Five on Friday

one.
on involving children random acts of kindness

This past week, Baker and I scheduled a play date with some of our favorite kiddos. We love hanging out with this precious family.

Throughout the school year, we would plan ice cream outings and backyard shenanigans. When we set the date for our first get-together of the summer, I racked my brain trying to decide what we could do that was different than the things we had already done. I thought back to some posts from bloggers I follow about involving kids in random acts of kindness. I had always dismissed these, thinking we would join in when Baker gets older. Here was our chance! There are no children more joy-filled, and I jumped at the opportunity to schedule a day more meaningful than water slides and sunscreen.

It was the best day! I wish I had hidden a camera to video everything.

The sweet conversations among the children, "While we're at Target, we can buy water bottles to pass out at a construction site. We can also smile at a stranger, leave an encouraging note for a mother on a changing table." And from another, "Ohhh yeah, we can also let someone go in front of us in line." And the youngest, "Yeah, and I am going to help someone unload her groceries. Hey, while we wait in line, we can be writing notes to leave on windshields in the parking lot."
Later, driving down the road, I overheard, "Jenn, I know we didn't plan to give anything to that man beside us, but it looks like his car doesn't have air conditioning. And it's really hot out here. Can we give him a water bottle?" And the girls, "I'm thinking about that verse in James to write at the bottom of this note, but I don't remember the address." "I have a good Bible verse for that note, let's use this one..."

I was mush. The Lord was using these children and it was incredible to watch.

They chose the following acts of kindness (and already have an ongoing list for our next playdate)

one. leave coins on a drink machine

two. leave a note of encouragement for a mother on a changing table

three. smile at a stranger

four. compliment a stranger

five. buy dog treats for a local vet's office

six. take flowers to a nursing home resident who doesn't have family in town

seven. pass out popsicles to workers at an oil change garage

eight. take water bottles to construction workers

nine. leave encouraging notes on windshields

ten. help someone load or unload their groceries

eleven. let someone go in front of us in line

twelve. buy a stranger's meal

thirteen. chalk attack! etch words of encouragement and love in chalk

 

I shared more about this fabulous day on Instagram. Come see!

two.
on my recent addiction to roasted veggies

I can't get enough roasted vegetables. It's true. No vegetable is safe from being tossed in olive oil, sprinkled with garlic salt, and being thrown in the oven to do it's marvelously delicious thing.

For lunch today, it's roasted tomatoes, green beans, and avocado over a half pita for a roasted veggie pizza, of sorts.

three.
on summertime and me time

Baker is in school this summer. I mourned the thought all school year. What would I do without my Baker Boy all day long?

PART-AY!!
Kidding. Sorta.

I have come to love the few hours I have each day to savor the quiet, clean our home, prepare dinner, read, and check items off my summer bucket list.

This time is allowing our family time together to be more intentional. Here's to being a hand free mama.

four.
on Father's Day

I just love this Father's Day card Baker made for Brian this year. So perfect for his favorite hero. And I am the biggest sucker for personalized cards.

five.
on a mischievous toddler

Baker has learned to open doors. Everything that was safe, is no longer safe. Times, my friends, they are a changing. And I quite love it.

Advocare - 24 Days Later

Brian and I survived our Advocare 24 Day Challenge!
 

I am so proud of our final results!

Brian lost 12 pounds and 5 inches!

I lost 4 pounds and 5 and 1/2 inches (I saw a greater number of pounds lost on a previous Challenge, but since I have been eating clean, my diet really didn't change a great deal).

As much as I loved the results shown on the scale, and the results felt in the way my clothes fit, I most enjoyed the results that came in the form of energy gained!


Over the past two years, Brian has lost a total of over 50 pounds!
 

Summer 2012                                            Summer 2014

 

 There are no words for how proud I am of this man!





