30 Day Challenge - 10 Day Progess Report

Today marks 10 days of consistently working out for 30 minutes. What? What? Jumping up and down! I'm not going to lie...it's been a challenge. I read it takes 21 days to form a new habit, 11 to go!
 

Tips that work for me:

1. Posting pictures on Instagram holds me accountable. It also provides instant encouragement. Thank you for the likes and positive comments!

2. Reminding myself 30 minutes is a short amount of time and I deserve "me" time.

3. Staying flexible with workout times. Whatever it takes to fit it in, e.g., working out before everyone wakes up, on my lunch break at work, late at night after the baby goes to sleep.

4. Switch up your workouts. Not only will this keep things interesting, but also it will help with flexibility. Envision your day and what you need to get done. Where can you fit in working out? If you can't find time then take one must do activity and turn it into a workout. I had to go to the craft store and instead of driving I rode my bike. It took longer, but I accomplished two things at once.

5. Focusing on consistency. Pushing a stroller around town or stepping on my Wii means I'm MOVING! For now that's my only goal. Later I can amp up my workouts.

Use #30minexercise hashtag and join me in the challenge by posting your photos. Or keep following along to see my progress.

10 & 11 Months

Sawyer will be 1 years old at the end of the month. I swear it feels like I just had him (minus the extreme lack of sleep). I can hardly believe it's almost 12 months! I'm a little late on posting, but here are Sawyer's 10 and 11 month photos.

It took about a bunch of tries to get this photo. All Sawyer wanted to do was crawl...really, really fast.

This has to be one of my favorite photos (that little tush!). With Sawyer on the move it's been increasingly challenging to get these pictures, but not this time. He stood right up and was all about grabbing at the door knob. I am so proud of this little guy.

30 Day Challenge

For the next 30 days I am making a commitment to workout 30 minutes a day. I remember sitting in a doctor's office years ago telling him how I wanted to lose weight. He told me a story about a weight loss study. There was an ad in the paper that said something along the lines of "Lose weight and eat what you want!". To participate in the study applicants had to commit to working out 30 minutes a day. It did not matter what you did, but you had to be consistent. If you failed to complete the 30 minutes you were out of the study. Over a years time people who stuck with the 30 minute goal lost an average of 30 pounds of weight.

Personally, I find it difficult to make time for myself. Maybe it's the baby, maybe I work too much, or maybe I just don't let myself have time to do the things that are really important. Of course I would love to lose weight, but more importantly I want to be healthy and have more energy. So, now is the time to do something for me!

Who's with me? Use #30minexercise hashtag and join me in the challenge by posting your photos. Or simply follow along and see how it goes. I will be posting daily photos on Instagram. It's going to be a challenge, but I'm ready for it!

Our Fourth (& Fifth) of July + 1 recipe

Since the fourth of July landed on a Friday this year we ended up with two days of celebration! Sawyer had three outfit changes, his first dip in the pool, and tasted my famous macaroni salad. Here are some of my favorite pics from the fourth...and fifth.

I was gifted this cute hand-me-down romper when Sawyer was born. It remained in his closet just waiting for the fourth. Well, I should have checked the size before I dressed him. I was able to get it on, but when it came time I could not get it off! My mom held him while I cut him out of it. He was perfectly happy during the process thank goodness!

A flag to some...just another toy to others.

Muscle Tee//Shorts//Shoes

Baby Float (Similar)

Since we were attending two back-to-back parties I doubled one delicious recipe and brought it to both shindigs. This is seriously my favorite macaroni salad. It's loaded with veggies, not mayo heavy, and has a really fun name! It's the perfect side dish to bring to any summer party.

Fleetwood Macaroni Salad

2 cups cooked elbow macaroni (I use 1/2 a pound. This will boost the serving size.)
1 cup fresh or defrosted frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cucumber, peeled (I leave the peel on), seeded and cut into quarters
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley (reserve a little for garnish)
1/4 cup chopped chives or green onions
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup vegan mayonnaise (You can use the regular stuff, but Vegenaise is seriously some tasty stuff!)
1 1/2 tsp salt (This cookbook is salt heavy. I would suggest salting to taste...don't just dump it in!)
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix everything together in a large bowl. Sprinkle with parsley to garnish.

I found the recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks The Native Foods Restaurant Cookbook. Native Foods is a growing chain of healthy "fast food". I had major cravings for this place when I was pregnant. Although I eat meat it repulsed me at the time. A couple of my favorite things on the menu are the Scorpion Burger, Soul Bowl, and I love the Watermelon Fresca. Check it out if you have a restaurant in your area and if not you can always pickup the cookbook.

If the Shoe Fits

The winner is....

It's a three-way tie! I couldn't pick just one pair. A boy needs his options. Thank you so much for all the responses on the blog and Instagram. They were so much fun to read and see everyone share in our joy!

Last week Sawyer received his first prosthetic. The prosthetist put Sawyer's little leg on and had me stand him up, hold his arms, and help Sawyer take his first steps. It was such a happy and unforgettable moment. At the end of his walk Sawyer started bouncing up and down with excitement. He was so proud of himself.

Side note: for parents of a child with a prosthetic looking for shoes. Although it would seem velcro would be the way to go for a baby or child they actually proved much more complicated then laces. Sawyer's prosthetic foot is very basic. It's only meant to help stabilize and allow him to get around. It's a bit bulky so most shoes with velcro are very difficult to close. Laces allow the shoe to form around his foot. This will all change as Sawyer grows and his prosthetic gets more advanced.

We are so excited for what the coming months will bring. I can hardly wait for Sawyer to start walking. On second thought, maybe I can. I really need to get on baby proofing our entire home...stat!