Monday's are my favorite days.

Andrew is off work on Mondays and the past couple weeks we have taken the boys and done some fun things around our city.

This week was by far my favorite trip we have taken with the boys.

We went to the St. Louis Zoo.

Anyone who isn't from this area, you are missing out.

The Zoo is free to enter, they do have exhibits that cost money, however the basic zoo visit is entirely free!

For Christmas this year we received a family pass, which includes parking, passes to certain activities that we would have otherwise had to pay for, discounts on food and gift shop items as well!

Oliver has never been the the zoo, we were so excited to take him!

Every animal we saw, Oliver hopped out of his stroller and stared, after a few minutes he got himself back into his stroller and said "More! More!"

Safe to say he enjoyed it!

Here are just a few pictures we got from the day!

Cheers!

So I have decided to embark on my third half marathon.

Maybe I'm crazy, probably.

I have done two other half's in the past, both with very little to no training.

I know, horrible idea, and I did pay for it afterwards.

The first one I did was in April of 2011, right before our wedding.

I trained a BIT for this one.

The second was the following year.

I went with my Mom to her Marathon Meeting (she actually trained with a group of people and raised money for Leukemia research).

At the dinner one of the participants said that her husband wasn't going to be able to run and joked that she had an extra bib and shirt.

I accepted and that was that.

No training.

I ran.

Now four years later I have yet again, signed up for another half marathon.

This one I am doing with a really good friend, in hopes of each of us motivating the other to actually train and finish with a good time.

We signed up for the MO' Cowbell Half Marathon {Click the link to Register yourself!}

A huge plus is that this course is supposed to be one of the flattest *yay!*

Anyway, training started yesterday.

I found a nifty little 24-Week half marathon training schedule.

Seems very do-able!

So yesterday I started my training.

I track my workouts using the

RUNKEEPER APP

A little caveat here.

I LOVE RUNKEEPER.

I wouldn't suggest running with any other app.

It tells you how far you have gone and what your miles per minute is in five minute intervals.

I don't know about you but I love the constant update, it really helps me keep pace!

Another bonus, it links up with My Fitness Pal! 

Check out my thoughts and love for this app in THIS post.

... Post 3 mile run look!

Okay I think that about sums it up for this Tuesday!

I hope everyone is having a great start to their week!

Cheers!

ORIGINAL RECIPE HERE

During the Whole30 {Link to post about my journey so far!} I have been trying to come up with some different and interesting recipes to try.

I have a tendency to stick with what I know, eating the same thing over and over.

Boring.

I have scoured Pinterest in hopes of finding some inspiration and from day one of Whole30 this breakfast bowl has been calling to me.
So I tried it and the verdict is,

IT. IS. AMAZING.

Seriously, I will recommend this recipe to everyone.

Not just to people embarking on Whole30, just everyone!

I linked the original post and recipe twice above, however here is what I used and what I did.

Breakfast Bowl Recipe
~1 Ripe Banana
~2 Eggs
~1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
~Coconut Oil, For Cooking
~1 1/2 Tablespoon Sunflower Butter {Sun Butter Brand}
~2 Tablespoon Unsweetened Organic Coconut Flakes
~1/4 Green Apple
~1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1. Mash banana in small bowl

2. Add eggs and vanilla extract to banana and beat/mash together {will be lumpy and that's okay}

3. Heat coconut oil in medium heat in skillet on stove top

4. Once cooked through put egg/banana mixture in bowl

5. Top with remaining ingredients, using the cinnamon last

VOILA!

Enjoy this QUICK and EASY meal for breakfast, lunch OR even dinner!!

What are you GO-TO Whole30 meals?!

Cheers!

No bread?! No pasta?! No alcohol?!

Not going to lie, I was a little nervous and intimidated to start Whole30.

Now that I'm half way there, I'm feeling great!

However, half way in and I don't miss any of those things in the least.

I did have one moment where I did want to cheat, we went out for Mexican food last Sunday.

I ate before we got there, determined to stick with the Whole30.

I also didn't want to be the, "Guys, can we please go somewhere I can eat?" person.

So, we got there and everyone ordered drinks and tons of amazing food.

I stuck it out and it really wasn't too bad.

Not only did I stick with my goals I also felt a little empowered for not giving in, making it totally worth it!

Okay so let's get down to it, what have I been eating?!

Bottom line, I've been eating a lot.

Starting the Whole30 I realized that I had a pretty healthy diet to start with.

There really wasn't too much to change, other than we had pasta for dinner many nights a week.

Also, every morning I had a piece of wheat toast with breakfast.

Cutting those things out were pretty easy, though.

Here's what a day of food looks like for me:

Breakfast:

Two Eggs

Potatoes

Some Whole30 Approved Meat

Half of an Avocado - Mashed

Fruit of some sort

Lunch:

Fruit or Veggie Salad

I add some sort of Meat

Also, my FAVORITE Whole30 Approved Salad Dressing

Dinner:

This is where I like to get creative

Here are a few recipes I've tried:

Paleo/Whole30 Pot Roast

Shepherd's Pie

Catfish

We also BBQ'd twice which was super nice and lent to TONS of leftovers

Snacks:

Usually some Nuts

Hard Boiled Eggs

Fresh Cut Veggies

Fruit - Apple, Banana etc.

