Guess what? I turn 30 in less than a month! Crazytown! I know I should be upset or angry or planning my second 29th birthday party, but I’m not. I’m pretty stinkin’ excited. I am ready to enter a new decade of my life and keep moving forward. I mean, sure, getting older can be hard, but the alternative is worse (the alternative, of course, being Benjamin Button disease…or being dead). So in celebration I’m doing one fun thing every day until the big day! You should join me, because having fun is the best. You can follow along by using the hashtag #onefunthing on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. Here’s how it works:
Step 1 – Think of something fun to do. Step 2 – Do that fun something. Step 3 – Snap a picture of the fun. Step 4 – Post to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #onefunthing or post on the Crazybananas Facebook page (you can find it here). Step 5 – Do a happy dance!
One of my big goals for this year was to work on getting my health in check. Along with all the emotional and mental growth, I wanted to make sure I was treating my body right. Like every mom on the planet, I find myself eating and drinking things I shouldn’t in favor of having an extra minute or two every day. Because of my job, I’m often taking clients to lunch/dinner and happy hours, and as well all know, eating out is the worst for your body. On the days I’m not eating out, I tend to work through lunch in order to get home earlier, and when I do dinners with the kids, it’s so harried and insane (I get home from work around 6 p.m. and Tate goes to bed at 7 p.m.) putting together a good meal is pretty much impossible.
I am a person that tends to do better when I go to the extreme, and after I noticed my pants getting tighter despite my trips to the gym, I decided I needed to try something new. I also found myself with horrible allergies, which I’ve never experienced. After talking with a doctor, I decided to opt out of testing and allergy shots, and instead change up my diet to see if that relieved any of my symptoms. I have just finished my third week gluten and dairy free, and I’m feeling pretty fantastic! My goal is to make it to four weeks and then decide what to do from there.
I have to say, while this has been a difficult change for me (oh cheese and bread, I miss you so!), there have been a few things that have helped. I wanted to share them here in case you all are looking to try a gluten or dairy free lifestyle.
– Find a natural grocery store that stocks lots of gluten and dairy free options: We got two Trader Joe’s grocery stores in Kansas City last year, and without them, I have no idea how I’d be dairy and gluten free. They have pretty much everything you could need from gluten free bread and pasta to almond milk ice cream, and it’s all delicious. The best part is they label everything very clearly, so it’s easy to find what works. Their stuff is reasonably priced too, unlike a lot of natural food places.
– Plan meals out at specialty restaurants: Living in a big city has made this transition much easier, since there are so many vegan specialty restaurants. Two of my favorites are Blue Bird Bistro and The Westside Local, where the servers are always sensitive to special requests and it’s easy to find things on the menu that you can order “as is.” Japanese can work too, especially the soups and spring rolls. If I’m stuck at a chain restaurant, I’ve just been going for salads with no cheese. Lame, but it works.
– Breakfast for dinner: Quinoa with scrambled eggs, gluten free pineapple salsa and avocado has become my go-to quick meal. I keep cooked quinoa and brown rice in the fridge in case I need to pull something together quickly. I mix up quick pancakes for the kids to have as well as the eggs, and we make green smoothies to go with everything.
– Green smoothies: We got a BlendTec super blender earlier this year, and we love the thing. It’s great for a quick, healthy meal. Our current favorites are variations on spinach smoothies, usually with oranges, frozen mango, pineapple and peaches. We throw in almonds sometimes as well. If you have kids that won’t drink something green, throw in a few blueberries to make it pink or purple. We used to do that with Lulu, but now she’s okay with the green.
– Soy lattes from Starbucks: I’ve tried every variation of homemade coffee with milk replacements (almond milk, soy milk, etc.), but they always taste like crap. Starbucks has the best soy latte I’ve had so far, so I usually order the biggest one I can get, then refrigerate for up to two days and have a cupful in the morning.
——————————————————————-
Any of you ever thought of cutting out a favorite food group for your health? I’d love any tips on how to get over my long time cheese addition.
