I am crossing my fingers for some sunny weather after a rather dreary day in Charlotte yesterday. We did our best to make the most of the final day of my father-in-law’s visit, despite the wet and cloudy weather!
Breakfast
My morning began with the buzz of the alarm at 5 a.m. and I headed into the kitchen to assemble a quick breakfast for myself that included an egg white oatmeal protein pancake.
(Sorry for the horrible picture but it’s hard to take pretty food pics when it’s dark outside in the morning!)
The pancake fueled me through about 75 minutes or so of work until mama duty called in the form of a squealing toddler over the baby monitor. I headed upstairs to scoop Chase out of his crib and get him ready for the day!
Ryan headed off to work just before 7 a.m. and after we said goodbye to him and my father-in-law was awake, Chase snacked on an almond butter muffin while I ate breakfast 2.0!
A kiwi and a small cup of Siggi’s strawberry yogurt worked for me and peanut butter baked steel cut oatmeal served as breakfast for my father-in-law!
Workout
Greg encouraged me to take my usual boot camp class in the morning while he showered and got ready for the day, so Chase and I headed out for what ended up being one of my favorite upper body Burn Boot Camp workouts ever. It was SO hard but so awesome and just was my body was craving on a Monday morning.
Here’s a rundown:
Wow, that is a LOT of text and description but hopefully it’s not too confusing! If you’re hoping to give it a shot and find yourself scratching your head, definitely let me know of any questions and I’ll happily answer them for ya!
Following my workout, I said goodbye to my workout buddies, scooped Chase up from BBC childcare and hurried home to pick up Greg. We had plans to go to a local park but the weather wasn’t cooperating, so we swapped out slides for smoothies and went to Clean Juice!
(The Recovery One Protein Smoothie: Strawberries, Banana, Almond Butter, Honey, Almond Milk, Hemp Protein)
We left Clean Juice feeling awfully cold (drinking ice cold smoothies when it’s cold outside may not have been the smartest) but once we were back home, we warmed up with hot tea before putting Chase down for his nap.
Greg kindly offered to take Sadie on a walk while Chase slept (Sadie is seriously obsessed with him and it’s adorable) and I took advantage of the quiet time to work on the computer for a bit.
Lunch
Eventually my stomach told me it was break time, so I paused and Greg and I assembled a quick and easy lunch of Thai takeout leftovers from Sunday night’s dinner.
Since there wasn’t much there, I also made myself a small bowl of egg salad with tomatoes to eat with a banana to fully satisfy my hunger.
Once we were done eating, I put together a quick crock pot dinner of Lindsay’s honey garlic chicken thighs so Ryan, Chase and I would have a warm meal ready for us in the evening.
Soon after lunch, it was time to take Greg to the airport for his afternoon flight back to Florida, so we piled into my car and headed out! After we pulled up at Departures to drop Greg off, we said our goodbyes and thanked him for coming to visit us on his birthday weekend. I really hope he enjoyed celebrating with us!
On the way home, Chase and I made a couple of pit stops to do some returns and then grabbed some food for the week at Whole Foods. We made it back home in the early evening and Chase and I shared a snack before putting the groceries away. Ryan arrived home shortly after and we dug into the crock pot dinner I prepped earlier in the day!
Dinner
The honey garlic chicken thighs, sweet potatoes and carrots hit the spot… And I promise it tasted better than it looks!
We ended up taking Chase upstairs for a bath earlier in the evening thanks to a dirty diaper issue so he was fresh and clean and in his jammies for our usual round of evening playtime!
Ryan took care of putting Chase to bed so I could sneak in a tiny bit more work on the computer before it was time for me to head off to my Monday night small group.
We’ve been meeting biweekly at a local coffee shop ever since the summer and I cherish the time I have with our group of seven women so, so much. Last night kicked off a new study in our group and I’m excited to see how it unfolds in the coming weeks.
I arrived home around 9:30 p.m. and Ryan and I headed immediately upstairs to get ready for bed. We chatted for a bit before my eyes felt too heavy to remain open for much longer, so lights went out around 10 p.m.
Monday = Done!
I hope you guys have a great day today!!
I can’t get enough of Chase in his PJ’s, so adorable! And omg that workout, a dumbbell press after a sit up seems so hard! But I’m willing to give it a try 😉
Patricia @Sweet And Strong(Quote)
What a wonderful day!! Love how productive you always are!! Yesterday my whole family was off of work/school except me haha. So I went to the office for a half-day to work in peace, then came home and we spent the rest of the day as a family. We went for a drive since it gets our little ones to fall asleep, then hit up the park! Dinner was spicy potato and black bean burritos, yum!
