Five on Friday # 1

Happy Friday Friends! Today I’m linking up with Darci, over at the good life blog, for a Five on Friday post. I’m really excited about this post because it includes some of my favorite fitness products. Enjoy!

1 – Spark Energy Drink. This stuff is addicting and really good! My favorite flavor is fruit punch, hands down. It’s a caffeinated drink that gives you such a distinct and amazing boost of energy that lasts me throughout the day. I drink one a day in the am and I'm set!

2 – Contigo Water Bottles. These are my new best friends. I bought them last week and got them for a steal! Head over to Costco – They are selling a pack of 3 for $14.99! Such a great price and I use these ALL the time, EVERYWHERE I go. A must have! Here are a couple of the colors that came in the pack I bought.

3 – Quest Bars. If you want something you can eat on the go for a meal, here is the product for you. They are packed with protein, fiber, and NO added sugar. The cookies & cream flavor is actually really yummy. It has chunks of cookies and cream in the bar which makes it seem like you are truly biting into an OREO cookie. No wonder this bar is called a clean cheat!

4 – Yurbuds. I absolutely LOVE mine. I no longer have to re-insert my earphones while I’m running or working out. I bought these at Nordstrom for $29.99. It was the best $30 I spend there! Haha. They come in fun, bright colors and literally DO NOT fall out of your ears.

5 – Hard-boiled eggs. Ever since I started to eat clean, this is my go to snack. They are so easy to make and always a good food item to have on hand. I have at least 5 a week, if not more. I recently tried buying them in bulk and already pre-boiled and peeled at Costco but that was an epic fail, according to me AND my husband. They didn't taste like real eggs and I had to plug my nose to get them down. So back to the good ‘ole home-style way of boiling & peeling myself. The picture below is the latest batch I cooked up using my aunt and uncle’s freshly hatched eggs that they gave me. Isn't it crazy how organic eggs aren't actually white? Makes me wonder what happens to the store bought eggs to get them so perfectly white.

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!  

What's on the Menu # 1

It’s the end of the weekend and I am not happy about my weekend eating choices. Of course it never helps when you get to attend a kid party filled with pizza and cake. After the party, I felt so guilty that I managed to run 3 miles (pushing the double stroller with both boys in it – I think that should count as double the mileage, ya? :)) and after I put Owen to sleep tonight, I got my butt to the gym for an arm workout, some abs, and another mile sprint…. At least I tried to make up for my poor eating this weekend!

So now I’m ready for a healthy week of meals. Have you realized it’s much easier to fix dinner when it has been thoroughly planned out ahead of time? I just learned this skill recently, during my first challenge, so I have decided to share my “weekly what’s on the menu” meal plans with all of you!! Here it goes.

Week of 2/23/14

Sunday – tonight we had crockpot thai peanut chicken (with a side salad & blueberries). The chicken is amazing & super easy and healthy! My husband and I both agree that this clean chicken dish is at the top of our list. We have this at least once a week in our house.  

Monday – Meatloaf muffins with a side salad. You have to try these muffins. They are to die for good and completely clean! I usually cut the recipe in half and still manage to have leftovers!

Tuesday – Chicken and shrimp stir fry (minus the shrimp) and maybe some brown rice. I haven’t tried this recipe yet but will let you know if it’s a winner!

Wednesday – leftovers. I love that my hubby isn’t picky when it comes to me cooking so we will just reheat some of all of the above =)

Thursday – I am going to try and create my own salmon recipe (yikes, this could be a total disaster). I’m really hoping it turns out good. My inspiration comes from a valentine’s dinner my hubby made for me after I had my first son and was still at home recovering from my c-section. The salmon was AMAZING. It had this nice glaze on it that he had soaked the fish in for about 30 minutes before cooking it. I am going to take that recipe and tweak it so it’s clean! Wish me luck.

Friday – There is a possibility that I will be out on a “mom’s night out” in which case I will probably just cook up some chicken quesadillas for my kids and husband before I leave. Definitely won’t be clean.

Saturday – Another staple meal at our house is quinoa turkey chili. It’s so good – especially if you make it in the crock pot and let it simmer all day long….. mmmmm, so good!! (I usually cut this recipe in half and have plenty WITH leftovers) 

There you have it folks. Good luck to you if you decide to make any of the above recipes, and make sure to let me know your thoughts!! Have a great week everyone!

