Slow Cooker (kinda) Enchiladas

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Maria C

I hope everyone had a great day! Despite the fact that we really don’t celebrate this “holiday”, I had the best Valentine’s day: A picnic with my funny valentine:

Normally, she would’ve been at daycare today but they called me yesterday at work telling me that she had spiked a fever-so we spent the day playing and cuddling. It amazes me that even though she feels so crummy, she can still manage to laugh and smile-I hope that she always keeps that positive attitude.

It’s been a while since I’ve made a recipe worthy of sharing. If I’m not making some sort of chili in the slow cooker, our meals usually consist of a protein (poultry or fish) vegetables, and sometimes a carb/starch. Exciting stuff happening in the kitchen…I know.

Well tonight, I wanted to mix it up and do something different, yet easy. Dealing with a sick baby who won’t nap leaves very little time for tinkering around in the kitchen. Yesterday, one of my co-workers made an enchilada casserole that was amazing and I recently saw something on Pinterest for slow cooker chicken enchiladas. So I combined the two recipes for something amazing.

I lined 5 chicken breasts at the bottom on my slow cooker and poured just enough chicken broth in the pot so that they wouldn’t burn.
I sprinkled the chicken with taco seasoning and then topped them with enchilada sauce verde along with low-fat cream cheese cubes.
I cooked them on low for 7 hours.
About an hour before I was done cooking them, I covered them with a shredded mexican cheese blend and green onions.

Instead of shredding the chicken, I found it to be easier to just put each breast on top of a tortilla and served it with a side of rice and beans. Easy peasy and very delicious. Each chicken breast ends up being 7+ points. Skipping the cheese, would set you back 5+ points, but let’s be realistic

I’m off to cruise Craigslist for some furniture to rehab! If Pinterest were my full-time job, I’d be an expert at it

Upsy Daisy, Happy Baby

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Maria C

5 months already? How did that happen? It’s crazy to think that soon we’ll be celebrating her first birthday-which I’ve already started planning out in my head.

Sleep. We’re still going strong with averaging about 10-12 hours at a time. Winning. We honestly hit the jackpot with this kid and sleep. She’s a little mover & shaker though-I’m happy we decided to put the crib bumper back on because I think she’d need to sleep with a helmet! She’s also sleeping with an afghan in her crib. I figure that it’s a safe choice as far as blankets go because it has holes in it so that if she does put it over her face, she can still breath.

Eat. We tried solids for the first time a few days ago. The woman at daycare was telling me that she was wanting to eat every two hours which is unusual for her. She didn’t seem to be satisfied with her milk that day, so I decided to try a little bit of cereal. She cried. I also put a little bit of avocado on my finger for her to taste and she loved it. It was such a little amount that I don’t know if it was the avocado itself or if she just wanted to suck on my fingers. We’re still going strong with nursing-something I’m really proud of because when I first started, I didn’t think I would last this long. I’m thinking about weening her starting at 6 months because of some upcoming trips at work :-/ A co-worker suggested that I still pump even when I’m away just to keep up my milk supply so that I can continue when I return home, BUT by that point she’ll be about 10 months. I think what I’ll end up doing is pumping and storing as much as possible and then when that’s gone, she’ll just be on formula.

Play. Madelyn LOVES her feet! She’s a pro at the “happy baby” yoga pose. She also loves to stand/sit upright and loves her Winnie the Pooh activity jumper. We can finally put her in it without having to prop her feet with a pillow. She can sit up pretty well on her own and when she does fall over she just laughs and smiles-she’s a good sport about it! She also enjoys playing airplane and likes to be lifted up really high. She’s not big on rolling over from her back to her front, but when we have her on her stomach, she’s propping her but in the air and scooting herself, almost like a little low-crawl.

I’m looking forward to new developments within the next few months and I’m pumped to start making my own baby food. We just have to get her used to eating first

2013 Goals

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Maria C

Source: theberry.com via Maria on Pinterest

2012 was the year of change. I announced on the blog that we were expecting a baby, Larry and I accepted new job positions, said goodbye to Chicago and moved back to Wisconsin (very bittersweet), and I gave birth to the most beautiful, sweetest baby girl I’ve ever known.

