I couldn't be more excited about this next phase in my life, becoming a mom of two. Two days after I quit my job, we found out that I was pregnant with baby Pearce number 2 and we couldn't have been happier! Having a new baby and the timing of everything with me quitting my job couldn't have been more awesome. I am SO glad I quit my job too because the first trimester was pretty brutal and I remember working while sick with Gianna and it was absolutely the worst. Being sick is no fun but being sick while you force a smile and fake good customer service is another thing altogether. So it was definitely awesome to get to stay home through that.
We found out that we are due on January 6th so that makes me 18 weeks now and close to half way through. I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has already gone by! Gianna definitely helps keep me busy and when people say that it goes by faster when your chasing around another little one they aren't kidding!
Last week was Daniel's 30th birthday and I surprised him by scheduling an appointment to find out the sex of the baby. He LOVED the surprise! But the biggest surprise was when he heard the word "penis" come out of the techs mouth. Daniel was absolutely certain that we were having another girl so it was fun to watch his jaw drop to the ground when he found out he was having a son.
We were both okay with whatever the sex was going to be and certain that regardless, this was our last baby. But how awesome is it that we get to experience having a boy and a girl! Its a whole new world for me because my family is flooded with girls! In fact I haven't even ever baby sat a boy baby oddly enough so needless to say it will be a new experience.
A few weeks before we found out the sex of the baby, I ran across the name Jensen in an article I was reading and fell in love! I told Daniel, that's it! I love it, the search is over! He agreed that he loved it too but said what if its a girl? I said, well it can't be now because I love that name so thank goodness because I would have been a little sad to say good bye to that name and honestly the thought of finding a girl name was so daunting! I didn't love anything I came across. So, Jensen James it is! (James is Daniel's middle name, his grandfathers name and my dad's name.)
Everyone kept telling me that its not as fun to buy boy stuff and what not but I can't get enough of it already....probably because I already got to do the pink and bows and still do. This is a whole different kind of fun and so far I love it! Gianna on the other hand, not so much! She is excited for Baby Jensen, as she calls him and loves to say that he is hers already but she also insists its a "girl baby" because boys are "not nice." I'm certain someday she will be grateful that she doesn't have to share her daddy with another girl because she is the ultimate daddy's girl for sure.
What can I say? Life is good and getting better by the day. Now in my second trimester I am feeling great and loving having so many other girlfriends being pregnant alongside me too! Our group of friends have so many kids for Gianna and now Jensen to play with which is so awesome and makes get togethers a blast!
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't anxious for January though....if you know me well you know I am not the best pregnant person. I love having kids but if the stork really did just drop them off one morning that would be the icing on the cake for me! But in the meantime I am enjoying the prepping and planning for a new little one to join our now growing family of almost 4. I really couldn't be happier than I am right now.
Until next time,
Busy B
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The Next Step in My Year of Happy
I have to admit, I have been a little leery of blogging since my last post on our amazing trip to Spain for fear that everything in comparison may seem a little mundane. Nonetheless, here I go! Much change has taken place in this short month since then. Some small and some quite large changes, but all have been significant in the overall scheme of things. And most importantly what they have added to what I had deemed for my New Years Resolution, the Year of Happy.
I quit my job. Something that has encompassed a wide range of emotions for me and something we have been planning for almost 2 years. Nothing in this world could make me more happy than to spend every day playing with Gianna, loving her and teaching her new things. Its truly a blessing that I still find hard to believe is finally a reality for me. The days I spent at work worrying if she was missing me, getting the attention and love she deserved from her caregivers, learning something new when I wasn't there to be the first to witness it are finally behind me. Truthfully, its the best thing I could think to do with each and every day. Its by far the icing on the cake in this year of changes...this year of happy.
But the other end of the spectrum of emotions is also present and something I was only somewhat prepared for. I have worked since I was 16 and have always loved earning an income, being independent, doing well at my job and being rewarded for it. While the reward of staying home is most definitely great, the lack of the other things will surely take some getting used to.
Its funny how I find the days just fly by in comparison to when I was working. Gianna definitely keeps me busy and on my toes! My favorite thing to do is watch her cook in her little play kitchen. She feeds her babies oatmeal and hot soup and teaches them how to blow on it so its not too hot. She makes sure not to forget about me, bringing me coffee and making sure to refill it constantly. She has such an imagination!
We go to the park and play outside with the dogs and we read books. Much is the same as it always was but on a more relaxed time frame now. I don't feel the need to rush a days worth of loving and learning together between dinner and bath time. This is also good for time with Daniel because now I can spend more of that time with him which of course is awesome.
This new experience wouldn't be nearly as great without having the awesome partner that I have in Daniel. This change is just as much a positive for him as it is for me and he makes sure I know it. This is what we want as a family and he gladly takes on more responsibility because of it. I can't help but feel blessed to have him.
