Long Live Summer + Grateful for Summer School

My littlest nugget started her summer school program and I’m so relieved to say it went well. Her first impression of the “big kid school” was a good one and I’m grateful for that! 

This fun summer program is only 1/2 day and takes place at the same school she’ll begin Kindergarten at in the Fall. I’m glad she’ll get a head start by spending some time there this summer, getting to know the layout, and the teachers before Kindergarten even starts! 

It was a hard decision to “take away” some of her summer but after the first day, I can tell you I feel confident we made the right choice. It’s also helpful to know that it’s just for the month of July. 

Laney had so much fun with her new and old friends (from preschool). It feels good to know that she is experiencing new things; she’s flexing her “be brave” muscle, and she’s learning new skills with her peers!

This next week or so will be another time of transition for us. The mid-summer transition as Laney starts this summer program we are also preparing on saying goodbye to the cousins who have been with us for the past 6 weeks. 

The cousins leave for Missouri this coming weekend and it’s going to be incredibly hard to say goodbye. I am hopeful though to get back into more of a self care routine (to include more blogging) after we settle in to the new routine of summer school for Laney, and the cousins traveling back to Missouri.

We still have plenty of fun to look forward to this second half of summer, too. The first half was spent with our long-distance family, and this second half we’re excited to spend with friends!

Long live summer!

Raw Sugar Coconut Iced Latte

I love using minimal ingredients to make good food and drinks. Today, I’m sharing what I use to make my newest latte flavor. It’s an iced latte, and summer themed, because it’s been so hot lately!

Raw sugar coconut iced latte:

- 1 tbsp raw sugar

- 1 capful of coconut flavor

- 8 oz steamed oatmilk

- 2 oz espresso

Serve over ice.

Adjust the sweetness to your taste. If it were my husband making it, he would add an extra tbsp of raw sugar.

Let me know if you give it a try and what you think!

Full Day of Eats: Hot Summer Monday

Phew! June is coming to an end and it’s getting hot over here! We had a very hot Monday, with most of the week about to feel the same.

For breakfast, I made an omelette and toast, followed up with some yogurt.

Late morning, it was clear that I needed an oatmilk latte. Since it was so hot, I made it iced and coconut flavor.

For lunch, I made “sub” salads. Then I went over to my moms to grab the 3 cousins and took all 5 kids to the playground. We ended up going to two playgrounds, then picked up some produce from the market stand on our way home.

In the afternoon, I grabbed a beef stick.

I had a handful of cherries (not pictured) from the market stand, and some Gouda cheese when I got home, too.

For dinner, we had burgers and picnic food at my mom’s house. I also had some chips.

I brought the cupcakes to dinner, which I made that afternoon with Olivia and Laney. Of course I had one for dessert.

After dinner we rushed off to Laney’s Tball game. She’s doing so well with it, and we love watching her play!

After the Tball game, Nick took the girls over to run through the sprinkler with the cousins while I took a shower and watered the garden. 

Time in the garden — the best way to end a summer day!

Weekend Pancakes

The weekend is for pancakes in this house. We could and sometimes do make pancakes on a weekday but they are mostly reserved for the weekends, and they are best eaten in bed.

Since we have an 11 year old and a 5 year old, sprinkles and/or chocolate chips are a must for pancakes. This weekend we opted for sprinkles.

I love a slow start to the weekend. This one started with us all outside, watching the chickens free-range first thing. I started planting the last remaining plants that have needed transplanted into the ground in the garden. I also got some sunflower seeds sown.

This weekend was good. As the heat increased on Sunday, we went swimming at a local campground. It was extra special because the cousins are still in town and were able to join us!

As we start this new week, I realize it’s our last week before Laney begins her STEM-like summer program with the school. She’ll be going to school 8am-12pm Monday - Thursday for the month of July. It’s bittersweet to send her, but I know it will only help prepare her for her first year of full days at school this Fall.

Next week is our last week with the cousins in town. Time really does fly when you’re having fun! We’ve also just been so busy with them here. I’m both sad to have to say goodbye and also looking forward to slowing down a bit after they go home.

Full Day of Eats: Weight Check In

Well, after nearly a week of refocusing on my eating habits, I am checking in on my weight. On Monday, I weighed in at 225 lbs and today I’m weighing in at 221 lbs. 

I’m happy to see a big loss on the scale for this first week of getting back on track! If I stay consistent, I’m hoping it won’t be too long before I’m back down to my Springtime weight of 215 lbs.

Not only am I happy about what the scale is saying but I’m already feeling better in my body, too. As you can see in my blog posts, I’m not eating entirely clean by any means but it’s still making a difference by working to stay within my calorie deficit.

I have also been doing a little mobility work, and walking often. I’m sure it’s a combination of eating within my calorie deficit and staying active that has my body feeling so good!

Sharing “full day of eats” on the blog helps me to stay accountable, too. So, here’s my full day of eats from yesterday!

Total calories: 1,840 cal

Full Day of Eats: I Love Egg Salad

In case you didn’t know, we have a little homestead with a garden and chickens. When I say little, I mean it. We’re growing food and raising chickens on a fairly small plot. We have 10 chickens and in the summertime now we are getting more eggs than we know what to do with. 

Yesterday, I made some egg salad with some of the abundance of eggs. Oh boy did I forget how much I love egg salad! I love it because it’s good for any meal of the day. Yesterday I ate it for lunch!

I know I am getting ahead of myself because I forgot to mention breakfast. It was, indeed,  another day of chia pudding for breakfast.

My oatmilk latte came after that because I needed the caffeine to help me start the day!

