Green Season

Easy Greens

People look at green drinks with bewilderment.  They just look strange if you're not used to them.  I love getting in 2 big handfuls of spinach in the morning! Keeps me on track for the rest of the day.  

My usual green drink is easy to make and doesn't taste as it looks.  However, yesterday morning I added two drops of an orange essential oil that made me really happy!  It was like a summer creamsicle in my blender! 

Here you go:

Green Creamsicle

1 cup coconut water
2 handfuls of baby spinach
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 banana
5 icecubes
1-2 drops of orange essential oil

Put into blender.
Blend until smooth.
Enjoy!

If you need any vanilla or chocolate protein powder, I have some extra as I over-ordered!  Message me if you're interested.  Also, if you need some essential orange oil, let me know.  It is not an expensive investment to make this drink for yourself in this stressful month.  Keeps you running without caffeine!  Don't get me wrong, my coffee is part of my routine too!

 Protein packed Green Creamsicle

Enjoy,

Krista

Chicken and Apples in the Crock

'Tis the season for easy recipes!

Because I picked up a whole chicken yesterday and actually had apple cider in my fridge, this was a no-brainer.  Love my crock pot, especially right now.  The rainy day made it even better.

This recipe calls for 6 boneless chicken breasts so I wasn't sure if the whole chicken thing would work.  But I knew I had to use it otherwise I had to freeze it and it's no fun when you have to defrost.  So I gave it a go, adding some cinnamon and brown sugar to the original recipe.

Chicken and Apples in the Crock

Ingredients:
1 cup apple cider
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 whole chicken or 6 boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
3 Granny Smith apples, cored and thickly sliced
2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1. In a small bowl, combine apple cider, vinegar, nutmeg, cinnamon and curry powder.
2. In a small microwave safe bowl, combine butter, onions and garlic.  Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes until onion is softened.  Place mixture in bottom of slow cooker.
3. Place chicken into slow cooker, basting with the juice to coat all sides of it.  Pour remaining mixture over the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours until chicken is tender.  
5. Remove about a cup of the liquid from the cooker to a small bowl.  Add the 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar and mix until dissolved.  
6. Add apples along with the brown sugar mixture and cook 40-50 minutes longer or until apples are tender.
7. Mix together 1/3 cup juices from the crock and 1 T cornstarch in a small bowl.  Stir back into the crockpot.  Cover and cook on high, until sauce is thickened and bubbly, about 10-15 minutes.  

**Note on the whole chicken:  if you want to save even more time, use the boneless chicken breasts.  Although the chicken was amazingly tender, you do have to deal with the bones and separating the meat.  I do love having leftovers from the whole chicken to make soup with the next day.

 Found brussel sprouts at the store that were already sliced and ready to throw in a pan with some olive oil, garlic and parmesan cheese.  Was so easy and really good. 

Sometimes just walking in your house and smelling this awesome meal makes everyone happy.  The investment in a few minutes of prep and planning is huge!!!  Not just for the fam ... but for you. Once it's started, it is off that nagging list in your head.

Done!

Back to Christmas shopping!

Happy Eating,
Krista

Taco Salad Tuesday!!!

I know it sounds like I'm way too excited for taco salad as I used three exclamation points in the title. 

If you didn't see my post from yesterday, I'll sum it up for you in a few words:  I don't like to cook. 

Some days I despise cooking, however when it's done and the family is pumped to hear "Raspberry Chicken" night, I cannot surrender to take out.  It makes it worth it!

The other reason I cook is of course because garbage in equals garbage out.  I haven't been making too many salads lately and my daughter came home from school and made her own salad ... that's huge for her!  So I realize they do crave some good stuff after all.

Ok, so I started last night with my famous raspberry chicken.  I will post that another night (although it is up a few times on the blog from other posts).  But tonight I took out an old Cooking Light cookbook and tweaked a recipe that was so easy and reminded me of a burrito bowl at Chipotle.  It's versatile enough for my picky family and can easily use leftover chicken instead of beef.

