February Favorites

What a lovely month February has been.

Here's a few of our most loved February moments:

Who loves a good treadmill workout? We do!

Wouldn't you love to eat this healthy spinach egg white omelette, like, right now?

I'm still loving my junk counter organization. It's made my life a little calmer.

March is going to be so Springy and green. We are excited to celebrate our blogiversary NEXT WEEK! If that's not reason enough to be excited about March then I don't know what is.

Happy Friday, friends!

Fruit & Veggie Pops

This is the winter that never ends... yes, it goes on and on my friends....

Seriously, friends. Here in MN we are in yet another blizzard! Since January, we've had a blizzard nearly every week and I am longing for the days of green grass, wagon rides, iced coffee on my front porch, and sunshine!

In hopes that warmer weather will be on the way soon, I whipped up a batch of fruit and veggie pops for my kiddos. It's a great way to get some good nutrition into the kids without them "knowing" and what kid doesn't love to have a freezer full of popsicles- even in the dead of winter?

Here is the recipe I used this morning- berry cool pops. It's the perfect mix of healthy fat (coconut milk), antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It's also gluten and dairy free!

Berry Cool Frozen Pops
makes about 6 pops

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 generous handful of spinach leaves
1/2 ripe banana
1 cup frozen mixed berries
drizzle of honey to taste

1. Blend coconut milk and spinach leaves until smooth.

2. Add banana, mixed berries, and honey to spinach/milk mixture. For the honey, I usually drizzle a couple turns around the blender.

3. Blend until well combined and there are no chunks of fruit left and the mixture has turned purple.

4. Pour into popsicle molds, freeze, and enjoy!

Substitutions: You could certainly substitute the coconut milk for whole milk. Almond milk would probably work here, too, but might give the pops a slightly nutty flavor.

I got the popsicle molds on Amazon. Click HERE to get all the details on them- they are awesome molds!

I'll be sharing more of my frozen pop recipes soon- there is a whole world of possibilities out there beyond adding greens to your smoothie!

Until then, stay warm friends and visualize the beach! :)

Crunch-less Ab Workouts

One great thing about Pinterest is that there is an abundance of great ideas. Now that I'm starting to think about summer, I'm also starting to think about my abs. :-) Funny how that association works... Anywho, in an attempt to keep my workouts interesting and efficient, I turn to Pinterest for good ideas.

I've mentioned before that I always try to keep my core tight, belly button pulled in towards my spine, but when it comes to toning those muscles you need to dedicate some exercises towards your tummy. There are a few Clean&Lean Exercises that work but this time of year I like to do a little more.

These two sources are on our Pinterest board for Quick and Easy Workout Ideas and I find myself referencing them when I get off the treadmill and have 5-10 minutes to dedicate to toning my abs. I've linked the sources which also happen to be where the pictures came from. This isn't a sponsored post, the opinions are my own but the pictures are from the sites I link to...

This picture is from women's health magazine. The exercise they suggest are a great quick reference- if you only have a few minutes and you have some free weights {use some soup cans if you don't have weights}. I love the suggestions because they target all your ab muscles- upper, lower, and sides.

Next up is a great resource if you have a little more time and a few simple things- medicine ball, stability ball, flex bands. Even if you don't have the equipment, you can still modify most of these exercises compiled by FitSugar. And with 25 exercises to pick and choose from there's something for everyone!

Hope everyone has a great Monday!

Sensible Starbucks: Top 5 Sensible Espresso Drinks

Hi, I'm Jessica and I'm a little obsessed with Starbucks. I may or may not have visited there daily after my twins were born 4 years ago. I may or may not have visited twice a day, most days of the week for their first year of life. I may or may not drive 40 minutes to the nearest one and then drive right back home (I used to live in So. Cal, so they were abundant there. Middle of nowhere in MN... not so much.) I may or may not still be obsessed. I'll leave that up to you to decide. :)

It seems coffee is the go-to for us moms. Perhaps it's the caffeine. Perhaps it's the comfort of knowing it's something that is yours and yours alone. Perhaps it's just the "it" thing in mommyhood... or life in general.

