This week I relearned a song called "Time will do the Talking" by Patty Griffin. I just found out that she is touring and will be coming to Madison, Wisconsin in January. It doesn't look like I will be able to go but, being that she is one of my favorite artists, I have always wanted to see her live.
I am happy that I decided to dedicate time everyday to playing the guitar again. It was once a really important part of my life. I would play every day but since I had kids I found myself playing less and less. Now, my calluses are forming again, I'm slowing getting better and the kids enjoy it. You can see them running around in the back of this video.
In other news, a new group begins the T25 10 week challenge tomorrow. I am anxious and excited for these 5 challenge groupers. If you missed this group but want to make the next one please send me an e-mail or check out my Beachbody website.
My husband has been away on a business trip for the last two weeks. This is the longest he has been apart from us and I have been adjusting to life like this. Thankfully my mom and grandmother decided to fly to Minnesota and visit with me for a few days. We busied ourselves by crocheting and chit chatting. I finally finished a project that I began last March, a pinafore dress for Edie.
I made some big mistakes with this dress but I just kept going. Now that it's finished I regret not going back to make it right. Oh well, it still looks so cute on Edie. I added a cute daffodil flower and finished it with a covered button on the back.
The Holiday season is upon us. This year lets vow to at least maintain weight! Join my "Healthy for the Holidays" Weight Loss Support Group is commit yourself to the challenge. Group starts Nov. 18th, order by Nov 12th. Here's the good news, the workout is only 25 minutes a day. Yes, you have time for that!
Pictures from my weight loss journey this year.
3/16/13 7/15/13 11/9/13
Top 5 Reasons to Join "Healthy for the Holidays" Weight Loss Support Group.
1) It WORKS! Many people in my past challenge groups have lost 10 pounds in the first T25 phase alone. Just follow the workout calendar, put the right DVD in each day and Shaun T will train you personally. You don't have to worry about what move comes next and you will never get bored.
2) FAST! It's easy to find 25 minutes. For me it fits right into nap time and still gives me time to shower after.
3) EFFECTIVE! Seriously. New science shows that when you workout this way you don't need to put in an hour at the gym. In fact, you could probably be finished with your workout within the time that it took you to drive to and from the gym.
4) AFFORDABLE! It's cheaper than a gym membership that statistically, you won't get your money's worth out of anyway. Plus, you can redo the T25 program later without having to pay for more membership dues.
5) SUPPORT!! Be apart of something bigger. Join a group of people who are all in this together, working toward a goal of greater health, positive attitude and a happier life. You can do this! We can help you stay on track.
There are two spots left to join. Email me, comment below or click here to order.
Last week was Halloween! John was a race car driver who enjoyed racing to every house for Trick-or-Treat and Edie stayed home with Dad to pass out candy. Proud Mom moment: John said thank you at every house.
I finished up week two of Body Beast and focused on stocking the freezer. I'm no stranger to freezer cooking. It's genius! What's that? You've never heard of it? How do you live without it?! My technique is to prepare dishes ahead of time and fill up the freezer. Then, I take the next month or so off from working hard in the kitchen because who really wants to be in there longer than they have to? Yes I still go to the store but I don't have the big cart full and hefty receipt to go with it. Instead, I just replenish fresh fruits and veggies. Sometimes people call it Once A Month Cooking or OAMC.
Fully Stocked Freezer
When I first began freezer cooking it was in preparation for baby #1. I filled the freezer with meals I thought would freeze well and were very filling which was... Italian! I made lasagna, manicotti, baked ziti and stuffed shells. It was great but... fattening. After that I expeimented with other casserole dishes for the freezer and read a few cookbooks on it from the library. Then, I decided to try Slow cooker freezer meals. When a fried introduced me to this post from savingyoudinero.com my mind was blown! I quickly assembled the meals in gallon sized freezer bags then neatly stacked them in the freezer. Each morning, after my cup of coffee, I would select a bag from the freezer, run it under warm water for a few seconds so that I could release it from the bag, then plop it in the slow cooker. 8 hours later... BAM, home cooked meal.
