Real Food

Lately I've been feeling convicted about the food I am feeding my family. We don't necessarily eat terribly unhealthy, but the types of foods we're eating has become a growing concern of mine. The amount of processed things I'm allowing to go into our bodies and what that really means is scary to me. I've never dug into what exactly "processed" meant. I think I just didn't want to. But now the information seems to keep getting thrown in my face without me really having to look far. Lots of stuff I didn't want to know about, but glad I'm learning, like Artificial Food Dyes and how they are make from Petroleum (ya, you know, the same stuff that gas is made with. Yes, the gas you put in your vehicle). And Artificial Flavoring. I don't know too much about this other than is chemically made flavoring... that can't be good, right? Here is just one article I've read lately that puts things into perspective. BTW... that blog... 100 days of real food. It's pretty awesome! I'm having a hard time finding the time I need to read every single post she's ever done.

This all started when Andrew and I were home during Trey's NTC stint. My dad saw an infomercial for a Nutribullet. Discovered how easy and beneficial it could be to make healthy smoothies with spinach, fruit and flax seed (for example). He was a little obsessive for about a week until he finally dropped the bucks down and bought one. Once he started using it, he almost immediately started noticing differences in the way he felt. (Nurtibullet isn't what I'm trying to sell to you here, although it does work fabulously, the change of diet is what I'm stressing here.. just to be clear!). These smoothies led to him getting more information on processed foods and how terrible they are for us. Once my dad gets stuck on something, he lets everyone know. It's not a bad thing.. he just like to spread the word. His ultimate goal is to get off of the BP and Cholesteral meds that he has to take. If he can successfully do that by changing his diet, why wouldn't he be a huge advocate?

So that's how all of this started for me. Then my SIL (sister-in-law, not son-in-law... this reference is for my mother) started taking a nutrition class for her nursing degree. They learned a bit about label reading last week and she has strict instructions to call me after every class to reiterate what she's learned. The amount of sodium we digest into our bodies is CRAZY. So much more than we are meant to consume. And sugar.. ha.. don't get me started! They focused a lot on the food we feed our kids and it got me thinking.
When Andrew first started experimenting with foods, I was adamant on making his purees. I didn't want any of the additives that goes into the jarred foods to enter his little body. I wanted to give him the best start possible. So with very few exceptions I made just about all of his foods. From simple purees in the beginning to blended up meals the closer he got to one.
Then he got to the point where he didn't need his food pureed and I just gave him whatever. I was still pretty good in the beginning. He never got sweets.. or juice.. or anything fruit-snackish. He still got (and does get) lots of fruits and veggies. But there was.. and is.. lots of packaged, processed foods in there as well. And now that he's two I've loosened up even more. Honestly, he gets a frozen breakfast every morning, where I used to make him eggs and fruit or homemade pancakes. He eats entirely too much blue box mac n' cheese. Canned soups. You get the point.

So my point in all this is that I want to make some big changes. Not only with him, but all of us. That's where I need some input. I can think of a few things to do, but nothing I can change an entire diet with. I'm phasing out the processed stuff we have now and over the weekend plan to freeze some meals in serving sizes. I can make some vegetable soup, homemade mac n' cheese, and I found a really cool mini corndog idea on Pinterest. I can freeze some pancakes for breakfasts. If we want cookies I can make them from scratch. But other than that.. I'm at a loss.
Do any of you eat naturally? I know there will be some processed things we'll still eat, but I'd like to cut waayyyyy back. What do you do for your kids lunches? Or yours? What do you snack on besides fruits and veggies? If you freeze meals, how do you freeze them in separate serving sizes? Any input or advise would be much appreciated!

My phone is smarter than me

I'm having a lot of fun with my new phone! So much so that I may be thankful that my husband is gone for a few days so I can play on it guilt-free tonight. Is that horrible?? If so, just kidding. Moving on...

I need a few tips though. See, I was very comfortable with my old, stone-age phone. I knew all the ins and outs (all 2 of them). This phone is crazy. I have a Droid just for reference, since I know y'all are all the best blog readers ever and will come to my rescue. Help a sister out..

1. The Battery. Oh my.. it drains fast! Here's what I've learned so far:
I know I need to keep Wi-Fi off when I'm not using it. I even keep the 4G thing off. So that doesn't take up too much juice anymore. As a side note - do you all keep your wi-fi off? I know people who are constantly in the know with all the social media. How do you do that without killing your battery every 3 hours??

