I don't mean diet, as in trying to lose weight diet. I mean, what do you eat daily? How often do you eat? How much do you eat?
When I was in the Marines and taking care of my three oldest we were a Happy Meal every other night family. And the other nights it was usually Hamburger Helper or mac n cheese. Okay, okay, I'd throw in some canned green beans with the Helper, but that was the extent of the healthy eating in our house.
My kids were always sick. With three of them in daycare full time, it seemed like every week I was home with one of them. They always had some sort of drainage coming from their little noses, and had a cough that never seemed to go away.
We were unhealthy and unhappy.
In January of 2011 I decided I was going Paleo. I had been CrossFitting for a couple months and was ready to see some real results. If you don't know what CrossFit is, check it out. It is hard but fun. You are always pushing yourself to do better. I LOVE it!!
Paleo is a lifestyle change. A serious one. No pasta, rice, potatoes, dairy. Basically you are eating what you could go outside and gather and hunt. Meat, veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds. You eat often, every couple hours, to keep your metabolism up. And of course drink tons of water. I dedicated myself to this. CrossFit and Paleo. And within two weeks my stomach was getting flatter than it had ever been. I was so excited! I felt magnificent! I had so much energy. I was less stressed out, and just all around a happier person. After about 2 months I had lost a few inches off my stomach and was really beginning to see some great definition on my arms. I looked better than ever.
Then I cheated. The effects were drastic. I was so sleepy I had to take a nap and my tummy hurt bad too. I just knew that it was the wheat. Now I know what not to do. So I try hard to keep up with the Paleo, but bread is like an addiction! It's so hard to quit, even when you know it will make you feel horrible.
In June, after a 7 day juice fast and a 12lb weight loss, we discovered that baby #5 was on the way. What a surprise and a blessing!! With that came the dreaded morning sickness. I tried to stick to my fruit and veggies and meat, but it all made me sick to my stomach. With 4 kids to entertain for the summer, I had to do something to help with the nausea. Bread was the answer. I wanted muffins, and toast, and english muffins. I made myself eat my daily eggs for the protein. Fruit was not my friend, at all. Just thinking about it made my stomach churn. As a result, I have gained about 15lbs. All in my tummy!! I know, what you're going to say, "but you're pregnant...your belly is supposed to grow" and I know this, however, you and I both know that during the 1st trimester the baby is about the size of a lime at it's biggest!! A lime does not weigh 15lbs!!
Now that I'm in my 2nd trimester, and feeling much better, I'm ready to get back on the Paleo band wagon!! And I'm training for the Marine Corps Marathon which is October 30th. I'm determined to have the healthiest pregnancy yet!!
Are you feeling sick and tired? Are you wanting to lose a little weight?? Give Paleo a try. I promise you'll feel better than ever!!
Blessings,
Crunchy Katie
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Rockin' Green Review and Giveaway
Have you heard of Rockin' Green? They are a great company that makes detergents (and other cleaning products) that are environmentally friendly and easy on sensitive skin. All Rockin' Green products are free of SLS, Phosphates, enzymes or optical brighteners, dyes. Oh and they are completely naturally scented! Speaking of scents, Rockin' Green has some super cool names for their scents. Motley Clean, Lavendar Mint Revival, Smashing Watermelons, Bare Naked Babies (unscented), Mighty Mighty Marshmallow, Earth Wind & Orchids, and Rage Against the Raspberries. They also come in 3 different formulas. Each is designed to work best in different water types. There is Soft Rock (for soft water), Classic Rock (for average water, like mine), and Hard Rock (for hard water).
A great friend of mine over at Life With My Littles has been raving about this soap since I've known her. Whenever we get a stain, dirty rug, or stinky shoes she always says, "Soak it in Rockin' Green!" She's always happy to send me home with a few tablespoons too! So since Rockin' Green was nice enough to send me a sample I figured it would be a great time to test it out on my favorite shoes, my Vibram Five Finger Bikilas! I wear these shoes every chance I get and they tend to get a bit smelly after a couple days. So here's what I did...
I received 3 samples of Rockin' Green in the Motley Clean scent (this scent is just divine, I can't get enough of it!). Each sample will do 2 loads in a top loader or 4 in a front loader.
I used one heaping tablespoon in a soaking tub, took my stinky Vibrams, and....
...began soaking them in warm water.
