Lessons From the Trampoline

I heard it over and over....and over.....and over...

"Will you come jump with me?"

-- it's too cold

"Now will you come jump with me, it isn't cold?"

--no, I'm busy

"Mom, will you come jump with me?"

-- I just don't want to jump.

Finally, it slapped me upside the head that my attitude was HORRIBLE! All she wanted was for me to come play with her. Even if I jumped for 5 jumps and then just sat there, she would be happy.  Finally,

"Mom, will you come jump with me?"

--I really am in the middle of this, I will, but let me finish.  A little later, right after I emptied my bladder - that is important. REALLY IMPORTANT. I said okay, come on, let's go jump. She dropped what she was doing and came running, hollaring at her brother to come too. "Come on, she won't jump long!"  So true, she knows me. I just really don't like jumping for very long. Did I mention the bladder thing?

We jumped and jumped. They did flips, I said no way. She fell flat on her back and bounced back up to her feet and said "now you do it". I said I can't! This kept going. They would do something I thought was crazy and then want me to do it, I would say, "I can't." I'M 42!!

Then I got slapped upside the head again (not literally) why do I keep saying I can't. I haven't even tried. Is that what I want them to learn? What difference does my age matter? It's not like I'm 92!!

So I tried. I tried to land flat on my back, but seriously it was hard. I could not let myself just fall back without bracing myself, which made it hurt worse. I did keep trying and she kept laughing!

Then something happened and they thought it would be hilarious to play "don't crack the egg" with me as the egg.

This is where one person lays in the middle of the trampoline in a fetal position, holding their legs and the others bounce you. The "egg" tries not to let go of their legs, which would mean they got cracked. They bounced me and I screamed. Seriously, I screamed. I closed my eyes because if I kept them open, I screamed more - it was too scary. They thought it was hilarious. I would scream and they would laugh.

Then it was time to play follow the leader and I was leader because seriously, I cannot do half what they can do. I did corny things, but they played along. Then, I let them each have one time as a leader and I TRIED to do what they did. They laughed again.

Finally, it was time for me to get off. We've already discussed the why's of this. By the way, I may not be able to walk tomorrow, because that really is a workout!

My lessons for the day-
1.  I had fun jumping on the trampoline, I should do it more often instead of automatically saying no. Plus it counts for exercise.
2. Stop saying "I can't" and just try! Who knows, maybe you can!
3. My children love when I play with them - okay, I already knew this one!
4. It does crazy things to my hair.

Blessings my friends,
Rashel

Examples of Real vs. Perfect

Yesterday I wrote about being ourselves instead of searching for that perfect way. So today I thought I would share a few examples of real vs "perfect".

Dishes in the sink because I chose to watch a movie after dinner with my family
........vs....... your sink should always be empty and sparkling

Blankets strewn across the living room this morning because of watching above said movie
......vs........ always tidy up the house before bedtime, nothing should be out of place

Frozen pizza for lunch because I didn't want to cook after grocery shopping
......vs......... if you feed your family processed foods, you are poisoning them.

Ponytail, no makeup and yoga pants on when my hubby walks in the door
......vs....... you should always freshen your makeup and fix your hair just before your husband arrives home.

Writing my name in the dust on my coffee table
......vs........ today is Tuesday, let's dust the entire house.

Talking to God while washing the dishes
.....vs........we should rise an hour before our family and spend quiet time with God.

Come on in, make yourself at home, oh let me move that blanket out of your way
......vs...... I can't have people over unless my house is spotless.

Taking my neighbor a tater tot casserole when they had a bad day
.....vs...... I must fix a three course meal in order to bless someone.

Pepsi, a bag of chips and some french onion dip while cleaning my house because that is a real thing
.......vs........ I must never put junk in my mouth if I want to be healthy and a good fitness example to others.

Saying I'm sorry when I lose my temper and yell at my children
..........vs........We must be perfect examples of Christ, maintaining self control in all areas at all times.

Popcorn, blankets and movies all day with my family - maybe even ordering pizza so I don't have to cook
.......vs........We must never be lazy, always busy with our hands.

These are just a few examples of my real life. Yep, they've all happened at one time or another. I tried to use some extreme perfects just to make a point, but please know that if you do any of the "perfect" things because that is how you like it, GREAT!! I just don't want us believing we are any less of a wife, mother or person because we don't do them. Remember, it is all about finding what works for us and our own families, not trying to live up to some standard "they" set for us - whoever "they" are.

