Hot Heat, Going Local And Lentil Sweet Potato Patties

Hey Health Nuts!!

Holy smokes has it been HOTT!! And it's technically not even summer yet. Not that I'm complaining because I love it - but this heat (among other great happenings) is going to make this summer one for the books, I can already tell!

Well I am sorry for the little hiatus I had there but big news...I'm in the Local Farmer's Market selling Healthy Desserts!! Getting rid of all of the processed foods and adding Health(ier) sugars, Healthy Fats, Organic and of course Local ingredients are part of what make my desserts soooooo good! Now that I've got the first week under my belt I am ready to go and am not consumed with preparations! I just have to point out how much fun it was!! Connecting with so many like-minded people and even sharing with those that have just begun their dive into Healthy Lifestyle was so amazing and motivating. Plus it's all supporting local farmers and business!

So check out your local Farmer's Market! Get out in the Sun and connect with your tribe!

Living in an area where - lets just say health is not of the utmost importance...it's easy to feel discouraged and isolated.  I can't tell you how uplifting it was to see so many people out there searching and wanting good health. When we connect and work together that's when change can happen. Inspire Healthy Living!

Not to be overshadowed by the community that surrounds the Farmer's Market, there are all of the Fresh Local Fruits and Vegetables. I prefer buying local for many reasons but here are my main 4:
1. Vine-Ripened Produce - Since the farms don't have to worry about 
shipping their products halfway around the world they can all their fruits 
and vegetable to mature on the vine so that they reach their maximum 
nutrient density! Plus chemicals/gases aren't used to force a ripe-color
...Mother Nature is responsible for that beauty!
2. Less Pesticides - A lot of the time small farms don't spend the money 
to get Certified Organic...but that doesn't mean they aren't. Usually they 
will use less pesticides, herbicides and fungicides than other 
conventional produce you would buy in the grocery store 
so it's worth inquiring about what is used. 
3. non GMO - Like the Organic Certification, most small farms aren't going 
to spend the money to get this certification either, but you're pretty safe 
in considering Local Produce to be nonGMO. Not only do they not have 
access to the genetically modified seeds, 
most local farmers would go near them anyway.
4. Budget Friendly - one reason that organic produce is more expensive is 
because they have to pay for all of the certifications and then take extra 
caution to get fresh produce to you through the grocery store...
I can't tell you how many times the organic section at my grocery store is molding :( 
even though it is a good sign that it is! 
Buying from local farms is going to be less expensive and is a much 
safer option to feel good about serving your family

Toxin-Free Homemade Suncreen Lotion Bars

Hiya Sun-Lovers!!

As promised, I finally got all of my supplies together to make Sunscreen Lotion Bars! The recipe is super simple - only 4 ingredients required - and it's working great! So far so good!

 

Here's the thing, I live at the beach, I am always outside but I don't use sunscreen because of all the dangerous toxins most of them contain. After getting red-nosed more than a couple of times this year I decided that I needed to figure something out and why not make my own? Then I'll know exactly what's in it! The recipe I liked and decided to try I found from MommyPotomas and most of my ingredients I purchased from Amazon (I've provide links!) Not only will this bar protect you from the sun's harmful rays, it also moisturizes and soothes the skin!
 

*there are some safe sunscreens on the market. click here for a list of what to stay away from and other better alternatives.

 

Supplies:

(I made 2 bars)

 

 

1/3 cup melted extra virgin coconut oil

1/3 cup shea butter (find here)

1/2 cup grated, tightly packed beeswax – about 2 oz weighed (find here)

2 rounded tablespoons uncoated, non-nanoparticle zinc oxide (find here)

Soap Mold or Muffin Tin (silicon molds work awesome!)

Happy June! - Commandment 6: She Works toward Achieving Her Ideal “MomLife”

Hi Lovelies!

Happy Monday, but more importantly Happy June!!