I already shared my lunch with you, and so let’s skip on to the afternoon. I grabbed a premier protein for the road because we had another park play date with the cousins.

It was a fun day! We played at the park, then went to a pet store to get a new fish for Laney, and grabbed some munchkin’s on the way home. I had 2!

In the evening, all the kids went to a Bible program at the park. My husband and I had ourselves a little date night on the beach. Followed up with some wings for dinner. I had 8!

All in all, I ended up with about 1,900 calories for the day. Not too bad considering I was mostly just winging it without tracking as I went (no pun intended).

Full Day of Eats: Chia Pudding for Breakfast

Yesterday was another day of chia pudding for breakfast. I can’t believe I went so long without trying it. Since I’m usually more of a savory girl, I don’t know if I’ll always have it for breakfast but I’m enjoying it for now. It would be a great evening dessert option, too!

Breakfast: Chia Pudding with Oats + Strawberries (335 cal)

Mid-Morning: Bacon Mozzarella Omelette made with 1 egg, 1 egg white (155 cal)

Lunch: Chicken Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette (360 cal)

My afternoon snack was an oatmilk latte. (210 cal)

It was much needed as I had a car full of kids, and a park play date underway! (I love being Auntie Kay and having my niece and nephews in town!) While at the park, I got some Bible time in. I closed my eyes, felt the warm breeze on my skin while hearing the kids playing in the background. It was a heavenly moment!

For dinner, my mom grabbed us subs from Subway before the tball game. Summertime is just the best!

I ate half of my sub before the game and the other half after. (820 cal)

This brought me to a total of about 1,880 calories for the day.

Full Day of Eats: Adjusting My Focus

Hello! In case you missed it, I have just started focusing more on my food intake again. You can read more about it, here: Out of Control and Out of Touch.

Yesterday, I started my day with a new found favorite: chia pudding with granola. 

I know it doesn’t look like much but it’s delicious. If I had berries, I would have mixed it in but it was a grocery run kind of morning, and we were fresh out.

I make my chia pudding with 1/2 cup of oatmilk, 2 tbsp chia seeds, 1/2 ounce of pure maple syrup, and a dash of vanilla. I make it before bed and in the morning I mix in 1/4 cup of granola made with ancient grains and toasted coconut. What a way to start the day! (225 cal)

Mid-morning, I needed a latte. It was a slow rainy summer day. I enjoyed a coconut latte before heading out to grab groceries. (155 cal)

For lunch, we stopped at Subway because we were out for grocery pick up. I ate a 6 inch turkey sub and 3 inch steak sub because Laney didn’t finish hers, so I did. (620 cal)

In the afternoon, I had a couple chocolate covered pretzels, a Coke Zero, and some baked bbq chips while I worked in my basement office space. (175 cal)

For dinner, we made burgers with a side of salad. I grabbed a bunch of fun salad mixings and created a basket to choose from. On this night I choose sesame sticks and sunflower seeds. We also had some blue cheese crumble, fresh veggies and a new apple cider vinaigrette to add. It was amazing! (555 cal)

Before bed, I had a couple more chocolate covered pretzels (60 cal)

I rounded out the day with about 1,820 calories. 

This is great for my first day back to focusing more on my food intake.

Out of Balance and Out of Touch

It’s been well over a month since I’ve been focused on eating in a calorie deficit and the scale knows it. I weighed in at 225 today. That’s 5 lbs up from a month ago and 10 lbs up from my lowest in the Spring.

I still don't feel ready to challenge myself as I had been when I was losing weight, but as I saw that number on the scale I know that I must. I cannot let the scale slowly creep back up and erase all the work I’ve done. 

Of course it’s not the scale doing this, it’s me. I’m the one making poor eating choices. I’m the one not eating until 3pm and then eating double what I would have because I’m so hungry. I’m the one completely out of balance and out of touch with what I truly want: better health and wellness.

I’ve completely ignored my own goals and my long-term desires of better health and wellness. I traded them in for short-term gratification and succumbed to poor coping in a busy season.

I have grace for myself, but I also know that I haven’t even been trying. I want to try again but it feels risky. It feels risky because nothing is changing except for my desire to do better. We still have family in town and we are still scheduled out to the brim of our capacity.

Nothing changes if nothing changes, right? So, what can I change?

Focus. I can change my focus.

I can focus on what I will eat throughout the day. That’s where I will start.

The Start of Summer Break

Hi! It’s been a couple of weeks since I have checked in and it’s honestly been the fastest couple of weeks of my life. We have been going from sun up to sun down. I know it won’t always be this busy.

We have fit in so much fun in the first couple of weeks of summer break with “the cousins” in town, plenty more to come!

Laney graduated pre-k a few weeks ago and is moving on to kindergarten in the Fall!

Piper graduated 5th grade and is on her way to middle school!

Summer fun has just begun!

We kicked off summer break with a sleepover for friends. We spent some time at the creek and attended Laney’s t-ball game.

In the midst of t-ball games, daily visits with the cousins and all of the summer fun I managed to get most of my garden planted. I still want to get more sunflowers and beans in the ground but we’ve got some pole beans growing and most of the tomatoes and all of my peppers in the ground.

I was pretty excited to take my girls to see The Big Boy steam engine roll through locally last week. It was definitely worth the wait and incredible to witness up close!

Most every day has some sort of adventure in it these days. We started asking God - “what adventure do you have for us today?” It was something I found my grandma writing over and over in the book she left behind. 

It’s been a sweet, busy, and incredible start to summer break! I am grateful to be utterly exhausted by the end of each day as we make memories with our family and friends.