getting a summer groove

So, last week I mentioned that I was questioning how much I wanted to dedicate to this blog. I think that's a natural question to ask as school lets out, and I remind myself that while the individual days may seem long, my children will only be this little for a few more precious years. I don't plan to throw in the towel (if you were worried). A new friend reminded me today that this is the best of all worlds-- I get a creative outlet, I can share my expertise, and I can do it on my own time. And while I definitely am not in my summer groove yet, tomorrow is the start of a new month. A chance (at least in my own happy little head) to (re)prioritize and relish these next two months of summer. I'm not sure what my posting schedule will be. Some of that is up to free times (and weather) any given week. But, you can always subscribe via email in the upper right hand corner if you're not a fan of checking the blog only to realize I have been remiss about posting!

p.s. A few of you have asked me about the screen test. No news, which I am going to assume (since I am so darn smart) is not good news. It bums me out that I focused on that instead of my kids the last week of school...and of course my ego takes a blow not knowing if it was me or them? (Did they really have their heart set on a totally different look or background than me?) But then another friend reminds me that it took guts to put myself out there. I have to think that maybe it's one of those karma things, where everything happens for a reason. It means that I do truly get to enjoy this summer and not worry about who gets my kids ready for camp/school, and know that heading into the fall, I'll still get to be the one getting them off the school bus and whipping up their homemade meals. And while I could have made a case for seizing that opportunity, deep down, accepting and enjoying the "ordinary" feels right.

could/should

I woke up determined to write a blog post. I have all of these great recipes and summer lunchbox ideas swirling through my head, and a backlog of photos (that I snap before the kids dig in...totally annoying mom move). But first, while my husband was playing tennis and my kids were happily entrenched in Legos, I decided to make myself a cup of coffee and catch up on reading posts from others I admire... and lo and behold, I read this. Hmm, spot on. It's not all skinny jeans and fruit skewers over here. Trust me. Sure, some days it is, but not every day. And there's always that lingering question of what I want this blog to be...how much time should I be spending on it...could it be more...should it be less?

we have a winner (finally)

The train is totally off the tracks over here. My little one is recovering from pneumonia, and despite being home bound for the bulk of the last two weeks, I have let too many things get in the way of taking care of myself. And it shows. As I tell my friends who ask "when are you going to post again?!!", if I don't have anything nice to say then I won't say anything at all. So, it's been almost a week without posts. Balance always seems to be my elusive goal. But, to start, I am going to announce the Sara Stover book winner and wrap up this post up quickly so I can go outside with the kids and enjoy this beautiful afternoon. Then I am going to make a quick, but delicious pot of bouillabaisse and put my feet up. I hope that all of you busy moms are doing the same (the putting your feet up part, not the bouillabaisse if you didn't also make a run to the fish market this afternoon...) this start to the Mother's Day weekend. Chances are I will not set aside time to post this weekend, so I want to wish each of you a relaxing day.

And now, without further babbling, is the winner [drum roll]. According to my trusty # picker Random.org, it is #5, Sarah, who wrote "I finally have given myself permission to say 'No.' It has made me SO happy!" I'll have what Sarah is having.

Sarah, please email me at mealsinasnap {at} gmail {dot} com and let me know where I should send your book! I hope you enjoy it!!

happy?

Spring is here! The sun is shining again, tulips and daffodils have popped up everywhere and the supermarkets have beautiful artichokes and asparagus. Those of you who have been reading my posts as of late know that I have done my own little reawakening. Finally, I don't feel so much like a frumpy mama bear. I have lost the baby weight (never mind that my youngest is now 4), have more energy, am happier, and [drum roll] a friend who came by for tea last week actually went so far as to say I am glowing. (I swear, I didn't pay her to say that.)