I can’t believe that this year has flown by so fast! School is almost out (3 more days locally!) and the population here at the beach is getting ready to explode!!  Brighter, longer, hotter days are here and I LOVE it!! Don’t you!??!?!?!

 

Hopefully you are coming off just as amazing of a weekend as I am! It was full inspiration from Juice Plus Allstars plus time with my two favorite people in the entire world: my man and his son! Legos, movies, books, Putt-Putt, Sharkteeth, swimming in the pool (my first saltwater, and I am a total fan), and our new tradition “Taco Sunday” – we had such a blast together and that’s yet another reason that I am so excited about this summer and the memories we’ll make.

Craft Time: Picture Frame

While looking for a picture frame that would hold multiple pictures, I came across one that was super cute: Just a frame with horizontal strings and the pictures were pinned in with tiny little clothes pins. I wanted a big frame that would hold all of my boyfriend's son's sporting pictures in and gift it to him for Father's Day. This was beyond perfect because not only did it hold a bunch of pictures regardless of size, it was so easy to exchange pictures out and put new ones in - perfect for fast growing kiddos!!

 

I flipped the frame over to check the price...$59.99!!!!

What??!!!??!

Ohhhhh heck no! I could make that easily I thought and after a quick glance around Pinterest I had a plan!

 

I knew that I could find little clothes pins and string at AC Moore; that was not problem. The frame took a little more creativity. First I considered making a frame, but that involved buying wood, nailing it together, making sure the corners were a perfect 90 degrees....then I though what if I just use two rods and connect them with string? That was the solution and then duh! There are these old mirrors that I bought years ago (probably around 18 when I first moved out on my own!) from Bed Bath & Beyond and had since painted a metallic silver, which didn't go with the décor my honey and I have going currently. I would pop out the mirror, paint the frame and voila!

 

gathered my supplies...

  

Commandment 5: She Moves her Body

Hey Hot Mommas!!

In honor of the next Commandment I thought I should put theory into practice and really get my juices flowing before writing about it! You got it! Number 5 is all about exercise and is truly relevant to any Healthy Lady including a Pre-Pregnancy Momma.

Benefits are basically everything!… and range from elevated & happy mood, improved circulation, weight control, strength, higher energy levels, better sex, improved sleep and regularity, if you know what I mean!

And these benefits can start to be seen even at the slightest increase of physical activity, like walking 10-20 a day. That's pretty amazing that all you have to do is start moving...make One Simple Change!

 

Commandment 5: She Moves her Body.

All the time we hear how good and necessarily it is to be active, I’m sure by now you get it.  The great thing is that there are only about a million ways to exercise…the secret is finding the one that works for you. That means the one that you enjoy, that’s doable, that you get results at, that suit your personality and so forth.  If you are extraverted than find things that you can do with other people like classes or be involved with your gym. For me, I am pretty introverted and I like exercising alone, which is why running is so perfect for me. It offers me alone time for emotion and stress release - plus I could just turn on my tunes and run for days. Finding what fits and consistency would be my two big tidbits of advice when creating a regular exercise practice; The more often that you do it, the easier it will be and your body will even start to crave it. Trust me, once you get into a routine, your body will not feel the same on the days you have off and you may even finding yourself giving up other less productive activities in order to make time to exercise.

Chocolate Birthday Cake & Truffles!!

Hey Yall!!

So tomorrow is my man's Birthday! well it will probably be yesterday by the time I post this - I'm writing it in parts as I do it...Real Time...Regardless, today I am baking him a Cake!! You will all soon come to know that I have a huge sweet tooth that never fully went away after changing my diet...that is to say that I cant handle decadent desserts like I used to - one bite using sends my stomach swirling - but I love baking, chocolate especially. Anyway I'm sort of famous for Healthy Desserts whether it's finding new ones or turning old favorites into clean treats.