So, all in all things are new and different and its most definitely for the better. I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity and look forward to seeing what lies ahead of us. The year is only half over and I must admit that mind over matter, a positive attitude and a stronger relationship with God have really made all the difference this year...that coupled with prayers and support from a wonderful family and a great group of girlfriends. I am most definitely a happy girl!
Sincerely,
The not quite as busy, Busy B :)
I quit my job. Something that has encompassed a wide range of emotions for me and something we have been planning for almost 2 years. Nothing in this world could make me more happy than to spend every day playing with Gianna, loving her and teaching her new things. Its truly a blessing that I still find hard to believe is finally a reality for me. The days I spent at work worrying if she was missing me, getting the attention and love she deserved from her caregivers, learning something new when I wasn't there to be the first to witness it are finally behind me. Truthfully, its the best thing I could think to do with each and every day. Its by far the icing on the cake in this year of changes...this year of happy.
But the other end of the spectrum of emotions is also present and something I was only somewhat prepared for. I have worked since I was 16 and have always loved earning an income, being independent, doing well at my job and being rewarded for it. While the reward of staying home is most definitely great, the lack of the other things will surely take some getting used to.
Its funny how I find the days just fly by in comparison to when I was working. Gianna definitely keeps me busy and on my toes! My favorite thing to do is watch her cook in her little play kitchen. She feeds her babies oatmeal and hot soup and teaches them how to blow on it so its not too hot. She makes sure not to forget about me, bringing me coffee and making sure to refill it constantly. She has such an imagination!
We go to the park and play outside with the dogs and we read books. Much is the same as it always was but on a more relaxed time frame now. I don't feel the need to rush a days worth of loving and learning together between dinner and bath time. This is also good for time with Daniel because now I can spend more of that time with him which of course is awesome.
This new experience wouldn't be nearly as great without having the awesome partner that I have in Daniel. This change is just as much a positive for him as it is for me and he makes sure I know it. This is what we want as a family and he gladly takes on more responsibility because of it. I can't help but feel blessed to have him.
So, all in all things are new and different and its most definitely for the better. I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity and look forward to seeing what lies ahead of us. The year is only half over and I must admit that mind over matter, a positive attitude and a stronger relationship with God have really made all the difference this year...that coupled with prayers and support from a wonderful family and a great group of girlfriends. I am most definitely a happy girl!
Sincerely,
The not quite as busy, Busy B :)
Monday, April 18, 2011
Spain...A Trip of a Lifetime!
Never did Daniel and I think that at anytime in the near future would we be able to take a week long vacation anywhere much less to Spain! Mostly because Gianna is only 19 months old but also because anything more than a weekend tends to cost more than we are willing to spend at this point in our life. So, to have an all expense paid trip to one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen was nothing short of awesome.
To recap, I work for BBVA Compass a company newer to the United States whose parent company BBVA is headquartered out of Spain. Every year, they take the top performers and a guest to an all expense paid trip. To date, nothing has been as extravagant as this trip which is why they took the top 5% as opposed to the top 10%. They are by far one of the most generous companies I have ever worked for and for the record are able to lavish their employees with such cool rewards because they never took any TARP or other government money during the banking crisis.
Our trip started at the Hotel Arts Ritz Carlton right on the Mediterranean Sea in Barcelona. Our hotel was hands down the nicest place I have ever stayed and the view was insane! Our first night we had an amazing dinner with tons of performances by local groups like flamenco dancers, mariachi like musicians and other dancers doing traditional dances. They also had beautiful women walking around the room and then freezing like statues. It was SO cool! I realized right away that this may be the first vacation I have ever taken where I lose weight (which turned out to be true) because every dish has seafood which I dislike or meat and I have been a vegetarian for about 3 months. I didn't complain though, it all looked beautiful and there were plenty of side dishes for me to chow down on not to mention plenty of good wine and champagne. :)
Surprisingly the jet lag wasn't too bad and I think taking a red eye over and then jumping right into a schedule helped a lot. The company made sure that we were busy with paid tours, meals, etc pretty much at all times. Daniel and I literally spent less than $400 of our own money! There were 200 hundred winners plus their guests so you would assume getting around was chaos but it was anything but. The people who coordinated did an amazing job! There was never one second where we didn't know where we were supposed to be or that if felt crazy. Absolute smooth sailing the entire trip.
