Category Health-Fitness

Hi friends!

Some have you have asked for an update on how my husband is doing since his diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes. Read his story here. He’s taking over the blog today to give you guys an update about some of the things he’s learned over the past 4 months, as well as some of the things we think everyone should know and be aware of when it comes to diabetes!

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On March 9^th, I drug my sluggish, thirsty, insatiably hungry, constantly urinating, 33-year-old body to the doctor for my annual physical. I had convinced myself that I had a thyroid issue because I didn’t want to believe I could have diabetes, even though my wife had already suggested the possibility… My doctor called me back within the hour and told me to go to the ER because my blood sugar was over 400mg/dl (100 is normal). It was definitely diabetes, and I was devastated.

Four months in, I can confidently say to anyone else recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes: “EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OK! YOU ARE IN CONTROL!”

I’ve cried twice since I got diagnosed. The first time was when I was calling my wife to tell her we needed to head to the ER, and calling my Mom to ask her to watch the kids. I think it was just the shock that something seriously bad had happened within my body and it would never be the same. I had tears rolling down my face as I drove.

The second time, I was reading a book that began by highlighting how diabetics are at higher risk for dozens of terrible afflictions. This was probably four days in. I had remained uncharacteristically calm and rolled with the punches up to this point- the punches primarily being adding insulin, needles, and lancets into my life. I was trying to arm myself with more knowledge and was taking the initiative to educate myself. Too much, too soon. The levee broke. I put that book down and lost it. I started sobbing uncontrollably. I was thinking about my kids, my wife, and how their healthy and physically fit father/husband had been leveled to a heap of rubble.

However, with a little more experience and education, I learned that diabetics WHO DON’T HAVE GOOD CONTROL OF THEIR BLOOD GLUCOSE, are at much higher risk for those things. Simplified, blood with a lot of sugar in it is bad. It’s thicker. It’s like a sludge gumming up your body/engine. Hurting capillaries in your eyes, nerves, your organs- it’s not good.

Luckily, I’ve been able to learn the ropes pretty quickly, and I’m happy to say my A1C is already back down from my initial 12.7% to 5.9%! (That’s good). Now I actually believe my mantra. “EVERYTHING IS OK! I AM IN CONTROL!”

Learning about diabetes has kind of been like trying to take a sip from a firehose, but wanted to share some thoughts on my 4-month crash course of adjusting to this new lifestyle.

What I’ve learned over the past few months

I really knew nothing about diabetes- and a lot of people don’t. Here’s what I thought I knew:

• My grandma had Type 2
  • TRUE (maybe?) She was told she had Type 2, but based on what I’ve learned, she definitely could have had Type 1 as some people are misdiagnosed as Type 2 when they are in fact Type 1 or 1.5.
• Kids get Type 1 and Adults get Type 2
  • FALSE. I honestly didn’t think I could get Type 1 at age 33. This disease does not discriminate based on age.  You can get it at any age.
• Diabetics need Insulin
  • Type 1 yes, Type 2 maybe.
• People who have it just get an insulin pump and it handles it.
  • FALSE. And SO very false indeed. My good friend in high school had an insulin pump and I never really asked about it. I thought it just did everything for her. Now I realize how wrong I was. If anything, the pump really just minimizes the number of times you need to pierce your skin. You still need to count carbs and bolus. You adjust settings and rates based on what you’re doing. It’s still a lot of work and you should high-five any type 1 friends you have for working around the clock to keep their numbers in check, whether they have a pump or not.

Here’s what I think most people think they “know” about diabetes:

• Wilford Brimley says “Diabeetus”
  • This is True
• You can’t drink alcohol
  • FALSE. You can, you just have additional concerns that most people don’t need to think about. I’ve found that red wine has basically no impact to my blood sugar and am able to drink some types of beer, while others spike my blood sugar no matter how I time it or how much insulin I take. It’s a trial and error process that’s different for everyone.
• You get it because you eat too many donuts
  •  False for Type 1, but eating habits can definitely play a role in the development of Type 2.

Here are the KEY points that most people can’t articulate:

• Difference between Type 1 and Type 2
  • Type 1- Body stops making insulin. You have a bum pancreas so you must act as your own pancreas and take insulin.
  • Type 2- Body becomes resistant to insulin. Your pancreas is likely cranking out a ton of insulin, but it’s still unable to regulate your blood sugar because your body is resistant to it. This can often be mitigated by diet and exercise but oral medication or injected insulin may still be required.
• What is Insulin?
  • It’s a hormone that transfers glucose from your blood to your cells. It’s essentially how you get energy from the food you eat.  When you don’t have enough, sugar hangs out in your bloodstream until it builds up and your body tries to filter and pee it out. That’s why constant urination is a symptom. And of course, FATIGUE, since you are not getting much-needed glucose into your cells.

