Keeping my littles little for a little longer

I was at Costco a couple weeks ago (which was the last week of June) and I was absolutely horrified because they had HALLOWEEN stuff out!!!! All I could think was "are you freaking kidding me?! I am just now getting into the summer routine of pool, beach, sprinklers in the front yard, tan skin, light hair and you want to shove me into fall?!"

I realized that this is not really Costco's fault, they are just capitalizing on the demands of their customers. This is a bigger problem, its a society problem.

These days everything is always in such a hurry. There is so much focus on "the next thing" whether it be the new iphone coming out or something as simple as waiting for the next season to come along. 

Being content where you are, with what you have, has become obsolete. 

I find it so sad when I see kids looking at their phone or ipad instead of playing with each other

My point here is that society rushes children into the next thing as quick as they do the next fashion trend. Kids are not allowed to be kids, they go straight from being a toddler to being a mini adult with a cell phone and ipad and having role models like Miley Cyrus and Lyndsay Lohan.... It scares me.

My message is to slow down, people. Stop where you are and embrace it. Enjoy the journey, keep your kids little by taking away all the noise.... Limit the TV, take away the phone and ipad. Talk to them about life, tell them stories. Leave them with their thoughts and let them be bored! Boredom sparks creativity.

Let your littles be little a little longer than most <3

This instead of that: Taco night!

I don't know about all of you, but Taco Night is very popular at my house. We eat tacos for dinner at least a few times a month, and I love making them too because it takes 10 minutes and is an easy clean up.

Well, when I started eliminating all the unhealthy stuff in my pantry I realized that tacos would definitely not make the cut. Noooooooooo! I can hear their cries now! Well I came up with some darn good substitute taco making stuff so I wouldn't be slowly poisoning my family at the dinner table.

I will start by telling you about the shells.... Like most people, I previously used the Old El Paso shells. They are made of corn, they can't be that bad right? Wrong! Corn is one of the worst possible things to eat, unless its organic, and even then I try to buy it as seldom as possible.

The problem is that 88% of corn in the US is genetically modified. What does that mean? Well without making this blog 85 pages long, I will tell you that when lab rats were tested and fed a diet of only genetically modified corn, they grew huge tumors all over their bodies, became infertile and died prematurely...

GMO food is not food at all, and the body doesn't recognize it or know what to do with it. Soooo, start small. Buy your taco shells at a health food store and make sure they are made with organic corn (as the ones shown above.)

Taco seasoning: I have seen some great recipe on pinterest if you want to make your own, but if not just remember if you cannot pronounce an ingredient in your taco seasoning then don't buy it. Your seasoning should be only spices, if there is anything else in there it's a chemical or preservative. The one I have in the pic above passed the test in my house and is pure.

Last but not least the meat. Around here we don't eat a lot of beef. It is a special event when we do because beef is another big problem. I NEVER buy beef that isn't organic. Non-organic beef is full of hormones and antibiotics and is fed a diet of GMO corn. The best option for beef is to find some that is grass-fed, but I have yet to find a good resource for that, so we buy the organic beef from Costco.

Top your tacos off with some local, organic tomatoes, greens and onions and you have your new and improved taco night!

*Disclaimer: My husband complained that the shells did not have the flat bottoms like the "stand and stuff" ones that Old El Paso makes... LOL. If that is my biggest complaint about the change I think we are good to go!

This instead of That: Breakfast Edition

If you are anything like me then you read every label at the grocery store. You take wayyyyyy longer than you should to plan out your meals, and while you want to eat healthier, there are some things you just don't want to sacrifice in your diet!This is why I have found lots of healthier substitutions for stuff I still want to eat. 

For example, BACON! Everyone loves bacon, and if you don't I am convinced there is something wrong with you. 

The problem with bacon... it actually causes cancer. YUP, bacon causes cancer. Why? Well bacon. along with most packaged meats, contains nitrites. Nitrites are carcinogens and are used in the meats to preserve the color, but are not safe for consumption. That is the bad news...