A year of BIG changes indeed. 2012 will be a tough year to beat, but I’m excited to see what’s in store for us. Last year, instead of doing “resolutions” per se, I decided to post a list of goals that I had hoped to accomplish. There were some goals that were successful staying healthy & more fun runs-I did what I could with my preggo belly & postpartum. And then there were those goals that could still use a little work-church on a more regular basis and quality date nights with hubs.

My main goal for 2013 is to just try to live in the moment and be happy with what’s going on in my life RIGHT NOW as opposed to planning & thinking, ‘what’s next?’ Where I am in my life right now, was not my initial plan 5 years ago-but it’s where I’m meant to be. Am I happy with the way things turned out? Ecstatic! I enjoy every minute of being a mother and wife. But about 4 1/2 years ago I was entering my last semester in college and my dream was to move to Chicago (which I did), land a fancy PR firm job in downtown Chicago (which I did NOT), live in a high-rise apartment with my boyfriend, and have a life filled with after work happy hours, workout classes and shopping. Call it what you want, but that’s what I thought my life would be like in my twenties. Not to sound cliche, but this year really did live this quote: “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”

Now that we’re settled and have decided that Wisconsin is where we will call home for a long while, we hope to purchase a home in 2013. We’ve already started looking It is both exciting & scary all rolled into one. I’m hoping that we’re in our own home by the time Madelyn turns 1.

Another goal that I hope to tackle this year is to complete the Chicago Marathon. This will be my second attempt at it. Back in 2011, I signed up for it and started preparing for it, but a bad ankle sprain mixed in with planning a wedding kept me from doing it. I’m really excited & focused this time around and I even have a buddy that says she wants to do it too!

Something that Larry & I hope to accomplish is more visits to the Windy City. I consider Chicago my second home. Because I lived there for almost 4 years, I feel like when I go back, finding my way around is just like second nature-I don’t feel like a tourist. I want Madelyn to grow up feeling the same way. It’s a great city with so much to offer!

The last big goal that I have is to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I’m in the Air Force National Guard. I joined when I was 18 so that it would help me pay for college. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’m coming up on 10 years as a guardsman which means that I only have 10 more years left until I can retire. It’s my full-time job as of right now. For the the most part I enjoy what I do, I LOVE my schedule but I do not love the fact that I can be gone for a month or two at a time, especially now that I have a child. My first deployment won’t be so horrible-it’s to a fun location and my sister will actually be coming with me, so that should help keep my mind off of things!

At the start of a new year, do you have any resolutions or do you set goals? Share! I’d love to hear about them.

The Newest Bar(re) Addiction

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Maria C

If you’ve been reading my blog, then you know that I am a big fan of barre-based workouts. When I lived in Chicago, I was addicted to going to Bar Method. Even though the workout was challenging every single time and my legs shook like crazy, I loved the way it made me feel after. I also loved it because I lost inches and toned up.

When I moved back to Wisconsin, I found a barre workout class at Danceworks-it was good but it didn’t really compare, especially for the price ($18 a class!) Since then I’ve been on a mission to add more barre style workout DVDs to my collection.

I first read about Physique 57 on Gina‘s blog. I didn’t think too much of it at the time because I was really into Bar Method and I just figured it was the same workout. Well after a few weeks of doing the same Bar Method DVD, I was starting to get bored. I needed a change of scenery, so when my grandma decided to send some birthday money my way, I knew just where I wanted to spend it.

When you log onto their website and read about the workout, it pretty much boasts the same thing that bar method does: small, isometric movements, a “lifted seat”, muscle burning and lengthening, etc. Both P57 & Bar Method originated from the Lotte Berk Method, so the general idea of them are the same. To start out, I ordered the Complete Physique 57 Kit Volume 1. What’s nice about P57 is that they offer a free 30 day trial. If for some reason you aren’t happy with the DVDs, you can send them back within the 30 days and you aren’t charged for them. The kit came with an exercise ball & 3 DVDs (classic 57 min full-body workout, express 30 min full body workout, and Arm/Ab booster 30 minute workout).

