Moving on..

I have decided to start a new blog.. Come see me at http://optjess.blogspot.com/

Musings on life...

It seems my blog posts coincide with the ending or the beginning of a quarter. It is strange and wholly exciting that I am 2/3rds done with this program. I am sad, however, as that means I will be leaving Connor (in one more year lol) and I have been fortunate to be able to stay home with him for these first years of his life.

I chose the quote above because at the beginning of the year, there was a lot of family drama/difficulty going on and I finally feel, while not perfect, that we are making progress and moving on.. in a positive direction. I am profoundly grateful for my family, my health, and my ability to go to school (even though I whine and complain about it).

That's it for today. Here's a pic of my loved ones having fun in the sun.

Bout time...and setting myself on fire

Its about time I got back to blogging. It has been quite a while, with once again a LOT of changes. I'm back together with my handsome man, working things out. We are not vegan anymore, although in the back of my mind I would like to get back there. I feel very well balanced with the addition of eggs. Loving them with greens and coconut oil. OH yes. I eat meat here and there but I never buy it for the house unless I get the nitrate free/organic chicken (or maybe its turkey) hot dogs that the kids like. I still drink my juices and tons of green protein smoothies, and there is always an abundance of fruit to munch on. Although I've been aiming at reducing my sugar intake and opting for banana-less smoothies. I like to add stevia. And I drink gallons of lemon water and green tea. 

A few weeks ago I did a 4 day juice feast (Evolution fresh pressed) and I felt AMAZING and it was wonderful watching the scale go down daily but well... that ended. Budget is always a factor. Olive

r did it too and his BS was awesome. 

Let's see what else is new? Just navigating (surviving) school and mommyhood. Connor is growing up so fast. He's wearing big boy underwear right now, he's trucking right along with potty training. 

Major changes

Lots of changes going on here, some for the better, some for well... harder? I've noticed I haven't posted since November, really need to work on that motivation/dedication thing. I think I hold myself back because I'm embarrassed about my perceived lack of progress. Still riding the weight roller coaster. Still trying not to procrastinate about my papers, as one is due tomorrow by 9pm, 7 pages, haven't started. I made a killer nutritious smoothie though this morning as I allow Valentine's Day to propel me back to a healthful frame of mind instead of the downy dumps I'd like to revel in. So here it is, Valentine's Day... I'm about a month away from turning 30 and I'm once again a single mom. Everything happens for a reason, right? So here's to making 30 freaking OUTSTANDING!!!!!


Propel me to health Smoothie:

- Flax milk
-Flax seed
-Swiss chard
-Banana
-Frozen mango
-Ormus supergreens
-MSM


Once again Iris at 260 Days, No Repeats is hosting a Shabby Apple giveaway!
I have won a dress and they custom make their dresses to your specifications and it is absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend checking out these links. Fabulous stuff for sure!!!! :)

Quickie morning post and honesty

This week has been a busy one. I had training in Suquamish yesterday and forgot I had class after but I went even though I really DID not want to go. The training was great, short, but insightful. Then the ICW Director took us to the casino for a buffet lunch. I wasn't so vegan there because I have not let go of my love of salmon and I had this amazing cream of spinach soup that really was delightful. Then I came home from class last night and was starving and my smoothies didn't look appealing. I heated up vegan sausages and smothered them in maple syrup. Yes this is why the weight lingers.... And now I'm up ready for another full day of training.. Connor is up literally hanging on my skirt... Breakfast and lunch are provided at the training so I'm committing myself to smoothies starting tomorrow morning. I only have supervision tomorrow for a little bit but then a full day of training on Friday and then I have to go pick up the kids in Mill Creek for the weekend. ... aghhhh had some more thoughts but now Connor is pulling my arm yelling "mommy, help." Off I go. :)

Smoothie overload and motivations and pondering various things....

Dinner consists of my 3rd smoothie today:

-So Delicious raspberry coconut yogurt (amazing steal from Grocery outlet, 50 cents a pop as opposed to $2)

-Raw meal protein powder

-Kale-

-Unsweetened almond milk

(So I started this post 2 hours ago. LOL......)

After dinner for the boys, a couple of shows and a couple of books read, I'm finally attempting to get back to this post. 

I've been trying to think long and hard about my inability to complete things I set out for myself.. I've tried several approaches:

1.) Being militant and strict-however I have a bit of a rebel in me and I sabotage myself in some sort of way

2.) Being forgiving and lenient- which then leads to all out binges and splurges

I've tried setting goals, thinking that I would blog or journal to help work through feelings but inevitably after a few days I lose interest and left life consume my time. I'm kind of at a loss as how to keep on track. I've come to the realization (having watched the scale not go down in a very long time) that I am an over eater. I am a night eater. I eat even when not hungry. I've thought about possibly seeing a counselor, joining a group???? I'm just not sure, I've joined several and then promptly did nothing with several raw vegan groups.  

I'm just not sure what it is that will finally get me back on track to where I want to be.

Every time I complain about not having anything to wear, Oliver tells me to buys pants that fit but silly me still wants to buy the size I wore pre-pregnancy and I yearn to wear all those clothes I have boxed up. 

But I'm going to let my optimistic personality over take me and convince myself that "trying" again will work, that I will continuously blog and I will set realistic goals for myself. 

I just feel weird now, blogging about this. And I have a ton of thoughts but I'm not eloquent enough to express them. Maybe it is the fact that Connor is screeching like a little banshee and asking for "boobs." 

Hmmmm. 

That's it for now. In other news, my beautiful awesome daughter Hanna turned 10 today. It is so cool to watch her blossom into a super sweet young lady. We're going to have a skating party for her on Saturday... good times. 

I'm battling a slight headache right now, I've only had smoothies and tea today. And no its not crazy. I always check my calories and its a healthy number. I'm not by any means starving. In fact I'm not hungry. Not physically.. I just want to wind down with munchies after putting the boys to bed and watch a show= dangerous combination= no weight loss. 

260 Days, No Repeats Giveaway Check it out

Love love Iris's give-aways. Here it is:

Giveaway: $50 Shabby Apple Gift Certificate


Right now Shabby Apple is offering you a great prize to kick off your holiday shopping! You can pick anything from their website that you love and apply the gift card towards that. While browsing their sight site a few things caught my eye but, none as much as thisStudy Break dress. 



And also this Desert Modern dress...



And also... well, you get the point, there are a plethora of options to choose from for your everyday happenings or upcoming holiday fun. I'm making my list... 

This giveaway is open to readers with a US shipping address! Here are the rules: become a follower in GFC (if you aren't already) and leave a comment on this post telling me what item from Shabby Apple is you favorite! Don't forget to add your email so I can contact you! For bonus entries:

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