SFC Farmers Market; Downtown

So with our latest juicing adventure the hubs has suggested we take a trip to the farmers market to help him get more pumped about juicing. What wife in their right mind would argue with that? Heck yea lets go to the farmers market! So my juicing buddy suggested the farmers market in Austin, I will post a link to the website at the bottom.

First off i’d like to take a second to thank my juicing buddy. Thank you! Up until this point I was a mom who thought I was going to have to be dependent on pills the rest of my life, I had no idea what juicing was. I felt hopeless, I was depressed, it was ruining my life. I know once I get done with this detox I will never have to worry about my health again, Thank you!

So back to the farmers market. I am in love! This was by far one of the coolest experiences we’ve had on “Family Fun day”. Parking was not bad at all. We got there kinda late at 11 (there hours are every Saturday from 9am-1Pm Rain or Shine). It does cost like $5 to park, there’s a guy walking around collecting money. I think I saw a free parking lot around the corner, I could have been mistaken but if your willing to bear the walk go for it! So there’s like a bajillion tents all in a line, and get this, they actually have a crazy variety of fruits and vegetables. I’ve only been to our local farmers market and I honestly think its just a waste of time. They all have like 1 thing and its some sort of green i’ve never heard of, boo. The variety was incredible! Organic and not organic options were equal. There was a tent just for honey, just for products made with olives, a tent just for goat cheese, eggs, breads, juices, and one for meat. So really you could technically buy all of your groceries here, if you don’t have kids.

The coolest thing about this farmers market was the “Double Dollar Incentive Program”. This means that is you are on WIC or SNAP food stamps all you have to do is go to the blue tent in the center and they will ask you how much you want to spend there and can double it for up to twenty dollars. So lets say you want to spend $40 of your food stamps only at the farmers market, they will give you $60. So lets do the math on this. If you go every weekend and spend $20. That’s 20X4= $80 extra a month just for shopping at the farmers market. The same thing with WIC (WIC amounts for fruits and vegetables varies) on average I received about $15 a month from them so that’s 15X4= $60 extra just for shopping here.

My other favorite this was that there was all sorts of healthy lunch options at the end. There was even a tent for just juices so we didn’t have to wait until we got home to make our lunch. The juice people have a thing too that if you wash and brn back you glass bottle they will give you %5 off of your next purchase.

Overall this was a amazing experience. People brought their dogs so if your allergic be aware. You will be ok if you forget your reusable bags. I did not get the feeling that I had to be paranoid about Autaum walking by herself, everybody was super friendly and the same blue tent you can go to for WIC is also a lost kid/first aid tent. However, I did plan to bring Autaums play shopping cart for her to get her own veggies but there would have been no room. It is a very crowded walk way, no one is getting trampled, but people do just walk around you. I would say the cost was very fair, very very fair.

I highly suggest everyone go, there is a list of the markets that do the double dollar program I will post below. So overall I give this place 5 Alison Stars. Go every weekend, feel good about what your putting into your bodies, help a local farmer.

http://sustainablefoodcenter.org/programs/sfc-farmers-market

Juicing Day Number 1

Current Weight: Did not get to weigh

Mood: Tired/Grumpy

Energy Level: Medium

Medications:

• None

Symptoms/Severity: Eczema-Mild/bad (flakey/dry/red patches), Back Pain-None, Anxiety-Medium, Depression-Low, Dizziness-None, Nauseous-None, Bloated-Mild, Weakness-Low, Coldness-None, Asthma-None, Fingernail loss- 1/2 A Nail, Dry Skin/Burning Skin-Severe, Swollen Neck Glands-Medium

Exercise Routine: None, Its the weekend!

Daily Log: So today we woke up on time and immediately got to juicing. We had half a cantaloupe and 1 sweet potato. It , was ok, I had to power through it. We went to the farmers market which was amazing! We spent way too much money, but its an investment in our health. Luckily we were able to find a stand there that sold %100 juice, so for lunch I had grapefruit, lemon, cayenne, and  something else. I tore Autaums burrito in half and made the mistake of licking my fingers. OMG it smelt so good, but we stayed strong and were content with our juice. On the drive home I had to put my hand band over my eyes and recline back because my eyes felt like there was just a lot of pressure and I could feel the glands in my neck hurting so bad, it sucked. We took a nap and I woke up feeling super terrible. My hands were super weak, I could feel my glands again, I was having cramps. Oh yea, I forgot to mention I was up a few times last night with pretty severe bathroom problems, a problem I haven’t had in forever, Boo. So lets just see how tomorrow goes!

