Yogi Tea

Ummmmm.  I'm just gonna come out and say it.  All of this clean eating is slowly turning me in to a hippie.   I mean, I just ordered a nut milk bag to make my own almond milk for heavens sake. I've been researching  baby wearing and gmo's.  I might even be considering cloth diapers. GASP!   I love it though.  Its a throwback to my Oregon roots. 

 So, side note I've just realized I do that a lot.  I look like a hipster?  Its cuz I grew up in Portland.  I justify every Nike purchase because they are from my hometown.  My love of sunshine comes from growing up without any sunshine.  Oregon.  Love it. 

But back to being a hippie.  Besides being "forced" ;) to eat really delicious pizza and homemade ice cream at my baby shower, which led to the return of pms and therefore the justification of frozen yogurt and a raid on my mom's cinnamon bears stash, I have done really well.  Haha!  Eating clean has become so much more to me than getting in to booty shorts, which is a whole different post.  I love how I feel and I love the effects it has had on other areas of my life.  All those cinnamon bears gave me was some zits and a stomach ache.  I think it also made me more anxious about baby coming.  

So what is a hippie to do when faced with a stomach ache and an anxious heart?  Yoga, obviously.   I've really loved doing more yoga this year.  It challenges me to be more present and focused, and gives me determination more than any other kind of exercise I do.   So Monday night I brewed some yogi tea, sat in baby's space and refocused.  My to do list shrank.  My priorities shifted back to where they need to be. 

My stomach ache is gone.  My anxiousness has been replaced by excitement and clarity. I still have the zits but with a little help from apple cider vinegar those will be gone soon too. I highly recommend being a hippie.    

And yogi tea.  

Yogi Tea

2 quarts water

15 whole cloves

20 black peppercorns

3 cinnamon sticks

20 whole green cardamom pods, split

8 slices ginger 

1/2 tsp black tea (decaf)  

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a 3-4 quart pot. Add cloves and boil for one minute. Next, add cardamon, peppercorns, cinnamon, and fresh ginger root. Cover and boil for at least 30 minutes. For best flavor, cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, adding more water if needed.  When ready, remove from heat, add black tea and let cool. Strain tea. When ready to drink, mix 1/2 cup tea and 1/2 cup milk of choice and warm it up.  Sweeten with honey to taste.  Can be stored in the fridge or even frozen.

Yogi Tea is a health-promoting beverage and a tonic for the whole body. It strengthens the nervous system, energizes the body, clears the mind, and is both a remedy and preventive measure for colds, allergies, and other illnesses.
via Yoga Yoga

Five Things For Friday: Clean Recipes

If you don't have a foam roller can I just tell you... GO GET ONE!  It will be the best frenemy you have ever had!!

Ok guys.  You know my goal is to get in to some booty shorts at some point this year.  I've been trying really hard to keep my diet super clean.  I am on MyFitnessPal {my username is Jennwarnick} every day putting in my stuff and trying to eat a lot of veggies and protein.  I've made my diary public so you can check out what I've been eating for ideas.  I've had a couple people ask me for the recipe links of stuff they have seen me eating on there.  So here are a few of my faves I thought I'd share...

No bake energy balls from Gimme Some Oven.  

I work out first thing in the morning and since I try to stay in bed as long as possible I don't have time to eat any breakfast.  Not that I really want to either.  I'm still waking up and jumping around on a full stomach is no bueno.    So I started keeping these in the fridge.  I just grab a couple every morning on my way out the door and they give me just enough pep to make it through my workout.  She has a couple different varations on her site you should try them all out. 

Ginger Cilantro Baked Tilapia from The Kitchn

This is probably my favorite dinner right now.  It is so easy and we all love it.  Well, Ivy just likes her tilapia baked plain but loves it when I make this dinner.  I just use the frozen tilapias from Costco.  The longest part is cooking the brown rice to go with it.  

Source: biggest-loser-recipes.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Biggest Loser Pancakes

This is our new go to pancakes.  I add about a half teaspoon of baking powder to the mix.  They are really yummy and super filling.  Even Ivy who could probably win the world championship pancake eating contest only eats three.