Either way you slice it, coffee drinks- specifically the specialty type- can actually be super high in sugar and calories. After I realized how many calories I was using on my winter fav- decaf, skim, white chocolate, peppermint mocha- I decided to do a little investigating to see what drinks were a little lighter on calories.

Every other time I hit Starbucks I try to do a more "sensible" drink. That way I'm still indulging in my favorites, but feeling good knowing I'm making a better choice half of the time. Oh, and I'm not going to Starbucks every day anymore, so that helps too.

If you're not feeling "sensible" every time you visit Starbucks, I don't blame you! It's so goooood! Maybe just talk yourself into a smaller size- seems sensible enough for me. ;)

20-minute Treadmill Intervals + Easy Ways to Step it Up

I love my treadmill. I know exactly how far I'm running, and I can stop whenever I want and not have to worry about getting back home. I can stop in the middle of a run for a bathroom break or a quick snack. Ok, ok- I don't stop for snacks, but I mean, it's a potential benefit of running on my at-home treadmill. Water, though, I do stop for if I run out. Snack... water... same kinda thing. Back to the treadmill...

It's important to keep your body guessing when it comes to any kind of workout. If you do the same workout day in and day out, your body will eventually plateau because it's used to the routine and energy required to complete the workout.

One of my favorite ways to do this is with intervals. Switching up the speed every minute or 2 keeps your body guessing and, honestly, it makes the workout go by much quicker because you have to really pay attention to switching your speed!

Here is an example of a 20-minute interval treadmill workout: 

0-1 min. 5.0

1-2 min. 5.5 

2-3 min. 6.0

3-4 min. 6.5

4-5 min. 7.0

5-6 min. 7.5

6-7 min. 8.0

7-8 min. 8.5

8-10 min. 5.5

11-12 min. 6.5

12-13 min. 7.0

13-14 min. 7.5

14-15 min. 8.0

15-16 min. 8.5 

16-17 min. 9.0

17-18 min. 5.5

18-20 min. 5.0 

3 ways to switch up this workout:

Increase your speed. Start out at 6.0 and move up in .5 increments from there. Or, start at 4.0 and vary your increments. As an example:

0-1 min. 4.5 

1-2 min. 5.5

2-3 min. 6.0

3-4 min. 7.0

4-5 min. 7.5

5-6 min. 8.0

6-7 min. 8.5

7-8 min. 9.0

8-10 min. 5.5 

Increase the incline. Increasing the treadmill incline, no matter how much, will have your body working harder and you'll burn a few more calories as a result. Try a 1.0 incline next time you do intervals! 

Increase the time between intervals. Instead of switching your speed every minute, try every 2 minutes!

Once you're ready for a challenge- increase all of these things during one interval run. Higher speed, longer interval time, and an incline? That'll get your body workin'!

Are you an outside runner or a treadmill lover? How do you switch up your runs? 

Happy running, friends!

4 Fabulous Deep Cleaning Products

I have been painting our house for what feels like forever. I have only been painting on weekends, I just finished my fourth and final weekend of painting. Yes, stick a fork in it, I'm done!

As I have been prepping for paint, I have also been cleaning. Deep cleaning. Our kitchen, dining room, living room, and bathroom. It's been a big project but, now that I'm finished, I can tell you it was worth it.

Usually, I clean with products that are as close to natural as I can get. I'm not a fan of fumes or harshness. I have a few exceptions when I am "deep cleaning". Sometimes you have to hit it with the hard stuff. My mommy machine secret is to deep clean once per season and to maintain in between with natural products, microfiber cloths, and Clorox Wipes. {If I have big messes I will pull these products out when I need to.}

{this isn't a sponsored post, just sharing what I use and my opinion- these companies have no idea who I am :)}

1. Pledge Multi Surface: using a microfiber cloth I can dust and remove finger prints, smudges, unidentified stickiness, and probably anything else off of our wooden furniture and our electronics. I love it because I can dust/clean the TV stand and move right on to the TV without having to worry about damaging the screen. It also doesn't streak on plastic- big plus.

