Moving and Grooving

Five months after Parker I can say I'm feeling like myself again. I don't really feel postpartum anymore and I'm riding the awesome motivation train that comes from 46 weeks of restricted activity. As I've noticed in the past, the more I work out the more I want to workout more. It's been great getting out to Stroller Strides with the boys or giving myself a mommy break by going on a run or going to yoga.

As technologically savvy as I am (or think I am, anyways), there is still something about writing down my workouts by hand on my workout log. It's like giving myself a little pat on the back. As you can see below, I don't go into depth. But by writing my general workout it's like I'm checking off that day - done and done. Here is how December is shaping up so far (coloring done by the striving, young artist, Landon):

One thing that I've noticed is that I am working out more days a week than I ever have. Before I was content with working out MOST days of the week... And I do still follow that theory. But now it seems that I get antsy when a day has passed without a workout. One day of rest seems to be working for this girl. But believe me, if I need more, I'll take it.

One way that I think I'm having such success with getting in my workouts (I am a mother of two) is scheduling. I can tell you right now that Thursdays I have indoor soccer, Saturday I do a Yoga 2 class, and Sunday I get my long run in for my half marathon training (other parts of the year, I have outdoor soccer on Sundays). By having these things "scheduled" my husband knows he has the kids for an hour or so and I already have three workout days checked off my week. My other days are a little less scheduled but generally Mondays and Wednesdays are allotted for Stroller Strides and Tuesdays I get another day of running in.

As I said, I'm feeling good. Running and yoga have been a great "mental break" from the demands of being home with the kids all day and I really could never give up my love of soccer.

I hope everyone has a great, safe and healthy holiday. We all know it's hard to not partake in the many treats.. so try and focus on getting moving :)

Baby Food Makin' Mama

Now that Parker has approached the exciting age of eating solids, I have decided to do something I didn't do with Landon - make all of his baby food. I am happy to say that he is yet to have a single store-bought food, and boy is he eating up everything that comes his way.

There are so many reasons why I decided to make his food. With Landon, I did make him a couple of things, but because it was after he'd had only store-bought, the natural texture that comes along with homemade food proved to be too much. Also, I was SO AFRAID I would do something wrong, or that the foods I would use wouldn't be up to the quality of the "professionals." Fortunately, I see things very differently this time around.

Making Parker's baby food means giving him the best ingredients. It means that I am in control and he will not be getting any of those unnecessary additives that can come in jarred foods. It means saving money; always a bonus. And it means that I get to train his palate to accept the real textures and tastes that come along with the healthy foods that I love.

As I've gone about making his food, two things have become very clear: it is much easier than expected, and I enjoy it.... LOVE it, in fact. The difference seems to be in thinking about his food not as "baby food," but REAL food. Foods that I love, too, and now get to share with him. It's so fun to take vegetables and split them up, half for Parker, other half for our dinner that night. And, thanks to my vegetable steamer and trusty Vitamix, it really has been easy. Here's a step by step of the carrots I made a couple weeks ago:

Delicious organic carrots:

Peeled, chopped and in the steamer:

A quick blend:

Voila! My happy customer couldn't get enough!

What I don't serve that day gets frozen for another day :)

Something else that has become very apparent is the beautiful, rich color and flavors that come along with making baby food. I remember tasting Landon's food and it having NO FLAVOR. Homemade is flavor-packed. Again, this is just preparing Parker to love the REAL foods and flavors he will eat later, in their true form. Have you ever seen store-bought peas? They are usually a darker murky green color. Check out these peas I made - I love the color:

 

Now, I'm not saying that making baby food is right for everyone. What I am saying is that I absolutely love picking out, preparing, and making the food for my little (big) man. And now, a couple more pics of my littlest man eating.... because who doesn't love seeing that?

 

In case you're wondering, here are the three books I've been using. The first Cooking for Baby is a great recipe book for the little ones from baby to toddler-dom. Feeding Baby Green is more of the theoretical approach to making homemade foods. It did a great job of explaining the "why" and, also, making me see how simple and enjoyable making your baby's food should be (it reaches from womb to toddler years). First Foods is another recipe book and what I like to think of as "Making Baby Food for Dummies."  I actually picked this up with Landon... it's getting more use this time around :)