In the process of figuring out ways to jibe my needs with my family's needs I have done a bit of reading. Two books, in particular, really resonated and have helped me to be more calm and focused on what is truly important to me at this life stage. The first, I cracked in the New Year. Since reading Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project, I have given it to several friends who agree that it's fabulous. The second, Sara Avant Stover's new book, The Way of the Happy Woman, is so thoughtful and calming. She is actually coming to New Canaan Library on May 9th and leading a mini retreat at Saraswati on May 14th. I know a lot of you reading this are my friends scattered across the U.S. and beyond so here are the other places you can catch her if you'd like to hear her speak or go to one of her workshops. I am excited to send a copy of Sara's book to one of you who might like to read it as well. Simply leave a comment below letting me know something you have done to bring more happiness into your busy life. I will choose a winner on Monday!

worth prepping

Give me all the flack you want, but I assure you that taking an hour (max) to sort, wash, and prep your veggies will lead to far easier meal prep during the week. No, my fridge doesn't look like this every day. But it does more often than not...especially now, as I am trying my darndest to juggle taking care of my family and taking care of me.

For those also working out with Tracy (a.k.a. feeling mom-a-licious), this is what my fridge looks like on a "Body Reset week". Here's what's what top to bottom:

OJ (which my husband guzzles first thing); the kid's whole milk; steamed artichokes (for a quick snack or light meal); chestnuts; a veggie juice I picked up while out; beer; extra veggie juice I made that day; hummus (for a quick snack); and yogurt (quick kid's snack) and soy milk.

Edamame (again, quick snack); spinach salads I picked up a Whole Foods; cucumbers ready to go in the juicer; grapes; chopped radishes; avocados (really ripe and ready to eat hidden in the back); kid's yogurts; cut-up carrots and parsnips; hard-boiled eggs; berries; fruit salad one of the kids wanted from Whole Foods; strawberries; (more) beer; salsa verde; various hot sauces.

Chicken sausages (for an easy kid's dinner); cauliflower & broccoli (to dip in the hummus); spinach; chopped jicama; chopped peppers; extra jicama; celery and extra cucumbers.

Other things you don't see: frozen Applegate turkey burgers; chicken which I'll either make a spice rub for, or marinate this way; several cans of 365 Albacore tuns is spring water; black beans; a block of Wild Wood Super-Firm High Protein Tofu; and any fish I pick up from New Wave during the week as our protein.

With all of these colorful, healthy ingredients ready to go, in addition to the grilled chicken and avocado salad I mentioned above, I can easily whip up: hard-boiled eggs and fruit for breakfast (or pop fresh berries on a frozen waffle for the kids), an oil & mayo-free tuna or chicken salad, a quick veggie crudite for a snack, or a Mexican-inspired black bean salad...just to name a few of the meals we're enjoying this week!

lighter on my feet + avocado salad and week 2-approved marinated chicken

I am totally hooked. 11 days in to my gift to myself I feel amazing. (The icing on the cake...or lime on the jicama as the case may be when we're talking treats these day... is that when I went to JCREW for some new white jeans, I had to go down 2 sizes. In 10 days. Really, who wouldn't be smitten with themselves?!) And the impact on my family is pretty darn fabulous too. You all know that we always ate relatively healthfully, but since I am following Tracy's Eating Plan as well, there are tons of fruits and veggies guaranteed at each meal. I know. I know. You all gave me so much flack for my uber-organized fridge in the Chicken Enchilada video, but I'm telling you: it's totally worth it to prep ahead. That pic above included some of my prepped ingredients for week 2's meals. Crunchy, colorful goodness. (Much appreciated after 7 days of purees and soups...)

As for the exercise portion, I love-- and now totally agree with-- what Tracy says: "People feel guilty about taking that time for themselves and don’t stop to realize that devoting some time each day to take care of yourself will help you in all other aspects of your life." Now, don't get me wrong. This hasn't been an easy 11 days. The "30 min" of cardio and "30 min" of toning that Tracy encourages me to do 6 days/week really takes me more like 45 minutes apiece because I have to stop to catch my breath or guzzle water. The first day I was clomping around so ridiculously ungracefully that my children came running up to see what the hell was going on above them. Nothing little ones, that's just mom trying to do some dance cardio. For someone who really hasn't danced since, oh, our wedding 10+ years ago, I am happy to report that 11 days in I am lighter on my feet. Still, no one is going to mistake my moves for Tracy's. Yet.

