Oh Virginia.

Virginia, just a shamble of a state, much like the girl in the song sung by Train. Although the girl Virginia seems to be more compiled than this damn place.

Good News: Blakely is better.

Bad News: Bryan and I are now sick.

Reasoning: Because that's what happens. 

We got about 6 inches of snow Tuesday night. Since its supposedly rare for this area, work was canceled. Oddly enough Crossfit was still open in the afternoon and I should have taken full advantage of that like my husband did. Let's face it though, it was cold and snowy outside and we had an endless amount of movies to catch up on so that's what I did.  

Due to it being the end of the month, our account was getting close to the end of our budget. We had to pull the "college student diet" but without the beer. Our pantry had an unusual guest by the name of Ramen and some other cheaper versions of the things we like; such as Folgers coffee instead of our usual Starbucks. We found out that cheaper is not always better, especially when it comes to your coffee, the very thing that starts your day and keeps Bryan and I from killing each other. We had grainy leftovers in our mugs and crazy heartburn.  Needless to say, whoever made the Folgers slogan "the best part of waking up, is folgers in your cup" was high on something and it definitely was not from any grade-A  coffee bean.

We got Harley neutered about a week ago. Let me be the bearer of bad news and tell you that dogs calming down after they are fixed IS A LIE. He's still hyper as ever and has done some pretty stupid stuff since he's been home. What little training that dog had stored in his brain, was taken when they removed his man business. It's a funny+gross situation when Harley is cleaning himself, blakely will run over and point to his... Well you know, and say "ewww gross." If it weren't for them being best friends and siblings, he would no longer carry the Vande Sande name. 

Lately, Blakely has hit that "terrible two" stage. She's no longer in daycare and we have play dates maybe once a month. She's grown accustom to getting everything she wants and unfortunately that reflects in her manners and listening skills. She likes to hit Bryan and I when she doesn't get her way. We have no clue where she got this from. I mean, it's not like Bryan throws me around or anything. We started spanking her but then realized that we were telling her not to hit by doing the exact same thing (thanks Mom). We have reverted to time outs again, this time in her little yankee chair in the corner of her bedroom. Today while Bryan was at crossfit she came over and did the expected. I looked her in the eyes and said "we don't hit" and stuck her in the chair. She sat there for 5 whole minutes until I came and got her out of timeout. She has her days where she's completely compliant with her punishment. I guarantee if I were to do that again tomorrow, she'd roll her eyes and get up.

There is still a good amount of snow outside and the weather was making me want to be as lazy as ever. Forget working out, forget going to the store, forget cleaning. Just let me lay in bed all day and I'll be happy. In actuality, I did have to go to the store for groceries. While being out, I discovered the following:

1. Virginia drivers are more dangerous in the snow than on dry ground, however, this does not surprise me in the least bit.

2. Park close to the grocery store entrance and not in the very back. This will divert an entire workout by trekking a mile through the snow with a loaded grocery cart to get to your stinking car. 

3. People really get on my nerves, but this wasn't really a discovery,  just a reminder.
4. I strongly dislike this type of weather.

Being home these two days have made me more appreciative of my family. I am so thankful for Bryan and Blakely and the love and happiness they bring to my life. Tomorrow I have to be back at work and all I am going to look forward to is leaving to come back home.

So I will close this day with a simple reminder to enjoy everything that happens in your life, even if it consists of snow and annoying individuals.

Until the Weekend.



Xo
-M.

In Her Shoes.

I wonder what goes through blakelys head. That girl is constantly on the go until she hits the pillow and then she's out. Well, more technically my boob. (Yes I am still breast feeding a 19 month old) She does it just to pacify herself at nap and bedtime. Honestly I really didn't want to stop nursing after she turned one, As a working mother and being away from her all day it was our bonding time. Now she's turning two in June and we have made zero progress. She whines consistently throughout the day, and can't go to bed without it if I'm around.  I've asked plenty of friends and family for advice and the "cold turkey" method is easier said than done, Especially when your daughter treats your breast milk like a crackhead. Besides her depending on my slim supply of milk, she doesn't eat. She of course LOVES popcorn but what type of parents would we be if we used that as a meal supplement. I'm sure that falls under Neglect somewhere. 

