30 DAYS of Fun!

I just got back from an AMAZING training trip with my company in Las Vegas. I had so much fun, and my husband and Baby got to come along. My company unveiled new products, and delivered an unbelievably good training. I also however spent a weekend in Las Vegas and ate like a crazy person. I have wanted to try out this Detox/ 30 days to feeling fit thing my company has for a while, but I didn't have the guts or ability to do so before now. I say "ability" because I had to wait until after I was nursing. Since my Bug was biting and I was incapable of stopping that naughty little habit, we have decided to call it quits, on the nursing.

                                  Best Co-workers a Girl could ask for :) AT GTC Las Vegas!

So FULL Disclosure. I say full disclosure because everything I am about to share, is information that most women try like crazy to keep secret. WHY? would I share this you might ask? For the sake of Science of course! But seriously, I want to try out this Detox-cleanse thing and I want to see how effective it is. Besides, after having about a Zillion people see you naked and in various degrees of undress at your worst (The entire labor experience and several days following[Not much left to be embarrassed about]), why not share some info on the upswing right?

SO here is the background. I gained approximately 50 lbs. with my pregnancy with Bug, Yeah I know that's a lot. AND yes, I know 25 lbs is the healthy and recommended number. It's done and over, it happened lets move on. After I had Lyla I lost about 15 to 20 lbs. of water weight (within the first 2weeks after birth, without doing anything) and the rest was all there for me to lose. NO, it does not just fall off if you are nursing. I was nursing a ton, and nothing was happening. I went in for my check-up and the OB said only about 38% of women lose weight from nursing, so like always I am not in the favorable percentile. So, I put on my Big girl panties "literally" and faced the facts it was going to be a long hard road. I have lost about 52 Lbs. to date. And it was a lot of work. Including but not limited to:
- An Arbonne Protein shake almost every morning for breakfast -Yum
- A lot of water
- Omitting Dairy (I got disgustingly sick every time we met, this was not an omission of choice)
- My Fitness Pal - being accountable to what I was eating to my friends helped tremendously
- A Daily workout regimen of 30 to 60 minutes of one of the following workout videos
      - P90x - cardio, ab ripper, plio, yoga etc
      - Brazil Butt Lift - Lol one of the hardest workouts
      - Or just good old fashioned running up and down the stairs

Anyways, that bring us to the 30 days of fun. I am posting this on the Blog to make myself accountable. Also, because in what world is it not fun to see someone challenge themselves to something and then see how they do? So the detox is supposed to not only help you lose weight but detoxify from the inside out. Yes, from the inside, I read that your body can store between 5 & 25 lbs. of toxins and waste in your colon(SICK!).  So, after the cleanse when you start to reintroduce foods that you have omitted, you can see how they effect your body. I would like to see if I am still intolerant to dairy (post nursing) and just how gluten effects me.

Stats Pre-Cleanse May 1st, 2013 - Come on Body and Transform!
Weight: 140lbs.
Waist: 30"
Love handles: 36"
Bottom: 38"
Biceps: 11"
Hi- Thigh:24"

DAY 1

Breakfast: Chocolate Arbonne Protein Shake, 4 oz. Almond Milk, 9 Ice cubes
Snack: Fit Chew
Lunch: Vanilla Arbonne Protein Shake, 4oz. Almond Milk, 1/2 cup Strawberries, 1/2 cup blueberries 9 icecubes
Snack: Arbonne Energy Go Fizz (pomegranate)
Dinner: Chicken, Lettuce, Black beans, Garbanzo beans, 1/2 avocado, Squeezed lemon and Lime Juice
Herbal Detox Tea 

OK So that being said, I am the most blessed person on the planet to be a mom to my amazing Lyla Bug and a wife to my adoring Husband Brett. I thank the Lord every day for allowing me to share my life with them. This life is not all about me, or you. It's about continually working to help and serve one another. I want to work harder at serving those around me, and letting my friends and family know how much I Love them. Life is truly a gift. The average human life span is around 20,000 days... WHAT? When it is said like that it punches you in the gut and gives you the harshest clarity. Your time on earth is limited. Make every day count. Be the person you want to be, and make your dreams come true, TODAY. Don't put it off until tomorrow.

