Sometimes it's hard to balance work & family especially when your office is in your home. Constant interruptions are commonplace and pulling away to take care of the things that need attention in the home is a challenge.
Finding Time. Photo Journal.
Sometimes it's hard to balance work & family especially when your office is in your home. Constant interruptions are commonplace and pulling away to take care of the things that need attention in the home is a challenge.
#MangoChallenge: Week One & Four Pounds Down!
On May 1st I began a weight loss challenge titled #ManogChallenge. This challenge was sponsored by Recess and truDERMA, a local Las Vegas based business. It's been nine days and so far I've had great results. In the first week I lost a total of four pounds. I feel better in my clothes too. I'm usually tugging, pulling, and adjusting through out the day, but I've noticed that has not been the case the last few days. It feels really good to feel more comfortable in my skin again.
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| May 7th 2013 |
With a few pounds shed, things are looking good for the Mangodrin product. I spent 6 months in the gym and with not much to brag about I stopped going when my business took off. Today I returned to the gym, no, I returned to Body Pump! Ouch! I also have three
#MangoChallenge by truDERMA: 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge for Las Vegas Bloggers
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| May 1st 2013, GNC VIP Blogger Event |
I'm game for a challenge! I'm that girl - so if you say I can't do it, I am bound and determined to prove I can (I believe every man who has said that to me, has ate crow).
Well, no one said I can't lose the thirty pounds I unexplainable
Once I learned about the all-natural African Mango product at Blogger & the Beat, I was happy to take the samples home & give it a try. I have tried weight loss supplements in the past, only stop taking them as soon as I started because the side effects.
Mangodrin has been a fantastic product for me so far with no side effects to date (May 6th). I weighted in on May 1st at 147 pounds and as of this morning I weighed 143.5. That's after a busy food-centric weekend. I was a guest at The Ladybug Ball and Sunday was Cinco de Mayo. The food was very rich and I'm sure no shortage of butter was used to create the fabulous four courses at the ball. Plus the wine pairings were not to pass up! Add that to the beer and margaritas, plus party food on Sunday & I'm not sure how the scale was so kind!
Blogger & The Beat: Las Vegas Networking Workshops
As the community director of Recess, the Las Vegas women's online magazine, I was there to host open mic & speak about the Sandbox Revolution contributors cafe and what an amazing tool it is for our network of bloggers and contributors.
I won! I won! Won a gift basket at the #BloggerAndBeat event!!! Thanks @recesslv!!! twitter.com/MommyReporter/…
— Desiree Peeples (@MommyReporter) April 27, 2013
Every month Recess provides an opportunity for sharing, learning & most of all, connecting with our community of women, bloggers, and businesses - Recess LVThe April topic was Blogger & The Business. The featured educational speaker, Toni Spilsbury, a Recess founding member, enlightened workshop goers with an informative presentation on bridging the business to blogger gap.
She gave insightful lessons on ways that progressive businesses can utilize that special connection a blogger has with it's readers; how to tap into their collective following to translate that into increased business revenue. As well as how bloggers can optimize campaign events with simple, yet effective methods.
I opened the evening with open mic. Speakers included Wendy Cushing of Wendy's Hat and Thomas Moore of ThomasDonaldMoore.com.
When we began planning Blogger & the Beat it was important for Recess to embrace bloggings roots. Open mic is a way to recognize how it got started. Blogging took the conversations we were having out of our neighbors kitchens over morning coffee and transitioned them from the park playdate blankets to an online audience. We began sharing our lives and personal stories with strangers willing to gawk via the web.
We could relate to perfect strangers stories about parenting as well as share family recipes with someone hundreds of miles away like never before. Thus the blogger became relatable and the reader began to trust them like a sister or girlfriend. Which in turn, & unexpectedly, has made bloggers a valuable tool for businesses.
Thomas, a business professional by day and cheer-dad by night was willing to share his experiences from the sidelines. You can read his Confessions of a Cheer Dad here.
Wendy shared lessons learned on the conference trail. She had just finished up a three-week conference tour and was back in town just in time to join us. I have two quotes I live by and it was refreshing to hear Wendy (in so many words) touch on this knowledge that she took away from her travels.
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. - African Proverb
Character is how you treat those who can do nothing for you - unknown
The wonderful local company truDerma was a feature sponsor at the workshop! They provided the attendees with their Mangodrin products, as well as lots of goodies to win during the tweet-up. Sandbox Revolution member (& that evenings volunteer) Desiree Peeples - @MommyReporter won the gift basket.
