Taryn and Tavia

Precious Little Moments

October 14, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

Last week was one of those I can’t get my head above the water kind of weeks. Laundry was never ending, there were always dishes in the sink, and the little baby toys were always scattered randomly throughout my house (he isn’t even mobile yet, why are there toys everywhere? LOL). Why was last week crazier than all the other weeks? I took more time to just sit and watch Max instead of rushing to clean when he was happy in his jumper. We read so many books, sang so many songs, took long walks, and worked out at home together (he really likes to laugh at me). I took more time to enjoy the little things with that little babe of mine. Time is going so fast and it is making me one of those emotional moms. Just look at this little face…who wants to clean (or be any kind of productive) when you have these little cheeks to love on?! So, my new goal is to slow down, enjoy every little second I have with this baby while he is still just that, a baby!

Before you get bombarded with sweet baby pictures, here is what we like to do on our long walks!

The Walk Challenge

Walk for 10 minutes do 15 burpees (yes my neighbors might think I’m crazy HA) and repeat

At every bench you walk by, do 15 step-ups on each leg

After you finish your step-ups do 15 push-ups followed by 20 dips on that same bench and continue walking!

This makes our walks a little more exciting for me and baby Max! Try it! Let me know what you think!

The Pumpkin Patch

October 5, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

I have been looking forward to the pumpkin patch since I found out I was pregnant with baby Max. I’m such a sucker for fall traditions. Baby Max was such a champ, he only cried a few times, ha! We are so lucky to have family close that all look forward to partake in these types of photo ops. Prepare yourself for picture overload.

I can’t post this without at least a few health tips!

1. Bring a water bottle!

2. Drink a protein shake or eat before you go. That will help curb your cravings for those funnel cakes and corn dogs.

3. Wear sunscreen! (yep, I officially sound like my mother)

Clearly, we enjoyed our day so much! I hope y’all had a great weekend! How many of you have checked out the pumpkin patch?!

Pregnancy Throwback

October 2, 2014October 2, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

Well, pretty much all of my friends are pregnant right now, which has me feeling all nostalgic about my pregnancy. I absolutely loved being pregnant (lies, the first trimester was pretty awful). I wanted to share my top 5 tips to make pregnancy a wonderful, healthy experience.

1. Drink Lots of Water.

I can not stress enough the importance of staying hydrated during pregnancy. It is a natural energy booster, and trust me, you need to all the energy you can get. Being hydrated helps keep all of our organs functioning properly and will help keep those pesky pregnancy symptoms stay away. Especially those headaches!

2. Walk. Walk A Lot.

I took a walk every night. Walking outside in the fresh air helped give me energy, relieved my nausea (especially in those first dreaded weeks), and even helped me sleep at night.

3. Eat Your Vegetables.

Especially those dark leafy greens like spinach, and kale! The vitamins found in vegetables are so great for your baby’s cell growth. Not to mention they will help keep you healthy!

4. Buy Maternity Clothes.

There is something so exciting about putting on maternity clothes (which are super cute now days). They are made for your growing belly and will make you feel so much more comfortable in your skin! You are growing a little miracle in there and you should feel so proud to show that belly off!

5. Educate Yourself….Carefully.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and interview new doctors if need be! It is so important that you and your caregiver are on the same page about what you want for your pregnancy and birth. The end goal is a healthy baby and healthy mama, there is no wrong way to get there. On the flip side, don’t read too much. There is so much information out there, some of it is so great, and some of it is terrifying. Remember, our bodies are made for this! We all have our mama instincts and we need to trust them!

Everyone is so different. If you have things that helped make your pregnancy more enjoyable, please share them!

Here is my belly transformation through pregnancy! So crazy! Our bodies are amazing ladies!

12 weeks to 20 weeks

30 weeks to 40 weeks

1 week postpartum vs 1 month

Stay tuned for next weeks post about my post-pregnancy healthy tips and tricks!

It’s Fall Y’all

September 26, 2014September 26, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

YAY! I have been waiting all year for this. It is officially fall and I wasted no time getting all of our seasonal décor out! There is just something about fall that makes me so excited! Poor Max has to endure all my excitement and picture taking all by himself. Just wait until we go to the pumpkin patch, my camera will have never seen so much action. If my husband didn’t think I already went overboard with fall decorations, I would still be at Hobby Lobby bargain shopping cute pumpkins and anything else I can get for 40% off! He he.

Protein Packed Oatmeal Pancakes

September 24, 2014September 24, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

I’m not usually the kind of person to brag….but I’m bragging today. I kind of feel like a culinary genius (ok, maybe that’s an exaggeration), I made the best protein pancakes this morning. They are super easy to put together and delicious! Here is what I did!

Ingredients:

2 whole eggs

1 tbs Greek yogurt

1 scoop Orgain Organic chocolate protein

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/4 cup organic almond unsweetened almond milk

What you do:

Blend all ingredients in small blender

Pour onto skillet on medium-high and cook like a regular pancake

Tah-da! The best breakfast creation. I topped mine with a 1 tbs of organic peanut butter and 1 tbs of pure maple syrup

Disclaimer: I messed up with the pancake flip, so mine don’t look pretty. I promise they are delicious. This recipe will make two regular size pancakes or one giant one 🙂

Good luck flipping and enjoy these little pieces of heaven!