Now, on to the washer they go! I threw mine in with a load of towels, added about 1 1/2 tablespoons of Rockin' Green, and started a cold wash.
Once the wash was done, I hung my formerly smelly shoes to dry.
I have to say that I am very impressed with the performance of Rockin' Green. They really got the smell and stains out of my favorite shoes. The towels that I washed along with my shoes were soft and had a great, light smell.
Come February when our new little bundle shows up, you can bet your bottom dollars that I'll be washing those tiny, sweet little cloth diapers in Rockin' Green.
Now, for the fun part!!
Rockin' Green has graciously offered up a 45/90 load bag of Rockin' Green detergent, in any scent and formula, to one lucky winner! Here's what you have to do to enter.
Mandatory Entry:
Follow my blog publicly on GFC.
Extra Entries:
Like me on Facebook and leave a comment about it.
Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment about it.
Mention my blog in a tweet and post the URL in the comments.
Mention my blog on Facebook and tag me.
Like Rockin' Green on Facebook and leave a comment about it.
Follow Rockin' Green on Twitter and leave a comment about it.
All entries will be checked. This giveaway will run until September 12th, 2011 at 3pm EST and is open to U.S. residents only. The winner will be chosen via Random.org and emailed. You will have 48 hours to respond to the email or another winner will be chosen.
Good Luck!!
Crunchy Katie
**I received these samples from Rockin' Green in exchange for this review. No monetary compensation was received by me. These opinions are my own and may differ from yours.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
We survived Irene!
Just a quick post to let you all know that we survived Irene. We lost power for about an hour last night around 5:30. Then overnight, through the worst of the storm, our power stayed on! We had all of our kids sleep in our room on the floor just in case. It was a normal night in the house with a bit of wind and rain outside. I am happy to report that we all slept great!
See you all tomorrow when I post my first review and giveaway!! Who wants some Rockin' Green???
Until tomorrow,
Crunchy Katie
See you all tomorrow when I post my first review and giveaway!! Who wants some Rockin' Green???
Until tomorrow,
Crunchy Katie
Saturday, August 27, 2011
A little encouragement
Hi all! So glad to see a few more followers! I wanted to get something posted before our power goes out tonight. If it does, I'll be back as soon as I can! And when I return, I will be posting my very first review and a giveaway!!! Rockin' Green baby!!
I lead a Bible study for a few women in my area. We are studying a book by Joyce Meyer called The Battlefield of the Mind. This book transformed my life a few years ago. It helps you realize that the daily battles we face and the choices we make are all affected by the thoughts in our mind. Having said that I have to admit that since this study began I have been under attack by the father of lies himself, Satan. And not surprisingly it's all in my head.
Let's face it. We all want to think and even pretend that our marriages are just peachy, that we are the model wife, and the mother every child would want. But honestly, it's not that easy! Marriage is a CHALLENGE!!! And motherhood...well, that's a whole other post. There is a simple verse that has taught me a lot about how husbands and wives function.
Ephesians 5:22 says- Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
Now, that verse can seem a little hard to swallow. SUBMIT...I have to what??? But let's not focus on just that word. The verse goes on to say ...as to the LORD. I don't know about you, but I do find joy in doing things that please my Savior. So, if we apply that to our husbands it simply says that we should be doing things that will please our husbands.
Verse 33 says....and the wife must respect her husband.
This verse and the few before it pertain to husbands, I'll get to that later. For now, lets focus on the end of verse 33.
Respect. It is something every man needs. They were created that way. It really is vital that they receive respect often. Now, the areas that different men crave respect varies. My husband happens to need respect the most in the area of finances. If I go over budget, even a bit, he feels completely disrespected.
So my challenge then, is to stay in the budget he gives me. It is hard, I'm sure you understand, for a woman to walk past a good sale at Target and not purchase something. It is especially hard for me. I consider myself a bargain hunter. Rarely ever do I buy something for full price. So everytime I see a sale, I should think to myself how it would make my husband feel if I bought the $4 jeans and then had to go over budget to buy milk. Then it should be easy for me to make the wise choice. But, it's not. That is why marriage is such a challenge. We have to constantly put our husbands before us. And, if your anything like me, this is so HARD!!
A challenge for you then is to examine the areas in your marriage where you could offer more respect to your husband. Post a comment. It is very encouraging for us all to share our challenges. You never know who you're helping by posting an honest comment! Let's get to it.