My Utopia...

Chocolate Gooey FIX

Ok, so I have an obsession with food. It's not an unhealthy obsession. I have had a steady decline in weight since Bug was born and I am actually pretty pleased with the reflection in the mirror. Anyways, I LOVE to cook, and I love to entertain and I love to eat. So I had a serious sweet tooth tonight and I wanted something quick, easy, and chocolatey. I am completely capable of doing complicated and time consuming, and you can usually tell a difference in taste. However, I didn't care. For some reason I wanted something without butter. I don't know I just wasn't in the mood. So I searched like crazy on the internet and stumbled across a chat room. Through a series of different recipes I found this Franken Krisp haha, more accurately my need to satisfy a picky craving and an adaptation of a couple different recipes. FASTEST, EASIEST, MANAGEABLE dessert I have ever experienced. I say manageable because so many of the recipes I make yield a LOT of food, and I end up throwing out a lot of it. So this is an amount I am sure my husband and I can manage to make our way through before expiration. I took a picture but it isn't awesome by any means, (my camera phone is awful and the light is bad in my house), but here it is anyways. 

 

The reason why this is so easy is the microwave. I know I know less than organic, but go with me on this. 

FRANKEN KRISP

1 cup (plus a sprinkle) Milk Chocolate chips

1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar

2/3 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 cups (plus a sprinkle like 1/4 cup) Rice Krispies

Microwave 1 minute - Stir

Microwave 1 more minute then Stir in rice krispies to desired texture I wanted mine firm but gooey still. Then I pressed the mixture into a buttered 8x8 square pan. Then while it was still warm I sprinkled coconut flakes and white chocolate chips on the top and pressed in. I would have gone with something else, but that is what I had. Then put in refrigerator as long as you can wait until diving in. It needs to set a little, but pretty good. 

Ok that's it. Guilty pleasure :)  

 

New Year Woohoo!

It has been quite a while since I last updated. We have moved into our new little house. It is nice, there are things I miss about the old one, but we will make this one home in no time. Ok, I will just say it, I miss the counter space I had in the old house, this house is wonderful and I love our yard and the area and the ward, but I LOVE cooking and I miss my island. However, I am not going to be a brat about it, I am very blessed to have the home that I have.

I am really excited to start putting plans together for my garden in the spring. I used to love gardening when I was a teenager, and I love to cook with fresh produce and UTAH GROWN garden tomatoes. So I have to decide what all I want to plant and figure out how to do it. I also have to figure out a gate or something, because there are a lot of deer up here, and I will be heartbroken if they sabotage my attempts. The thing I love about this new house is the possibilities. There are so many different things we can do with the house and yard, but at the same time it is a little overwhelming. Possibilities are great when you have the money to throw down to mold your dreams into reality. But the economy tends to look more and more bleak so we are getting less and less confident about big expenditures.

                                                           Lyla's Thanksgiving
Lyla bug is so big. She got to meet little Connor Perkins over Christmas break. It was so cute to see them gab with each other. It was crazy to sit there with Cody and Alexa, friends of mine since forever, and watch our babies play. I remember sitting with them in high school chemistry, laughing and joking about the latest teenage drama, watching them crush on each other, and then seeing us sit with our babies... It made me feel very old. They are so great by the way, and I was so glad they took time out of there holiday plans to come and see us. I LOVE, LOVE seeing all my friends from high school getting married and having babies. There is nothing better in the world then having your own little ones, and it is fabulous to see them enjoying there babes too. Zack and Ally just had there second baby, Eli Taft, he is soo cute and I love to snuggle him. Mari just had her two beautiful baby girls. She is having a rough go, but she is the strongest woman I know and if anyone can handle it I know she can. I do keep her, the babies, and Steve and Sophia in my prayers though because with God all things are possible.

