This week's menu... 2/17/14-2/23/14...

So last week was an off week... I kind of planned the menu in my head, but my life was too busy to make time for a blog post.  Frankly, I'm proud of myself for getting around to it at all this week, albeit a little late...

This week's menu... 2/3/14-2/9/14...

It's only Tuesday and so much has happened this week...  Life is full of experiences to learn and grow from.

...this week's menu...

This week's menu... 1/27/14-2/2/14...

Thanks to living in an arctic tundra (otherwise known as the Chicagoland area in the winter of 2014), the kids' schools were closed today...  and will be again tomorrow.  Thus preventing my usual early week grocery shopping trip, since I can't take the little ones out in these frigid temperatures.  Hence, the first couple of meals on our menu this week...

...this week's menu...

Don't forget to breathe...

I've been doing yoga fairly often for about a year now...  When I do it regularly, not only does my body feel better (stronger and less tense), but I feel more focused and driven in life in general.

The problem that I've run into is that occasional "bad day."  We all have those days.  The days where there's just too much to do, or I'm not feeling well or I just don't feel like doing anything.  "Rest days" get me, too.  I have a bad habit of letting myself take one day off from focusing on how my body is feeling and it turns into days, weeks or even months without giving myself time for my physical and mental well-being.

Now, since the beginning of the year, I've been doing better at holding myself accountable for focusing on my health and have been doing yoga most days.  However I'm still missing days at a time and that's not what I want.  As a mother of three human being, I need to take time for myself.

I need to make a point of giving myself time to breathe.

Herein lies the challenge:  100 days of yoga!

I'm taking inspiration from my mom and a woman who made a video that has inspired her to work out everyday for 100 days (yesterday was day 15!  Go Mom!!!).

I think it's a good time to commit myself to a goal...  'cause why not today?  It doesn't have to be anything big, or crazy intense (although it should be some days!), just a way to get moving and motivate myself to build a habit.

So.  The question is, are you willing to do the same for yourself?  To allow yourself to breathe and give your body the attention it deserves?

If you want to join me, check out this group on Facebook and share what you did today!

What have you done for yourself today?

Resolutions and whatnot...

So, I figure that if I'm going to do a post about life changes and resolutions, I should probably do it before January comes to a close...

Last year, my resolution was simply to "be a better version of me."  Overall I would say that I did a pretty good job.  I lost 25 lbs (though I gained 7.5 back thanks to holiday bingeing and a new found addiction to pistachios)...  I've integrated yoga into my life...  I've done well with menu planning (and mostly sticking to it)...  I even yell at my kids [a little] less.

...but isn't that what life is about?  Being the best that you can be, doing the best that you can and trying to make changes when you realize that you were in the wrong or that thing aren't going as planned...

That's what I want my life to be, anyway.

So, I think that this year's "resolution" (if that's what you want to call it) is the same thing as last year.

I'm hoping to continue sharing what works for me -and what doesn't work- and maybe some of you will be able to learn from my accomplishments and mistakes.  A few areas that I'm hoping to continue improving upon include (but are most definitely not limited to):

• being more HEALTH conscious (it's not all about weight loss, it's about eating right and moving more as well!  Also being aware of my mental well-being! )
• being more environmentally aware (reduce, reuse, recycle more!!!)
• loving on my kids more (not reacting so much and hugging and saying, "I love you" more!)
• ORGANIZING and being honest about what should be purged!   (a constant battle in our home, myself included)
• daily journaling (even if it's just a little note on gratitude in my to-do book)

I'm sure I could keep listing off things that I would like to change/areas to grow in, but part of all of this is not overwhelming myself and just doing the best that I, as an individual/mother/human, can do.

Did you make a resolution this year?

Are there specific areas in your life (that you have control over) that you'd like to change?

This week's menu... 1/20/14-1/26/14...

...this week's menu...

Monday:  leftovers

Tuesday:  lemon chicken thighs and potage parmentier (never got around to it last week, what with a sick husband, then getting sick myself...  don't worry, a post will still be coming up on Create! Don't Consume! sometime this month)

Wednesday:  campanelle with Nikki's and my homemade marinara

Thursday:  pizza night

Friday:  BBQ sliders on pretzel rolls (the ones from Costco, YUM!) with peas (a "use what's in the freezer" meal)

Saturday:  beef and broccoli stir fry (another "use what's in the freezer" meal)

Sunday:  brats with homemade buns and corn

What's on your menu this week?

This week's menu... 1/13/14-1/19/14...

Menu planning went incredibly smoothly this week.  Country ribs were on sale last week, so I picked some up for this week...  Nikki and I did our planning for Create! Don't Consume! and I decided to try out potage parmentier (I've been reading Julie and Julia and am feeling inspired to try some classic recipes)...  and tonight we found a family pack of steak on sale.  It just all fell into place.

...this week's menu...