5:: not gonna lie

Today has probably been the most difficult so far, this not eating sugary treats thing.  I could definitely use one or five right now.

The baby is teething, so she's ben clingy and fussy much of today.  She needs pain reliever, mama wants chocolate.

I powered through four errands today in about 90 minutes today, with the1yr old and 3yr old in tow.  It actually went pretty smoothly.  Especially after I found blessed Tylenol in the diaper bag for the teething baby.  No matter how well errands and children go, one is still tired.  And could use say a candy bar or even some dry fruit loops in celebration.

Getting dinner ready with cranky kids and a teething baby?  Sure helps to snack on some sweet treats while doing preparations.

But oh no, not for me, not this month.

Sigh. 

I keep telling myself just one after dinner treat won't hurt.  And realistically, it wouldn't.  On a day that I've eaten well (like today) and gotten in a little exercise even, a reasonable dessert is acceptable.  But the problem is, my typical pattern would have been to already have eaten several sugary treats (see scenarios above) and would still have one while relaxing before bed.  That's the cycle I'm trying to break. 

Maybe I should have made it "one dessert a day" month.  But no, I had to go the hard route, and say no desserts.  I know that's the better way though, to really rid myself of this bad habit.  For the most part, I'm doing it. 

Bean is a terrible accountability partner and in my early morning delirium yesterday got me to agree to a Starbucks drink he wanted to go get me before work.  The heavy dose of caffeine was what I wanted most, but the amount of sugar probably defined it as a treat.  But come on, how do you turn down the handsome face who wants to go get you a coffee at 6:30am in the morning?  You can't hurt the guy's feelings by turning down such a sweet gesture.

I just drank my second cup of Market Spice Tea and had some popcorn.  Hopefully I can get through the rest of the night without being too miserable.  I can always microwave an apple with some cinnamon.  Or I'll just go to bed early.

Not gonna lie, the next 26 days feel like they are going to be really long.

4: : finally!

Lily has a cute onsie that says "Expert Crawler."

Although it has fit her for a while, she's never worn it.  It was just too ironic.  Yes, most children crawl between 6 and 12 months, the size on this onsie.  But at almost 13 months, my child wasn't.  Until last week.  Finally, my baby is on the move. 

Well, there still is some irony to it.  I wouldn't quite classify her skill as expert.  But at least she's crawling.  If that's what you could call it.

My childen, they do things their own way, in their own time.  They often like bucking the system and laughing at charts and curves.

Yes, Lily is getting around the house more.  In her own way.  Her right leg folded in front of her, and her left leg folded behind her, she uses her arms to scoot along in a forward motion.  She's barely using the strength of her legs to propel her forward.  It's quite funny, and unique.  It reminds me of the videos you see (usually on TLC) of children with limb problems learning to crawl.

It was just in time for her one year doctor visit.  She turned 13 months on Sunday.  At least I could tell the doctor she is starting to crawl and can even go forward.  The pediatrician wasn't concerned at all with her late blooming status.  She's already getting into stuff.  She loves to open the doors on our TV cabinet and pull stuff out.  She opened a kitchen cabinet today and pulled a heavy glass loaf pan onto the tile.  It made a huge thud, but thankfully didn't break.

I've never had to truly "babyproof" a house before.  Perhaps it was the layout of the house, perhaps it was the laid back personalities of my babies.  When it comes to investigation though, Lily is anything but laid back.  I am wondering if I'm going to be doing some baby-proofing this third time around.

Time will tell.

But, friends, she's crawling!!!

3:: Secret Weapon

One of my favorite movies is The Princess Bride.  Who doesn't have that on their top list?  So many great lines in that movie.

One of mine is "re-wease the secwet weapon."  Remember that one?  Really it's "release the secret weapon."  But it's so much more fun to think it in the original voice and pronunciation.

I have a secret diet weapon.  A secret weapon that helps so much when avoiding sugar and calories.

The best part?

It's natural.

It's sweet.

It's spicy.

It's calorie-free.

Intrigued?

Here it is.

Market Spice Tea.

Honestly, it's amazing.

It's a product from my childhood.
We lived in Washington state until age 9.  From the time I can remember, my mom always drank this sweet and spicy tea that we got to have occasionally.

When we moved to California, several times friends came to visit from Washington and brought some or mailed it to us.  One of my best friends in college was from Washington and she became my supplier! 
Even now, when her mom visits I often have her bring me a few boxes.
Then I discovered you can order it online.

When you have a cup of this tea, you will not believe that it's unsweetened.  It absolutely tastes like it contains sugar.  It tastes like the best sweet tea you've ever had--with a bit of spice.  I have made it into iced tea before, but usually I drink it hot.

I buy it in a bag of 50 teabags.  And I buy 100 teabags at a time.  With shipping it's about 60cents per cup.  A lot less than your favorite Starbucks drink, even if it's more than a cup of tea from your local grocery store.

Acouple things you need to know about this tea.