Someone Trey works with showed me this Task Manager thing where it ends all the apps that I was using. Okay that's fine.. but I thought if I just shoot back to my home screen after scrolling through Twitter (why, yes, I'm a tweeter now. Feel free to follow me and let me know to follow you. I'm sick of reading about people I don't know) that the app ended? I have to physically go into the task manager and end it? Plus, when I go into said Task Manager, it tells me apps are running that I never used in the first place. Over and over again.. even after I end them. Am I focusing too much on this? Or is this a real thing?

2. Speaking of Apps...
Give me the goods! Share with me all of your faves! I want to know the ones you just love and the ones you don't know how you ever lived without. There are so much to choose from in each category!
I have discovered Goodreads and the Bible app. I'm enjoying those. And some kind of weather app. But I want more. Anything that entertains your kid, makes your life easier, or helps you pass the time when needed. Which free ones to take advantage of and which ones are really worth paying for. Let me have it!

I think that's all for now! I'm sure I'm either forgetting something or there will be more to come! I'm really looking forward to your responses!

Oh yeah.. don't forget to go here and enter my giveaway for a free kids' meal from Chick-Fil-A. You don't even have to have a kid! You have until noon Thursday and I'll announce a winner on Friday!

Just call me Soccer Mom

Yesterday was a HUGE day for me. HUGE.

It involved a day at the car dealership and the official loss of my careless youth. Ha!

Yesterday, we traded in this cute little (old, broken and inconvenient in so many ways) SUV:


The white car right in back of us. This was Trey's BCT graduation at Ft. Jackson, btw.

 For this:

Dear God.. I'm driving a VAN! A van. I drive a van. There, I said it.

Ha! I don't feel right driving it. I still feel like I should be 19 years old. Not almost 29, driving to and fro in a van, toting around a child and planning kid #2!

All jokes aside, I actually LOVE it! It's kind of sporty looking for a van. And the space.. ohh my the space is unbelievable! Once we have two kids, I'll still be able to fit 5 more people in there including myself! This solves the issue of family coming to visit and us having to ride separately wherever we go! The sliding doors.. love.. trunk space.. ahhhh!

Now, to master parking! Since I backed into my parents garage in their little KIA... I think I have some practicing to do.

When did I become a real grown-up???

The Great Pumpkin Post

Happy Monday! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. Ours was just so-so. Lots of time spent around the house since Trey had staff duty. I hate when he has that over the weekend! I'm feeling good and positive this morning though, so let's not go down that path. Moving on!

As most of you know, Autumn is my favorite time of year. I'm borderline obsessive. It makes me giddy. Summertime sucks the life right out of me.. I know, I know.. very un-American of me.. but it's true. I'm not a fan of Summer. So fall.. it brings me back to life. That being said, I'm sure you find it strange that I've never cared for any pumpkin flavored treats. (No? You don't find it strange and don't particularly even care for that matter? If you love me.. bear.. beer?.. bare?? with me and keep reading anyways. I need suggestions at the end.)
But I also lived in New England until I was 13 and don't like ANY seafood. And spent the next 13 years in South Carolina and don't like grits. So, obviously, I'm a go-against-the-grain kinda girl.

So.. there's been no pumpkin bread, pies, pudding or cookies in my life. Until a few months ago. Then Nancy Galas (see.. that's two mentions of you on my blog now. You need to make one yourself so I can link to you when I mention your name and the world can see how fabulous you are) and her cookies walk into my life. Nancy makes pumpkin cookies from scratch. I don't know what possessed me to try them.. you know.. since I don't like pumpkin.. why would I like pumpkin cookies?? But I did. And I proceeded to eat 20 more in one sitting.   I had one or two that night, and seriously, they are the melt in your mouth goodness that everyone was raving about. Okay... maybe there is something to this pumpkin thing.
Fast forward a few months further. I'm gallivanting around El Paso with JG, ( I know... jealous??) and of course, we can't resist the urgent calling for Starbucks. She orders a Pumpkin Spice Frappacino (hello.. I didn't know they made a frap in that flavor!) and I'm intrigued. Not quite enough to go out on a limb and order my own. But enough to take a little sippsies of hers. I've had two since then. And this outing was just 4 days ago...

Here's where you come in. I've only gained 5 pounds in the last 2 months, so obvi, I need to gain more.. ugghhhh!! Kidding. I really need to lose it plus another 20 but that's not what we're focusing on today. I'm working on a fun, decorative fall bucket list, a la Katie, (yes, you can see it when it's done) and one thing I want to do is make a new recipe using pumpkin. Please note.. I didn't say it had to be fresh pumpkin. It's perfectly okay to use it out of the can, right? I mean.. we don't all have to be Nancy Galas's in this world.. right??
So what should I make? Give me your best pumpkin recipe. Ready.. set... go!