"...a woman to be reckoned with."

Having found no time (although it has been in abundance this week, it still eludes me when the words "have to", "need to", or "am planning to" come near)to run this week, I decided to make sure time was made for it this morning. I usually like to wait until Doug is home, but he's been so busy with work and school, and during his off time he has his handful with me crying because he didn't want to eat an almond sandwich (no joke). My half marathon is in 6-7 weeks, its really important I actually stay consistent...



I haven't run pushing her in almost a year. It started off well enough, obviously convincing myself I wouldn't be breaking any new personal records...

This is for any mom who has ever expected this the entire run:



After all, she almost never gets to play with it. SURELY it will entertain her long enough to finish my run...


"What is that?"

"I don't know. A bug."

"Why can't I see it?"

"They're in a cave."

"Why you breathing like that, mom?"

"Cause its hard to push you..."

"Your face is red."

"I know."

"Why are we turning around?"

"We have to run back now."

"Look at that dog mom. Look. She's cuuute. Did you see her? Mom!"

"YES. SO cute."

"Are we going to the beach?"

"No. Its a lake."

"Addie's going to be so mad we're going to the lake?"

"No. She won't care."

"I dropped my flip flock!"



And my favorite...


"Why are you stopping? Why are you not running? Mom!"

"BECAUSE!!!! Lily, I love to talk to you, but I can't talk when I'm running and pushing you!!"

"But, why you can't talk?"



I will no longer gaily trot past another mom pushing a stroller. Now that I have seen the other side, I will try as laboriously as possible to run slowly past moms who struggle uphill, I will not complain again about producing the strength necessary to carry my OWN weight for the length of the run. Perhaps they will be invigorated, thinking to themselves, "Man, she's really struggling. I must be a kick ass runner." Because every mom who runs pushing a stroller deserves a medal, or at least some acknowledgement for their incredible will power. I think we shall make a hand sign just for these ladies, just as bikers display when passing each other on the highway. (What a cool gang that must be)

Because really, a mom who can run WITHOUT music (let's face it, there's honestly no running 'in the zone' when you have to pause your music constantly because your four year old has a sudden case of 'the gabs') is a woman to be reckoned with. You.guys.rock.




And, HEAVEN FORBID, you should forget to make sure baby bear is buckled in the beginning...




I'm finally seeing more of a significant change since learning to do squats right, and actually doing them consistently. Ladies, for real. This is where its at. Left is June of this year, right is just last week (you instagrammers have already seen this, but since I'm so happy with my results, I'm posting on here too :D) Anything I post is for motivation, and surely if I can do it, you can too. I'm encouraging you to start doing a little research, and starting a small exercise routine. You'll never be unhappy with the results!

Food ideas and pictures from recent:




And this one just because I loooove it, so vintage newspaper style, taken on a beautiful little hay field in Gravette, AR...




xo
Kes

So, I decided to make a board for Doug on Pinterest on Men's Fashion.

So, I decided to make a board for Doug on Pinterest on Men's Fashion. I find the following...



There are no words. I could spend hours laughing. Just type in "Mens Scarf" and instantly feel better about your life. You're welcome!!

P.S. For some reason, I imagine the last being a sci-fi centaur still. No?

I cringe at what he says, and the words coming out of my mouth.

Do you KNOW just how fascinating the world of "clean eating" actually is? Its almost like a sport, seeing what new ways you can create and satisfy your cravings with. AND, there are things you can even make that are just like the foods you would eat on cheat day. The trick is, you have to do it all yourself. Stay with me here, I can imagine I lost a few people with that last statement. I'm not exactly sure what I find fascinating about all the delicious recipes, maybe its the way you feel after eating something so guilt free. So yes, in my last post (which hit nearly 250 views, WAY more within 3 hours than even the sassy Fashion Week picture posts received. Wowza, thanks BlogNation! And a big hello to my friends in Turkey, France, Ukraine, Austrailia, Canada!) I promised to try and blog a few recipes that I just can't keep to myself.

Kale Meatloaf with Kale Chips (and eggplant)

Since I can't read image source code, I'm just going to wing it and assume I'm writing in the right spots :) I know, I'm so tech savvy. This was AMAZING. The kale chips are what truly made it. I don't think I'll ever look at kale with distaste again!! I'm not joking, IMMEDIATELY go to your nearest grocery store and pick up some (organic, c'mon now) kale and take it home to do this. Oven to 400 degrees, coat kale in olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, bake 6-8 minutes until crispy. Do NOT over bake these babies. They're not as good when they're brown (who would have thought?).

