Snacking - How to Indulge Cleanly

For those of you just joining me, I have been forced to eat in a completely clean manner due to food sensitivities/allergies. While I have been on this journey, I have discovered that I can lose weight by simply avoiding processed foods. Since I know many of you out there are seeking better health and fitness, I have decided to share what I learn/observe along the way!

No matter who you are, occasionally junk food sounds good and is the key to feeling human. Junk food. Comfort food. That thing we reach for in times of stress, sky rocketing hormones, etc. The problem, more often than not, is that after we reach for this incredibly delectable food it's pretty darned hard to stop eating it. You didn't need to read this blog, though, to know that many Americans are having problems with moderation.

What I have found, though, is that there are some wonderful foods out there that are clean from those horrible chemicals that truly feeling like an indulgence. At the beginning of my clean eating time I felt deprived all of the time. Seriously, all of the time. What this did, though, is set me out to search for something I could eating. Something that would feel like a guilty pleasure. I stumbled on a few items here and there that fit the bill, but then there was a new problem: Price. It seems that the fewer the ingredients there are in foods the higher the pricing always is. And that, for a family of four on a budget, is a huge problem.

How can I indulge when I know that my little extras are gradually eating away at my family's weekly food budget? Enter some brands I stumbled upon at my local Fred Meyers (Kroger for those of you not living in the Pacific Northwest). Now, please keep in mind that I am not one to parade my views of clean eating and bash those who decide against it. My lifestyle is not by choice, but by necessity. So while some ingredients may seem innocent to most people, they are not to me. In chocolate, for example, there is a sneaky, nasty little chemical called soy lecithin. Finding something sweet without that in it is near impossible. Finding chocolate without that in it that tastes wonderful and is easy on the budget is "to infinity and beyond" impossible. Yet a wonderful company named Theo has managed to do just that! At a mere $2.99 per bar, this is comparable in price to the chemical bomb of a Hershey bar, and is much, much richer and yummier.


Another, difficult snack food that is now inexpensively on the market for those of us hippy eaters are potato chips! Both Boulder Canyon and Kettle have begun creating potato chips that are - get this- made out of potatoes! Shocking, I know, but the ingredient list is shorter than the number of fingers on one hand totaling in at potatoes, sea salt, and olive oil. They are delicious, and hard to stop eating after the bag is opened (remember that comment on moderation earlier, it's really hard with these!).


 There are other options, as well (like fruit roll ups that are truly good) that are out there for people like me. But when it comes to that need to seem normal, to grab a chocolate bar or have a side of chips with your bunless burger these are the definite way to go! Bon appetite with your clean eating, my friends!

Essential Oils - Fact or Myth

Photo courtesy of jessicasapothecary.wordpress.com

Approximately a year ago I began to hear a lot about essential oils, and how they were the new, natural miracle worker. Despite all that I heard from friends, my family, and co-workers I was still reluctant to give them a try. Honestly, it seemed to me that if an oil was the answer that all of the health problems (and low life expectancy) throughout the ages would have been erased.

I decided to throw my skepticism to the wind, and give one a try after a friend told me essential oils can help with weight loss. To Amazon I went, and I searched for a reasonably priced oil that would provide the miracles I had been told about After I received it, I put the oil to the test, and it did not work. At all. I used the entire bottle, as directed, before coming to the conclusion that the oil was worthless. And I was disappointed, but not completely surprised as, again, I had deep down decided that there was no way these could work.

Then, a few weeks later, I became sick. Very, very sick. Nothing worked to give me relief, and I had visions of the ER in my head if things got any worse. On the worst day, I hurt so badly all over my body that I could not move. My mother found out, gathered up her Doterra oils, and rushed right over. As I was completely miserable, I decided I should give this a try again because any relief would be welcomed. An hour after rubbing myself all over with the trifecta she had given me, I began to feel human again. Within a day, I was up and around as though nothing had ever happened before.