Taco Salad

Best to assemble ingredients ahead of time and then just throw all together.  Add or delete what ingredients your family might like.  I put some guacamole on the side, didn't have tomatoes, and put the beans in a separate bowl so my kids didn't complain.  Next time I think I'll add some shredded carrots just for some added color or add some sweet bell peppers to the mix.

1 pound of ground sirloin (grass fed if possible)
1 taco seasoning package
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup salsa
8 cups shredded lettuce (I chose organic prewashed romaine)
4 cups of broken tortilla chips
2 cups fresh tomatoes, drained
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 (15 oz) can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives

1. Cook beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble.  Stir in taco seasoning and water.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Combine sour cream and salsa in a small bowl.
3. Combine beef mixture, lettuce, tortilla chips, tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese, and beans in a large bowl.  Drizzle sour cream mixture over the salad and toss gently.  Sprinkle the rest of the cheese and top with olives.  Serve immediately.

Makes about 8 servings that are 2 cups each.

 Tossed Taco Salad ... minus beans and tomatoes!

Oh, and those 3 exclamation points up there in the title?  When I was in college, the dining hall at James Madison University had taco salad on Thursdays.  It was the best day of the week in our opinion!

Hope this inspires some of you to make dinner tomorrow night ... so easy and everyone was happy. Just make up your mind for dinner to be an investment in your family :)

Happy Eating,
Krista

New Season ... New Thinking

Happy December Everyone!

I have been away from writing for a few months and I really do miss it!

Here's the thing ... I almost always write about food.  Whether it be menu planning, healthy ideas, easy meals, time saving strategies, it's always about food.

I have to be honest here ...  I really do not like to cook.  There ... I said it.

I hate cooking.  Even better.

I hate shopping, prepping, cooking (which often results in me burning the meal), and cleaning up.  I've kinda slipped back to winging it many nights.  And it's been ok, we've somehow managed to eat every night.

I have so many other things I LOVE to do.  I'm in love with looking through the lens of my camera to see things in a simple, efficient, creative way.  I get lost in time just shooting a sunset - which is usually why I burn dinner.

Cooking is a chore to me that I know needs top priority as my active family needs to refuel after all those practices and games.  It's just not my favorite thing to do.  But I feel the difference when I don't eat well.  I can't imagine putting out all the energy they do almost every single day and not eating well.

So what I thought I would do, is for the month of December, I will be posting a recipe 4 nights each week to keep me on track.  If anyone wants to join along they can just jump in.

I also have a new website that I'd love to post these recipes on.  Click here to check it out:  Refuel Your Game.  I'll continue to post the blogs on fb as well ... tomorrow night will be the first recipe.  I guess I need to dust off the binder of good meals. 

One last thought ... we had a great Thanksgiving weekend!  A big thank you to my sister and her husband for hosting, my mom for making a fantastic turkey and my nephews for entertaining us at the dinner table.  So much to be grateful for!  Then there's the soccer tournament weekend.  It's been a really busy fall that just keeps going.  After another weekend away, my husband says to me ... "Remember when our biggest decision was what poem we would read to the girls at night before bedtime?  There was no worry over what college to consider, the logistics of being away for tournaments, if we could schedule any hours for Hannah to drive with her instructor, how to get to the chiropractor when there's no time?  I'm going to get that book "A Pizza the Size of the Sun" and read it to them tonight!"

And he did.  The giggles and cozying up were priceless.  They were so happy.  And that is how we ended our 4 day weekend.  I'm terribly blessed and ready to take December in stride.

Much Joy,
Krista

Thanksgiving!

Oh and if you love photography and want to see what I've been up to (no soccer shots I swear!) follow me on Instagram at kdn3. 

Wondering What I "Should" Be Doing Right Now ...

Ok, so my lack of blogs and information sharing is starting to get to me lately.   Why can’t I sit myself down and just get all those easy recipes out there or maybe some new tool I found to make your life easier?

Simple I guess ... seasonal summer brain.
I love lazy and carefree days.

And I am seriously off schedule.  As much as I try to get up and follow the routine that is in my head, I just love to wander off and explore other stuff.  Like what flowers are blooming today in my garden, or what flower wants to be photographed, or maybe if the hummingbird found that feeder yet?  I am probably attention deficit as I'm getting older.  So hard for me to finish the task put in front of me. 

