Happy Valentine's Day Eve!

I hope you have all had a fabulous week. In preparation for Valentine's Day, I have been perusing Pinterest for some delicious and possibly semi healthy Valentine's Day treats. I found so many delicious sounding recipes I wanted to share my top 15 picks with you guys!

I hope you enjoy and find something delicious to share with your Valentine, enjoy with friends, or gift to those you love!

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Happy Monday!

I hope you all had a nice, relaxing, and fun weekend. Ours was extremely low key. Baby girl got her 6 month shots on Friday plus a flu shot, so she wasn't feeling very well over the weekend. We mainly hung out at home and had extra snuggle time.

On Saturday, I woke up early and got in a great HIIT workout before Belle started to stir. E's parents came in town to bring the pup back to us (they watched him for us since we couldn't fit him in the car after Christmas), so we spent most of Saturday just hanging out at home spending time with them. It is always great to have them over! Since we got the thumbs up from the pediatrician on Friday, baby girl got to test out solid food for the first time on Saturday. We started with sweet potatoes, and I don't think she completely hated them. The faces sure were funny!

Sunday started with a killer tabata workout (I will post for workout Wednesday), and then it was grocery store time for little bit and I. It is so weird to me that she can sit up like a big girl in the cart. I think she was still feeling a little under the weather from her shots because she wasn't her normal smiley self. We spent the rest of Sunday watching the Cowboys game (sad day), snuggling and prepping for the week. It was definitely a low key weekend, but those are nice from time to time!




Next up, I have a DELICIOUS new recipe for you guys. What better way to start out the week than with chocolate? I can't really think of one. Can you? As I mentioned last week, I am really trying to cut back on my sugar intake so this recipe is sugar free but you won't even know it (really, I promise)!




I have seen avocado pudding recipes on many of my favorite blogs, but had never given it a try. I love avocados and I LOVE chocolate, but the two mixed? I was skeptical to say the least! Last week the stars aligned and I had avocados and cocoa powder in my house at the same time, so I had no excuses not to try it. I checked out a few different recipes and then ended up coming up with a creation of my own to keep the sugar count low.


Hallelujah! I am a total believer now! It's rich, chocolaty, and oh so satisfying. I literally had to force myself not to eat the entire bowl in one sitting (the recipe makes four servings). It's the perfect treat to crush a sweat tooth without derailing your healthy eating goals. I dare you to give it a try!


If you try it out, let me know what you think! I'm off to finish a little work before the tiny human wakes up from her nap. I hope you have a marvelous rest of your day! Linking up with Katie for Marvelous In My Monday and wishing you all a marvelous Monday!

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Howdy Friends,

As I write this post, I am listening to the rain pour down outside, enjoying a cup of coffee, and munching on gluten free chocolate chip pumpkin bread while the tiny human naps. Life can't get much better! I should probably knock on wood quickly before little bit decides to wake! Pumpkin bread has to be one of my all time favorite Fall foods. I am not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but don't leave me alone with a loaf of pumpkin bread unless you want me to devour the whole thing. It's quite a problem really! Zero self control when it comes to this stuff!

This pumpkin bread recipe is pretty much as simple as they come and oh so delicious. It is gluten free as is and can be easily be made dairy free and paleo by subbing the regular dark chocolate chips for Enjoy Life chocolate chips. I literally had all of these ingredients (minus the coconut oil which I ran out of last week) already in my pantry and just calling my name. (P.S. the rain lasted all of about 5 minutes.... so sad).

My sous chef has learned how to take her pacifier out of her mouth but hasn't quite mastered getting it back in and letting go so it can stay there. This results in many moments like this... Excited she found the binky followed closesly by pissed off because she can't get it back in her mouth. Life is so hard at 4 months old!



Poor baby! Mommy standing there laughing at her struggles probably doesn't help. After I assisted with getting the binky back in her mouth (about 20 times), we were able to continue cooking and ended up with a beautiful loaf of pumpkin bread!





If you give it a try let me know! Now that I have inhaled 1/4 of the loaf by myself, I should probably do the Power Up Circuit I posted yesterday to build up a good sweat! I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your Thursday.

What is your favorite Fall food?

In health,

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Let me know if you give it a try and have a fabulous rest of your day!

What is your favorite healthy baked good to make?

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Howdy!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! We spent most of the weekend at home soaking up precious time with the hubs. Annabelle is a daddies girl already! On Sunday, my Dad drove my grandparents over from College Station so they could meet Annabelle. It was so fun getting to see her with her great grandparents.

Sunday night, I did a little food prep for the week. E grilled extra meat for easy dinners and lunches and I made ham and egg cups for breakfast. Simply grease a muffin tin and line with ham or turkey. Crack 1 egg in each ham cup and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until egg is set.