But, my problem with this method was meat...meat...and more MEAT! I just didn't want to be that big of a carnivore and it certainly adds up on the grocery bill. Alas, I compiled a list or vegan freezer meals. Last week I made multiples of each recipe, one per day. We ate it for dinner and I put the rest in the freezer. We have over a months worth of food in there now. I won't make only these 5 meals the whole month because there will be times that I just want other things. But It feels so good to know that there is always SOMETHING to fall back on.
Making freezer meals really frees up time during the day which is good because my workout program Body Beast is in full swing. I am also busy forming my next T25 challenge group that is set to start on November 18th. Any extra time I have now can be devoted to reading books, singing and playing guitar with the kids. I have continued my journey of learning one new song per week. Here I am singing my version of Patty Griffin's "As Cold As it Gets" which I think is a perfect title for my prepared winter meals in the freezer.
I love this dish. It's filling, flavorful and unlike any other dish I've had before. But it's involved and takes me a long time to make. I multiplied this recipe by 4. I found that since it takes so much effort anyway I might as way multiply it and have it premade for future enjoyment.
This dish is super easy and just as yummy as the real thing. My family just calls it "sloppy joes" because we are not that snobby. After a big pot is made et it cool then fill quart sized freezer bags and lay flat in freezer to stack. Once frozen you can turn them on there side to fit better if you need to.
The 3 recipes were taken from a website called EllensKitchen.com. You can find them as part of this list here. I found these recipes to be bland so I doctored them up with added seasoning as I saw fit.
I like to put these meals into smaller casserole dishes. Often times I buy the set of 3 small foil containers from the dollar store. The smaller servings work better for my family because I don't like having all of the leftovers from a big lasagna that we have to eat for 3 days.
Now that the freezer is full I am all set to continue the Body Beast program without having to fuss over dinner and I have time to form another T25 challenge group set to begin on November 18th. E-mail me if you would like to join. It's the perfect time to start a new workout routine and help prepare yourself against any holiday weight gain. I am only taking 5 people for the group.
It's been two months since I last blogged. What have I been doing? I spent 2 weeks parading around Europe and returned home to catch and recover from the flu. Then, I visited family in the Ohio Valley and most recently had the pleasure of attending Momcon, a convention for members of the faith based group, MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers).
I'm not sure what the proper blogging protocol is. Do I go back and talk about these great experiences or move forward? Today I move forward.
When I moved to Minnesota I joined a local moms group called MOPS. It stands for Mothers of Preschoolers but it is for any woman who is the mother of a child ages 0 to 5 years old. MOPS has been a great way for me to meet new people and share stories with others who are also going through this crazy roller coaster called mothering. Last winter it was a lifesaver for me and one of the only times that I got out of the house during the week. At the end of the summer I was contacted by the steering committee and asked to fill the role of Publicity Coordinator. I was happy to join steering and I feel blessed that I was also able to attend MOMcon last weekend.
Our New Ulm MOPS crew at MOMcon
A highlight for me from MOMCon is something that speaker Jen Hatmaker said, "Brave moms make brave kids." She also said that "we need to parent diligently but not fearfully because fear can make an already hard job of mothering harder still." I think that so much if being a mom today can involve worrying about everything in our children's lives. We spend much time trying to make our children feel safe and comfortable but we forget that we don't want them to grow up to be safe and comfortable, we want them to grow up to be BRAVE, to go forth in God's power and not be scared to make a difference in the world!
So I'm not going to worry so much for my kids anymore. But I am going to show them how I am not afraid because fear hold us back and I am all about moving forward.
New Goals:
1. PLAY one new song every week.
2. CREATEone new art project every week 3.EXERCISE 6 times a week
4. LEARN something new about myself by reading personal development and devotional books daily
5. PRACTICE everyday to be a better person and set a good example to my children
As it turns out there was a MOPS meeting this morning but the kids and I woke up sick so we stayed home and learned this new song instead. We are in love with the album "Good Morning my Love" by Vered. Here am I singing the song "Sunday." Like I said, I'm sick, so my voice is scratchy and it has been so long since I played guitar that I no longer have calluses on my fingers. But, oh well! I can only get better and I have to start somewhere.