                                                            

                                                              Lyla's first Christmas

                                          Lyla & Connor, they really are friends I promise ;)

 Lyla is 7 months old, she has two teeth now, she is rolling and scooting, but absolutely refuses to crawl. She is finally eating solid foods successfully, and even though that implies more work on the other end... We couldn't be more excited. She is finally sleeping more, there for about two weeks she was waking up every 2 hours, and I was ready to fall to pieces all the time from the fatigue. She is happy and healthy and we are so proud of her.

 Brett, Lyla, and I went to Colorado in November to see my folks and to open the business more out there. It was good to see them and to meet all the cool people, but it was kind of lame because while we were there my parents found out there renters trashed the house they were renting to them, vacated it and skipped out on the last months rent. Then to boot they told the sweet ward members that helped them move, that they left the house in better condition then they found it in. Nice, way to drag their my parents names through the mud, after they accepted late rent for months and bent over backwards to help them out. Repairs adding up to $7,000.00 dollars, plus months of lost rent. My parents finally might get some new renters in soon. I hate dwelling on negative subjects, but I just have to say PLEASE CAN PEOPLE ALIVE TODAY GET SOME INTEGRITY??? Not just in this subject, but all over the world. Respect your fellow man, and have integrity, I feel like we would be a lot better off if that were the case.

                                                   Brett and Lyla on the Plane

On a Higher Note

We went to see the Brigham City Temple and it was so much fun. I couldn't believe how good of an experience it turned out to be. I honestly thought Lyla Bug would have a rough time considering the lines and stuff. I will start from the beginning. So I called down to Maddox to get a dinner reservation and I was lucky enough to get a 5:15 time. So we  hurried to Brigham City and arrived at about 5:20, they were actually really cool about our being 5 minutes late.

We got right in and enjoyed the Weekday special at $13.45 per person. If you have had it before you know how excellent of a deal this is. We sat with Lyla in a sling and ate happily. Lyla sat quietly except for the occasional coo or bubble blowing. When we got up to leave, the guy sitting next to us commented "you have an extremely well behaved baby." I was actually really pleased to hear this as I normally walk into restaurants self-conscious of the "OH Great they have a BABY" stares. I said "Well thank you, we try." Which was kind of hilarious because she is 4 months old and lets face it we are at her mercy:). To which he responded "She has a truly beautiful disposition." We were pretty proud:)

We arrived to the temple about a half hour before our reservation time. But we figured we would go anyway, since our little well behaved baby was still behaving. We probably only stood in line for like 20 minutes and then got in to the video. I really tried to watch it, but Lyla's adorable cuteness was kind of distracting. Brett wanted to carry her around in the baby-go carrier which was nice, cuz she may still be little but she gets pretty heavy, quick. Once we got into the temple she started to snooze and Brett and I just enjoyed seeing the rooms and stuff. She woke up again just before the Celestial room and it was so fun to watch her. She just sat with her little fists holding onto Brett's shirt and leaned back into the carrier and starred at the ceiling. Her eyes were so wide, and she was so peaceful. I loved watching Brett watch her, and loved having my whole little family in a temple together. It will be a while until that can happen again.

Here I sit watching my little 4 month old Lyla Bug roll around doing 180s on her play mat. I can't get enough of watching her figure out how to grab toys, and study her hands. I also love how hard she tries to get both of those chubby little fists into her mouth. 

I have to tell this story too.. I hosted my bunco group on Thursday evening, and I totally underestimated how much time it would all take. Let's face it in my event planning I normally don't prepare all the food too:). Anyways, my sweet husband got home from work and quickly noticed how far behind I was. He just washed his hands and jumped right in with me. I was still a little late, but it was because I was still rolling out tortillas - You can't have COLD tortillas that just has to be done last;) Then after everyone had served up, I was still feverishly rolling out tortillas. Brett told me to just dish up and he would take care of the rest. I felt so bad, but I really did want to go down and eat with the girls. By the time I came up to serve dessert, he had done all the dishes and put out serving bowls and forks for me. If that wasn't sweet enough I walked in to see that he had already bathed, fed and put Lyla to sleep. He may not be a completely hopeless romantic, but he sure does love his girls. He takes such good care of us and I just love our life!   
  