As far as a workout DVD goes, I found Physique 57 so much more challenging than my Bar Method DVD. (I’d love to be able to compare in-class versions!) Instead of using 2 & 3 lb. weights that I would with Bar Method, I used 3 & 5 lb. weights. My arms felt like noodles at the end of the “warm up”. The thigh and seat section of the DVD is no joke. I tried to keep telling myself that if I could make it through a natural birth, I could make it through this thigh set-it didn’t work…I had to stop and shake out my legs. The music with P57 is more upbeat and I also liked how the DVDs seemed a little bit more up to date than the bar method DVDs.

The 30 minute full body DVD is a good one for when you don’t have an hour to dedicate to working out. The arm portion isn’t as intense, but your legs, butt and abs still get an awesome workout (I was pretty sweaty 15 minutes into it). The arms/abs booster is a good one to pair up with cardio. Yesterday, I did some Zumba on the xbox and did the arms portion of the DVD. I can still feel it in my arms today.

The reason I enjoy barre strengthening over other types of strength training is because it can be done at home (during Madelyn’s nap time), the weights you use are light but extremely effective, and it’s the only workout where I’ve seen a noticeable difference in my body. I’ve taken body pump classes before at the gym, and although it’s a good workout I don’t find them as enjoyable.

Next fall, I hope to run the Chicago Marathon (EEK!) and my goal for 2013 is to remain injury free. In order to do this, I will need to make sure that I have to have a strong core, and thighs to help keep hips, knees and ankles in place. So along with my regular running workouts, I’ll be incorporating barre more into my weekly workouts. I’m excited and nervous about training for the full. I think I’m more nervous about how I’m going to balance my time with a new baby than I am about the distance. The good thing is, that by spring she will be old enough to go for runs in the jogging stroller and not just walks, so I can bring her with me on the easier days. The long run days will be reserved for daughter/daddy time I also have a BFF who wants to run it too!!! It’ll be nice to have someone to run with and to keep me motivated.

Anyone else have any 2013 fitness related goals? I’m not big of resolutions…only on how I’m going to make 2013 a better year than the one before. 2012 will be tough to beat though!

Dear Pregnant Self

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Maria C

Last year, during Christmas, we announced to our families that we were expecting a baby. I had just taken a pregnancy test a few days before and was shocked with the results. It was a little earlier than planned and I was nervous/scared that we weren’t ready for this and all the changes that come along with a baby. I realize now that it was silly to feel that way. My pregnancy went by so quickly (even though at the end I thought it was never going to end) and looking back there are some things that I wish someone would’ve told me.

Dear Pregnant Self-

I know this isn’t in the intial life plans right now, but remember that God’s plans are always greater than our own. As you go about the next 9 months try to always keep these things in the back of your head:

It is totally normal to feel scared, freaked out etc…This is all brand new to you and it’s the fear of the unknown. You can read as many baby books as you want (or don’t read them at all), nothing will prepare you for motherhood the way having a newborn will…and guess what? You’ll know exactly what to do.

When pregnant and given the option, always choose sleep. The dog can wait to be walked, the gym workout can be done at a later time, the laundry can wait to be folded. Sleep is your friend in the early months of pregnancy. You’re tired all the time anyway…go with it. Your body is truly telling you to rest before you can’t anymore. When you’re at your biggest and sleeping on your stomach is no longer an option and that little baby decides she wants to put her feet in your ribcage at 1am, you will have wished you chose sleep. Not to mention all the late night visits to the bathroom.