We were able to chose from different activities in each city so Daniel and I chose to go to the town of Sitges on our second day and go to the winery Pares Balta. Each tour bus we got on from a tour to just going to the airport was staffed with a tour guide giving us cool tidbits of information about the surrounding area as we drove along. The tour guide on our way to the winery explained to us that Barcelona used to refer to different areas of the city as pre or post Jesus and now they say pre or post Olympics. Apparently, the Olympics added a lot to the city of Barcelona by way of infrastructure. I had never realized how much having an Olympics did for a city. Also, one thing that I found interesting was that the locals say "Barthelona" instead of Barcelona.
A very cool fact about Barcelona is that it is in the region of Catalonia and they speak Spanish and Catalon. I was under the wrong impression that it was a dialect when in fact its a language....one the people of the region are very proud of. Its a combo of French and Italian so it's very interesting sounding and very pretty. All of the signs are in Catalon although for tourist reasons most people in the service sector speak Spanish or English.
When we moved inside for dinner all you could hear were the oohs and aahs from the group as we were led into the dining area. It was lined with candle lit wine barrels, trees and beautiful centerpieces and flamenco dancers and Spanish guitar players. The ambiance was amazing! After a huge dinner they passed around some sort of glass genie lamp looking thing filled with yummy pink/red liquor that we all took swigs from. When we asked the server what it was she laughed and we realized she didn't speak English well so we never did find out what it was called. Needless to say everyone left very happy!
The following day Daniel and I headed up to the 43rd floor (the top) of the hotel to the spa and had massages. It was just what the doctor ordered since the flight over had my back a little out of whack. It was SO relaxing and afterwards we lounged in the sauna and out on the patio overlooking the sea. The weather was perfect around 75 to 80 the whole time we were there with blue skies and the view from the top of the hotel was indescribable.
That day we decided against a tour and just cruised around Barcelona on our own which was a lot of fun. We had a cab driver take us to the top of La Rambla which is kind of the main drag and we made our way back down walking about 6 miles. We hit up The Hard Rock Cafe and checked out all the cool sites including their giant market where everyone goes to buy their fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats. It was the biggest market I have ever seen! That night we cruised down to the water and had pizza which I was excited that it was very authentic Italian style. Delish!
To recap, I work for BBVA Compass a company newer to the United States whose parent company BBVA is headquartered out of Spain. Every year, they take the top performers and a guest to an all expense paid trip. To date, nothing has been as extravagant as this trip which is why they took the top 5% as opposed to the top 10%. They are by far one of the most generous companies I have ever worked for and for the record are able to lavish their employees with such cool rewards because they never took any TARP or other government money during the banking crisis.
Our trip started at the Hotel Arts Ritz Carlton right on the Mediterranean Sea in Barcelona. Our hotel was hands down the nicest place I have ever stayed and the view was insane! Our first night we had an amazing dinner with tons of performances by local groups like flamenco dancers, mariachi like musicians and other dancers doing traditional dances. They also had beautiful women walking around the room and then freezing like statues. It was SO cool! I realized right away that this may be the first vacation I have ever taken where I lose weight (which turned out to be true) because every dish has seafood which I dislike or meat and I have been a vegetarian for about 3 months. I didn't complain though, it all looked beautiful and there were plenty of side dishes for me to chow down on not to mention plenty of good wine and champagne. :)
Surprisingly the jet lag wasn't too bad and I think taking a red eye over and then jumping right into a schedule helped a lot. The company made sure that we were busy with paid tours, meals, etc pretty much at all times. Daniel and I literally spent less than $400 of our own money! There were 200 hundred winners plus their guests so you would assume getting around was chaos but it was anything but. The people who coordinated did an amazing job! There was never one second where we didn't know where we were supposed to be or that if felt crazy. Absolute smooth sailing the entire trip.We were able to chose from different activities in each city so Daniel and I chose to go to the town of Sitges on our second day and go to the winery Pares Balta. Each tour bus we got on from a tour to just going to the airport was staffed with a tour guide giving us cool tidbits of information about the surrounding area as we drove along. The tour guide on our way to the winery explained to us that Barcelona used to refer to different areas of the city as pre or post Jesus and now they say pre or post Olympics. Apparently, the Olympics added a lot to the city of Barcelona by way of infrastructure. I had never realized how much having an Olympics did for a city. Also, one thing that I found interesting was that the locals say "Barthelona" instead of Barcelona.
A very cool fact about Barcelona is that it is in the region of Catalonia and they speak Spanish and Catalon. I was under the wrong impression that it was a dialect when in fact its a language....one the people of the region are very proud of. Its a combo of French and Italian so it's very interesting sounding and very pretty. All of the signs are in Catalon although for tourist reasons most people in the service sector speak Spanish or English.So we went to the winery which was beautiful and got a very personal tour of the facility including a tour of the underground caves where the wine is aged. The wine and champagne was amazing but I personally loved the olive oil tasting...delicious! The whole country has the BEST olive oil and I loved that everywhere we ate including the high speed train to Madrid, when you are given bread you get mini bottles of olive oil...genius and yummy!