On September 2nd a challenge group will be starting for each of these programs. A challenge group is a small group of five people who are following the same program and starting on the same day. Holding each other accountable and sharing your successes and struggles is a sure-fire way to see results. For questions about any of theses programs or challenge groups e-mail me at kelseyschott@gmail.com. Or, to order a program and register for the challenge group click on the links at the bottom of this page.
My Body Beast "Gym" in the kitchen/dining room.
T25
The Brand spankin' new program that has everyone talking is T25. Why? because you lose weight fast and you have time for it. It's only 25 minutes long! In a T25 Challenge group that started 3 weeks ago my friend Grace had lost 9 pounds already and my friend Stephanie says she is able to wear a pair of capri pants that haven't fit for the last 2 summers. Beachbody just released a new infomercial about T25 so you may be seeing it on T.V. sometime soon.
Turbo Fire
Turbo Fire has been wildly popular for the last couple of years. It's tough, fun and with the awesome trainer and motivator Chalene Johnson. For the month of August a Turbo FIre Challenge pack is only $160. That's the cheapest it has ever been and you get to try Shakeology for 30 days too.
Body Beast
This program is all about building muscle. It is 90 days long and you can expect to gain around 10 pounds of muscle. My husband Jack and I started Body Beast in June. We did it faithfully for the first month and were blown away by our results. I followed the "lean" program. Weights are needed for Body Beast but you can still complete the program with minimal equipment. I used only a stability ball, 5, 8, and 10 pound weights for the first month. As I got stronger I started holding two weights at once in one hand. Now I have heavier weights and a workout bench and I am ready to refocus and start again from the beginning. I know that weight lifting seems a little out of my comfort zone but I really enjoyed these workouts and as I built muscle I burned fat faster. Plus it was nice to be able to eat MORE food as long as I was eating healthy and clean. I want to have a toned, strong body so I need to lift weight to achieve that.
Body Beast is only $160 for the month of August. When I bought it in June it was $225!! So this is a big savings and I look forward to having others join me.
All of these programs are going to help you get stronger and burn calories but Body Beast focuses more on building muscle by lifting weights.
A picture of me doing Body Beast in the basement.
To order any of these challenge pack and sign up for the challenge group click on the links below. Deadline to register is August 28th. Challenge group begins on September 2nd.
Exercising goes way back for me. I remember when I was in the first grade my sister Jana and I would get up at 6 am to do "Mousercise" from the Disney Channel. From there it progressed to Tamilee Webb's "Buns of Steel" videos in the 6th grade. I loved dancing, sports, and running. By the time I was in high school I began drinking meal replacement shakes and have been off and on ever since.
I thought this pear shape that I have was just apart of me, genetic. My thighs have been jiggling and rubbing together since age 12. "So what?" I thought, "That's just me." I knew there wasn't anything more or better that I could be doing because I was exercising and eating healthy.
The thought occurred to me two days ago that I have never been this thin or felt this good. I had to make a emergency trip to Target on Monday night to buy size 2 jeans and Xsmall workout pants. I have actually been having trouble keeping them up during my runs. Never in my life have I worn extra small anything and for once there is a slight space between my thighs.
I turn 29 next month, I have two kids and I am in the best shape of my life, better than in high school. The one difference in my life is not the level of exercise that I am doing it's the Shakeology that I have been drinking every day since April. Shakeology has been a game changer for me. The health benefits in that one nutrient dense drink are amazing. Even if I get slightly off track on my diet I am still able to maintain my weight. The stats on that one single drink are hard to believe: 9 serving of fruits and veggies, all the daily recommended vitamins and over 70 additional super foods. Perhaps what even more amazing is what isn't in Shakeology: no GMOs, no preservatives, no chemicals and no animal products (if you choose vegan).
People believe that "protein shakes" are synonymous with Shakeology. But no shake product even comes to Shakeology and what it does to fuel your body with dense clean nutrition. No GNC product, Gym product or grocery store "meal replacement" shake can compare. It comes with a "bottom of the bag money back guarantee" so it's risk free to try.
Watch this 3 minute video and hear what Beachbody's CEO Carl Daikeler says about drinking it every day.
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