Lost, But Holding Hands

My first round of Whole30 lasted over 100 days.  It was challenging, yet rewarding. You can read about my experience here .  My first round ended over the summer and for a while, I stayed mostly compliant and, overall, happy. Then...the school year started.  I am so blessed and have thoroughly enjoyed stepping back into the classroom.  I'm at a great building, on a great team, with an even greater group of kids.  But being a teacher is hard.  Eating healthy while being a teacher is even harder.  It's so easy to fall into the trap of running on caffeine and candy.  Thus, I am ready to start another round of Whole30 and I am bringing an awesome group of people along for the ride. So if you are ready to start a round, or just want to dip your toe into reading labels, working out, and making healthier choices---this post and future posts are for you! Meal Plan 10/2-10/6 Breakfast:  Breakfast Casserole-  This easy, versatile breakfast b...

The ease of summer is addictive.  Having time to relax, read, stay caught up on laundry and other around-the-house chores is a blessing.  The funny part is, I find it harder to stick to a clean eating plan in summer than I do during the school year.  The rigor and routine of the school year lends itself to a more strict meal and exercise plan.  It's ironic that during summer break- with all the time in the world- I sometimes often find myself looking at the clock and wondering how it is already noon and I haven't accomplished much of anything.  It's also so tempting to indulge in summer treats- s'mores, ice cream, sno-cones, cookouts, etc. While I won't complain or deny my love for summer- I am beginning to yearn for the structure of returning to work. Today has been a mixture of productiveness and laziness. Tyler is out of town for the week and Ryan spent the night at my parent's house.  What did  I do with my night/morning of freedom?  Last n...

We camped over the Memorial Day weekend at Bennett Springs State Park. In true Britt fashion, it stormed hard  on Saturday.  We had literally just pulled in, hooked up, and began to settle in when a tornado warning sent us to the camp clubhouse.  Once the severe weather stopped, it continued to rain- so we headed to town and visited a couple stores- let Ryan pick a new movie and some movie snacks and then headed back to the camper for a family movie night. Family Movie Night! Sunday, on the other hand, was beautiful.  We hiked, we visited the fish hatchery, grilled, watched the fly fisherman, and played at the campsite. KOA is always a great option with kiddos- Bennett KOA had a pool, an awesome clubhouse, a jumping pad, and gem mining. A 3 mile hike through some rough terrain :) Playing in the clubhouse  Fortunately I was off work on Friday and spent the day shopping, meal prepping, and loading up the camper.  We decided to grill ...

Ya'll  Friday was my last day of school!  What?!?! I know.  I am so excited!  The peacefulness of summer is beginning to wash over me.  I love summer---even though it is a myth that teachers have summers off and I will be working on and off all summer.  But I've got that summer feeling- for sure. Last weekend we took the camper to Omaha for the weekend. It was the perfect distance from KC and we had an awesome time.  We stayed at the Omaha KOA .  It had super fun amenities that Ryan loved---a giant jumping pillow, a rope course, ladder ball, and a trampoline basketball game.  Not only that, but it was in a great location.  It was about 25 minutes from the Omaha Zoo- which we did on Saturday afternoon and only 10 minutes away from Schram Park and Eugene T Mahoney State Park.  We went to the both of these parks to explore and hike.  If you are thinking about exploring Omaha- I say go for it!   As far as staying on the wh...

Usually I spend a good portion of Sunday grocery shopping and food prepping.  Yesterday was a tad different because we didn't get home from our Omaha camping adventure until late afternoon.  I didn't go to the grocery until after 6 and didn't start meal prep until after I put Ryan in bed at 8:30.  I roasted sweet potatoes and veggies, grilled sausages, pan fried burgers, and cut fruit until just after 10:30.  But I collapsed into bed with 10 breakfast kits and 10 lunch kits ready for the week. -----> Breakfast: 1/2 sweet potato, grilled sausage (Aidells Chicken and Apple), and 2 scrambled eggs. Lunch:  Grilled Burger (grass fed beef, garlic, and primal palate meat/potato seasoning), carrot fries , and roasted broccoli/brussel sprouts.   Dinners: Monday- Crock Pot Fajitas Tuesday- Chicken with Potatoes and Sage Wednesday- Oven Baked Chicken Thighs with Lemon, Garlic, and Scallions Thursday- Greek Chicken Skillet Friday-  Green...

We went to the Garth Brooks' concert last night.  Wow, was it amazing.  But also it made me realize how I am too old to be out until midnight.  I am  dragging  today.   But nevertheless, it's Sunday and my list of to-dos isn't going away...no matter how many excuses I make. I've already checked breakfast (eggs, shredded potato hash, roasted cherry tomatoes, and an orange), Church, grocery shopping, and lunch (grilled steak salad) off my list.  Next up is meal prepping.  I've listed the things I plan to accomplish during food prep below---but check in on Instagram to see what I actually accomplish! This week's plan: Breakfast-  So I think I am going to combine our usual breakfast casserole with this new  recipe  that I came across.  I plan to do breakfast sausage, sweet potatoes and eggs, but mix in some compliant salsa before baking.  Sounds like a good Tex Mex breakfast.  I think I'll buy some extra avocado...