Goat Hill Junction Railroad

Calling all mommies of little boys (and girls)!!!!!! This post is for you! If you live in Orange County and don’t know about Goat Hill Junction Railroad, you’re missing out on some great fun! Let me tell you about it….. It’s a place in Costa Mesa that gives FREEEEEE train rides every third weekend of the month.
(Yes, there is something to do in Orange County that is actually still free these days) I have taken Mason a handful of times before and this past Sunday was Owen’s first time riding. The rule is, you have to be able to walk on your own to ride the trains. The trains consist of four to six bench cars and are run by the club members of the nonprofit train organization.

I was nervous to take Owen this past weekend. It was the first time he was allowed to ride because it’s been the only time we have gone since he started walking. If you know anything about Owen, it’s that the kid knows how to run all over the place and get into everything, all the time. There is no sitting down while watching him, no breaks, and no resting!  So the thought of putting him on a moving train for a solid 10+ minutes, scared the crap out of me. Well, we tried it, and, let’s just say he only went once =) Actually, he was a good boy, just got antsy towards the end of the ride. Mason on the other hand, LOVES the train rides and cries when it’s time to leave. He likes to ride on the orange colored train and his favorite part during the ride is going over and under the bridge. He also loves seeing all of the random squirrels around the track.

Here are some pictures of our most recent trip this past weekend. We went with my parents because daddy was busy at work (booo for tax season L). After the train rides, we stopped at In N Out and little brother Owen was so tired as you can see from the picture below!!!   

My AdvoCare 24-Day Challenge Experience

At first I was skeptical. I had been around friends who had done the challenge and taken the products for almost a year before I juggled the thought of ever trying the program. I was watching my friends make huge transformations, like 30+ lbs of transformations.  My husband was supportive but thought I should just eat healthier and exercise…. I kept telling him, “but it hasn’t worked the past year for me. I’m never going to lose my baby fat stomach!!” So then we decided, why not just give it a try? It was a little bit of an investment but I kept telling myself the outcome could be great. So I bought my first 24 day challenge. I got all excited, joined a supportive facebook group, printed some yummy AdvoCare challenge friendly recipes to start making, and headed to the grocery store with my supportive friend Ryann (she LOVES to cook, has done the challenge before, and knows Trader Joe’s inside and out).

Day 1 – I had printed out a checklist that tells you when to take the vitamins/drinks and followed it to a tee. By the end of breakfast, half of my boxes were checked off so of course that made me really happy. During the kids nap, I prepped dinner for the night. Our first dinner was the hummus crusted chicken – it was SOOOO good!!!! By the end of the day I thought to myself, “that wasn’t too hard, how bad can 23 more days of this be?”

Day 11 marked the end of the 10 day “cleanse” ……. I still ate normal the first ten days – in addition to a regular diet, I took a fiber drink in the am, and herbal cleanse vitamins before bed. I was down 4.2lbs and 3.75 inches…. and LOVING it! I was hooked!

Around day 20 I was craving something bad and I will be honest, I wasn’t the strictest towards the end…. Especially with a 3 year old birthday party that fell on day 21 of the challenge - complete with pizza and cupcakes – but I’m only human right? I did over indulge at the party a bit, but it was okay just that once. When I weighed in at the end of the program and lost a total of 5.2lbs (over 4% of my weight) and 9.50 inches, I was so happy!!! All my doubts about the program and the products were gone!

So what now? Well, along with maintaining a healthy diet (like the one I was on the challenge with) & normal exercise, I am still taking two AdvoCare products daily which I love: Catalyst – it is branched chain amino acids which help fuel additional fat burning and lean muscle production (it’s nicknamed “liposuction in a bottle” for a reason :]) and Spark Energy Drink – it’s a multi-nutrient system designed to provide nutritionally advanced, long-lasting energy and enhanced mental focus, with 21 vitamins & minerals (this is your coffee substitute).

I am about 2 weeks post challenge and down another pound and feel great! It’s no longer a weight loss journey but a fitness and lifestyle one that I look forward to sharing with you.

If you are interested in learning more or have any questions, please reach out to me! 
whitt312@gmail.com

Do you want to participate in the 24 day challenge too? Click HERE for everything you will need. Or check out my website at www.SoCalAdvo.com. 