Yesterday we went to the store to get some more laundry detergent (I'm telling you, it's never ending in our house) she of course had no idea whether she wanted me to carry her or ride in the cart so we switched a lot. I must tell you that I am a basket case of anxiety. Crowded areas with unintelligent malingering people really just set me off. I become red and sweaty and my chest gets tight... Really It's just embarrassing. Anyway where I was going with that personal background history is that 8 times out of 10 blakely picks out the perfect place to throw a tantrum. She was screaming No over and over again. Two gentleman came over to see if I needed help with anything... "Yeah if you can take the word No out of her vocabulary that'd be great."

After I cooled down and finally got her to calm down we stopped by the movie section to see what was there. She picked out Sofia the First, Once upon a time. This is where it tells the story on how Sofia and her Mother became royal. It's funny that this stuff entertains us as parents; It's also pretty sad that we have nearly all the episodes memorized and can sing along with the songs. I guess this sums up our life- watching princess movies with our baby monster and trying to find something she'll eat other than the many varieties of popcorn. 

When it comes to playing she's so particular and she has to be wearing shoes, which she changes frequently throughout the day... Her heels, then the boots, then Bryan's sweaty workout shoes, and of course ventures on to my white and tan loafers.

She loves to play babies with Bryan which is quite humorous, she gives him this "baby alive" which the doll is a total freak show. (If I believed toys came to life in the middle of the night to freak out their owners, this doll would definitely do so) The doll cries, laughs, and blinks it's eyes when you feed it; Then like every American once it's over fed, it falls asleep snoring. I tip my hat to the toy manufacturers for instilling laziness at such a young age. 

Harley- her "brother" who is really a dog, absolutely loves her and it's so funny to watch him play with her. He'll chase her and nuzzle her toys with his nose. If she bothers him he gets her away by kissing her face to death. When he's bored he'll let her play dress up with him which she takes full advantage of.

Although I may not ever find the answer to what goes through her head. Im glad she is such a ball of happiness and can brighten our day no matter what. She learns, loves, and grows each and every day. It seems as if I'm slowing losing my baby girl in exchange with a "big" girl. I wish she could just remain my baby forever. 

Xo
-M

Holy Week.

Being back at work has made me come to the realization that blogging as often as I'd like to is not going to happen. Joy.

This week was jammed packed with lots of fun!

Monday: MLK day. Which is a federal holiday and since I'm In the navy, I had the day off from work. It would have been nice to get a reminder from my fellow co-workers, but instead I got up at 430, got everything packed for the day and was out the door to make it to my 5:30am crossfit class. Luckily one of my instructors is in the navy and reminded me. Glad to see that I'm so on top of things. 

Tuesday: Woke up for my 530 class which was 6 rounds for time: 15 pull ups and 30 double unders ( where the jump rope goes under you twice). By the fourth round both my hands had ripped and I was bleeding everywhere. Shirt, bar, ground, just EVERYWHERE. To make matters worse, I can only string like 5-8 double unders together at a time so that workout nearly killed me. I got to work with my hands still bleeding and my arms were covered in red whip marks thanks to the rope. First thing I was asked when I got into the locker room was if Bryan was beating me at home. "No my husband doesn't beat me, I just don't know when stop during a workout when enough is enough. Thanks for asking though!" After I was graciously welcomed back, I got ready for the day and went to work. I can't remember exactly what all I did, but it was enough to fill nine hours worth. Blakely began to run a fever that night so Bryan and I were up ALL NIGHT. It also snowed, which delayed work by 2 hours. 

Wednesday: due to the "snow" I got to drive my jeep in 4-wheel drive which was cool. I got to work at 9:30 and was able to leave at 1:00. As night rolled around blakely was at 103.5 temp. We got some Tylenol and sat there trying to negotiate with an almost two year old to take her meds like a big girl. We quickly came to the conclusion that she wasn't going to take it without force. So I pinned her down, she screamed bloody murder, Bryan administered the meds, and up came the Tylenol all over our bedding. 

Thursday: after the night we had we were pretty much dragging. I slept through my alarm and was late to work. Bryan was of course at home watching blakely and she was still feeling icky. Luckily though her fever broke for good around 5pm. 

Friday- I would just like to say that last night we ALL slept like babies and when my crossfit alarm went off, I sure as heck hit snooze and slept in an extra two hours. 

Today was great; I was at work on time, I ate breakfast, had three cups of coffee before 11am. I went to my plastics appointment today to evaluate on a breast lift or augmentation. Since I am STILL nursing, I have to wait an additional 6 months to be sure my milk has fully dried up. That being the only disappointing news, I still finished the day strong and I'm so glad it's the weekend. Blakely is feeling so much better but still being a drama queen. Bryan is off at the pool to collect himself after this crazy week, and I'm just here blogging away while Disney junior is playing in the background. It's 6:53 and I'm completely exhausted trying to keep my eyes from shutting. I suppose I should get up and get some coffee so my dear husband won't come home to me passed out by 730 again. 