Then there's the food. And while I knew I would find a way to squeeze the exercise into my busy days (even if it means getting up at 5:30 am to do it before getting the kids ready for school), I wondered if I'd really be able to make her eating plan work? So far, so good. I find myself adding fresh herbs, lemon juice, and spices where I can to keep things interesting. But then there's something like these chunks of fresh kiwi and blueberries that are so perfect as is.

This week, I am having two hard boiled eggs and a cup of fresh fruit for breakfast each day. The kids are having some derivation of that too and digging it (like above with the half eaten egg). Prep is non-existent (unless you count chopping an apple and peel a banana for them) because I am boiling the eggs ahead of time.

Dinners have overlapped nicely too. I'm the only one who likes grilled tofu, so everyone else had a roasted veggie pizza at the meal pictured above. The only real difference is that I've been leaving the kid's salads "deconstructed" (as they do in some of the finest dining establishments).

Here's a "week 2-approved" recipe I came up with that was a hit with my family this weekend. Whether you are doing this 90-day gig along with me or not, I think you'll enjoy this simple meal idea:

Avocado Salad

Combine chunks of avocado, red pepper, English cucumbers, jicama and cherry tomatoes. Add the juice of a few limes (depending upon how much you're making). If you'd like, you can also add salt & pepper, to taste.

Lemon-Mustard Marinated Chicken

In a large zip-loc, combine chicken breasts or cutlets + lemon zest + lemon juice + grainy mustard + fresh rosemary + a few grinds of pepper + a few shakes of smoked paprika. Add enough water so the marinade turns to a "paste" consistency. Let chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Grill over high heat so the chicken is seared. This will prevent it from sticking to the grill. Serve warm or cold.

juggling successfully

My inbox is full. But every so often I make an attempt to play catch up and I stay up late scrolling down and reading the various newsletters and emails that come my way. A recent one from GOOP hit a little too close to home. 40 is creeping up on me. It's sort of nice to have that self-imposed deadline/goal in my mind. Something to give me a kick in the pants...though I wouldn't feel it these days, there's so much padding back there. I want to make some changes, and feel better as a-- well, almost 40 year old. But as a busy mom, I have a hard time letting everyone's needs override my own. About this time, two years ago, I told you about my little mom crush on Tracy Anderson. So, when I saw Gwenyth touting this 90-day "metamorphosis" program, it wasn't too tough a sell.

I needed a framework to get back on track. Really, the biggest glitch is that the eating plan doesn't necessarily jibe with feeding a ravenous husband and two growing children. But I am going to make this work, and I know I am not alone in this effort, so this is going to be the main focus of posts here on Full Plate these next 90-days. For those who are rolling along happily without Tracy's gig, I think you'll still find plenty of inspiration. I mean, really, how can you go wrong with some new wholesome recipes that can do double-duty as healthful sides? And since my limited time to cook is shifting to the recipes in Tracy's eating plan, you'll also catch a glimpse of what prepared foods I am keeping on hand to round out everyone else's three meals a day!

I set aside some time last night to get the cooking done for the first seven days. I am not going to lie: it was a ton of prep. But when I was done, I had everything but the daily juice made for the next seven days and I made extra portions of each recipe so I could serve some to the rest of my family.

The kids and my husband had some of the Sweet Potato Corn Pudding as a side with carrot sticks, roasted pepitas, and Whole Food's brand baked chicken taquitos (found in the freezer section). The kids claimed it was "one of the best dinners ever" and "loved dessert!!" (That would be the sweet potato corn pudding little ones...but I'm not going to argue).

