Happy Halloween

Just wanted to wish you a...

Have a safe night...whether your tricking, treating or having a party with friends! xoxo

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Trick-or-Treating Rules

This is a re-post from my family/mommy blog, Love, Laughter & Happy Ever After...orginally posted in October 2010:

Dear Trick-or-Treaters:

It seems that over the past few years, you kids have just gotten more and more spoiled, or just completely rude and inconsiderate when it comes to Halloween and trick-or-treating. Maybe your parents suck at raising kids, or maybe you just don't listen to them, but just so you are aware, I do not HAVE to buy a big bowl of candy and get up and answer the door fifty times in one night. I CHOOSE to because I love kids and I love to celebrate the holiday. But lately, many of you are making me wish I'd just left my porch light off instead. Here are the rules if you want to trick-or-treat at my house:

1. You MUST be in costume. You are absolutely crazy if you think I'm going to give you candy just for knocking on my door. You have to at least entertain me with the creativity of your costume.

2. Please be under the age of 13. Anyone over that age trick-or-treating is simply pathetic. Go to a party. If you weren't invited to a party, now I know why. You will not get candy, but you will get made fun of.

3. Please say "Trick-or-Treat". It's just something that should go without saying. I hate answering the door to awkward silence. If you're under the age of 5, I'll give you a break.

4. Please say "Thank you". It's just polite. Your parents should be ashamed of themselves if they haven't been instilling these types of manners in you. Again, if you're under age 5, I'll give you a break.

5. I'm a giving person. I will tell you to grab a couple treats or a few rather than just handing you one. Don't then proceed to scoop up a quarter of the candy in my bowl. I hate greediness.

6. I usually have an assortment of candy - if I happen to grab you a couple pieces and there was something else you liked better, just keep it to yourself. You're likely to get that same thing at a different house. Be happy with what you get!

7. If you are on your cell phone, you will not get candy.

8. If you ring my doorbell more than once or bang on my door until I answer it, you will not get candy.

9. When I've shut the porch light off, I've either run out of candy or it's past 9pm. Don't ring my doorbell or knock on my door. You will not get candy.

Thank you!

This was just for laughs - have a safe and happy Halloween! xoxo

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Healthy {Easy} Recipes You Should Try

Menu planning is something I'm trying to become much better at...feeding my family at the end of a busy day is a crazy task when I don't have anything planned for dinner and end up flying by the seat of my pants. I've discovered THE BEST website for healthy meals...and the ones I've tried are SOOOOOOO yum! Even the boys approve. I love to sit down on Sundays, peruse the website and plan my weekly menu and grocery list.

Here are a few of my faves from Skinny Taste:

Cilantro Lime Tilapia Tacos

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I made these tacos for dinner {again} last night. They are easy to make and use a few of the ingredients you are likely to have around the house anyway. I could definitely eat this once a week. My husband just loves it.

PB & J Yogurt

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My boys just love this for breakfast - and I do too! It's a guilt-free, yet very satisfying way to start the day. You could probably even make it the night before, cover it and pop it into the fridge to have a quick grab-n-go option for breakfast.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich w/Avocado & Tomato

 

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This makes a great lunch or dinner. 'Nuff said. Looks yummy, right?

I encourage you to check out Skinny Taste - you won't be disappointed! xoxo

Autumn Entryway Display

So this post is coming a little later than I planned, as tomorrow is already Halloween, but I figure I've got through Thanksgiving with this decor, so I'm not doing too badly.

Here is my autumn entryway display - hope you like!

 

Hope y'all are having a great autumn season! xoxo

 

See the parties I link up to here.

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Monday Musings

What a weekend! Of course, gone by too quickly like all the rest.