Tired of Being Tossed

I promise no soap box here, I just have to be frank...

The views of one man with a camera do not reflect the views of a nation. This one man isn't even willing to stand behind his own work, and fess up. I am so tired of small-minded people making irresponsible moves and painting a picture for the mass of people who don't see it that way. Social Media gives us a hidden power to lift up our voices and give a more accurate representation of how we feel as a nation. Stop allowing life to just happen to you. We have been given the power to effect change quickly, and more accurately. Push for peace by sharing how you feel, we are the innocent mass that will be punished for the actions and ideas of a minority. Use the tools given to you to determine your own reality.

I am referring to the anti-Muslim film that supposedly stirred up the trouble in Libya. I will be the first to tell you, I can't stand politics. There is this dirty dishonest feeling I get anytime I get to embroiled in it, so I am not going to start getting all political in my posts or anything.  But the politics of the nation have an affect on my "Utopia," so I have to say something.

I am so tired of being tossed by the waves that are created by hateful, and ignorant people. I know this is probably going to be viewed as an, "innocent notion," to think that we can fix something by saying how we feel on our social media avenues. Is it so crazy though? Here we are given the task of choosing a President that will have the back bone, and skill to dig us out of this horrible economy. Really, how much can the government do? How fast can they change this? Who really has the power to effect this change? We do. I am referring to the "We" of the world who don't hold political positions. These are not issues that involve only the United States. Social Media allows the house moms, grocery store checkers, students, factory workers, salespeople, network marketing business builders - THE gray "middle class." If the middle class is the biggest percentage then why are we not able to actually change the way things are going?

I earned a degree in Public Relations and Communications in College. However, I feel like the bulk of my classes were how to responsibly and professionally represent my cause, it seemed like for the most part we already had access to most of the tools we needed to access the general public. So, why aren't more of us effecting the change?

I titled this post tired of being tossed. I meant to say I am tired of feeling like one little grain of sand getting tossed in the waves of an ocean. The direction my life is decided by a wave of people unaware of the power we hold. When will we start to determine our own direction. I am not saying I am going to branch out and be a lone grain of sand, after all I am not going anywhere if I don't have the wave of water to travel in. I am saying, we need to DECIDE what direction we want our wave (community, state, nation...) to go in and move it ourselves.

Big Changes!

So I decided to just combine all the big changes in the same post. Ok, there is really only a few changes.

COLORADO! My sweet family that has lived in Grantsville forever made the big move to Colorado. It was a must as my Dad was given a job offer he could not refuse. I am so proud of my Dad. He has always worked soo hard to provide for our family, and his hard work is finally paying off at work to, as his superiors see his value and want to capitalize on his skills. However, it is extremely difficult for me to watch them go. They have been gone for a little over a month now. And I am really starting to feel the distance. I probably call an annoying amount, just to hear what is going on. I know they were like 2 hours away before, so its not like they were right next door. But it is still kind of depressing. We went down to Grantsville to see my cousins, and it was so much fun to see everyone, but sad that my parents and siblings weren't there close by. My Dad is doing awesome in his new job, and I think he is enjoying Colorado. My mom is looking for a new job and unpacking the house. Levi is getting interviews and missing his friends back home, but he has such a positive outlook on the move and on life. Ivy is LOVING her new school and from what I hear making new friends. It's insane to me that my little brother and sister are as big as they are, but I am excited to see where they go and what they do with their lives.

My BUSINESS! I attended an Arbonne business retreat 2 weeks ago, and it was soo good. I am amazed at how well the products work, and even more amazed at how positive and motivational the company is. I was soo skeptical about the products, when I began using them about 4 years ago. But now I can't go without them. My skin looks and feels the best it has ever been and just continues to improve. And I have loved using the vitamins and vegan protein shakes while losing the baby weight. I can't believe how good I feel. It is so refreshing to know what is in my products and why they work so well. I am excited at the prospect of improving the lives of others, while sharing these products and growing my business.