After touring the winery we headed to Sitges which was so breathtakingly beautiful. The streets were lined with the cutest little buildings with apartments on top and little verandas. The streets were uneven and narrow and so quaint. And the Mediterranean is SO blue! The beaches were beautiful minus the topless old ladies. :) We also learned that the maker of Bacardi Rum is from Sitges and he had a cool little tasting room/museum. 
That night, we had the privilege of going to the winery Cordineu just outside Barcelona, the premiere Cava (Champagne) maker in Spain. The winery was huge with beautiful buildings and landscaping everywhere. BBVA rented out the whole place out for us for dinner. Before we went in for dinner we sipped sangria and listened to jazz and hopped on little trains to tour the expansive underground caves that were miles long where they aged all of the wine. I have been to a lot of wineries and this was by far the coolest thing I had ever seen. I decided that if the world was coming to an end and we needed to take refuge underground I would chose to bunker down in the underground caves of Cordineu. :)
That night, we had the privilege of going to the winery Cordineu just outside Barcelona, the premiere Cava (Champagne) maker in Spain. The winery was huge with beautiful buildings and landscaping everywhere. BBVA rented out the whole place out for us for dinner. Before we went in for dinner we sipped sangria and listened to jazz and hopped on little trains to tour the expansive underground caves that were miles long where they aged all of the wine. I have been to a lot of wineries and this was by far the coolest thing I had ever seen. I decided that if the world was coming to an end and we needed to take refuge underground I would chose to bunker down in the underground caves of Cordineu. :) When we moved inside for dinner all you could hear were the oohs and aahs from the group as we were led into the dining area. It was lined with candle lit wine barrels, trees and beautiful centerpieces and flamenco dancers and Spanish guitar players. The ambiance was amazing! After a huge dinner they passed around some sort of glass genie lamp looking thing filled with yummy pink/red liquor that we all took swigs from. When we asked the server what it was she laughed and we realized she didn't speak English well so we never did find out what it was called. Needless to say everyone left very happy!That night we hit the town and found....an Irish Pub! The group of people that we spent most of our time with were so fun and we were all down to just drink and chill and what better place than an Irish Pub!? They had the best cover band singing American songs and there were people from literally all over the world. We had a blast! The thing about going out in Spain is that the bars don't open until 1am so we were out until 4:30am. This makes sense since the Spanish generally go to work at 10am then siesta from 2 to 5, dinner at 8:30 then out to the bars. Sigh...my kinda schedule!
The following day Daniel and I headed up to the 43rd floor (the top) of the hotel to the spa and had massages. It was just what the doctor ordered since the flight over had my back a little out of whack. It was SO relaxing and afterwards we lounged in the sauna and out on the patio overlooking the sea. The weather was perfect around 75 to 80 the whole time we were there with blue skies and the view from the top of the hotel was indescribable.That day we decided against a tour and just cruised around Barcelona on our own which was a lot of fun. We had a cab driver take us to the top of La Rambla which is kind of the main drag and we made our way back down walking about 6 miles. We hit up The Hard Rock Cafe and checked out all the cool sites including their giant market where everyone goes to buy their fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats. It was the biggest market I have ever seen! That night we cruised down to the water and had pizza which I was excited that it was very authentic Italian style. Delish!
The next day we packed up and headed to the high speed train to go to Madrid. I was sad to leave Barcelona but very excited to see Madrid. By this point I was really missing Gigi. My mom had said that every time Gigi saw an airplane in the sky she waived and said, "Hi mom! Hi dad!" She thought we were just cruising around in an airplane for a week. :) It was the longest I had ever been away from her and calling her every night was getting harder but as I said I had plenty to distract me!
The train was awesome! So smooth and the Spanish countryside was so beautiful! It was very much like an airplane with full service food and drinks. The trip only took two hours and we were there. Before even going to the hotel, the tour buses took us on a tour of beautiful Madrid. It very quickly became one of my favorite cities. The architecture, the weather, the history, the people, everything about it I LOVED! Madrid was much more of typical European city as far as architecture and what not so I was very grateful that we were able to see both Barcelona and Madrid. The look and feel of each city was completely different.
Our hotel, again was amazing! The Palace Westin was smack dab in the middle of Madrid in walking distance to everything especially the "Time Square" of Spain, Puerta del Sol. Our hotel had literally been a small palace at one point so it was beyond luxurious with marble and chandeliers galore! The food was a little less fishy in Madrid since we were no longer on the water and for that I was grateful. We ate dinner the first night family style at a place built in the 1600's called Posada de la Villa. Later we went out to a small bar where we met some British tourists and closed down the place...so much fun! 