I wonder if it’s my aging brain (trying to keep it active with those memory games on my ipad), my lack of set schedule, the weather,  or maybe the kids being home.  I mean I write about the importance of keeping a set menu and shopping with a list!  How is it that my refrigerator is empty and we are ordering out *gasp* more than ever?  I am actually hungry as I write this at my daughter’s speed school! 

I never want to wish for Fall because that means Summer will be over. 

But I am hurting for some semblance of a schedule. 

I guess I don’t hate schedules like I thought I did. 

Deep breath ... two teenage girls in the house ... money being spent like crazy ... not much time for my husband and I to do date nights ... vet bills, dental bills, soccer teams, and the list goes on.  But you know what?  It’s all going to be ok ... I am grateful for the craziness.  Maybe not at this moment, but I am very thankful to have a family who makes me happy and proud most of the time.  I am in love with my furry best friend who is showing signs of aging lately, I am grateful we have two cars to shuttle around our busy kids, and I am grateful we get to spend a lot of time in our cars catching up with each other as we go to the events.   That’s what I’ll remember when they’re gone.  Not my lack of cooking meals this summer or keeping the house presentable.

I know so many people going through the never-ending challenges of raising a family and are strapped financially, emotionally (did I mention I am the mother of two teenage girls?) and just plain tapped out.

My only thoughts right now are be grateful for what you have right now, at this moment.  Look around you.  Where are you right now?  What makes you happy right now? 

 There are always things we would like to be better.  It’s how you deal with them that give you the strength to pull ahead and not fall behind and feel lost.  Gratitude journals make it simple to ground yourself and put it out there that you’re happy, even if this day is not the easiest.

Ok, thank you for listening.  I will go home and make a shopping list and get some food back in the house.  Sometimes a good meal does wonders for everyone.  And maybe a glass of wine ;)

At least that’s what I am expecting.

Be Well,
Krista

**Keep an eye out for my newly designed website in the near future.  I do have my program for 30 days of meal planning and shopping lists available at your convenience!  I did the planning for you - you just have to test them out with your family!

November Gratitude

I've been laying a bit low on the recipes this week ... time marches on and all of a sudden the days have flown by!

Instead of a recipe, here is something that has changed my life for the past few years.  It's easy.  It's free.  It takes about 3 minutes.  You ready?  A gratitude journal.  Before you groan and think I'm getting all Oprah on you, give me a minute to explain.

Most of you know what a gratitude journal is.  It can be a fancy leather journal or a simple composition pad.  This is mine.

I just like to make sure I can fold book in half to write on both sides of the page.

I even have used apps that let you type in the things you're grateful for along with a photo of whatever it is that you're thankful for.  Those are cool too!

Anyway, what is so great about doing this list everyday?  There are so many reasons,  but here's the easiest one to pick:

IT MAKES YOU FEEL GREAT!

Some days are not as easy as we'd like them to be.  Am I right?  Some days we like to stay miserable about something not working or something not being fair ... did you ever notice those days just continue to snowball into more crap happening?  Yep, negative vibes attract negative energy.

By having some way of keeping track of good stuff, you can change your yucky day into a day that just plain feels great. Gratitude gets the pep in your step, your mojo happening and of course the ability to stay calm when necessary.  For me, that is every single day with two teenage girls! 

Simple Instructions:

1. Get yourself a simple notebook or whatever you would like to record thought on. 
2. Find a time to write.  I like the morning before the day really begins, but lately I have been writing at night before bed. That helps me drift off into a happy slumber.
3. List 10 things that you are grateful for.  They don't have to be extravagant events.  Sometimes I'm just happy to have a cozy blanket on me! 
4. Smile.

Often I feel like I have to remind myself of the things I have, instead of what I think I want or need.  Once you relax into "everything is alright" thinking, things start to happen without all the stress that sometimes we get worked up about.  Trust me.

Positive vibes breed positive energy.  Try it out in this month of November ... the month of Thanksgiving.

I cannot end this without thanking all of you who responded to my simple facebook post 12 days ago.  I had a great visit with my neurosurgeon in NYC who was happy with my latest MRI, 18 months after my radiation with the cyberknife.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your support!