Sweet Potato Pancakes from The Gracious Pantry

These are on my list to try.  I am loving sweet potatoes right now and these just sound way yummy to me.  If you are looking for a good source of clean eating recipes check out The Gracious Pantry.  Tons and tons of good information on there.

  
Crockpot Tortilla Soup by Chef in Training

Umm this is our favorite soup.  To keep it clean you need to nix the all the cheese and sour cream and tortilla chips.  Try making your own by just cutting up some corn tortillas and tossing with a little bit of olive oil and salt.  Bake at 400 until crispy.  We also add avocado.  I cut out the chile powder so Ivy will eat it.  I also have just used diced tomatoes and some onions instead of Rotel.  Might be awesome for the Super Bowl eh?  

Have a fun weekend!  And I'd love any other recipes that you have been loving so go ahead and share em! Also I'm thinking Monday is a good day to start Round Three of the Ruffled Sunshine 24 Day Challenge.  See ya then!

2013 Spiritual Goals

About a month ago in Relief Society we had a lesson about being good moms.  And the teacher referenced a talk that said "be brilliant at the basics".  Just that one little quote struck something in me and it has helped me decide what my spiritual goal is for this year.  

So I got out my notebook and I started making a list of the basic things in my life.   I kind of got overwhelmed.  Because under each basic thing is a million things to do to be brilliant at that one simple thing!  And next thing I knew, my list wasn't basic anymore. It was something like this.  

Be a brilliant mom

 -dont do that

 - do more of this

- teach her this

- a

-b

-c

-d

all the way to z.

And it was that way with each thing I thought I wanted to be brilliant at!  So I had to take a step back and decide what were the most important things to be brilliant at.  I want to be a brilliant mom, wife and friend/sister/daughter.  The tricky part seemed to be figuring out how to be brilliant at those things without having 1000 things on my to do list every day.  

Then I was reading in the Book of Mormon when Alma is talking to his sons.  And a scripture leaped out at me.  Its Alma 37:44 and it says...

O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it was with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so is it with us.  The way is prepared and if we will look we might live forever.

I've thought a lot about this and it is how I came up with what I need to be brilliant at.  Every week at church there are those Sunday School answers to just about every question -- read your scriptures and say your prayers. It sure sounds easy but I'll be honest I've gotten pretty lazy about those things.   I was counting reading those picture scriptures with Ivy before bed as scripture study.  And family prayer, plus little prayers here or there in my head counts as personal prayer right?   Uh, not so much.  

SO, long story short.  My spiritual goal this year is to become brilliant at personal scripture study and personal prayer. I really feel that doing these to things will help me be the kind of mom, wife, and friend that I want to be.  It will help me make better decisions every day to bring me and those around me closer to Heavenly Father.   I've pulled out my actual scriptures and I read and I ponder.  I try and take notes.  It is keeping me so much more focused.  I'm trying to say my prayers before I get in to bed, actually saying them out loud so my mind doesn't wander.  I'm not perfect at it every day thats for sure, but hopefully by the end of the year I can be kind of brilliant at it.  

2013 Fitness Goals

Is it too late to tell you my New Years Resolutions?  I hope not.   I really wanted to get them written down.  They have been sitting in my head and I'm kind of visual so this will help solidify them for me.  First up are my fitness goals for this year.  

Nothing too crazy.  The booty shorts one is going to be the hardest for me.  I don't want to run around in them or anything.  I just want to know that I could wear them and feel ok about it.  And you know the whole swimsuit thing...  Its going to be hard because of the whole pear shape thing.  But hopefully all of these other goals will help me get that one done.  

How about you?  Did you make any fitness goals this year?

Where would all the adventure be?

I tend to get a little bit of wanderlust in February and March. The cold wind and gray days get to me I guess.  I've got it BAD right now.  I'm this close to selling just about everything we own and moving to some tropical island.  Doesn't that sound wonderful?  

 It seems wonderful because I feel like if I did it, the hard things about my life would just go away.  Being on a beach all day I can handle.  The real life stuff, I'm not so good at handling sometimes.  