And here are my main takeaways since being diagnosed:

• It’s SO IMPORTANT to know the signs, no matter who you are. You could be the key to saving somebody. It could be a friend, a friend’s child, your own child. Encourage them to go to the doctor if you notice or hear them complaining about:
  • Constant Thirst
  • Frequent Urination
  • Fatigue
  • Rapid weight loss
  • Complaints of blurry vision
• Your health and lifestyle are such an important buffer against the unexpected.
  • I think more than anything, I can credit my lifestyle for bouncing back quickly from my initial diagnosis. I had lost 20 pounds. Because I was already exercising and eating well, really the only thing that changed for me was having to take insulin. I easily gained the 20 pounds back and am feeling great again. An active, healthy lifestyle is also so important.
• Attitude is everything.
  • Your efforts are better spent attacking diabetes head-on than wallowing in self-pity. I’ve focused on figuring out how to thrive with this condition and that’s made it easier to tackle on a day-to-day basis.
• It’s a full-time job.
  • There are no days off. It’s rare that more than an hour or two goes by where I don’t think about my blood sugar.
• You can adapt to diabetes quickly.
  • After only 4 months, it’s already like second nature. Counting carbs. Bolusing and timing insulin. Knowing how your glucose will react to different foods. Knowing how to adjust your insulin if you’re going to be doing different activities like yard work or cleaning the house. It’s hard to believe I didn’t even know what Type 1 diabetes was at the beginning of March.
• Diabetes won’t hold you back, you just have to plan around it.
  • I have juice boxes stashed everywhere. Sometimes I have to turn around and go back to the house if I forget my insulin. But at the end of the day, I’m doing the things I want to do, they just require a little extra planning.
• If it had to happen to me, thank God it happened to me at this point in my life.
  • I would not have had the discipline, ESPECIALLY AS A COLLEGE STUDENT, to deal with this. I once ate an entire “Barnyard Buster” at TeeJays country place and a Steakburger platter at Steak and Shake during a night of drinking. If you’re local to central Ohio you know how disgusting that is. Shout out to all the T1Ds who were able to manage adolescence and college years carrying this heavy responsibility.

That’s all for today! Let us know if you have any questions!Enjoy!
–Lindsay–LEARN HOW FOOD AFFECTS YOUR BODY.

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Dear Alyssa-

We’re almost there, baby girl. Can’t believe you’ll be a year old in less than a month! In stark contrast to the first half of your life, you’re now such a happy girl most days. You love smiling and your grin lights up your whole face.

Rest assured, there were still plenty of tears this month…especially during the week where your newest tooth came in….but for the most part you’re happy unless you’re tired or hungry.

Speaking of food, you love it. We continue to be astounded by how much food you can eat. You like most things, but have definitely started to show your preferences. Meat is not really your favorite. You love any kind of carbohydrate (like your mama), plus fruits and lots of vegetables. Sweet potatoes and carrots are still your favorite. You’re also a huge fan of curry!

We’re still nursing but it’s slowly coming to an end. You’re down to just 3 quick nursing sessions a day…after breakfast, after your afternoon nap and before bed. I’ll miss our time together when it ends but I’m grateful we were able to make it this long.

This month we made two trips to Minnesota and you were a champ. You did well on the plane, slept fairly well (much better than your brother did) and even behaved yourself and let some family friends babysit you while daddy and I went to a wake, a funeral and a rehearsal dinner. You got to wear a pretty dress when we went to mommy’s cousin’s wedding and everyone oohed and ahhed over you.

You’re very busy all the time. In stark contrast to your brother, you still have no interest in TV. You love putting things into boxes and then taking them out again, over and over, as well as opening and shutting drawers. Your favorite thing to do is crawl up the stairs…even though you know you’re not supposed to do it by yourself. As soon as we say your name, you turn around and give us a big smile and then continue to scramble upward as fast as you can.

You want to do absolutely everything your brother is doing, which he doesn’t love. But occasionally you guys play together and it’s adorable. The rest of the time mommy and daddy referee and try to keep him from pushing you down.

You can stand on your own for a few seconds at a time and are getting really good and cruising around behind your walker toy. I think you’ll be walking before your birthday.

You love your daddy and “da da” is the only word you say.

You’re wearing mostly 12 month and 12-18 month clothes, although some 6-12 stuff still fits you…and size 4 diapers.

You continue to sleep pretty well. Most nights you’re asleep by 7:30 and sleep until around 8am. Naps are hit or miss but most of the time you take a short nap around 9:30, another around 1:00pm and sometimes one around 5:00. Most don’t last more than an hour. Teeth coming in had you a bit irritable and a drooly mess for several days. One is through and the other has one tiny corner through. They’re the first teeth you’ve gotten since your bottom two came in at 7 months.

Mommy loves you, sweet girl. Can’t wait to celebrate your birthday in a few weeks!

 

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Hi Friends!

Since the kids have officially hit 2.5 years and 6 months, I figured it was time for another “day in the life” post. I’ve been trying to do these roughly every 3 months since Squish was born. Here are links to my previous posts:

Day in the Life – 26 Months + 2 Months
Day in the Life – 21 Months
Day in the Life – 18 Months
Day in the Life – 15 Months
Day in the Life – 12 Months
Day in the Life – 9 Months
Day in the Life – 6 Months
Day in the Life – 3 Months

It’s taken a while but we’re finally in somewhat of a routine with the two kiddos. No day is the same, but most days follow the same general pattern. I sucked at taking pictures yesterday so I threw in a few pictures from various days lately to help get the point across.

Here’s what most days look like:

As I’ve mentioned, Little Miss is not the best sleeper. She typically wakes up 3 times per night to nurse. I think part of this is because she’s easily distracted while nursing during the day so she tends to get more of her calories nursing at night when it’s dark and quiet. Luckily her wakeups have gotten a bit better lately in that she’ll just wake up, eat fairly quickly and then go right back to sleep.

She typically wakes up around 1:30, then again around 3:30 and 5:30. Some days I get up after that wakeup and try to get some work done. Other days I try to grab a bit more sleep. She’s typically up for the day by 6:30 at the latest but is usually in good spirits so I can get some stuff done.