I don't know where my head has been lately - even though I've been trying hard to menu plan and stick to it, somehow we still end up at a restaurant booth somewhere. Friday night, we actually went to TGIF {fitting, right?}

Jake had USCG duty this weekend so it was the boys and me against the world {more like me against them}. We started out our Saturday with a trip to Target where I managed to get Tanner's birthday gift without him realizing and a few other things for his Lego-themed birthday party coming up. We then went to the local Halloween store to pick out his costume. {Breckin will be recycling Tanner's Tigger costume from when he was a baby/toddler.} Tanner picked out Spiderman...can't wait to show you pics of how cute he is in it...and Tigger too!

After Jake got home and settled in, we had our family pumpkin-carving party...

My Boys

My Little Pumpkin

Tanner getting to gut the pumpkin this year...

Watching Daddy at work

Our "S" Pumpkin

Of course, as usual, I'm not in any of the pictures...being the photographer and all. I always joke with Jake that I'm glad I can make these memories for HIM. Haha.

It was definitely a great way to spend a rainy Saturday with tropical storm Sandy out there.

Sunday I worked, and Jake did too, so we had a babysitter for the boys - which they just loved. We are so thankful for having teenage girls move in next door - more date nights for us!

We capped off the weekend at our family spot {yet another restaurant - so much for that menu plan!} - Los Arcos. I was glad to enjoy a margarita...yum.

Hope y'all had a great weekend! xoxo

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Race For The Cure - Recap

This past Saturday, I participated in Race for the Cure. It had been a while since I had run a 5K race, I believe the last one was for St. Patty's Day and then a couple weeks after that I did the Cooper River Bridge 10K Run. However, I've been training to run a half marathon that is coming up in January, so I thankfully haven't been inactive as far as running goes. I ran 7 5Ks last year and Race for the Cure is always one I participate in.

I set out with the goal to beat my best 5K time to date. It's nothing extraordinary, but that time was 33 minutes and some change. Well, I am proud to say that I beat that time by at least 2 minutes. However, when I went to check the final race results on the website, I was very displeased to see this:

1070

5000

MORGAN SMITH

0:33:07

0:33:07

10:41

29

F

CHAS

SC

The highlighted time is supposed to be my actual chip time. The time to the left of that is the time the clock read when I crossed the finish line, otherwise known as the gun time. How could my time be EXACTLY the same when I didn't start the race at the start line? Thankfully, I did keep my own record with my RunKeeper app on my iPhone:

Based on the app, I ran a total of 3.38 miles in 33:50. So there's definitely a couple minutes to be shaved off that to get my total time for 3.1 miles. {I have already emailed the chip timer company...haha!} I averaged a 10:02 minute mile in the end on my RunKeeper, so the actual chip time should be around 31 minutes. I was so proud of myself...there were times after the first mile and a half that I wanted to walk, but I didn't. I pushed through.
Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures during the race...and I also ran this race solo. I always love to get friends involved when I can, but some of my friends are not comfortable running races. Plus, you really have to find someone that runs about the same pace you do, which can prove difficult at times.

I did get some pics of myself being a dork in the bathroom mirror pre-race...I like to go with the pink theme for Race for the Cure:

So the next 5K on the list is the Turkey Day Run in downtown Charleston. November 11th is World Run Day...hoping to log some good miles for that as well. I will still be pressing on with my half marathon training, so I hope to definitely beat this 5K time on Thanksgiving {also my 5th wedding anniversary!}...maybe even break into the 20s? I can't believe the turn for the better my running has taken since I started really putting my mind to training for something bigger than I've ever done...it's amazing to know you really can do what you put your mind to.

Have you done any race events lately?