I eventually talked myself out of putting all of my furniture on Craigslist this morning with things like...

 Ivy is starting kindergarten in the fall, and I would miss my family and friends, and there is a little baby here that needs me.  The time is coming soon for our family to get bigger and if I was on a tropical island I would miss it.  

And then I made a full recovery and realize that it's going to be ok.  That sometimes, yeah life is hard but what I need is more faith, not white sandy beaches. 

So, I'll keep my stuff. 

I'll work on having more faith. 

 I don't want to miss my adventure because I was too busy hoping for a different one.

{happy vintage camper background

freebie from the shabbyblogs blog.

text and tape added by me}

Arise and Shine Forth

We needed a new mutual theme poster! Each year our church picks a theme for the youth to focus on.  We loved having a poster of last years theme up in our young women's room so I made a fun and sparkly one for this year.  It is available in the Ruffled Sunshine Shop in several different sizes.  It is also comes in black.   

I hadn't really picked a "word" for this year but after putting this together I think I am going to go with SHINE.   It makes me smile and think of the sun, sparkly things and being a shining light to those around me.  Maybe even help me go out on a limb every now and then.   How about you.  Have you picked a "word" for this year?

Have a fabulous weekend!

The Effect of BE

This challenge to BE this year has been really good for me so far. But its turning out to be not so good for you. Well, not good for you if you live and breathe to read this blog for your daily craft fix. Fortunately, I'm pretty sure that is NOT the case for anyone, but let me try to explain my thoughts. . .


I  go to the gym 3-4 days a week. That takes at least 2 + hours with getting myself and Ivy ready to go, load up, drive there, exercise, load up, drive home and showering after. I like it though. I'm happier. My jeans fit better. So I'm not complaining.
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Part of my BE+ing is to Be Present. Try as I might, I just can't get Ivy to stop growing up. We are staring down 4 years old. AUGGH! I tear up just thinking about it. The funny thing is that as much as I don't want her to grow up, her being 3 1/2 is a much better place for us than 2 or 3. And in my heart I know its time to get going on some things which means it won't be just her and I for {hopefully} too much longer. So I'm spending my days with just me and her. Enjoying her every minute.
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We have 4 businesses. I know right? It takes up a lot of time. If Darin and I aren't careful they would take over our lives and we would never spend any time together. So we are being more careful to spend time together. Its good for us. I like us. :)


Ummm, where did my day just go?

{image with permission from the sweet Katie of  thewheatfield}

I love this print {and everything else from The Wheatfield but thats a story for another day}. It is exactly how I feel. That even though my day are busier, it is much simpler. My BEing is important to me, so it makes my choices easier. So while I am still "crafting" I'm realizing thats its ok if I don't blog about it so much. And even though I said I don't like writing personal things or sharing too much, its growing on me. Its stretching me, and even though stretching hurts, it also feels really good. So can this space of mine shift a bit? Who knows, maybe it won't, but I think it already has. And thats ok with me too.


You still like me anyways right?

{Getting Started} with Celeste

My oh my.  Can I just say that in many aspects of this New Years challenge I am doing really well.  But uh my no candy one?  Not so much.  I'm actually doing good at not eating candy.  Its the finding something like "Hey Ivy lets make cookies" {again} thats getting to me! 

Well today is a new day and I've got Celeste here with her tips for getting started on your exercise routine and tips to stick with it.  Take it away Celeste!

Hey guys!  Here's my list of  6 Tips to get you started on your Fitness Journey

1) Determine your goals - Maybe you want to walk/run your first 5k, do a marathon, maybe you want to eat healthier, lose weight or gain muscle strength, maybe you just want to feel better climbing 5 flights of stairs!

2) Baby Steps. Make short realistic goals at first if you need to. - If you haven't been exercising...gradually get back into it.  Tell yourself, 2x this week, 3x next month.  If eating healthier is your goal, start by decreasing portion size. 

2) Write it, Write it, Write it! -in a journal, post it note on the mirror or in your calendar.

3) Make a General Plan - How are you going to achieve your goal?  Morning workouts? Be specific as you can. Weekly Grocery list? Plan weekly meals if you want to eat out less.  If you don't buy the junk food, you won't eat it. 