I want us to live in grace and freedom. I want us to relax and enjoy life, to love others and let go of trying to be perfect. Just. be. you.  If that means having a spotless house, awesome - just don't expect that if you come visit me. ;)

Blessings my friends,
Rashel

To read the post that inspired this post, click here.

There is No Perfect Way

There is so much I want to write, so much on my heart, that I don’t really know what to say. It’s as if I have no words to accurately describe the emotion in my heart and mind. I feel as if I can’t express it adequately – but I will try, because it is so important, so vital.

I see so many women struggling in life – struggling in every area of life: marriage, motherhood, homemaking, business woman, child of God, everything. They seem to be always searching for the answers, for someone to tell them who they are supposed to be, what they are supposed to do and how to do it. They are always seeking the right way, the perfect way. They never feel as if they are doing good enough or even if they are enough.

That’s why there are so many articles like “The 10 things you must do for a clean house”, “the best way to improve your marriage”, or “top 5 ways to train your child”. There is always someone willing to tell us the “best way”, because there are so many of us searching for that “best way.”

I know, because I have been there. I have felt like I wasn’t doing enough, like I was failing at so many things. Sometimes at everything. I have felt like I was the only one that didn’t have it all together. I felt like a failure and I felt alone.

Dear sister, let me tell you right now – YOU ARE ENOUGH. You don’t need to keep searching for the perfect way. There is no perfect way. There’s just not! No matter what you are doing, there is no perfect way to do it. There is no best way. There are so many ways, because there are so many of us. We are all different – praise God! Our families are all different. Our homes, our lifestyles, our careers, our hobbies – they are all different. And do you know what, God created us that way. He wants us to be different. He wants us to find our own way. He wants us to be ourselves. Yes, ourselves. You be you and I’ll be me. I’ll keep my house clean the way I want, and you keep your house clean the way you want. How does that sound? Sounds kind of freeing doesn’t it?

Let me tell you a secret, it is. It is such freedom to just be myself. God is teaching me this lesson. I wish I could say He has taught me this lesson, but I’m a little stubborn and I still need reminding – often.  Sweet child of God, He wants you to learn it too. He loves you. He made you. He made you who you are. He doesn’t make mistakes. He doesn’t make flaws, you are perfect in His sight. You are perfectly you. Soak that in for a moment. Reread it if you need to. I’ll wait…..

I want you to really, really get this. You are enough just the way you are. You are the best mom for your children, the best wife for your husband, and the best keeper of your home. Stop tearing yourself down and stop comparing yourself to others. Just. STOP.

Yes, strive to be better…in Christ. Never stop growing in Christ. Always seek to be more like Him. But for the love of all things, stop trying to be like Mrs. Perfect across the road (or probably more like across the blog). When your heart is focused on Christ, when you are drawing nearer to Him, the rest will fall into place. Trust me, it just will.

When you learn that it is okay to be you, to be real, you can’t even imagine the blessing it is. Others will be drawn to you, because they will see that you are real, that you are honest. They will feel free to be real too. They won’t feel judged, they will feel loved. Do you know why? Because once you accept yourself, you are free to accept others just as they are too. You won’t judge them anymore, because you’ll know that just like you, they aren’t perfect. None of us are. (except in God's eyes)

My prayer is that we will learn to live in the freedom of Christ. The freedom of knowing that we are His and nothing will ever lessen His love for us. The freedom of being who He created us to be. Let’s lay down the bonds of comparison and guilt and instead, live in the freedom and grace of being a child of God.

If all of those how to articles help you draw closer to God and be a better wife or mom, then by all means let God use them to speak to you. But for goodness sake, do not buy into the lie that we all have to do it (whatever it is) the same way, because we don’t. Read posts and be encouraged, learn different ways of doing things and find what works best for you and your family, but blow the chaff away and let it go.  

I pray you have been encouraged to be yourself, to be free.

Blessings,

Rashel

To see my next post for practical examples of this, go here.

**be sure to see my link ups page to see which party this post might be linked to

Healthy Instant Breakfast Shake:THM FP

I'm not really a breakfast eater, I could go for a few hours after I get up with nothing but a couple cups of coffee. However, I know that really isn't good for me. So I started thinking about what I could do to get some nourishment without having to eat much. I thought about having muffins ready, or something similar but it really isn't about making breakfast. It's that I really just don't feel like eating right away. Unlike my 18 year old son who has always thought he needed to eat immediately upon getting out of bed - like I'm going to starve if I don't have three bowls of cereal NOW! Not me.