Pre-Juicing

So I have been absent for a while, that sucks. BUT the good news is that I will be doing a blog a day for the next 30 days and then once a week for 4 weeks. Why you ask? Juice, that’s why! I have been convinced by one of my very good friends to try juicing and reboot my system. If your not familiar to juicing, please do not assume things or go off of what you’ve been told. I will post a great documentary down below where you can learn all you need to know about juicing.

Tomorrow for our usual “Family Fun Day” we will be going to a giant farmers market. I have to be honest and say I am a little nervous, ive never been to one before. We are going to start shopping there for our fruits and vegetables. Oh I forgot to point out that I keep saying “we” because my amazing husband has volunteered to do it with me! Can you believe it ladies? A man has volunteered himself to eat nothing but fruits and vegetables for 30 strait days. I got a keeper.

So starting this Saturday the juicing is on. I will be keeping a daily log of the same information, along with publishing a survey, before and after pictures, and much more.

Current Weight: 136 (down 2lbs!!)

Mood: Groggy/Okay

Energy Level: Low

Medications:

• Green Tea Supplements- Once A Day To Aid Weight Loss
• Cranberry Supplements- As Needed For Healthy Urinary Track/Kidney Pain
• Anxiety Pill#1- Once At Night For Common Anxiety
• Anxiety Pill#2- As Needed For High Anxiety Situations
• Asthma Inhaler- As Needed For Asthma
• Muscle Relaxer- As Needed For Pain

Symptoms/Severity: Eczema-Mild/bad (flakey/dry/red patches), Back Pain-Low, Anxiety-High, Depression-Low, Dizziness-None, Nauseous-None, Bloated-Mild/Severe, Weakness-None, Coldness-Low, Asthma-None, Fingernail loss- 1/2 A Nail, Dry Skin/Burning Skin-Severe, Swollen Neck Glands-Low

Exercise Routine: Walk 2 Miles, 15 Mins Zumba

Daily Log: The hubs let me sleep in an extra two hours so I didn’t get to go for my morning walk, but who’s complaining? I skipped breakfast and did about 15-20 minutes of Zumba with my girl. I had a sandwich on white bread (eww) with organic turkey, cheese and avocado, some carrot sticks, and some organic green tea with grapefruit juice and a shot of apple cider vinegar. I drank all of my water for the day! For dinner I had a Taco Bell burrito and chicken quesadilla. So as far as my heath goes I am not doing so great, go figure. I am all sorts of inflamed. My eczema is back and in full swing, my anxiety is so bad i’ve had to take an “emergency pill” for three nights now, my glands in my neck were hurting earlier today, my stomach is so bloated it hurts, my fingernail started falling off while doing laundry today, and to top it all off  mother nature decided to grace me with her presence. I am proud of myself tho, I did not reach for the Tylenol I instead, whipped up some essential oil blend to help instead. I will post the link below. Overall, I feel great about this wonderful journey were about to embark on! Tomorrow morning farmers market, Yay! Ill let you guys know how it went.

This is an amazing documentary that has basically everything you need to convince you to juice!

This is an amazing cramp remedy.

**ESSENTIAL OILS ARE VERY POWERFUL AND CAN REALLY MESS SOMEONE UP IF THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING OR HAVE BOUGHT A BAD BRAND, DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE USING**

Homemade Hamburger Helper

I am in love with this recipe! We had this for dinner last night and lets just say this is something we will be having so much more often! I like this recipe because you can make it as healthy as you want. The original recipe, I stole off of Pinterest, called for everything to be organic, so that’s what I did. You don’t have too, it will still be healthier than the one from a box. Next time I think i’m going to add a can of cut tomatoes just for some more flavor.

