Healthiness for my babes.

So ever since Levi started on table foods i've been really aware about what we put into his body. I stay away from processed foods in our household, GMO's, added hormones, antibiotics, pestecides, additives etc. We try to stay away from gluten at least 75% of the time. I don't give Levi sugary juices or empty calorie snacks. There is tons and tons of research linking poor nutrition to rapid disabilities and developmental disorders. A lot of parents choose not to educate themselves not because they can't but simply because they don't know. I didn't know about these things until I became pregnant and was determined to be the healthiest I could be with a growing baby inside me. I am lucky to have an Aunt who is a nutritionist in NY. She is my immediate source for questions, concerns and is always giving me tips to incorportate a clean lifestyle. She has developed an iced coffee drink and a ground Green coffee that is in the process of potentially being sold at Whole Foods.- Yeah she's the real deal. I can't wait to buy her products. I'm trying to convince her to blog. She is amazing at what she does. Shot out to you Aunt Kathleen! As you would say, xo xo xo.

She gave me some advice last weekend when I was expressing anxiety about keeping Levi as clean and toxic free as possible when I can't control everything he is exposed to outside my home.
This was her advice for me:

"Your kids will eat cookies at their Grandmas, at their friends houses, they will be exposed to junk. But all you can do is make your home a sancutary for Levi & that's all you have control over. Life will happen around him, but you are doing your best and he is benefiting extremely because of it. When they get older these habits you've created in your home will carry on with them later in life."

Because of her I know what is best for Levi. I try to educate other mamas that want to listen, and simply stay quiet around those who don't. Thanks Aunt Kathleen for keeping me focused and knowledgable.

Levi's vitamins.

 Mulitvitamins for Levi- Allergen, Gluten, Gelatin & Dairy Free
Children's DHA (Supports Bran and Eye Development)-Nordic Naturals
I've been giving Levi a Spinach and Blueberry smoothie every day from the one I make myself. Sometimes I'll add a frozen banana, or pears. Either way, he gets great nutrition from this and detoxes his liver and it tastes yummy! I only give him 1/4 cup of smoothie and the rest water. He loves it and it makes me feel good he is getting great benefits from it.

Day 24 is your top three worst traits.

Alright here we go...

1. I am really bad about assuming other people think/feel a certain way towards me. I come up with some serious scenarios/judgments my friends, family, or people I may not know supposedly think about me and my family. Usually there is a justifiable reason for why I may feel this way, but that doesn't mean they are always thinking something bad about me. One big one lately is since I'm finishing school a little later than other students at OSU, I am usually perceived as a youngster. I am almost 25, have a happy marriage, a beautiful baby, and the moment this information about me all surfaces I get judged right away by 20 year olds. Its almost like I have to defend myself once I say I have a 19 month old. I know I look 18, but I'm not. And there is nothing wrong with an 18 year old having a baby, but I'm not 18. I was married before Levi came along, no it wasn't a shotgun wedding, etc etc. See I'm defending myself now. Ugh. 

2. I put everything off to the last minute and I really believe in some make believe world that everything will fix itself. Like if I don't open a bill, its not there kind of thing. But this has gotten  million times better since the married/mama life. Josh is the opposite. Completely on top of things and I guess that's good because it balances us out. I used to be really bad, and now I'm a lot better with real life responsibilities, but I'm still working on it.

& lastly...

3.  I expect too much. This is a big one. Being married especially, I have high expectations, which is good in a sense-but a lot of the times I feel let down- & its all my fault. I have been working on this. Ya know, you gotta accept your man for who they are, not who you want them to be. My man isn't going to come strolling in the door after a 10 hour shift with lilies in his hand, and a freaking love letter. But this little fairy-tale mind of mine expects that sometimes. But is this fair? No. My Husband works his butt off and instead of expecting things I need to show love to him and do nice things for him. You see, when you hold too high of expectations you let yourself down, and you let your partner down. I've learned over the course of our marriage, to be less expectant, show love rather than expect it, and that's always when I get surprised from my Husband and the love comes back full circle.