I used to drink Carnation instant breakfasts years and years ago and more recently I drank a healthier version of that type of shake, but those have so many unwanted ingredients in them that I just don't want to consume those anymore. So I decided it was time to come up with my own Trim Healthy Mama version.

I wanted something I could mix up in a shaker bottle without needing a blender and that had enough protein in it to keep me nourished for awhile - until I was ready to eat.

Introducing the Healthy Instant Breakfast Shake:

Combine the following in a shaker bottle (with the little wire ball thing inside)
8 oz unsweetened almond milk
2 tsp integral collagen
1 scoop Trim Healthy Mama protein powder (my absolute favorite protein powder)
pinch of sea salt
1/4 tsp lecithin
1 doonk stevia, I use Trim Healthy Mama brand

Then shake, shake, shake and enjoy!
I estimate this has about 25g of protein and it is an FP for THM followers.
You could use water but I really like the creaminess and flavor the almond milk gives plus a few extra nutrition benefits.

I've found that I can have one of these and not be hungry until lunch time, although I don't think it would be wise to do that every day. You can also pair this with some fruit for a THM E meal. Or add it to an S meal that is light on protein.

I'm still experimenting with other flavors such as chocolate, peanut butter and caramel. I like it just the way it is, but I know others would like flavor options. If you experiment with flavors, please comment below and let us know what works for you!

To make it super easy, mix up several containers of the dry ingredients ahead of time and they will be ready to just add to the almond milk and go!

Blessings,
Rashel

*This post contains affiliate links.

My Absolute Favorite Tool for Staying on Plan

Today I want to share with you one of my very favorite tools for helping me stay accountable on

Trim Healthy Mama!

Let's face it, no matter how much I LOVE following this plan, sometimes it can be hard- especially at holidays, special events, when hubby brings home chocolate or because it's Monday!

Eating healthy can sometimes be hard no matter what plan you are following and no matter how much you LOVE that plan!

Am I right?

Yep, I'm right!

Oh! And what if you are the ONLY person in your household that gives a second thought to what goes in your mouth? That can make it even harder. 

Accountability helps.

Friends that are eating the same way as you helps.

Seeing ideas and getting recipes helps.

We can all use help.

So, I'm sharing with you one of my absolute favorite apps ever!

Seriously. I don't want to be without it. Ever.

YouFood

I'm not kidding. I get nothing for telling you about this app. I just want you to experience it and to love it like I do.

Here, I'll give you a sneak peak.

This picture is a screenshot of my posts on Jan. 5. Here's what ya do-

you take a picture of everything you eat and log it in this app. 

How many times have you heard that the key to being healthy or losing weight is to log your food? Can I be honest, I hate logging my food - well, I did. Before I found YouFood.

You just snap a picture of your food and post it, and you can add a description if you want. 

Super simple.

I can log food, exercise, tips, encouraging thoughts, whatever!

AND THERE'S MORE!

Oh I just reminded myself of an infomercial - yikes!

You can follow other YouFoodies that follow the same plan as you, like Trim Healthy Mama or those with the same interests - running, large families, etc. There are so many interests and food plans on there I'm sure you will find what suits you. When you follow someone their posts show up in your feed and you see what they are eating/doing - I have gotten so many great ideas and recipes this way it is unreal!

And do you know what you can do when someone shares a recipe you love? You can save it in your "fridge"! Oh yes, a fridge. My fridge has multiple compartments - you decide how many and how to label them. It makes it so easy to keep track of foods you like and want to try.

Here is just a little snippet of my fridge.

BUT WAIT...there's more!

(I couldn't resist a little more infomercial)

The best thing about this app is the community of friends I have on there. I never dreamed I would make such great friends through an app. They encourage me, lift me up, pray with me, keep me accountable and inspire me. You probably can't understand it until you've experienced it, but it is amazing! 

So what are you waiting for? Go check it out! 

Look me up @RashelTHM 

Let me know you are coming from my blog and I'll be sure to follow you back - unless of course you want to keep your profile private. That is an option too and then no one sees your log but you. It is still a great way to track your food!

Go! Now!

Blessings my friends,

Rashel

*This post may contain affiliate links.

It's ALL About Grace

It's true!