Hopefully your week was more collected than mine. 

Xo

M.

Oatmeal Balls

Packed with deliciousness.

What you'll need:

1 cup oats (raw)

1/2 cup almond butter 

1/2 cup flaxseed 

1/8 cup chia seed

1/2 cup organic dark chocolate chunks

1/3 organic honey

 

You may need to adjust PB or almond butter depending on your oat use. 

Mix everything together and roll them into balls. 

It's pretty messy but I definitely enjoying licking the spoon. 

Place in the fridge for 30 minutes. The more room temp they become the softer the balls get. 

Enjoy. 

Fitness + Health

I attended a week long fitness class in Virginia Beach. The things I learned definitely inspired me and I would like to pass on some of the knowledge that was given in this class.

For the most part I would like to consider myself as a "Healthy" person. I enjoy working out and being active. I enjoy our fridge being stocked with veggies, fruits, and all different types of protein. Of course I have no shame in admitting that I do enjoy the occasional fast food splurge with a creamy shake on the side. This whole week I challenged myself to eat "healthy" which excluded my options from the following: bread, pasta, cheese, fun foods, fast foods, my daughters snacks, and anything else that doesn't really come from from the ground. 

I was surprised with myself and actually accomplished my goal (other than last night because I had chicken strips, fries, and a shake) but it was my FIRST "bad" meal of the week. 

Coconut Oil. 

Olive oil can be subbed for coconut oil. Coconut oil is one of my favorite things. It's completely multi use from external to internal. Coconut oil is actually one of the richest sources of saturated fats. Now before you freak, you're body metabolizes this differently- where most saturated fats increase your cholesterol, which in turn can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease, coconut oil contains MCT Medium Chain Triglycerides. This does not affect your body as if you were biting into a big mac and downing a large coke and salted fries. The oil goes straight to the liver from the digestive tract. It's used as a quick source of energy and has been proven to improve your blood cholesterol. Other than cooking with it, you can apply it as moisturizer. I have been doing this for a while now and my skin loves it. I have very sensitive skin and this does not affect my complexion. Coconut Oil is rich in antioxidant vitamin E which is known to protect your skin. I have also used it in my hair before as an overnight conditioner and rinse extremely well in the morning. Your body absorbs this oil rapidly by the way so don't worry about walking around like a butter based turkey. 

You can add this to a shake or even to oatmeal to make it creamer. 

For all you moms out there this is PERFECT for bad diaper rashes. 

Apple Cider Vinegar.

I was first introduced to this concept by one of my good friends back at home. She would shower with it, apply on her face, and even take a shot of it. I will be truthful here.. it sucks. Completely. 

Back in my alcohol consumption days, the liquor and beer I used to partake of wasn't that great either if not worse, so if I could do that I can definitely do this. Vinegar can benefit you in many ways. Its a natural shine and body booster for your hair. It regulates the PH of your skin (better completion.. give me as many shots as possible!) Vinegar is known to help remove the stains from your teeth, baking soda and peroxide have been my pasts "natural teeth whitener." Apple Cider vinegar is great for your lymphatic system, controls your blood sugar levels, and helps with gastro troubles. 

Flaxseed.

Pretty much considered the most powerful plant on the face of the earth, or so I would say. It contains Omega-3 which is a "good" fat and helps with your heart. Lignans which has both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities and lastly FIBER. This regulates your bowl movements. Flaxseed also helps with a number of other things, be sure to check out http://whfoods.org for more info on this and other things. 

Nutrition Foundation is very important! Overall benefits can help the immune system, manage your weight, and is energy proficient. Be sure to look into your types of carbs (simple and Complex) your body needs them and uses them as energy. To turn your unhealthy diet around be sure to eat 4+ meals and DO NOT SKIP. This confuses your metabolism. Stay away from your fast food favorites and fried goodies. Increase your veggie and fruit intake and monitor your dairy consumption. 

Interesting Facts.

64% of Americans are overweight and 27% are obese- Nutrition Guide of 2011. 

500 calories equals up to 1lb of weight loss/week. 

Americas portions are more than European portions. 

We eat for Comfort, stress, hunger, social gatherings, late nights, and many other reasons. 

Basic Dietary Guidelines.

5-9 servings of veggies and fruits

Lean meats

Oils instead of butter

Nuts and seeds daily

25-35 grams of fiber/day

6g of whole grains. 