Monday morning we went to BBVA headquarters where the CEO addressed the direction of the company and our accomplishments for the year. By this point people were pretty partied out so it was quite funny to watch people try and maintain their professional composure. Nonetheless, it was an honor to go to the facility and here from the head honchos of the company.
Monday morning we went to BBVA headquarters where the CEO addressed the direction of the company and our accomplishments for the year. By this point people were pretty partied out so it was quite funny to watch people try and maintain their professional composure. Nonetheless, it was an honor to go to the facility and here from the head honchos of the company.Unfortunately, Daniel along with most of the rest of our group, didn't make it to the tour of the original capital city of Spain, Toledo. So me and my managers date Debby made the hour long journey to the amazing city of Toledo. Most everything in the original part of the city is as it was in the late 1400's including some buildings fully intact from the 1100's! It was so cool and literally like stepping back in time. My favorite was The Primary Cathedral of Spain one of the 5 largest cathedrals in Europe. (Now I have seen 4 of the 5...The Primary, Notre Dame, Westminster Abby and St. Peters) I couldn't stop taking pictures while I was there as everything was so surreal. I loved Toledo!
Our last day in Madrid, Daniel and I went sight seeing on our own and I recalled my days in London to teach Daniel how to use the Metro. We had SO much fun just getting lost in this beautiful city and checking out all the cool monuments and buildings. We met up with our friends for some lunch and shopping and then it was off to get ready for the Pinnacle Awards Dinner at the beautiful (sorry...I know I have over used the word beautiful but there just aren't words to describe all we saw) Circulo de Bellas Artes.
We got all dressed up and went to an amazing theatre inside the Circulo de Bellas Artes where we were individually presented with our Pinnacle Award from the CEO and head of banking for the US. Then onto the stunning ballroom with a great view of downtown Madrid and the best dinner we had the whole time. After, we all made the trek to yet another Irish Pub where we spent the night drinking and enjoying our last night Spain.
We got all dressed up and went to an amazing theatre inside the Circulo de Bellas Artes where we were individually presented with our Pinnacle Award from the CEO and head of banking for the US. Then onto the stunning ballroom with a great view of downtown Madrid and the best dinner we had the whole time. After, we all made the trek to yet another Irish Pub where we spent the night drinking and enjoying our last night Spain.I have tried to give you a good recap of everything we did but there is no way I could do it justice. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity and even if we went back we could never do it the same way because we were SO pampered it was ridiculous! What an amazing opportunity and I feel so blessed to have been able to go, share the trip with Daniel and be surrounded by such great people while we were there. I can't believe I almost didn't go for fear of leaving Gianna. I now realize how great it was for me and Daniel and how cool it will be to share this experience with her someday. I am SO grateful to our families for taking such good care of her while we were gone. It made leaving her at home so much easier knowing she was in such loving hands.
Adios!
Busy B
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Spain!
Well, the day is almost here when Daniel and I head to Spain for a week! I can't believe that the day has arrived so quickly! We are so excited to travel and explore somewhere neither of us have been before and even more excited that we aren't paying for it! As I mentioned before, I won this trip through my job and our headquarters is based out of Madrid, Spain so we will be staying 3 days in Barcelona and 3 days in Madrid. What an exciting opportunity!
I'd be lying if I said its been all fun preparing because it hasn't really. We have been away from Gianna before for a day or two but 7 days and a million miles away? This is a whole different ball game! I have had a lot of mixed emotions about going and even toyed with the idea of not going all together. But at the end of day, and a lot of prayer, the opprtunity is just too cool and as a million people have told me, it will be a great trip for me and Daniel to have the time together and Gianna will have a blast hanging out with family.
Of course we have international plans on our cell phones so we plan on calling her...a lot! And because we live near an airport Gianna is already fascinated with airplanes so it was easy to tell her that we will be living on an airplane for a few days and then we will come back and tell her all about it....to which she answered, "wow....cool!" Who knows if she really understands but she loves to find times to say "wow....cool!" :)
Spain should be pretty amazing! Our first stop is the Hotel Arts Ritz Carlton in Barcelona which is right on the beach and next to the 1992 Olympic Park. 
We have a trip to Stiges right outside of Barcelona planned for Friday for wine and olive oil tasting at a winery thats been around since 1790!
We have a trip to Stiges right outside of Barcelona planned for Friday for wine and olive oil tasting at a winery thats been around since 1790!Then we get on the train and head to The Westin palace in Madrid. 
We are doing a tour of the headquarters Monday morning so I guess a little work is required. :) The we are then taking a tour of the neighboring town of Toledo that is, from what I can see, a cool little mideval style town.