Rockefeller Plaza mums

Conquering my fear of heights with my man!

At my favorite market "Eataly"

Much Love,
Krista

Sideline Observations

The coolest parents are really just that ... cool.  Not too many ruffled feathers to get in the way of watching their kids play.

I have laughed with, chatted among and observed some quite interesting parents in hundreds of games the past decade.  But today for some reason, it really made an impression on me the importance of training children to be good citizens.  Simple as that.

If they are argumentative on the field, disrespectful on the field that is one thing.  If the parents encourage that behavior ... well that is scary to me.  You've all seen this before if you are reading this. Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't we promote some good stuff instead of the negative vibes?  Yelling at players on the fields from the sidelines is just so sad.  My daughter came home upset from her game where the other team's parents were calling her names.  Really?  How old are we?

Just sayin'...

Breed love not hate :)

Krista

"I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me ... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being."
                                                                                                                              ~Jackie Robinson

Momma's Day ...

Hope your Mother's Day was fantastic ... Was it what we all dream of? ... a day without laundry, cooking, cleaning or picking up dirty clothes?  Ahh yes!  Sounds like bliss!

The other night I was going through my old teaching stuff.  Yeah, it's time to finally release all the old teaching posters, books, bulletin board papers, books, etc.  I came across my old calendars from my time before kids.  What a kick!  Distances run, miles biked, weekends away, and dinners with friends were all over the boxes!  I had a good laugh and couldn't wait to show my husband when he came home with my daughter from a scrimmage late into Thursday night.  The days before kids were full of fun!  What I had no idea about was what I really was missing.  I looked at the calendar and thought  what did I really do before I became a mother?  Well, I was having fun and loved my students greatly, but I couldn't imagine life right now without them.  I'm sure you all feel the same way as being a full-time mom is sometimes over-whelming, with no time off, but you wouldn't want to change things one bit!

Hopefully yesterday gave you a few minutes to lie in bed a little longer, enjoy a meal that someone else lovingly prepared or even if you're like me you were on a field cheering on your children (I used to laugh when I'd hear parents complaining about Mother's Day games, our league doesn't ever give Mother's Day off and they were shocked we had to play)!

Time to ourselves is precious.  We are constantly doing for others and often times forget to give to ourselves.  I hear this all the time from friends and clients.  The thing is this ... if we don't make time for ourselves, our families feel the strain.  We give, give, give and eventually this gets old.  The vibe in our voices, the health of our bodies, and our relationships begin to weaken.  Here is one simple tip that I have found works for everyone:

Add Yourself to Your To-Do List!

If you really want to feel better and have a family that reflects your happiness, make time for yourself.  Even 10 minutes a day can have profound effects on your health.

*Turn off your smartphone ...  even if it is just for 30 minutes during the day.  The constant connectedness never ends ... ours brains never focus on just one thing anymore as we are constantly being pulled in many directions.  Try it ... you may like it!!!
*Schedule your time ... sometimes we just don't have enough hours in the day for ourselves.  Put the scheduled "you" time into your calendar and stick to it.  Get that walk in, go to the movies, take a nap, play that game, etc!
*Create rituals and routines ... we all know routines work but somehow we tend to avoid them.  My biggest tool lately is the sticky pad!!  I use them to remind me of my intentions for the day and rip them off my "list wall" every time something is completed.  Woohoo!  That feeling of success is motivating!

By creating some "You Time" you will be able to enjoy your family with a bit more perspective.  Before you know it, they're grown up!  I could never really appreciate this until lately, as many of my friends' kids are off to college.  My daughter begins high school in the Fall!  We will be expanding our driveway as now we will have 3 cars in the driveway in the coming year and a half. We are getting our sights set on how to find a college that fits her needs, and so on.  How did this happen so fast?  While it is really difficult to not get caught up in the "busy-ness" of the days, I try to take a step back every day and enjoy my kids and our crazy schedules!

 

Hannah's 7th birthday party!

Sophie turning 12!

Much Love and Positive Energy to You All,
Krista

How Do You Eat?