It is ALL about grace.

Everything.

Our interaction with others- whether in person or online, whether it is a friend or a clerk at the store.

GRACE.

Our faith - that is an obvious one right. God shows us more grace and mercy than we know, more than we can even imagine. 

GRACE.

Our family - hopefully we extend grace to each other as we are all growing and learning.

GRACE.

But what about ourselves. Do we show ourselves

grace?

What about our journey to better health? Do we allow ourselves grace?

We can be so hard on ourselves, our biggest critics and the first ones to condemn ourselves when we mess up.  In any area of our lives. Why? 

Why do we do that?

God doesn't condemn us or criticize us. 

He shows us GRACE.

Those that love us don't condemn us when we mess up. They encourage us and extend us grace. When our accountability buddy has a bad day and makes a bad food choice, we don't belittle them and make them feel worse. We show them grace and understanding.

We need to learn to show ourselves grace. We are going to mess up and we are going to make mistakes, it is just life. Why would we expect to be perfect? There is only one that is perfect. Jesus.

We may lose our temper toward our children. We may disrespect our husband. We might just eat that candy bar! 

We are going to have times when we don't do the right thing. As long as we are striving to be better, trying to make progress and learning from our mistakes, it's okay.

It's. Okay.

Grace.

Allow yourself grace. Show yourself the grace you show to others and then try to do better next time. It's all about progress not perfection. 

It's all about grace.

Blessings,

Rashel

Choosing to Let Go of the Guilt

Have I mentioned that I committed to run a 10k in April? 

Well, I did. I was planning to run the 5k and a friend talked me into doing the 10k - I'm excited and nervous all at the same time!

This all happened several months ago and I started using a 10k app on my phone to train. Everything was going great, I was making progress and knew I had several weeks beyond the app to improve my time before the actual race.

Well, then I went on vacation the first part of November and even though I ran one day while we were there, that was the last day I ran for awhile. Not because I got injured, but because I got lazy! 

Ugh! I took several weeks off from running. I don't know why, other than laziness.  I got mad at myself for taking so much time off and losing some of my endurance, but getting mad didn't help anything.

I finally got back into training and even though I had to back up where I was on the app, I've decided it is okay.  At least I am running again. Yes, I am not as far a long as I was, but I am further than I was last year at this time. 

You see last year when we went on vacation I got completely off track with my eating and exercising - but it lasted 4 months! I was determined not to do that again!

I did good with my eating this year and even though I had some off plan foods while on vacation, I got right back on track when we got home!

I keep telling myself that yes, I stopped running for a month, but at least it wasn't 4 months! It wasn't even 2 months! Progress is what matters right? 

Well, I am making progress and learning from the mistakes I've made in the past. I'm not going to let myself feel guilty about the time I wasn't running, I'm just going to determine to learn from that and remember it next time I think I don't want to run. 

My point - most of us mess up at some time in our lives, what matters is that we learn from it and do better next time. Living in guilt and shame doesn't help anything and that is not what God intends for us. Those feelings are from Satan and I refuse to let him get a foothold in my life.

I choose to believe what is real, honorable and true. I am a child of the King and He loves me even when I mess up. He just wants me to get back up and go again. No guilt. No shame. No condemnation. 

Just love and encouragement.

So if you have fallen off track with your eating, or gotten out of the habit of exercising or maybe something in your spiritual walk is lacking - just jump back up and get going again. It's okay!

Babysteps are better than no steps.

Blessings my friends,

Rashel

Don't Give Up

I don't mind allowing myself some off plan meals or snacks from time to time, honestly I don't. I believe in food freedom and not becoming a slave to the way I eat. I think the occasional special treat is great. 

But I have to be careful.

Not because it messes with my weight, one treat is not going to mess with my weight. 

I have to be careful because some off plan foods trigger cravings for more off plan foods and it can quickly spiral out of control.

If I allow sugar back into my diet, it can easily become ugly. Sugar makes me crave more sugar!

It's like a drug and I feel like I lose control. Honestly, that is how it makes me feel. No. Control.

I allowed an off plan lunch last Thursday, then I taste tested a cheesecake I was trying for a catering job. Friday evening was a family gathering and I allowed more cheats. 

Then Saturday was bible study and I ate off plan again.

Sunday my cravings were horrible! Then the family decided to order pizza for dinner. Not. Good.