(Photo by Nicole Coleman)
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.png00Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2012-08-22 10:42:412012-08-27 08:03:51Food Challenge: Dairy and Gluten Free
Lulu spent most of the summer attending a “day camp” at her old preschool. Tate now goes to daycare at the same facility, so it just made sense to keep them together instead of sending Lu to a different place, adding in two pick ups and drop offs per day. And while I think she had a great time (there were swim lessons and splash days and her best friend from preschool was there) I knew she was aching for some summer fun, just the two of us. So on the last Friday before school started, I told her I was taking the day off and we could do whatever she wanted. Weirdly, after a summer of 100+ temperatures, it was in the mid 80s, which actually felt a bit too cool to swim (I think we’ve adjusted too well to the ridiculous heat), so she decided to skip the pool. Her first choice was Legoland, which is new in Kansas City this year, but when I checked online Thursday, tickets were already sold out for Friday. Boo. (Seriously, Legoland…boo!) So we improvised! Here is what Lulu chose to do:
1. Trip to The Learning Tree – This is a local toy store that is total perfection for the 10 and under set. The whole place is filled with educational, fun toys you can’t find at your Target or Toys R Us. Plus, the lovely people behind the counter are always knowledgeable and let the kids play for hours (literally). There are two of these in Kansas City, and we can’t recommend them more for gifts or just a fun afternoon trip. We spent about an hour looking through every Playmobil and science kit until Lulu finally made a choice. We also put on a little puppet show staring an octopus and a raccoon in a trashcan. We got a few gifts for friends, which was perfect since the lovely ladies behind the counter will expertly wrap your gift for free. (Note: Their stuff is a bit pricier than your big box stores, but it’s so worth it! Support local businesses!)
2. Lunch at BRGR – Since it was so perfect outside, we decided to walk down the block from The Learning Tree and have a girls lunch at BRGR. They have a great patio, and it was cooler than it’s been all year, so we were pumped….until the patio was full and we were seated inside. Bummer. But Lulu was so happy with her giant chocolate milkshake, I think all was forgiven.
3. Afternoon at Science City at Union Station – While Lu was sad about missing Legoland, she was still pretty pumped to hit up Science City at Union Station. Lu’s favorite activities are digging for dinosaur bones, playing (very competitive) chess/checkers and hanging out in the tree house. She’s also a huge fan of the music playground and sewer system slide. Her favorite, and most time consuming, activity at Science City has always been the simple, but fun, marble maze. There is a whiteboard magnet wall and you create a path for marbles to go through…she always spends tons of time here, creating complex mazes and watching the marbles drop. It’s fascinating to watch her create.
After Science City, we wandered around Union Station (first photo in this post) for a while before deciding to try and head over to Crown Center. We had a time limit, as we had to pick up Tate from daycare, but Lu wanted to do a bit more. We walked the “link” which is an above ground walking bridge from Union Station to Crown Center. Lu loved standing on top of the busy streets and gazing at our city.
4. Shaved Ice at the Crown Center Fountains – In the past, you might remember posts about running through the Crown Center fountains…sadly, that all changed this year. With the addition of Legoland and the Aquarium to Crown Center, the area became too busy and they had to close down the fountains because of health issues. I’m so glad we took Tate last year so we have a few memories of our entire family hanging out in the fountains. Regardless, when Lulu saw the shaved ice truck, we knew we’d be stopping for a treat. We sat safely behind the ropes, watching the fountains as we cooled off.
5. Kaleidoscope – This was our last stop of the day, and was a last minute addition. Kaleidoscope is a kids craft zone on the main campus of Hallmark Cards, which is right off Crown Center. Several times per day, crowds of kids are permitted to enter Kaleidoscope and go crazy with scraps from the Hallmark factory. There is a room that is entirely blacklit, with all sorts of things to decorate, painters areas, coloring, scrap paper, yarn….pretty much anything you can imagine. Kids love the place. Lu actually went for a field trip there in Kindergarten. And the best part? It’s totally free! (Note: If you plan on visiting, check their times online so you don’t miss your opening.)
After our big day, we were all exhausted. We picked up Tate and had a family dinner, then settled down for Friday movie night. Since it was Lulu’s day, she got to choose the movie, and she chose “We Bought a Zoo,” which is now her favorite movie ever. (Spoiler alert: They buy a zoo! Shocking!) I won’t say who cried during said movie, but let’s just say her name rhymes with Regan….ahem.
All in all, a pretty fantastic end to summer! Come on school year, we’re ready for you!