Sweet Potato Corn Pudding

(from Tracy Anderson's Metamorphosis Dynamic Eating Plan)

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 ear white corn*

Steam the sweet potato. Slice the corn off the cob. Combine ingredients in a food processor and puree.

*I quadrupled the recipe, using 4 large sweet potatoes, and a bag of frozen white corn (since you can't get it fresh around here yet). It reheats perfectly and will be a great starch side-- or dessert depending upon who you ask--for a few different meals this week.

getting back into a groove

What a fabulous week away. Re-entry to full-time motherhood was a little bumpy so new posts were put on the back burner an extra week. I'm still muddling through a posting schedule that makes sense for me in terms of balance, and for you in terms of new ideas and inspiration. I'd bookmarked this post before I left. Those thoughts combined with a week away with my mom where we talked about what I remember from my own childhood really hit home. I realize that I need to take a step back and prioritize. Not to sound too serious about all of this...but the truth is, my kids aren't going to remember if I had some rockstar blog ratings. I like having this project to keep me focused on something other than "mom drama" but I need to think long and hard about what I miss out when I hole up in my office writing. I know there's a happy balance. I just need to strike it.

Many friends have asked about my week away. It was amazing. It's hard to put into words though, so here are a few photos. Just a few, because I didn't have my camera at yoga, chi gong, meditation, aqua zen (and even if I did have it that day, I would post a shot in my bikini doing tai chi in the water, thank you very much). Anyway.

I dined outside whenever possible.

I ate very, very well.

I let a horse whisper to me.

And I pushed my limits.

Really pushed them.

I did not necessarily go out of my comfort zone gracefully, or quietly.

I hiked to the top of mountains, and took lots of deep breaths.

Then I came home, and everyone was sick. Everyone needed me at once. Meals needed to be made again. Laundry needed to be washed. A tornado had ripped through the playroom. A birthday was to be celebrated. I jumped right back in and that week away was a distant memory. But having given myself a week to get back into the rhythms of home, I appreciate the time away immensely. And I am thankful for all I have back here as well. I look forward to getting back into a groove, and finding a little-- but not too much-- time to write up some simple recipes and meal ideas to share with you.

undies...recipes...it's all the same

I am belly laughing right now. Maybe that's because I feel lighter having (finally) vacuumed up the Christmas tree needles and put away the last stray ornaments, or because I gave in and went back to a nice cup of fully caffeinated coffee this morning, or maybe it's because this post my friend sent me is just so spot on. If you're reading The Happiness Project along with me, then you know that in January, you want to try to "toss, restore, organize". Undies, sweaters, toys, recipes...isn't it so true that when you pare down, you actually feel like you have more to choose from?

In the spirit of freshening things up a bit, I also updated the "Sites that Inspire Me" column here on the right (scroll down a bit). If you have other sites I should check out and possibly add, please make a suggestion here in the comments section. As with anything, I find the best ideas through my friends!

MERRY!

School vacation has officially begun, so I am unplugging for at least a week too. I cannot wait to experience Christmas through my children's eyes, still so full of wonder. I'll listen to my older child shamelessly belt Christmas carols (when he thinks no one is listening) and I hope to see the sheer joy in my little one's eyes as he takes his first sledding run of the season.

Feel free to subscribe to posts (right there on the right hand column) if you want to be in the loop when I get back to writing. I have fabulous new recipes lined up and am excited to do some reading over break for even more ideas of healthful, quick meals, as well as more balance and happiness in the year ahead, which I'll share.

Before I sign off, I wanted to pass this thoughtful quote along (via my parents' beloved yoga teacher Ryan, and then my mom), which I think will make all of us smile and appreciate our friends and family even more as we enter the Christmas season...

"Satisfaction is less a matter of getting what you want than wanting what you have."

- Tsongkhapa

I hope that all of you have a truly wonderful and relaxing Christmas.