You know the funny thing is that these "special" occasions happen all the time and when I have the correct mindset it is no problem at all for me to stay on plan. But if I get in the mindset of "oh it's okay, I'll just get back on track tomorrow" or worse the "I really don't care today" mode - it is just ugly.

Really ugly!

Now, I know that my hormones fluctuate and they really do effect my appetite, but that is no excuse for me to lose control. 

Self control is a fruit of the Spirit, even when the hormones rage. 

Today my mindset is back in the right place. I'm ready to get back on plan. Thanks to prayers from my friends and from myself, God is helping me. 

I'm not down about this weekend. I'm not even going to get upset with myself.

It happens.  It isn't the first time I've done this and since this is a lifelong journey, it probably won't be the last.

The main thing is that I get myself back on track and not give up just because I had a bad weekend. That's what happens with diets, not with a lifestyle of eating. 

I say all of this to encourage you if you have these times of splurges and off plan eating. Don't let it derail you. Don't let it take your focus off of the bigger picture.

You didn't ruin anything. Yeah, you might have slowed your weight loss, but you didn't completely ruin it. 

You just get back on track. 

You do your best and you take one day at a time if  you have to.

Don't give up.

No matter how many times you mess up.

Don't quit.

You are worth the effort. 

Don't feel guilty, that is from Satan.

Just learn from the situation and move on. 

There is no guilt, no condemnation.

You are human, we mess up. No one is perfect.

You are beautiful.

You are loved.

You are worth the effort.

Be blessed my friends and if you stumble, just get back up. 

Rashel ♥

It's What We Do That Matters

Normally when I run, I listen to my Christian exercise playlist; it's just upbeat music that keeps me going and I love it. 

One of the songs has a line that says, "It doesn't matter how you feel, it's what you do that matters."

I. Love. That. Line.

It keeps me going when I really feel like quitting.

It makes me push through how I feel and instead, dig deep into what I can actually DO. 

Because what I FEEL I can do and what I can ACTUALLY do are two different things. Totally. Different.

But that line doesn't speak to me just about exercising, it speaks to my life.

It doesn't matter how I feel. It's what I do that matters.

I might feel angry - but what am I going to do about it?

I might feel hurt - but how am I going to respond?

I might feel frustrated - but does that mean I lose my temper?

We can feel lots of things. 

That doesn't mean we have to act on them. 

My feelings can get me in trouble, they can cause me to focus on myself and my rights, instead of on God's ways.

My feelings are fleeting with the moment and my circumstances, but I must focus on the truth that is never changing. 

I pray we all would respond and act based on the truth, not on our feelings in that moment.

I pray we would fill our hearts with the Word of Truth, that it would speak to us in those moments.

I pray we remember that it's what we DO that matters.

What we do is what others see and that is how they will see our Christ in us.

Blessings my friends,

Rashel

My Unhealthy Indulgence

In keeping with being real, I thought I should share with you what my unhealthy indulgence is. 

Yes, I'm a trim healthy mama, I have been for two years! 

And I LOVE it! 

I honestly don't see myself going back to my old way of eating. I feel so much healthier and vibrant eating this way that I have no desire to go back to my old "S.A.D." ways.

However, I do have one unhealthy indulgence I allow myself.

I could justify it and say "It could be much worse"

but I won't...it is what it is..

Rashel's Cookies

I feel the need to explain why I titled this post Rashel's Cookies - 

I found a cookie recipe on the back of my almond flour bag and decided to try it last week, OH MY WORD!! They turned out to be the best cookies I have had that follow the Trim Healthy Mama plan. EVER!

I posted a picture and the recipe on YouFood and they quickly became known as Rashel's Cookies! So, there ya go - why I titled my post that way.

I did NOT come up with this recipe. I tried to find it online and just link it for you, but I couldn't. 

My brand of almond flour is Baker's Corner and I get it at Aldi.

I give ALL credit to them! 

But I just had to share this recipe with you, because it is FABULOUS and every one needs to have a great, healthy cookie recipe.

2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup erythritol (original recipe called for sugar)

1 large egg

1/2 tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 cup sugar free chocolate chips (original recipe called for dark choc chips)

Preheat oven to 350. 

Mix the almond flour, baking soda, erythritol and salt in a bowl. 

Add the softened butter and mix until blended. 

Add the egg and mix well. 

Fold in the chocolate chips until incorporated. 

Form dough into tablespoon sized balls and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. 

These are sooo yummy!!