Squish wakes up around 7:45 or 8. I get breakfast ready for everyone while hubby gets Squish up. Little Miss either hangs in her carseat, her doorway jumper or as of this past week, her high chair. I’ve started giving her some solids but she doesn’t have much interest in them yet so that typically only lasts a few minutes.

From 8-9 we finish up breakfast, hubby leaves for work, drink coffee, play and sometimes watch tv. Nature Cat and Curious George are on PBS during that hour. Some mornings I try to sneak in some work during this hour while feeding Little Miss and Squish entertains himself. I’m also usually running around trying to do laundry or clean the kitchen, get everyone dressed, feed the animals, etc.

Around 9am we usually head out. Tuesdays and Wednesdays I teach our 9:30 class at the gym, Thursdays Squish has Little Gym at 9:30. Mondays and Fridays we don’t have anything scheduled so sometimes we stay home, sometimes we head to the park, play outside, etc.

Unless we have errands to run, we’re usually home around 10:45. Now that it’s warmer, we usually play outside for a while before lunch. Little Miss rarely naps, but occasionally she falls asleep on the way home and gets a quick snooze while Squish and I play. Lunch is sometime between 11:30 and noon. Hubby comes home for lunch and he typically puts Squish down for a nap while I cleanup/try to get organized. Once Squish is down for his nap around 12:45, I go into work mode.

Some days I nurse the baby while working on the computer, some days I make and shoot recipes. I also tend to schedule calls with clients around this time. I try to catch up on emails, social media, blog post writing, photo editing, etc. A lot depends on what kind of mood Little Miss was in. For the first few months after she was born I didn’t get a whole lot done because she never stopped screaming. Now she typically wants to eat and then is pretty well behaved while I try to get things done.

Some days I have deadlines and I just have to let her cry while I take photos or finish up computer work. Now that she’s a little bigger, I try to work in some play time with just her. We practice sitting up, tummy time, read a few books, stack blocks etc. The 2 – 2.5 hours fly by.

Squish typically wakes up around 3. We have about an hour to get him up, have a snack, do a little more playing and then I pack everyone up and we head to the gym again. On a good day, the baby will sit semi-quietly in her carseat, Squish runs around for a while and then watches his tablet and I get a workout in. Every so often there are days when my workout gets modified to involve holding a fussy baby. Occasionally she falls asleep, most days she doesn’t.

The kids and I head home from the gym around 6pm. Hubby comes home between 6:30 and 7:30 depending on his coaching schedule. When we get home we usually have to spend at least 30 minutes outside before I can convince Squish to come in the house. We make and eat dinner and then have more play and tv time. Squish goes to bed around 8 and 8:30pm.

Once he’s in bed, I grab my computer and nurse the baby to sleep while I work. She typically falls asleep by 9:30 and I take her upstairs to bed and come back down and work until 10-11pm. Most nights I’m in bed by 11.

So there you have it. It was interesting to go back and read Squish’s 6 month update. He definitely had a more defined schedule since he was bottle feeding and Little Miss sleeps a lot less but also gets dragged around to a lot more activities. We didn’t have the gym when Squish was 6 months old and obviously he was an only child at that point.

We’re excited that warm weather is here and I’m hoping to cram a lot of local adventures into the summer months!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

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Hi Friends!

I’m back. I took several weeks off after the birth of Little Miss and I think I’m finally ready to get back into the swing of things. To be honest, I desperately needed the time off. Yes, partly because I had a newborn who didn’t ever sleep more than 2 hours straight for the first six weeks of life, but also because I was a little burnt out on blogging.

To prepare for my maternity leave, I really packed a lot into the month of October. The end of the year is the busiest time for bloggers and I worked really hard to get ahead on a lot of posts, finish up the last posts in several year-long partnerships, etc. By the time baby came I was worn out both physically and mentally.

It’s been 8 weeks since baby girl was born and there have been several times since then where I didn’t even open my computer for 5-6 days in a row. That’s unheard of for me, but it was necessary. It helped refresh my mind, body and soul…and now I’m excited about blogging again! I’m brainstorming lists of ideas, i’m itching to use my camera again, i’m filling in my editorial calendar….

I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted 2017 to mean for me….both personally and for the blog. To be honest, I’ve struggled a little bit with my blog since I became a mom. For so many years I was just a food blogger…and now, I’m a Registered Dietitian, I have two kids, I’m a work from home mom, I’m a home cook….and in a blogging world that’s so focused on forcing bloggers to choose a specific niche in order to become successful, I’ve struggled to find my place.

Well this year I’m saying “who cares?” After a lot of reflection, I’m finally at peace with the fact that my blog can’t really be easily defined anymore. In fact, I’m kind of excited about it. Because I think it’s going to make it easier for me to get back to my roots and fall in love with blogging again.

A couple weeks ago I took the babes downtown to visit my girl Alexis. She’s a fellow RD and blogger and she runs Alchemy (an amazing juice bar and cafe in downtown Columbus). I try to make it down there every couple of months so we can catch up. This time we spent most of our visit talking about how much blogging has changed since we started. When I got home, I was catching up on some blog reading and I came across this post by my friend Anne at Fannetastic Food.  It perfectly articulated a lot of what Alexis and I had just been talking about as well.

