Whew, it’s Thursday! Another week almost in the books! It’s been a busy week, as usual. Lots of little home projects, like getting paint for the new nursery, a slipcover for a chair to put up there that both kids can sit in with me, crib arrived, and FINALLY organizing the kitchen! Since I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, making meals, snacks, kombucha, coconut milk, etc., it’s pretty imperative that I have a workable space to do so. Without going into too much detail, the house we bought has a less than stellar kitchen. We have grand visions of a massive re-do …someday… but, until then, I was determined to find ways to make the current space work.
It started with a paint re-do; brightening the space and making it just fresh and lovely. But, the storage/work space conditions were still horrendous. Very few countertops and poorly designed storage…through some creative approaches (small doll rods in the baking cabinet to separate baking dishes; little raised dividers to create “fake” shelves to stack more dishes, etc.), organization started to happen. Then, we FINALLY got the floating shelves I had envisioned up on the wall! Moving many items off the countertops/precious cabinet space, and out onto the shelves. (check out my instagram page for a pic!). It’s glorious! Not only do the shelves just look so nice in the kitchen where we once had a huge, bare wall, but the kitchen is actually functional and uncluttered! And, to finish the project off, we put up a cute little wire container thing above the stove to house all the cooking utensils, instead of cramming them into a small jar on the stove itself. Ah! Feels so, so nice to have some space, organization, and like the kitchen is finally mine.
Anyway, other than that, there’s been more kombucha making, nutrition contract work, webinar recordings, consults, playground outings, personal training studying, regular workouts, and baby kicks. I’ve also started making my own face/body lotions/cleansers in an effort to help my skin be happier. Not sure how they’re all working yet, as it’s ony been a few days, but overall, my skin feels good and I like knowing that I’m not putting any chemicals on my skin and it didn’t cost me a fortune! Speaking of my crappy skin…just passed the half-way mark for my 21 day sugar-free challenge! It’s definitely been just that…a challenge! There are soooooo many sources of added sugar – breads, crackers, goldfish crackers, condiments…it’s really made me more aware of all the added sugar around and more determined to generally avoid it, but it also makes figuring out what to eat a bit challenging. Dates and peanut butter have become much larger staples in my diet! I posted a picture of some delicious pumpkin muffins I made the other day over on my instagram account (aub_the_rd) that I made with homemade date paste instead of any sugar. They were stellar and it was awesome to know that they were so nutritious and good for me! I was more than happy to let N have some, except that meant fewer for me…
Workouts… still going strong with some intense Hiit workouts. Some days, I definitely feel the added effort to do them while nearly 7 months pregnant, but everything generally feels good. I did do a “gentler” workout the other day instead of another Hiit workout, like I typically would, as my body just felt tired and in need of something less dynamic. It was a good choice and I felt great again today when I powered through a 40 minute Hiit workout (I’ll post it below). I’m also trying to be sure to do my Spinning Babies exercises at least once a week to help baby girl get into optimal position for birth.
This week’s dinners:
Saturday – buffalo chicken “French” breads; used leftover chicken, made homemade buffalo sauce, and put it on some toasted ciabatta with cheese. Added a side salad for a great, quick meal.
Sunday – Venison meatballs with Greek flare. Served with a cumin cilantro yogurt sauce and a side salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and a little blue cheese, dressed in a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Monday – Stuffed Peppers; rice, pumpkin puree, mushrooms, onions, and ground venison, sprinkled with parmesan cheese and served with a side salad.
Tuesday – Baked Sweet Potatoes with a kale/cabbage/avocado slaw and pumpkin and sesame seeds. This was tasty, but not one of our favorites.
Wednesday – Sausage, pepper, and mushroom risotto with a side salad.
Thursday – The boys are likely having leftover risotto…I’m heading out for a rain barrel workshop and will be the proud owner of our very own rain barrel to water the garden with by the end of the night!
Friday – Something out…Husband and I typically order something that I run out to pick up while he puts N down so we can have a little “date night” after N goes to bed!
Breakfasts continue to be yogurt bowls piled high with fruit and ground flax or the occasional smoothie. I discovered I could use date paste in my smoothies to sweeten instead of whole dates, making for a smoother, more pleasing consistency in the final product! When I use a lot of fruit in my smoothies, I don’t tend to add any sort of sweetener, but I don’t usually have “fruit” smoothies, as I usually do a spinach/avocado/raw cocoa combo of some sort, which DEFINITELY needs some sort of sweetener!
Lunches for husband continue to be BLTs with avocado. N has some mix of fruit/veggie, protein, and fat. Often cheese or avocado and turkey or chicken. He eats a TON of fruit and most veggies, so we just offer him a good variety every day. Me? Well, I’m usually focused on getting N fed and then down for a nap, so my lunches are super variable. When I’m out working and my mom’s here with him, I still often do a Whole Foods salad, but when home, it’s very often peanut butter and dates or a smoothie.
Ok. So, that’s my week and my day! I’m off to do some contract work for a hospital account I’m working with, some fitness certification stuff, and follow-up with some clients. Hope you’ve all had a great week! And if you haven’t, follow me on Instagram to see what I’m eating, doing, and loving!
