We did it!

So we completed our goal. We had a couple cheat moments but overall did really well. What we learned....we learned that we can live and feel just fine without meat and dairy. We also learned that if we make goals together they are even easier to achieve. Finally we learned that if you go on a vegan diet during February you will still have Girl Scout cookies in March. Since we have returned to a "regular" diet I feel tired, Ben and I noticed this today. During the month I complained less about feeling tired and the last two days I feel like I just want to take a long nap on the couch.

We plan to incorporate some of what we learned in February into our daily living. For example, Almond Milk in place of half and half in coffee, I'm going to go with a mostly vegetarian diet and Ben is going to do less meat. It was a great learning experience.

Today is hard!

There are those days, those days when you see a commercial and want to eat....and I mean eat everything. Today is one of those days. I want to eat everything and no matter how many fruits, vegetables, and grains I eat I still want more. It is almost 7PM and all I can think is that I would really love some Tikki Masala Chicken or cheese and crackers. That being said, hand me another glass of wine so I can forget my food desires.

Other than that I have been very content with the plant-based diet and have even embraced it with pride. I was able to tell a fellow Yogi that I am a practicing Vegan (ok, so we don't know if it is long term yet...but I'm practicing never-the-less).

Superbowl Sunday Success!

That's right, we went to a big Superbowl party with lots of cheese, dips and meats and we behaved ourselves. OK, so we mostly made meals out of chips, guacamole and vegetables (peppers, carrots and cucumber) but we didn't feel like we were missing out or that we needed to eat the pork sandwiches or chicken chili. Now time to meal plan for week two.

Oh, I stumbled across this story today on MSN. Thought I would share it. It's all about foods that help you lose weight. No big surprise that they are fruits and vegetables.

Day 4!

Today is day four and things are going well. We haven't had much problem with the plant-based diet and have actually enjoyed trying new recipes. Today we went to a vegan restaurant called Munch, the kids and Ben enjoyed pancakes with vegan bacon and sausage and I had vegetable scramble with sweet potatoes. We realized that the faux bacon and sausage are not necessarily to our liking but the corn meal pancakes were excellent. Then we walked over to a local bakery called Bleeding Heart and had these amazing vegan cupcakes. Tonight Ben made a roasted cauliflower steak on a bed on homemade garlic tomato sauce with an olive and sun-dried tomato relish; it was super yummy.

We have played with recipes this week making a spinach and cannelloni bean dip, homemade Alfredo pasta sauce with cashews, soy sauce, Dijon mustard and garlic, and garbanzo bean and black bean hummus. So far it has been a fun adventure.

Day one!

Day one was a success. Wednesday's are crazy in the Murrie home. I teach two bootcamps and spinning class so I find myself SUPER hungry. But I stuck to the Vegan Diet and got through the day with no more tummy grumble than on a normal Wednesday. Actually, I teach an AM bootcamp and am typically famished by the time we get home around 11:30AM. Yesterday I ate 100% Oats with dried mixed berries (thank you Trader Joe's) with my coffee for breakfast and I got through my class and home before my stomach began to make noise. I suppose all that fiber goes a long way. For lunch I had a mix of beans and rice with blueberries as a snack. Around 4:30 I had some cashews before I headed out to teach spinning and bootcamp back to back. After my bootcamp it's always a little late to do a full dinner so tonight I had the bean and spinach dip that Ben made with Donkey chips (corn chips from Whole Foods) and topped it all off with a cold Shiner Bock.

Over all I feel just fine, I don't have more or less energy YET! I don't plan on posting a daily update but figured day one was a good day to post and every few days I'll give an update. Thanks to all who have been showing great support in this process. I guess we'll see how we feel at the end of the month. Happy eating!

February as a Vegan

Anyone that really knows me knows that I love cheese, chocolate and a good steak. So the fact that I/we have decided to go vegan for February may have some of you thinking...NOT GONNA HAPPEN!

Ok, I get it, I doubt myself as well. But this is something that we have really contemplated. I consider myself to be a healthy person. I work out regularly, eat healthy, I sleep enough, and maintain a healthy weight; so why am I tired? I have read more and more about how animal-based foods cause many health problems and plant-based foods are the best for you; even reversing some health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, and cholesterol. But you may say...we are supposed to eat meat...we are carnivores. If we are true carnivores, wouldn't we have the teeth to jump on the back of a cow and bite through the hide? Just saying, maybe we are not meant to eat meat, and if we are we are definitely eating too much.

A couple weeks ago we rented Forks Over Knives and were really inspired to make a change. We have cleared our home of temptations, shopped for plant-based foods and slowly worked animal-based foods out of our diet for the last couple of weeks.

I decided to blog about it every few days. I thought, if I write about it not only will it be on my mind but others will hold me accountable. The funny thing is I think this is going to be easier for Ben than for me. So, we begin February 1st and we need your support. I am interested to see how I feel; if I feel differently at all.

Happy Holidays!!!

Back on Track

This summer has been full of trips and adventures. I have been terrible about updating so in one blog I'll do my best to update everyone on everything that we have done this summer. Starting with our trip to VA and NC.