We are doing a tour of the headquarters Monday morning so I guess a little work is required. :) The we are then taking a tour of the neighboring town of Toledo that is, from what I can see, a cool little mideval style town.Our last night there is the big awards banquet for us Pinnacle winners and then we are off back to the old US of A.
I am so excited to see everything in Spain and experience the food and culture but I'll be honest...I am excited to see Gianna's sweet little face on April 13th when we get back. I already can't wait to give her a big fat hug and kiss!
See ya next week California!
Busy B
P.S. BIG thanks to our parents for helping out with Gigi while we are gone. We know she will have a blast and be in great hands! xoxo
Friday, March 25, 2011
Bottomless Pit That is My Stomach
You ever have one of those days when no matter how much food you consume you are still hungry? Really stomach? I just fed you and if you didn't get the memo I am on a diet...geeze! Days like this make me get real creative with my food choices as I still wanna make sure I am within my calorie limits which got me thinking I should share my tasty little low calorie snacks with the rest of the world....or at least the very small portion of the world that reads my blog. :)
The key is to snack on filling things that pack the most bang for their buck. Favorite snack numero uno is Green Giant single serving Cauliflower and Cheese Sauce. YUM! It has only 40 calories, 1g of fat and 2g of protein. Fills ya up, you get a serving of vegetables and it actually tastes delicious!
My second favorite and most filling is Emerald Almonds Cocoa Roast 100 calorie packs. They are coated with a dark chocolate powder but, coming from a girl that doesn't like dark chocolate, I can tell ya they are delicious and just the right amount sweet. Only 100 calories, 8g of fat and 3g of protein, they are the perfect mid-afternoon snack.
My favorite indulgent low calorie snack is Mister Salty Yogurt Covered Pretzels 100 calorie pack. So yummy! With only 4g of fat and 1g of protein. This satisfies your salty and sweet craving in one swoop!
The best snack I have found being that I am not eating meat any longer is low fat cottage cheese which can be comboed with all kinds of stuff. A cup of 2% is about 200 calories, 4g of fat and a whopping 31g of protein! I dice up tomato or drizzle honey on it and viola! A delicious, filling protein packed snack.
If you have any other delicious low cal snack ideas, do share....because lately it seems all I do is SNACK!
Until next time,
Busy B
The key is to snack on filling things that pack the most bang for their buck. Favorite snack numero uno is Green Giant single serving Cauliflower and Cheese Sauce. YUM! It has only 40 calories, 1g of fat and 2g of protein. Fills ya up, you get a serving of vegetables and it actually tastes delicious!
My second favorite and most filling is Emerald Almonds Cocoa Roast 100 calorie packs. They are coated with a dark chocolate powder but, coming from a girl that doesn't like dark chocolate, I can tell ya they are delicious and just the right amount sweet. Only 100 calories, 8g of fat and 3g of protein, they are the perfect mid-afternoon snack.
My favorite indulgent low calorie snack is Mister Salty Yogurt Covered Pretzels 100 calorie pack. So yummy! With only 4g of fat and 1g of protein. This satisfies your salty and sweet craving in one swoop!
The best snack I have found being that I am not eating meat any longer is low fat cottage cheese which can be comboed with all kinds of stuff. A cup of 2% is about 200 calories, 4g of fat and a whopping 31g of protein! I dice up tomato or drizzle honey on it and viola! A delicious, filling protein packed snack.
If you have any other delicious low cal snack ideas, do share....because lately it seems all I do is SNACK!
Until next time,
Busy B
Thursday, March 17, 2011
18 months already!
Its been awhile since I have given an update on Gianna and she is already 18 1/2 months old! Every stage of her life so far has been my favorite and this stage is no exception. It definitely has more challenges than some of the other stages but its still equally if not more fun.
So let's start with what's the same...she's still tall and skinny. Can't pack a pound on that kid to save my life though she's always eating. She still loves mom in the morning and dad at night. Loves Yo Gabba Gabba and all things Mickey Mouse and would gladly move outside in a tent if we let her. She loves being outside and ever since she learned how to say outside, whenever she can see outside she says it and gets really excited. (Which is why if we have to do stuff inside we keep the blinds close...its just easier that way.) LOL
Nowadays she says more words than we can count which is awesome because I love having conversations with her. Its fun to finally know whats going on in her head! Funny thing is that she's well....funny! She totally has a little sense of humor that keeps us always laughing. She loves to show us her "funny face" which is her, sticking her tongue out. And when she asks for something she knows she can't have like a cookie for breakfast and I tell her no she giggles and says, "I know."