A prayer for wives everywhere.
Lord, please help us to be the kind of wives that are pleasing to you. Help us to submit to our husbands in everything, and to give them the respect that they were created to receive. In Jesus name. Amen.
Pray for those affected by Irene, and for the safety of those still in her path.
Blessings,
Crunchy Katie
I lead a Bible study for a few women in my area. We are studying a book by Joyce Meyer called The Battlefield of the Mind. This book transformed my life a few years ago. It helps you realize that the daily battles we face and the choices we make are all affected by the thoughts in our mind. Having said that I have to admit that since this study began I have been under attack by the father of lies himself, Satan. And not surprisingly it's all in my head.
Let's face it. We all want to think and even pretend that our marriages are just peachy, that we are the model wife, and the mother every child would want. But honestly, it's not that easy! Marriage is a CHALLENGE!!! And motherhood...well, that's a whole other post. There is a simple verse that has taught me a lot about how husbands and wives function.
Ephesians 5:22 says- Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
Now, that verse can seem a little hard to swallow. SUBMIT...I have to what??? But let's not focus on just that word. The verse goes on to say ...as to the LORD. I don't know about you, but I do find joy in doing things that please my Savior. So, if we apply that to our husbands it simply says that we should be doing things that will please our husbands.
Verse 33 says....and the wife must respect her husband.
This verse and the few before it pertain to husbands, I'll get to that later. For now, lets focus on the end of verse 33.
Respect. It is something every man needs. They were created that way. It really is vital that they receive respect often. Now, the areas that different men crave respect varies. My husband happens to need respect the most in the area of finances. If I go over budget, even a bit, he feels completely disrespected.
So my challenge then, is to stay in the budget he gives me. It is hard, I'm sure you understand, for a woman to walk past a good sale at Target and not purchase something. It is especially hard for me. I consider myself a bargain hunter. Rarely ever do I buy something for full price. So everytime I see a sale, I should think to myself how it would make my husband feel if I bought the $4 jeans and then had to go over budget to buy milk. Then it should be easy for me to make the wise choice. But, it's not. That is why marriage is such a challenge. We have to constantly put our husbands before us. And, if your anything like me, this is so HARD!!
A challenge for you then is to examine the areas in your marriage where you could offer more respect to your husband. Post a comment. It is very encouraging for us all to share our challenges. You never know who you're helping by posting an honest comment! Let's get to it.
A prayer for wives everywhere.
Lord, please help us to be the kind of wives that are pleasing to you. Help us to submit to our husbands in everything, and to give them the respect that they were created to receive. In Jesus name. Amen.
Pray for those affected by Irene, and for the safety of those still in her path.
Blessings,
Crunchy Katie
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Earthquakes, hurricanes, and the first day of school...OH MY!!
For those of you who haven't heard, there was an earthquake in Virginia on Tuesday. We are in Maryland and felt every second of it! I am a calm person, and having been through a couple of prior earthquakes, I was not too shaken by it. My kids must have inherited my calmness because they weren't phased either! My littlest boy, who is 3, was with a friend at the time and using the bathroom when the quake began. He was a bit freaked out, but everyone was safe.
The next day was the first day of school! We woke up extra early and walked to school together. Neither of them even wanted a hug from mom. My boy, even wiped away the kiss that I had to beg for! Oh my are they growing up. I was sad to see them go, but happy that they are growing into comfortably independent children. Not to mention, now I will have a little more time to get stuff done around this place! The Kindergartner starts next week and it will be just me and my little helper! Eli is a fall baby, and will have to wait another year for PreK. So he'll learn a lot this year about cleaning and organizing. We have a lot to do before baby #5 gets here in February.
Now it looks like Hurricane Irene is on her way and she's strangely heading right for the Northeast!! I've been through tropical storms as well, so I am believing all will be fine. I need to stock up on water and maybe some matches, cause I'm sure we'll lose power. Canned foods probably wouldn't be a bad idea either. I guess that means and after school trip to the store.
So we've been quite busy around here the past couple days. Lots of activity going on in a lot of areas. I try to stay calm by focusing on my Comforter, Jesus! He's always there when I need to talk, and He always knows just what I need to hear! I firmly believe that for every problem we face, there is an answer for how to fix it in the Bible. Try it out. What troubles are you facing? Go to biblegateway.com and search for a word that describes your problem. Then be encouraged as you read stories and verses about it. Let me know what comes up!!
