How much exercise do your kids get every day?

Oh, hi there. You still here? Whenever I go for longer than a week without blogging, I start to hear a little nagging voice in the back of my head. I'm not sure why I feel obligated to keep writing, but I do. For you bloggers out there, why do you blog? Is it because you feel a responsibility to your readers? Is it because you are one of those lucky bloggers that actually makes money blogging? Is it because it helps you have a voice? Is it because of the amazing people you get to "meet" that you wouldn't get to learn from otherwise? For me, it's many of those things (minus the money), but it's also therapeutic...especially during the seemingly endless winter months. But dare I say it? SPRING IS ACTUALLY HERE! So I've been (as MizFit likes to say) LIVING not BLOGGING.

A few weeks ago, I watched my friends' two cute kids while she and her hubby celebrated her 30th birthday on a trip to New York. (I keep dropping hints to my DH that my 30th is coming up in August...having a newborn baby sure puts a damper on the celebration. There will be no trips to New York...I guess I'll just stay 29 this year). Anyway, for the first time this year, the weather was FINALLY warm! I literally could not be happier about the sunshine. I didn't realize how spoiled I was growing up in California--where we could spend time in the sun all year long--until I moved back to Utah. And actually, living in Utah as a college student is MUCH different than living in Utah as a stay-at-home mom.

I love the change of seasons, but let's be honest...once Christmas is over, I'm ready to get outside! Parenting is so much easier when you have the great outdoors to entertain the wee ones. A few weeks ago, I was feeling like the worst parent in the world. I was tired of entertaining, listening to whining, and really had to use all of my self control not to sit my kids in front of the TV all day to pass the time.

But spring is actually here! I never thought I'd be able to say that! While my friends' kiddos were here, we spent all day outside. We walked to the park (about a 3-mile round trip trek) every day. I pushed the 2-year olds in the jogging stroller while the 4-year olds walked. We got to the park, they ran for a few hours, then walked home complaining of tired legs. But they all slept like champs, and I have a nice farmers' tan to prove the sun is actually shining! (I also got to enjoy some nice comments on my ever-expanding belly. While running around with my little boy and his soccer ball, I was asked if I'm trying to make myself go into labor. Thanks...but no...I still have two months left! I know...shocking. And no, I'm not having twins!)

As a fitness-minded mom, it's really hard for me to figure out how to get in the recommended hour each day of physical activity for my kids during the cold winter months. I drop them off at the kids' club at the gym, fully expecting them to play on the little indoor playground, and come back only to find them watching the movie instead. We go to Costco (always a workout for me), and I think they'll be good little listeners so I can let them walk, but after darting in front of one grumpy-old-man's-cart too many, I'm forced to use the seatbelts instead. We go outside to build a snowman, only to come inside minutes later for a potty break, and decide it's too much work to bundle back up. Getting little kids to exercise in the winter is not easy. But warm weather is here, and I'm going to take advantage!

So if you need me, I'll be sitting lazily in the front yard reading a book, and chatting with neighbor friends while the kids run like mad until their hair is sweaty, their cheeks are rosy, their tummies are hungry, and their mouths are thirsty.

Spring is a blessing for all, but at this point in my life, I'd like to think it's a special blessing just for ME! Some Vitamin D is definitely what the doctor ordered for this mama. And after months of beating myself up for not finding better ways to keep my kids moving, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. It's not a work-out; it's a play-out. What could be more fun than that?

How do you keep your kids moving? And how are you living not blogging these days?

The China Study Survival Guide

Although most people I talk to about no longer eating meat think I'm crazy, I have a few friends who have jumped on the bandwagon with me! My husband's best friend (the one who brought him an envelope full of meat to their weekly basketball night to express his condolences for my new way of thinking) happens to be married to one of my best friends. His wife happened to read my library copy of The China Study, promptly went out and bought herself a copy, along with another copy to give to her mom, and is just as convinced as I am that meat, eggs, and dairy consumption really aren't good for us. Sorry, Colby :)

So, in attempt to change the nutritional habits of our families for the better (and to stop boring you with constant talk about my new mostly-vegan-but-we're-calling-it-flexitarian lifestyle), we've started a new blog. (http://chinastudysurvivalguide.blogspot.com/)

We'll post recipes we've tried, we'll let you in on how we modified the original recipes, what we would do differently next time (if there is a next time), and most importantly, what grade our husbands give the dish.

If there's something I really think you should try (whether or not you're living in the raw), I'll still post it here.

This weekend, I tried a dish called Israeli Moroccan Quinoa. My husband gave it a B! You can check it out here.

Kandis posted her version of black bean burgers (which did better than the ones I made that my husband called poop on toast) and a yummy strawberry-pear cobbler.

My sister-in-law is hoping to also post some experimental vegan recipes (hooray for another friend who doesn't think I'm crazy)! So check out The Great Vegan Experiment as we learn how the heck to live without meat!

Kid-Friendly Vegan Food: Hummus!