A day of baking in pictures

Tomorrow my little one brings a special birthday snack to preschool. As you can imagine, I have been thinking of the possibilities for a while now. He really isn't too concerned-- or interested for that matter-- as long as it's sweet. With no "rules" in place, we can go wild. I've been pondering all sorts of holiday-themed treats, but really, he was more interested in his Legos than talking about treat ideas. Then last night, he mentioned that he wanted cut-out gingerbread cookies. Super, I'm thinking. I just happen to have a cookie exchange the same day we're bringing "birthday snack". So, I'll bake a giant double or triple batch, and let him go wild with decorating the ones for his classmates.

So, before the school bus pulls up this morning, we've cracked the eggs, poured the molasses...

we've beaten and stirred...

and I have 5 big balls of gingerbread dough chilling in the fridge until after school when we'll busy ourselves with rolling, cutting and baking. The only glitch? On the way to school my little one says, "Mommy? Maybe I like gingerbread but maybe my friends at school don't. Let's not make gingerbread. Let's make pink cookies, since pink is my favorite color!"

Long on butter, flour and sugar this time of year, I humor him and get a batch of sugar cookie dough made when we get home. "Shall we still cut them into shapes?" I ask excitedly, picturing all of the little faces oohing and aahing at the culinary masterpiece we'll bring in tomorrow morning. "No, round is fine mommy, just so long as they are pink, since that is my favorite color."

Knowing full well that my son's (current) favorite color is pink, I just happened to have picked up some India Tree sugars one day on a whim. I am golden. He looks at the cookies approvingly when they come out of the oven, then excitedly goes on to tell me that what would be really special as a birthday snack are the chocolate chip cookies that are regular. Regular? "Yeah, like the ones with the recipe on the bag like other mom's make," my older son tells me, clearly in cahoots with my little one. Really?

Not one to pass up a culinary challenge, even if it is their bedtime, the three of us whip up a batch of Tollhouse cookies. By. The. Book. No wheat flour, no oats, no messing around. Plain chocolate chip cookies. As they cooled on the rack and we went up for bedtime stories, my older son told my younger son, "you're really lucky you're bringing in such a special snack". "I know," I could hear my little one answering and you could tell from his voice that he was just beaming. Worth the extra flour, sugar, butter, eggs and effort this one special day of the year in his young life.

Now I know a few of my friends reading this are wondering whether I am bringing pink sugar cookies to the party tomorrow. Trust me, at that point in the night I had totally run out of steam to roll, cut, bake, decorate. So, I checked our butter and chocolate supply and instead whipped up a double batch of my cinnamon-chocolate brownies with chocolate ganache that are super simple and always a crowd pleaser. If any of my neighbors are reading this would like a ball of my gingerbread dough, just holler. We'll bake and decorate one or two balls this weekend, but we have a few more to share!

Back to "everything in moderation"

They say you should never trust a skinny chef. Well, I am not quite sure who "they" is? What I do know is that it's August and I cannot blame the dryer for shrinking all of my summer clothing. This has definitely been a summer of indulgence. A lot of good food, a lot of festive drinks at the end of the day, a lot of good times. But, it's time to reign it in a bit and go back to the "everything in moderation" mantra that still lets me have fun but has me feeling way more "mom-a-licious" than I do today.

First step: loading the fridge and counter with healthy options.

Second: whipping up some tried and true recipes to have one hand like black bean salad, some roasted zucchini, making a batch of Giada's basil dressing so I can easily top grilled fish, chicken or stir it into quinoa, and sides like this wheatberry one that is hearty enough to be a vegetarian meal. If I plan to keep one or two of these recipes on hand, getting dinner on the table is a snap.

And lastly, the no brainer for most of my svelte friends but one where I seem to fall short: make time to workout. (Here's where I'd love your suggestions...since it's impractical for me to make it to a workout class until school starts I would be thrilled if you would post your favorite workout videos or home workouts in the comment section.) I've plugged it before, but think it's worth mentioning again... if you have a little one and are finding yourself in the same (um, shall we just say it: fat) predicament, then by all means, sign up for a Stroller Strides class in your town. The thought of borrowing someone's baby just to go back to these classes and feel great again has crossed my mind.