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.png00Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2012-08-21 06:00:162012-08-20 21:57:04Lulu's Last Day of Summer
#onefunthing
/4 Comments/in Fun, Happiness /by MeganGuess what? I turn 30 in less than a month! Crazytown! I know I should be upset or angry or planning my second 29th birthday party, but I’m not. I’m pretty stinkin’ excited. I am ready to enter a new decade of my life and keep moving forward. I mean, sure, getting older can be hard, but the alternative is worse (the alternative, of course, being Benjamin Button disease…or being dead). So in celebration I’m doing one fun thing every day until the big day! You should join me, because having fun is the best. You can follow along by using the hashtag #onefunthing on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. Here’s how it works:
Step 1 – Think of something fun to do.
Step 2 – Do that fun something.
Step 3 – Snap a picture of the fun.
Step 4 – Post to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #onefunthing or post on the Crazybananas Facebook page (you can find it here).
Step 5 – Do a happy dance!
Sound good? Great. Let’s have some fun!
Food Challenge: Dairy and Gluten Free
/2 Comments/in Happiness /by MeganOne of my big goals for this year was to work on getting my health in check. Along with all the emotional and mental growth, I wanted to make sure I was treating my body right. Like every mom on the planet, I find myself eating and drinking things I shouldn’t in favor of having an extra minute or two every day. Because of my job, I’m often taking clients to lunch/dinner and happy hours, and as well all know, eating out is the worst for your body. On the days I’m not eating out, I tend to work through lunch in order to get home earlier, and when I do dinners with the kids, it’s so harried and insane (I get home from work around 6 p.m. and Tate goes to bed at 7 p.m.) putting together a good meal is pretty much impossible.
I am a person that tends to do better when I go to the extreme, and after I noticed my pants getting tighter despite my trips to the gym, I decided I needed to try something new. I also found myself with horrible allergies, which I’ve never experienced. After talking with a doctor, I decided to opt out of testing and allergy shots, and instead change up my diet to see if that relieved any of my symptoms. I have just finished my third week gluten and dairy free, and I’m feeling pretty fantastic! My goal is to make it to four weeks and then decide what to do from there.
I have to say, while this has been a difficult change for me (oh cheese and bread, I miss you so!), there have been a few things that have helped. I wanted to share them here in case you all are looking to try a gluten or dairy free lifestyle.
– Find a natural grocery store that stocks lots of gluten and dairy free options: We got two Trader Joe’s grocery stores in Kansas City last year, and without them, I have no idea how I’d be dairy and gluten free. They have pretty much everything you could need from gluten free bread and pasta to almond milk ice cream, and it’s all delicious. The best part is they label everything very clearly, so it’s easy to find what works. Their stuff is reasonably priced too, unlike a lot of natural food places.
– Plan meals out at specialty restaurants: Living in a big city has made this transition much easier, since there are so many vegan specialty restaurants. Two of my favorites are Blue Bird Bistro and The Westside Local, where the servers are always sensitive to special requests and it’s easy to find things on the menu that you can order “as is.” Japanese can work too, especially the soups and spring rolls. If I’m stuck at a chain restaurant, I’ve just been going for salads with no cheese. Lame, but it works.
– Breakfast for dinner: Quinoa with scrambled eggs, gluten free pineapple salsa and avocado has become my go-to quick meal. I keep cooked quinoa and brown rice in the fridge in case I need to pull something together quickly. I mix up quick pancakes for the kids to have as well as the eggs, and we make green smoothies to go with everything.
– Green smoothies: We got a BlendTec super blender earlier this year, and we love the thing. It’s great for a quick, healthy meal. Our current favorites are variations on spinach smoothies, usually with oranges, frozen mango, pineapple and peaches. We throw in almonds sometimes as well. If you have kids that won’t drink something green, throw in a few blueberries to make it pink or purple. We used to do that with Lulu, but now she’s okay with the green.
– Soy lattes from Starbucks: I’ve tried every variation of homemade coffee with milk replacements (almond milk, soy milk, etc.), but they always taste like crap. Starbucks has the best soy latte I’ve had so far, so I usually order the biggest one I can get, then refrigerate for up to two days and have a cupful in the morning.
Any of you ever thought of cutting out a favorite food group for your health? I’d love any tips on how to get over my long time cheese addition.