• 1 Pound Ground Beef
• 1 1/2 Cups Uncooked Penne Pasta
• 2 Cups Milk
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 2 Tbs whole wheat flour
• 1/4 Tsp Onion Salt
• 1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Paprika
• 3/4 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cubes
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

Brown beef in large skillet and drain. Take the pan off of the burner and add all of the dry ingredients. Stir in the wet ingredients. Return to burner on medium heat until boiling. Once at a boil reduce heat to just a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, just until pasta is done. Stir frequently. That’s it!

Homemade Fruit Snacks

Hello fellow mothers, i’m going to go ahead and assume whosoever is reading this is a mother because who else needs to make fruit snacks? So assuming you’re like me, I bet you hate the options for portable fruit snacks you have at your store? So I did some Pinterest digging and I was surprised at how little the recipes they had on there, low and behold I finally found one! After practicing many times I think I have finally perfected the recipe. This recipe is awesome because you can put whatever you want in here. I like to hide carrots and kale in mine, you can always switch up the berries you use. Lets get started!

• 2/3 Cups Lemon or Orange Juice
• 2/3 Cups Berries (Any Berries You Want)
• 5 Tbs Plain, Unflavored Gelatin
• Shredded, Uncooked Carrots (If Desired)
• 1 Tbs Boiled Kale (If Desired)

Add juice and berries (carrots, kale) into medium pan on medium heat, stir until berries soften. Add Honey and whisk until the mixture turns into a compote. Turn off heat and stir like crazy slowly adding in the gelatin. Allow mixture to cool for no more than a minute, puree mixture until all lumps are gone. Poor into molds and leave in fridge for 1 to 2 hours. When the fruit snacks are completely done cooling you can place into zip-lock bags and leave in your pantry. I leave mine in my fridge but that’s just my preference. Since they are real fruit and have no preservatives your going to want to eat them pretty soon so they don’t get moldy. The good news is that their so god they don’t last long anyways!

Pumpkin Bread

So last Halloween I felt very bad about throwing away all of the pumpkin guts we carved out, I knew there had to be something I could use this for. So I took to Pinterest and here’s what I found.

Super Duper Good Pumpkin Bread

• 2 Cups of Pumpkin
• 3 1/2 Cups Flour
• 2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 2 Tsp Cinnamon
• 2 Tsp Nutmeg
• 3 Cups Sugar
• 4 Beaten Eggs
• 1/2 Cup water
• 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 Cup Pecans

I don’t have any directions written down so I guess you just mix everything together, pour into a bread pan, and bake for an hour at 350 degrees. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

My Current Health Situation #1

So I know I haven’t been very reliable lately, and I haven’t really been open about whats going on either. Only a few friends know, heck I don’t even know. I would like a chance to apologize and explain myself. So lets start at the very beginning. Many of you may not know that over the course of the last three years I have had two kids via C-Section and my body has changed dramatically. Like way more than anybody ever told me. I knew I would have stretch marks and I knew my boobs would never be the same but I had no idea that birth would unlock so many hidden health doors.

After I had Autaum I suffered from pretty extreme Postpartum Anxiety. It basically took over my entire life, it took me nine months to finally admit I had a problem and get help. So when I got pregnant with my son I knew right away I needed to let my doctor know how bad it got. Unfortunately for me, I did not get Postpartum Anxiety with Andy. Oh no I got Postpartum Depression. That’s way more fun. Long story short, I got over my depression within a reasonable amount of time and it was no big deal. I have had bouts of each ever since about October of last year. Starting January of this year things have really taken a turn.

My back is so bad that I literally can not sweep and mop my house, if I do I will have to take some medicine and lay down the rest of the day. My allergies got so bad I was having asthma attacks (haven’t had asthma in like six years) on a regular basis. I was sick every other week with either a cold or stomach bug. I gained ten pounds, my health got way out of hand. I was taking two allergy pills a day, on top of 3 Advil for pain, on top of my anxiety meds. It was too much.

I decided one day that i’m not going to take any medication anymore. And I just stopped. When I was in pain I just powered through it, and im so glad i did. My pain tolerance has gone way up and I don’t feel nauseous all the time. I stopped taking allergy medicine and turned to essential oils. And the hardest to stop was my anxiety meds. The first two weeks off of my pills was horrible, but I powered through it.