2 learning experiences

One day last week, I filmed a pilot for a web TV show. A total learning experience, and so, so fun. That evening, my computer blew up. Another learning experience (no silly, of course I hadn’t backed anything up). Much less fun. Understatement. Basically, I have been “unplugged” for the past 7 days, with my fingers crossed, hoping that the computer experts would be able to at the very least restore my hard drive. No such luck.

I’d originally planned some minor fanfare since tomorrow is the 1-year-“anniversary” of the blog. But since everything happens for a reason, I am taking a little hiatus from posting until I have a legitimate computer again, where I can download my pics (and back them up this time around). I’ll be using this next week or two of downtime to work on some new ideas to share with you all! If it would be helpful, you can subscribe to these posts via email (upper right hand corner of the blog) so they come right to you when I am back in action. Until then, how about trying some of my favorite spring-inspired recipes posted this past year, like Greens & Cheese Pie, Lemon Rosemary Chicken, Lamb & Pistachio Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce, Mango & Chicken Quesadillas, or a Quinoa Salad with grilled fish or chicken. Roasting veggies can transition from winter's favorites like sweet potatoes and butternut squash to lighter things like Cilantro Roasted Zucchini. And if you're asked to bring a sweet treat to your next family gathering, maybe you could whip up a Clafoutis or Carrot Cake with lots and lots of Cream Cheese Frosting.

Posting that very first blog entry reminds me of why I spend precious free time jotting down these recipes for my friends...and their friends...and their friends...

Cheers to a fabulous year ahead, filled with delicious food we can prepare in a snap...giving us all more time for our family, our friends, and ourselves.

"This is just a moment..."

Yesterday I came across an article I’d torn out. In the article, Julianna Marguilies tells a story about an ‘aha!’ moment in parenting. She’s exhausted from working all day, and her baby is up screaming in the middle of the night. She works herself into a lather wondering how she’s going to get her screaming baby to stop, compounded by the fact that she’ll be exhausted the next day. Then wisdom from her mother is remembered, “Honey, this is only a moment; it’s not the rest of your life.” Realizing this in the heat of the moment, she relaxed, the baby calmed down, and she felt grounded again. She went to work the next day, on three hours sleep, but she made it through the day (albeit with bags under her eyes) just fine. I can relate to her when she says, “I’m a doer, and I’m always thinking about what’s next on my list.” But this simple little phrase makes so much sense in keeping me living in the present too. And so, when I wake up to too many things on my to-do list and one child home from school sick, I ride the day thinking, “this is just a moment; it’s not the rest of my life.” Most things can wait until tomorrow, I can go to yoga next week, and there is a sniffly someone who wants to be read to right now.

Tea Time

My husband keeps asking if I’ve come up with my resolutions yet. Nope. This year I am taking a pass on writing them down. Instead, I am trying to be more mindful, overall, not only in regards to my body but also with my mind and my—at the risk out sounding too tutti frutti--spirit. Drinking more liquids (achem, other than coffee and wine) was an easy habit to adopt. But there’s only so much water I want to drink. And so, I’ve created a sort of “penny candy shop” for myself. Each of these hermetic jars holds a variety of my favorite teas. The one on the left is full of herb teas, and the one on the right holds a reserve of green and black teas for when I need a pick me up. They’re festive on the counter, they remind me to stay hydrated, and my children have started enjoying picking out a bag for their own a cup of tea in the afternoons. It’s all so civil. Let’s see if we can keep it up!

Here's to a great year ahead!