You’re going to gain weight. There’s no way around this. This is actually a GOOD thing. It means that your little baby is getting healthier and stronger. You can continue to remain as active as you want-this will actually help offset the fatigue. The number on the scale doesn’t define who you are and your baby isn’t going to care how much you weigh. And the good news? You will lose a lot of this weight shortly after delivery.

You’re not a celebrity so don’t hold yourself to such standards. The “baby weight” will not fall off overnight And THAT’S OKAY. In real life, there are no nannies, personal chefs or trainers. It’s just you, that baby and your husband.

Labor. It will be intense. It will be fast. Physically, it will be the hardest thing you ever do. But it will be worth 110% worth it.

before things really started to kick off You think you love that baby now? Oh man just you wait. Words can’t even describe-so I’m not going to try. There is no love like the love you have for your child. Once that baby is born, you will finally understand the true meaning of “unconditional love”. It’s a different kind of love than what you have for anyone else-even your husband…

Speaking of the love for your husband. It will triple once you see him become a father to your baby girl. You will see a whole new side of him and it will make you fall in love all over again.

Remember that these next 9 months go by fast so cherish every single moment. Both the good and the bad. Remember at the end when all you wanted is for the baby to just come out? After the baby has arrived, you will be in the grocery store, see a pregnant lady and say to yourself, “I miss that.” Just you wait.

Rolly Polly

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Maria C

Happy 4 months of life to my blue-eyed beauty. The girl LOVES to smile at her mama, but as soon as the camera is in front of her face, she does this:

Time seems to fly even faster when you have a child. This past weekend, I was putting away all of her clothes that she’s outgrown and I couldn’t believe how small she started out. When I look at her now, it’s hard to remember her as a 7 pounder. We took her to her 4 month check up and all is well. She’s in the 80th percentile for weight and 70th for height.

Sleep. Since baby girl’s been 3 months she’s been averaging about 10 hours of sleep a night. This is great, except the new bed time has moved from 9:30-10pm to 8 pm. What does this mean for mama? Getting up at about 6:30 am on my days off. It’s hard to be mad about it when you’re waking up to the happiest baby ever.

Eat. Two weeks ago, I gave her formula for the first time because I didn’t have enough breast milk stored up. We gave her a milk-based formula and the daycare lady told me that she had been unusually gassy. For the most part, I try to stay away from dairy because it’s pretty hard on my stomach, so she hasn’t gotten a lot of exposure to it. I told the nurse about the gas and she said it could be the dairy in the formula. I try to breastfeed and pump as much as I can on the weekends to help increase my supply for the week. Even though she’s intrigued by the act of sitting down and eating dinner, our doctor told us to hold off giving her solids until she’s at least 6 months. The longer I keep her on just milk, the better. She said that if she’s sleeping fine and seems satisfied after eating, there’s no need to rush it. I was happy to hear this. On one hand, I’m really looking forward to that stage and watching her have fun with food, but on the other hand it’s just a reminder on how quickly she’s growing up.

Play. Madelyn loves rolling over from her front to her back. I’m still waiting for the feet in the mouth moment. She knows that they’re there, but she hasn’t made the connection. She’s a really good supported sitter and can hold herself up pretty well before she falls over. She prefers to stand and can pull herself up like a champ. Madelyn is a little mover and a shaker. When she is put on her stomach, she tries so hard to crawl and clearly gets frustrated when she doesn’t go anywhere. I have a feeling that when she does start crawling we’re going to get a run for our money.

What she loves. She still can’t get enough of those fingers. Her Winnie the Pooh activity bouncer-we put her in it for the first time yesterday and even though she’s still not tall enough (we prop her feet with a pillow), she has a blast in that thing. She even knows how to turn herself around in it.

Another big love? The Christmas tree lights! Here’s a video of her babbling away when I laid her under the tree for a photo sesh This is pretty much how she is every single day. My heart melts.

Happy 4 months to my baby girl! I love you more than you’ll ever know.

Numb.

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Maria C

It’s been a while since I posted, and initially I came on here to post a recipe for the vegan/gluten free chocolate chip cookies that I baked this morning that were pretty awesome, but my head and my heart just aren’t there right now.