4) Be Accountable. Schedule workouts with a spouse or friend.  Even if it is only 1x week or 2x month. Commit to it on calendar! Personal Training works because you have scheduled appointments and trainers know how to push you farther than you may push yourself. It is not going to happen if you aren't accountable in some way.  Maybe you give yourself some "reward" if you accomplish weekly or monthly goals.  Whether its money, spa time, new exercise outfit.  Reward yourself along the way somehow.  Tell a friend, co-worker or spouse to check in on you certain days.  Maybe you just ask for a weekly email.

5) Set an "End Date" - of course this isn't a permanent end date, but an tangible end date to look forward to and be accountable for...then start a new goal.

5) Don't fall for an "ALL OR NOTHING" attitude. Don't go on a crazy diet!  If you aren't working out 4x week like you said you would, revamp your goals, be okay with 2xweek. Something is better than nothing!  Don't beat yourself up! Make it doable for you at the time.  Don't quit all together because you can't keep up with your original plan.

"I don’t know if I continue, even today, always liking myself. But what I learned to do many years ago was to forgive myself. It is very important for every human being to forgive herself or himself because if you live, you will make mistakes- it is inevitable. But once you do and you see the mistake, then you forgive yourself and say, ‘Well, if I’d known better I’d have done better,’ that’s all. If we don’t do that we never grow, we never learn, and sure as hell we should never teach."-Maya Angelou
So don't be afraid of failing your goal.  Set it, work on it, make some progress.  Even if that goal is not achieved, you are one step closer to doing it next time! Failing something is just more reason to be smarter about doing it better the next time.  And if you really want to do something then it is possible.  It may not come easily but can be learned.
 

These are my 2011 Fitness Goals:
1 Sprint Triathlon
1 1/2 Marathon (under 1:45)
1 5k (under 21:00)
Get my son and daughter in a Kids Fun Run
Bike rides with the family
I'll be able to pick races once we know our permanent living situation.
End date: Dec 31, 2011

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Thanks so much Celeste.  Its nice to be reminded of the right way to do this.  I've set some short term goals, but I like the idea of having an event later in the year to look forward to.  So peeps, here's my goals, hope it gives you a good place to start...

FOR JANUARY

Health:  Gym 3 days a week and 100 push up challenge. So far, so good.  I finally stopped feeling guilty and got a pass for the child care.  And guess what.  I'm pretty sure Ivy is more excited to go to the gym than I am.   And the pushups are killing me, but I love that my arms are already looking better.  Plus its a great thing to do on your day off from the gym.  ps.  I picked 3 days a week to get me going then I'm going to ramp it up in February so be ready. 

No candy.  Um, maybe I need to cut out treats all together!  Otherwise, going to the gym isn't gonna do me any good. 

Spiritual:  Read my scriptures every day.  I've already noticed a difference in my thoughts and actions if I start the day out right.  I recently got called to work with Young Women at Church, specifically 14-15 year olds, and it has been a big motivator for me, to be a better example, and actually be doing the things that I teach them they should be doing!

Better Mom/Wife/Friend:  Get organized.  I mentioned it already but I'm going room by room through our house and cleaning out and organizing.  Just a tip.  If you find yourself being too sentimental, or not getting rid of stuff you haven't used in 2 years, quit and wait for the right mood. 

My longer term goals are more like benchmarks I guess, but I did decide to pick a 5k and a bike ride after reading Celeste's tips.  There is a bike ride of the local bike trail {a 26 mile loop} in May that I am going to do and the Spring in to Summer 5k is April 24th.  Eh, I better get on that one.  Running is NOT my thing.  But hey, this is my year right?! 

I hope that we've given you a little boost to really focus on what it is you are trying to accomplish.  I think that's the problem with Resolutions is that they can be so broad.  Narrowing them down to specific goals will help us to not give up or forget so easily.

How about you?   We'd love to hear your goals, fitness or otherwise!  And don't forget to enter the CORE 4 giveaway!  We'll be picking a winner on Friday the 14th so you better hop to it!