Though I was impressed, I still wasn't ready to fully commit to this idea of essential oils. Several months went by and I never thought about it again. Then, the sick season hit. Since I work at a school, and have two children that are elementary ages, once September hits the germs just spread throughout our home. And spread, and spread, and mutate, and then spread again. By November, my son had the croup (along with a punctured ear drum), I had gone through the flu and sinus infections, and my daughter was coming down with bronchitis. Again, my mother ran over some Doterra to try and help get things under control. It did not work for my son (we went to the ER a few days after starting with the oils again. He was at the too sick point for preventative measures and needed medicine.), but my daughter and I got better almost immediately. I was impressed enough that I decided to continue using the oils by both diffusing and rubbing on with a carrier oil (like olive oil or coconut oil), and see what would happen.

Photo courtesy of www.bestessentialoildiffusers.com

Now, for my family, money is tight. I am a full time student, work part time for a school district in order to get more experience (a foot in the door, so to speak), and my husband's job spikes in hours based on the season. Spending $30.00 + per bottle of oil is simply not something that we can do. My mother, in knowing that some of these essential oil brands (like Doterra and Young Living) were wonderful, yet pricy, set out to find brands that were affordable and were as well, or nearly as well, as the main brands.

What she found were two brands that work incredibly well at the fraction of the cost: Bulk Apothecary and Edens Garden. After several months of using these, I am happy to say that I have been sick one time - the one time that I chose to not diffuse my oils while on vacation. For me, that is a record on the wellness charts, and I make certain to keep stocked up on Thieves, Peppermint Oil, and Tea Tree Oil (among others). It is important to note that there is one difference between these bargain oils and those with a higher price tag, they cannot be taken internally. They still, though, are able to be used topically as well as in a diffuser and work just as well as the other high price tags on the market. Why, I ask, should anyone spend three times the amount for something that works almost exactly the same?

Edens Garden Essential Oils

As you can see, I have found that these essential oils truly are amazing. Do they deliver the miraculous punch that others claim? No, of course not. Essential oils will not solve every single health problem that comes your way: Modern medicine is wonderful, and necessary for many things! For an inexpensive, and highly effective, way to stay well, and combat many other ills, this is definitely the way to go!

 

Stay tuned for my list of top recommended oils and how to use them! 

Having a Magical Vacation with Kids

With summer fast approaching, so do family vacations. For most of us, it is a time of intense planning, followed by the holding of breath that all of the money and effort was worth it. This is especially true for the parents who decide to take their children to The Happiest Place on Earth - aka Disneyland or Disney World. The majority of families envision a vacation there that is truly magical, everyone is happy and smiling all of the time, and every moment will have a perfect memory attached to it. What most don't realize is that children can become overly stimulated, hot, tired, and irritable at even the most Fantasmic places. Here is a list to help avoid those break downs, and keep the trip running smoothly!

1. Get your child (or children) a pin. If they are celebrating a first park visit, birthday, or some other event it will help them feel special, and will notify any guests and cast members that something special is going on. Not only that, but the pins are free, and a form of a souvenir that all kids love and will still use once them come home.

2. Bring snacks into the park. Yes, there are venders galore who will happily sell you Mickey bars (and healthy snacks, there is also a bounty of fruit available), but having a few snacks stowed away in case of a cranky emergency is essential regardless of the age of kids you are traveling with. Kids always seem to get hungry at the worst times (i.e. after waiting in line for a while, not at a point where it is easy to get out), and that hunger can quickly make even the most angelic child become a whiny mess. Bring snacks!

3. Remove any expectations about your child happily greeting characters. My own two children are ages 6 and 8, and neither one would approach a character let alone pose with one. Prior to our trip we had purchased autograph books and pens, and simply had to put aside our disappointment and remember that this trip was for the kids too, and then let all expectations go.

My kids walking away from the line to meet Minnie Mouse

4. Give independence where possible. Kids are always trying to prove they are old/big/smart enough to do something and this does not stop while on vacation. As a matter of fact, it is even harder for most since mom and dad watch them like hawks to make certain nothing horrible happens (which we should do, no doubt about that). So, if your son or daughter has the chance to show they can do something, let them. For example, while standing in line at Autopia, we realized my daughter was tall enough to drive herself and we decided to let her so long as my husband was directly behind her. My son, sadly, was not able to do so, but we allowed him to drive while I reached the pedals for him which let him proudly announce to the world "I drove my mommy".

