Jess and I stayed in the car with all the kids while the guys ordered and waited for our to-go pizza. That in itself is super annoying - especially with a cranky toddler needing a nap and not at all pleased to be sitting in an cold, non-running car.
• Vacation Language Isn't A Thing. We have this joke about saying and doing whatever we want on vacation - after all, it's vacation! If I want to have Doritos for breakfast, I will. We talk about married things, we laugh at inappropriate jokes, we play intense games of Heads Up and Catchphrase and - err - Uno, and... things can get heated. A few of us hate losing (Paul), a few of us cheat (Jessica), and a few of us may have mouths like sailors (Me, Jen). I know, you're shocked. Well. Kids don't understand the good nature of this, and pretty soon Jackson Jones is wandering the house telling the little kids to stop being "so damn loud. That crap is annoying". Oops.

So yeah, anyway... bottom line, I joke around - but it was a blast. I loved hanging out with our families and making so many new memories. One of my favorites: the older kids played Xbox downstairs, and told us a few times they were going to go "pwn some noobs". We were like... "what are you even saying."

Jess got really nervous, but didn't want to make her kids feel like she didn't trust them, so we did what every logical parent in 2014 does: we Urban Dictionaried it. Turns out, it is to completely obliterate your opponent in any event where there is competition, though the term specifically originated from Online Gaming. Very similar in nature as "owning new players". Phew.

You learn something new every day.

Our cabin for the weekend!