Christ Centered Easter Basket

I have done a Christ Centered Easter Basket the last couple of years and I love it! I love that my kids expect it and that my daughter had her scriptures open before everyone was up and was reading them all! It's those simple things that make my heart happy! 
I found this blog HERE with the idea. Each year I have found different things and have added my own. My kids loved the Lush bath bombs this year. My sister scored them for us. 
This year we added felt board scripture stories for each of the kids. I was fun watching them play with them in Church. 



Eggs:

Romans 6:4 – Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Mosiah 15:8-9 – And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death; giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men—Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death

Matthew 28:6 – He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay.


Lamb:

1 Nephi 11:32-33 – And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record.  And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world.










Fish:

Matthew 4:19 – And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

This year we told the kids we could pick out a Beta fish
















Popcorn:

John 12:23-27 – And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.  He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.  If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.  Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say?  Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.





Bath Bomb:

 Matthew 27:24 -- When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this person: see ye to it.

Beet Juice

I have been so obsessed with this beet juice! I crave it! I love the citrus combination. My kids will even drink it. And.... it's so pretty!
Don't worry if your pee or poop is pink. My 3 year old gets excited about her pink pee!

Beet Juice
3 large beets
4 limes
1 orange
1 green apple
1 pear

I use a Jack Lalanne Juicer. I peel the orange, but nothing else. I get about 6 cups of juice with each batch.

Transformation Tuesday with Lisa

“I saw an old friend (who then became my coach) post about a 21 Day Fix challenge group. I had a newborn at home and was so disgusted with myself, I knew this was my chance to make a change. I had let myself go after my pregnancy. I was a mess postpartum. Pre-pregnancy, I was running and going to the gym. Post-pregnancy, I basically gave up. I was eating whatever I wanted because it seemed to make me feel better. Even when I thought I was eating healthy, I soon learned that I wasn’t. My goal was to lose some of the weight I had gained during my pregnancy. I wasn’t able to even lift my son out of the bathtub without holding onto something, and even then, it was tough. I wanted to be able to become a fit and healthy mom! The beginning was tough. I was out of shape and embarrassed at the way I looked! But I started to notice small changes after every week- I was becoming happier. More clothes were starting to fit. I was becoming more confident. I soon needed all new bras and workout pants, as I had to hold them up to workout! I loved that the workouts are only 30 minutes. It was perfect to do at home, while my son slept soundly in his crib. I didn’t have to find a babysitter and drive to a gym, and I kept the baby monitor right next to the TV- talk about extra motivation! I like the combination of all of the types of workouts- cardio, plyometrics, pilates, yoga, upper, lower… I had never used a combination of all of these before starting 21 Day Fix EXTREME and I am so thankful I chose this program to start! I also found it very motivational, and loved that there was a modifier to follow during the very tough times in the beginning! I loved working out with Autumn! I think I have every motivational quote she uses during the workouts memorized! It was easy to relate to her, being a mom herself. She helped me throw all of my excuses out the window, and let me know that despite what people say about not being able to shape a certain part of your body, (especially after a c-section!), you can do anything with hard work and dedication! I reached my goal! It was an amazing feeling. I felt like a totally different person than when I began my journey! My goal was to lose all of the weight I had gained and get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, and I surpassed that goal and lost an extra 10 pounds! I celebrated by buying myself my first pair of size 6 jeans, along with an entire new wardrobe! I bought a new weight bench and started buying new pieces for my at-home workout space! It’s a year later and I am still hearing compliments! People can see how truly happy and confident I am, and that makes me really happy. One of my favorites was when in September when the custodian at my school asked me where I went. I said, ‘Oh, I went to Nashville this summer.’ He said, ‘I’m not talking about vacation- I’m asking where the other half of you went!'

Easter Tomb Succulent Garden

I LOVE Spring, sunshine, flowers, new life and Easter. Every year Easter baskets are centered around Christ. There is a scripture with everything in the basket. I want my children to realize the most precious gift they will ever receive is the sacrifice our Savior so willingly gave. I want them to understand the importance of Christs Resurrection. I want reminders all over my house. I don't want my house filled with bunnies and egg decorations, I want Christ centered decorations. I saw a succulent Garden of the Tomb  on pinterest and had to do it with my kids. So for FHE we built the garden and talked about the Resurrection. I try as a mom to teach my Children and the lessons never go as I imagine, but I pray that they are soaking in just a little. I hope as they pass by the garden that they will remember the real reason we Celebrate Easter.

We got our succulents at home depot and our pot and rocks and the dollar store. We found bigger rocks in our backyard for the tomb. I was set on drilling out a hole in a rock till my Mom showed me a picture of what the actual Tomb looked like and the structure is more Square than round, so we went with that.