5. Even if everyone in the party is tall enough for all of the rides, they may simply not be interested in them. When that happens, Fast Pass what most of you want to do, and let the others take off during the fast pass time. They can choose to ride their own ride then, people watch, shop for souvenirs, or take in the sites. This way, there is no pressure on any child/adult to do something they don't feel comfortable doing, and that will create a much happier atmosphere. On this last trip, my daughter and I fast passed Space Mountain while my son and husband went off and looked around Fantasyland, and another time she and I rode Space Mountain while they went on Winnie the Pooh. In the end, all four of us were happy!

6. Regardless of where you live, California and Florida are hot. And where there is heat, there is crankiness. Try to do as much as you can at the parks in the mornings and late afternoons/early evenings. Leave the parks in the middle of the day and go for a swim. Not only will this help in removing all of the none stop sites and sounds from coming at your children, but it will cool them off and leave them feeling refreshed and ready to go back at it later that day.

7. Just because you're at Disney it does not mean you have to eat every single meal in the parks. Though most true Disney fans will argue that the food is one of the highlights of being at the Most Magical Place on Earth, pick and choose a few places to dine at the parks or resorts, and balance it with quieter places outside of the parks. Kids usually feed on other's emotions and actions, and a lot of the quick service places in the parks are loud and chaotic. By choosing to remove your children from that atmosphere a few times over the trip it will allow them to regroup, calm down, and enjoy a quiet meal.
 8. Let them be silly. Yes there are a lot of people around, and yes they are probably watching how you and your kids are behaving, but oh well. This is, after all, a vacation and your children should feel free to let loose and be silly while away from home. Let them try on the different ears, make faces, create their own silly photo bombs, you name it (or, in my son's case, take a video of the family's butts going through the parks).

9. Set expectations. If you are on a tight budget, let your children know. Once they are on that Disney property they will have the sites of things for sale coming at them from all angles. Being prepared in advance on what they can, or cannot, have will lower disappointment for them. Being aware of a budget can also help your children put a lot of thought into the souvenir(s) that they end up choosing, and will make them more excited when they do finally decide to make a purchase.

10. Follow the advice of Mrs. Incredible and try to be flexible. Your trip will be much more magical if you allow yourself to give up blocks of time to let your children be happy. They may end up begging for time to play with Legos at Downtown Disney, want to try on every ear hat that they see, or go on rides that you really don't think you'll enjoy. Just do it. Be flexible. Let them have those chunks of time to explore and push their own limits. They may end up learning things about themselves that they wouldn't have otherwise, like how to be courageous in getting on a scary ride, or how to stretch their creativity. In the grand scheme of things, 20 minutes here and there for your child is not much, and will make your trip much happier at the Happiest Place on Earth!

My obsessive mouse ear baby girl.

Finally tore him away from Lego creations to pose with the Hulk.

About to ride Splash Mountain, eek!

The Timeout List - AKA, the Journey to the Naughty Stool

My dad makes these stools that are pretty awesome. Each time one of my close friends has a child, he makes them one so that the child has their own piece of furniture to play with. As time has gone on, these stools have turned into the timeout furniture of the home, and have been dubbed the "naughty stool". So, when I read the prompt of this week (List 10 people, places, or things you’d like to give a timeout to) my brain immediately said "hmmm, whom shall we place on the naughty stool?".

1. The Middle East. Yep, I just went there. Pretty much that entire area - lets just say the whole continent - needs a time out. We'll say one hour per each person that has senselessly been killed. That should put them on the stool for a long enough time that someone who has some compassion and brains can come in and fix things and see that Christians, other minorities, and women all deserve to 1. live, and 2. have rights. Middle East, go to your corner, now!

2. Russia. Mr. Putin, Sir, you are also going to have to sit your shirtless-while-riding-a-white-tiger self on a teeny, tiny stool for a while. Have you not learned that complete control and violence are not okay? They're not. Terrorizing other countries is also not okay. Someone, apparently, did not learn how to share in kindergarten, or how to get along with others. In fact, maybe instead of timeout you should simply be sent back to class with a bunch of 5 year olds.

3.  Friends who are only around when they need something, or when they are in between finding best friends. Seriously, we're either good friends or we're not. We're either on a level where we share intimate details or we're not. We're either basically like family or we're not. No more games, no more wasting of time, or playing with emotions.

4. Myself. A lot of times I feel as though I need to go to my own corner and collect my breath. This is especially so before dealing with my children. I have found that it teaches them about patience, and about making important decisions while calm. Plus, some times it's important to just hide and be alone.