Anne said “Now it seems like there’s so much going on online, constantly jostling for everyone’s attention, that it’s hard to feel like I’m still here offering something interesting or worthwhile. I also feel like in order to continue to get traffic there’s so much pressure to have every post be polished/fancy, optimized for Google, pimped out with pin-able graphics, shared and scheduled a billion times on social media, etc. – that it takes a lot of the joy out of posting.”

YES. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve struggled with this exact thing.

The next day, Alexis wrote a post about how she’s so much more than a food blogger.

She said: “In the early years, it was far more the former. The blogging world was less saturated, less competitive, and less serious. I felt little to no pressure to make the titles of my recipes searchable on Google and to make images that everyone and their brother would want to pin twice. I felt free to curate content around what made me happy. The beauty of growth is the opportunity to turn your hobby, turn what you love, into a career. The downside is just that—it’s no longer your hobby. I love it just as much as I always have, but I’d be lying if I said it was the same.”

Again, yes…just how I feel.

So now the question becomes….what am I going to do about it?

The answer is I’m going to break the blogging rules.  

In 2017 I’m going to:

• Quit chasing pageviews.
• Write about things I wanna write about even if it probably won’t do well in a google search.
• Not write about buzzwords like carb cycling, detox and fasting just because they will do well on Pinterest, unless they are things that I really care about and believe in.
• Balance my time between family and blogging and not overcommit myself just for a few extra dollars.
• Plan ahead but not worry so much if life happens and I don’t stick to a schedule all the time.
• Be present and engaged with my kids.

In 2017, I want to be more helpful. You guys, my readers, are the main reason I’ve continued to blog for the past 6+ years. It’s my hope that many of you already see this blog as a helpful space, and this year I want to continue my work and connect with even more of you!

A few weeks ago I got this email from a reader and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time:

Hi Lindsay – 

I just wanted to say that I really enjoy your recipes! I have been following you for a few years, and I love watching your family grow. I have four kids, and my youngest is the same age as your oldest (almost exactly? Her bd is 11/7/14). I know how hard having a newborn is and you’re rocking it. No need to reply, just wanted to say that I love what you’re doing.That right there is why I blog! I want to be a resource for you guys but I also want to be a real life example. I want to connect with my readers who are parents with young kids, young professionals with no kids and retirees that are having fun in the kitchen with their grandkids.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about being able to balance running a blog, doing part time work and being a full-time mom to two kiddos…but I’m up for the challenge and excited about the year ahead!

So in 2017 I’ll continue to provide easy, healthy recipes using simple ingredients….but maybe sometimes it’ll be a little less polished. Maybe it’ll be a few more shots of my actual dinner plate instead of a perfectly staged recipe. Maybe instead of a perfectly curated recipe video, I’ll share a messy iphone video of Squish helping me in the kitchen. And maybe I’ll share a post about some toddler art projects or how to deal with a colicky baby without worrying about the fact that they’re not recipe posts. Maybe I’ll even blog about fashion. Kidding! I hate fashion 🙂

So now it’s your turn! As we kick off the new year, tell me how I can help you! What kind of recipes do you want to see? What questions do you have? What resources do you need?

Fill me in!

Wishing you all the best in 2017!

–Lindsay–

 

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These Tuna Quinoa Cakes are a great way to add some extra protein to your day. Eat them plain, put them on a bun, or use them to top your salad for a healthy lunch or dinner!

Hi Friends!

I first shared this recipe on the blog about 4.5 years ago. I updated the photos once already, a couple of years ago…but I’ve been making them a lot lately because they’re such a great quick meal or snack…so I snapped some new photos of them again to entice you to try them!

The great thing about these is that while they’re good the day you make them, they’re even better as leftovers, which makes them perfect for lunchboxes! They’re packed with protein, easy to make and taste great warm or cold. I eat them for lunch, dinner and snack time….and I’ve also been known to eat them as a post-workout snack.

Here’s how you make them:

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Quinoa Cakes With Tuna

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These Tuna Quinoa Cakes are a great way to add some extra protein to your day. Eat them plain, put them on a bun, or use them to top your salad for a healthy lunch or dinner!

• Author: Lindsay
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

Scale1x2x3x

• 1/2 c cooked, mashed sweet potato
• 2 cans tuna, drained
• 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/4 c green onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp mustard
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 c breadcrumbs

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the tuna and sweet potato and mix well.
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.
3. Using your hands, form into 6 cakes.
4. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 20 min, flipping once.

Pretty simple, right? Enjoy these on their own, warm or cold (I love them cold!), on top of a salad, or even on a bun!

Drizzle with sriracha for a spicy kick or mix some thai chili sauce with plain yogurt and dip!

 

[clickToTweet tweet=”These Tuna Quinoa Cakes are perfect for a protein-packed meal or snack!” quote=”These Tuna Quinoa Cakes are perfect for a protein-packed meal or snack!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

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This post was sponsored by my friends at Minted and contains affiliate links. As always, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Hi friends!

Just popping in today to share a little bit about a fun website I was recently introduced to! You guys know I love photos…as evidenced by the fact that I take about a million a day of Squish! I store them all on my phone and computer but I’m absolutely terrible about printing them all out and updated our framed photos. When the lovely folks at Minted reached out to see if I’d be interested in ordering a few things from their site, I jumped at the chance!

What I love about Minted is that it’s a community of independent artists. Here’s how it works. Independent artists submit designs. People vote on their favorites. Minted sells the winning designs on their website!