I've just been to the mall ... yes, on a Saturday.
A few observations ... first it was like Christmas shopping by the time my daughter and I left the mall!  Is it always like this on a day in March?

As I approached my car, I noticed a paper note stuck into my side view mirror ... this vehicle next to the driver's side was soooo close to me I could barely get into my car. I had parked far away from everyone!  I opened the note and this is what it said:

Ummm, I didn't make you park that close to me did I?
Thank God, with all my sensors and back up gadgets I made it out without a scratch!  But, what do you make of that note?  I guess I'm glad they wrote it but seriously, did you have to pick that spot?

Anyway, I digress ... at the mall - this was the Short Hills Mall where it is full of upscale, ridiculously expensive shoes (but oh did Jimmy Choo's pink sandals look yummy!), Range Rover Epoque in the center of the mall and the list goes on, I noticed people eating.  Not so much sitting down and eating, but walking and eating, eating while reading,  and eating while on their laptops (you know those men who bring their wives there to shop and they sit in the center court).

Did you ever notice when you eat in this manner that you tend to be hungry an hour later?  Do our bodies even notice we ate a meal or a snack even though our bellies are full?  Sometimes I am guilty of this ... inhaling a meal while I'm alone.  It's like our digestion didn't even know what hit it!  Anyway I've started trying to consciously really enjoy my food!  Try it if you're doing the "eat and read", "eat and play your ipad", "eat and watch tv" method ... chew your food!  Count the bites.  Each bite counts and helps your digestion function properly.  Start with 20 bites and work up to 50.  It will help you feel good and enjoy what you're eating!!

In Wellness,
Krista

PS ... If you wrote the above note please know I did not even touch your Lexus with my fingertip!  Hope the next car in didn't either!

Flu got you down ... I'm with ya ...

I am sitting here in my bed ...

It's been a crazy busy few weeks ... the Christmas prep, the ski equipment roundup, the trip to Colorado...

Friday I was all set to get back to accomplishing my daily goals, work on marketing my book, my business, and of course have some normalcy again.  I wish I could tell you that because I eat very carefully, take umpteen immunity boosters and carry around anti-bacterial hand gel in the airport to be slathered all over my family that I wouldn't get sick.  Oh yeah, I'm down with the flu.

I really don't do doctor visits ... I try to heal myself without drugs.  However I knew something was up with this one when I had a houseful of kids over and I hid in my room!

Anyway, the only reason I'm writing (I mean I really am sick ... not trying to get out of kid rearing homework projects, runs to Michaels - local peeps ... you know that science t-shirt project? and the historical marker project?  My husband has seriously got more patience than I do by far!)  is because
a) I'm bored out of my mind ... with horrible aches and pains
b) I did get a new MacBook and I trying to experiment and
c) not for nothing, but have you ever noticed the minute you finally slow down your pace, sometimes your body thinks it's ok to get sick?  

Those of you who know me are about to roll your eyes at me ...

I think it's a signal that we have to listen to our bodies and stop when we need to stop.
Yes ... I also believe that someone sneezed on me or coughed in the plane too .... (eeew!!)  but my immunity was compromised from weeks of non-stop doing.

Someday I'll learn!

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2013!

Krista

Here is my favorite pic of our trip ... my family doing the ski thing together!  No matter how cold it was, we were still together which in itself a simple and happy place!

Feeling Flattened by Rain?

Happy Monday Morning!

It is one of those rainy Mondays that would be easy to sleep in isn't it?  Sometimes it's hard to get motivated after a gorgeous weekend!

There is a lot going on in May for us parents!  There's prom, graduations, field trips, art shows, music shows and all the games of spring sports!  So honestly a rainy day feels pretty good to me today. 


I love to find quotes to inspire me ... some quotes just sound like they are talking to you.  If you are needing some direction to help you through an ambiguous time, here is one that I absolutely love:

"The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for.  And the most you can do is live inside that hope.  Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under it's roof."
                                                                                                   ~Barbara Kingsolver

Dig in and live your hopes!
Krista








Please check out my new spot on www.youth1.com as a weekly Sunday guest on sports and nutrition.

Never Too Old...