Your carbs are your main source of energy and should make up your diet between 45-65%. Your fats protect your organs and should be made up of 20-35% of your diet and protein should be 10-35% of your diet- Proteins are essential for recovery and building cells.

Activity.

Exercise is so important for your health. It lowers blood pressure and cholesterol and of course aides in proper weight management. Even if you can't run for miles start yourself with a brisk walk and work your way up. Get a gym membership- in this class it was passed that the number one reason why overweight people don't go to the gym is because they feel intimidated. Put your pride aside and get to a gym! 

I also got a great recipe for "No bake oatmeal balls" i'll post it later! 

Love.

Love comes in many different languages: The French say "L'amour", Czechs say "Laska, and the Germans express it as "Liebea."  Love comes in a variety of meanings, feelings, and emotions, but no matter the spelling or how it's directed, it still means the same thing.

Love in my perspective, comes in an abundance of ways. It's waking up in the morning to Blakelys beautiful kisses. Its hearing Bryan and Blakely laugh throughout the day when the tickle fights break out. Its doing (what seems to be endless) loads of laundry and cleaning the house from top to bottom. Its having Sofia the First on in the background all day because its blakelys favorite show. It's kissing the millions of boo-boos and patiently listening to her whine. It's Bryan making most of the meals and staying home to watch the baby while I'm away at work. It's him putting up with my many moods and stubbornness. Its us staying together as one, no matter the severity of problems, after all we teach Blakely that when things get tough it's important to not walk away. It's us as a family snuggled tight on the couch to watch a movie (even the dog). It's thanking God day in and day out that Bryan made it home safely from Afghanistan and placing him in my life. It's thanking God for blessing us with a beautiful and healthy baby girl. Its realizing that she teaches us things just as much as we teach her. It's how my mom raised me and my 3 younger siblings- to help one another, work hard, and become something of ourselves. It's my friends saying they looked up to me for not following the crowd. It's being within good company and missing the ones you can't see.  It's lecturing my younger brother on the decisions that he has made and continues to make, but it's also recognizing the importance not to judge ones weaknesses nor struggles. Love is God sending his only son so that I may be able to return to heaven and repent for my wronging.  Love strengths a relationship and must be treated like faith. If you don't exercise it, you will lose it to less important things. It's the warmth of the sun that can brighten any gloomy day. Love is simple and is not meant to be fixed on the material things. Where there is love there is happiness, knowledge, and life.

Of course you may not have the same definition as I do, but that I suppose, is what makes love personal.  No matter the experiences in ones life; whether it be heart breaks, losing a loved one, or graciously a happy ending. Remember to do all things with Love.

"Love is always bestowed as a gift - freely, willingly, and without expectation. We don't love to be loved; we love to love." 

 - Leo Buscaglia 

It's Good to be Here.

"The greatest work you will ever do will be within the walls of your home." 

-Harold B Lee

Home: It's my haven place, the foundation for my little girl to learn right from wrong, the place where we can make memories and strengthen our family's relationship. 

This trip was a great reset for us, we went through some beautiful rustic cities and experienced some weather that we weren't really prepared for. 

Stoutsville, Missouri- it snowed twice while we were there. The first time was a perfect amount to go sledding. My papa grabbed the golf cart and my husband Bryan, little brother Logan, and I tied the sled up to the back of the cart and off we went. My husband stayed on the longest and he credits his history on the ski slopes. Logan didn't stay on too long and as for myself,  I'd like to say that I took the sled by the handles and showed it who was boss. In reality though, I broke the sled by hitting a tree. 

The second time it snowed the wind chill was below zero, and snowed us in. We tried to get the car out of the driveway but no such luck.  It was then that I realized I hate the cold and I hate the snow. No matter how cute winter clothes may come, my heart and soul will forever love the warmth of the sun and the smell of the ocean breeze. 

Quincy, Illinois- during our stay Bryan and I drove an hour to Quincy to visit a box. For those of you who don't know the crossfit lingo: we call our gyms "boxes" our workouts are named after girls and heroes, and the lifts can sometimes be referred to... Well for instance "I have a nice snatch" or if Bryan wanted to brag to a fellow cross-fitter he could say "my girl has a nice snatch and can clean." All within the terms of lifting of course. (it wasn't explained to me until this trip that the lift names could be somewhat misinterpreted)   It was nice to see that the Crossfit community was so strong in such a small place. We enjoyed two days of great work outs which we later consumed the burned calories in homemade bread. Thanks again Q-town we greatly enjoyed your hospitality! 

