Easy crockpot dinner, trial #1...

Thursday's are busy nights in the Ostergren household!  I pick up E at 4:30 from school & head straight to the gym...  she has cheer from 6-7:30, so we usually don't get home until 8ish.  Today I'm trying to be prepared so we don't eat either a) 9pm dinner or b) takeout food after practice! 

I didn't feel like going to the store, so I threw together stuff that I had on hand- you can add what you have!  Also, you can throw in the chicken while it's still frozen!

• 1 package of Smart Chicken breasts (I think 1.5 lb's or so)
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 block of cream cheese (1/3 less fat)
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of taco seasoning
• 1 small bag of frozen corn

It's all in the crockpot, so I'm hoping it turns out scrumptious & my kiddo eats it :)  I'll serve it with tortillas or salad! 

**You can make it healthier by eliminating the cream cheese & adding more veggies!

**Not a paleo recipe!  You can make a few tweaks & make it paleo (no beans, corn, or cream cheese)

Do you have any easy crockpot dinner ideas?

Post them below!

Decisions, decisions...

Being a parent is tough stuff!  Trying to raise a child (especially a daughter, in my case) in our society is always challenging...  you want them to know enough about the world to be strong & confident & able to handle themselves when you aren't around to protect them.  But you also want to always be around to shield them from the awful stuff that goes on in our world!  I don't know where the happy-medium is, nor am I an expert in parenting...  I just go by my own experiences & pray for guidance :)  

Decisions about school, extra-curricular activities, clothes, trips... watching them grow up & want more freedoms (boys- yikes!) - -  it goes on & on!  I'll just keep turning to God, and that would be my best advice for fellow parents as well!

Proverbs 22:6

New International Version (NIV)

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

My family

<3 

Happy Monday!

It is COLD outside this morning!  I didn't expect to head out to bootcamp at 5am and be greeted with a frozen car, snow, & freezing temp's!  Where, oh where, did that warm spring weather go?!!

FAITH:

I didn't make it to church yesterday... I woke up after Sunday School  had started!  I'm going to look for a new devo book or plan online today since I finished the last one- any awesome suggestions?!  Maybe something about being prego or being a momma...

FAMILY:

We had a pretty awesome weekend!  Saturday we got stuff done around the house, I got grocery shopping done & dessert made, and we went to my Grandma's house for an early Easter get-together (hence the dessert!)  Sunday was a pretty lazy day- E went to a cheer clinic & I was lazy most of the day :)

Baby O is doing well!  He is moving around quite frequently now!!  He still doesn't have a name, but he did get a few new clothes this weekend.  We went to the Rhea Lana resale event in Springfield, and found some cute baby clothes!  I still need to register, plan out the nursery, etc... but at least I got a few things accomplished!


FITNESS:

Workouts are going well!  I've been keeping up with my workouts, usually 5 days a week... not as intense as they used to be, but I'm keeping up with the weight & just taking it a tad bit slower!  This mornings workout was pretty awesome- I felt good afterwards!  

Nutrition- going MUCH better now that I'm farther along!  I definitely didn't eat very clean at the Easter dinner (who can pass up the yummy homemade foods that my family makes?!) but otherwise I'm doing pretty well!  Example- breakfast today was 2 organic eggs, 1/2 avocado, and 2 slices of nitrate-free bacon (and a cup of coffee!)  and I've already had a huge glass of water...  fellow pregos- hang in there!  Do what you can to be healthy for both yourself & the little one!

I like these little quotes- reasons to be healthy & exercise!

Being an example for my family, friends, & clients is a great reason to be healthy!!

A-Z, Fun pregnancy survey :)

I saw this on another pregnancy blog & I thought it would be fun!  I have so many friends that are expecting this summer- I think several of us are going through similar prego circumstances with our bodies & food cravings!!
~Jen

 

 

A is for age:  35. Yikes.  And prego!  I’m up for it though- this is the happiest that I’ve ever been in life J 

B is for breakfast today:  2 eggs, bacon (YUM!), and coffee

C is for currently craving:  Something sweet.  That’s pretty much what I always crave this pregnancy.  Rolos sound pretty amazing, but I shall resist! 

D is for dinner tonight:  I have no clue.  I don’t love to cook even when I’m not pregnant, so now I have a good excuse!  HAHA!!  Last night I made a scrumptious salad (with chicken, olives, feta, & greek dressing- it was pretty amazing!)

E is for favorite type of exercise:  I heart <3 my bootcamp classes!  I’m still lifting (just not as heavy!) and running some.  I also do the crossfitmom.com workouts- I love her stuff!!  My big ‘ole belly is expanding at a rapid pace, so having modifications is necessary these days!  Example- I can’t do hand-release pushup’s without squishing the little guy!  Last nights class was pretty awesome- we did hang power snatches, push-up's, & pull-up's (modified for me- I can't do a regular pullup anymore- I'm too 'belly heavy' I think HAHA!- BOO!)

F is for a fave food:  Sushi--  I. Love. Sushi.  And since I don’t like the raw sashimi stuff anyway, I still have it every once in awhile (like last weekend- girls night with my awesome daughter!  She loves it, too- I’ve trained her well!!)

G is for gross food:  Lots of it is gross at the moment.  Most every kind of meat.  Actually it’s the SMELL of most of it more than the taste!  Except for bacon, it is always good!!

