For the moment

For the moment....

I'm choosing to be present right here, in this place, at this time, with these beautiful people.
I'm going to focus on the little details that I can easily overlook in my rushed life.
I will gaze into the eyes of my children and memorize how they look right now in their infancy.
I will trace the lips of my lover and lay in his arms to the sweet sounds of tranquility that is keeping time with his beating heart.

Today, I will be intentional with my time.
I will spend time with GOD and give thanks for all he has blessed me with especially this life.
I will go out of my way to make to make a memory.
I will put my best foot forward in my parenting, housework, and I will do it for the glory of GOD.

I'm choosing to silence the enemy's doubts that my mind might otherwise entertain.
I'm choosing to trust in the talents and abilities that the Lord has equipped me with for the purpose of which I was born to fulfill.

Today, I'm making the choice to invest in myself knowing that when I spend time improving myself, my entire family benefits.

There is no room for fears today.... I'm handing them to GOD.
There's no room for anger....life is too short.
There's no room for regret....I'm chalking it all up to lessons learned.

Today, each moment will count and this day will be lived with great intention.
This day is a blessing and will be treasured as such.

Distractions and obstacles are every where but I get to decide whether or not I will give them power over my day.

This is the day I have been given and I will make it a day I can smile about later.

Thank you, Jesus!

~Dani

My Resolution Solution

I didn't wake up one day deciding that I wanted to start working out and eating healthier. It was a slow and agonizing realization that I needed to do it.  I'm sorry but it's agonizing when you so badly want to break away from you postpartum big girl clothes and you still can't cause the weight is going nowhere. I also know that same feeling prior to having children and I was once a very overweight 20 something.  Regardless of how you get to that point, it isn't pleasant and it can cause you to feel desperate to get it off.

When desperation kicks in, many of us look for the quick fix so we can end the pain as quickly as possible.  I did the quick fixes.  Some of them worked and I kept that weight off and some did not.  I was usually hungry in both scenarios and always felt deprived.  That's not the plan for me.  I know this now.  I also can recognize that it's an unhealthy mindset that expects results tomorrow.  With all due respect to myself and anyone reading this who has ever felt the same way, we didn't wake up this way and we damn sure aren't waking up skinny tomorrow. Just a little check up from the neck up!

I needed to do this differently this time. I have dieted enough to know that sugar is the enemy and that clean eating is the way to go.  Drinking enough water isn't a myth, it's the secret! This months workouts build next months body.  Point, blank, PERIOD!

I have a destination I'm trying to reach for 2015.  It doesn't involve unrealistic goals or shooting for a particular number on the scale.  It's this and only this...

STOP doing the same things expecting different results!

Translation: If you eat that fast food today, the scale wont be lighter tomorrow!

WORD!!

I'm on a journey to be in the best shape of my life.  I'm on a journey to truly understanding my body and how to care for it and keep it strong.  I'm not going to give the enemy's negativity a minutes worth of consideration.  I'm taking my food and workouts into my own hands and trusting the LORD to be my strength and to give me my fight.  

I'm starting a challenge group on January 12th.  21 days of portion controlled eating and 30 minute workouts.  I'm gonna go big from the comfort of my home while being cheered on by the cutest little 3 year old.  I'm gonna encourage and be encouraged by all those participating with me.  Do you feel like encouraging me as well?  I'd love your support!  Shoot me a message and let's do this together.  

I got your back!

Recipe Remix: Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal BARS

Being in the kitchen is very therapeutic for me.  I'm always pretending that Im a master at developing flavor profiles all the while cooking for my imaginary TV show.  After a very chaotic day on the home front, I was ready for some down time and I opted to bake in lieu of a much needed nap.

With our move right around the corner, my entire baking arsenal has been packed away.  Everything but my trusty 9x9 brownie pan with separators. What could I make in the brownie pan that would appeal to everyone and be somewhat healthy.  Not that healthy is always a top priority when I'm baking but after days of ingesting brownies, I thought our family could use something a little more nutritional as a treat.

It hit me!  Emily Bites, a fantastic food blogger who you should go check out, makes these awesome little Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Singles that I just LOVE but I packed my muffin pans.  Not to worry!  Today, they will be Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal bars. :)  I adjusted the ingredients a bit to what I like cause I prefer them to not be as wet as the original recipe calls for.

Organic INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg whites
• 1 egg
• 1 ¼ cups milk ( I use 2%)
• 2 mashed bananas (medium sized)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ c semi-sweet chocolate chips (the only non organic ingredient, yikes!)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Generously grease your brownie pan with butter or cooking spray.
2. Combine the oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites, egg, mashed banana, milk and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until blended together. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Pour the oatmeal mixture into the brownie pan and insert the separator. Bake uncovered for 18-22 minutes or until oatmeal is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Today was AWEsome

It's a shower at 4 pm kind of day....

My morning started with one foot in a pile of cat regerge. As much as I do not believe in or give power to the thought, " it set the tone of my day," I must admit that it looked that way.  I think you'd agree because shortly after that mess the cat then "pooed" beside the litter box, the baby spit up on everything and the toddler decided to wash the futon by emptying his sippy cup over every square inch of it.  Did I mention that he used his head to clean the breakfast off his hands?