Today I went to treat myself to a mani/pedi for Mom's Day.  I sat down with all my magazines and catalogs that I never get to look at ... ready for some chill time.  My little happy buzz was brought to a halt when I saw an elderly couple come in and sit down next to me for their pedicures!  The reason I wasn't thrilled was that I recognized them.  They live kind of behind me.  I have only had issues with them once when their cat bit me.  No big deal but I didn't think they'd be good company for my "me" time.

To my surprise, it was the best pedicure I ever had!  They had me laughing and chatting the whole time.  Here he is - an 86 year old man telling me about his time in WW 2 and his war buddy Mario from Italy, his kids, his dogs, his ducks, his quadruple by pass last year, he and his wife chatted up all the women who worked there about where they were from (Guatemala, Argentina and so on).  This was his first pedicure!  Why was this manly man of 86 years in there?  Because his wife is tired of cutting his toe nails!  How funny.  She announced later that "Getting old sucks!"  She is turning 85.

Can you imagine?  They came in together to get their first pedicure together at their ages ... he said he was definitely coming back because he liked it!  I just got such a kick out of their present moment candor!  It made me realize that you're never too old to try new things or maybe get some help where you least expected it ... even if it is cutting your toe nails!!

Slow Down...

I cannot believe I'm looking at the date 12/15 right now. Wow this month has flown by for me and probably everyone based on the mood and energy I'm feeling out there in shopper land! Rushing in the grocery store, running around in the mall, bolting through Target ... don't forget the card for the mailman! I'm certainly not one of those people who are done and have their table set for Christmas which is ten days away! And if you are done - good for you. But for the rest of us, life is a bit busier than usual these days.

I really wish we could slow down this month. Instead of scheduling in all the parties, the dinners, and the shopping this season I just wish we could relax and actually appreciate this time of year. It is hard work for me to keep going at this speed when the Earth is doing the Winter Solstice thingee. Am I the only one who has trouble getting up when it's so dark out? Maybe I was a bear in a past life that likes to hibernate as the days get colder and nights get longer.

Anyway my reason for writing this post was what happened to me yesterday when my girlfriends and I went into NYC for a day of fun. We did the tree, St. Patrick's Cathedral (see picture), lunch at Eataly and some shopping. A great day of friends and enjoying the city in this holiday season. As we were heading to our bus in Port Authority (yes we were rushing as we fit in as much as we could before heading home to get our kids from school) I turned my head around to look at a sign while walking ... (keep in mind walking through the streets of NYC with my vision loss is quite a challenge but I'm thrilled to be there navigating around with my friends) I bumped into a man who blatantly yelled at me, "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!!!" Huh? Really? He just kept scrambling along on his way with a giant cloud following him down the corridor. Yuck. Maybe that doesn't sound terrible but he was just miserable. And I almost yelled out to him ... "*#@... you dumb ..... " But what is the point? He was just a troubled young man who I felt sorry for. If you are that unhappy I feel bad for you even if you just took my happy buzz away for a few minutes.

So it made me think of this: everybody needs to slow down with this crazy frenetic pace we are keeping right now. Just chill. It will get done. Write it all out if that helps or better yet if you're a post-it note freak like me start writing all those jobs you need to get done and post them on the wall. As you finish each one take it down and put it on the desk, counter, car dashboard, etc. Collect them and look at them at the end of the day. You will feel proud and a bit relieved that maybe you're not as behind as you think.

Ok ... now if I can just make time to wrap one present!
Be Well and Don't Forget to Breathe Deeply!
Krista

Happy Saturday Everyone!

The beginning of the "Christmas Season" has begun! I am just sharing these two pictures as they are last night's sunset (on the right) and this morning's sunrise. The skies put on quite a show this time of year and I love how it puts things in perspective for me. All those details of Christmas shopping, cards, etc seem to vanish for an instant when I see these colors.

Hope you find some time to be still and just observe the beauty of nature this season!
Namaste,
Krista

Well those are some serious words for us! What's wrong with being comfortable? Nothing if you ask me! I love being comfortable ... when things are aligned and everyone is happy! Don't you?

