Happy 4 year Anniversary!

Happy 4 year Anniversary to my one and only! I am so excited for more adventures and for what's to come! You are my best friend, lover and the true love of my life. You make life more exciting and I wouldn't trade these years for anything! :)

Mediterranean Dip

This is a delicious, and healthier alternative to the classic 7 layer bean dip.  Pair this with crackers, crostini, or veggies of your choice!

Ingredients:

1 container of hummus (flavor of your choice, I used plain)

1/4 cup chopped olives 

1 Roma tomato, diced

1 small cucumber, diced

1/4 cup diced roasted red peppers

2 tbsp diced roasted garlic

2-3 tbsp feta cheese

Let's Cook!

*Note: Many of these ingredients can be picked up already roasted at the olive bar at your local grocer!

1. Use a shallow serving dish and spread hummus along bottom.

2.  Sprinkle diced cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, red peppers, and garlic over top.  Sprinkle feta cheese after all other ingredients have been added.

3.  Serve with your favorite crackers, crostini, or an assortment of veggies.

4. Quick, easy, and delicious! Enjoy!

Workout Series- Part 1

We thought it would be fun to create a Workout Series highlighting different workouts we've tried together and separate. Working out is important to both of us (although to be honest Alex is way more dedicated than me) ;) Today I wanted to start with giving you some at home workouts that require no gym membership. At the moment me and my husband don't have a gym membership which requires us to be creative when it comes to getting a workout in. I actually like this better because going to the gym every day is not particularly my thing...

Here are some At Home Workout Ideas that are under 30 mins.

1. Jillian Michaels Yoga- You can find this DVD on Amazon or any Target/Wal-Mart I'm sure. I love this workout because it goes so fast! There are some Yoga workouts that literally make me fall asleep or i'm constantly looking at the clock. Don't get me wrong I sort of love Yoga but sometimes I just want something a little quicker and makes me sweat. You can also find this workout on YouTube for free. Just so ya know ;)

2. Jillian Michaels 30 day shred- This is another quick awesome workout! You get a full body workout in 30 minutes and it definitely makes you sweat. There are 3 levels so if you're just starting out you can choose Level 1 and work your way up. It's nice having 3 levels because you can see the improvement in your abilities!

3. tabata- Clearly I am a huge fan of Tabata workouts as I've mentioned them a million times by now. But, in all seriousness this is by far my favorite because I see results and it goes so fast! Here is a typical Tabata Workout for me:

1st Tabata (again it's 8 rounds, 20 seconds with a 10 second break)- Sprints on the treadmill, track or outside

2nd Tabata- Sprints

3rd Tabata- Sprints

1 Tabata- Mix push ups and abs

Stretch

Done. Rockstar. You did it!
4. HIIT workout. These have become very popular and after looking at so many different ones I've come to the conclusion you can pretty much make up anything as long as you get your sweat on. Maybe I'm wrong, but here's what I've done in the past and felt like I've gotten a good workout in.
25 squats
25 lunges (alternating legs)
25 burpees
10 push ups
25 abs
25 mountain climbers
**REST**
Repeat for at least 3 rounds.

*I'm no fitness certified expert, I'm just sharing fitness exercises I've tried and like*

That's it for Part 1. Next post will be from Alex. She's a dedicated rock star. I'm a wanna-be rock star ;)

What's Co-Teaching?!

Thursday last week I had a meeting on campus with my "cooperating teacher" (the teacher I will be working with in the fall, from here on out referred to as my "CT") about co-teaching.

Though the meeting was filled with beneficial information about all of the co-teaching models that I was not familiar with, the best part was spending a few hours talking with my CT about what to expect in her classroom.

First of all, I am THRILLED to be paired with her.  She came to me highly recommended from a family friend, and after our first few hours together, I know we will get along great!  We have so much in common. We both love being active, spending time outdoors, cooking, and so on. She seems like a passionate teacher, with high expectations for her students.  My favorite part, she's super easy going and has a go with the flow personality.  One of her comments to our table mates during our meeting was that she is going to help me learn to not stress out.  "Everything will get done. it always does" is what she said.  I love that she immediately took me under her wing.

SO, that big "fear" is now gone…I don't need to worry about her as a mentor.  I trust that she will be an amazing example for me, and I will go into my first year as a teacher with more confidence because of her.

What's Co-teaching?
This part is for my non-teacher friends and family, who want to know more about what I'm up to!