 

Today I am making my very favorite Chocolate Cake with Black Beans and my honey's most loved Black Bean Truffles with Chocolate Complete...I didn't mean to go crazy with the black beans, but I guess they just make some of the best desserts so we're going with it. Chris really just wanted the Truffles but you've got to have a cake to blow out candles right?? Normally we wouldn't go all out but he is actually going to be able to see his son on his birthday so I'm going all out to make sure that it's extra special :)

 

Let's get baking!!!

 

 

 

First up: Black Bean Chocolate Cake! I have made this cake several times and it always comes out incredibly moist. Plus it's pretty full proof, whips up super quick and is loaded with Protein! I mean an entire can of Black Beans and 5 Eggs!! It's always fun to have picky eaters taste this first and then have them guess the secret ingredient lol - they never do!

Commandment 4: She Knows Her Body

Hey Beautiful!!

Following my Bare Skin Beauty Awakening I stopped using sunscreen because of all of the toxins in it.  In my mind I figured that I would rather let my body defend against damage from something natural (the Sun) rather than foreign chemicals.  Still, not using sun protection isn’t ideal.  Soooooooo I was super excited today to make homemade sunscreen until I realized that I needed to order a few things first.  I’m not sure what all I thought was in the ingredient list when I first decided to pick this activity for the day…but it’s more than I thought! Either way I found these great sunscreen bars and since I know you will want to immediately follow along when you see how great mine turn out (:P lol!) you will need:


My Red Nose!!
You can tell I need some good Sunscreen!!

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Shea Butter

Beeswax

Uncoated, Non-nano Zinc Oxide

 Changing topics a little today from getting the toxins out to Commandment Number 4 is A Pre-Pregnancy Momma knows her Body.  This has several components from being best friends with your cycle to learning the amazing and purposeful things that occur during Pregnancy.

 

I once heard Dr. Sears say during a presentation that most telling sign of how healthy someone is would be their waistline.  As woman, I believe we have an even more telling sign:  her monthly cycle.

Commandment 3: She Goes Bare

Hi Mommas!! I hope you don't mind but I'm just going to jump right in!!

This next commandment came naturally after buckling down on the toxins that I, as a Pre-Pregnancy Momma, wouldn’t allow in my body. The fact is that in today’s world, our bodies are constantly bombarded with foreign substances…..

Kay, wait…let me just break this down because I feel like it could start sounding like a lecture real quick. The way I see it, there are tons of things in the world that we live in that hurt us. Some things we don’t have control over – the air we breathe or damage from cell phones & electromagnetic fields; We just have to believe in our body’s ability to cleanse those poisons out of our system on a daily basis. However, some toxins we do have a say of whether or not they make their way into our body – the food we eat and what we put on our skin – so why not give our body a break instead of overwhelming it. If I can cut out some of the dangers entering my body, then not only do I become more efficient at eliminating the toxins that can’t be helped, but I also have enough energy and strength left over to heal, to protect, and to live more vibrantly.

Make sense?

If your body isn’t so consumed with detoxifying all the time, then it can use that energy to strengthen your immune system, preserve your gorgeous, youthful skin, even heal long term damage AND get prepared for baby!!

 

So after putting my foot down on what I will allow past my lips I began looking at what I put on my skin. I started to go Bare…and this is the process where I really felt myself grow spiritually. I mean it’s through this transition that I really felt my already hippie-self go super granola…

Starting Again & Commandment 2: Get the Poison Out (of My Food)

I’m baaaaaackk!!!!!  Yes, as you can tell I took quite the hiatus after setting up the Pre-Pregnancy Momma and writing my first post. I had begun motivated and with such enthusiasm, which abruptly turned into a bit of a slump. That slump then turned into embarrassment that I had not followed through with something that I so whole-heartedly believe in. Well, life happens, and the important part is picking yourself back up, digging yourself out of the slump – don’t brush that dirt off because a little dirt can be good for you - and starting again.  That’s what I told myself and that’s what I’m doing; learning a lot about following through and self-motivation along the way!

