making a lifestyle adjustment is an great adventure

since the twins were born july 2010 our lives have been...busy. yes, that is a grave understatement, but it is pretty precise description. there were so many things going on and i learned early on that i shouldn't do it all just because i was physically capable. and well, really, i wasn't physically capable of much. between pumping and nursing, trying to feed myself & the big boys, changing diapers on my 3 under 2....that was more than enough to fill my day. i figured that time was my most precious commodity. no, not money. i wasn't really leaving the house so no extra money was being spent...unless you count doctor's appointments.

time was always of the essence. i felt the pull of motherhood in every. single. direction. and the place i truly cared about the least was the kitchen. i don't really enjoy cooking. i'm not in love with food. i mean, i like it, but i don't ever think about what my next meal can be or dream of trying new recipes. sorry, it's just not in my blood. but if i do find a good one, i'll be sure to share! all that to say, i sacrificed time in the kitchen making food for time with my boys. in the past year we've eaten a lot of processed, pre-prepared foods and just as much take out. yeah...it's gross. and we all have felt equally as gross. also, {ben} has had a few traumatic trips to the dentist. but that's a story in & of itself for another day.

but times are changing. the twins are gaining independence daily & explore and climb everything. {gabe} & {ben} are learning how to play with one another and not just tackle each other. and they are all eating more... in amounts and variety of food.

so we are making a significant lifestyle adjustment. we're meal planning. we're modifying and cutting somethings out. we are being the conscience consumers/ eaters we always wanted to be and just never were. now we aren't going straight organic on everything, but it does make decision making a little easier if it's organic.

• one of the very first changes we made several months ago was to be a whole grain or wheat family. in pasta, breads, crackers.  we eat a lot of grains cause we have little hands that like to self-feed & texture is still often times an issue. 
• we don't buy sweets. plain & simple. if they are in the house we eat them. if they aren't, it's the easiest excuse to give the boys why they can't have cookies. we don't have any. we do buy some for special occasions or treats, but they aren't a regular on the grocery list. 
• we are cutting out high fructose corn syrup. it's still a process but there are some things we consumer regularly that have it in there. {ben}'s teeth have been such an issue and i'd like to try to prevent the other boys from having to go through the same thing. i know it isn't the only solve, but it's in-line with the healthier lifestyle we are working towards. things like ketchup, syrup, salad dressings & yogurt.
• we are stocking the fridge rather than the pantry. when you buy fresh it's usually a healthier alternative to having stuff in the pantry. eating lots of fruits, cheese & yogurt for snacks rather than cookies or chips. it's fall so we are taking advantage of some great in season vegetables. totally gonna need a bigger fridge as these boys get bigger! i'm thinking a subzero...
• meal planning. we consume 5 small meals a day. i've done this since college and it's worked great for me...especially through pregnancy. so all meals, including snacks are planned. otherwise i get flustered and stressed while kids are whining at the table waiting for food & i just end up reaching for the easy solution. but if i know what i'm already getting then it's no big deal to listen to the whining a few extra seconds. it also helps to cut down on the i'm bored snacking...no one needs that!
• we do still eat out at least on sundays. with our schedule that day, dinner out is all i can make happen. and i'm ok with that. and we do have frozen pizza night on wednesdays when {matt} has to hurry out the door to worship practice. 

besides food stuff, we've also re-joined the YMCA that is literally in my backyard. i have no excuse not to go. i can make it there walking & carrying both the twins with no stroller. and to all of my non-east coast friends, the YMCA is not a homeless shelter here. people actually go & work out and leave their children in the childcare. i try to go at least 3 times a week. the last time i had worked out, previous to this, was right after i'd found out i was pregnant with what i would eventually find out was the twins. at that time i was just pregnant and working out either gave me a huge appetite or made me painfully ill. yes, after several of those workouts i went straight to mcdonald's and got a nice, greasy, calorie-packed cheeseburger.

and since we are in our own place & the walls aren't terribly thin and we also have very gracious neighbors, we get to sleep train the twins again. that means letting them cry it out. we usually wake up with someone in the bed with us, but that happens with 4 kids. everyone has their off nights and with 4 kiddos it's bound to be somebody's night.

i'm just thankful that {matt} and i are on the same page about it all. that makes it ten times easier! who needs to wait for january 1st for resolutions?! september/october work just as well.

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let it be known that i totally was eating chick-fil-a while typing this! :) 

see, it's a work in progress...