Want to hear the good news?! You can still eat bacon! You just have to buy it without nitrites. I buy Applegate Naturals Uncured Sunday Bacon. Now, of course this doesn't mean you want to eat it for every meal, but a little bacon here or there is a beautiful thing! 

Top row are healthy alternatives to the chemical crap storm below them

Next thing you can buy a safe alternative for.... Frozen waffles. Ok, I am going to admit it. In the morning I am tired and my kids annoy me greatly until I get out of bed and feed them. The last thing I feel like doing is cooking breakfast so I try to keep easy stuff around, like frozen waffles...

Have you ever analyzed the ingredients in Eggo waffles, for example? Here is the ingredient list:

Ingredients:  Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, vitamin B1 [thiamin mononitrate], vitamin B2 [riboflavin], folic acid), water, vegetable oil (soybean, palm, and/or canola oil), eggs, leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), contains 2% or less of sugar, salt, whey, soy lecithin, yellow 5, yellow 6.

Do you know what those things are? I guarantee you probably never thought a waffle could have so many ingredients.. Yes you are reading correctly that there is ALUMINUM, oils that are genetically modified, preservatives and yellow 5&6 (which are known to cause behavioral problems.) Its basically a poison patty. That is the bad news.. 

The good news! There are other options for frozen waffles. The Nature's Path Organic ones I have pictured above are good! I know Earth's Best also makes an organic version. They are both made from real, wholesome ingredients with no GMO's, preservatives or food dye.

Last but not least, Pop Tarts. I saved this for last because it has to be the worst, in my opinion.... Here are the ingredients for those:

ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DEXTROSE, SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL (WITH TBHQ FOR FRESHNESS), SUGAR, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF CRACKER MEAL, WHEAT STARCH, SALT, DRIED STRAWBERRIES, DRIED PEARS, DRIED APPLES, CORNSTARCH, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), CITRIC ACID, CORN CEREAL, GELATIN, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL†, CARAMEL COLOR, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SOY LECITHIN, XANTHAN GUM, MODIFIED WHEAT STARCH, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, COLOR ADDED, TURMERIC COLOR, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RED #40, NIACINAMIDE, REDUCED IRON, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), YELLOW #6, RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), FOLIC ACID, BLUE #1.†LESS THAN 0.5g TRANS FAT PER SERVING

Let me ask you this, can you pronounce these ingredients?! I know I can't. Not only do these have preservatives and food dyes, but they have GMO's, hydrogenated oils, chemicals, and high fructose corn syrup. Pop tarts, my friends are NOT FOOD. They are poison. Throw them out and if you must have them try the version pictured above. Again these are Nature's Path. They are delicious and made from organic, REAL food ingredients.. 

I will give you a hint. When it comes to buying packaged food, I don't touch it unless its organic, and even then you have to be careful from time to time. I still like to indulge in the good stuff sometimes, but I want it to be real food and not poison that my body cannot recognize. When your body doesn't recognize something  as food it will cause many health problems, including cancer. Take charge of your family's health and start today!

The extra money you spend on organic, you will save in health care costs down the road! Remember that every grocery trip you make!

Fitness mommy diaries: Just say NO! to mom jeans

My husband makes fun of me because I always tell him that I don't want to look like a mom. His response is, "Well you are a mom." Why is it that when women become moms and cut their hair short, put on a bunch of weight and wear mom jeans?

 My theory is that your goal should always be to look the way you did on your wedding day (or better!)

I now have more of a reason to stay healthy than just myself and my husband. I have two (half the time 3) littles depending on me for everything, and I need to be my strongest, best self to be up for the challenge! Exercise is not only good for your body, but its good for your mind.

Me 2 months ago. Me now.

In the last couple months I have lost my last few lbs and I feel amazing! 

I cut out almost all gluten from my diet and the weight just fell off! I only exercise 2-3 times a week, but when I go, I make it count. 

I get it moms, you are exhausted. You have probably been up all night, but exercise gives you more energy and keeps you looking and feeling amazing. 

Don't fall into the mom jeans trap! Do these three things:

1.Exercise at least 3 times a week 

2.Drink tons of water (especially if you are breast feeding!)

3.Cut out gluten and limit sugar

Start today!