Today’s workout, slightly adapted from Christine Salus, youtube.com:
2 rounds, 50 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
1) heel clicks
2) 1 commando plank, 2 knee tucks, 2 reptiles
3) 10 hi knees, jump tuck across
4) squat jump push ups
5) side plank knee tuck (right side)
6) plyo lunge (right leg)
7) Side plank knee tuck (left leg)
8) plyo lunge (left leg)
9) divebomber burpees
10) Alternating bent knee lifts with proper diaphragmatic breathing and belly pump*
THEN…
2 rounds, 50 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
1) tire run
2) lunge-up burpees
3) squat with leg lift, squat jump (right leg)
4) rolling pushups
5) squat with leg lift, squat jump (left leg)
6) Lunges: 3 pulses forward, 3 pulses back, 3 switch lunges
7) single leg glute bridge (right leg)
8) jugglers
9) single leg glute bridge (left leg)
10) Alternating arm/leg lift and tuck from knees first round; jackknives on ball round 2
*for more info on diaphragmatic breathing and belly pumping for before, during and after pregnancy to restore your core function and optimize it, regardless of stage in life, contact me!
Anyway, other than that, there’s been more kombucha making, nutrition contract work, webinar recordings, consults, playground outings, personal training studying, regular workouts, and baby kicks. I’ve also started making my own face/body lotions/cleansers in an effort to help my skin be happier. Not sure how they’re all working yet, as it’s ony been a few days, but overall, my skin feels good and I like knowing that I’m not putting any chemicals on my skin and it didn’t cost me a fortune! Speaking of my crappy skin…just passed the half-way mark for my 21 day sugar-free challenge! It’s definitely been just that…a challenge! There are soooooo many sources of added sugar – breads, crackers, goldfish crackers, condiments…it’s really made me more aware of all the added sugar around and more determined to generally avoid it, but it also makes figuring out what to eat a bit challenging. Dates and peanut butter have become much larger staples in my diet! I posted a picture of some delicious pumpkin muffins I made the other day over on my instagram account (aub_the_rd) that I made with homemade date paste instead of any sugar. They were stellar and it was awesome to know that they were so nutritious and good for me! I was more than happy to let N have some, except that meant fewer for me…
Workouts… still going strong with some intense Hiit workouts. Some days, I definitely feel the added effort to do them while nearly 7 months pregnant, but everything generally feels good. I did do a “gentler” workout the other day instead of another Hiit workout, like I typically would, as my body just felt tired and in need of something less dynamic. It was a good choice and I felt great again today when I powered through a 40 minute Hiit workout (I’ll post it below). I’m also trying to be sure to do my Spinning Babies exercises at least once a week to help baby girl get into optimal position for birth.
This week’s dinners:
Saturday – buffalo chicken “French” breads; used leftover chicken, made homemade buffalo sauce, and put it on some toasted ciabatta with cheese. Added a side salad for a great, quick meal.
Sunday – Venison meatballs with Greek flare. Served with a cumin cilantro yogurt sauce and a side salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and a little blue cheese, dressed in a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Monday – Stuffed Peppers; rice, pumpkin puree, mushrooms, onions, and ground venison, sprinkled with parmesan cheese and served with a side salad.
Tuesday – Baked Sweet Potatoes with a kale/cabbage/avocado slaw and pumpkin and sesame seeds. This was tasty, but not one of our favorites.
Wednesday – Sausage, pepper, and mushroom risotto with a side salad.
Thursday – The boys are likely having leftover risotto…I’m heading out for a rain barrel workshop and will be the proud owner of our very own rain barrel to water the garden with by the end of the night!
Friday – Something out…Husband and I typically order something that I run out to pick up while he puts N down so we can have a little “date night” after N goes to bed!
Breakfasts continue to be yogurt bowls piled high with fruit and ground flax or the occasional smoothie. I discovered I could use date paste in my smoothies to sweeten instead of whole dates, making for a smoother, more pleasing consistency in the final product! When I use a lot of fruit in my smoothies, I don’t tend to add any sort of sweetener, but I don’t usually have “fruit” smoothies, as I usually do a spinach/avocado/raw cocoa combo of some sort, which DEFINITELY needs some sort of sweetener!
Lunches for husband continue to be BLTs with avocado. N has some mix of fruit/veggie, protein, and fat. Often cheese or avocado and turkey or chicken. He eats a TON of fruit and most veggies, so we just offer him a good variety every day. Me? Well, I’m usually focused on getting N fed and then down for a nap, so my lunches are super variable. When I’m out working and my mom’s here with him, I still often do a Whole Foods salad, but when home, it’s very often peanut butter and dates or a smoothie.
Ok. So, that’s my week and my day! I’m off to do some contract work for a hospital account I’m working with, some fitness certification stuff, and follow-up with some clients. Hope you’ve all had a great week! And if you haven’t, follow me on Instagram to see what I’m eating, doing, and loving!
Today’s workout, slightly adapted from Christine Salus, youtube.com:
2 rounds, 50 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
1) heel clicks
2) 1 commando plank, 2 knee tucks, 2 reptiles
3) 10 hi knees, jump tuck across
4) squat jump push ups
5) side plank knee tuck (right side)
6) plyo lunge (right leg)
7) Side plank knee tuck (left leg)
8) plyo lunge (left leg)
9) divebomber burpees
10) Alternating bent knee lifts with proper diaphragmatic breathing and belly pump*
THEN…
2 rounds, 50 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
1) tire run
2) lunge-up burpees
3) squat with leg lift, squat jump (right leg)
4) rolling pushups
5) squat with leg lift, squat jump (left leg)
6) Lunges: 3 pulses forward, 3 pulses back, 3 switch lunges
7) single leg glute bridge (right leg)
8) jugglers
9) single leg glute bridge (left leg)
10) Alternating arm/leg lift and tuck from knees first round; jackknives on ball round 2
*for more info on diaphragmatic breathing and belly pumping for before, during and after pregnancy to restore your core function and optimize it, regardless of stage in life, contact me!