Enjoy,

Rashel

Green Bean Casserole THM-S

Green Bean Casserole

A Trim Healthy Mama S side dish

Ingredients:

1 onion, sliced

Coconut oil for frying

4 - 14oz cans of green beans, drain only 3 of the cans

1-2 Tbsp bacon grease (or coconut oil)

Salt and pepper

1/4 c butter

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1- 4 oz can of mushrooms, drained and minced finely

Heat coconut oil in a medium skillet over medium to medium high heat. Once it is hot, carefully drop onion slices into the oil. Only do enough at a time that they make a single layer in the oil. If the oil is hot enough, the onion should float right back to the top. Fry until the onion is a golden to dark brown.  You don't want them burnt, but you want them fried. Spoon out and drain on paper towel when done. Repeat until all onion slices are done, then set them aside. Remove this skillet to the side.

Preheat oven to 350.

In a separate, large skillet, on medium high heat, empty your green beans (remember 3 of the cans should be drained), add your bacon grease (or oil) and salt and pepper to taste. Cook these uncovered until all the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. It will take 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of skillet and your heat. Once the liquid is gone, dump the green beans into whatever bowl you will be baking/serving them in. Turn your stove down to medium heat and leave your skillet on the heat. Immediately add your butter, cream and mushrooms. Stir constantly until it has started to thicken, it should make tracks in the skillet when you pull your spoon through. Just be careful not to scorch it. When thickened, turn heat off, remove from stove and dump the green beans back into the skillet. Stir until all beans are coated with sauce, add more salt and pepper if you need to and then pour back into your serving dish. Top with your fried onions and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

*I know many people frown on bacon grease which is why I said you can use coconut oil, but the grease gives an amazing flavor to the beans. 

This is how I always fix our green beans. When I am fixing them as a side dish, I let them cook past when the liquid evaporates and they brown a little in the pan. Delish!!

I will definitely be taking this to Thanksgiving dinner to replace the unhealthy version!

Blessings,

Rashel 

Chocolate Cheesecake Tartlets - THM S

I was inspired yesterday by a YouFood friend to get creative and make something yummy that follows the Trim Healthy Mama plan.

So today I had some time and decided I would try to make chocolate cheesecake tartlets.  I started by using my favorite pie crust recipe from Elana's Pantry. It is super yummy and super easy, which makes it super duper right?

Okay, I'll just leave that alone.

I mixed up a batch of pie crust, divided it into 24 pieces and pushed each piece into my mini muffin pan that was waiting with liners in it.

I baked them for about 8 minutes, until edges were lightly browned. I then set them aside to cool.

Next I made a batch of whipped topping using heavy whipping cream, you can see how I do that here.

I put it in the fridge to stay cool.

Heat up your coconut oil and mix in the cocoa. 

Put the cocoa mixture into your mixing bowl with your softened cream cheese and sweet blend and mix with the paddle until thoroughly combined and smooth.

Then fold in two cups of your whipped cream, gently until well combined. Place it back in the fridge to set up a little.

Then I mixed up a batch of ooey, gooey, yummy caramel sauce. Oh my word I love this stuff!!

 I'm talking I could just eat it out of the jar with a spoon. Or in my coffee. Or with skinny chocolate. Or off a spoon, did I say that already. Yes. It. Is. GOOD!

You can find the recipe I use here.

I also put it in the fridge to cool.

When everything is cooled and you are ready it is time for the fun part. Assembling.

Just take a crust, top with a small scoop of the chocolate cheesecake, follow with a nice dollop of whipped cream and a generous drizzle of caramel yumminess.

Then savor each bite, both of them - because these are tartlets. Think small. 

Then think these are small... and on plan.... so I can have another one. 

Oh yeah!

Chocolate Cheesecake Filling:

8 oz softened cream cheese

6 Tbsp cocoa

2 Tbsp coconut oil

2 Tbsp sweet blend
2 cups whipped cream

I apologize for not having more pictures, my computer is really acting up and it took way too long just to get these loaded. I will try to edit this post another time and add more photos.

I hope you enjoy them!

These are a Trim Healthy Mama S dessert.

Blessings,
Rashel

I think this would also be great as a regular pie! The tartlets are nice to take to a potluck or dinner though.

*Next time I think I am going to make the crusts thinner.

My Facebook Page

I just wanted to let you all know that while I may not be very consistent blogging on here, my Facebook page is much more active. It takes a lot less time to post a quick note on there compared to here and let's face it, we are all pretty busy - so I know you understand where I'm coming from.