Especially the last few days here in the Northeast. Yes, the freaky winter storm before Halloween. We've been out of power, out of school (2 days here in Pompton Plains and from what I've heard a few more to come), out of patience! As glad as I am that our power came back last night, there are a few positives that came out of the storm. One being the realization of how lucky we are as a people as far as conveniences go. All I kept thinking of was Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House on the Prairie! They had no grocery stores, they had no tv, internet, refrigerator, and of course no lights to even see what happened after sun down except for lanterns. Ah but life was simpler. Not as much was expected to be accomplished in a 24 hour time frame ... maybe it was harder physical work but once it was done, it was done. Now I am rambling (yes, I am short on sleep this week with texts going off in the middle of the night, kids coming in because they're wigged out by the power outage, my husband checking on the generator's gas level, etc) but my thoughts on this card that I found above were simple:
Sometimes you have to go out of your comfort zone for real growth to happen. Huh? Why would I want to do that? Because sometimes you have to "get off that train," and try something new. How would you ever know how good that soup was unless you tried it? How bout that photography class? Or even a belly dancing class?

Take that first step and jump! The sky's the limit!

As far as my patience? Well, my daughter is learning how to cook meals for herself this week as I've been working on some projects. That is AWESOME in my opinion! I was never comfortable letting her near a gas stovetop! But she is starting to learn and that makes me proud! If we're off from school tomorrow we are going food shopping together and it might actually be fun with some help!

Wishing you much warmth!
Krista

Being Brave

"You're braver than you believe,
and stronger than you seem,
and smarter than you think."

~Christopher Robin to Pooh

How many times do we tell our kids not to be scared to try something? To go ahead and speak up if they know the answer in class? Or to try a new activity like theater if they think it would be a good thing? Or believe they can do anything they set their mind to? I think most of us do it all the time ... but do we ever tell ourselves the same thing? Some days are not easy ... but what is great is when it's happening, when you are present with it ... you really can grow from it. All things happen for a reason and for that we need to take that opportunity and grow. Just like we tell our kids.

Whatever challenges are thrown our way.

This picture was taken on a local trail in our town a few months after my surgery. I was told by one of my healing therapists to get outside and walk a path alone. No dog, no kids. Now this sounds like a treat right? But my inner fears of something happening ... you know the bear who pops out of the woods, the stranger who looks scary or even some other little creature you'd rather not run into? Ya know what? I did it anyway. And it was a sweet success for me who was still running into trees, people and anything else over there. I took the fear and turned it into a nice feeling of completion and strength!

One more favorite:
"The best way to deal with fear is to feel it, name it, and do what needs doing in spite of it."
~Dr. Joan Borysenko

Awesome video ... check it out!

June 13th! Really ... time is flying as so many things are wrapping up and new things starting! I am feeling kind of scatter brained ...maybe even a little ADD lately with so much to keep track of!! Anyway a friend of mine Jane posted this link on her blog and I didn't want to watch it as it was over 9 minutes long and who has an extra 9 minutes to spare these days?! But I was curious and watched it as my quinoa pasta was cooking (yes I have been told to go wheat free due to allergy). Check it out and enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZPjjZCO67WI

I happened to see a similar "LipDub" last week on the Today Show as Meredith Viera was honored on her last day on the job. So much fun to watch and amazing teamwork required I'm sure! As my kids (and so many of yours) are fully involved in team sports this time of year it just reinforces the point of how important it is to work together, talk to each other and help each other in whatever way needed. Ahh...I love aha moments that come from watching hours of my kids' games!

Now watch the video! Our favorite song in this house!
xo,
Krista

What to Eat?

I was just trying to figure out what to have for lunch today after my favorite yoga class just ended. I am not into a big lunch as it usually means I have to make it, clean it up and then fit in the rest of my afternoon before kids get out and running after school! I look in my fridge and grab a nice plate of left over chicken ... no veggies... nothing else. Hmmm. This is not going to serve me well but I decide I should eat it as it is really delicious and yes I've already juiced kale, celery and carrots today ... so I settle and eat just chicken. Does that ever happen to you? I mean who actually puts a nicely balanced meal together each time? Well don't feel bad. No one is perfect in their eating all the time!

