Saturday Sampler: Something has to change

To exist is to change, 

to change is to mature,

to mature is to go on 

creating oneself endlessly.

~Henri Bergson

Ok, I admit it, I have been slacking. I have been hiding behind my good food choices, more consistent sleep patterns and heavy work schedule to make my inactivity excusable. I have been embracing these excuses. At some point I have to take ownership and just do something different. Last week I decided I would air up my bike tires and use my bike trainer. Apparently I am not proficient with a bike pump and I may have bent my metal thingy that the air goes into. Bummer. I can ramble on for days about my laziness, but instead you get a Saturday Sampler, previously a Friday Five, but was too much of a slacker to post last night:

1. I make awesome smoothies. It is amazing that my kids will drink their fruits and vegetables and know they are doing it. My son loves to guess what goes in them. I regularly use Trader Joe's Beet and Purple Carrot juice as the liquid part and then add lots of spinach, frozen fruit like pineapple, peaches and berries, bananas, flax seed and then some wild cards. Wild cards are whatever else we have in the refrigerator and have included cubed steamed sweet potato, broccoli and cauliflower. Note: plain white cauliflower has a pretty distinct flavor and doesn't totally puree.
2. HIGH: I made fantastic white chocolate butter cream frosting. LOW: my from scratch chocolate cupcakes came out a little dense and didn't rise because I used whole grain unbleached wheat flour. I am pretty proud of myself for baking from scratch and I really ended up liking the wheat flavor of my chocolate cupcakes, very bread like.
3. I am taking a few days off. Yup it has gotten to the point that if I don't take time for me I might implode, wait, explode... whatever, I need a day off and I need to workout. I will hopefully have a work out partner tomorrow, but either way I am going. I have plans to sleep in, get up leisurely and hit the gym at 10AM. It will be glorious.
4.  We had two play dates this week. Pretty crazy stuff, we aren't really into the whole making friends thing (introvert family). Both went amazingly well. Both provided delicious dinners, kid friendly house holds and adult conversation. I may be able to get into this. Did I mention some of our best friends came to town for dinner last night? It is two weeks in a row that they made the trek and being around so many wonderful families this week has truly boosted our families already very high morale. We are definitely riding the happiness wave right now.
5. I have Monday through Wednesday off, I know I mentioned that with the exercise thing in mind but I get see my friends from Seattle. I am super excited because they are such fun, wonderful, smart and creative people. I wish they lived closer.

The Big Picture: Who cares if it is liquid, my kiddos will drink their veges and it is not a secret, I am not sneaking it in, they know what is in them and love them!

Why I Kick A$$: I take time for my friends and am smart enough to decide to get in some workouts too. Who knows, maybe working out 4 days in a row will get me back on track.

Thankful Three

1. For new friends
2. For time off
3. For my a chance to sleep in tomorrow