(Photo by Nicole Coleman)
Lulu’s Last Day of Summer
/2 Comments/in Fun, Kansas City, Lucy /by MeganLulu spent most of the summer attending a “day camp” at her old preschool. Tate now goes to daycare at the same facility, so it just made sense to keep them together instead of sending Lu to a different place, adding in two pick ups and drop offs per day. And while I think she had a great time (there were swim lessons and splash days and her best friend from preschool was there) I knew she was aching for some summer fun, just the two of us. So on the last Friday before school started, I told her I was taking the day off and we could do whatever she wanted. Weirdly, after a summer of 100+ temperatures, it was in the mid 80s, which actually felt a bit too cool to swim (I think we’ve adjusted too well to the ridiculous heat), so she decided to skip the pool. Her first choice was Legoland, which is new in Kansas City this year, but when I checked online Thursday, tickets were already sold out for Friday. Boo. (Seriously, Legoland…boo!) So we improvised! Here is what Lulu chose to do:
1. Trip to The Learning Tree – This is a local toy store that is total perfection for the 10 and under set. The whole place is filled with educational, fun toys you can’t find at your Target or Toys R Us. Plus, the lovely people behind the counter are always knowledgeable and let the kids play for hours (literally). There are two of these in Kansas City, and we can’t recommend them more for gifts or just a fun afternoon trip. We spent about an hour looking through every Playmobil and science kit until Lulu finally made a choice. We also put on a little puppet show staring an octopus and a raccoon in a trashcan. We got a few gifts for friends, which was perfect since the lovely ladies behind the counter will expertly wrap your gift for free. (Note: Their stuff is a bit pricier than your big box stores, but it’s so worth it! Support local businesses!)
2. Lunch at BRGR – Since it was so perfect outside, we decided to walk down the block from The Learning Tree and have a girls lunch at BRGR. They have a great patio, and it was cooler than it’s been all year, so we were pumped….until the patio was full and we were seated inside. Bummer. But Lulu was so happy with her giant chocolate milkshake, I think all was forgiven.
3. Afternoon at Science City at Union Station – While Lu was sad about missing Legoland, she was still pretty pumped to hit up Science City at Union Station. Lu’s favorite activities are digging for dinosaur bones, playing (very competitive) chess/checkers and hanging out in the tree house. She’s also a huge fan of the music playground and sewer system slide. Her favorite, and most time consuming, activity at Science City has always been the simple, but fun, marble maze. There is a whiteboard magnet wall and you create a path for marbles to go through…she always spends tons of time here, creating complex mazes and watching the marbles drop. It’s fascinating to watch her create.
After Science City, we wandered around Union Station (first photo in this post) for a while before deciding to try and head over to Crown Center. We had a time limit, as we had to pick up Tate from daycare, but Lu wanted to do a bit more. We walked the “link” which is an above ground walking bridge from Union Station to Crown Center. Lu loved standing on top of the busy streets and gazing at our city.
4. Shaved Ice at the Crown Center Fountains – In the past, you might remember posts about running through the Crown Center fountains…sadly, that all changed this year. With the addition of Legoland and the Aquarium to Crown Center, the area became too busy and they had to close down the fountains because of health issues. I’m so glad we took Tate last year so we have a few memories of our entire family hanging out in the fountains. Regardless, when Lulu saw the shaved ice truck, we knew we’d be stopping for a treat. We sat safely behind the ropes, watching the fountains as we cooled off.
5. Kaleidoscope – This was our last stop of the day, and was a last minute addition. Kaleidoscope is a kids craft zone on the main campus of Hallmark Cards, which is right off Crown Center. Several times per day, crowds of kids are permitted to enter Kaleidoscope and go crazy with scraps from the Hallmark factory. There is a room that is entirely blacklit, with all sorts of things to decorate, painters areas, coloring, scrap paper, yarn….pretty much anything you can imagine. Kids love the place. Lu actually went for a field trip there in Kindergarten. And the best part? It’s totally free! (Note: If you plan on visiting, check their times online so you don’t miss your opening.)
After our big day, we were all exhausted. We picked up Tate and had a family dinner, then settled down for Friday movie night. Since it was Lulu’s day, she got to choose the movie, and she chose “We Bought a Zoo,” which is now her favorite movie ever. (Spoiler alert: They buy a zoo! Shocking!) I won’t say who cried during said movie, but let’s just say her name rhymes with Regan….ahem.
All in all, a pretty fantastic end to summer! Come on school year, we’re ready for you!