A Typical Day on the Challenge

 

Wake up and Workout

30 minutes before Breakfast

Spark + Catalyst + Thermoplus

Breakfast Options (within an hour of waking)

• Egg, Turkey Bacon, Whole Wheat English Muffin
• Whole Wheat English Muffin, 2 Tablespoons Natural Peanut Butter, banana
• Oatmeal, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup Almond Milk, 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• Advocare Meal Replacement Shake   
• Egg White Veggie Omelet

Snack Options

• Rice Cake with 1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter
• Fruit
• Handful of Raw Almonds
• Spinach Shake (Sounds gross. Tastes incredible. Try It. I Dare Ya)
• Banana and Nut Butter
• Edamame

30 minutes before lunch

• Spark + Catalyst + Thermoplus

 Lunch Options

• Leftovers from dinner the previous night (see Dinner options)
• Salad with grilled meat
• Canned tuna fish, Olive Oil Mayonnaise, Triscuits, apple
• Chicken Salad
• Advocare Meal Replacement Bar
• Panera's Power Chicken Hummus Bowl
• Chick fil A Grilled Market Salad

Snack Options

• Carrots and hummus
• Apple and 1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter
• Frozen Grapes dipped in Spark
• Garlicky Roasted Chickpeas

 

30 minutes before dinner

• Thermoplus + Catalyst

Dinner Options

• Rice Bowl (with brown rice)
• Clean Crockpot Turkey Chili
• Grilled Salmon, Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower, Butternut Squash
• Salad with Grilled Lean Meat
• Egg Sandwich - Egg and Turkey Bacon on Whole Wheat English Muffin
• Baked Chicken Fajitas
• Lettuce Wrap Tacos 
• Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash
• Tuna Avocado Boats
• Lettuce Wrap Turkey Burger

 After Dinner Snack

• Chunky Monkey Smoothie
• Frozen Banana Bites
• Fruit

Four Most Commonly Asked Questions

 

1. Can you really not have coffee/wine/soda/fried chicken/etc.?

No. You really can't. Prove it to yourself that you can go 24 days without said vice. You can do it, I promise. I promise, promise. Don't be the person who sacrifices energy and weight loss and amazing results because you "can't live without ______."

 

2. Do I have to workout?

Nope. But you should. You will be taking supplements that increase metabolism and enhance energy, it would be a shame to waste that. Plus, Scandal is on a hiatus, the winner of American Idol has been announced, so hit the road, Jack! You'll be glad you did.

 

3. I don't eat vegetables, or salad, or fruit. In fact, healthy food makes me twitch. Can I still do the Challenge?

You can. I challenge you to try something new everyday. My meat and potatoes hunk of a husband now asks for roasted green beans, hummus, and couscous. I know, it shocks my socks off, too. He swore those things out of his diet before trying them. Now, he's hooked. You'll be surprised how your tastes change over time and how you will begin to crave good-for-you-foods over less healthy options.

 

4. I don't have time to cook/I don't know how to cook. What do I do?

I have found the most success comes with a great planning. This applies to the Challenge also. Brian and I planned our weekly meals on Sundays. We cooked in bulk so we would have leftovers for lunch the next day. If that option is not available, Advocare offers conveniences that allow you to stick to the plan while on the go. Two choices are the Meal Replacement Shake and  Meal Replacement Bar. The only caution I have with those, is that they aren't sustainable indefinitely. Advocare promotes a healthy lifestyle so Day 25 is no different than Day 10 or Day 24. Rely on these if necessary as a convenience (hello baseball season!), but don't let your entire diet subsist of only bars and shakes.

 

I found Pinterest to be my best friend while on the Challenge. I didn't have time to reinvent the (meal) wheel. While I was never one to copy others' homework in school, this has been different. I decided to copy off the smartest, most fit, most successful and mimic their actions and cook their recipes. Do it just like they did it. Although, it's clear Brian found some better sources since he yielded even better results on the final test!  