When it comes to feeding my kids, there are certain foods I've played around with quite a bit. They'll eat almost anything if it's in smoothie form, pancake form, dip form, or burger form (last week I made "black bean burgers" my husband lovingly compared to "poop on toast." They really weren't very good, but my kids unknowingly--and happily--gobbled up the pureed mixture of black beans, red peppers, onions, and whatever else I threw in those nasty nuggets). If my kids can dip a chip (or occasionally some raw veggies) in it, they'll probably eat it. I've been a long-time fan of hummus, but have never attempted making my own. Until this week. Maybe it's the fact that I'm in the stage of pregnancy where everything tastes amazing, but this hummus was good! And chock-full of FIBER and protein, hummus fills you up with nothing-but-goodness. I was feeling ambitious, so I photo-documented my first attempt at making this Middle-Eastern staple.

First, I rinsed and drained a (15 oz) can of chickpeas. I dumped them into my second true love: my Blendtec blender.Next, I peeled a few cloves of garlic, and threw them right in with the chickpeas.Before the first round of blending, I added 1/3 cup of lemon juice, and 1/3 cup of tahini. (I actually had no idea what this was...it's a paste made from sesame seeds...it looks a lot like peanut butter. I found it in the health food section at Harmons, for all of you local FitMePeeps.)I gave the blender a whirl, sort of (don't tell my husband) wished my blender had a tamper like the VitaMix so I could push the stuff down, but eventually had a nice, smooth paste to which I added 1/2 cup roasted red peppers,and 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil. I blended away until I got this:with which I promptly did this: (I obviously didn't document the actual first bite...sorry...no one likes "see-food").And I wondered why my house was so quiet until I saw this:What a nice surprise. Whether it was the quiet cooking time, the pregnancy-induced love of all things edible, or my determination to find non-meat-or-dairy items my entire family will consume, the hummus was a success. And yes--my kids and husband loved it!

We've been eating it with chips, raw veggies, as a spread on sandwiches (put some in a pita pocket with cucumbers and tomatoes--yum!), with rice crackers, etc. So versatile, so good, and SO EASY to make! (And so great that my funny husband didn't call it poop-on-a-cracker!)

Have a happy (and healthy) weekend!

It's All About The Poop

With small children around, it's hard not to get excited about the little things in life. Whenever I'm on a kid-free outing, I have to seriously fight back urges to point out every choo-choo train I see, every airplane in the sky, every bug on the ground, every dog with his owner, every motorcycle, truck, tractor, you name it. This has probably been the best part of being a mom for me. Taking pleasure in the little things. Stopping to smell the roses, instead of rushing past the beauties of this world without taking notice.

I love the excitement little ones experience when they see, or try new things for the first time. My two-year old thinks I'm the luckiest person in the world just because I get to push the buttons to turn the dishwasher on every day. And I get to pour the laundry detergent into the washer. I get to spread the peanut butter on the bread. When I hand these small tasks over to her, she is literally on top of the world. This is what being a "big girl" is all about. That, of course, and pooping in the potty.

Remember when I shared some of my potty-training woes with you? After a year-and-a-half of unsuccessful potty training, we put "P" back in diapers. A few glorious weeks ago, however, he finally decided on his own that he was ready to be a big boy. He'll turn four in May, and I am thrilled that I don't have to send him to college in diapers. And my two-year old? She jumped right on board, and decided on her own that she is out of diapers. I was too emotionally scarred from our first round of potty training to even consider her requests to use the potty, but she decided on her own, and is doing amazing. So within weeks, both children are out of diapers. I'm not holding my breath, but I am thrilled that I will actually only have ONE baby in diapers come June.

So added to the list of excitement over airplanes and bugs: poop! You know it...we all poop–and how horrible would life be if we didn't?!?! Trust me--I've had my own fair share of painful troubles in the poop department (I'm talking painful hemorrhoids that made pooping worse than childbirth), so good poops are a big deal for this mama! If you're like me, you analyze your eliminations on a daily basis. If you're like my sister's husband, you want to throw up just reading this post. But wherever you land on the poop scale--let’s be honest--the satisfaction of a great poop cannot be underestimated!

When my kids poop in the potty, they get terribly upset if I flush the toilet before they can admire their work. And my two-year old is so proud of me when I poop. Good job, mommy...that was a big one! Honestly, one of the main motivations for me to eat a healthy diet is just that...the very thought of hemorrhoids makes my spine tingle. I have to eat healthy. I need fiber. I freaked out during my last pregnancy when my husband brought home the wrong kind of bread. I literally can't handle unhealthy poops. In my mind, I am just one hard poop away from a bloody, feels-like-you're-pooping-glass, ouchy bum.

If you're not getting enough fiber, chances are, you're not having healthy BM's. So where do we get the fiber we need for a good poop? We get it from fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains. It's the indigestible (cellulose) part of these. Fiber is VITAL for not only a healthy poop, but a healthy body. The colon needs enough fiber to automatically contract and push the poop down the colon and out of the body (and into the POTTY! Not the diaper! Woo hoo!) Fiber IS the thigh master for the colon!

One last thing...if poop is ANY indication of whether I'm really on the right track with my new plant-based diet? Let me just say...hallelujah, and yes! In my little world where I take pleasure in the little things, pooping on a FLEXITARIAN diet is fabulously satisfying! (And I'm calling myself a flexitarian to take the pressure off...I'm mostly Vegan, and haven't had meat for a few weeks, but I won't beat myself up if I happen to take a bite of a nice, juicy burger...say after giving birth!)

How about you? Where do you fall on the poop scale? If you're still reading at this point, I'm guessing you're not totally embarrassed by the mere mention! As my husband likes to say, NEWSFLASH: EVERYONE POOPS! And thank goodness!