So in keeping with the spirit of Whole30 I have not weighed myself since Day 1!

Not going to lie, I'm super curious and have almost broken that rule, but alas I will not!

I hope you can use this post and these recipes as a little inspiration yourself, whether your considering embarking on the Whole30 train or if you just want some healthier meals to incorporate into your daily lives.

What were your Whole30 go-to Meals/Snacks?! I'm always looking for new and yummy foods to eat!!

Cheers!

Recently I have been seeing a lot of friends on Facebook || Instagram etc., announcing that they are pregnant and I am beyond happy and excited for them.

I immediately go into, "I'm so happy for them! I hope they reach out to chat about stuff!"

Seriously, I love to share my experiences and thoughts on everything, but only when asked.

So this post is my way of sharing my thoughts and getting it out in the universe and my ever anxious system :)

One thing I learned from having my kiddos was, everything I packed for the hospital with O was pretty much unnecessary.

Okay, not everything but a lot of things. My bag was a lot smaller the second time around.

I will preface this with the fact that I had two C-Sections. So my time in the hospital was quite a bit longer than someone who does not. So I had a bit more time alone and without visitors than most probably will.

1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9

1. Flip Flops - So this is one of my own personal pet peeves. I hate being barefoot in public, I just hate it. To top it off the hospital floors are slippery so socks alone will not do. I know it seems so trivial but I have talked to quite a few moms who have said they wished they would have remembered flip flops or slippers with a rubbery bottom. With Oliver it was February and it snowed so slippers it was, with Charlie it was July and hotter than all get out, so the flip flops. Either way, make sure you have something along these lines with you.

2. Nursing/Maternity Nightgown - Okay so after the adorable little baby is born and you go back to your room they let you wear whatever you want. I highly suggest a pretty nursing/maternity night gown. This is the easiest form of clothing to wear, easy to nurse in, go to the bathroom and move around in. Also, it's definitely a good idea to choose a size that you were at about six months pregnant. Everything is still quite swollen for a while so you don't want to get a size too small and feel uncomfortable.

3. Stretch Sleep Shorts - Now as I stated in number two, night gowns are the way to go, however some women just don't feel comfortable wearing nightgowns and just want bottoms. I was one of those people whenever I had visitors. I loved being able to get out of bed and feel somewhat put together having stretchy shorts or pants on. Maybe I was fooling myself, but whatever, it worked and that's all that matters.

4. Robe - This is my all time must have. I can't state this enough. A robe. No matter what time of the year. I constantly went from hot to cold and back more times than I can even remember. I was always flipping that thing on and then off. Plus, it's girly and it made me feel fresh and clean when I would wear it. Again, probably all in my head but that's neither here nor there. The bottom line is, you never know what the temperature inside a hospital is going to be and to top it off your hormones are so out of whack, at least mine were, that my body temperature went haywire. This also lasted for weeks after I got home *yay*

5. Toiletries - For me this was a tricky one. I wasn't sure what I was going to need/want so the first time around I went heavy. I brought everything. Horrible idea. For the few days you're in the hospital, I personally had no problem using the shampoo and body wash they supplied #noshame. I did bring a razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, a brush, hair ties and the like. On top of that I brought my makeup. I know, "Who has time to do their makeup after having a baby?" Well, I made the time, I needed to feel fresh and clean, sitting in that room in that bed all day long for five days straight would have done me in had I not made it a point to pamper myself a little bit. Plus I felt way better when people came to visit if I had at least my foundation or some powder on. Again, anything to just make yourself feel good in that period of time is going to make your experience that much better.

6. Nursing Tank Tops - Again, size around six months of pregnancy just to be safe. These are pretty much self explanatory. These along with your robe and you're set, they're all you'll need the entire time you're there. Easy to nurse and comfortable all around from the time baby is born until it's simply too big to wear anymore. Definite must have all around!

7. Phone Charger - I swear if it wasn't for Andrew I would have forgotten mine both times. In today's age our phones are our life lines and of course everyone at home is wanting to see precious pictures of your new bundle of joy. Whether it be through a text, email or social media post. Don't forget the charger, plus you don't want to miss capturing those first few days of babies life outside the womb!

8. Nursing Bra - Goes along with numbers two and six, if you feel like wearing a bra and are planning on nursing, this is simply a must. Beyond comfortable and easy to handle. I suggest a few of these to have on hand!

9. Kindle or any E-Reader - Like I stated before we started. I had C-Sections, I was in the hospital for just about a week. Both babies had multiple visits to the pediatrician in the hospital, they were also boys so they had procedures they had to have done and all sorts of different things here and there. I was alone in the room from time to time. Yes turning on the TV was option number one most times but on the off chance nothing was on worth watching it is nice to have your Kindle or E-Reader close by, just to get in a chapter here or there if you have the time alone.

Phew. Okay now I feel better. I hope you take this list and use it, at the very least, a starting point of what to bring with you to the hospital when welcoming your new addition to your family!

Did I miss something crucial?! What were your Must Haves for the hospital?!

Cheers!