Day 23: How to love

Day 23, Thursday: Things you've learned that school won't teach you
  Oh this is an easy one huh? Considering I'm a new ish wife and new ish mama. School never taught you to be selfless in a relationship. It never taught you to believe in another person. School was all about building you and only you. Making sure you believed in dreams, goals and challenges. Which is awesome. Building self-concepts in younger soon to be adults is extremely important. But that didn't leave me ready to face the real world just because I had a diploma in my hand and was wearing an awful gold cap and gown.   School did not teach me how to love. How to love your first love, how to love your friends, how to be appreciative, show compassion etc etc etc. I have a laundry list of people I have hurt in those recent years after High School and its only because I didn't know. I wasn't ready to tackle hard relationships. I wanted things to be easy like when Mr. Trusley let you make up a test knowing you purposely skipped class to go get a coffee- (which is so true. How badass am I really?)   But ya live and you learn right? And so I did. The hard way. The really hard way. I lost friendships. I got my heart broken. To pieces. But you know what school taught me? A little thing I mentioned earlier-self concepts.Those kind words teachers tell you over and over to get you believe you are worth something, comes back around to pick you up and make you feel worth it. So that's what I did. I believed in myself and my dreams-I knew what I wanted. Maybe it involved people I hadn't met yet, but I was ready to pick myself up, work hard, be selfless and encounter new adventures in my life.   And I did. And look where I am today. I am a wife to the man that was always mine in the beginning-I just didn't know. School doesn't teach you this..but that little voice in your head during a realationship that whispers this isn't right over and over again. Yeah, you're not crazy. It really isn't right. Even if there is no good reason. Even when everyone tells you this is the guy for you and you guys are so cute, lalalalala. You're not for each other. I ended up trusting that little voice, and look where I am today. In the arms of my prince Husband :)   School doesn't teach you to be a Mom. Although if I lived in the 50's I could have gone to one of those schools that teaches you to be a wife, how to clean, cook and change diapers. Um, NO.   So I learned all on my own. It really is instinct when that little being is in your arms. You immediately check if they are breathing, have boogers, went poo poo etc etc. Still today, I go in Levi's room to make sure he's breathing. I know its a little crazy, but it makes me feel better.   School cannot teach you how to love so selflessly as a mama. It cannot teach you how amazing your heart feels when a little boy wraps his arms around your neck and kisses your cheek, or when he really just wants his mama and you feel needed and loved, by someone who cannot express their love in a way that is black and white.   School didn't teach me how to live my life. There is no fairytale over here at the Hicks household. But it is a home I feel proud of. It is a family I'm proud and choked up to call mine. It is the life that I chose to live.   School may teach us a lot of things, but it doesn't teach us how to love.    

Oldie, but goodie. New year, new baby, new marriage. Love.  

STOP!

Day 22. Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. 

 Today's prompt is allowing me to rant about a list of things that make my blood boil and make me want to scream "STOP!".

1. Someone who is opening a bag of chips or candy and constantly dig in and you just hear crackling of a chip bag for instance-followed by smacking-followed by more crackling and more smacking of the lips, then they lick their fingers until every last bit is gone.

2. When people are coughing and breathing like a freaking bear in hibernation. 

3. When someone is writing on a chalkboard and then they erase it to write something new, but they don't erase all of it, so you still see half of a letter here and there.

4. I really don't like when I see people destroy their bodies on purpose. God gives us health and we often take it for granted.

5. People who carry a one sided conversation.

6. Jean skirts with leggings in the summer. Or any season for that matter.

7. When you're eating candy and someone asks if they can have a red one.

8. Parents who bring their young kids to R rated films.

9. Students who prolong class by asking the most inane questions.

10. When you genuinely ask someone what's wrong (when there obviously is something wrong) and they respond half-heartedly, "hmmm? oh nothing..." 


These are only a few. I'll think of more later I'm sure. What drives you crazy?


xo

Life ain't always beautiful, but its a beautiful ride.

Day 20 of the May Challenge. Get real. Share something you're struggling with right now.

My sister keeps telling me I'm stressing myself out because I keep trying to make life changes or at least worry about things that don't need to be fixed right now. I've noticed myself doing this. I can't help it. When you have a child, your mindset changes and you can't help but focus on what is best for your family as a whole. So that's what I'm struggling with right now. Going with the flow. Let go and let God right? Relase control and focus on the positives. People who know me from a glimpse think i'm so positive and have it all together. Boy are they wrong. I try really hard to be positive but sometimes life is just not that way. Sometimes you really need to feel what you're feeling and welcome change and all the rest will come together.

This song says it beautifully:
Life aint always beautiful
Sometimes it's just plain hard
Life can knock you down, it can break your heart

Life aint always beautiful
You think you're on your way
And it's just a dead end road at the end of the day

But the struggles make you stronger
And the changes make you wise
And happiness has its own way of takin it's sweet time

No, life aint always beautiful
Tears will fall sometimes
Life aint always beautiful
But it's a beautiful ride


Keep on keepin' on.
xo

Sundays are for dancin'

Sundays are for dancin'
and so we did-
to the NO MORE MONKEYS JUMPING ON THE BED song-
So I always make motions to all the songs I sing Levi and he absoultely loves this song and laughs when I bump my head, or call the doctor, or shake my head no no no. Everytime he gets on my bed he just starts jumping and humming. So accordingly, we sing this. Over, and over and over. Today out of nowhere Levi does the motions to the song with me! It was so exciting, just like him making animal sounds the other day...he is catching on to things so much now and so fast it is so rewarding.
Bad parents of the day award goes to...drumroll...
ME.
Don't ever underestimate your 18 month old who is still not walking. Just because you run upstairs while he is busy with his blocks does not mean when you turn the corner your son won't be up 10 stairs already. Scared the living bejeebies out of Josh and I. We were at my mother-in-law's house and her gate wasn't up. I really did not think Levi would take off up the stairs. Think again mama. But i was proud of how strong the little booger is getting. Won't happen again though. :)
Why is my font so colorful today?

We spent much of the day cruising the backroads, playing on the deck, soaking up some Vitamin D and...the only picture I snapped today, imagne that!

Our daily nom noms. 2 cups of spinach, 1 cup of frozen blueberries, 1 frozen banana and 1 cup of Naked's Mighty Mango raw juice. Levi's was watered down a little so it wasn't too much. It was a delish treat for our warm afternoon.

All in all I had a relaxing day with my two favorite boys. Being on break should just be my reality. All. The. Time.