So what kind of stuff do they sell? All sorts of good stuff:

• Stationary: Everything from Valentine’s Day cards to Save the Dates to Birth Announcements. Plus things like thank you notes, digital party invites, business cards and planners.
• Art: They sell fine art (check out their gallery), children’s art prints (i have several on my list for Squish’s room), framed photos, custom art using maps and silhouettes (that would make perfect gifts) and more!
• Home Decor: Pillows, curtains, table linens, lampshades, party decor, holiday decorations, etc.
• Weddings: Invites, Save the dates, place cards, shower invites and even wedding websites!

I had so much fun browsing through the website! I ordered several new framed photos and even got myself a new planner and some stationary. It hasn’t all arrived yet, but here’s a look at what I ordered:

This is perfect for Valentine’s day! I loved picking out pictures from the past few months and the site makes it super easy to arrange them how you want them!

For the photos, I loved the simple designs best. The photo still shines but the metallic dresses it up a bit!

We haven’t updated any framed pictures of just the two of us in forever! This one is from our Christmas trip to Chicago.

Always and forever 🙂 This design originally had different wording and the heart was in a different spot but Minted made it easy to customize and make it more my own!

Can you tell I’m digging the black, white and metallic look?!

I’ve been looking for a new planner. This one displays the whole week on one page so I don’t have to keep it open flat to see the whole week. And the cover has avocados….so of course that’s a win!

Because my mom taught me that  a hand-written note will never go unappreciated!

Because I’m old school and I will always and forever write my recipe notes on paper 🙂

So there you go! It hasn’t all arrived yet, but I love what I’ve gotten so far. The photos arrived packaged very well so glass wasn’t broken and even with standard shipping, things arrived quickly!

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And now for the best news: Minted is giving away a $250 credit to one lucky reader. To enter, click the link below:

CLICK HERE TO ENTER TO WIN A $250 Minted Credit!

This giveaway is only open to legal residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia who are at least 18 years old as of the date of entry, except officers, directors, members, and employees of the Sponsor, the judging organization (if applicable), or any other party associated with the development or administration of this Promotion, and the immediate family (i.e., parents, children, siblings, spouse), and persons residing in the same household, as such individuals. This Promotion is void outside the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and where prohibited.

Good luck!
–Lindsay–

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Dear Chase-

We did it! We survived the first year, and lived to tell the tale! Definitely the fastest year of my life! I’m so glad I took your monthly pictures and wrote you these monthly letters so I can look back and see how much you changed month to month!

You’re such a little man now! Looking so handsome and grown up! But you’re still my Squishy.

Over the past few days we’ve been celebrating your birthday. Mimi and Grandpa came into town and we invited Grandma and Grandpa over as well to watch you smash your cake:

You didn’t have any trouble making a mess and did quite a number on your little cake!

You weren’t the best at opening your presents but you helped a little bit. Mostly you just liked carrying them around. You got a big box of musical instruments from aunt Jackie, blocks from Grandma and Grandpa and a new bike and some magnets from Mimi and Grandpa. This is a y bike:

You got the hang of it so quickly!

Daddy bought you a wagon which you also loved riding around in , especially dressed up in your Halloween costume:

We dressed you up as an old-timey strongman…complete with a moustache and your very own barbell!

As far as the past month, you’ve been a very busy little guy!

You’re still getting 30 oz of formula  a day in 4 bottles (8am, 12pm, 5pm, 8pm) but you’re constantly on the move. Sometimes you don’t even have time to sit down and drink your bottle! You’re an eating champ…but this was also the first month where decided there were a few foods you didn’t want to eat. You spit out cauliflower, broccoli and occasionally green beans and but that’s about it. You love any kind of meat, eggs, bread, fruit, yogurt etc and still eat veggies like squash and sweet potatoes.

I bought you this Thinkbaby Sippy Cup and am so glad you like it. We’d tried several different kinds and you had trouble using them. It took you a few days but you finally got the hang of this one and now you love it. You drink water like a champ, just like your mama.

You’re a very good sleeper at night. You go to bed about 8/8:15pm and sleep until 7:45/8am. Naps are a little different story. We’ve been having some trouble getting 2 naps a day any more. Most days I can still get your morning nap around 10:30 or 11 but the afternoon nap is hit or miss. When it works, you usually sleep from 3:45-4:45 or so. If you won’t sleep, you will at least lay in your crib chattering and moving around, but not crying, so mommy can get some work done.

You’ve gotten several more teeth this month- 2 on the top, with another 2 coming in, and 1 more on the bottom, with another coming in…so within the next few days you’ll be up to 8 I think.

As a consequence of teething, we’ve had a few days like this…but overall you’re a very happy baby. The only other times you really try are when you’re having tummy troubles (you have some pooping issues) or when we don’t let you do something you want to do.

You have officially mastered walking. You worked on it all month and just in the last week or so you’ve really gotten it down and started walking pretty much all the time. There are still a few falls but you can walk all over the place and move pretty darn quickly.

You’ve also turned into quite the chatterbox, expanding your repetoire of sounds quite a bit. You talk to me all day long.

You love your animals and are getting a little better about petting them gently but we need to keep practicing. You like to carry the dog toys around and try to put Tucker’s collar on him any chance you get. Marcus climbs into your pen to hang out with you pretty much every day.

You’re getting taller and skinnier so most of your pants are 12-18 month now, but you can wear 18 or 24 month onsies and 18-24, 24 month or 2T shirts. Pretty soon we’re going to have to get you some shoes!