When I work with clients in getting to their optimal happy health goals, sometimes I think society has made it so that we think we have to be perfect in our "diet plans," and not eat some things that we really desire or crave! I can remember my days in college when after exercising faithfully to lose a few pounds I would have a sweet craving and with the support of my suite mates, we'd go out and find vending machines in the middle of the night to get our peanut m&m fix! That in turn made me feel sick and mad at myself for not only giving in but eating everything in sight! Ugh! The roller coaster of being good and then being "bad" and gaining even more weight!!! I hear this from so many people today - that once you start eating the "bad stuff," it is out of their control to come back. "It's over. I lose!" Why do I even try?

One of the very important things to remember is that you can have those treats if you desire them. Allow yourself the time to savor them. Maybe portion your serving to a smaller size so that the sugar, fat, white flour (if that is what you are craving) does not throw you into that "deep, dark place!" You ultimately are in charge of yourself - not the food that you think has been put there on the shelf for you.

More on eating later ... I was completely overwhelmed by my latest trip to A & P this week!
Be Well,
Krista

Mother's Day‎

‎"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." Rajneesh

Happy Mother's Day to all of you celebrating! I love this quote for so many reasons ...

First I have to say thank you to my Mom! Without her I could never have reached this place where I am today. She was always there for me to encourage me and make me feel seriously loved! She brought me into this world and stayed with me though all the great days like the birth of my babies (... remember you were with me in the delivery room??? and that nasty giant needle in my back ... yikes!), and stayed with me in the hospital last year overnight (...remember the great breakfasts???) Grandma Andy has been a great supporter of the grandkids as well ... how many swim meets, soccer and lacrosse games can you fit into each week?! I am so lucky in many ways to have you as my mentor and inspiration!

Being a mom is like nothing you can imagine until you are one - see above quote. I am so amazed at how this job is ever changing with its challenges ranging from trying to get a few hours of sleep when they're infants to trying to figure out how to give them a bit of independence while they grow up without letting them grow up too fast! I am so grateful to so many of my friends as they have been a few years ahead of me in the mothering department. I love to hear about their experiences as it prepares me for what's next! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

These kids keep me so busy these days. I love that they have games on Mother's Day...well kind of. I cannot imagine what it will be like when there are no soccer games to watch on my "special day!" They love being out there as part of their team ... sort of like being in a family! I am proud of them and someday I know they'll understand why I go out of my way to fix them smoothies, get their veggies and some sleep before these games! I am sure that they secretly love that I am the biggest pain about remembering to do all these things! Ah yes...wouldn't that be sweet! :)

Happy Mother's Day!
xo,
Krista

Rolling...down...the...hill!

I just saw a photo of a beautiful grassy field in Ireland with kids rolling down it! That reminded me of this post-soccer roll down after my daughter's game! What a joy to be those kids! Such a simple place, no xbox games, texting or carpooling to events...just joy! I have fond memories of rolling down hills as a kid! I've decided that when this snow melts and there is a hill to roll down, I am going to do it!

Happiness is a great place that we are all in search of.

It's always available to us. Nothing needs to happen first for us to find happiness.

Yes, there are always things about us that are imperfect. Always things to be done around the house to check off the unending "to do" lists ... ok they're never complete are they?

Maybe it's time we just learn how to relax in this imperfect state and enjoy where we are?

What's good in the present moment? Here and now?

(Now if I can wholly integrate this into my day ... )

I have learned that every rose has thorns. We are going to feel discomfort. Discomfort is not fun that is for sure! However instead of constantly seeking a state where we are eternally joyful I think that all these challenges have a place for us. Sometimes it just sucks ('scuse me) to have these pain in the ... events. Big Time! But if we learn to accept them as a point that has been put there to learn from and go deeper ... well that makes it at least part of the journey. We then integrate these events and see them as "required" yet challenging.

Maybe this makes no sense to you ... lately there have been some very difficult times for people around us. I generally don't watch the news as it brings me down but lately I've seen some very inspirational stories coming out of tragic situations. Not that these situations should ever have happened, but to see individuals coming forth to be strong, brave and inspire others is true happiness and joy in my eyes.

Here's to being open to what's good in the present moment!
Cheers!
Krista