Co-teaching has many models as I learned.  The key in all models is that both teachers (the CT and student teacher) are working together in the classroom to ensure a successful learning environment, as well as classroom management.

Here are the different co-teaching models:

One teach/One observe: While one person is doing the main instruction, the other is doing intentional observations in the classroom.  This may be to gain information on student behavior, comprehension, or even to observe the main teacher and their instruction.

One teach/One assist:  While one person is doing the main instruction, the other is assisting students with their work, behavior, or other jobs around the classroom.

Station teaching:  The teachers divide instruction and content between each other.  The students rotate from teacher to teacher to get more focused instruction in smaller groups.

Parallel teaching: The class is divided in half, each teacher takes a group and instructs on the same content.  This is beneficial because it makes for a smaller student to teacher ratio!

Supplemental teaching: One teacher works with students at grade level, while the other teacher works with students who need material re-taught or more time on a topic.

Alternative (differentiated) teaching: This style provides two different approaches to teaching the same material.  Learning outcomes are the same, process of getting there is different.

Team teaching:  This is when both teachers are teaching the whole group as a team.  There should be a flow of instruction with not one teacher leading the lesson.



My CT and I talked about the models she thinks will be used most in her class.  She feels that all of the models are beneficial and will likely be explored in her classroom, though centers/stations are not her favorite approach.

I'm relieved that we have options, and that the whole 16 weeks don't need to be under the "team teaching" model.  That takes a lot of preparation time and doesn't necessarily benefit the students more than any of the other models.

Next week I'll be in the classroom for a couple days of preparation and then the first day of school will be on August 11th!

Let the fun begin!

DIY: Mini desk

Last year, about this time, I was on a hunt for a small desk to put in a little "nook" in our guest room.  I was feeling overwhelmed with school and needed my own space in our tiny home to do homework.  I hunted for days on Craigslist for something, and was willing to get my hands dirty in order to make something old look new!  

Randomly, this little gem appeared outside our neighbors home with a giant FREE sign on it.  It was exactly what I'd been hunting for!

Drawer not pictured.  The desk was dirty and scuffed.

With a little TLC, I knew I could make this into something I loved!

My mom told me about this GREAT paint.  It's Annie Sloan chalk paint.  No, it's not that other awesome paint used to make your own chalk boards.  This stuff is so amazing because it does not require any sanding and priming! All I did was clean off the desk, lightly sanded a few areas that were uneven, and then painted!  It took hardly any time at all, and was ready to use by the next day.

For the drawer, I wanted to add a pop of color.  I chose a robins egg blue spray paint.  

Then I chose a very inexpensive nob with character to replace the old wood nobs.

Here is the final product!

I plan on using the same colors on the remaining furniture in this guest room, but I've been putting it off since we'll likely be moving in the next year and I'm not sure if all the furniture will be in the same room together.  BUT, this paint is so easy, I guess I could just repaint ;-)

The Wild Animal Sanctuary

On Monday I visited The Wild Animal Sanctuary with my mom and grandma.  This was my first visit, and I was very impressed!  

Only about an hour or so from my home in Littleton, the sanctuary houses Tigers, Lions, Bears, Wolves and other carnivorous animals.  It is the oldest and largest non-profit sanctuary dedicated to these animals.  Visitors view these beauties from a up above on a long walkway.  Because visitors are viewing from above, the animals aren't as aware and feel less threatened, therefore roam a little more freely.

I was so impressed by the amount of space these animals have to roam and explore.  It is nothing like a zoo with small cramped exhibits.  

As I mentioned earlier, the sanctuary is non-profit.  This means they LOVE visitors!  The money they make from visitors goes towards caring for the facility and animals already at the sanctuary, as well as help them take in more animals in the future.  If you're looking for something new and fun to do in Colorado, and a way to support a good cause, go visit the sanctuary!!

The Wild Animal Sanctuary website

Donate to The Wild Animal Sanctuary

Visit on Facebook

Sleepy & Hot!

Food Ideas for Whole30

I don't know about you but coming up with meal/snack ideas for a Healthy Eating Plan has got to be the hardest part! As you all know I started the Whole30 Program on Monday but for those who are joining in I wanted to give you some of my food ideas!