A few more things:

• You love walking around the house in a big circle, looking out the windows, playing with the shoes, pulling things out of cabinets, exploring the pantry, shutting all the doors….and repeating 100 times a day.
• You love to play with the baby gate we put up in the hallway and you know exactly how to open it if it’s not completely locked.
• We took you to the zoo and you fed the giraffes.
• You love phones – toy phones, real phones, doesn’t matter. You hold pretty much everything up to your ear like you’re talking on the phone.
• You want to eat anytime anyone around you is eating.
• You still like spending time in your Graco Bumper Jumper and love your VTech Walker  and your Fisher-Price Music Table. Plus you’re pretty much a master drummer.
• You love the park and spending time outside.
• Every morning you eat your Cheerios and mommy bought you this cute little Nuby Monster Snack Bowl for your birthday so they don’t spill everywhere.
• This month we went apple picking and we go to the library pretty much every week.
• Every Wednesday you go to The Little Gym, which you love. We play with balls and bubbles, do some gymnastics and run around.
• You love taking selfies and reading books is your favorite. In the morning we watch PBS – usually Curious George but occasionally you get to watch Daniel Tiger, Sesame Street, Thomas or Mickey Mouse.

 

Thanks for being the best little guy around. Mommy loves you.

If you’re interested in previous letters, you can find them here:

•  Months 1 & 2
• Month 3
• Month 4
• Month 5
• Month 6 
• Month 7  
• Month 8 
• Month 9 
• Month 10
• Month 11

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

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Hi Friends!

Today I’m thrilled to announce a new partnership that I’m super excited about! Thanks to Fitfluential, I’m teaming up with Kohl’s for the next few months to help introduce and promote their #MakeYourMove campaign!

Have you heard of it? If not, here’s a bit more about the inspiration behind the campaign:

It’s founded on the belief that successfully leading a healthy, active life means saying yes to the things that energize and inspire you. It means embracing opportunity, having more fun and leading the life that gives you the most joy. And it means shifting your focus so that life is more of a journey than a destination!

Kohl’s wants to shine a spotlight on all the ways that living well can feel good and be easy and fun. You guys know that’s pretty much my life philosophy, right? The Make Your Move campaign actually kicked off in January when Kohl’s invited America to share what Make Your Move means to them – what things they do that energize, enliven, motivate, and bring them joy as they try to live a healthier life.

So, what’s my role here? My goal over the next couple of months is to share several blog posts with you guys that will inspire you to Make Your Move in certain areas! I’m going to share some of my own personal goals and I want to hear yours! Along the way I’ll highlight some of the awesome cooking tools, fitness gear and more that’s available at Kohl’s to help all of us achieve our goals!

In short, it’s all about encouraging each other to get healthy and have fun while doing it! Let’s form some new healthy habits together, shall we?

So, want a sneak peek at what’s coming up?

First let me tell you about a couple of my goals for the next few months:

 

• Continue to spread the word about food prep.
  • You guys already know I love food prep, right? Well this summer I’m ramping things up a notch and I want to make even more of you guys fall in love with it too! I’ve been working on a Food Prep ebook will all sorts of helpful info that I can’t wait to share with you guys…but in the meantime I’ll be sharing a post with some of my very best tips to help you get started! I’ve been getting a lot of questions about HOW I actually get all my prep done, since I usually just share a picture of the final product…so stay tuned for more on that!

 

• Exercise as a family at least one a week.
  • If you’ve been following me on social media, you’ve probably noticed I’ve been doing less workouts at the Crossfit box and more workouts outside and in the garage with hubby and Squish. There are a few reasons for that. First, Squish is getting older and it’s really important to hubby and I that he grow up healthy and active. I want him to SEE us working out and get him excited about moving around, even at a young age. To see my workouts (even some videos!) be sure to follow me on Instagram!
  • Second, we have a pretty big side project in the works that I can’t wait to share with you guys! (Spoiler alert- we’re opening a Crossfit gym!!) I can’t wait to share all the details with you and show you pictures and all of that…but for now, suffice it to say we’re kinda “between gyms” so we’re making it work by getting our workouts in at home, in the park, etc.
  • I’m a huge fan of working out as a family and when you have little one around you don’t always have the opportunity to workout without them. Instead of letting that be a hindrance, I’m embracing it! Stay tuned for a fun stroller workout you can do as a family AND a workout you can do while wearing your baby!!

In addition to those topics, I have a couple other posts planned once August rolls around to help make back to school season a little less stressful. Hint- things like food prep and crockpots can be a big help and so can getting your kids into the kitchen with you!

So now it’s your turn:

How are you going to #MakeYourMove this summer?
Tell me one of your goals!

Maybe there’s something you’ve been thinking about for a while but aren’t sure where to start? Leave it in the comments and let me and other readers give you some suggestions!

Big, small, food-related, fitness-related, health-related….I want to hear it! And the world wants to hear about it as well. Use the #MakeYourMove hashtag on social media and tag me so I can cheer you on!

[Tweet “Time to #makeyourmove with @Leangrnbeanblog and @kohls! Share a goal of yours! #fitfluential”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Kohl’s.

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Dear Chase,

Yesterday you turned 8 months old! That’s 2/3 of a year, buddy! Crazy. It’s time to recap this month, but if you need to catch up first, check out my previous letters:

•  Months 1 & 2
• Month 3
• Month 4
• Month 5
• Month 6 
• Month 7 

I feel like I say this every month, but this was a big month!