2. Method Window Wash: I only clean all the windows when I deep clean.  I do have a few windows that get cleaned more often because they are at "dog nose level". When Method named this "window wash" they weren't kidding. I haven't found anything else that gets my windows this squeaky clean, and it's an easy clean- not a lot of elbow grease needed. This happens to be a wonderful naturally derived product (I love Method products).  

3. Comet: Old school, right? I only use this on my shower and tubs. For those spaces- I love it. It is the only thing that gets them completely clean. I use a natural product regularly, but at least once a month I get some Comet after bathtubs and showers. It's necessary. I have even tried to use the Comet spray and I don't like it as well as the green powder. Make sure you have a well ventilated area though!

4. Greased Lightening: everyday my kitchen gets wiped down with Clorox Wipes. But, when my stainless sink gets grungy I spray it with Greased Lightening- it is amazing on stainless! Every few months I use this on my countertops, stovetop, the front of the fridge and oven- anywhere that is prone to grease buildup. It cuts right through, no problem.

When you need a heavy hitter these guys will get ya through. Happy President's Day, y'all. I'm going to sit back and enjoy a freshly painted, and mostly clean, house.  Should you be using your day to clean, I wish you happy cleaning!

Healthy Spinach Egg White Omelette

I've been in a breakfast rut. I think for the past month I've switched between apple almond oatmeal (I'll post my recipe soon- it's yummy!) and eggs over-easy w/ whole wheat toast and an orange. Both delicious, but after eating these things so often in the last month I'm pretty much over it. Kind of like I'm over the ridiculous cold weather we're having this winter.

Saturday morning I woke up motivated to try something new for breakfast. After all, I had the time- no kids to rush out the door and get to school, no errands to run, and nowhere to be until the later in the  afternoon. For a minute there I thought I was dreaming- it's not like mornings are carefree like this every day!

Ok, back to breakfast.

Basically, what I came up with was an egg white spinach omelette and it was super yummy. It was also packed full of nutrition- which is pretty important for your first meal of the day.

The egg whites are packed with protein, are low calorie (48 calories for 3 whites), and have no cholesterol or fat. Egg whites are missing nutrients like b12, vitamin D, and iron- so go ahead and mix this up once in a while by adding 1 whole egg + 2 egg whites. Still much lower in calories, fat, and cholesterol than using 3 whole eggs!

Spinach is nutrient dense and loaded with nutrients like:

Vitamin A: promotes healthy vision,  boosts the immune system, and promotes healthy cell growth  (i.e. inhibits cancerous cell growth).

Magnesium: helps with body temperature regulation, detoxification, energy production, and transmission of nerve impulses- among many other things!

Spinach is also packed with vitamin K, folate, iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B2 & B6, and potassium. It's a great source of protein, fiber, and zinc, too!

Seriously, if you don't eat this leafy green, start! If you're not a fan of veggies, whip up a green smoothie with extra fruit and you won't even know the spinach is in there. Pinky promise.

Spinach Egg White Omelette 

Ingredients
3 egg whites, slightly beaten
1 handful of fresh spinach
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. parmesan cheese (mozzarella or monterey jack work here, too)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Heat skillet on medium-low and spritz with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Lightly beat egg whites in a small bowl, just until foamy. Add onion powder and spinach to egg whites, mix until combined.

3. Pour into skillet and cook 2-3 minutes, or just until it's set. Flip over and cook another 1-2 minutes.

4. Fold omelette in half and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add some fresh fruit and whole grain toast and you've got one heck of a breafkast! Enjoy!


Linking up with Kelly the Kitchen Kop at Real Food Wednesday! Go check out all the other yummy real food recipes over there!

My 5 Year Old's Room: Organized!

I've been trying to figure out the best way to keep my 5 year old's room clean. He's old enough to pick up his toys, but his room was still out of control. We needed something more...