Charleston, West Virginia- goodness what a beautiful old town surrounded by the winters mountains. After driving ten hours we decided to stop and stay for the night. The cities lights gleamed from the old buildings and the 0 degree bite made me question the possibilities of frost bite. We were happy to climb into a warm and clean bed. Driving out this morning we were surrounded by natures beauty and if Charleston wasn't the center of hillbilly central than I would consider settling down there.

 As we draw closer to home the anticipation grows more and more. The thought of finally being able to shower In my own shower sounds quite desirable. Bryan I'm sure is counting down the miles to unload his car and finally be able to clean the inside and outside of his baby from the accumulated damage of the trip. (Thanks to both Blakely and the weather) Blakely is probably ready to chuck her car seat out the window and forever fight sitting in one again.

Pushing 36 hours round trip at a little over 2500 miles we are finally home. I can honestly say it's good to be back! Harley was glad to see us, I for once was glad to see him and after unpacking we're all beat.

Chinese and redbox sounds like the perfect way to end this day. 

I'm going to go take that shower now.

Xo

M. 

Out with the Old.

As we enter into the year of 2014 I'd like to reflect on this past years highlights.  I'll start with the month of June, where my daughter turned one and we moved six days afterwards to a state we hate. Considering that we were packed up in boxes and living on an air mattress we didn't do anything special. The pink Minnie Mouse party took the back seat and the one year old photos were canceled. Instead we ordered Chinese and watched red box movies. I wrote in her baby journal apologizing how terrible we were as parents for not celebrating our princess turning one. Hopefully she'll forgive us. 

2) Good knowing ya South. We moved to a state that we hate to call "home." Virginia- a place where I will be forever happy to leave and never miss. Due to my military rotation, we left our hearts in South Carolina and drove 7 hours to Norfolk, VA. Great little downtown area but otherwise congested with traffic and other unmentionables. I was in charge of the house hunting, which I found a great "newly renovated ocean front view" for only a grand per month. Let me stop you really quick to say this... If something sounds too good to be true, it's because it is. We pull up in a not so safe area at two in the morning. We had no running water to shower, cook, or clean. Fortunately we found a hotel that was a few miles down the road, and unfortunately it looked like it rented rooms out by the hour. After getting some much needed sleep we returned to our condo to unpack all three vehicles and the trailer. Our upstairs neighbor came down and greeted us- he's an older man who was tan, blonde, and roughly around his forties carrying a beer while shirtless.  He inquired about our trip and our little family, as the conversation drew to an end he turned and said "welcome to portview, you're in the slums now." Needless to say we were out of that place in a months time and on to bigger, better, and safer things. 

3) October. Blakely had so much fun dressing up and trick or treating. Of course my husband and I had more fun watching her and taking an obnoxious amount of photos but hey that's what parents do. She loved all the small neighborhood dogs that dressed up and was adored by every person she came upon. Being one child of three in our building her candy bag was stocked full. Since our family generally eats healthy we take advantage of splurge opportunities. 

4) Thanksgiving. My husband and I had friends and family over for dinner, fourteen to be exact. That night was my first attempt at making yeast rolls... The "sixty minute yeast rolls" turned into rock hard balls of disappointment. Thank goodness my mother-in-law bought some from the store! 

5) Black Friday. My 90 year old grandmother came down from Kansas with my dad. She's such a sweetheart and in good health figuring her age. She insisted on going pantyhose shopping... Specifically thigh high, lace elasticity and the color of porcelain. That combination was pretty much impossible to find and after shifting through many people and fighting traffic we reverted to online. 

6) Post Christmas - Post New Years. We spent it this year with my family in a small town in Missouri. My grandparents retired on some property in a huge log cabin with four wheelers, golf carts, and boats parked in the barn. My grandparents, mom, brother, uncle, aunt, my cousins Lauren, Sloane, and Tatum were there and it's always nice to see family. Tatum is about a year and a half older than Blakely and everything was a competition between the two. I can thank Tatum for teaching Blakely the response "NO" for everything, So thank you Tatum. 

Our stay was pleasant; sledding down hills, sharing laughs and stories, stuffing our faces with all the delicious foods, playing phase ten up until one in the morning, (yes double skip can happen) and just relaxing with the people we love and call family. 

So as I file the past years memories away and take note of what to do and what not to do, I look forward to what this year has to bring. I hope everyone welcomed this year in as we did! 

Happy New Year! 

M.