OUR MOVE! We are in the process of buying a home in Millville, and selling our townhouse in Logan. It is a killer time for interest rates and a good time for us to move financially. We have LOVED our townhouse and I am actually sad to leave it, but the Millville home will be great too as our family grows and changes. If anyone is looking or knows someone looking for a great comfortable 3 story town home just a few blocks from campus, right in the heart of Logan check out or blog loganlexingtontownhouse.blogspot.com see pictures, and get more information on all the special features our townhouse has to offer. Picture of the townhouse:

Finished basement (we use as a theater room) and a gas FIREPLACE (warm, and snuggly at the flip of a switch for those cold Logan nights:))

In other news my husband is turning 31 in a couple days, I want to test out a pinterest recipe I found for toasted marshmallow coconut ice cream. The only hiccup I need to get an ice cream maker... O well it could be his birthday present right? My baby girl is 4 months next week, and I cannot believe that much time had past since she joined our family, she is soo big now and she is such a joy in our family. Just because this is the cutest pic yet :) in her jeggings driving Daddy's truck.

   

BABY!!!!!

I can't believe it has been so long since I blogged last. I will be better from now on. I am basically getting a new kick start on life I decided :). LYLA ROSE ERICKSON came on May 25th, 2012. She was 7lbs. 5 oz. and it was the best day of our lives so far. Those of you who know me well, know that means I was in labor on the evening of my Birthday. That is totally okay, it was the best present I could ever receive. However, my sweet hubby picked up a birthday basket full of my favorite things (Riddle Skittles, Twix bars, Comfy flip-flops, bite size cheese cakes and a love letter;). We went out to dinner with our good friends (Alyson, Andy, Mike, & Kristen) at Olive Garden. We laughed and chatted until Brett and I got the green light to head into the hospital for my induction. I was sooo grateful to my friend Joslin for talking me through dos and don'ts for an induction (I basically talked to her for like an hour and a 1/2). So I was pretty prepared and not really nervous just soo excited. I love how everyone tells you to sleep as much as you can in the hospital... WHAT a JOKE;). I was so sleep deprived by the time she got here, it took about 22 hours, but once I started pushing she came in about a half an hour. She had meconium issues and the minutes before she really started crying were probably the longest of my life. Brett was by my side every step of the way and when they finally placed her in my arms, I looked into her face and then into my sweet husbands and I knew that my life was truly blessed. I thank the Lord every day for blessing me with my unbelievably sweet husband and daughter.

The days that followed are still a blur. I probably got about 24 hours combined between the 4 or 5 nights after her birth. I remember learning to nurse was a big struggle, but we eventually figured it out. The night my milk came in I was freaking out, sleep deprivation, a stressed out crying baby, weird birthing side effects, and a pups rash accompanied rock hard chest that hurt like the dickens. My mother-in-law Bonnie stayed at our house that night and helped me out like a guardian angel. I was soo grateful for her help, and level headedness.

Lyla is now a little over 14 weeks old, and she weighs almost 15lbs. She was 90th percentile for weight and height at our last doctor's appointment. I HATE Pediatrician appointments. They stick my baby every time with multiple shots and it is the worst experience for her and I. I know it is for her benefit, but I just hate it.

I have absolutely loved watching Brett become a father. He is such a good daddy, he helps soo much with Lyla and he is completely wrapped around her teeny little finger. The other day he was just talking to her and she was laughing soo hard. I ran in from the kitchen to see it, Brett was laughing soo hard I thought he was going to cry. I ran in to grab the camera to record it and 5 minutes later when she stopped laughing as much, I realized I hadn't pressed the extra button required to get the camera recording. I am soo dumb, it would have been one for the record books. I am in the process of losing the baby weight now. I lost about 30 lbs. in Lyla and water, about 2 wks after the birth, then I had about 20 lbs. to go to get back to my pre-baby weight. I have finally gotten down 10 more lbs. in 3 months and it has been a fight, so I have about 10 more lbs. to go... but if I could lose a little more that wouldn't hurt either;)