Breakfast Ideas:

Hard Boiled Eggs

Green Smoothie (spinach, cucumber, frozen berries & water)

Spoonful of Almond butter

Eggs & Avocado

Snack Ideas:

Almonds or other Nuts

Avocado

Green Apple w/ Almond Butter

Berries & Almonds

Cut up Veggies (Prep ahead of time- you will thank me)

Make your own "Trail Mix"

Lunch & Dinner Ideas:

(Make & cut meats ahead of time)

Salad w/ chicken or steak

Meat w/ Roasted Veggies

Stir fry w/ meat & veggies

Homemade sweet potato fries **homemade

***Check out the Whole30 blog and they have announced potatos can now be part of your meal plan*** This was life changing so last night I did some oven roasted potatos with seasonsing & olive oil and they were BOMB.

You can also follow @whole30recipes & @whole30 for recipes, motivation and ideas!

I know these all sound repetitive and lame, but I'm not the most extravagant cook. Especially when I'm on a strict program I like to keep things simple and to the point. If you want additional ideas, shopping lists and recipes go to Whole30.com for tons of resources, support, ideas and detailed information about the program!! We Can Do It!

Salmon Lettuce Wraps

I threw these delicious wraps together one day in order to use up some left over salmon and rice.  It ended up being a winner!  The Asian flavors with the fresh crunch of a lettuce wrap are a perfect combo, and it's pretty healthy too!!  Little prep required!

Ingredients:

2 small salmon fillets

2 tbsp Soyaki sauce (find this at Trader Joe's)

2 tbsp liquid aminos (soy sauce alternative found at natural markets such as Sprouts)

2 tbsp honey

Bibb lettuce

1 cup brown rice (or white rice, or quinoa)

1/2 avocado

2 tbsp miso dressing (find this at Costco)

Let's cook:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place salmon fillets in glass baking dish.  Drizzle each fillet with the Soyaki, honey & liquid aminos.  Bake for about 15 min.  Bake time will depend on the size of your fillets, fish will "flake" off with a fork when done.

2.  Fill desired amount of wraps with about 1/4-1/2 cup of cooked rice or quinoa.

3.  Flake the cooked salmon into the wraps, top with a few slices of avocado, drizzle miso dressing on top.

4. Enjoy!

Traveling

Hey y'all!! I have recently gotten back from a business trip and thought it would be a good idea to document how to keep a healthy lifestyle while traveling! Let's all be honest we all usually splurge while vacationing but I wouldn't classify business travel as vacation. ;) anyways since I wanted to try and eat healthy and workout while I was gone I stuck to a few tips below:

1. Pack some NUTRITIOUS bars in your purse! I'm not talking candy bars but healthy organic bars you can snack on instead of grabbing McDonalds! This definitely helped me because I was starving waiting for my first flight and this curbed my appetite for sure! I also had no extra time to grab breakfast my first day in the office so having a bar in my purse put me at ease.

2. Drink butt loads of water! Traveling can easily be a time we forget to drink water but it's so important to stay hydrated while your out all day!

3. Pack workout gear!!!! 95% of hotels have some type of workout area in them so why not take advantage and use it?? I did some Tabatas on the treadmill and then abs in my room! I also packed a resistance band so I could do some strengthening exercises while catching up on reality tv! 

4. Store instead of fast food! I would wake up and run to the store for food for the day instead of grabbing fast food for each meal- both take the same amout of time but one makes you feel a whole lot better!! 

5. Take probiotics! It's no secret that traveling can be an easy way to catch some type of bug! Ask my husband... he unfortunately caught the stomach bug on a recent trip! I made sure to take probiotics daily before I left in hopes to help keep bugs at bay! I'll write a separate post on probiotics! 

I hope this helps for the next time you travel! But if it's for vacay cheat meals are totally acceptable ;) 

Bands: dickssportinggoods.com 

Whole30 Program

Ok, I am hoping that if I make a public declaration I will actually be able to stick with it this time...Whole30 is an awesome program and exactly what I need to challenge myself and focus on healthy living. I am not trying to lose a ton of weight but I am trying to focus on health, show myself "I can do it" and see what 30 days of healthy food can do for me. If you have never heard of the Whole30 program check out the link. This is a hardcore, intense, nearly impossible, might die program. I'm slightly exaggerating, but this program involves; no grains, no legumes, no processed foods, no sugar, no "paleo" desserts, no alcohol and no other forms of sugar. If you are running the opposite direction I don't blame you- BUT before you do really read about this program and see if you can challenge yourself to eat nothing but "Whole" for 30 days. I have a friend who has completed the program and she rocks. She looks amazing and has inspired me to see it to the end. I have started the program and "cheated" by day 5. Hey- I never said I was perfect. The way I see it though, it's one month. One month of my life to truly focus on health, real food and see what it does for me. The program encourages you not to weigh yourself while completing the 30 days. Weigh yourself before and after and that's it. So... what do you say? Should we all try it? I am publicly announcing that I will be starting the program today. Done. If you decide to start too let me know- so we can all suffer  encourage each other! ;)

Overnight adventure

G'morning, and Happy Sunday!