Your Body is a gift, NOT a Number

If I had my way I would banish all scales from homes! How many of us get discouraged when we work and work and don’t see the number budge? How many of us focus so much on that number we don’t see the non scale victories? How many focus on the size of our pants, wishing we had smaller thighs, a bigger butt, that we don’t notice that we have more energy, confidence, and feel better since we started taking care of ourselves. We focus so much on the number that we miss the PROGRESS! Life is about Progress NOT Perfection. Our BODIES are about Progress NOT Perfection. My Body is never going to be perfect, it has birthed 4 children, it has run Marathons, been broken, stitched up, and stretched out! My Body is not PERFECT, it is not a number, IT IS A GIFT! 

We only get 1 body in this life, we need to take care of it. We need to treat it like a GIFT and not a Garbage can. We need to eat healthy because we love our bodies, not because we hate them.  We need to eat to fuel our bodies. We need to exercise to keep our bodies strong and healthy, not because we don’t like the way we look, but because we love and appreciate our gift. We need to be Thankful for our bodies. Thankful for those stretch marks, it means we were able to grow a precious miracle. We need to be grateful for our sore muscles, it means we were able to move and be active. LOVE your Body and treat it like a gift.

As a woman it is so easy to compare ourselves to others! I catch myself on a daily basis comparing myself to others. I see other moms with spotless houses, moms who don’t wear yoga pants all day, their kids do what they say, they have had 6 kids and a 6 pack, they are a size zero and their makeup is always done and perfect. Well guess what? Comparison is the thief of Joy. The only person you should compare yourself to is who you were yesterday.

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” 

      -Dr. Suess

One of the most important things I want to teach my children, is that they have so much to offer by being themselves. There is no one else that can take their place. We are all one of a kind. It is so important to me that my children love themselves, that bullies won’t have an impact on them. That they will know they are important. I feel it is important as mothers to teach our daughters to love themselves for who they are and whatever size they are. Mothers need to teach their daughters to have a healthy relationship with their bodies. If they see us skipping meals, becoming depressed, shaming or bodies, our daughters will feel inadequate and ashamed of their bodies. This can increase the risk of low self-esteem, depression and eating disorders. We need to be an example of healthy eating and that we eat healthy because we love our bodies, no matter what size they are. We need to show them we workout to be healthy and strong, not to be a size 0. 

There is no perfect body! There are only bodies in progress. Love yourself for who you are now, while working on who you want to become. We all have goals and we need to push ourselves, but we need to love and be grateful for what we have now! We are all bodies in progress!

Transformation Tuesday- 21 Day Fix

There is a reason that 21 Day Fix is so popular! IT WORKS! Simple workouts + simple nutrition = results.

Yara P. was in great shape before having kids. After that, she wanted to do something for herself and get back in shape. She completed two rounds of 21 Day Fix, losing 14.6 pounds and 13 inches! She said, “I cannot believe how good I feel. I have more energy. I feel strong. I don’t get winded carrying my children up the stairs. I had no idea I could feel this good again after having kids.” If you’re tired of long workouts and hate counting calories then you want to check out the 21 Day Fix. Many people have lost 15 pounds in 21 short days!

3 Ingredient Paleo Sweet Potato Dough

Years ago I made a Paleo Sweet potato Gnocchi and the kids ate them before I had dinner ready. I have been craving them, but couldn't find the recipe. My Sister, mom and I stumbled onto this amazing recipe and my Sister rolled a gnocchi in some butter and sprinkled it with salt and said it tasted like a pretzel. We have become obsessed with the endless possibilities with this dough and it hasn't disappointed.

Paleo Sweet Potato Dough
3 cups cooked sweet potato (bake 5-6 sweet potatoes at 350 for an hour)
1 egg
1-2 cups Tapioca starch (I get this at Winco in the bulk section, Bobs Red Mill makes it also)

Directions: scoop potatoes out of skins and mash them till all lumps are out. Add 1 cup of Tapioca starch and mix,add egg and combine. At 1/4 cup increments add Tapioca starch till the dough is workable. you want to be able to roll it with out it sticking, but not too dry.


Paleo Pretzels
Roll dough out with extra tapioca starch onto parchment paper into round long "snake like" strips. Shape into pretzels. Bake at 350 for 20 mins. Turn oven to broil for 2-3 mins and let top turn golden brown, pull them out of oven and butter tops and sprinkle with course salt. I love the course Himalayan Pink salt from sprouts.

Gnocchi
Roll dough out with extra tapioca starch onto parchment paper into round long "snake like" strips. cut into half inch peieces and roll with a fork. Bake at 375 for 15 mins. Check the bottoms to see if they are golden brown.
I love to saute them in butter and garlic and add them to spicy sausage and peppers.

  






Paleo Flat Bread
Take a ball of dough roll it till smooth and then flatten it on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 15 mins. I like a crispy outside, so I broils till the top is crispy or I have toasted them up on a griddle. you can make pizza, navajo tacos, top it with eggs and bacon, so many tasty things!