Madelyn woke me up this morning at 6:30. Normally on a Saturday, I would lay there and listen to her on the monitor and pray that she would fall back asleep for just a little bit longer. That was not the case today. I sleepily stumbled to where my girl was singing away and smiling in her crib. I brought her back to my bed to feed her, cuddle with her and just be. I laid there and listened to her sing me songs and tell me stories-it was the best morning I’ve had in a long time.

I refuse to turn on the TV today. I prayed that when I woke up this morning, that yesterday’s events had been just a bad dream. I was in 8th grade when the Columbine shooting happened. I remember watching it on TV and thinking why would someone do this? Throughout my years in middle and high school we had a few bomb scares, where we’d have to evacuate the building and after the first few, it just became an inconvenience and I thought nothing of it.

I was at work when a coworker came and told me that there was a shooting at an elementary school. I honestly thought nothing of it. We figured it was an angry boyfriend/husband situation. It wasn’t until I sat down at my computer and saw what was actually happening. I sat on the internet and watched the news sites report an increasing death count of children. Young, innocent children and my heart sank. I started to feel sick to my stomach. I called Madelyn’s daycare just to see how she was doing. She got her shots yesterday, so I just asked how she was doing with those but in reality I just wanted to hear that she was okay. I spent the rest of my day watching the clock go by.

When I picked her up from daycare, I sat there and hugged her for a really long time and gave her a million kisses. The daycare lady gave me a sympathetic look, she knew. When we got home Larry had the news on and I couldn’t help but break down and cry. I cried for those poor innocent children whose lives were taken before they even began. I cried for those parents who went home without their child and whose lives will never be the same. The parents who have to spend this Christmas without their little one. And I cried for our country and the future of this country that my daughter will grow up in. As a society we’ve become so numb to this sort of thing. It wasn’t until it happened to group of innocent children that I truly felt something.

I’ve only been a mother for 4 months and I can’t even begin to imagine what those parents are going through right now. And I pray to God that I never will. This tragedy is just another reminder that every breath we take, every day that passes, is a gift and can be taken away at anytime. Don’t take it for granted. Live in the moment and love to the fullest everyday.

Spaces

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Maria C

A few weeks ago I posted about my lack of discipline with tracking Weight Watchers points just via E-Tools and I blogged about whether or not I would just switch back to MyFitnessPal because it’s FREE and it does work. I tried it for about a week, and yes I did lose some weight but I also noticed that my milk supply was decreasing. Instead of just giving up on the weight loss effort altogether, I quit doing Weight Watchers just online and I joined their weekly meetings + e-tools. My first week was actually the week of Thanksgiving (what was I thinking?!) I did end up gaining, but only .4lbs. When I went last week, I was down 3lbs. Success. I also noticed that my milk supply was back to normal.

With Weight Watchers I get a daily points allowance of 44. That includes the 14 extra that they give moms who are exclusively breastfeeding. When Madelyn starts eating solids (which might be any day now), I will subtract 7 points from that total, because I will be breastfeeding but supplementing. When I plan out my meals, the 44 points is more than enough. One evening, I had 15 points leftover so hubs ran to DQ and got me a carmel sundae. Probably not the smartest way to spend 12 points, but I really wanted ice cream and I could have it without sabotaging my efforts.

I attend the meetings every Monday morning with a bunch of older grandma types, and I really enjoy it. Last week, I brought Madelyn with me and everyone just loved her One of the topics of last week’s meeting was creating Safe Spaces. They focused on home, work, dining out, etc. I carry apple slices in my purse and in my kitchen I’ve gone through all of our packaged stuff (yogurt, nut butters, hummus, trail mix etc) and I’ve written the points value on everything that I possible can. The most important thing I learned was how big of a deal planning is. You are allowed 49 “extra” points throughout the week. You can choose not to use them or use them as you need them. We are going out for my father in-law’s birthday dinner tomorrow and I will probably dip into my extra points for the meal. I have decided yet if I’m going to treat it as a normal meal or a treat for myself. I’ve been pretty good this week so I’m leaning towards treat

The meetings keep me accountable with weekly weigh-ins, provide great support and awesome advice from other members. One of my biggest problems is that I really like to come home from work and snack on random stuff in the kitchen or snack on things as I’m cooking or baking. And because I’m picking here and there I don’t count points, which I should because those bites count for something. So now, when I come home from work I try to remember to stick a piece of gum in my mouth so that I won’t snack or I grab an apple or some veggies and hummus from the refrigerator.