1.  Make sure you purchase the cinnamon-orange flavor.  The company actually sells many different varieties of tea.

2.  Store it in the original bag, in an airtight glass jar.  The tea contains a lot of natural oils that are required for flavor and will leech into any sort of plastic.

3.  You can buy a decaf variety.  I've found that sometimes the decaf doesn't have the same strength of flavor.  But if you use a bit less water, this can be remedied.  Once, I sent a box of decaf back without problem, because the flavor was so weak and they replaced it.

4.  You have to decide how strong you like the tea and figure out the right amount of water.  I find early on in my bag of tea, I can use pretty large mugs of water and have strong flavor.  After it's been open for a while, sometimes I have to use smaller mugs. 

5.  Use piping hot water!  And for the best results, put your tea in a travel mug with a lid or cover your mug with a small ceramic plate and let it steep for 5-7min.  This gives the strongest flavor.

I'm bummed I finished off my mug of tea while writing this.  I want more!!

I'm drinking two mugs a day right now!  It hits the spot.  Plus, very soon, we'll be into warmer weather that will last many months and for me hot weather and hot tea don't mix. 

Go right now and order some!

I was not compensated or sponsored for this post.  But if anyone wants to me review their item, contact me and I'd be happy to!

2:: Holding them close

Warning: it's a heavy topic tonight.

Last week a 17-yr old girl disappeared after going for a run at a well-known and travelled spot.  Thousands of volunteers have been searching for clues and a few days ago an arrest was made.  The city has been holding out hope that she would be found alive and safe.  Unfortunately this afternoon a body was discovered and although it has not been officially identified the Sheriff has said there is a strong liklihood that it's her body.

One year ago, a 14-yr old girl disappeared while walking to school and there are now suspicions that the same suspect could be involved.  Her body has not been found.

Several years ago a young girl disappeared from her home and was found to have been kidnapped and murdered by her neighbor.

When I was in high school, a girl from my youth group was murdered in her home by a neighbor.

I can't bear to follow closely, but every day or two, when I see mention of Layla Grace on Twitter, I check in. 

So much grief and sadness.

It's heavy, I know.  A topic perhaps we'd like to avoid and push to the back of our mind.

But tonight, it's close to my heart.  Because close to my heart I hold three daughters.  Three beautiful, precious girls.  Who are often the target of such heinous crimes.  Three girls who could easily get sick like Layla Grace and so many other little ones, like Allie, a sweet baby just 1 month older than Miss Rose, a story I followed closely.  (Allie's mom is awesome, BTW)

I never want to let my precious girls out of my sight right now.  Miss Rose has had the privilege of riding her bike around our short block on our own.  I can't handle that idea right now.  The crimes I listed above, they occurred in "good" neighborhoods, ones even a bit more upscale than my own. 

I rushed home from work tonight to get Miss Rose to T-ball practice.  On any other day I may have been a bit impatient to get home and get dinner started and our evening routines going.  I would have a mental list going of what needed to get done and what I wished I was doing.  Tonight, I gladly watched Miss Rose practice with Lily safely in the sling and Gracie next to me.  We walked over to the playground and the little girls got to swing.

I cherished every moment.  I chose to take advantage of the opportunity I had to play with my little girls and watch my big girl learn T-ball (she's already one of the better hitters and throwers!) 

Why wish I was dealing with the responsibilities of the home--when I could just play and drink in their sweetness.

I know I can't protect them from everything.  I know above all, I have to trust God for their well-being.  But for as long as I can, I'm going to hold them close and cherish the opportunities to play, because sometimes, it doesn't last forever.

1:: Weighing In

Yes, I am posting on this first day of my self-imposed March Madness.  I'm in Pacific Standard Time, so it's just 9:30pm here.

I am fairly certain that this March is going to make me mad, that is crazy, because there is so much going on.  Miss Rose is in T-ball.  There are two practices this week and then games start next week.  I think the standard will be one practice per week and games on Mondays and Saturdays.  Add that with me having rehearsals for our church Easter production on Mondays and Wednesdays, and then a few Saturdays at the end of the month.  Oh, and I have three kids, a husband and a job. 

What was I thinking?  Apparently, I wasn't.  Well, we'll get through it.  All of the obligations are good ones, it just means we have to have all of our ducks in a row each day.  Perhaps it's a good thing that we've downgraded our cable to save a little money.  We no longer can record shows and only have a few high-def channels.  It's been a week now, and honestly, I don't miss it much.  I'm behind on "my shows" and haven't seen the latest reality shows, but in the end, they really have no bearing on my life.  They are just entertainment. 

Oh, and my last "99 Things" post, apparently some of the changes I made didn't save.  I think I've corrected it now.  No, I do not have a child named Sam nor have I been to Paris.  I HAVE babysat for Jerry Lewis though, and I'll share about that later this week.

I've debated whether or not I wanted to track my weight this month, with giving up sugary treats and generally trying to eat healthier.  While weight is a good gauge and checkpoint, it can also be a roadblock.  Sometimes the scale doesn't move when you expect it too.  It's too easy for a "bad" number on the scale to set the tone for your day. 