So what a way to return to writing…I mean just look at the sky view from my backyard!

No not the backyard itself…
It needs a lot of work and no matter how much I weed they keep coming back!! 

This weekend we will hopefully get it under control and plant the garden (I miss the tower garden and I want one of my very own!!).  But anyway the day is gorgeous and I’m getting’ my tan on from the yummy sunlight!!!! 
**note by the time I’m posting this the garden is planted just in time before the rain…for the next week!! Anyway the yards looking better, just need to get the mulch spread ;)

Back to the point…the long awaited Second commandment of the Pre-Pregnancy Momma…drumroll please…I will get the Poison Out (of my food).

A Little about Me & Commandment 1 of the Pre-Pregnancy Momma

I’m back from a two day getaway in Charleston (okay I tagged along while my man judged a High School Restaurant Competition!) and I’m feeling refreshed and inspired! I Wouldn’t expect anything less from the city in which I spent my first six years of adulthood in – a city that will always have a piece of my heart <3 ! Topping the Excitement List is this new blog! I can’t wait to connect with women in all areas of the Mommy Path, inspire Health & Wellbeing, and share my story – about what it means to be a
Pre-Pregnancy Momma!

 

So a little bit about me….I am 29 years old and living on the Coast of South Carolina and love it, especially on days like this that hint at the reality that Spring truly is right around the corner!  The sun is shining for us and it’s over 70!!! And my apologies to those of you up North and experiencing unthinkable amounts of snow – I don’t mean to rub it in, but it’s just that I don’t take this for granted either! I am a total pansy when it comes to cold weather so feel free to make fun of me when I am complaining about the temperature being in the 40s. I live with my handsome boyfriend of a year, whom I am madly in love with, and he has an amazing and handsome little boy that I adore and love spending time with! Just waiting for my man to put a ring on it. Lol! Single ladies in a long-term committed relationship I know you feel me here!!! He told me, It’s all about the surprise. (uh-huh) I tell myself that years from now I’m going to look back at the time period that I was waiting for him to propose and miss it; so I should enjoy it while it’s here. It’s working…for now.

I am a Certified Health Coach, recently graduated from the Institution of Integrative Nutrition, and for me it’s finally a career in which both purpose and passion collide. I remember being about 9 years old and my dad jokingly telling me that I should be a Professional Student. Well that just sounded awesome until I realized he was teasing! Still, until now it’s sort of been the only career that’s really stuck lol! That and server! So I work to inspire Healthy Living whether it’s working one-on-one, teaching nutrition classes, sharing Juice Plus, sharing and creating healthy recipes, and other fun stuff!

What else…I love doing yoga, am an avid runner, Health Nut, Choc-o-holic, sun-obsessed, hippie, cat-lover (and mommy to 2), free-spirit, bedroom dancer, sensitive, intuitive and introverted woman who probably forgot a million other things! Also you can read about the beginning of my Health Awakening here!

The Pre-Pregnancy Momma

Whether or not she is actively trying to conceive, a Pre-Pregnancy Momma is a woman who is actively caring for her children before she ever has them. She fights for their rights so that they will have them when they are here, she plans and prepares for her family's future, and most importantly she takes care of herself.  She strives for optimal health and heals her body through nutrition so that she can provide the most perfect home for her babies from the moment they come into being.

About a year ago, I decided that I needed to start my journey of Motherhood now - and that didn't mean get pregnant! It meant purposely doing things that would benefit and give them the best lives I could. It meant caring for them now.  And since then I have considered myself a Pre-Pregnancy Momma. 

So this is my story of Love, of Health, (of stress ugh!), of Purpose, and of Family. By sharing, I hope to encourage and connect with women - wherever they are in life and their Mommy-Path! I want to motivate and celebrate women because we have been given the most incredibly awesome and important responsibility of growing people!!! And that is nothing shy of Miraculous.

with Love, Mandy