 

Now that we are finished with the Challenge, I have indulged some. A girl can only go so long without a bowl of birthday cake ice cream! But, mostly, I am trying to adhere to the healthy habits created over the past 24 days - clean eating, working out, and taking supplements.

Tools for Success, click here
This website contains a 24 Day Challenge Guide, a Fitness Assessment, and instructions for downloading the 24 Day Challenge App

To see what great results await you, click here!
Email me at Jennifergbell@gmail.com
 

13 Thoughts for Thursday

Thursday Thoughts

1. Mommy of an almost two year old brain is way worse than pregnancy brain. I frequently walk to the bedroom in quest of something, and as soon as my feet rub the coarseness of the familiar carpet, that thing I was so desperately searching escapes me. Unable to be retrieved. A foreign thought.

2. Some verses inspire. Some encourage. Some convict. And some challenge the heck out of me. Thessalonians 5:16-8 cover them all. I am wrapping the words around the walls of my heart. Painting them on my hands. Scribbling them on sticky notes. Praying them over my day. Arguing with them. Pleading for them to encompass my entire being.

3. Our Advocare order arrived today. I am equal parts thrilled and terrified. Brian and I are in full on meal planning, exercise scheduling, Spark slurping mode. Bring on April 21 and the start to our 24 Day Challenge.

4. The thought of embarking on a new anything with my husband at my side makes me giddy excited. He's my person. Whether it's walking down the aisle, having a baby, buying a home, or just setting fitness goals together, he's the one I want holding me accountable and encouraging my every step.

5. We had Baker's IFSP (Individual Family Service Plan) yesterday. We got to eliminate three goals he's mastered. Whoop, Whoop Baker Boy! We also added a few developmentally appropriate goals. I refrained from bear hugging everyone on my way out the door. I was so filled with encouragement and admiration and appreciation for the people who work so diligently to help him reach his full potential. They work so tirelessly, and love our boy, and educate our family, and equip us with strategies and tools and confidence and hope for the future.

6. I have started planning Baker's second birthday party. How in the world my baby boy is almost two is beyond me.

7. My favorite picture from his first birthday.

8. All winter I prayed, pleaded for summer. Begging for longer days. Wishing for warmth and sunshine. Craving lemonade off front lawns. Drinking sweet tea out of mason jars. Slicing juicy watermelon and sinking my teeth into its delectable goodness. Sand and seashells and sandals. Barbeques and picnics. Hammocks and slides. Lightning bugs and hummingbirds. Sucking honeysuckles from the vine, popping blueberries and muscadines. Until today. Our air conditioning went kaput. Down for the count. Belly up. Bumma. Big time bumma.

9. I have one container of peanut butter in my pantry, one in my office, one in my car. I have a problem. And one I don't plan on addressing any time soon.

10. The Scandal finale comes on tonight. There are no words.

11. My sister is currently in Queensland, Brisbane. Yup, Australia. I'm using my best Aussie accent right here in Alabama and pretending to be down under with her. I love her adventurous spirit.

12. Easter candy is the best candy. Starting Advocare the day after Easter was not by coincidence.

13. I love Easter. I love the bunnies, the candy, the chicks, the pastels, the dying eggs, the coordinating outfits. I love the hype surrounding Easter. It gives me the warm fuzzies. It gives me the warm fuzzies until I look past the glitz and glamour and clutter clouding the seasonal aisles at the grocery store, and see the man on the cross. That part of Easter is not about glam, or festivities, or a specially planned outfit. It's about the ultimate sacrifice. It's about a beautiful love story. It's about the crucifixion and the resurrection. It's about an empty tomb. It's about grace. It's about the Savior.

Challenged

I am challenging myself to becoming more of a yes mom.