Hope you enjoy your Tuesday!!
-Sarah http://www.thefrugalmillionaireblog.com
Sarah(Quote)
You’re productivity is astonishing. How do you prioritize, plan and stay focused? I’d love to hear about your process. I mean, sometimes I just want to catch up on This Is Us. Hahaha
Brynn(Quote)
I was wondering the same thing! There are so many times where I think “I should really do this,” but then I remember Netflix. My productivity wanes come 4pm. I’d love to be more productive in the evenings!
http://www.poweredbysass.com
Kaitlyn @ Powered by Sass(Quote)
Thanks for the work out! What are Locomotives?
Kate(Quote)
They’re basically fast-paced alternating one arm back rows!
Julie(Quote)
Thanks, can’t wait to try this one tonight!
Kate(Quote)
Recipe for almond butter muffins?! Sound amazing!
Christina(Quote)
Question about Chase’s PJs! I see they are not the footed kind… which I know are harder to find the bigger they get. Do you put socks on him? Or is he old enough to use a blanket? I am finding it harder to find footed PJs and wondering what to do about cold feet! Thanks!
Pamela(Quote)
Hi Pamela! We do put socks on him most nights and still don’t have a blanket in his crib. We actually got him these weird high polar bear socks when we were in Canada that somehow see to stay on overnight so those are his “sleep socks.” I tried to find the brand but I can’t and I don’t remember so I am so sorry I’m not more helpful!
Julie(Quote)
I love these posts! I love seeing what you eat throughout the day because sometimes I’m stuck in a rut with food so I get some good ideas. The arm workout is a huge bonus and I can’t wait to try it!
Taylor(Quote)
I would love the egg salad recipe!
Marley(Quote)
That woekout looks great, I can see why you enjoyed it so much!
Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona(Quote)
That workout looks like a good one!! Chase is just the cutest kid ever!!! Have a great week!
Taylor(Quote)
Hey Julie! I would love to hear what you think about “Becoming Mrs. Betterhalf”. My friends and I are looking for a new book to study together. Also, would you recommend any other book studies?! Thanks so much! I LOVE that you cherish that time with the other women.
Ashley Sylvester(Quote)
Hi Ashley! We JUST started it this week and so far it’s wonderful and eye-opening! I am looking forward to the next 8 weeks. To be honest, it has been a while since our group found a study we’ve loved so we have high hopes for this one!
Julie(Quote)
I am really interested in learning more about your small group. Specifically- how does one go about starting one? Is one woman the “leader”? Should it be women of all the same religion? How do you find your content? I feel like this is just what i need in my life and would love to start one but have no clue how- any advice would be appreciated! Thank you, Amy
amy(Quote)
Hi Amy! Our group came about because one of my girlfriends wanted to get together to study the Bible and strengthen her relationship with God with other women who are in a similar place in life. She reached out to a small handful of us (among the 7 of us we actually go to 4 different churches, all non-denominational Christian) and our group leader is usually the one who presents studies to dive into, topics, questions, etc. but we all contribute if there’s something important to us/something we’re struggling with as well! In the past, I’ve seen small groups form in various ways, often through specific churches, which is probably the easiest way!
Julie(Quote)
Unfortunately I’m going to stop reading here… I’ve been a follower for over 5 years and the content lately has been so mundane and lacking creativity. It’s great that you’re a stay at home mom, but posts every single day about each meal and snack you ate do not constitute engaging content for readers. I truly mean this in a constructive way, because I’m disappointed every time I come here – not intending to be snarky or rude! There are far too many other bloggers doing really neat things in the health/wellness space that keep me interested.
erica(Quote)
I disagree, and I am only commenting so Julie can see this and know that all of her readers are different (you are definitely entitled to your own opinion!). These are the types of posts that I enjoy the most; day-in-the-life, behind the scenes posts. I was losing interest in all of the workout/recipe posts, which it seems like you enjoy the most. I think she is doing a good job of trying to catch all of her readers interests. I usually just skip over a post that I don’t want to read, but that doesn’t mean I’ll give up a blog altogether since there is content that I do still enjoy.
Briana(Quote)
Hi Erica. Thank you for your feedback. To be honest, whenever I’ve asked for reader feedback about what posts people want to see more of, day in the life/personal posts are always the top request. I know they’re not for everyone and I try to sprinkle in a variety of content but if blogging for 7+ years has taught me anything it’s that I can truly never make everyone happy every day. I’m sorry PBF isn’t the place for you anymore but thank you for reading for 5+ years!
Julie(Quote)
Very true that you can’t make everyone happy. I really enjoy your blog!! I find posts like today’s to be inspiring!