She has a flare for all things dramatic which Daniel claims she gets from me but I don't see and she has learned to roll her eyes which definitely came from Daniel but he doesn't see. :) In fact I asked my friend Elisa, when her first grader started rolling her eyes to which she replied a couple months ago....oh man I thought, we are in for it! She loves to test her limits, which can be a struggle at times but it's a learning experience for all of us. For the most part she is a really good girl but she tends to get frustrated easy and of course there are always the sleepy/hungry melt downs. She has learned all about time out in the last few months and is starting to grasp sorry...and trying to say it although it sounds like "saucy." :) To say she is hard headed is a bit of an understatment but that, I can admit, she gets from me.
All growing pains aside she is absolutely the light of my life. There is nothing better than singing Old McDonald in the car with her on our way home for the day (she loves to do her animal noises and says "i, i, i" instead of "e,i,e,i,o" lol), playing with her foam alphabet in the bubble bath and as Gigi says, "nuggling" and reading books before bed. Every morning she says, "mor-ming" when we walk into get her and if Daniel has already left for work when she wakes up she loves to call him at work to say, "Hi, I yu you." Melts my heart!
Every day she learns so many new and exciting things and is just an absolute little sponge. She LOVES to show us what she knows! She is such a love bug and especially loves her doggies!
She likes to shake their leashes and say "walka, walka?" at which point I have no choice but to go outside for a walk because now her and the dogs are all worked up! She's VERY independent and plays all by herself in her play room and comes out every once in awhile with a book that we read to her and then she says, "all done" and marches back in her room to play with her babies which she wraps and unwraps in blankies and pushes around the house in their stroller and then takes them out to pat their backs and say, "ni, ni."
Its weird to think what we ever did before Gianna came along because she is the source of endless entertainment, love, learning experiences, joys and blessings. I feel so grateful to be Gianna's mom and while I am constantly trying to hold on to every amazing moment, I do look forward to watching her continue to grow and learn in the years to come. Of course there will always be those times when I wish she was a little baby again but I wouldn't trade each new day for anything...it is such a blessing. I definitely look forward to watching each day as she evolves into the little person she has become. I love my Gigi Leigh. xoxo
Lots of love,
Busy B
So let's start with what's the same...she's still tall and skinny. Can't pack a pound on that kid to save my life though she's always eating. She still loves mom in the morning and dad at night. Loves Yo Gabba Gabba and all things Mickey Mouse and would gladly move outside in a tent if we let her. She loves being outside and ever since she learned how to say outside, whenever she can see outside she says it and gets really excited. (Which is why if we have to do stuff inside we keep the blinds close...its just easier that way.) LOL
Nowadays she says more words than we can count which is awesome because I love having conversations with her. Its fun to finally know whats going on in her head! Funny thing is that she's well....funny! She totally has a little sense of humor that keeps us always laughing. She loves to show us her "funny face" which is her, sticking her tongue out. And when she asks for something she knows she can't have like a cookie for breakfast and I tell her no she giggles and says, "I know."
She has a flare for all things dramatic which Daniel claims she gets from me but I don't see and she has learned to roll her eyes which definitely came from Daniel but he doesn't see. :) In fact I asked my friend Elisa, when her first grader started rolling her eyes to which she replied a couple months ago....oh man I thought, we are in for it! She loves to test her limits, which can be a struggle at times but it's a learning experience for all of us. For the most part she is a really good girl but she tends to get frustrated easy and of course there are always the sleepy/hungry melt downs. She has learned all about time out in the last few months and is starting to grasp sorry...and trying to say it although it sounds like "saucy." :) To say she is hard headed is a bit of an understatment but that, I can admit, she gets from me.
All growing pains aside she is absolutely the light of my life. There is nothing better than singing Old McDonald in the car with her on our way home for the day (she loves to do her animal noises and says "i, i, i" instead of "e,i,e,i,o" lol), playing with her foam alphabet in the bubble bath and as Gigi says, "nuggling" and reading books before bed. Every morning she says, "mor-ming" when we walk into get her and if Daniel has already left for work when she wakes up she loves to call him at work to say, "Hi, I yu you." Melts my heart!
Every day she learns so many new and exciting things and is just an absolute little sponge. She LOVES to show us what she knows! She is such a love bug and especially loves her doggies!
She likes to shake their leashes and say "walka, walka?" at which point I have no choice but to go outside for a walk because now her and the dogs are all worked up! She's VERY independent and plays all by herself in her play room and comes out every once in awhile with a book that we read to her and then she says, "all done" and marches back in her room to play with her babies which she wraps and unwraps in blankies and pushes around the house in their stroller and then takes them out to pat their backs and say, "ni, ni."