I’ve had a great start to the New Year: our family breakfast was largely made ahead so we could just sit and enjoy (or, enjoy it as much as I could with two children who don’t like to sit through a meal). Then while the kids played, we read the paper cover to cover and I caught up on old magazines. While they napped, we worked out, and then enjoyed (very healthy) homemade vegetable soup (with a side of, achem, decadent cheese drizzled with Lulu White Truffle Honey). As a total aside, if you like honey, then you must get a jar of this stuff. My friend brought it to book club, drizzling it over La Tur cheese with a sliver of dried fig and it was utterly amazing. The earthiness of the truffle oil, combined with the rich honey. So good, that you can imagine my excitement when I remembered she’d left the jar here, after getting ready to sit down to heaping bowls of (did I mention, very healthy) veggie soup.

Anyway, my children are still asleep so I am going to go back to those magazines and the bliss of a quiet house. Postings will begin again, in earnest, as soon as I nail down the best days to write…since 2010 is going to be the year I get balanced. More on that balance idea, tips for getting back to feeling “mom-a-licious”, and lots of great recipes I develop, or come across, to come! Here’s to a great year ahead!

The day turned a little festive after all

My little one was beyond disappointed that I didn’t buy myself a cake that was big and flowery. “Mama! I wanted to have a FARM cake for your birfday!” he sadly announced as I pulled a ginger cake out of the box, prepared to have a lunch of cake and milk. So much for that decadent idea. He could care less that I was offering up cake for lunch. Whatever he was looking at was b-o-r-i-n-g. “It needs a tractor, Mama. And a farmer. And aminals.” So, while I was catching up with my sister-in-law my little one dutifully went into the playroom and dragged the buckets of people, animals, airplanes, and vehicles into the kitchen.

He then chose 50 or so items he wanted to put on the cake. Thankfully, a stray piece of drizzle distracted him from putting all of the toys on… I must agree that his farm is cake is more fun on this drizzly, weird day. Things are looking up.

Getting back to feeling mom-a-licious

I haven’t posted in a couple of days because, well, do you ever have those days (or weeks) when you feel like you’re doing a lot…but not doing anything very well? That’s the rut I have found myself in lately. Readership of this blog keeps shooting up, but I am making no income off it, so it’s basically a community service effort. Totally fine in terms of generosity, but not ok if I’m snapping at my kids because they’re interrupting me as I type a recipe. My cooking lesson clients are having these a-ha moments (which are wonderfully satisfying to be a part of), but as H1N1 rips through our schools, I cannot sleep the nights before my classes wondering if my children will be well the next morning when I am scheduled to teach? What will happen to all of those groceries I asked them to buy, and how annoyed will they be with me having to cancel last minute? Then there’s the blog, which I’ll stay home from working out to write entries for since I’m too tired to do so at night. And when I don’t workout I get more tired…and it’s this vicious cycle. The only thing I am doing consistently well is getting healthy meals on the table, ones that both my children will eat and that my husband and I enjoy. This Fall is my first time having both kids in school, which is blissful, but I am still not in my groove trying to figure out how much to “work” and how much to “play”. And so, 10 pounds later—yes, 10 pounds—I have decided to take a step back and try to regroup. I think I jumped the gun, trying to be all things to all people during my 9 hours of preschool time a week! The first thing I let go was me. It is time for me to get back to feeling a little more mom-a-licious. Posts may be a little less frequent, and cooking lessons may be harder to come by until I feel like I am back in balance. But for now, when my children ask me to come sit by the fire and read with them, or do a puzzle, or rake leaves into their mini wheelbarrow, I want to be wholly there and not thinking about all of the things on my Full Plate. Or, thinking a little less about it, for now.

I over did it (again)

1) When will I learn NOT to volunteer to be the special party snack person?

2) When will I learn not to do the baking the same day the cleaning people WERE here?

3) When will I learn that ONE kind of cookie would have been just fine?

4) When will I learn that I could secretly do the decorating at night, after the kids have gone down, and then SURPRISE them, instead of involve them?

That last part sounds so unlike me. I mean, isn’t that the point of doing projects like this…to see the joy in your children’s faces and feel their excitement? And it was fun, and it was messy, and I am running on fumes.