Until Next Time,
Crunchy Katie
The next day was the first day of school! We woke up extra early and walked to school together. Neither of them even wanted a hug from mom. My boy, even wiped away the kiss that I had to beg for! Oh my are they growing up. I was sad to see them go, but happy that they are growing into comfortably independent children. Not to mention, now I will have a little more time to get stuff done around this place! The Kindergartner starts next week and it will be just me and my little helper! Eli is a fall baby, and will have to wait another year for PreK. So he'll learn a lot this year about cleaning and organizing. We have a lot to do before baby #5 gets here in February.
Now it looks like Hurricane Irene is on her way and she's strangely heading right for the Northeast!! I've been through tropical storms as well, so I am believing all will be fine. I need to stock up on water and maybe some matches, cause I'm sure we'll lose power. Canned foods probably wouldn't be a bad idea either. I guess that means and after school trip to the store.
So we've been quite busy around here the past couple days. Lots of activity going on in a lot of areas. I try to stay calm by focusing on my Comforter, Jesus! He's always there when I need to talk, and He always knows just what I need to hear! I firmly believe that for every problem we face, there is an answer for how to fix it in the Bible. Try it out. What troubles are you facing? Go to biblegateway.com and search for a word that describes your problem. Then be encouraged as you read stories and verses about it. Let me know what comes up!!
Until Next Time,
Crunchy Katie
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Excitement for the day
Today will be busy for me. Meeting all 3 of my school aged children's teachers. Practice walks to each school to get the timing down. Packing backpacks. Early bedtime (yahoo!!!). But I have to say the most exciting part of my day has been checking my blog and discovering I have a couple new followers!! YAY!!!
Having a few blogs I follow, each with hundreds (or more) followers, has left me itching to get more of my own! I figured putting myself out there on Facebook would help a bit, and it did! I also started tweeting! So go follow me there too my name is KrunchyKatie!!
Along with being a beginner blogger, I've also started entering giveaways for cloth diapers. I am expecting baby #5 in Feb. and will be faithfully cloth diapering. With so many brands and types of cloth diapers out there I figured I should just enter every giveaway I find and hopefully win a few so I can see which I like best!! I have to give a quick mention to my great friend over at Life With My Litles http://lifewithmylittles.blogspot.com/ . She has been teaching me the ropes of blogging and cloth diapering!
But you and I both know that the best way to discover what you like best is to try it out yourself!! So I am. On many levels. Here's to stepping out on many new adventures! Glad you're going with me!
Crunchy Katie
Having a few blogs I follow, each with hundreds (or more) followers, has left me itching to get more of my own! I figured putting myself out there on Facebook would help a bit, and it did! I also started tweeting! So go follow me there too my name is KrunchyKatie!!
Along with being a beginner blogger, I've also started entering giveaways for cloth diapers. I am expecting baby #5 in Feb. and will be faithfully cloth diapering. With so many brands and types of cloth diapers out there I figured I should just enter every giveaway I find and hopefully win a few so I can see which I like best!! I have to give a quick mention to my great friend over at Life With My Litles http://lifewithmylittles.blogspot.com/ . She has been teaching me the ropes of blogging and cloth diapering!
But you and I both know that the best way to discover what you like best is to try it out yourself!! So I am. On many levels. Here's to stepping out on many new adventures! Glad you're going with me!
Crunchy Katie
Monday, August 22, 2011
This is me
Hi! I'm Katie. It is great to meet you!
I am here because I really felt it was time for me to start blogging so I can share all of the things I've learned over the years about faith, birth, marriage, parenting, and living naturally. I am very passionate about all of the things I listed, so I'll go through each and let you know just a bit about what I've learned about them.
Faith: First off I must say that the most important thing to me is my relationship with Jesus Christ. Without Him, I wouldn't be me, and I wouldn't be where I am today. I give Him all the glory for all of the wonderful things I have experienced in my life and thank Him for the tough times that brought me here. I am growing daily in Him.
Birth: My learning journey about birth started when I witnessed the birth of my little sister at the age of 5. My mom gave birth at a freestanding birth center and brought my baby sister home the same day. It just seemed so normal. So when I became pregnant at 22 I knew I wanted something similar. I had witnessed a couple medically managed births and was certain that I wanted to be far away from machines and doctors. So, my husband and I chose a freestanding birth center for our first water birth. A year later we had another blessing at home in the water. Then a year later a hospital land birth. Followed by another wonderful home water birth. We are pregnant again, and are planning a family home water birth in Feb. 2012. I am an advocate of natural, empowering, mother led birthing and spend a lot of time raving about birthing naturally.