-Tavia

A Family Affair

September 22, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

One of my favorite things to do is workout with my husband. Little did I know, having a baby would make that pretty much near impossible. We were able to make that happen this weekend! Finally. There was one small hiccup, baby Max would be joining us. Luckily, Max stayed pretty entertained in his walker and thoroughly enjoyed watching his daddy lift some weights (he seriously did not want to watch me, what the heck?).

Here is what we did:

Back/Triceps:

Round One:

Straight arm pull-downs on the cable machine (20 reps)

Single-arm dumbbell row (10-12 reps) Make sure you pick a weight that is challenging!

Complete these two exercises together 4x through

Round Two:

Seated cable pull-downs (12-15 reps)

Tricep Dips off the bench for one minute

Repeat both exercise 4x through!

We finished with 3o minutes of interval training.

30 seconds burpees

1 minute on the treadmill

1 minute jump rope

2 minute rest and repeat this until you reach 30 minute! (Yes it was killer, like seriously a killer)

Happy work-outs my friends!!

Healthy-er Mac and Cheese

September 17, 2014September 17, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

If it were acceptable I would eat mac and cheese for every meal, every day, possibly for the rest of my life. I think most kids share that same feeling towards mac and cheese that I do! This recipe helps make this childhood staple much healthier!

Creamy Greek Yogurt Mac and Cheese:

What you need:

8 oz elbow pasta

2 cups spinach

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt

1 tbs almond milk

8 oz cheddar cheese (about two cups, I use extra sharp cheddar)

salt & pepper about a tsp of both or to taste

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to the package

Place the spinach leaves in the bottom of the strainer, and pour pasta over the top to drain the water. This will cause the spinach to wilt. Return the pasta and spinach mixture to the pot.

Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted. Stir in Greek yogurt, almond milk, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until creamy! Enjoy immediately 🙂

Not only is this stuff some of the creamiest mac and cheese I’ve ever had, it is a great way to sneak in those veggies for all those picky eaters out there! Enjoy!

I can’t forget about my happy little sous chef, he can’t wait to try this someday soon! Ha!

Kid Friendly Protein Smoothie

September 10, 2014September 10, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

Last weekend on our weekly Costco trip we found the most exciting thing, Orgain Organic powdered protein! I was so excited I think my husband was a little embarrassed. This stuff is the bomb.com. Even the pickiest of eaters will love this stuff. You don’t have to worry about any GMO’s, gluten, dairy, or soy because the makers do not use any of those ingredients!

Here is how I like to make it!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1 frozen organic banana

1 serving Orgain organic creamy chocolate fudge protein powder

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together in a blender! Enjoy the frosty like goodness of this protein smoothie!

Let me know what you and your kiddos think of this gem!

Working Out With Baby

September 8, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

I had my two favorite work out partners join me for a quick work out in the park this weekend! Let’s face it, we all get sick of working out in the gym every once in a while. I needed a change of atmosphere and a good total body workout. These two were pumped to get out of the house with me. Here is what we did:

1. Squat Press

We completed 20 reps of these squat presses for three sets. Make sure you get as low as you can while keeping your weight in your heels and squeeze your booty! If you don’t have a baby to press, take some dumbbells with you!

2. Lunges Around the Park

The park we went to has a sidewalk that surrounds it. We lunged one time all the way around, rested for 2 minutes and then repeated that same sequence for four sets. Remember, if you don’t have a baby, use your dumbbells, pick a weight that is challenging but will not injure you. Holy burning buns.

3. Pull-Ups

Ok, assisted pull-ups. Since having baby Max my core strength is not what it used to be and pull-ups are super challenging for me. I give a little hop at the bottom of each pull-up so that I can get my chin all the way above the bar.

I completed 15 reps 4x. Remember to rest in between each set!

And that was our quick 30 minute work out in the park! Happy work-outs my friends! Let me know how your bodies feel after this!

Keepin’ Kids Healthy

September 3, 2014September 3, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness month, obviously something that is near and dear to my heart! I want kids to be pumped, excited, and proud to be eating healthy and being active! Well, it starts with us, the adults. We need to be the example. Throughout the month I am going to post my favorite healthy recipes that kids happen to love too! This weeks recipe is one I found on Pinterest (the mecca of all great things) and altered to make it healthier! I forgot to mention it takes five minutes to put together…literally five minutes.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole:

Pre-heat oven to 350

What you need:

4 chicken breasts

1 jar organic marinara sauce

2 cups organic mozzarella cheese

2 cups herb seasoning stuffing mix

Now, you will cut up the chicken breasts into bite size pieces and place on the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer the marinara sauce over the chicken, the cheese over the sauce, followed by the seasoned stuffing mix! Pop in the oven for 40 minutes, and waa-lah! Dinner is done. Serve over organic spaghetti noodles or spaghetti squash! We ate ours with a side of steamed broccoli! 🙂 Happy eating!

-Tavia