On Monday, Annabelle and I started our day off with a nice 3 mile walk. It felt nice when we started, but was definitely getting toasty towards the end. After our walk and a quick snack for little bit, it was time for a strength workout. All you need for this workout is a set of medium dumbbells.


After our workout, it was playtime. She is still not quite sure about tummy time. She prefers to just try to eat her pillow instead. She much prefers to lie on her back and look at all the cool toys hanging from her play mat.



We spent the afternoon eating and napping while mom tried to quickly get things done during her nap. Overall, I would call it a successful Monday!

How do you fit in workouts with a kiddo or a busy schedule?

In health,

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Happy Friday Everyone!



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I hope you are all having a great Friday so far. My morning started bright and early for no reason at all. :) Little Miss woke me up kicking at 5 AM, and I couldn't go back to sleep. I read up on some baby articles, caught up on the news, and then got ready for my 8:15 AM meeting at the studio. After my meeting, it was time to get my sweat on. I stuck with the cardio and strength interval theme that I shared yesterday. Today, I used the TRX, kettlebell, and treadmill, but you could definitely sub your favorite cardio for the time on the treadmill. Here is what the workout looked like.


The TRX is a great tool for prenatal workouts because you have complete control over your level of resistance by how you position your body. It is also a great way to strengthen your core without lying on your back. As always, be sure to check with your physician before doing this or any workout while pregnant.

After my sweat session, I headed to meet my friend, Whitney, for lunch at a cool salad joint called Leaf. You can build your own salad with all the healthy and delicious toppings of your choosing. The two glowing white orbs are boiled eggs.


This morning, I noticed that I had some pretty ripe bananas hanging out in the fruit stand so I figured I better use them. I have been wanting to try out a Paleo banana bread recipe I found!


I actually had all of the ingredients on hand minus carob chips so I ran into Whole Foods and grabbed some on my way to lunch. The banana bread is currently in the oven and smells delicious! If it turns out yummy, I will be sure to share the recipe with you.



I hope you have a great rest of your Friday!!

What do you like to make with your over ripe  bananas?

In health,

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Happy Monday Friends!!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Still no baby girl around these parts, but we did get to enjoy a nice relaxing weekend (hopefully our last one or two). My wonderful in-laws came into town to celebrate a belated Father's Day. We spent some time puttering around Austin, shopping, and just catching up. The highlight of the weekend was when we drove down to Lockhart to take Eric's parents to the BBQ capital of Texas. I had to keep my meal pretty tiny so I didn't upset Miss Annabelle, but it was still delicious and so fun! It was there first time in Lockhart and they loved the BBQ.

Now it's Monday, and the start of a new week! I'm excited to kick this week off with yet another awesome giveaway courtesy of the wonderful people over at Pure Via. They sent me their Pure Via Summer Fit Kit to review and are going to be giving away a second kit to one lucky reader!

I have been using the Pure Via packets for about a year and a half now, and was a huge fan so needless to say, I was extremely excited to try their liquid stevia drops and other products!

The liquid stevia drops are naturally sweetened and are wonderful in either hot or cold beverages. I love to use the vanilla stevia drops in my coffee for a little hint of vanilla. They are absolutely perfect to throw in your purse or gym bag for use on the go as well. I hate it when I'm at a restaurant and want to add a little extra sweetness to my tea or coffee and my only choices are sugar or aspartame filled sweet-n-low. These tiny bottles are the perfect answer.

The Pure Via non-GMO packets are a staple in my pantry. I use them in my coffee, tea, lemonade, and cooking! They offer a much healthier alternative to traditional sugar.

Did you know June is National Iced Tea month? Being from Texas, I am a huge iced tea fan and this Lipton iced tea is perfect when your craving something refreshing! Getting to mix it up in my cute new Pure Via glass was an extra bonus.

When I went to the grocery store this morning, strawberries were on sale 2 cartons for $3, so of course I had to load up. I purchased 3 cartons! Inspired by my delicious in season strawberries and new Pure Via goodies, I decided to make a fun and fruity glass of iced tea.



I combined 2 tbsp of Lipton Unsweetened Iced Tea with 12oz or water, a handful of ice, 2 sliced strawberries, and 4 drops of Pure Via liquid stevia. I topped it off with an extra strawberry for garnish. It was absolutely delicious and extremely refreshing with just the right amount of sweet.



I also received a handy pedometer and some delicious tasting chap stick in my Fit Kit! Pretty sweet goody box if I do say so my self! Now, it's time for one of you guys to win a Summer Fit Kit for yourself. The giveaway will close on Sunday, June 29th and midnight and I will announce the winner on Monday. Good luck!

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I hope you have an amazing week!

In health,

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