Jessica(Quote)
Ouch Erica
Jan(Quote)
Ha! The “trying not to be rude” part..
This is one of my favorite blogs to read so PLEASE keep up whatever your doing!!
Sometimes people have wayyyy too much time on their hands & want to stir a pot somewhere..
April V(Quote)
Looks like a fun but relaxing day!
Would you mind telling where you got the beige/blue rug under your coffee table? Looking for something similar!
Jessie(Quote)
Yes! The brand is Safaveih and I bought it off RueLaLa.com two years ago!
Julie(Quote)
Awesome! Thanks for the recipe link! I never liked the crockpot because I didn’t like shredded or mushy meat but we got the instant pot last year and I can’t say enough about it! I’m going to try this recipe in there! 🙂 It finishes tenderloins in 12 minutes! 🙂
Marie(Quote)
Totally off-topic but I had a question about when you did sleep training with Chase. I remember you mentioning your nightly games of “paci pong” haha and that’s something my husband and I are doing right now and it’s exhausting! When you stopped nursing Chase and did your version of cry it out, did you also stop going in at night and putting the pacifier back in? My daughter will sleep through the night without needing a feeding but still cries out for the paci at least 2 times a night. She settles back down immediately, but I’d love to stop having to do that. Any tips you can pass along would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!
Ciara(Quote)
Before Chase was able to grab his paci and put it back in his mouth, we found ourselves going back in to replace it for him which was exhausting! When he could finally locate it himself, it was such a game-changer for us. I totally feel for you!!! It really is completely exhausting! The paci was really the only way Chase knew how to “self-soothe” so it was tough up until he could grab one and put it in his mouth himself. I wish I had more help and advice for you! But I have definitely been there and feel for ya!!! <3
Julie(Quote)
When she can grab it herself and put it in she’s totally fine, it’s when it’s out of reach and she can’t find it that is the problem. I find myself wanting to put like 10 wubanubs in her crib with her just so that there is always one in reach haha
Ciara(Quote)
Chase slept with 5 for a while there!!! Haha!!
Julie(Quote)
We did the same workout at my BBC. It is funny because I was not a fan of the partner intervals and so. many. push ups. !!! Funny how different people like different workouts.
Ashley @ Sweet Carolina Belle(Quote)
I love getting up early before any of my kids, it’s when my productivity is at it’s peak and I feel so much more accomplished than if I get up later!
Happy Tuesday 🙂
Jen(Quote)
I love those pancakes for breakfast but wished I had more time to make them in the morning. I’m always rushing!
Hope you’re having a wonderful week:)
Nathaly @NathyCure(Quote)
Oh, I loved the better half series by Steven furtick! We love Elevation church – I bet that study will be amazing! 🙂
Ashley@cupcakesncrunches(Quote)
I’m excited to try the pancake recipe. I am currently on the Whole 30 which doesn’t allow concocted treats even out of healthy foods but afterwards I’m looking forward to trying more gluten free dishes!
Kristen(Quote)
Sounds like a fun time despite the dreary weather. Today has been so dreary in PA too! What book are you guys using for your small group study? I’m looking for a new one and I’d love any recommendations! Hope the rest of your day today is lovely!
Heather @ Polyglot Jot(Quote)
Hi Julie! I know this isn’t one of the topics discussed today. It’s I was wondering about your dry shampoo you use. How often do you use it and how do you go about applying it? OH and what brand is it? Your hair is always so beautiful!
Tiffany(Quote)
Saw the title and thought “British Broadcasting Corp”… ooops.
I see taht Sadie is “Team Daddy’s Daddy’!
janet(Quote)
That’s awesome you’ve started going to small group! My church has a Moms small group that meets once a month- you’ve inspired me to finally go!
Katie @ Live Half Full(Quote)
I absolutely LOVE your Monday Eats posts!!
They come in handy so much when making my menu for the week!!
April V(Quote)
Thank you, April!!
Julie(Quote)
Thanks for sharing your Monday eats! After reading this post, I made the honey garlic chicken recipe for my workday lunches this week. Yum!
Amy(Quote)
I feel like I make that recipe constantly in our house right now! It’s so, so good!
Julie(Quote)
Hi Julie! The Thai takeout looks AMAZING. I do agree that there’s not a lot that you get out of teeny-tiny takeaway containers, so I try to add more veggies and carbs with whatever I get! 😛 Have an amazing weekend!
Cassie Autumn Tran(Quote)
Catching up on your blog! This is so random but I had NO idea you could eat the skin on a kiwi (yes I had to Google it after I saw your pic). That just blew my mind!
Steph(Quote)