Weekly Weight Watchers meetings are also a great source for new, healthy recipes. I bought their salted carmel smoothie mix because it sounded heavenly, and my leader told me about smoothie pancakes-a pack of the salted carmel mix with 3 egg whites and a teeny bit of water just to thin it out.

You prepare and cook them like pancakes and they turn out similar to the consistency of crepes. With the salted carmel smoothie mix, no syrup is necessary because they’re already sweet and you’ve got 3-4 smoothie pancakes for a total of 3 points. Add a banana or apple and you’ve got yourself a nice little breakfast I’ve made them the night before and I reheat them at work the next day in the microwave and they’re just as good-creating safe spaces at work!

I’m off to earn some activity points-today we’re moving my mom into her new house Have a great weekend!

Month 3-A gift for Gab

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Maria C

I can’t believe I’m writing this post. Time seems to go faster as you get older-throw a baby into the mix and it just flies. Already, the first month of her life seems like such a blur and I’m so thankful that I have this blog to reference back and remember. A co-worker of mine has a 5 week old and while we were at lunch a few days ago, it was relieving to hear that I wasn’t the only one who thought the first month was the hardest. Right now she feels like there’s just no end in sight, but I reassured her that it DOES get better and so much more fun. I hate to hear about people having a tough time but that the same time it’s nice to know that you’re not alone.

Sleep. So today I got a pleasant surprise-Madelyn slept for 12 hours!!! And I finally got 8 hours of peaceful sleep. I don’t remember the last time I slept for more than 6 hours (which I really shouldn’t complain about with a newborn). Since going back to work, I’ve been averaging about 5 hours of sleep. After I get her to bed, I get things ready for daycare the next day. I really hope that she keeps up the longer stretches of sleep during the weekends. I woke up feeling refreshed today and only needed to stop at Sbux because of their 2 for 1 holiday drinks

Eat. I can’t wait to start giving her solids and introducing her to new foods. She’s getting to the point now where she doesn’t want to be in her chair during dinner time-she wants to be up at the table with us. Her eyes get so huge when she watches us eat our “grown up” food. Breastfeeding is still going really well. I get to pump at least twice a day at work and I’ve avoided formula the past 3 months. I’m not opposed to it, but I’m really proud that I’ve been able to keep her on straight breast milk. My goal is to breastfeed for at least 6 months-we’ll see what happens after that.

Play. Every morning, when I wake Madelyn up for daycare, I am greeted with a big smile. It’s the best possible way to start out my day. When I take her over to the changing table, she sits and tells me all about her dreams and even sings me a song from time to time. It’s the best sound in the world. Occasionally, she’ll even blow bubbles with her mouth. Today, during tummy time, she lifted herself up and turned onto her back.

What she loves. Her hands. I cannot keep them out of her mouth. Her mama A few weeks ago, my mom was holding her and I came up along side her and Madelyn flung her body reach toward me. She definitely knows who I am & that’s a good feeling. She also loves hearing herself talk…definitely her father’s daughter!