Target: Dining Chairs

So thanks to my post about mesh dining table chairs, I have been relentlessly perusing the Internet to find just the right ones at a reasonable price. And then I happened upon all of these beauties {at Target, no less!}

These chevron ones might be my fave, would totally play well into our new gray/white/black kitchen {aslo available in black and white}:


Target - $179.99 for 2



The trellis look is also very chic...I think this pattern is playful, yet classy:

Target - $179.99 for 2

 This trellis pattern gives off a nice formal vibe:

Target - $179.99 for 2

And well, sorry, but when I see zebra stripes, I simply can't resist {wonder if the hubby will go for it? Would totally match the zebra stripe chargers I just purchased from Hobby Lobby!}:
 

Target - 199.99 for 2



These are more fitting with the style I was going for, sans the mesh...but they look sturdy, clean and they are stackable if I ever need to make room - great price too:


Target - $79.99 for 2



I could definitely see these ones at a long dining table for a Christmas dinner...very chic and formal:


Target - 199.99 for 2



In true Target fashion, all of these chairs are stylish and affordable. Couldn't help but share them with you! xoxo

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Meal Planning and Prep

The busy life of a mom, much less a working mom, can easily get in the way of clean eating efforts. Today, we are often on the go from here to there, from sun up to sun down. It's nearly impossible to stay on track with your nutrition without proper planning ahead of time.

My best, cleanest eating weeks are those where I set aside a little time after the boys have gone to bed, usually on a Sunday evening before the work week begins, to prep and package my food to be easily thrown in my lunch bag every day of the week. You will also find, you might save a lot of money this way, as you hopefully will spend a lot less on meals out.

Here's a peek of how I do it:

This week, my plan was to have a leafy spinach salad with cucumbers and grape tomatoes for lunch each day. {Some may prefer more variety, but I absolutely love this salad, so I have no issue eating it every day.}

I often make the salad in a very large Tupperware container I own:

And I spoon some into a smaller Tupperware dish to take with my in my lunch bag the next day.

I then make sure to have a small dish with my current favorite salad dressing in it. This is Newman's Own Lite Sesame Ginger...it is sooooooo good...and only 15 calories per serving. I make sure to take just a serving's worth.

Additionally, I like to have some good protein to go with, so I hard-boil some eggs to get me through the week {and a few extra for Tanner's lunches}.

As far as snack foods to get me through my long work days, I pack things such as string cheese, raw almonds, carrots, apples, grapes...just anything that is naturally low-cal and nutritious.

As soon as I'm done with prep, I pop a day's worth of snack and lunch into this super-cute lunch bag I found at Marshall's for $9.99:

Isn't it cute? I just love it. And it's the perfect size, like a purse. I plan on getting it monogrammed eventually. So everything goes in here when I'm done, and into the fridge. The next morning before work, I take it out, pop a freezer-pak in it and go.

As far as breakfast, I usually carve out a few extra minutes in the morning to scramble up some egg whites, top them with avocado and drizzle with hot sauce {to get that metabolism going!} If I don't have time for that, I make a whey protein smoothie...I'll have my personal recipe for you here on the blog soon.

How do you plan for a healthy week?

Fit Pregnancy

So I've been feeling a little funny lately...

For some reason, I have been getting asked fairly often lately whether or not Jake and I are going to have another baby. It's so random that everyone seems to be asking this at the same time...family, friends, coworkers...I mean why all of them at once and why now? I mean, didn't I JUST have one...{ok, so it was over two years ago...haha.}

Well, here's my official answer:

1. Yes, I want a baby girl.
2. No, I do not want to go through another pregnancy, or at least the postpartum weightloss part again.

So that got me to thinking...obviously, another baby would mean another pregnancy. Am I ready to handle getting "fat" again? Will I be able to discipline myself enough to make the best food choices and keep up exercising throughout the pregnancy in order to keep the postpartum damages to a minimum?

With Tanner, I was young {22}. I was good about walking a lot...usually on the beach while Jake played beach volleyball. I didn't have a gym membership since we had moved from California mid-pregnancy and I didn't want to start one up again until I had him. I gained 30 lbs. I was back into shape without much effort on my part by 6-8 weeks postpartum. After that, toning up was a lot of gym work and strolls with Tanner. But I love working out, so it was no problem.