Yes, you can feed yourself oatmeal. Before school. And make a mess.
Yes, we will sing "Wheels on the Bus" for the forty-eighth time. With hand motions.
Yes, we can high five everyone on the way into school. Yes, he can get ten. Yes, she can get thirty.
Yes, I will kiss you goodbye one more time before I leave for work. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Yes, we can stop at our favorite park on the way home.
Yes, I will push you higher.
Yes, you can ride on my shoulders to check the mailbox.
Yes, we will check it one more time just to make sure he didn't come again as we were sorting today's loot.
Yes, we can stay outside five more minutes. Okay, six.
Yes, we can walk around the block one more time.
Yes, you can smell those flowers.
Yes, we can have a picnic on the living room floor.
Yes, we can build a fort out of couches, blankets, and throw pillows.
Yes, we can read that book, too.
Yes, we can blow bubbles in the bathtub.
Yes, I will chase you around the house in the tug of war bonanza it takes to put on your pajamas.
Yes, I will rock you a little longer.
Yes, I will sing your favorite lullaby.
Yes, my darling love, I will love you through the night and we will do it all again tomorrow.

Yes becomes more difficult when I am tired.
When shortcuts are easy.
When the days are long.
When I'm wishing for the weekend.
When my brain hurts from thinking so many thinks.

I am a better mom when I am a better me.

I am a better me when I am healthy.
When I am rested.
When I eat well.
When I am energized.

So, here goes.

Starting April 21, I am taking the Advocare 24 Day Challenge.
Twenty-four days of being a yes mom.
Twenty-four days of being a healthy me.
Twenty-four days of fun!
And, I've even gotten my husband to join the party!

If you are interested in learning more about Advocare or joining us on the 24 Day Challenge, you can visit my Advocare site https://www.advocare.com/130853419/. I'd love to have several friends go through the Challenge with us. We can share ideas and recipes, hold each other accountable, and say YES!!

Rambles - Thoughts on September 11, Buddy Walk news, Advocare update, and a few pictures

Ramble One.
For me, today is that day.

I remember my parents and grandparents talking about events in our nation's history, and when they did, their voices weakened, their shoulders slumped, their eyes became teary. When they talked about that day, they recalled specific events, that to me, seemed quite insignificant - what they were wearing, what they were holding, where they were, what song was playing on the radio. Seemingly insignificant events made significant because they occurred on that day. They spoke of them in reverence, wanting, willing us to understand, all while sheltering us from the pain of that day. With every word, they were speaking truth of a tragedy, and they were uttering a thankful prayer that their innocent child, grandchild did not know the evil of the world in such a way.

For me, that day, was September 11, 2001.

I was a sophomore at Hillcrest High School, sitting in Mrs. Hudson's Foods and Parenting class, drinking an ice cold Diet Mt. Dew, as had become my awful habit, ready to cook whatever was on her menu for the day. I was busy chatting with my friends who occupied the same table. To this day, twelve years later, I still remember the distant sound of the ringing phone in her office. Her always cheery "hello," didn't disappoint. Then, as she listened, her smile drooped, her sunshine voice turned drastically dim. She hung up the phone in her windowed office, walking purposefully to the television. She immediately turned from Channel One, the school news program we watched each morning without fail, to a national news channel where we watched, in horror as a second plane flew into the World Trade Center.

That day.

A day I will never forget.

We continued throughout the day. There wasn't a lot of teaching, but as a student, there was a lot of learning. Teachers opted out of lesson plans, choosing a trusty news anchor instead. Most clutched cell phones as their fears were silenced and it was confirmed that their children, their loved ones were safe. We watched the events of the day unfold, and we learned truths and evil we can never unlearn. We saw things we can never unsee. We heard things we can never unhear.

As I left, I drove down Patriot Parkway, my radio blasting live footage of the day. It was like a drug I couldn't deny. No matter how much I wanted, I couldn't silence the news.

That day.

A day I will never forget.

Fast forward twelve years. As I visit classrooms and see school age children boasting their red, white, and blue, observe moments of silence, and color flags, I realize, not a single student in the building experienced that day. Along with others, I now understand the role of my parents, grandparents. It is my job to help them understand the magnitude of this day.

