Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Van or SUV? Help me decide!

Alright wonderful readers, I need your help. With baby #3 on the way and my vehicle dying (no AC and sporadically needs to be jump started – oh yeah, it’s been super fun this summer in Las Vegas heat), I am looking at new vehicles, well new to us used vehicles. I've had the same vehicle since high school and I'm super sad to move on, but it's time.

It may still be another couple months before we buy something, but I need your input.
VAN or SUV?

Here’s my pros and cons list for each


My personal favorites: Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey
Van
Pros:
  • sliding doors, no hitting car next to you
  • lots of cargo space
  • better gas mileage
  • lower to the ground is easier for kids to get in by themselves
Cons:
  • it’s a van
  • lower to the ground limits where it can go
  • not as safe in a front end crash

Personal favorites: Nissan Pathfinder and Armada
SUV
Pros:
  • more versatile, can take it camping or whatever
  • higher off the ground which to me feels safer
  • 3rd row – seats 8
  • More hauling power
Cons
  • swing out doors
  • typically bigger/wider = harder to park?
  • not as much cargo space when third row is in use
  • higher center of gravity- can roll easier

So what have you had experience with and what would you recommend? Where would you recommend buying a used vehicle from?

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Monday, July 29, 2013

Our Weekend Trip to San Diego

We just got back from a quick trip to San Diego. It was wonderful to get away with my family! I don’t know if it was the cooler weather or just being with my family, but I had so much more energy!

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We had a fun day at Sea World with only a few meltdowns, one of them being me. haha. That’s what pregnancy hormones and a long day of walking will do. Smile

The boys loved seeing all the animals. Ben’s favorites were the flamingos and penguins and the walrus because it was right up against the glass.
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Andrew loved the dolphins and whale shows, but was super scared of sitting too close. He didn’t want to get splashed. haha.
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Both boys had a blast at the Sesame Street playground thing. Andrew was brave enough to go up the nets and play on the overhead bridges and tunnels.

Ben played with some of the little kids stuff, like this bouncy pit thing and the musical instruments you bang on.
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Oh and they also love love loved the Pet Show. Except when the water canon made a big noise. Yeah Ben didn’t like that and cried and clung to me for several minutes after. But the loved seeing the dogs and cats do tricks and getting to meet the pets after the show.

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On Saturday we had a nice relaxing day at the beach.
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Then we finished off the day by driving to the San Diego temple.
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Sunday we went to church and drove home. We also moved Ben to a big boy bed. He has been in a crib in his brother’s room for a couple weeks now and that has been working out well so we decided to try a big boy bed. It took a little longer than normal for them to fall asleep, but overall it went pretty well. Now to get him to take a nap…hmm, that may prove difficult.
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Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Don’t forget that FREE membership is almost over!

If you've ever wanted to try Shaklee products, now is the time! 100% money back guarantee on all the products, so you've got nothing to lose!

Go HERE to shop now or read some posts about Shaklee HERE


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Friday, July 26, 2013

Succeeding At Weight Loss Just Got A Little Bit Easier

much ado about lucine 2

If you have friends who are serious athletes or are into bodybuilding, you might have heard them talking about leucine. What exactly is it and what’s all the fuss? It turns out that this may be the secret weapon to losing weight the right way—and to keeping it off.
So let’s give it the attention it deserves.

 What’s Leucine?

Leucine is an essential amino acid that helps with protein synthesis. In other words, it’s a one of 9 building blocks of protein that can only be obtained from the diet. It is present in protein-rich foods including milk and other dairy products, tofu and other soy foods as well as fish, chicken and lean meat.

What’s the Big Deal?

Once absorbed, leucine goes directly to muscle tissue, where it activates a chain of events that ultimately creates lean muscle. Think of it as cash to build a home—the home being muscle. When you have enough cash, you can pay the contractor to buy the equipment they need to build your home. Similarly, when you have enough leucine, your body can start making muscle protein. And the more leucine you have, the more muscle you can build.

What Does Leucine and Muscle Have to Do With Losing Weight?

On most weight loss diets, you end up losing muscle in addition to fat. That’s because when you take in fewer calories than your body needs, your body has less energy to fuel basic biological functions. To make up for that, your body breaks down muscle proteins for energy. This is bad because it is your muscles that help burn calories. Here’s where leucine does its magic while you lose weight; by stimulating protein synthesis it helps your body preserve muscle mass while you lose the right kind of weight—from fat, that is. In turn, your metabolism stays up, which is the key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight for the long haul.

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Free Recipe from the Challenge!

(Lots more when you join!!)
pita pizza

Pita Pizza

Makes 1 serving
  • ½ whole wheat pita – whole pita, sliced in half and lightly toasted
  • 2T chopped green bell pepper
  • 2T chopped onion
  • 2T tomato sauce
  • 3 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  • 2oz mozzarella cheese, part skim, sliced and shredded
  • 2oz grilled chicken breast, cooked and sliced into bite size pieces
  • ½tsp grated parmesan cheese
362 calories, 23 g carbohydrates, 37 g protein, 14 g fat, 579 mg sodium, 79 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber

Grill, bake or sauté a small (seasoned to taste) chicken breast until fully cooked.

Take cooked chicken and slice into bite size pieces and set aside.

Slice whole wheat pita in half.

Slightly toast in toaster or under broiler in oven.

Once toasted, top pita half with tomato sauce and spread evenly to cover.

Then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella, bell pepper, onion and mushrooms and 2 oz of cooked and sliced chicken ( ½ small chicken breast).

Lightly sprinkle with parmesan cheese and place pita on a cookie sheet and bake in oven for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Enjoy! :)

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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

I Love My Family Photo Blocks

This happened the other day…DSC08783

No, a tornado didn't blow through my house, I finally finished unpacking all my craft supplies! I had been putting it off, waiting for the walls to be painted so I could arrange things better. Well the walls aren’t done yet and I had enough digging through boxes when I needed something for a project. So I went through all my supplies, got rid of stuff I won’t use, threw away several bags worth of trash, and gave everything a home so I know where to find it.

In the process of doing all that, I came across several unfinished projects that have been on my to do list for a looooong time.

Like this one. We made these photo blocks, oh I don’t know, about a year ago for a ladies craft night. I didn’t have pictures of my boys at the time so they’ve sat unfinished until now.

It was super simple, the printouts and original idea are found HERE. You just cut 2x4s into squares (approx. 3 1/4”), paint them whatever color you want, then ModPodge the printouts and pictures on. Simple enough. Well, don’t make the mistake I did. When you put the ModPodge under the paper, let that dry first before going over the top with ModPodge. That’s why mine bubbled. I might eventually get around to redoing it, but for now I’m just happy it’s done.

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It took me so long though, my pictures are outdated. haha. So little and so cute!

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Even Andrew looks so young!

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Technically I have one more block that I was going to put a picture of me and my husband on, but I printed it too big and wouldn’t fit. So I guess it’s really not completely finished, but close enough for now. haha

Have a great day!!

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nap-time creations

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