Driving to Nederland, CO.

While Jessica was getting beautiful this weekend for a wedding, I was doing the opposite with an overnight camping trip.  Nick & I met my brother and his GF Nora, buddy Ryan, and two new friends outside of Nederland for some car camping.  My brother has to be one of the best to camp with, he always comes prepared, and this time he came prepared to build a zipline!

River through camp

Excited for the great outdoors!

Dudes building the fire.

While the three of us ladies were doing the lady thing (sitting around the fire catching up), the boys were busy building a zipline through the forest.  If you know my brother, you know that something like this is normal… he built a zipline & tree house in our old neighborhood in California (when he was 12, or some crazy young age!).

Zipline site.

They successfully made it work for a few of us!  Jessie, John and I were able to take the quick run across the river.  (We have GoPro proof!!)

Cheers to the first run!

3, 2, 1! Blast off!!

Look closely, that's Jessi flying through the forest!

Besides that random adventure of a "homemade" zipline, we enjoyed hanging out by the rippin' river, eating and drinking, and a Napoleon Dynamite dance off around the fire.  

Overall, a successful overnighter.

Us

Snuggle buddy, Guy.

I spy, Ryan.

Blinding everyone with my highlighter shirt!

Doing the hokey-pokey?

Guy and his dad, Dominic.

Spoiled dogs wrapped up in their blankets.

Bald men unite.

Ryan & Dominic

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Natural Products

Hey y'all! I don't know about you but I struggled with acne and skin problems pretty much high school up until months before my wedding, oh and then every month while I PMS. Unfortunately I was never one of those girls who could just forget to wash her face at night or in the morning. We all hate those girls- let's be honest I have tried so many products and acne medications that I could be a walking advertisement for all. As I have gotten older though I have become more conscious about what I put into my body and what I put on my skin. After looking at a lot of the products I used I didn't like that most had chemicals/ingredients I not only couldn't pronounce I was sure were not good for me, so I headed to Sprouts and started trying out different products. Below are my favorites and have found work great on my skin! I also use my Clarisonic brush (that's a post in itself... as both Alex and I can attest: best.thing.ever)

The 3 cleansers below (click on each link to learn more about the products) are what I have found to be my top 3 picks. And trust me, I have tried hundreds many products! These 3 have all natural safe ingredients that I feel confident putting on my skin. The Egyptian Magic Cream is not a cleanser but a moisturizer for your skin and let me just be the first to say... I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS PRODUCT. No, I do not get paid to say this although I will happily get paid if someone wants to ;) I bought this at Costco because living in a very dry climate I needed something to help the cracking skin on my face. Seriously... it was bad. I slathered this on and by morning.. voila. No, seriously this stuff works. I also put it on in the morning before I put my make up on and it gives my skin that dewy, glowy look. Click on the link for more info and testimonials, but again this product is all natural and has only 6 ingredients! Let me know if you try any of these and what you think!

Jason-Natural
Neutrogena Natural
Alba Botanica
Egyptian Magic Cream

Quinoa Fruit Salad

This is one of my favorite summer salads.  It has a nice combination of sweet and salty with the fruit and feta cheese.  Experiment with different fruit combinations, or add fresh mint to change it up!

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa

1/2-1 cup strawberries cut into pieces

1/2-1 cup blueberries

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup pine nuts (almonds are a great alternative)

1/3 cup feta cheese

Dressing to taste, I suggest a honey balsamic.  Honey and a squeeze of lemon is a healthy and fresh alternative.

Let's Cook:

1.  Cook quinoa according to instructions, typically it is a 2:1 ratio (2 cups water for every cup of quinoa).  Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes.  (A more flavorful alternative is to replace water with chicken or veggie broth).

2.  Place 2 cups of cooked quinoa in a large bowl with strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, pine nuts and feta cheese.

3.  Toss ingredients gently.  Add dressing of choice, something with a touch of sweetness is recommend.  I like the white honey balsamic vinaigrette from Kingsoopers.

4.  Cover and refrigerate until serving. Enjoy!