WhatIWore: I recently was digging through my stored clothes and unearthed a beautiful camel hair coat that I received as a gift about ten years ago. This got me searching through Pinterest for ideas on how I might wear it. Check out some of my favorite looks above, click through to my board below and stay tuned for the actual outfit tomorrow!
Follow Jessica Quirk | What I Wore’s board Color Crush | Camel on Pinterest.
It’s that time of year again - the Whole 30 Challenge! For those of you who are unfamiliar, in 2012, Adam and I took on a new way of eating focusing on free range, grass fed meats, eggs, veggies and fruits. We dropped the added sugar, all grains, legumes, dairy and alcohol for 30 days (see a total recap including before and after photos HERE).
For all of 2014 I was either pregnant or just getting the hang of being a new mom. My eating habits were pretty bad. Things like donuts went from being a once and a while treat to a biweekly habit. I ate ice cream almost every day during the summer, sometimes twice. After the baby was born I kept lactation cookies in my bedside drawer. I was a total sugar monster. Then the holidays came around and I thought, what the hell, I’m already eating junk, why stop?
So why am I calling it an Almost Whole 30 this year? Primarily because I’m exclusively breast feeding my son and I need to really make sure to watch my milk supply and keep my calories up. The beauty of the Whole 30 is that you can eat A LOT of food (which I love to do!) it’s just that you’re getting all of the benefits of a nutrient rich diet for those calories instead of the empty calories you have in sugary treats and drinks. Healthy fats will be important, so I’m going to be snacking on avocado, nuts and fruits often (most Whole 30ers don’t snack between meals). The official Whole 30 guidelines also ask you not to indulge in things like smoothies, but I might have to throw in a coconut fruit version once and a while. I also have plain oatmeal, white and wild rice and quinoa in my pantry that I won’t feel bad eating when I need to. Finally, I’m going to be less die hard about trace ingredients. If my bacon or sausage has a little sugar, that’s ok. If we use store bought olive oil mayo instead of making our own, the world isn’t going to end. I even had a sip of champagne to ring in the New Year and did not self distruct! The focus is changing our eating habits to more healthy ones and not relying on bread, pasta and sugary treats to feel full. Since I’ve successfully done the Whole 30 following each and every rule to the letter before I know what’s most important for me. If you’re doing a Whole 30 for the first time, I really encourage you to try it out by the book!
Since we started on Monday, I’ve already been taking notes and photos so I’m going to post meal ideas for breakfasts, lunches, snacks and dinners each week. If you have questions, please check out my original post or feel free to ask me on Facebook or Instagram! I’ll be posting photos of some of my meals with #Whole30JQ if you want to follow along!
WhatIWore: Happy New Year! I love fresh beginnings, which is why I always like to make resolutions for solid habits for the coming year. I’ve narrowed mine down to four pretty simple things I want to get better at: Eat better, Be Present, Get It Done and Move More.
Eat Better Adam and I like to do a Whole30 at the beginning of each year. Last year I was pregnant and had major food aversons, so I didn’t complete the full 30 days. This year, four months post partum, I’m feeling great and really excited about refocusing on my health. I’m planning on doing a full post on the ins and outs of this year’s plan, because we’re going a little off course to ensure I have enough calories to also feed my son.
Be Present Speaking of my little guy, I can’t believe how much he’s already changed since he was born. It’s incredible to see his growth! And he’s such a happy little baby. When I’m with him, I want my attention to be 100% focused on being there. No iPhone in the other hand, no computer in the lap, I just want to be with him. Same goes for my husband, friends and family. Real life trumps digital life, so I’ll capture outfits and meals and cute baby pictures when I can, but otherwise I plan on a lot less screen time in my free time in 2015.
Get It Done The other day I saw a really great tip on Pinterest that I’ve been using around the house since then. If you can do it in 2 minutes, do it now. Anything from picking up baby toys, emptying or loading the dishwasher, wiping down counters or making the bed. There are so many little chores that are so easy to cross off my list as I move about the house that will pile up otherwise. It’s hard for me to relax when I’m surrounded by chaos in the form of a mess, so it’s just something I need to do. So far, so good!
Move More I got a FitBit for my birthday and started wearing it this week. It’s crazy how many steps you can get just by walking around the house! We live in a two story and our laundry’s in the basement, so I can climb as many as 17 flights of stairs a day! It’s also been a good motivater to get outside for fresh air with Felix, even when it’s chilly out. Wearing this little gizmo is a nice reminder to get up off the couch, get it done and the added bonus is that it’s good for me too!
I’d love to see ‘em! Share what you’re focusing on for 2015 on my facebook page.
Today I woke up and realized that if I had to pick, I’d take Christmas Eve over Christmas Day. It’s the big day before the big day and when the celebrations always took place in my childhood home. We’d spend the day cleaning the house and helping my mom and dad prepare for the elaborate six course meal they’d cook. We listened to the Time Life Treasury of Christmas CD so many times I’d memorized all of the songs by the time I was ten. Each hour we got closer to Christmas got built up with more anticipation and anxiety as we’d entertain my dad’s side of the family and all of my cousins that night. I always had a special Christmas dress and my mom always gave us Christmas pajamas to wear that night. After our big meal we’d exchange presents and the kids would play in the basement while the parents got jolly and played euchre upstairs. The little kids would cry when it was time to go home after all of the fun we’d had. To this day the smell of candle smoke instantly pulls me back to those nights.
When I got older I spent each Christmas hoping that the next year would be spent with someone I loved. After Adam and I got married, I thought about how much I wanted a baby and how joyful Christmas would be when we had kids.
And last year, on December 24th, I got my wish. A year ago today I found out I was going to me a mom and that I was pregnant. Today I sit in my living room with a sleeping baby boy by my side, next to the glow of the Christmas lights on the tree and think about how lucky I’ve been and how grateful I am for the life I’m living. It’s the first year that Adam and I are spending Christmas Eve in our own home, as our own little family of three. It’ll be different from the full house I grew up with, but perfect in it’s own way.
However you spend the holidays, I hope they’re filled with love. Merry Christmas!
Voted most likely to say “I could make that!”
Sewing & knitting obsessed, loves baking, making and spending time with my family.
I love shopping secondhand first and upcycling fabric into new creations. Check out all of my sewing projects here.
I love historic dress! See my costumes here!
Join me as I share the ins and outs of my life as a stay at home mom, living in the countryside and fixing up our farmhouse.
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