Kale Meatloaf Recipe. I mostly followed this, except I used breadcrumbs instead of bread. I'll copy the recipe for you guys who hate clicking around!

a half bunch (4 or 5 large leaves, ribs removed) of kale, torn up
a hunk of bread the size of a tennis ball, torn into pieces (day old Stickboy sandwich white works great)
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound very lean ground beef
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
a generous amount of freshly ground pepper
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In food processor or blender, combine kale leaves, pieces of bread, garlic cloves, and olive oil. Pulse until kale leaves are broken down, then process until mixture forms a coarse paste. Scrape mixture into a large bowl.

2. To kale mixture in bowl, add all remaining ingredients. Using your hands, lightly and consistently combine all the ingredients until the mixture is uniform.

3. Form mixture into a meatloaf about 2 inches high in an oval shape. (*) Place loaf on 9x13 baking dish lined with parchment paper. Place in preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer registers 160 F. Let meatloaf rest on cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

* You can make this dish ahead up to this point. Then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap for up to two days.

I found some grass finished beef at Cook's in Rogers, apparently most cows that are grass fed are grain finished for the last 120 days before being (happily and gently, in my head) taken so that they fatten up and have the flavor we as consumers love so much. Or at least, this is what I have learned from a guy there. I cringe at what he says, and the words coming out of my mouth. I just can't handle his demeanor. It takes all I have not to run away from this store. I just really don't want to be a snooty health freako. To me, it was okay. Not really worth the extra $3/lb. You can totally skip this beef, its not anything astronomical. Unless...you ARE...THAT person... I bought it to try it, won't do it again I don't think.

See my new best friend?! (Well, almost. We are currently not on good terms because she cut off the tip of my thumb. That sucker is SHARP.) I've named her Lucy. Lucy is sooo fancy, all the other blenders/processors envy her sleek manufactured quality. She's my birthday present, and I'm so excited to try some new recipes with her!!

Protein Pancakes!! These are so fun, I made the first recipe, which uses rolled oats and cottage cheese (weird, ehh? The creativity of some of these recipes cracks me up). I've been taking whey protein after any exercise, and I think I'm starting to see a difference. Whey is supposed to help your muscles build back up after you exercise. I did some research and found that Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein is some of the purest and best, and I bought vanilla so I could mix it into recipes.

I'll copy:

Everything-in-One Protein Pancakes: It’s a one-stop shop pancake! Take 1/3 cup of oatmeal (not instant), 1/3 cup of low fat (1%, no salt added) cottage cheese and three egg whites combined with your sweetener of choice, one teaspoon of vanilla, one or two packets of Stevia or a quarter scoop of vanilla protein powder if you really need that extra protein boost. Mix it all together in a food processor or blender to make a “batter.” Pour half of the batter in a preheated, pre-greased pan and cook on both sides. Repeat with the remaining batter. These pancakes are pretty sweet on their own, but you can top them with fresh fruit, sugar-free syrup or jelly.

Nutrition Facts (without the protein powder or toppings): 211 calories, 25.8 grams of protein, 22 grams of carbs, 1.9 grams of fat and 2.5 grams of fiber.

I made granola! I have an abundance of rolled oats because I overestimated how much I would need (whoops), so I decided to try this yummy recipe! I follow @MAMA4MOTIVATION on Instagram, and she's totally into this work out and eating clean lifestyle, which really motivates me. And it doesn't hurt that her recipes always look AMAZING. I feel like she's real, because she makes healthy versions of foods I would normally crave. Plus, she shares in my love for nut butter :D

I will stress, this is HER recipe!!

3 C. Rolled Oats
1 TSP cinnamon
3 TBSP coconut sugar (I used raw)
MIX

(separate bowl)
1/3 C. Melted Coconut Oil
1/3 C. Raw Honey
1 TSP Vanilla
2 TBSP Creamy Peanutbutter

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Mix wet ingredients well, pour over dried. Spread mixture over cookie sheet, bake for 15 minutes. Stir. Bake for an additional 10 minutes until golden brown. YUM. Mix with your choice of dried fruit, and maybe some dark chocolate, and you've got breakfast all week!! Store in air tight container.

Lunch idea...open face lemon dill yellowfin tuna, and hummus with pico de gallo rice chips.