Ben's brother (Dan) lives in Charlottesville, VA with his wife (April) and three kids (Jacob, Addie and Teagan). We went berry picking, hiking, swimming and had an overall fantastic time catching up. Jeremiah enjoyed being a "big boy" sleeping in his older cousin's room and trying new food at the encouragement of his cousins.

We left VA and headed down to the outer banks of NC to enjoy a few days at the beach with some old college friends, Fernando and Maggie. They have a little boy (Gabriel) a year younger than Davis. The boys had a blast using their swimming lesson skills in the ocean and it was the first time we were really able to enjoy going to the water with the boys. We had some great catching up time and are beginning to think we should make it an annual trip.

In July we took a weekend road trip to St. Louis, MO to visit Ben's Grandmother and Sister. It was a very quick and full trip. On Sunday we left the kids with Aunt CooCoo for an afternoon at the City Museum while Ben and I joined a friend at the Busch Stadium for a Cardinals game (the cardinals won). That evening we went to The Muny for a touring show of The Little Mermaid. It was exhausting and hot but a great time.

A couple weeks later my dearest childhood friend, Trina, came out to visit with her two kids (Teagan and Maddox) for a few days before moving to London. Unfortunately it was the hottest, most humid week in the summer but we made the best out of it. We went to Navy Pier where we spent the morning at the Children's Museum, with lunch at Bubba Gumps and play time in the Splash Pad. It was short and sweet and I fully appreciated and enjoyed the visit.

The following weekend we went to the Lake House In MI with the Murphy's (Chris, Lauren, Vivian and Desi). This is becoming an annual trip and something we all look forward to. We spent the days with the kids in the lake, on the water trampoline, jet ski, and boat. But the evenings were full of yummy food, wine and hot tubs (followed by over 50 bug bites all over my body).

At the end of July Ben's parents and sister came for a weekend visit. We didn't do any big city adventures, just a trip to the farmers market and some quality time BBQing and hanging out. A nice mellow weekend giving the kids good quality time with the grandparents.

Finally, the past weekend my college roommate, Christy, came to visit her sister-in-law who just moved here. We spent the afternoon catching up, shopping, eating and dodging the rain. She accused me of being a "bad blogger" so I'm catching up.

Overall the summer has been full of adventure. When we weren't traveling or having company we were having play dates with some dear friends we have made over the year. Play dates at the lake, water park, zoo, or just at home the kids had a blast. Summer break is coming to an end with Jeremiah starting Kindergarten in a week. I can't believe how quickly time goes by. Thanks to all for the memories.

(Pictures aren't working right now...I'll update later)

Hawaii 2011

In April, Ben and I were blessed with an opportunity to go to HI again. We began our trip in Oahu where Ben spent three days working and I spent three days shopping, snorkeling, hanging out on the beach and taking long morning jogs to Diamond Head. One evening, Ben's Navy contacts gave us a very unique opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes tour of Pearl Harbor. We were loaded on a boat with a couple of Sailors and taken into the harbor where we could see sunken ships and plaques that very few people get to see. It was an amazing experience.

Lahaina with an amazing view of the island Molokai. From our room you could see the whales in the ocean, it was beautiful. On Friday we spent the morning snorkeling Kaanapali, where we saw amazing sea life including several turtles. That afternoon we went to the historical DT Flemming Beach. On Saturday we packed a lunch and took the road to Hana. We hiked up the the large waterfalls and had a lovely picnic. On our drive home we stopped for some homemade coconut ice cream and several small hikes to several waterfalls. Saturday was rather relaxing, more snorkeling, beach time and dinner at the Plantation House at sunset. One Monday we scheduled a whale watching boat ride. We were a bit disappointed since we felt we saw more from our condo balcony. Nevertheless we had a great time and were sad to leave on Tuesday but were excited to see the boys.

(Pictures aren't working right now...I'll update later)

Jeremiah is 5

It is hard to believe that Jeremiah is 5 years old. I feel like he was born yesterday yet I feel like I have known him forever.

This year we gave Jeremiah a choice: birthday party or a dinner show at Medieval Times. He chose Medieval Times.

We left Davis with some friends and took Jeremiah to the show the weekend of his birthday. It took some time and the promise of fighting to settle him down, but ultimately he loved the show and even enjoyed the food.

Jeremiah is a sweet-natured, shy, affectionate child. He loves super heroes, Lego's, Playmobile people, and dressing up. Here are a few of Jeremiah's favorite things.

Favorite movie-Star Wars

Favorite cartoon-Backyardigans

Favorite book-Where the Wild Things are

Favorite food-Wuesadillas

Favorite vegetable-Edamame

Favorite toy-Playmobile people

Favorite song-You Belong with Me (Taylor Swift)

Best Friends-Chloe and Vivian

Happy Birthday, Jeremiah!

Winter Blues!

Winters are long and cold. I am done with cold, snow and ice yet winter isn't nearly over. So in order to make it through I decided to list the top 10 things I love about winter.