Let’s talk about food first since it’s your favorite. For the first half of the month you continued with the four 6 oz bottles per day but a couple of weeks ago I dropped one of your bottles and you’re now down to three 7-oz bottles per day. Last month you tried 4 of the 8 major allergens (eggs, treenuts, wheat and fish). This month you added two more – you had peanut butter and you also milk (in the form of yogurt and cheese). The last two on the list are shellfish and soy.

Coordination is improving, especially with non-slippery things! Top left- chunk of sweet potato banana bite, top right- pork tenderloin, bottom left – roasted sweet potato. Still struggles to grip red peppers and avocado bc he doesn’t like them coated in anything!

A video posted by Lindsay L, RD (@theleangreenbean) on Jun 23, 2015 at 11:50am PDT

At this point, there’s not much I won’t let you try. Obviously nothing like tortilla chips, popcorn or extra spicy things…but mostly, if we’re eating it, you can try it. For the most part you stick to your usual foods thought. You get a bottle around 8:30/9am and usually have some cheerios while mommy eats breakfast, some mornings you’ll share a few bites of mom’s PB Banana Oat Muffin for a mid-morning snack.  You eat lunch around 12/12:30 (usually a mix of sweet potato, avocado, red peppers, sweet potato banana bites, fruit like blueberries, nectarines, meat and yogurt. For a while you were liking the prune, nut butter and banana popsicles I made for you but you’re currently not loving them so much. You get a bottle around 2:30/3 and then another bottle around 8:30/9 along with some of your oatmeal mixed with prunes and scrambled egg. Read more about our modified baby led weaning approach here.

You’re getting better and better with your fingers. You can pick up non-slippery things like muffin chunks, meat, sweet potatoes etc but still struggle with things like avocado and red peppers. You get things into your mouth about 60% of the time.

You still don’t like when your meals come to an end and you also don’t like when we don’t feed you fast enough. You scream and screech VERY loudly…to the point where mommy doesn’t love going out to eat currently because I spend the whole time shoving food in your mouth trying to keep you quiet!

Sleep is going pretty well. You typically fall asleep on the couch around 9:30, I bring you upstairs around midnight and you sleep in your crib until around 8am. Most mornings you’ll take a nap sometime around 9:30/10 for an hour or so, another nap around 1 or 2 for an hour or so and then another nap from 5:30-6:30 or 7. Sometimes your morning or afternoon nap is longer than an hour, some days it’s shorter. And some days you take a later morning nap and then don’t nap again until 4 or 5. Suffice it to say you’re not super consistent with your naps!

Last month you were oh so close to crawling…well, this month you mastered it. And boy can you move. We ordered you a play yard…or gated community as we call it…

It’s huge, but we like it because it gives you lots of room to crawl around and can hold a lot of your toys. At the beginning of the month you really didn’t mind being in there but now that you’ve mastered crawling, you definitely prefer to be out exploring. You love to crawl and I spend a lot of time each day following you around as you explore.

In other big news, you learned how to stand up…and now that’s pretty much all you want to do. You can easily pull yourself into a standing position and can stand for fairly long periods of time. Once you figured out how to stand, I bought you this Laugh & Learn Activity Table and you like to stand and work at your computer and play on your keyboard.

I have a feeling it won’t be long until you’re walking!! EEK!

Other activities this month:

• Your daddy celebrated his first Father’s day.
• Mimi and Grandpa came to visit for a couple days.
• You went for your first bike ride.
• You tagged along to several workouts with mommy and daddy.
• You’ve had your fair share of crying fits.

We had a fun little summer photo shoot with our photographer friend and we’re so happy with how they came out. She’s the same photographer who took my maternity pics and our 5 year anniversary pics.

You love your daddy. He can make you laugh like no one else.

You’re definitely mommy’s boy. Just in the past couple of weeks you’re starting to show a little separation anxiety. You cry when we leave you at grandma and grandpa’s to go work out and when you want mommy, no one else will make you happy.

Mommy is still working from home and watching you full-time. I wouldn’t trade it for the world but it’s definitely a bit more challenging now than it was before you were mobile 🙂 We do lots of playing and I cram a lot more into nap time and evenings but it works for us!

You still love your animals, especially Tucky. You figured out how to crinkle your nose and it’s now your favorite face to make and you’re VERY vocal. It seems like you’re always shrieking – either happy or sad. You HATE being on your back. You won’t even lay still long enough to get a new diaper on most of the time. You’re constantly flipping over or trying to sit up and I’ve pretty much given up on trying to get shorts on you. You hate having things on your head. Putting a hat on your head and watching you try to get it off is hilarious.

You LOVE books. Mommy has taken you to the library twice so far to find some new books to add to the rotation. You especially love books with flaps. You quickly learn where they are on each page and reach out to lift them up. So smart! You also love knocking things over. We bought you some rubber blocks and stacking toys and you knock them down as quickly as we can stack them up. You are obsessed with tv remotes and cell phones.

Mommy and daddy love you and can’t wait to see what next month brings!

Love,

Mom

 

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Hi Friends!

Let’s talk fitness today shall we? I seem to only be able to get my act together to post these once every two months or so, but oh well!

In case you’re new here, I had my son at the end of October 2014. I did Crossfit all the way through my pregnancy and began my post-baby comeback Jan 1, 2015.

Here are the links to my past two Crossfit after baby recaps:

• Crossfit After Baby – Month 1 (Jan 2015)
• Crossfit After Baby – Months 2 & 3 (Feb & Mar 2015)

Today we’ll recap April & May. To be honest, I’ve been slacking on my workouts a bit lately. Maybe this post will help me get back on track. I could give you all the excuses- I’ve been traveling, baby’s teething, I’m tired, etc…but in all honestly, I just haven’t been making it as big of a priority as I should.

