Protein Pick Me Up

This weather has a way of affecting my mood and not in a good way either. Lazy, grumpy, stir crazy, and did I say lazy? I did have a great morning meeting up with my grade school friend, walking the mall, catching up, and talking about our babies. Crazy how things change and seeing each other as Moms. It seems like yesterday we were pretend Moms to our dolls. Looking out my window today, my view is actually quite nice but enough already! No wonder us Iowans put on shorts when it is 50 degrees outside, we are dying for a nice day or a break from shoveling.

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In honor of this blah day, I decided everyone including me needs some motivation, a pick me up! Yes my friends, I know it's only Tuesday. I found this quote on my Pinterest account and thought this would be a great starting point to get my mind motivated.

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And I know it is hard to get up and get a workout in when it's cold out and all you want to do is cuddle up on the couch and watch tv or online shop. Guilty! So throw in your favorite workout dvd and get your booty moving, seriously it helps boost your mood and your butt :) . My favorite is Tone it Up, like I have mentioned before. Those girls kick my butt! I am dreaming of the day when I get to run outside though, so I have been researching running/jogging strollers for this Spring. From the imput I have received it looks like BOB wins. There is nothing like running outside in the Spring smelling all of the yummy blooming plants and listening to nature...or a good playlist. So here is one of my favorite running playlists on my ipod to get you motivated to move!

1.) Mony Mony- Billy Idol 2.) Cyclone- Baby Bash ft. T-Pain 3.) Maneater- Nelly Furtado 4.) Kerosene- Miranda Lambert 5.) Another one Bites the Dust- Queen 6.) Milkshake- Kelis 7.) Catch me if you Can- Outasight 8.) Wavin' Flag- K'naan, Will.I.Am, & David Guetta 9.) Hurts so Good- John Mellencamp 10.) Whatever You Like-T.I.

Enjoy! After you are done with a workout or maybe you are on the go a lot and looking for a treat or pick me up that is new and healthy, try my favorite protein bites. Easy to make and even better tasting, I promise! I freeze them and keep 3 bites in a small Zip lock, and when I leave I throw them into my purse for a tasty snack. This recipe is modified from my Tone it Up nutrition plan.

Peanut Butter Protein Balls Ingredients: 1 cup Natural peanut butter (use creamy, can use Almond butter) 1 cup Honey 1 cup Old fashion oats ( gluten free if you wish) 1 cup diced dried apricots ( or whatever dried fruit you like) 1 cup sliced almonds ( I rough chop raw unsalted whole almonds) Cinnamon to taste 1-2 scoops of your favorite protein powder ( I use Vanilla flavor)

1.) In a medium pot, on lowest heat, melt honey and peanut butter until texture is runny. Remove from heat and add protein powder. Stir well. Add in apricots, almonds, and oats. 2.) Mix until all is coated well. Cool in fridge for 30 minutes, or until firm enough to roll into bite sized balls. About 1-2 Tablespoons each ball. Store in the fridge for best results.

You do not have to add the protein powder unless you are looking for an easier way to get in your extra protein. According to Tone it Up, the serving size is 3 balls, calories 275.

I hope you enjoy this post and let me know if you try the recipe! Have a great week. Some little lady is already looking up during tummy time! Sometimes that face is all the motivation I need, then again, so is that bikini drawer :)

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And the Grammy goes to....

The Grammy should go to me. I have subjected my loved ones for years to my awesome vocal abilities and still have not received an award, and now with a baby, I just sing that much more! I agree I may not sound perfect or know everything about music, but I am the most dedicated when it comes to my daily performances. My taste of music has evolved from just liking a beat to actually respecting and hearing the lyrics. It is crazy how healing music can be, even when the artist has no idea what you are going through. It's like a 3 minute therapy session :) So who will be watching along with me tonight? In honor of the biggest night in music, I decided to put a few of my favorite tunes in a list for you to enjoy. This was impossible for me to pick just 15 songs, so I will make it my "music" category and keep on sharing the tunes until I run out, which will be never! I love an extreme mix from Christian to Rap. How that works, I'm not sure, but to me, music is art. A quote from the movie Into the Wild states that "Happiness is only real when shared." So one thing that makes me happy is music and if not a single one of these songs can't make you smile, tap you foot or bob your head happy....I got nothing for ya!

In no specific order or genre:

1.) Charlie Mars- Listen to the Darkside 2.) The Damnwells- I am a Leaver 3.) Jack Johnson- Banana Pancakes 4.) Dave Mathews Band- Stay or leave 5.) Nelly- Air Force Ones 6.) Brendan James- Green 7.) Citizen Cope- If There's Love 8.) The Nadas- Dodged a Bullet 9.) Carrie Rodriguez- She Ain't Me 10.) Trevor Hall- Other Ways 11.) David Gray- This Years Love 12.) John Legend- All of Me 13.) George Strait- Run 14.) Grace Potter & The Nocturnals- Stars 15.) Jay-Z ft Mr. Hudson- Young Forever