5. Major fans of the NFL. All of ya'll need to chill out. This whole "they cheated" nonsense is getting out of hand. Newsflash, ALL of the teams cheat. Does it make it right? Nope. Should they do it? Again, nope. Just stop getting on your high horse in acting like there are no skeletons in your team's closet because I guarantee you that there are (here's a list, for anyone interested). Plus, football season is over. Can we please take a break from it until August?

6. The makers of delicious, yet unhealthy, foods. It is simply not fair to those of us with food allergies and intolerances to have to watch others eat this deliciousness, and smell it as well, yet not be able to indulge. Maybe, just maybe, you should sit on the naughty stool for a llllloooonnnngggg time while someone eats that stuff around you and doesn't let you have it! Bet that'd make you all reach for natural ingredients in a hurry!

7. The United State's government. I don't think I even need to explain this one. From the mess of the economy, not being able to set a budget (seriously, we families do it all of the time, pay one of us to come up with it for you!), and making questionable decisions left and right you all need a naughty stool, nap, and possible relocation to a new daycare.

8. The political correctness police. The one thing I have noticed as I have matured into adulthood is that the more pc things become, the more aware people become of differences. It is hard to say we are all equals and are all the same, while also being forced to be overly sensitive in word choices. You cannot have it both ways. At the same time, looking at people's pasts and fearing about the repercussions takes away from all we have learned from mistakes. It is important to acknowledge slavery, the holocaust, gender inequality, etc and see it for exactly what it is, yet move forward with courage. For those of you that can't, to the corner you go!

9. People who feel it's okay to have child trafficking/marriage. You who do this, or argue for it, are sick individuals and human beings. A timeout is probably too nice for you, but as that was my only option that's what you get. How this can even be publicly argued I do not know.

10.My children. You both are about to spend a while in separate corners of the house if you cannot get along with one another! Also, this whining, sighing, and eye rolling is stupid and needs to stop. I, myself, feel like doing all of the above at you multiple times a day now, and do not plan on getting most of my caloric exercise from plummeting breaths and eye movements. Gah!

I know my list is random. Trust me, if there wasn't a list on 10 it would have been a lot more comprehensive. Happy Thursday, all!

Special Eats Magic Style

The awesome Disneyland

A few weeks ago I shared my concern about being able to eat while on vacation at Disneyland. Early on this year I found out that I have a very intense food allergy/sensitivity that requires me to pretty much eat everything from scratch (think along the lines of Paleo. Ugh!). Because of that, a few months ago I began planning what to bring in the event that all of my hopes about Disney dining weren't true.

The night before our flight, my hubby and I went to our local stores and bought cheese (which I froze), almonds, and Larabars. Enough that I knew I could sustain myself for breakfast and lunch every day if nothing else was available. And, given my luck in my own hometown, I knew nothing would really be an option for me.

On our first day, we were exhausted, hot, and starving after getting up at 3:00am, and not reaching Anaheim until 1:30pm. While waiting for our hotel room to open, we went a few doors down to Dennys. To my shock and awe, Dennys actually has some salads that are gluten free and fit for clean eating. After telling the incredible staff about what could not even touch my food, it was delivered exactly as requested (and I could tell story upon story about how places I frequent at home cannot get this simple requirement down). The servers went above and beyond to make certain I had exactly what I needed, and even prompted me on what type of dressing they felt I could have (first day, I was told I might want to avoid the honey mustard since it has gluten, which is not something I react too but it was nice to know someone was looking out for me). Because of the great service we received, we actually ate at Dennys every single day of our trip, minus the very last day given that we left prior to lunch.

After having lunch, taking a nap, and getting freshened up before time in the park, we headed off to explore a bit before reservations at the Carnation Café. I had made ADR's (Advanced Dining Reservations) there two months earlier, and had put special note down of my food restrictions. As soon as we checked in at the Café, we were immediately asked which person had the food allergy/sensitivity and clarification on whether or not I felt I needed to speak to a chef -  I decided to put my trust in Disney, and forego the chef. Our waitress immediately came, and gave us all menus pointing out that mine was different. Apparently, Disneyland is rolling out a new program for those of us who cannot eat the same as everyone else! I have to admit, I was very excited to see that I had multiple options, and would not be forced to eat a Larabar while my family had delicious park food! She then insisted that I list exactly what I had problems with food wise so that she could inform the chef, as they would cross reference everything they prepared for me. Being the chicken that I am, I stuck with salad the entire trip, the salad that I had here was absolutely delicious and worthwhile!