Hummus Recipe (copied):

2 clove garlic
1 can (16 oz.) garbanzo beans...half liquid reserved, otherwise drained
4 TBSP lemon juice
2 TSP tahini (this is sesame seed paste, which I didn't have. Definitely would like to try some soon!)
1 TSP salt
Black Pepper to taste
2 TBSP olive oil

In a blender, chop the garlic. Pour garbanzo beans into blender, reserving about a tablespoon for garnish. Place lemon juice, tahini, chopped garlic and salt in blender. Blend until creamy and well mixed. Transfer the mixture to a medium serving bowl. Sprinkle with pepper and pour olive oil over the top. Garnish with reserved garbanzo beans.

I blended it all together in my food processor. Ain't nobody got time for all that.

And I don't know WHY I'm in love with substituting noodles with vegetables. I think the thought just amazes me. I might not even eat real noodles again. Seriously. Its that good. I LOVE the zucchini noodles (which I bought a julienne peeler for, yay!!), and these spaghetti squash noodles were pretty bomb. They were fun to make too. Just cut lengthwise, take the seed and goop out, bake cut side down for 45 minutes at 350. Of course, if you had a big one, you'd have to cook them longer. They're a little like al dente noodles if you want to know what kind of texture to expect. They're not super soft, but you could pan fry them a little to make them softer. But really, ain't nobody got time for that...toss with chopped sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, parsley, sea salt, black pepper. Yum.

The chicken is stuffed with sun dried tomato feta mix, and seasoned on the outside with Old Bay. So good together.


Okay, I'm seeing some improvements lately with my actual workouts. I get my cardio from training for my half marathon, which I'm attempting to build a schedule to train for. 3-4 miles Monday, 6 miles Wednesday, and 9-10 miles Friday/Saturday. With all this rain though, its putting a stick in my mud. I've been doing some floor exercises using my own body weight (haha, just read it). 100 lunges, 200 squats, 50 backwards crunches, kettlebell exercises, and abs/planks. I feel so much better when I'm consistent!

The world's TINIEST calf muscle!! What what!! Please laugh with me.

And also the world's tiniest quads! I'm hoping taking these pictures will make me feel better months down the road when there's actually something there.

And how stinking cute is this blanket?! A friend of mine asked me to make a weighted blanket, so off I went to try and figure out how to make this. Weighted blankets are thought to really help children with sensory issues, ADHD, hyperactive children, and a whole broad spectrum of autism. Its to make them feel secure and safe so they can rest. I just thought it was so cool. They're filled with various different fillers, this one with plastic pellets. Its actually kind of nice, I almost want one for myself...

We had a tour of realtors come today, they made their rounds in this side of Bella Vista traveling in a group to each house so they could get an idea of what to expect if they refer it to someone. We have someone coming tomorrow to look at our house now too, prayers please!! Its just begun, but cleaning this house in a mad frenzy is getting old. Hahah...

Peacelove.
Kes

I don't even recognize myself.

Maybe its just because its summer, and I have an abundancy of time without frantically rushing everywhere and trying to have my day done by 3 o'clock, but I almost feel like I don't recognize msyelf. I think summer is just what we needed. Of course, with this abundancy of time, I have still neglected any recent posts. I'd like to say I've been "too busy", but that would be a lie. You make time for what you want to do. And truth be told, I'd often times rather sing karaoke into my phone after the kids have gone to bed. (insert laughter)

We've had such a great, lazy summer. We even surprised the girls and took them to the beach for the first time. We did discover, vacationing with kids is a LITTLE different than vacationing alone. But really in all honesty, we were pretty much on the same schedule when we were there alone vs. taking them. There was just a lot less Yeungling and way more floaties to carry to and from the beach. Perhaps it was the time we actually arrived (9:30PM), and how dead set I was on seeing their faces as they experienced their first wave on their young feet, but they didn't exactly react how I thought they would. I blame it on the car ride, and maybe a little bit on myself for building it up in my mind. We women have a way of doing that. I also envisioned our family beach picture being this perfectly planned "random" happening...although I DID pack exactly what I wanted us to wear and allowed NOBODY to touch said clothing out of fear of spoiling my imagined PERFECT beach picture. All without contracting an actual photographer. We would be on the grassy knolls of the beach, sitting just so, legs folded neatly, sunkissed tans against our supernatural white plastered smiles, of course at sunset when the light is hitting just right...