May we never forget the heroic actions displayed by so many on that day.

May we never forget the lives lost on that day.

May we never forget the way our nation turned to a Sovereign God who held us closely, comforted our hurts, and guarded our hearts on that day.

Ramble Two.
In other, much lighter news, we are not participating in this year's Buddy Walk. A special thank you again to all who supported us last year, and who were waiting patiently for us to announce plans for this year. We have other organizations who provide our family with more support, and through prayer and discussion, Brian and I made the difficult decision to instead focus our time, energy, and financial resources on supporting them.

A huge congratulations and best wishes to all families participating! I know you will have a wonderful time. If you don't have an organization that you support, and would like to get plugged into one, this is worthy!

Ramble Three.
I have almost completed Day 6 of Advocare's 24 Day Challenge. It is not nearly as hard as I imagined it would be. And I have more energy than I thought possible after a full day at work and mommying a sixteen month old. This very skeptical consumer is a believer! And Spark, hello fabulous! I won't bore you with the nitty gritty details, but there have been pounds and inches lost already! Woop!

I became a distributor, so if you want to purchase, or have questions, let me know!

Or you can visit my Advocare page. Beware, I'm a newcomer, so I don't have a fabulous story yet. But, it's being written daily!

https://www.advocare.com/130853419/default.aspx

Ramble Four.
I always believe in saving the best for last. I like to leave you smiling! So instead of more words, I'll bless your day with some pictures of my precious doll baby and his handsome daddy.

Five on Friday

I haven't linked up with Five on Friday in a few weeks.

 

But here I am on a late Friday night joining the party!

In true Jennifer Bell form,
Fashionably Late.

One. Baker's One Year Pictures

I don't think I have shared these on the blog yet. I posted the preview for Baker's Newborn and Six Month Pictures by Amber's Photography, and these were just as wonderful.

This one may be one of my favorites.
So real life.

 

 

 

Two. Pic Tap Go

I'm obsessed with picture editing on my phone. I have recently downloaded this fabulous app that lets me pretend I am a photographer extraordinaire. I still have no photo editing software on my computer, but I am looking to remedy this problem like yesterday. Since May 2012 (Little Man's birth month), I am obviously in a race with myself to see if I can take more pictures than I did the previous month.
If you have a favorite photoshop, I would love to hear your recommendation.
Mission accomplished.

Three. Advocare

I have taken the plunge and purchased the Advocare 24 Day Challenge.
EEEKKK!
If you want to join me, I'd love someone to hold me accountable. I've heard numerous success stories and am excited about writing mine. I am most looking forward to the promise of increased energy. For whatever reason, surely not my rambunctious toddler, mine is zapped - bring on the Spark!

 

https://www.advocare.com/130853419/default.aspx 

Four. It's Football Friday

Baker and I dressed in our Bama gear as we headed off to school today! I am so excited about the promise of Fall, Saturdays on the Quad, and wonderful tailgating recipes. Stephanie at Plain Chicken has the very best recipes for football season - dips, and sandwiches, and sweets galore.

My personal favorites:

 

Hot Party Ham Sandwiches

 

Buffalo Chicken Dip

 

Sausage Biscuit Bites 

 

You're welcome.

 

Five. Looking Back

I met my Brian Bell at the first football game of our freshman year at Bama. September 6, 2003.

Ten years ago this week.

 

He's always been the one.

 

The one that makes camo look good (and believe you me, he models it A LOT),

The one that makes me the best me,

The one I look forward to coming home to each day,

The one that leads our family in the Lord,

The one that makes anniversaries, and holidays, and random days the most special,

The one my soul loves,

The one I love to cheer on the Tide with, and parent Baker with, and cook dinners with, and enjoy Friday movie night with, and pray with, and do life with.

 

The one.

The only.

My one and only.

 

I love this man.

It's the Weekend!
Even better, it's Alabama Football Weekend and Labor Day Weekend!

Yippee skippy, friends!