This week had me like... On top of my can't see the light at the end of the tunnel  attitude right now, it has been raining relentlessly here.  We couldn't go to the Farmer's Market this morning and our backyard is a mess .  I'm beginning to feel a little like my old friend George. And because of that, I struggled with putting together this meal plan.  I am going to reach day 70 this week, so instead of reinventing the meal- I am going back to some old favorites with just a few newbies mixed in.   Breakfast: Breakfast Casserole (of course...if you are looking for new breakfast ideas---you came to the wrong place.  It's just too easy to not do---especially these last few weeks of school) Lunch:   Sunday- Deconstructed Hamburger Salad- I've been dreaming and drooling about this salad for a few weeks, so when we found grass fed beef on sale at Sprouts today- I knew we could pair it with some leftover produce and pantry staples we had at hom...

Hi, ya'll.  I've tried to really pair down and prioritize over the course of my Whole30 journey.  What started as a body cleanse and food realignment really branched out into more.   Throughout this process, my focus has been: N utrition:  Obviously.  But more than just what I can eat and what I can't eat...I set aside time to both meal plan and cook nutritious and delicious dishes for my family. Honestly, meal planning has become a hobby of mine over the past 50+ days.  I used to loath creating a plan, making a list and grocery shopping.  Now digging for recipes, organizing my shopping list, and exploring different markets and groceries is actually enjoyable! M ovement:  I run and lift almost every day.  Luckily I also have a job that allows me to get my steps in even if I can't get a run in.   F ood Talk:  Talk as a family (and with anyone else who will listen) about healthy alternatives, locally produced items, and letting fo...

When I conquered day 30 I wasn't sure what my plan would be but I knew I wanted to keep going for as long as I could.  I felt great.  I liked the way I was beginning to look and the way my clothes were fitting.  I had energy and my workouts were feeling strong. Now guess what?!  Tomorrow is day 50 and I am still going! I survived our first camping weekend of the season without straying off program. I tried to keep things simple by making sure I had plenty of fruits and nuts for our time on the trails.  For breakfast I stuck with eggs, fruit, and compliant chicken/apple sausage.  I buy these at our neighborhood Walmart.  For dinner I made chicken kabobs with mushrooms, zucchini, squash, and onions.  They were yummy and super simple! Now looking ahead to this week's meal plan... Since we were camping we didn't make it to the Farmer's Market this weekend.  All of our shopping will be done at Sprouts. Breakfast:  Like I've said previo...

This week is going to be tad less crazy than last week, but I only mapped out meals Saturday through Thursday.  We are picking up the camper and taking it for a stay-cation over the long Easter weekend.  It will be its 2017 maiden voyage.  I'm hoping the sun will start showing its shining face again before then! We woke up this morning to BEAUTIFUL weather.  The sun was actually shining!  Ry spent the night with grandma and grandpa last night so Tyler and I had a chance to run to the LS Farmer's Market before picking him up.  After picking up a few things at the market and looking through what we already had stockpiled, I mapped out meals for the week: Breakfast- Ya'll I know this is the same recipe I have posted for the last 2 weeks, but it is so versatile!  Honestly, you could throw any veggies or meat you have in the fridge into this casserole!  This week I think I am going to try to throw in a few more veggies---maybe some kale and onion...

It was a big day for us.  First I waded through the craziness that is the AXS website to buy Garth Brooks tickets for his May concert.  Holy Moly...who knew waiting in a virtual waiting room could be so stressful.  But nevertheless we got tickets!  So excited!! I am hoping for a rendition of Shameless so Tyler can do an encore of his famous karaoke performance. Secondly, as I was leaving for the gym this afternoon I noticed a package on our front step.  Our first Tessemae's shipment arrived!  We have been craving some new sauces- especially BBQ- for a few weeks.  BBQ=sugar 99% of the time.  So we really struggled finding a brand in the stores we frequent.  Any suggestions?  We are happy to continue buying Tessemae's but it would be nice to not pay shipping every time! This week is going to be BANANAS.  For real.  Ryan has a Parents Night Out event at his karate studio on Saturday that we are totally taking advantage o...

I'm sitting down to meal plan for next week (yes it takes me several days to put together a menu- I'm still practicing).  I grabbed my handy-dandy notebook- tell me you didn't just start humming the Blue's Clues song...just me?? okay-  and spent a few moments flipping through the menus I created over the last few weeks and got to thinking it might be handy for those of you wanting/needing some new recipes to have our favorites all in one place!  Be aware- none of these recipes are our own creation.  When available, I linked you to the original posting. Garlic Bacon Avocado Burgers These are so delicious and SO easy.  I've also made these burgers with chopped jalapeno- equally delicious but I usually half the meat and do part with jalapeno and half without so my kiddo has one without the heat.  I recommend making the bacon ahead of time, using your food processor to chop it into bits and store it in an airtight container until you are ready to use. ...