Its weird to think what we ever did before Gianna came along because she is the source of endless entertainment, love, learning experiences, joys and blessings. I feel so grateful to be Gianna's mom and while I am constantly trying to hold on to every amazing moment, I do look forward to watching her continue to grow and learn in the years to come. Of course there will always be those times when I wish she was a little baby again but I wouldn't trade each new day for anything...it is such a blessing. I definitely look forward to watching each day as she evolves into the little person she has become. I love my Gigi Leigh. xoxo
Lots of love,
Busy B
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Going Vegetarian
As I mentioned in my last post, I stopped eating meat a little over 3 weeks ago and I must say I haven't really missed it. Just to give you a bit of background, I didn't grow up eating a lot of meat. In fact I haven't ever really liked meat that much. I'll eat chicken with no bones or skin and red meat if there is no pink etc. I absolutely never eat seafood...I have tried and hated it all. When I met Daniel I hadn't really eaten any meat in years. Being with Daniel I slowly incorporated meat back into my diet and I don't really mind it but to be honest I could do without it.
A few weeks ago Daniel mentioned that he had been reading about the health benefits of being a vegetarian and I told him how I feel better all around when I am not eating meat and tend to eat more fruits and vegetables. He said he liked meat too much to be a vegetarian but that he wanted to try it for at least two weeks so I said I would do it with him. He made it to two weeks but, even though he felt better, he missed meat. I on the other hand, like I said, haven't missed it at all and so I just decided to keep going.
I have been SLOWLY losing weight for awhile but since I stopped eating meat I have been losing weight much faster and feel like I have more energy and all around feel better. Many people have asked me how I get enough protein and its really not a problem. I eat lots of low fat dairy, spinach, eggs, nuts and beans and get more than enough protein in a day. Now, I must say I could NEVER be a vegan...I would shrivel up and die without dairy and eggs for sure.
At this point I can't say I will be vegetarian forever or won't eat meat here and there ever again but I must say I love being a vegetarian and the effect it has on my body so why change a good thing.
I have had a few people ask me what I have been eating so here are some of the things I have been making...
Breakfast:
Spinach, mushroom omelet with low fat Jack cheese and salsa or
Granola and low fat yogurt
Lunch:
Salad with kidney beans or feta sprinkled on top and low fat vinagrette or
Veggie Sandwhich with Dijon
Dinner:
Angel hair pasta, olive oil, spinach, zucchini and tomatoes and garlic or
Veggie stew over white rice
Snacks: 100 Calorie Almond Packs, carrots and hummus, and lots of fruit!
Clearly, I am eating better over all but removing meat from my diet makes me focus on what I need to eat more. I also realize that its easiest to turn to carbs and starch when you aren't eating meat so I try to be conscience of that. Its clear that the more you eat healthy the more you crave healthy things and if you don't eat meat you eventually stop craving it. For me that happened pretty quick.
I'm really looking forward to seeing if this is something I can keep as a permanent lifestyle change because I love the results I am getting. :)
xoxo,
Busy B
A few weeks ago Daniel mentioned that he had been reading about the health benefits of being a vegetarian and I told him how I feel better all around when I am not eating meat and tend to eat more fruits and vegetables. He said he liked meat too much to be a vegetarian but that he wanted to try it for at least two weeks so I said I would do it with him. He made it to two weeks but, even though he felt better, he missed meat. I on the other hand, like I said, haven't missed it at all and so I just decided to keep going.
I have been SLOWLY losing weight for awhile but since I stopped eating meat I have been losing weight much faster and feel like I have more energy and all around feel better. Many people have asked me how I get enough protein and its really not a problem. I eat lots of low fat dairy, spinach, eggs, nuts and beans and get more than enough protein in a day. Now, I must say I could NEVER be a vegan...I would shrivel up and die without dairy and eggs for sure.
At this point I can't say I will be vegetarian forever or won't eat meat here and there ever again but I must say I love being a vegetarian and the effect it has on my body so why change a good thing.
I have had a few people ask me what I have been eating so here are some of the things I have been making...
Breakfast:
Spinach, mushroom omelet with low fat Jack cheese and salsa or
Granola and low fat yogurt
Lunch:
Salad with kidney beans or feta sprinkled on top and low fat vinagrette or
Veggie Sandwhich with Dijon
Dinner:
Angel hair pasta, olive oil, spinach, zucchini and tomatoes and garlic or
Veggie stew over white rice
Snacks: 100 Calorie Almond Packs, carrots and hummus, and lots of fruit!
Clearly, I am eating better over all but removing meat from my diet makes me focus on what I need to eat more. I also realize that its easiest to turn to carbs and starch when you aren't eating meat so I try to be conscience of that. Its clear that the more you eat healthy the more you crave healthy things and if you don't eat meat you eventually stop craving it. For me that happened pretty quick.
I'm really looking forward to seeing if this is something I can keep as a permanent lifestyle change because I love the results I am getting. :)
xoxo,
Busy B
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