Lana Fuchs also sponsored a signed copy of her new book The Blueprint. Recess and LV Tweet Party will be holding a twitter party on April 29th with special guest and local Las Vegas native, as well as Sin City star Lana Fuchs. You can get more information about the twitter party HERE.
A special thanks to all of our volunteers, guest speakers, attendees, and fab sponsors that made the workshop possible! The May topic will be Tweet & The Beat: Twitter & the Business.
Why I will read their blog & might not read yours.
"I don't like whales! They splash water in people's eyes!"Now that is honesty! Granted it's something my three-year-old said to me today, but I can respect it...because it's her honest opinion. I don't agree, in fact I really like whales. I wanted to be a marine biologist growing up. But, I can respect that she has an opinion about the same subject that differs from mine.
What does a three-years-old's opinion about whales have to do with blogging? Everything {and nothing}.
I read a lot of blogs and I also get asked what blogs I read and why I read those ones. I really don't have a running list of blogs I religiously read daily, no, I have a running list of bloggers that run sites I enjoy visiting.
What makes a blog worth visiting {to me}. The only way I can answer this question is: honesty. I enjoy visiting sites that the blogger is honest about what they write about. I can pick up any magazine that advertisers pay to run ads in, when I read a blog I don't want to read a paid advertisement! No, I want that person to let me honestly know what they liked about the product and in some cases what they really didn't like. So as a potential buyer, I can make an informed decision on the product.
I'm not saying that if you're a blogger and feature sponsors I won't like your site anymore. Not one bit! I myself love working with brands. I use the word LOVE because if I work with a brand I really do love that brand and enjoy the product. If it's something I have never tried and have been asked to work with them, and they fit my views, I am honest about the experience. If I can't be, I will respectfully decline to participate. This preserves my integrity and keeps the site organic.
As a reader and follower of blogs, I know how I feel when I think that the blogger will endorse anything that comes their way and say things they may not believe in order to please the sponsor. I tend not to keep visiting the site. Brands can take it, they know not everyone that reviews their product will like it. Any respectable brand will 100% stand behind their product or you should reconsider working with them.
It needs to be an objective look at the item with your personal experiences and opinions mixed in. - Basics 4 Bloggers
Nothing is worse then checking out something another person (who was paid) recommended and it turns out to be utter crap. It is another thing to try a product and have a different experience and disagree, like the whales.
If all your product reviews are peachy and rosy with no real pros and cons, I start to wonder, so do your readers. Are you the most positive blogger on Earth or is the money really good enough for you to foolishly think your readers don't mind? Maybe your revolving reader door is so great you just don't care.
Disagree? Great, I can respect that. But if you are disagreeing that giving every sponsor that walks through your door with cash in hand an across the board thumbs up is really good blogging practice, chances are I'm not reading your blog.
Looking to review products? I enjoy Basics 4 Bloggers advice on the subject.
Finding time...
Sometimes it's hard to balance work & family especially when your office is in your home. Constant interruptions are commonplace and pulling away to take care of the things that need attention in the home is a challenge.
I've been working from home for a few years now, I really like it. I'm with my youngest for just a few years before she starts school with the other big kids. I try to break from work daily and take her out for a long walk with our puppy. She loves riding her scooter while the weather is still bearable.
The weekend are really the best family time we get. The hubs is home and we usually grill our dinners together over a bottle (or two) of wine. It's much needed down time with all the social events screaming for my time.
I get so busy I sometimes forget how fast the time I get with my kids slips away. Just watching her fix her own problems like the rock in her shoe reminds me the time we get to go on walks together is fleeting. Even know she knows how to push my buttons, I know I'll be sad when she goes to school all day.
Instastory: My fav instagram photo this week
By far this is my favorite instagram photo I shared this past week. Lately I've been ordering pellegrino with a lime twist. Last Tuesday WIMMI - Women in Media Mentoring Initiative launched it's Las Vegas chapter and I was a guest at the event along with my other Recess co-founders.
WIMMI offers an inclusive and supportive environment to women at all stages of their careers for professional development, lifestyle management and the formation of lasting friendships. - WIMMI
It was a fun night with the girls at the Amanda Harris Gallery and The Lady Silvia in downtown Las Vegas. Downtown has come so far recently, enough to make me even want to hang down there. It still has it's not-so-fabulous parts but the progress being made is amazing. We're even holding our monthly networking workshop Blogger & The Beat in the downtown coffeehouse The Beat Coffeehouse & Records on the last Friday of every month.
Once the event winded down we headed over to Triple George for light apps & nightcap. I skipped the wine opted for san pellegrino because I was driving myself that night.
I wish I would have took pics of the food, but I was too engrossed in the deliciousness & the thought of stopping to photograph it was fleeting after the first bite *next time*. Order the Baked Goat Cheese Marinara or the Spin Artichoke dip - follow it up with a Caffe Americano = heaven! They also offer vegan options.
All-in-all a fun night with the girls that left me fulfilled and content.
Little Green Things: Embracing Earth Day My Way...
I was at our local fresh & easy, and the first spot we hit is the markdowns. I had pesto on the menu (flatbread pizza with bacon, feta, pesto, & balsamic drizzle *drool*) and spotted a withering sad little basil plant. Fresh & easy sells living mini potted basil in-stores and I've picked one or two up before but they always died.
I figured this one was on deaths door and me buying it for $0.75 would be the final nail in the coffin. I know nothing about growing anything, except children; they are like weeds, but something told me I'd have a chance at bringing this little guy back to life.
In effort to keep this winning streak going, I've recycled a cute little can and proudly labeled him. Don't ask why I refer to it as "Him", just do. Maybe humanizing it is what has saved it's little life, so I'm not gona mess with that.
So Happy Earth Day (April 22nd) and rest assured there is just one more healthy living thing out there I haven't killed. Again, not saying it wont die eventually.
Gluten Free Banana Muffins
I'm a bread lover, and fried food lover, meat lover...ok just a good food lover would be quicker! But none of those things have done any favors to my waistline. In fact I'm still at my pregnancy weight (my youngest is 3!) - no bueno! So after taking a hard look at my plate (and the plates of my family) I had a major food overhaul. You can read more about the new Food Rules here at Recess LV. If we have treats from now on we make them from home and from scratch. Which I'm not the best baker, but I can get by. I did a lot of reading about wheat and how it effects children so I'm removing the quantity and making it a once in a while thing, and btw it's not very kind to me either.
I picked up some almond flour at WinCo foods (local to Las Vegas) in the bulk section, a great way to go green too, for around $6/per lb, which is a much better deal then the Bob Red Mill's I spotted at another store for around $11 a pouch (guessing 16oz). I figured we'd try it out with an old muffin recipe I like that's been in my family, but now altered for the sake of my pants size!
Gluten Free Banana Muffins
2 very ripe organic bananas
2 cups almond flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup organic agave nectar
1 cup organic whole milk (horizon) or goats milk, what I used
3 tablespoons organic coconut oil
2 farm fresh eggs (if you can get them) or brown eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tray with paper liners.
- Get some little helpers and put them to work mashing the ripe bananas.
- In a bowl combine all dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl combine all wet ingredients except bananas and mix well with a electric mixer or hand mixer for a minute until the batter well incorporated.
- Slowly add dry ingredients into the batter while mixing by hand with a wooden spoon.
- Once combined fold in bananas.
- Ladle batter into the muffing cups 3/4 of the way full and bake 10-15 minutes or until muffin tops are springy to touch.
- Cool on rack for 20 minutes.
I used these muffins in the kids bento lunches this week. They feel like they're getting a sweet treat and I win! For bento lunch ideas follow me on instagram!
Bento Lunches: What to do with all the leftover Easter eggs!
Recently I overhauled my families diet (read about it at recesslv.com). I removed the CCSD school lunch program from my kids diet and began making them Bento lunches from home. I have reason to believe our school lunch programs are the dumping grounds for the leftover corn-based and processed foods we have in over-abundance due to our American food system. Our food system supports over production of cheap and easy products and in-effect find them within our public school lunch programs. This is one of MANY reasons I have removed them from my childrens diet.I discovered the Japanese take on home lunches called "Bento". My boxes are not as flashy as some, but my kids health and happiness is what the point really is. So if you want realistic, "real" food bento suggestions you've landed in the right spot! Welcome.
A Bento lunch is found heavily in Japanese culture and traditionally contains one protein, one carb, and 2 servings of veggies. I opened it to fruit and veggies to suit my kids likes a bit better. I also add a small cheese wedge (baby bell) as a treat; as I'm cutting down on all animal based foods like meats, eggs, & non-raw dairy.
This past week we seen our fair share of extra added egg protein! We don't eat all that many chicken eggs and this abundance left me reeling for uses other than throwing them out. I think it would be such a waste of energy to toss them entirely. I made some wiggle room in our diet & because eggs fall within the Food Rules I've incorporated them into the kids lunches this week.
Tomorrow I'll pack them chef salad and slice egg on top and egg salad sandwiches on Friday in effort to use more of the eggs.
I'll be back with me list of Bento lunch ideas! If you're taking the steps to provide a fresh, non-processed, sustainable lunch option for you kids; I'm here. Follow me on instagram: @prettysimplegreat #bento or follow my pin board all about bento lunches.
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