Me-3 Months postpartum. So today I had my first postpartum body breakdown. I was at Kohls’ with my family doing some shopping, trying to find something to wear for Madelyn’s baptism. Nothing I liked fit me and it was pretty depressing a big reality check that my body is not what it used to be. I came home and just started balling. Larry asked me what was wrong and I through my sobs I said, “Nothing fits me anymore!!!” Waaah! While this may be true to some point, things just fit me differently. I have a pair of jeans that are actually too big for me now (they fit prior to getting pregnant) and I have jeans that fit me before the baby that I can’t fit into right now. It’s weird and I’m still getting used to it. I still have about 5 pounds left to go before I get down to my pre-pregnancy weight and about 20 pounds until my goal weight. I have an awesome husband who I could tell wanted to laugh at my overreaction, but instead took me in his arms and reminded me that my body just did something pretty awesome and it’s not going to bounce back overnight.

She is pretty awesome and one of my greatest accomplishments. She has taught me so much about myself in the past three months and I thank God for her every single day.

In the past Few Weeks…

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Maria C

One thing I’ve learned since going back to work full-time? Weekly blogging with a newborn is pretty impossible for me. My day starts out at 4am: I pump, get ready for work, get little miss up and ready for daycare, feed her, make myself some coffee and we’re out the door at 5:50ish a.m. I drop her off at daycare around 6 and am at work by 6:30 am. I work 10 hour days and am lucky enough to have an hour a day to workout-so really it ends up being about a 9 hour day. I leave work between 4:30-4:45pm to pick up Madelyn from daycare and I get home around 5pm. When I get home, I get settled in, make dinner, spend time with my husband & baby and start our bedtime routine around 8:30-9. I’m usually in bed around 9:45-10. Sleep & repeat. It’s a very long day but it’s worth the 3 day weekend I get to enjoy

Since my last post we’ve had some pretty eventful things happening here:

1. Madelyn came down with a cold and got so congested that we ended up at an Urgent Care. The little girl had such a hard time breathing it scared the bejeezus out of Larry and me.

2. Whatever germs Madelyn picked up from daycare, she decided to share with the rest of us and we all took turns being sick the past few weeks.

3. I celebrated 28 years of life. After a certain age, birthdays stop being exciting. I was at the tail end of a really bad cold this year and we had drill the following day, so I spent my birthday with my family eating pizza, drinking wine & snacking on birthday cake. It was perfect.

4. I ventured down to Chicago with my husband and mom and we ran The Hot Chocolate 5k. It was my first run postpartum and it felt really good. I ran with my mom whose pace is just a tad slower than mine-but I wasn’t trying to set any PR with this little race. My only goal was to have fun-which I did!

5. I’ve had a not so great few weeks of tracking my weekly weight watchers points. The good news is I haven’t gained any weight. Bad news? I haven’t lost weight either. Another blogger pointed out to me that MyFitnessPal DOES take into account breastfeeding so I may be switching back to that because A-it’s free and B-I had success with it before I got pregnant.

6. I found an “in studio” barre class to take in the Milwaukee area. I liked it, but I want to try another class during the week before I give a full review.

7. Hubs and I spent the night in Chicago this weekend for some much needed husband/wife time. My mom kept Madelyn for us while we wined and dined in the Windy city. It was hard leaving her behind but I had peace of mind knowing she was at home and in good hands. We found a good price on hotwire.com and stayed in a really nice hotel located right off of Michigan Ave.

Larry took me on a little shopping spree and out to dinner at RPM Italian. I’m a HUGE fan of Giuliana & Bill so I was super excited to try out their new restaurant. Like every other Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, it did not disappoint. The food was awesome, the service was spectacular, and the atmosphere was very Modern without being too pretentious. Their entrees were made to share which I like when you have a small group because then you get to try a variety of foods. It was a fun getting all dressed up to go out. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that and Chicago is the perfect city for it.

I’m off to browse through the Thanksgiving issue of the Food Network magazine. I’m hosting for the first time this year and I’m pretty excited/nervous! Wish me luck!

Pumpkin pie is a must-have at our Thanksgiving dinner. Larry loves it! I love mixing cranberry sauce and stuffing together the day after.

What’s your favorite/must have Thanksgiving entree?

Healthy Tidbits

Tidbits from my life, the kitchen & everything in between

Author Archives: Maria C