I happen to be a little too in tune with my body.  I know when I gain and lose weight pretty easily.  I can tell by how I feel, the size of the rolls on my stomach, the tone of my legs, the fit of my clothes.  I kind of wish I wasn't so aware of those things.  Is it a female thing?  Are all women so aware of their bodies?

So I will not be weighing in.  This isn't about a number on the scale.  It's about my health and sugar not controlling me.  I may weigh myself in a few weeks, I may not.  We'll see.

How was my first day?  Not so bad.

I drank tea this morning instead of my coffee and creamer.  There may be some mornings I choose to use artificial sweetener and drink coffee, but I don't want to make it a standard.  In fact, my tea is my secret weapon.  More on that tomorrow.

Wouldn't you know there was a box of donuts at work this morning!  I don't remember the last time someone brought donuts in.  But I was strong and resisted.  Thanks in part to Twitter.  It's amazing what instant accountabilty it is.  You tweet about avoiding the donuts, a few encouraging tweets come back, and it helps keep you from backtracking to the breakroom for a sugary treat.

I definitely felt the lack of sugar in the early afternoon.  I could have laid on my office floor and fell asleep.  I'm a sucker for an after lunch treat.  In fact, I got a sandwich today for lunch, and a cookie came in the box--and I threw it away without a second glance.

It helped that tonight was a busy and I had to leave for rehearsal shortly after practice.  No huge temptations while cuddling on the couch with the hubs.  Another secret weapon--which I shall share tonight--is Medjool dates.  I happen to really like them--and naturally they are very sweet.  I have a large tub of them in the fridge and they do hit the spot when you need something sweet.  I had a few tonight after dinner.

With work and rehearsal, no exercise happened today.  I may try to Shred tomorrow after the kids are in bed. 

So, that's the first of my March Madness.

99 things I ought to have done (aka learn more about me)

I saw this on a blog recently and thought it was a fun way to share more random facts about myself.  Feel free to steal it from me!  Comment on this blog when you do, so I can read about you!

Instructions:

Copy the list, bold the ones you've done (with explanations if needed), share with friends.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars...in Mexico, which was especially awesome because there are hardly any lights to wash out the stars and the sky.
3. Played in a band (if singing counts)
4. Visited Hawaii (twice...once with 2 college friends, once with my new husband)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a thunder and lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (does running 3 half marathons count?)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venic
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle (does it count if it was just a ride around the parking lot?
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (I babysat a few times for Jerry Lewis!)
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee 

Not that any of my answers are especially riveting, but if you want to know the background behind any of my answers, do ask and I'll tell!

March Madness

That time of year is coming again, when college basketball teams duke it out for  a spot in the sweet sixteen, the final four and finally the NCAA championship.  Can you tell I'm married to a sports fanatic?  Last year I learned there are names for the 64  & the 32, but I can't remember them right now.  THIS is March Madness.  A term I think I only learned or at least was able to define after marriage.

For no other reason than it's March, and I'm going to make some maddening alterations to my life--I've decided to do my own version of March Madness here at Our Three Bean Circus.  Do you think it's catchy?  Well, I kind of do.  And it's my blog so that's all that matters!

What is my version of March Madness?  Here's the skinny.

1.  Cut back majorly on processed foods and sugar.  Especially sugar.  No treats, desserts or snacks of the processed sugary variety.

2.  Exercise more regularly

3.  Blog daily (or at least schedule blogs!)

4.  Focus on enjoying the moment, finding joy and rejoicing in each day.

Here's the full scoop.

I've been talking about my food issues recently.  Sugar plays a huge role in that.  I'm very sensitive to what I eat.  Unfortunately it's a genetic thing.  I feel so much better when I eat well.  And I don't really know how to practice moderation.

Which is exactly why I've said majorly.  I don't want to set myself up for failure, so 100% is not my goal.  And while I do want to make this more of a lifestyle change, I want to find balance and moderation. 

Exercise...that goes along with feeling good.  Although I do get a couple exercise sessions in each week, I could do more.  I often make excuses about being tired or just done with the day.  Which is often true, but in reality I could eek out a few miles or do a short video.  I know Shredding at 7:30pm, once the kids are in bed, can make a big different in how I feel.  I'm trying to add some free weights, ab work and maybe some leg work to my evenings when the TV is on.

Blog daily.  I want the accountability.  I want to chronicle daily life more closely for a month.  I want to write more of what I think.  Sometimes I wish posts would write themselves!

Enjoy the moment.  I think if I was present in more moments in my life, life wouldn't catch up with me so quickly.  Sometimes I look too much at the big picture.  I focus on what I'm missing by not being home with the girls each day.  I focus on the clutter, the unfinished decorating, the "projects."  If I were present I would laugh with my girls, I would get on the floor and play more, I would see more of what God is doing.

This, is my own March Madness. 

If you'd like, you're welcome to steal the idea.  What do you need to get maddening about?
*I do realize I'm not using that term in quite the right way, but it's artistic license, okay?