With Breckin...it was not quite as easy. I gained roughly 45 lbs with that boy {though I did weigh a good bit less pre-pregnancy than I did with Tanner, so it probably about evened out}. I remember "showing" almost immediately after the positive pregnancy test. I tried my best to pack healthy meals and snacks for work, but sometimes cravings got the best of me. I tried to walk on lunch breaks every day, or even hit the gym for a good 30-45 min at that time. I started getting a lot of hip and joint pain in the 2nd trimester and it scared me. I would walk for 20 min and feel like I might go into labor or something. So I got a lot lazier about exercising than I ever imagined I would. And I remember being angry and depressed that I had to push myself to workout like crazy after I had him (even did Insanity at 2 mos pp)...much of the weight just didn't want to come off on its own. (At least not fast enough for me.)

So a 3rd pregnancy? What would that mean? Would it be even worse? I hope my determination and lessons learned can keep that from happening.

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I have a few goals BEFORE getting pregnant again...

1. Get completely back on a good schedule of hitting the gym 5-6 days a week. (Just about there, finally worked out a good time in the day to get it done...staying focused.)
2. Complete a round of Insanity.
3. Train (currently doing so) and run a half marathon (scheduled January 2013).

I feel if I have those things accomplished, it will be that much easier to keep up the routine. And I hope that my hips and other joints would let me continue a moderate workout routine throughout...next time I won't scare myself with the funny pains (unless doc orders of course). I've been blessed enough to have two healthy pregnancies and full-term babies.

What about you? Are you pregnant now? Do you plan to be? What are your workout goals for pregnancy?

 

Confession: I Have a Vice

As much as I strive to take great care of my body, I must admit my one addiction that is not good for my health, or at least certainly is not helping it any.

Hi, my name is Morgan, and I'm addicted to Diet Rockstars.

I've been drinking at least one a day {sometimes two!} for the last 4-ish years. {Yikes, it scares me to say that!} Minus my pregnancy with Breckin of course, I quit cold turkey for that entire nine months.

I often get unsolicited advice from strangers/friends/coworkers that I need to quit because "that stuff" is so bad for me. I've been justifying my habit for years with excuses such as:

1. It's the one bad thing I drink, other than that, it's water or skim milk {or red wine, but that's an addiction topic for another day...}
2. There are worse addictions, i.e. smoking, drugs, etc.
3. It has vitamins! Better than a nutrition-lacking diet soda for caffeine.
4. Yada yada yada

Yeah, I'm a prime candidate for an intervention.

Well, so last night, I came across this article. Yeah, heavy. That's it, I do need to stop.

So starting today, I'm going to pick one bad habit to kick, and this is it. Do you have a guilty pleasure you can't seem to curb? What is it? I'd love to hear. Also, I'd love if you'd join me in trying to kick the habit - any habit you might have.

I'll be reporting back to you here to let you know how it goes. Wish me luck!

 

A Little Bit Meshy

I think I'm pretty much convinced I need a set of white mesh dining chairs. Hubby and I are revamping our kitchen and a new dining set is on our "To Find" list. We don't have a lot of space as we don't have a separate dining room, so we are looking at finding a round table (hoping for the perfect Craigslist find that I can paint white) and for the chairs, I just keep coming back to the mesh look as my favorite:

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Contemporary Dining Room design by San Francisco Photographer Alex Amend Photography

I don't know quite what it is, maybe it's the kid-friendly appeal? I know that the steel will be sturdy enough to withstand my boys' abuse.

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Tropical Dining Room design by Hong Kong Interior Designer Clifton Leung Design Workshop

The chairs above remind me a little bit of nature, kind of tree or deer antler-like. 

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Eclectic Dining Room design by Other Metros Interior Designer Mikel Irastorza

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Contemporary Dining Room design by Other Metros Media And Blogs Restyled Home

Most of all, I think it's the light-hearted, playful vibe they give off. Some dining rooms can seem far too formal or serious, which can be nice, but I'm a momma of two rowdy little boys, so who would I be kidding? Can't wait to find the perfect set.

 

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