Special menus for special people

The next day we had ADR's for the Storyteller Café in the Grand Californian Hotel. We had no idea what to expect here, and were both a little nervous about how nice the restaurant was - prior to kids this would have been fine/normal. 8 1/2 years into children and we are on the extreme casual end of cuisine! After being seated, we had the most lovely waitress from Japan. She bent over backwards to make us feel welcome, to joke around with our kids, and to make certain that I felt normal. Though I did not ask for it, she put in an order for some special gluten free bread so that I could enjoy a small amount prior to our meal just as the rest of my family was. The bread was, to be honest, the highlight of dinner and I ate every single bite. So delicious (please, oh please, Disneyland give me the recipe!)! Again, prior to ordering I was given the option to have a chef come out and speak with me and declined as I saw I had options (important to note that this restaurant does NOT have an allergy menu, but is able to work around it). I am a chicken, so salad again it was for me and it was also delicious. If we ever go back we will be rushing back to this restaurant!

My kiddo got to make his own pizza at the table

Just loved the lights at the Storyteller Cafe

On our last day we had ADR's set for Goofy's Kitchen, and decided to cancel. For one, we were trying to stay on a budget, and for another we both were stressed about trying to rush to different areas of the parks on time. That day we chose to eat at Red Rockets Pizza Port and just see how everything went - I was curious to see if they could accommodate me at a quick service location! After wandering around, I realized that the only thing I could have was *ding ding* salad. And the salads that had already been made needed to have things removed. So I asked those behind the counter if they could make me a new salad, and stated it was for food allergy/sensitivity. Immediately they went back and got a chef, and had them come out to prepare my food for me. Granted, what I ate was not special, but it was wonderful to see that I could eat anywhere and someone would try their best to make sure I was eating safely.

Now, I know most of you are probably wondering why I did not go out and eat more than just salad. The real reason is that I was/am scared. I did not want to risk having a reaction while I was on vacation and possibly have some residual effects while on the airplane. Not only that, but I was tired of the whole thing by the time we got to the park (the night before trying to rush around and find things I could have had gotten to me) and just wanted to feel normal and order something I knew would be fine. You all are also probably wondering why I did not take pictures of my food. I decided to make my husband and kids happy and be more "in the moment" instead of constantly capturing them on film. And I feel it was well worth it!

I hope this has inspired some of you to take a trip, and put aside any eating concerns you may have. Disneyland goes above and beyond to provide a magical experience, even to those of us that need some extra help and attention!

The Ghost of Futures Past

You HAVE to go back in time and choose a different career path for yourself. What do you choose?

Yikes, that's hard. I am one of those people who has a fear of commitment. I am quick to shop, and then immediately head out to either put something back on the shelf, or return it after I've gotten home (this is a trait that drives my husband bonkers. No lie. Bonkers). I do this with everything, I "try on" an idea, and swiftly declare it is not for me and head to something else while still having the first idea in the back of my mind. Yep, fear of commitment with a side of indecisive, that's me.

A friend and I used to joke around about wishing there was a degree/career called A Jane of All Trades. And, honestly, that's what we both need given that I have been in costuming, crowd control, security (that was a day long stint), retail, customer service, photographer assistant, government, internet radio, cake decorator/baker, blogger, not for profit, insurance, and education. And I'm only 28 years young... For anyone shaking their heads #1. I happen to have gotten into the nitty gritty of career digging during a major economic recession, and have become well acquainted being laid off, #3. While dealing with unemployment I ended up being pretty resourceful in either how to bring in some money, or how to boost my resume, and #3. Look at the paragraph above.

I say all of this because I honestly don't know what I would do differently. Teaching, what I am going for now (and fully committed too thanks to the declarations and evil eye of my husband), is not my dream. It is stable, though, something I am good at, and allows me to be in the work force while also staying at home with my kids when they are home. And I really like helping kids see that if they change their inner dialogue that they can achieve more than they thought possible. Might not be much more, but any little bit counts.