Its a dreary shot by a random co-vacationer on our last morning. I had anxiety about this moment the whole trip. It HAD to happen. Her own punk of a kid wouldn't get out of the background in the previous two shots, so we had to scoot over. My feet aren't totally in the shot...which was surprising, because choosing a woman to take this shot was no random coincidence. She was young enough, obviously reliant since God had given her life to take care of, somewhat nicely put together for the beach at so early an hour, I thought for sure she would be the perfect stranger to take the shot. How could a woman miss getting shoes in the frame? Or zooming completely out? Aside from all these over-analyzations, it actually ended up being PERFECT. Because, it actually captures that exact moment. Lillian, grumpy and a little tired, sunburned from yesterday's play. Addie's personality, miss picture perfect. Doug, overwhelmed by my desperate need to do this before we left, and being the peace making, patient, reliable, MAKE IT HAPPEN kind of guy he is. (I mean, look at that charm!!) And me, being the mom that will probably make this sound like the most spur of the moment, stress free, perfect shot before we carelessly made our way back to our home state in the years to come. Why do we do that to ourselves? Oy. My lack of documenting everything this year only intesifies my pangs of guilt. Why didn't I take more video? Write things down?

I suppose some of this spills over from my anxiety this week. Its my birthday week. (silent cheer). I will be enrolling Addie in FIRST grade. Whaaa? And, we have an open house planned for Saturday. Any ONE of these events would normally cause me to take off running in hopes of burning all my freak outs, well...out. Oh yeah, I do that now. Run. Big lifestyle changes happening, for the better! I am actually training for a half marathon in October, at the Rock'N'Roll St. Louis half marathon with my running coach. We're meeting half way since she lives in Wisconsin now to do this together. SO exciting!! My longest run so far has been 10 miles. Legs like jello, but swelling pride as I practice mind over body. You have to do a lot of that with running. Or just with any fitness goal. Its amazing what your mind can tell your body will happen, and your body responding to that. I am absolutely fascinated by this. I don't want to practice squats, lunges, planks, kettlebells, and cardio for my running goals, but seeing gradual results has really encouraged me to do more. AND, if Doug expects a third Erb child, I want to do it right. I want to be fit before, and during my third pregnancy so my after will be a quick snap back. I know, I know...so many of you will say, "But Keslyn, you are already thin!! What more could you want?" Strength my friends, strength. And tone. And muscle mass. I don't want anything ridiculous, but I really want to be a well oiled machine.

Eating clean has been a bit part of this recently. If you don't know what eating clean is, its basically eating fresh foods that have as little manmade changes as possible. This also actually helps with my meal planning, because I'm not making some super elaborate concoction that takes me hours to create. I've also found fun in learning to create meals that are nutritious for my family. There have been a few times that I've had to use the line, "I need you to understand that this food is good for you, and I really want you to feed your body with it so you can be strong and healthy on the inside." to my kiddos. I'm hoping this change this early will redefine what they like and will shape their diets as grown ups. Had I grown up with what I know now, I know that would have been a big staple earlier on. Among all the other dreams I consistently come up with, going to school to be a nutritionist is becoming one of them. I'll post a few pictures of the meals we've been eating so you can have a better understanding of what I mean. (Also, the coffee you see is pretty much always decaf, except today's because in preparation of waking early to have quiet time with my devotional, I forgot to turn the grind OFF, which ground up the last of my coffee beans as well as mixing it with decaf. Oops. I've opted for no caffeine because caffeine is a big Kestan unleasher. Haha. I'm just nicer without it.)

"Does she blog? She should blog it!!" Doug hears this a lot. Yes yes, I will try and blog this more, and probably with recipes in the future. Truth be told, its almost more fun to snap a picture, edit it with multiple apps, and upload it to Instagram. Ohh, I'm on Instagram!! Tons more food ideas on there, plus I mix it up with a little of my style...

Hahah...just kidding with that last one. I'm really hoping to overcome a little fear about posting my progress as I'm coming closer to my goals, and maybe posting some differences I've been seeing (FINALLY) from clean eating and working out. Its all stuff I'm doing from home, and maybe it would be faster actually lifting in the gym, but this is more realistic for me and my schedule. Plus, I'm really NOT a gym buff. But I'd love any tips to really kick it up a notch, which you can get from other FITstagrammers...plus motivation. That's been my biggest help.

(truly believing in the power of squats!! I might actually be putting junk in my trunk!! yeah!!)

And this girl, who is an inspiration to me a.) Because she might be my double b.) Look at those abs c.) In an alternate universe, this might actually be me. d.) Maybe in a few steady months!!



Anyways, long picture swelled post!! Kids are great, Lillian wants to be Addie, Addie wants to be a teenager, and teenagers want to be as cute as Addie, who wants to have responsibility levels like Lillian. Its all coming full circle. House is on the market, I keep praying for the right buyers...which might be working against my immediate hopes, since nobody has really come except one couple. I keep thinking, its all in God's timing. BUT, it wouldn't hurt to have a little extra prayers over it ;)

Peacelove.
Kes