Marriage: I have been married for almost 9 years to a wonderful man. He serves our country faithfully in the Marines. It has been a journey for me to learn how to be the kind of wife that God would want me to be and the kind that my husband needs. It is a daily process that will never end. Thankfully there is new mercy every morning from my Savior!
Parenting: Well, here is another part of life where we are constantly learning! Each day brings new and exciting challenges and changes. The number one thing I know that children need is unconditional love! I love each of my children for who they are and enjoy the unique joys they bring to our family.
Living Naturally: In the beginning of my life as a wife and mother the only "crunchy" thing I did, was have a water birth at a birth center. Other than that I went with the grain. I listened to the pediatrician faithfully. We ate processed, boxed foods. Took whatever drugs the commercials said would help. And that was fine. I had 3 babies in less than 3 years and I felt like I was at the pediatrician weekly. Each time they were getting jabbed with needles. I started wondering what was in all those shots so I began to research the ingredients of vaccines. I was shocked by what I learned. This discoveries I made about vaccine ingredients led me to wonder what was in everything I was putting on and in my body. Shampoos, lotions, make-up, food. I researched and researched and researched some more. I am still researching!! I have learned so many things about living naturally and trusting in God's perfect design of our bodies. Today we strive to stay healthy by eating clean, medicating only when completely necessary and by being active and happy!!
In this blog I will share with you my favorite products, recipes, books and websites that have helped me become Crunchy Katie!
Blessings,
Crunchy Katie
I am here because I really felt it was time for me to start blogging so I can share all of the things I've learned over the years about faith, birth, marriage, parenting, and living naturally. I am very passionate about all of the things I listed, so I'll go through each and let you know just a bit about what I've learned about them.
Faith: First off I must say that the most important thing to me is my relationship with Jesus Christ. Without Him, I wouldn't be me, and I wouldn't be where I am today. I give Him all the glory for all of the wonderful things I have experienced in my life and thank Him for the tough times that brought me here. I am growing daily in Him.
Birth: My learning journey about birth started when I witnessed the birth of my little sister at the age of 5. My mom gave birth at a freestanding birth center and brought my baby sister home the same day. It just seemed so normal. So when I became pregnant at 22 I knew I wanted something similar. I had witnessed a couple medically managed births and was certain that I wanted to be far away from machines and doctors. So, my husband and I chose a freestanding birth center for our first water birth. A year later we had another blessing at home in the water. Then a year later a hospital land birth. Followed by another wonderful home water birth. We are pregnant again, and are planning a family home water birth in Feb. 2012. I am an advocate of natural, empowering, mother led birthing and spend a lot of time raving about birthing naturally.
Marriage: I have been married for almost 9 years to a wonderful man. He serves our country faithfully in the Marines. It has been a journey for me to learn how to be the kind of wife that God would want me to be and the kind that my husband needs. It is a daily process that will never end. Thankfully there is new mercy every morning from my Savior!
Parenting: Well, here is another part of life where we are constantly learning! Each day brings new and exciting challenges and changes. The number one thing I know that children need is unconditional love! I love each of my children for who they are and enjoy the unique joys they bring to our family.
Living Naturally: In the beginning of my life as a wife and mother the only "crunchy" thing I did, was have a water birth at a birth center. Other than that I went with the grain. I listened to the pediatrician faithfully. We ate processed, boxed foods. Took whatever drugs the commercials said would help. And that was fine. I had 3 babies in less than 3 years and I felt like I was at the pediatrician weekly. Each time they were getting jabbed with needles. I started wondering what was in all those shots so I began to research the ingredients of vaccines. I was shocked by what I learned. This discoveries I made about vaccine ingredients led me to wonder what was in everything I was putting on and in my body. Shampoos, lotions, make-up, food. I researched and researched and researched some more. I am still researching!! I have learned so many things about living naturally and trusting in God's perfect design of our bodies. Today we strive to stay healthy by eating clean, medicating only when completely necessary and by being active and happy!!
In this blog I will share with you my favorite products, recipes, books and websites that have helped me become Crunchy Katie!
Blessings,
Crunchy Katie
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