true confessions of a mom and her guilt

Yesterday as I was leaving my OB-Gyn appointment with all three of my young kids in tow, my doctor made the kindest comment to me. Before I share it with you, though, I need to set the scene:

The baby was screaming in his stroller with snot running down his nose. The two-year-old was trying to put his toy laptop in the basket of the stroller, effectively tripping me and getting his foot run over in the process. The four-year-old was asking questions about my "yearly exam" while standing directly in the path of my stroller in that narrow hallway. I tried to answer her as vaguely as possible over the din of my unhappy baby while smiling apologetically at the nurses. 

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december favorites

One thing I've never really known how to do in my adult life is to bake a chicken breast. I understand it's incredibly basic, but I lived in fear of the undercooked chicken. 

In a quest to stay on track with my health during the holiday season, I was determined to prepare some seasoned chicken I could use in salads and wraps for lunches, so I used the recipe from The Kitchn, and I was not disappointed! I used the Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime seasoning.

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how to avoid new year's resolution cliches (and my word for 2018)

Welcome to 2018! Where do you fall on the spectrum of New Year's Resolutions? Are you a goal-setter? Do you set an intention or pick a word? Do you avoid the subject altogether, and think of it as just another day?

Personally, I feel no need to wait for January 1st to start striving for new goals. However, it's hard to deny the pull of a fresh start: new year, new month, new week, new everything! 

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how to find the best meal replacement shake for weight loss and good nutrition

Meal replacement shakes are a hot topic, especially when we know so much about the importance of whole foods and clean eating. What most people don't realize is that no matter how much they meal prep, buy organic food, and eat clean, they may still be missing key vitamins and minerals, causing them to feel sluggish or not see the results they're looking for such as weight loss or building lean muscle. 

Schedule

 

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finding my momiform

The weather in Florida lately has been pleasantly chilly, and we've been reveling in the chance to wear pants and long sleeves. Ever since we moved here two years ago, it hasn't really gotten cold until at least February, and even then the chill only lasted for a few days. 

Temperatures in the 60s and 70s are prime mom uniform weather, and these days my "momiform" starts with a base of black leggings or black skinnies. Almost any top looks good paired with them, and they can be dressed up or down. 

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november favorites

Wow. November was a month packed full of activity for us. It sure was busy, but we also enjoyed plenty of down time during Thanksgiving week, so I count that as a win! This month I have been focusing on slowing down and savoring small moments with my kids, like bubble baths, baking cookies, and doing silly voices before bed.

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gift guide for fitness-loving moms

If you ask most moms of young kids who are "working on their fitness," there is very little time or money to spend on their health habit. Of course as moms we make due with what we have, but it often means skimping on equipment we could use or washing and rewearing the same workout clothes multiple times a week.

If you have a woman in your life who also happens to be a mom, and if she loves all things health and fitness (or wants to), here are a few items she may not spend the money on herself that would make the perfect gift.

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holiday game plan

I've never been good at doing holidays. I'm a classic under-buyer, so I hate spending money on decor. I'm a very type B personality, and love winging it when it comes to plans. So what ends up happening is that a holiday rolls around, and I haven't decorated, haven't done any seasonal activities with my kids, and haven't prepared how we're going to celebrate.

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MuTu System Final Review

The "mummy tummy." The "pooch." The C-section "shelf stomach." 

Honestly, all of these phrases make me shudder, and if you're a momma who can't figure out how to get rid of that post baby belly, you understand! It's super frustrating to lose all the baby weight and still look 4 or 5 months pregnant. It's disheartening to exercise your hardest only to make your stomach look even more bloated than before. It's emotional to get dressed every day avoiding half of your closet because it highlights your stomach pooch.

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October Favorites

Happy November! Hope everyone had a fun week celebrating Reformation (it's a Lutheran thing)/Halloween/All Saints Day/Día de los Muertos or any other celebration that I missed. 

It's been a hot second since I've written any posts for the ol' blog. Baby Lewis hasn't been sleeping much, so I try to go to bed shortly after he falls asleep at night. This cuts down drastically on my work time, and nap times (when I can get the boys' naps to synch) are spent helping people get started on their nutritional rebalancing systems or working on freelance writing. 

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sacrificing creativity at the feet of motherhood

I vividly remember reading in Stephen King's memoir On Writing about how when he and his wife, Tabitha, were first married and struggling financially, he would lock himself in the laundry room to write whenever he had free time. I was 15, maybe 16 years old when I read that book, but the image has always stuck with me. I suppose it's because I found it incredibly romantic - the aspiring author dedicated to his craft, sacrificing everything to get the words out on paper. I wanted that. 

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7 tips for getting a breastfed baby to take a bottle

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SimplyBonding #CollectiveBias

The funny thing about parenting is that the longer you do it, the more you realize how little you know. Breastfeeding my first two babies came with its share of struggles, but bottle-feeding was one thing I had down pat. I started out nursing each of them, but ended up needing to supplement with formula around the 6-month mark both times because of weight gain issues. Both took a bottle with ease. We didn’t need to try different brands or warm up the bottle, and I scoffed when I saw parents going to great lengths to make the bottle just right for their baby.

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6 foods to energize sleep deprived moms

Let me begin by saying that before I had my third child, I was the mom you wanted to punch in the face. Babies 1 and 2 were excellent sleepers right from the start. They were both sleeping through the night by 3 months, and never experienced any regressions. I couldn't necessarily relate to the fatigue other new moms were experiencing. 

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Pipisms - things my 4-year-old says

Oh, you guys. We are so blessed to have a chatterbox for our first child. This sweet girl could talk your ear off, and never even notice that your eyes glazed over 10 minutes ago. She's precocious and gregarious -  a deadly and hilarious combination in a 4 year old. Pippa has never met a stranger, and we love her for it. 

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Emily KrausefamilyComment
easy meal prep for busy families

Research shows that we are much more likely to form a habit if it's convenient. The less time, effort, and decision-making we have to do, the easier it is to stick with an activity we know is good for us. Never have I found this to be more true for me than in the kitchen. If I make a pan of cookie bars and they're sitting on the counter, I won't give it a second thought: I'm cutting off a square and eating it immediately. If, instead, I have fruit neatly cut up in containers or a basket of crisp red apples on the counter, I'm having a much healthier snack.

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Healing Diastasis Recti - Reviewing the MuTu System 6 weeks in

I first discovered I had diastasis recti about 8 months after I had my second child. I had just finished nursing him, and was already back to my pre pregnancy weight, but noticed I still looked a few months pregnant. I figured I would be able to work off the belly fat through more strenuous workout, clean eating, and nutritional cleansing. 

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