H is for hometown:  Springfield!  I was born here, left for quite awhile, but realized that it’s where I want my kiddos to grow up!

I is for something important: God & Family. 

J is for current favorite jam: Food jam- grape jelly!  Song jam- I love the Mary J. Blige channel on Pandora.  It has all of the good ones J

K is for karaoke:  I love to watch people sing karaoke.  Other people.  Not myself!  I have been known to sing a few times, but that doesn’t happen too often! 

L is for luxe: I try to be pretty thrifty.  That way I can buy more clothes (& shoes!) and not feel bad about it!  I don’t skimp out on workout shoes- they are worth every penny! 

M is for muffins: Banana chocolate chip paleo muffins.  LOVE!  Speaking of, I have some bananas that need to be used…

N is for something you need:  an energy burst would be pretty amazing. Or a massage- my lower back just aches 24/7 these days!

O is for occupation:  Personal trainer – mixed in with babysitter for my nephew a few days a week, chauffer for my daughter & her friends M-F, and wife!

P is for pet peeve:  Mean people.  Seriously, if you don’t have something nice to say then keep your trap SHUT!

Q is for a quote: I love quotes- I always post them as motivation for my clients, and right now I’m liking this one:

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”- Swindoll

R is for running: I used to be a fast runner- state qualifier in high school cross country!  Now I run for fun & health- it’s pretty awesome when you have one of those ‘great running days’…  you could run forever and feel GOOD!  Since being prego I’ve ran 2- 5k’s and both have been MUCH slower.  I just take it easy & run a few miles on my good days- sometimes I’m walking more than running!

S is for favorite healthy snack:  Fruit.  I love it!  Right now I’m into blueberries, mandarin oranges, strawberries, bananas, & apples (in no particular order!) 

T is for favorite treat:  Rocky Road ice cream. YUM! 

U is for something that makes you unique:  I have long toes!  LOL!! 

V is for favorite vegetable: sweet bell peppers have been a fave lately!

W is for today’s workout:  It hasn’t happened yet- bootcamp at 6pm!  If it gets warm I may go for a walk this afternoon with my nephew...

X is for X-rays you’ve had:  feet, knees, legs, elbow, wrist…  probably more! 

Y is for yesterday’s highlight: I spent most of the day with the hubby, got flower seeds going with Elisabeth, had a fab workout with my bootcamp ladies, & dinner & the 'Bible' show with Pat, Elisabeth & Ryan last night!  It was a great day!!

Z is for your time zoo…as in animal that I would HAVE to visit when I go:  hippo J  He rolled over last week while we were there & Elisabeth was pretty excited to see that!  I'm glad that we have a little zoo locally, but I'm definitely looking forward to the STL Zoo next month (if the weather cooperates!)

21 Weeks Pregnant!

According to BabyCenter.com, my little man is growing!  Here is part of the 21 week description :)

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing:

Quick Clicks

• Inside pregnancy: Weeks 15 to 20
• Will you be a good mother? Demystifying the maternal instinct
• Measuring large or small for dates
• Live birth: Natural
• Record and share your baby's kicks

You're probably feeling pretty comfortable these days. You're not too big yet, and the usual discomforts associated with early pregnancy are, for the most part, gone. If you're feeling good, relax and enjoy it while you can — the third trimester may bring with it a new crop of complaints.

That's not to say you won't have some minor glitches to deal with now. For example, increased oil production may contribute to the development (or worsening) of acne. If that's the case, be diligent about washing well with a gentle soap or cleanser twice a day, and make sure that any moisturizer or make-up you use is oil-free. Don't take any oral acne medications — some are very hazardous during pregnancy — or use any topical acne products without first checking with your practitioner.

VIDEO

Live birth: Twins

 

Follow one woman through her pregnancy with twins and watch her give birth.

 

You're also more prone to varicose veins now. As your pregnancy progresses, there's increasing pressure on the veins in your legs; higher progesterone levels, which may cause the walls of your veins to relax, can make the problem worse. You're more likely to get varicose veins if other family members have them. Also, they tend to get worse with each successive pregnancy and as you age. To help prevent or minimize varicose veins, exercise daily, prop up your feet and legs whenever possible, sleep on your left side, and wear maternity support hose.

You may also notice so-called spider veins (a group of tiny blood vessels near the surface of your skin), particularly on your ankles, legs, or face. They may have a spider- or sunburst-like pattern with little branches radiating out from the center, they may look like the branches of a tree, or they may be a group of separate thin lines with no particular pattern. Though they may be a bit unsightly, spider veins don't cause discomfort and usually disappear after delivery.

A little over halfway there :)

Baby Ostergren update :-)

Baby Ostergren is now Baby BOY Ostergren!!!  We are so excited and can't wait to meet him!  We still haven't picked a name yet- Pat, Elisabeth & I all sat down and went over boy names last night.  How much fun was that?!  There are definitely many names that we all DON'T like!  We have a lot of time to figure it out, so the list of potential names is growing!

The doctor's visit went well- he is growing and is at a normal height & weight for his age!  My next appointment with my regular OB is next Wednesday!

There is so much stuff going on in our lives, and staying so busy is making this pregnancy fly by!  I'm starting to get antsy about having everything ready by July!!  

Have a great Wednesday everyone- I'm heading out to a huge resale pre-sale to check out baby stuff :)

Jen