1. Hats...I love the cute winter hats.

2. Scarves...not just warm but fashionable.

3. Snow ball fights with the boys.

4. Cute knee high socks.

5. Cuddling with the kids in my bed for story time/happy light time.

6. Pajama days.

7. Fire places.

8. Free museum days.

9. Coffee...the ability to drink it ALL DAY!!!

10. Seeing a perfect snowflake on the windshield of your car during a snow storm.

Please share your favorite things about the winter...I would love to hear them.

Is it sibling rivalry if it's just one-sided?

So in recent weeks, we've started to notice how little Jeremiah thinks of his counterpart, Davis.

Example #1

Jeremiah: "Mommy, I want to go to the store and get green paint so that I can paint myself all green and be the grinch. I also want to get reindeer antlers so Davis can be the dog.

Example #2

Jeremiah: "Davis, you are a good penguin because you walk funny and you are fat."

Davis: "I'm not fat."

Jeremiah: "No, you have a fat little belly, like a little penguin."

Example #3

Jeremiah: "We can play Wizard of Oz. I will be the Lion and Davis can be the scarecrow. He has no brain."

Merry Christmas 2010!

This year we were blessed to have both sets of parents and Ben's sister in town for the holiday. The kids had a blast and we had a white Christmas. Merry Christmas to all..here is our holiday card.

Well, if it gets you free sandwiches?

So yesterday, Ben picked up Jeremiah from pre-school and went through the Jimmy John's Drive-Thru to get lunch for everyone. While at the order window, the woman working there was very friendly. As they left, Jeremiah mentioned "daddy, that lady waved at you." Having not noticed this, Ben responded "oh really, why do you think she did that?" Jeremiah concluded, "because she like you." There was a long silence and Ben figured the conversation had ended, until he heard J say "I think maybe we shouldn't tell mommy about this." After laughing silently for a bit, Ben asked why and J responded with "because she will run away."

Bengtson's Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday we went to the Bengtson's Pumpkin Patch with the Chris, Lauren, Vivian and Desi Murphy. The place was fantastic and we had such great time. There were rides, pig races, petting zoo, a corn maze, and of course a pumpkin patch. It was very chilly and really added to the feel of fall.

Lollapalooza 2010

This year we got tickets for Lollapalooza. The great thing about a music festival is that even the kids enjoy it. They had a great area for the kids with all kinds of crafts, drum circles and so forth. They even had a kids stage with fantastic kid bands. The boys spent most of their time play with the instruments.

After the kids left it was time for Lady Gaga. One word "Endurance." I was fully entertained.

Summer Misc.

To celebrate the fourth of July went went to a small parade at a nearby neighborhood. They had the traditional line of fire trucks, police cars, army cars, horses and so forth that you come to expect at a parade. The kids had a blast cheering for the parade and collecting candy as it was thrown.

Jeremiah took this picture.

Ben's company received recognition at the Rape Victims Advocacy Annual Award Ceremony this year. I am very proud of all of them and mostly proud of the amazing husband that I have.

City living means train riding. I think the kids will never tire of trains.

I just like this picture. Jeremiah took it of Davis when we were at the lake house in Michigan. I don't know how he does it, but for a four year old he has an eye for pictures.

Lake time

At least in Chicago people really take advantage of the brief summer. The lake has been good to us. The boys and I have found some days during the week to hit the lake. Ben had a few days off here and there and joined us for running, playing and castle building in the sand.

Jeremiah was very helpful the first time I decided to take the boys solo.

He even put the sunblock on D's face.

We have also been blessed to be invited to spend two weekends at a lake house in Michigan. The first weekend was a family weekend. We went out on on the boat, both boys went on the tube being pulled by the boat. Jeremiah was lucky enough to go out on the jet ski. Unfortunately we didn't have the camera down at the water.

Davis and the smore.

The second trip was for a friends birthday. We left the kids with my parents and had a blast at the lake. I don't have pictures of that weekend because they might get us in trouble... :)

Date with J

Last month Jeremiah and I went on our first official mommy and J date. We went to the Children's Museum at Navy Pier. The place is amazing. It is three stories of endless fun. We played rock star, fireman, cooked, looked for dino bones and just had a ton of fun.

Chicago Museum (Free Days)

In an effort to enjoy the city we live in, without going broke, I decided to find all of the free days of the major museums in Chicago. Since I have young children who still nap and can't manage an entire day at the museum it doesn't make sense to spend the money for 2-3 hours. So here we are, a list of museums with web-links to their free days.

Museum of Science and Industry
http://www.msichicago.org/visit-the-museum/museum-info/admission/free-days/

The Art Institute of Chicago
http://www.artic.edu/aic/visitor_info/geninfo.html

Field Museum
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/plan_visit/free_days.htm

Museum of Science and Industry
http://www.msichicago.org/visit-the-museum/museum-info/admission/

Chicago Children's Museum
http://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/hours.html

Adler PlanetariumAddress:‎
http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/plan/discounts

Shedd Aquarium
http://www.sheddaquarium.org/discounts.html