I am also part of a private Facebook group that my friend Lauren over at heylaurenrene created. We all share recipes, meal plans, workout ideas, tips and offer up a ton of support and encouragement. Check out the results from the first group challenge and second group challenge ***The group is over 450 members and new group challenges are beginning monthly. It's never too late to join us!***    

My First Half Marathon - Surf City!

I was encouraged to sign up for the Huntington Beach half marathon back in October by my supportive and amazing running friends. I finally pulled the trigger and signed up in December. After signing up, I kept telling myself, “I don’t HAVE to run the race.... at least now I have the OPTION to run the race.” Well, after weeks and weeks of long Saturday runs building up to the 13.1 miles, I was determined to finish the race under 2 hours. That was my goal time. In all of our long distance weekend runs, we were right around the pace for hitting the 2 hour goal so I thought that I would finish right around 2 hours. Well, little did I know that when you are in the race with all those people around, your adrenaline kicks in and you run so much faster than any practice run could ever prepare you for.

The week leading up to the race, I was sick. I had a sore throat and a cold (of which I attributed to catching the adult version of Owen’s croup ---which the nurse told me could turn into bronchitis in adults). I was so scared that it would linger and hang around for race day but luckily it passed and I was well.  The morning of the race, I met up with Ryann, Lauren, and Wendy (my running buddies), at 545am, and we drove to Huntington Beach. From the time we arrived, to the time the race started, it was a blur. I kept telling myself I needed ample time to stretch before the race so that I didn’t get my usual lower leg pain and shin splints…. Luckily my stretching worked! When the race started, it was a swarm of people and the four of us girls were just trying to weave in and out of everybody to establish our pace (and space)….. Wendy and I ran the entire race together…. Oh and I also ran the first 6 or so miles with an 80 year old man!! He just alway seemed to find his way right beside me after some of the turns and bends in the road…. I wasn’t sure if I should have considered it a compliment or been a little discouraged that I couldn’t shake an 80 year old during a foot race…. I still wonder what his final time was =) Anyways, once we all crossed the finish line, it was time to regain our lost energy so we chowed down on all the crappy little protein samples they give you at the finish line and I also ate a banana they handed me. When we got to the beer garden (finishers were allowed, 2 beers each), beer was the last thing I wanted!! I had one sip and gave both beers away…. It was time for me to hit the couch to do some serious resting (oh wait, that didn’t happen, I have a 1 and 3 year old)!!!

So now the question is, when’s the next race? Well, I would like to keep running and do another half marathon, but I don’t think I will be in town for the OC half coming up in May so I will have to find another one sometime soon. Any ideas? (I want to get my beach cities medal and do the HB, OC, and LB consecutively, which means I might have to redo the HB next year if I miss the OC half this year…. Oh well, just a good excuse to keep my booty in shape=))

Here are some pictures 

Mason's 3rd Birthday Party

Like everything I do, Mason’s 3^rd birthday party was no different - thrown together last minute (it’s really the only way I operate)!!  I had ordered his party package enough ahead of time and completed the decorations in time, but all the other logistics were barely completed before the party…. AND, the only day we could fit his party in was the day following a major hockey game (Kings vs. Ducks stadium series) up in LA, which of course, we could NOT miss. I got home around midnight from the game, fell asleep around 12:30am, and then was awoken by a “croupy” baby Owen at 3am! I had to take him to the ER for some steroid medicine and got back in bed at 7am, only to be woken by my alarm an hour later telling me it was time to get up and get ready for the birthday celebration!!! It was a hectic morning to say the least. When it was finally time for the party, everything went surprisingly very smooth and ended up being a blast! Mason invited his neighborhood friends, along with a few others, and they had so much fun eating pizza and jumping in the “choo choo train” bounce house. Even Andrew got in on the fun, which the kids LOVED! All in all, it was a great party and Mason had SOOO MUCH fun, which is all that really mattered..... Here are some pictures from the big day…… Happy 3^rd Birthday Mason!!!!! 

WARNING: Beginner Blogger

Hi friends…. I decided to start a blog of my life to share with friends and family. I have never been someone to journal about life but decided this year would be a good one to start a blog. Even if nobody wants to read it, at least I can reflect on life while I document it, right? =)