In the past I wanted to be a high school French teacher. I still think that would be pretty great, but with all of the law/regulation changes I'm not quite certain that would be a good fit for me now. I also wanted to be a nurse or an engineer. What I have learned is that the medical field is awesome, and that my brain is not smart enough for the math that engineers use. I also wanted to work for the airlines, but now that I am a mom I am very thankful that I am not doing that, away from them all of the time (more power to all of the mommies out there who do it, though).

Mainly, what I always wanted was a prestigious job where I could travel and make everyone proud thinking I had accomplished something. I then found out that God has a sense of humor, and that, that usually interferes with people's perceptions of themselves along with their goals.

I think if I knew then what I know now that I would have gone into the medical profession. I have always been interested in it, pretty good with people, and good with math/science that does not go into calculus and beyond. I always thought that working in labor and delivery would be one of the most beautiful jobs anyone could do, and really did entertain thoughts of that for a while (of course, not even going there with abortion and assisting. Just, no.). And blogging, I love doing it when I have the inspiration and time. So if I could go back in time I'd tell myself to deliver babies, have my own babies, get an annual pass to Disney, be a Disney travel planner (always, always wanted to do that) and be a famous blogger about all of it!

The Check In

It hit me the last few days that I have had lots of goals/resolutions for this year, and that I have achieved every single one of them (except for one that is private) - for the full list, click here. What this means, for me, is that it's time to update you all and now set some new goals for the remainder of the year! Normally I would not bore you all with this, but it seems that I am more likely to do what I actually tell others I'll do instead of having a mental check list.

1. I had a goal of losing 40 pounds by May 1st so that I could enjoy our vacation and just be more fit. Well, I struggle on whether or not to say I officially did this. Since last June, I have lost a grand total of 43 pounds, but fell short of the actual number I wanted by 13 pounds. So, yes and no on meeting the goal. Over all yearly, yes, actual number wanted no, but came close. I was actually feeling semi discouraged, and then a friend made this collage so that I could see how far I've come. The far end is last summer, middle is February, and the end was back in April. So, we're making progress.

The next goal is to lose another 40 pounds by May 8th, and I'm pretty certain I can do it! Already have some plans in place to make it happen, along with an accountability partner!

2. I think I'm getting baptized this year. I was a long, long time ago, but am feeling led to do so again now that I fully understand what it is. So, the goal is to suck it up and just do it even though I don't particularly want to in front of the entire church. Yikes!

3. I finished ALL of my courses for my degree. The only things I have remaining are student teaching and one Praxis exam. The goal is to complete/pass the exam this summer, and to study two courses that I don't feel really confident on prior to September.

The color blue means passed. No other colors left!!!!!

4. A picture speaks a thousand words on this one. Take a look below!

First family trip to Disneyland

The hubby and kiddos at Cars Land

And the next goal is to take the kids camping this summer for the first time, and plan next year's family trip.

5. I wanted to be more open to possibilities. I still have to work on this one, as I am semi reclusive and like routine, but as the picture below shows, I am breaking outside of my comfort level. The next goal is private, I'm not sharing it :)

I'm the one in the back, screaming

6. Yeah I'm still not organized. I wonder if I ever will be organized. I may have an epitaph saying "here lies the most unorganized woman in the history of the world. We'd have a better quote, but she misplaced the paper it was on". Yep, that's me.

7. Still not sharing. It's private, just for me to know and all of you to possibly find out some day :)

8. We have implemented Friday family nights (sometimes held on Saturday afternoons depending on the activity and the weather). Our family has watched movies, gone bowling, been to the circus baseball game, etc. It's been nice to know that one day a week is reserved for something fun to do, and a chance to reconnect. The goal, now, is to find ways to inexpensively do this as I am about to be jobless for many months.

The new goals are as follows: Part time job to work between now and the end of August (it'll help us have money for Christmas and other fun things while I'm student teaching), find a way to economically shop for professional clothes (eek!), fix my car so that it's in tip top shape for September, brush up on all I'll need to know for the classroom as well as any new curriculums I have never used, go zip lining, build a decent size savings account, start resolving some old debt, cut down on tv time, cut down on time using the phone, and find ways to celebrate holidays that will make memories yet not cause a wave of stress or debt.

TTFN, folks!