So much rush rush rush today that I was hurrying passed all the pay-offs of this blessed job, like my mid-morning snack of cheek dumplings.  Would you look at these cheeks?!

Drew serving up Cheek Dumplings!

Nobody said that motherhood would be easy.  Infact, they flat out tell you that it's rough.  Today was rough.  It wasn't the kind of day that wore my patience or left me short tempered.  It was more like someone unplugged me and drained me of every last drop of energy I possessed.  Little did I know, my break was just around the corner.

A cup of coffee with a freshly baked scone would have been a nice way to unwind, but that is not what I got.  I took an iPad to the toe that had me groaning in pain and making me want to be sick.  I laid across my bed where my 2 1/2 year old was sitting at the time.  He reached for my head, pet it and sweetly said, "What happened? What happened, Mama? You ok, Mama?" His sweet little hand brushing back my hair put me right into a sweet surrender.  I stopped, I rested, I took comfort in his touch and his sweet little words.  His compassion was exactly what I needed.  With my eyes closed, I could feel him leaning over my face for a kiss,....oh but wait...it was no kiss. He sneezed on my face. 

I roared in laughter.  I laid there for 15 glorious minutes with my head next to his little lap while he joyfully played his ABC Mouse.  I had no idea how desperate I was for that break and more importantly, for that love.  Sneeze and all.

Note to self: Slow your roll.  When life gets nuts and your knee deep in pet crud, wash up and love on a baby to restore sanity.  Give The Lord thanks for His blessings and bask in them.  Lesson learned.

Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done. (‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭16‬:‭8‬ NLT)

Sometimes, you gotta just roll with it!

My life is GLORIOUS...

I make no secret about how much I absolutely love being a stay-at- home mom.  Three years later, I'm over the lack of a paycheck that I used to let define my contribution to our family.  I think it's a serious psychological adjustment for most women who have worked their entire lives up until that moment they leave their jobs to raise a family.  I certainly had to die to self in order to find an ongoing joy in being a stay-at-home mom.  I start everyday, I mean EVERY SINGLE DAY, with a fresh dose of Jesus. Seriously, I have no idea how people do parenting, let alone life without Christ, but it is ALL the difference in how my day will go.

Take today for example....

My tiny, woke early.  By early, I mean 5 am.  I scurried over to the boys' room and snatched up the tiny one before he could wake AJ up from what looked to be a beautiful dream.  (God Bless that boy, sleeping with half a smile on his face.) I still have the pack-n-play up in our room for afternoon naps and restless moments like this morning.

Alas, the blender goes off..A.K.A. my wake up call.  (I love you Vitamix, but DANG you're loud!  Yet you are still worth it.)  I snatch up the tiny and brother and change those morning diapers.  My amazing husband is  wrapping up morning smoothies and I'm fixing a bottle.  Antnee gives us a morning kiss and heads out and it's just me and the Boos. Tiny Drew with his baba and Mommy and AJ sipping smoothies and watching Joyce Meyer.

It's usually pretty routine from 7:30 to 10:30 but hey, this is parenting and everyday is subject to change, should one thing in the routine be altered.  That's exactly how things turned comical this morning.  After an out of the blue morning run to WholeFoods, we came home and settled back into our routine forgetting we somehow skipped breakfast.  How in the world did AJ let me forget to give him breakfast? AJ is always ready to eat something! Once I finally realized that I forgot, it was 11:15 and lunch was fast approaching.  I quickly serve up a half sandwich and applesauce and prepared Tiny's next bottle.  Three ounces and one burp in, AJ requests another sandwich.  OH SNAP!  Did I serve a boy who has had no breakfast a 1/2 sandwich???

"What about some pretzels bud?" (fingers crossed that it could be that easy)
"No pretzels, mama. Sandwich, please?"

This kid is truly the most well-mannered boy.  He never ceases to amaze us and he's only 2 1/2.  How could I possibly say no to such a sweet and hungry lil guy?  So, I gathered up the tiny and cupped him in one arm with the bottle is his mouth and the other end against my cheek.  I reached into the pantry and grabbed the bread and the Sunbutter.  I GOT THIS!

Completely impressed with my one-handed sandwich making skills, I decide to throw some pretzels in for good measure.  It's at this time that, as I'm balancing a baby who desperately needs another burping, and a bag of pretzels, I start to feel my pants slide just below my hips.  Ain't no thang!  I'll get this served up and carry on before I lose my pants.  I get the plate to the table and Tiny spits up....big.  I catch it with his bib and my now available hand, but the burp cloth is across the room draped over the arm of the sofa.  In route, the pants hit the floor and I'm in an all out shuffle with no means to pick my pants up from around my ankles.  Tiny starts crying for more bottle as I make it to the sofa, wipe his face and stick the bottle in his mouth.  I forgot one thing.....to pick up my pants.

I laughed hard.  Sitting there with my pants around my ankles and my happy 5 month old boy drinking his bottle in my lap.  I look over at AJ at the table with his face covered in Sunbutter and jam smiling and repeatedly saying, "Mmmmm mama, good!"

Sometimes you gotta just let your pants hit the floor and and roll with it.  Thank you Jesus for this day and for this life.