Up until this point I have had a pretty good system, but he's old enough that I can't get away with that anymore. I decided this weekend, after I realized that there was no floor space left because he had drug out ALL of his toys, that the time had come to buy something that would be easy for him to manage.

The shelving unit I found at Target.

The 2 neutral colored cubes are from Target, too.

The metal baskets are from Hobby Lobby.

The wicker basket on top is from Pottery Barn Kids.

I left 2 cubes empty for larger things.

There is plenty of space on top for pirate ships or legos or anything else he wants to "display".

The best part is that he cleaned up himself. He used the shelf and baskets to pick up his toys, finding homes for all of them, all by himself. They might not be sorted the way I would have done it, but I'm not going to push it :-)

Mom victory.

Mountain Climber Treadmill Workout

I've been trying to mix up my treadmill workouts. I usually only get about 20-30 minutes of kid free time so I try to make the most of it! I've started "mountain climbing" twice a week. This sounds silly because, obviously, it's not a real mountain, but when you look at the incline pyramid it looks mountain-ish and when you are doing it, it feels mountain-ish. So, it'll do.

My treadmill comes with pre-programmed workouts but I rather enjoy having control over how fast I'm going and what the incline setting is at. Usually, I set my own workout.

Here's what my favorite version of a "mountain climber" looks like:
Min.     Incline     Speed
1-2         0               3.5
2-3         0               4.0
3-5         2               4.2
5-7         4               4.2
7-9         6               4.0
9-11       8               4.0
11-13    10              3.8
13-15     8               4.0
15-17     6               4.0
17-19     4               4.2
19-21     2               4.2
21-24     0               3.5

This is a good way to work your glutes and get in some good cardio.  The speed should be adjusted to what you are comfortable with- if you can go faster, go; if you need to slow it down, that's fine too. Just step at a pace that you can keep up with, but is fast enough that you breathe harder and break a sweat. If you aren't sweating by the 13 minute mark you probably aren't at a pace that is intense enough.

On the higher inclines, make sure you hang on to your treadmill so you don't lose your balance :-) Safety first.

If you have more time, stretch out the intervals. Make sure you spend enough time warming up and cooling down though!

Happy "climbing"!

Junk Counter Organization: Before and After

Confession: I have a junk counter. Yep. I sacrifice counter space in my kitchen so that we have a pace to stash mail, kids art work, random pens and tiny things we find and think we may need to use again someday. Oy.

I have learned to just tune out this counter. I am pretty good at ignoring it, I'll clean it off a couple times a month when I'm looking for something. Otherwise, there it sits in all it's junky-ness.

The past two weekends I've been painting our main living area. We have an open floor plan so the living room, dining room, and kitchen are getting a fresh coat of paint. In preparation, I started cleaning everything and organizing as I went along. The junk counter was my favorite project because it didn't take me much time and it made a huge difference!

The method I used for organizing it is the same method I use everywhere- in my car, the kids closets, my closet, etc.

First, I remove everything and sort as I go. Here you can see my piles on the kitchen table. I had a pile for receipts & bills, kids art work, pens & pencils, important papers (like the school snack calendar), things to go to other parts of the house, and a pile for trash.

Next, I started putting things back, but in a proper place.

I have never had boxes or baskets on the counter before so I got a couple of "in-boxes" at Target (one for my stuff and one for KC). To the right side of this picture (below) you can also see the small cups I used to gather pens/writing utensils and the random things I find that I know need a home- I just might not know where that particular screw or stopper came from.

I also got a wooden tray that is large enough to keep the kids' art work in. I will eventually photograph this for a kids art book, but this keeps it corralled until I have time for that. I also plugged in our phone chargers so that those chords weren't tangled anymore.

When papers come in backpacks or in the mail we are able to sort them and when the pile grows too large, we sort through. The important thing about organizing is that it works for you. This is working for us.

Here are the before and after shots again. Can you feel the chaos leaving the space? I can! :)

Before

After