On the other hand, the reality of being a mom is that it’s harder to get to the gym. It just is. But instead of giving up completely, you’ll notice I’ve been doing some more garage wods- squeezing short workouts in when I can, and I’ve also been doing a fair number of workouts while wearing Squish in the Ergo. He usually does pretty well and doesn’t fuss too much as long as it’s not super long!

Anyways, let recap the past couple months:

April

1) Wanna know how to make Fran worse? Add running. Woof. 11:31 Rx
2) I did 95/95/85 but 85# snatches in a workout is a PR for me so I’ll take it!! Feeling good!
3) 90# hang snatches like a boss, then as soon as I put 95# on…BAM! mental block! 5+11 rx for the wod. Holy ttb!
4) If you look closely you can see the sweat still dripping off my nose. 180 reps Rx- that’s through the round of 30/30

1) Baby naps, mom wods – no clock today, just me & the movements
2) Holy terrible. 16:48 with 75#
3) Back at it after several days off. 11:25 with 20# Turkish get ups
4) It wasn’t the prettiest but i deadlifted 225# tonight! Only 35# from my pre-baby PR!

1) Lots of 75# squat snatches! But the WOD was not my favorite. 7:15 Rx
2) Attempting a one rep max back squat for the first time post-baby. Hit 160# and SO close to 165#! That’s only 20# from my pre-baby PR!
3) Nice little Sunday partner wod with my girl Jackie. We finished in 17:35 with 65#
4) 135# squat clean – up 5# from a few weeks ago! Then 5:21 for the wod

 

Gotta work on those weaknesses! Practicing strict pull-ups and longer strings of ttb and kipping pull-ups #crossfit #fitfluential @latgearrx

A video posted by Lindsay L, RD (@theleangreenbean) on Apr 23, 2015 at 4:49pm PDT

1) New gym space, new PR! This girl is in triple digit snatch club: 100# snatch! That’s an all-time PR for me 🙂 2) Garage wod and a walk with the fam. Overall April was a good month. I was about 25# from my old back squat PR, 35# from my old deadlift and I hit an all-time snatch PR.

---

  May

1) Nap wod complete! 25 push-ups – 10 min AMRAP: 8 front squats (75#), 16 KB swings (35#) – 25 push-ups
2) Timehop told me I did this wod a year ago. Redid it today in the garage during nap time. Finished in 20:59 this year with 25# dbs instead of 30# and a 20# med ball instead of 14#
3) Need a quick warmup? 5 minutes of 5 burpees, 10 KB swings will definitely get your heartrate up!
4) Took squish to the park for some swing time, then decided to run my first mile in about 2 years! 9:36 with a stroller- not too bad!

 

165# back squat- that’s a post-baby PR and I did it with no belt! #crossfit #itsagoodday #fitfluential #fitcolumbus

A video posted by Lindsay L, RD (@theleangreenbean) on May 8, 2015 at 10:56am PDT

1) Needed this today- I subbed push press for hspu and 75# for both. Finished the 14 ohs for 126 reps
2) Worked out at Crossfit Kingfield tonight with hubby & a friend from college! WOD: 60 power cleans (95/65), 200 double unders. 9 minute time cap. I finished in 7:37 with a way heavier gauge jump rope than I’m used to! Shoulder burner for sure!
3) Great wod at Crossfit Timeberwolf this morning!! 600 m run + 35 wall balls (14/10), 5 min rest, then 3 RFT – 400 m run, 20 wall balls, 60 foot bear crawl – finished the first part in 3:46 and part 2 in 9:54.
4) Holy humid! A good strength/skill session, then for the wod i got 46 cleans (95#) and subbed burpees for hspu

1) Tonight’s wod- 8 + 13 Rx
2) The only good thing about this one was that it was only 60 degrees out. 29:16 with man makers and push-ups on dumbbells so I could keep my wrist straight bc it’s been bothering me.
3) Quick wod to get the blood flowing today. Finished in 4:34.
4) Post Memorial Day “Murph”. Hubby did the real thing – 1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, 1 mile run in 57:23. I did a modified workout- 1 mile run pushing Squish in the stroller, 50 stepups (24″), 100 ring rows, 150 squats while wearing squish in the Ergobaby and a 1 mile walk wearing him at the end in around 42 min.

1) Subbed hand release push-ups for hspu and finished in 5:59.
2) Garage wod 6:47
3 & 4) Great outdoor workout today! Squish was along for the wod as usual! Farmer carries, ring rows, stepups and wall balls. 

May was another good month. I’m still chasing some of my pre-baby PRs but I’m getting closer!

---

 

June

1) Lunchtime workout! I subbed 65# push press for hspu and finished in 3:25
2) Big news! I rx’d this wod. Finally figured out how to kip on ring dips! Even after no repping myself on about 8 of them, I still made it to the round of 12. (112# total reps)
3) Quick garage wod – I used 75# for the cleans and finished around 8 minutes- plus a 3 mile walk with the boys
4) Another great Saturday morning wod in the park! If you’re local, come join us Saturday mornings at 10 at Hoover! Kettlebell swings, squats, push-ups, lunges, stair running…lots of fun! I pushed squish in the stroller this week

June is off to a good start!

Let’s chat:

How have your workouts been lately? Trying anything new this summer?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

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