Pass the Peas, Please!

I like to consider myself a fairly health-conscious individual. Basically, all that means is that I know just how bad for me the things I am eating are.

I do pretty well sneaking whole grains into our diet. Fruit? Easy! But I am HORRIBLE about serving my family vegetables. I usually have something green on the table come dinner time, but that's about it. I have decided that it really boils down to two things: inconvenience and laziness.

I'm not one of those people that can just chew on a raw cucumber. As far as I'm concerned, vegetables need preparation to be edible. If I don't plan it before I walk into the kitchen to fix a meal, it 'aint happenin'. If I don't write what vegetables we're having each meal before I go shopping, I don't have it in my fridge. Besides, a bowl of cereal always sounds better than steamed zucchini (and I love steamed zucchini). Easy, yummy, sugary...the cereal usually wins out. So there you have it; inconvenience and laziness.

I am going to be better. My goal for the next month is to have two servings of (different) vegetables each day. I know that's not at much as is suggested, but I figure I'll start with an attainable goal.

This week we had:

Day 1: Spinach salad at snacktime, and grilled zucchini for dinner

Day 2: Veggie Sandwiches for lunch and corn on the cob for dinner

Day 3: Baby carrots for lunch and spinach salad for dinner

Day 4: Sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, & pickles for lunch, and omelets with red peppers and onions

Day 5: Spaghetti with tomato sauce for dinner, carrots for a bedtime snack (lame, I know)

Day 6: Sandwich with lettuce, tom, & pickles for lunch, fresh veggies & dip for dinner

Day 7: Hawaiian Haystacks w/ bell peppers & tomatoes, broccoli salad (so good!), and green salad

So far so good! I've definitely had to make a conscious effort. Only three more weeks of this and it will be a habit, right?


SBB

Expectations

"If you treat a man as he is, he will remain as he is, but if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be, and could be, he will become what he ought to be, and should be."

-Geothe

Words of gold my friends, words of gold.

SBB

Good Stuff

Thankful for:

Good friends and blessings from Heaven (in other words, a $50 blessing outfit that I'm borrowing instead of having to buy).

Good days and answers to prayer (a feeling that I can actually handle life. Friends who invite the Bug over for a morning. A day without raising my voice or getting frustrated).

Improvement and progression (I'm getting faster again. Running, that is--I'm afraid that mentally there is no hope).

Good times and the ability to adapt (ie., a grown man, a toddler, and a baby taking a "bath" at the bottom of a not-at-all-spacious shower. Sorry, no pictures for this one).

A sweet big brother who takes care of his 'yiddo brudder Amum'.

I couldn't find the Bug anywhere yesterday. I should have known where to look first. "A heppin' Amum, Mom!" He had lost his pacifier.


"Amum need a drink"


"Here, Amum. Pyay dis"

This face.

SBB

What I'm trying

So I had a friend suggest I try an all natural shampoo to see if the hair pulling is triggered/magnified by a sensitivity to oils used in commercial shampoos. My sister-in-law has been using a simple make-at-home shampoo, so I thought I'd try it out. It's suppose to restore the natural balance to your hair. My scalp is pretty dry, so I figured I'd give it a try. It's a long shot, but hey--it's a free one, and it certainly won't hurt anything. Here is the website if you want to give it a try:

http://www.naturemoms.com/no-shampoo-alternative.html

It's just baking soda and apple cider vinegar; super easy. I tried it this morning. I'll let you know how it goes.