This week I'm sharing some tips about how I make Trim Healthy Mama work for me so be sure to check out my page on Facebook. I also love the interaction there, I love hearing from all of you and getting to know you a little better on there. I look forward to seeing you all there!

Blessings,
Rashel

Increasing My Running Speed and Endurance

When I started running I used the Couch to 5K app and I really enjoyed it- for awhile. However, once I reached a certain point it was moving too fast for me and I couldn't keep up with the daily goals. I kept running, sometimes using previous days on the app and sometimes just making up my own goal that day. But I wasn't seeing much improvement in my 5k times and knew I needed to do something different.

That is when I really started researching what others do to increase their speed and endurance and I found out there is a vast amount of information on the internet about the subject. I read and read, then I asked questions on the THM runners facebook group. (They are so supportive and helpful!)

I learned enough to come up with my own plan and it has helped me tremendously! I thought I would share what I do each week, but then I highly encourage you to do some reading on your own and find out what works for you. Just because this works for me, it may not be the best for you. Also remember that I am not a professional, I am just sharing what I do.

My fitness journey

I've been thinking and praying about how I can best encourage you in your fitness journey, and I believe the best way is for me just to share my journey with you.

So, I plan to just kind of journal about my exercises, my food choices or whatever is speaking to me that day. I pray that you don't find it boastful or prideful, but instead are encouraged in your own life.

I want to encourage others no matter what their level of fitness. I have so much to learn and I want to share it all with you as I go.

I don't want to devote hours each day to being fit, instead I want to spend my time on what really works without taking tons of time.  While fitness is a passion of mine, it can't take up my whole day. I'm a wife and a mom first and those two jobs take up most of my time.

Today I want to share what I have been doing for upper body strength. I got this routine from several sources on the internet and put together which ones I would/could do consistently.

I know the quality of the photo is not great, but I hope you can read it anyway.

I keep this paper tacked up on the wall in my room where I work out and I use 3lb weights on the ones that require weights. I've been doing these three days a week, opposite of my run days. They really don't take long to get done, but they work! 

Here is a progress picture-

There is only 10 days between the two pictures and I know it isn't a huge difference, but it is enough to notice. Which makes me want to keep going!!

The other things I've been doing each day to help upper body strength are pushups and a plank. Each day I add a pushup and add time to my plank every other day. I am up to 17 pushups and a 95 second plank!

Working out doesn't have to be extra strenuous and it doesn't have to take hours. I'm usually done in 30 minutes.

Are you exercising regularly? It is so important to your overall health. I pray you find something you like and then stick with it.

Blessings,

Rashel

20 GGMS Variations (and counting)

I love the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle and I really enjoy the refreshing drinks. There are many versions of the Good Girl Moonshine floating around on the web, but I don't always have time to go searching for them. So, I decided I would make a post that linked all the ones I could find for easy reference.

Why I Stopped Making a Menu Plan

I used to make a menu plan, two weeks at a time to coincide with my grocery days.  But I stopped. 

I know, I know, everyone says to make a menu - it saves you time, it saves you money.

Well, it can but it can also waste a lot of time, for me anyway.

I would spend way too much time going through recipes, deciding what looked good and where it would fit in my week and then make my grocery list based on my menu. 

But do you know what happened, things would come up and we wouldn't follow the menu. Or a certain day and meal would come up and I just really wasn't in the mood for that particular meal that day. It eneded up being a waste of my time. 

So, I found a system that works much better for me.

Fuzzy Navel GGMS

Oh yeah, another one!

So, I told you about my quest to make an amaretto sour ggms here, but I didn't stop there.

Oh no, next I went for a fuzzy navel.

Oh yeah!

Amaretto GGMS

OH MY WORD!!!

You have GOT to try this!

Like right now!!

Okay, I'll give you a little history and then the recipe - but then you just have to go make it and tell me if you love it as much as me.

I haven't drank alcohol much in years, but yeah, I used to drink occasionally. We just choose not to now for personal reasons. However, one of my favorite drinks was amaretto sour and I have been CRAVING it lately. I have absolutely no idea why, because like I said, it's been years since I've had one. 

So I went on a mission to create an amaretto GGMS 

(good girl moonshine - a THM drink).

Oh yes, I did!

I won't make you wait any longer. Here it is: