Tea party with the ladies

Phoebe is enjoying a little tea party with her lady friends. Gabe's such a good Daddy, he is all about the details! I'm so grateful Pen & Tuck have him to look up to. He is simply an incredible man, and an even better Father. You see that sock monkey up there? Yeah, he made it. He's kind of unbelievable. 

Motivational reads

Real excited that this book arrived today! I absolutely love motivational books. If you're ever in a slump, a good motivational book can make all the difference. I'll make a list of a few of my favs tomorrow. Any book that teaches you to punch fear in the face is bound to be a winner!!! Thank you for the recommendation @paleochef! 

She's a natural

This stylin little mama blows me away! Look at that unsolicited posing!!! She's a natural! Way better than me already. She just kills me. 

Umm yes I want a fanny pack

Gabe and I just helped the kids buy each other's Christmas presents and I'm sort of excited about this exercise fanny pack! I usually place my phone securely in my sports bra but as I diet down for prep my boobs dissappear and my phone falls through, so I have to come with an alternative holding spot. I have high hopes for the fanny pack! I almost wish it was a little bit bigger so I could have some snacks and supps readily available. Being a female fitness fanatic, it's all about the accessories!!! Fanny packs, and all.

Wrapping up Christmas

The last few days have just flown by! We finalized our location for St. George's Crepery and we are hustling a to get as much done with the new place before Gabe starts teaching again next semester. I'm excited to spend some quality time with my family next week. I just want to get as much done as possible before so I can enjoy it. I have to say, I'm really glad I'm not on the last few weeks of prep right now. I would be so stretched it'd be pretty hellish. I'm already looking forward to the new year. I absolutely love the spirit of new beginnings and the prospects that the new year brings. There are so many wonderful opportunities that await my family in 2015, I feel really grateful to have a lot to look forward to. Tonight I'm finishing the last of my Christmas wrapping...

I don't know how people wait until the last minute to get their shopping done. It stresses me out so much to not have shopping, wrapping, and holiday planning done in advance! Anyways, I'm still in the super easy years of shopping for kids. Essentially anything goes, toy wise. My mother-in-law is fun to give gifts to bc she's like a little kid recieving them. She has such a sense of wonderment and joy. This year I found pictures of all my brothers and sister in laws around the same age to display. Finding these pictures was no easy feat!! I still need to get 1 enlarged. Man alive, can you even imagine having NINE children!!!!! That makes my head hurt thinking about it. Gabes the youngest, bottom right. Pretty dang cute. 

Can I not be an adult anymore?

Having one of those days! Both kids are sick, super stressful with our business expansion, and I didn't get to workout, so I'm extra down. Bahh I just want to have a day to lay in bed and watch Bravo, interspersed with eating, and napping. On the bright side it's almost bedtime!

Phoebes BDay

This is probably my favorite elf adventure as of yet! We were gifted this awesome birthday costume-it's intended for use on our children's birthday but there is no way in hell I'm fishing through all my Christmas storage to bring Phoebe out for 1 day. Nope. So instead we made tomorrow Phoebe's birthday! Penny is going to have a seizure she'll be so overjoyed with these cupcakes!!! Gabe and I are already aware that she's going to binge first thing in the morning, but we both agreed it's totally worth it. I hope I can snap a pic of her frosting coated face before she wipes it all over my bedspread....

Finally got our stocking holders up. Christmas decor makes me so happy. 

Revised show date

Making some gains on my new training program. It's an Olympic style weight lifting program and it so insanely intense!!! I'm in love with it...I have made the decision to compete in March, rather then the end of Jan. I don't want to cut myself short prepping through the holidays-I feel like I won't come in as strong as I'd like and I won't be able to enjoy my family as much over Christmas. So March it is! Flexibility with competing is so important. I'm learning to listen to my body and where I am emotionally, and not to beat myself up. There are times to push yourself and times to reevaluate and shift priorities-as with everything in life. I think the more I compete too, the better I am at knowing where I need to be 4 months out. I'm a highly optimistic person, and I set tons of goals for myself, but as I get older and wiser I learn what is realistic and what is simply too much. Again, always a balancing act. I'm so excited to have my sister-in-law @krystynoneil prep and compete with me!!! She's such a strong woman and so inspiring. It's critical to find a solid support system in this sport. I've yet to meet someone who can successfully go it alone. March here we come!!

Santa stopped by

Santa and Mrs. Claus made a special visit to the O'Neil family! Huge hit with the 3-6 yr olds, teenagers and Tuck were unimpressed. Aunt Jeannie had enough fun for the entire crew though. Fun memories we made today!

Blessings

Sometimes I have these moments where the world just stops, and I can see so clearly just how beautiful life really is. During this stressful time of year, I'm striving to be more grateful. Life is really hard, and it can be all to overwhelming sometimes but there are always enough blessings to focus our attention on. My motto-stay humble, work hard, and cherish my family like there's no tomorrow. 

Post Work-Out goodies

Post workout lunch date with myself...jazzythings meatball sandwich, multiple drinks bc I'm always nursing about 3 different drinks, BCAA's, and True Tori. There is something so relaxing about trashy reality TV. That's normal, right? The show's at least make me feel better about my own life. True Tori is actually pretty depressing, but I've committed to the season so I'll stick it through. I'm a loyal viewer!

Now or never

I found this is on IG earlier and it really resonated with me. When I look back on my adult life I can see that there was a time and a place for everything. Whether that be to adopt, move, open our business, expansion, etc. When it was time to do these things I always felt super prompted that it was time, and to act on it immediately. If we hadn't taken that huge leap of faith in each instance we wouldn't have anything. As I get older I know to not question these promptings. The stage has been laid for me to pursue my goals in the fitness industry. I think because this pursuit is completely mine, I've doubted it more than any other endeavor. That is why this quote hits me hard, I know that my competition journey is now or never. I have all the tools I need to succeed, now I must have faith in myself and my work ethic that I can do well, not only well but amazing! I'm excited and humbled to know that there are great opportunities in store if I apply myself and go about fearlessly chasing my dreams.

Credit due

Phoebe left it all on the table with these snow flakes!!! She is one talented little elf!...So I've got a bone to pick, Gabe has been taking creative control of elf on the shelf (if there is anything decorative or minorly artistic shown on this blog, it is 100% my husband), after setting the scene for Phoebe every night, he gets this ultra smug look on his face. And I'm all like, are you freaking kidding me?? I did all the  hard work!! I planned it, organized it, and for hells sake gave you every tool you needed to do it...This is essentially the dynamic of our entire marriage, minus the bone picking...he's actually really good at giving me credit too and he's a really hard worker...but you get where I'm doing with this. The competitiveness is real when is comes to our children's affection!!

 

Jazzythings

How beautiful is this meal?? (Gabe plated it...but I made it!) I purchased jazzythings crockpot cookbook a few days ago and have been so excited to try her recipes. These meatballs did not disappoint!!! Holy moly, they will knock your socks off!! Put them on top of quinoa noodles, or a lower carb choice is spaghetti squash, or just eat them on up all by themselves-no matter how you eat them you're gonna love them. I am super happy that I have enough meatballs to enjoy this week and then I can freeze some for later. I really love all things Jasmine-if you're not following her on IG, you must right away! @jazzythings. Also, get her new crockpot cookbook!! So easy, shockingly flavorful.

Redemption!

I think I've redeemed myself! I found a replacement Phoebe at a local book store and hurriedly came and hid her before pen was done with gymnastics. I'm sure I make a bigger deal about some of these small things but it's just so important to me to not lose their faith in magic. That's one of the purest gifts of childhood, and I will try to keep it alive for many, many years.

Parent Fail

Ok so I've posted my Elf on the Shelf calendar previously on the blog, and I've even purchased every item needed for our elf's escapades this month. We have been getting penny so excited for Phoebe to arrive tonight. I will be honest, I was feeling on top of my game when we were ready to bring crazy Phoebe out of her box....and then I freaking realize we lost Phoebe. I opened her box and that elf just up and dissappeared!!! I'm sure she got the shaft when it was time to put all the holiday decor away last year and perhaps ended up in the recycling bin. I do not know where that damn elf is. We looked everywhere! Bad side of living in Logan is we don't have a target, so no luck in just picking up another one!! Maybe ill find one somewhere tomorrow but we had no such luck tonight. Here's our attempt at covering our butts...

Minnie Mouse dominos can fix anything, right?!

View into heaven

We just had a really neat experience. We found out Tuck's birth dad is going on a LDS mission yesterday. We're not in contact with him so we didn't know until we saw it on FB. Anyways, I reached out to congratulate him and tell him how proud we are of him, he responded and surprisingly invited us to his farewell today. I guess his family kept Tuck and the adoption on the DL so we were nervous about talking to anyone, we just wanted to show our support. His mom caught our eye, and just started balling. I can not imagine how hard it would be to be in her situation. I hope she felt at peace seeing her adorable grandchild and to see just how well he's doing. It was wonderful to give her a big hug and just share a special moment. Open adoptions are complicated, but they are truly a view into heaven. We've never felt God's love stronger then through the process of adopting our babies. What a tremendous blessing it is to see our kids birth parents do great things with their lives. We love them more than they'll ever realize. We're so blessed to have these amazing selfless kids in our lives. I would never be as brave and selfless to do what they did, but I can promise them that I never take their beautiful gift for granted. We cherish our babies beyond this world, we pretty much worship the ground they walk on. Our open adoptions have given us great insight into the sacrifice it took for Gabe and I to be parents. We will always do everything in our power to give our kids the lives their birth parents hoped for them.

I have the best clients ever!!!

Just got this awesome text from my sweet client Andy. What a bad a she is!!!! She so inspires me to be better. Keep killing it girl!!!

Christmas traditions

Christmas tree decorated: check!

I am so in love with the smell and experience of getting a live tree every year. I'm grateful Gabe is dedicated to making holidays extra special for our family, and doesn't complain about the hassle of it. It means a ton to me because holidays were never made to be that big of a deal in my family. I have 3 big brothers that could care less about the magic of christmas and my parents just never got into it, so it was quite lackluster in their home to say the least. I think it's for that reason that I get so excited about every little detail. I'm like a big kid creating the Christmas I always wanted. It's such an honor to be a parent and to have the opportunity to create a magical experience for them. I wish I could freeze time with my babies this holiday season!

Jeannie Bean

I had a wonderful evening with my sweet Aunt Jeannie. It made me so happy to see her light up around my babies. Tucker sat her lap, so content, for about 10 minutes. It was the happiest I've seen Jeannie in a long time. She's always loved kids, but with her Alzheimer's it's hit and miss if she'll be able to enjoy them that day. Today she was able to, and I am so grateful for that. Such a perfect way to end our Thanksgiving. 

Party at Golds!

Happy Thanksgiving Fit Fam!!! I hope everyone was able to get a killer pump in this morning. I just went to Golds in Provo, and this stupid grin on my face is bc I ran into a good friend from my comp @gymlifeforevs and an IG idol @vattiera. I'm realizing just how small the competition community is in UT! You quickly start seeing everyone from IG at any major gym. Love it!!! Super inspiring to see these bad ass women getting work done. Enjoy your holiday everyone!!

Car trips with kids are awesome

I love road trips with a 3 & 1 yr old. Like they are so much fun, Id really like to do them a lot more...said no one ever!!!!! In a desperate attempt to comfort Tuck we have him Gabes big gulp, we were really desperate. We started the trip with a clean car and it looks like a war zone now. 

...here I am trying to zone the hell out. I'm blasting old skill hip hop through my seinheusers. Let's just say I've never been so anxious to arrive in Happy Valley!!!

Packed & prepped

Packed, prepped, and ready to head out of town for the holiday. We're only going for 24 hrs so I didn't have to bring TOO much food. We're having an early Thanksgiving this year bc our family is going to CO tomorrow. We weren't up for all the traveling with our little ones, and we've got a lot on our plate with our new restaurant. Anyways, I got a solid workout in earlier, and I'm excited to enjoy some delicious food tonight!!!

Taco Salad

This pic doesn't do this meal justice. Taco seasoned ground turkey w/onions & yellow peppers, quinoa, and thousand island yogurt dressing. It would have been even better if I had iceberg lettuce. This is a perfect meal to prepare a ton of and eat for days. I'll be bringing this with me when I go out of town for Thanksgiving. I'll double my dinner recipe tonight as well so I have some more meals prepped for the holiday weekend. Prepare, prepare, prepare!!!

Motivating jams

I'm mildly embarrassed to admit how much I love this song. I effing killed my cardio listening to it on full blast. Having the right music to motivate me is imperative to having a good workout....Lalalalala

Healthy alternatives

Last year at this time I was stuffing my face with the popcorn on the right-black & white drizzle corn. Although it is def delicious, it was getting me no where close to my goals!!! Now I fit some Boom Chicka Pop-sprinkled with Garlic Parm kettle seasonings-into my daily macros. I love my salty snacks! I can do away with sweets, but I'm hurting for starch when I diet down! Thankfully I can easily fit this popcorn into macros, all the while meeting my goals. I can't say it enough, I'm in love with IIFYM...and popcorn.

Progress pics

Time to hustle hard!! I've got some major work to do, but that's ok! Let's see what this body can do in 10 weeks!!!!

Almond joy pancakes

Just made these super yummy chocolate protein pancakes. I unfortunately didn't have the coconut to make them a real almond joy pancake as @cleaneats_kenzie intended, but they were delicious nonetheless. I substituted almond flour and Mexican vanilla forthe coconut flour and coconut extract. What I love most about protein pancakes is that there is endless concoctions you can put together and they're forgiving! I've yet to make an unedible batch(and that's really saying something bc I am NOT good at cooking). I also love how full they make you. If I am having an ultra beast mode hunger kind of day, protein pancakes are able to tame the furious beast. An additional treat that I got while making these...

was this delightful mess. At least she painted in her unders and didn't ruin her cute outfit. Here's to some afternoon clean-up. Agh.

Little Miss Magic

I am so incredibly honored that I get to work with this inspiring woman right here. Andy and I connected through IG a few months ago. I was so touched by her adoption story and committment to her precious baby, Little Miss Magic. I've followed their family's difficult journey handling Miss Magic's illness. They've  spent the last 6 weeks in the hospital waiting for a donor match for a liver transplant, unfortunately it didn't come in time, and Miss Magic left this world last week. Andy's strength through this trial has been humbling to witness, to say the least. Awhile back Andy expressed that she wanted to compete to show her little girl that she could be strong. That's the purest motivation in the world, and I'm simply floored by it. Andy and I started making plans last week about prep and we decided to get started right away! I can't express how privileged I am to work with her. I have the clearest vision of her on stage, dedicating this achievement to her angel. I know that Little Miss Magic will be right by her mama's side helping her to be strong. Please make sure to follow Andy on IG and offer her a lot of support and encouragement, @life_love_laughter5. I love you Andy!! I can't wait to help this goal come to fruition!!!

Rough day

Today has not been my day. I was pulling out of the gym parking lot, and I totally hit a parked car. I am so embarrassed and just feel SO dumb. I seriously don't even know how I managed to do this much damage. The car I hit actually came out unscathed, I have no idea how that happened either. The woman was so kind, I totally broke down when I realized what I did, and without even looking at the damage she told me, "honey, you don't even worry! It's only a material thing. Just get home safely."...well I did worry, but thankfully no damage was done. I mentioned yesterday struggling with seasonal depression, and today's incident made me realize I need to reevaluate my medications! Sometimes, it take crappy things like this to take action so I'm going to the doctor tomorrow. I'm so grateful my family is ok, and that I didn't hurt anyone else. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

Winter is here

Since winter has set in I've been battling a little bit of seasonal depression. I have to fight it hard every winter!! I actually enjoy the cold but it's these grey skies that just zap me. I've got to just focus that much harder on my goals and stay really busy. My mind plays tricks on me when I'm feeling this way, but I just have to remember how far I've come and that I can absolutely do this. 

IKEA for the win

IKEA-this baby bib/jacket/poncho is absolutely brilliant! It saves me an entire outfit change per day! Finding good effective baby products makes being a mom a whole lot easier! Maybe one of these days I'll post my fav baby products on the blog. Seeing that I've purchased enough baby items for a dozen kids, I know what's essential and what you should save some big $$ on. The baby industry preys on terrified, vulnerable, new moms! Those dirty bastards! I've come to realize there are very few products you actually "need". All the rest ends up clogging up your storage room! Or worse, your living space!!

IIFYM+Me=BFF

If I haven't said it enough I'll make sure to say it more-I FREAKING LOVE the IIFYM lifestyle!!!! Tonight's dinner was turkey blue cheese burgers. I didn't get a pic of it all made up bc I fat kid inhaled like it never existed. Before I found IIFYM I ate the "bro-science" clean diet. I always felt sooo restricted! When it was time for a cheat meal I would binge so uncontrollably. It was a heinous cycle. That's not the case with IIFYM eating. For instance, I love cheese so I make sure to fit into my macros nearly on a daily basis. The flexibility allows this to become a lifestyle rather than a 16 week hell hole!

Meathead Moment Monday

 

Can I just tell you I have the best sister-in-law in the world?! She's helping "Meathead Moment Monday" to gain some traction on IG. It's so fun to have a family member with the same interests. We did our entire first prep together, and I really don't think I could have stuck with it if it weren't for her support. I love you sister!...I'll just share my MMM while we're at it: tonight at the gym while I was listening to Nicki Minaj's Anaconda remix, I felt like my butt was so legit big that I was entitled to a little bit of booty pop dancing on the elliptical. It was subtle dancing but it was empowering. 

Shear adventure

Here's the evolution of Penny's self hair-cutting moment. Yeah, so, it was really awesome to find that she'd taken a good ole' chunk off the side. I totally realize it could have been a lot worse, but nonetheless I'm a little sad I can't give her fabulous Ana braids for a few months. She really could pull absolutely anything off though. My little wild woman will always keep things exciting! P.S. It looks like she's super bummed about the cut but she so loves it. I'm pretty sure if I don't keep it short from here on out she'll just take matters into her own hands again...she better not though!!!

Weekly goals

I like to take some time every Sunday night to think about my week and write my goals down. I keep this as my background on my phone to keep me accountable. My first and most important goal this week is practicing mindfulness! I've been doing extensive research on mindfulness and the more I educate myself on the topic, the more I realize that it's essential in order to achieve my goals. I'll post a link to one of my favorite articles on the topic here soon!

The Crepery

We recently made one of our employees head of social media for our restaurant. She's absolutely killing it! She got us 500 followers on IG in 2 days! Our place sort of epitomizes the hipster lifestyle, so we very much belong on IG. I'm so proud of my hubby's hard work and of our adorable collection of 20 yr old college students that make this business a pleasure to run. Hey-oh to small businesses and even more so to such a supportive community! 

5 min meal

Doesn't get easier than this! Rotisserie chicken, simply balanced quinoa & brown rice, and some salsa👌 It took all of 5 min to put together. I highly recommend you try the Simply Balanced southwestern-style quinoa and brown rice from Target. Super easy, super yummy.

Price to pay

I'm researching motivation right now, as I listen to a "Maximizing Motivation" podcast. I think it's so critical to remember this, "there is a price you're paying for staying the way you are." This should fuel us in moments of defeat. I know that I started my fitness journey because I no longer wanted to feel the way I felt. I am listing those painful feelings of self-loathing before venturing into competing. When I dive into those memories, it is like a slap in the face! I remember so clearly that I'm making these sacrifices and working this hard for a reason. I NEEDED to have a different life then the one I was living. Sometimes revisiting why we started a goal, can be exactly what we need to refocus and reignite our passion. 

We ❤️ our birth mom

We got to spend some time with Tuck's birth mom tonight. Isn't she so dang cute!!? Little dude was a grump tonight but we had fun none the less. It's a tremendous blessing to have such open adoptions. I don't think our birth moms begin to understand the love Gabe and I have for them.