I started exercising every day and eating extremely clean. When I was down or anxious I would stretch or go for a walk. I started with Zumba because i’m a woman and women just like to dance. There’s something in our DNA that just makes us want to dance. You can find all kinds of free Zumba videos on Youtube and you can just do them at home, that easy. You don’t have to pay any money. you don’t have to sign up for anything, you don’t have to feel self conscious. Its that easy. Start off with 10 minutes, no matter how crummy you feel just get up off your butt and move.Do whatever feels good to you. So if your anxious, load up the kids in the stroller and go for a short jog. When I first started I was so out of shape I would just walk up and down the street and be worn out. But that’s all you need. Start small and work your way up. I will post some awesome links down below to some links to my favorite Zumba videos.

So I have been eating clean and exercising for about three months now. I took the month of June off for my birthday and a bunch of other big events that I wanted to enjoy. BUT I am back on it, and that’s all that counts. I am down two pounds and still going.

So back to present day, I havnt been eating right and only working out at a minimal effort. I’m not proud of it but it is what it is. So about two weeks ago I was sitting on the couch after church about to eat some Taco Bell, yes I know, when something came over me. It was like a dark sheet of dizziness and light headedness, I felt weak and cold. I thought I was dying honestly, it was horrible. We automatically thought maybe my iron was low, ate some broccoli and steak, nothing. This continued to happen every other day and sometimes back to back. I was too weak to hold my Ipod, all I could do was sleep through it. I had to call in a lot of husband favors, all of my chores got behind, I had to cancel things last minute or just not show up if I was too weak to message them, it was awful. Because I was not able to leave the house for almost a week strait I started getting down, and then I got way down, and I stayed down. I was snappy towards my husband, I yelled at my mother in law, I was short with my kids. I feel horrible.

So I went to my doctor today and I told her about everything that is going on. She prescribed me a full time anxiety medication. I have to be honest and say i’m pretty down on myself that I am needing this again, but I also know that I need to take care of me to take care of my babies. She also asked me about my thyroid. I have never had problems with my thyroid and was totally unprepared for this. The idea of having something big wrong like that never even crossed my mind. I honestly thought it was just going to be my iron or I was dehydrated. Needless to say, i’m a little freaked out. So they took blood and their going to check for a bunch of stuff, but until then I guess I just have to take everything day to day.

I feel like I shouldn’t be making appointments with anyone, just in case I have to cancel last minute. Its just a lot, ya know. I can’t not leave the house or have play dates because then ill get even more down, but I also can just go out like nothings wrong, what if I get to the store and i’m too dizzy to drive home? Its a really hard situation and I feel trapped. Somethings telling me this isn’t going to be something small, its going to be a long journey.

So I guess what i’m asking for is your prayers and your patience. I’m going to have to call in a lot of favors and a lot of time away. I’m going to get lonely and i’m going to feel bad, but I am going to stay positive. I am not going to let this, whatever it is, stop me from reaching my goals and the life I want.

All things are possible through Christ who strengthens me.

https://www.youtube.com/user/MalloryHotMess

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrvLUS0DWakbsMT5B5MB7Iw

Pulling Diaper Off

Hello all. Welcome! Join me as we discuss the wonderful world of crap, literally.

So it has become an epidemic in the Garza house, no i’m not talking about chicken pox, i’m talking about the beautiful surprise you get every morning when you awaken to a nice poo covered little boy.

Oh Andy, is that all ya got? Please, like your sister hasn’t taken her diaper and crapped behind the cabinet a billion times. Well I take that back, she pooed behind the cabinet only a handful of times, before mommy got smart. Don’t mess with me son, mommy always wins.

Way to combat your toddler #1) Painters Tape. You know that khaki colored tape you use to tape off trim when painting house? (if not ill post a link to all of these hacks below) It is meant to come off of a painted wall without messing up a house, yet sturdy enough to hold. Perfect!. I use one long strip across the part of the diaper where it fastens all the way to the back. If you do a short strip only on the fasteners they may be smart enough to get off. Be super careful not to get on babies skin. If you do, I have, there is a chance your baby wont even notice you taking it off.

When you go to take the soiled, taped diaper off. Simply break the tape where the normal fastener would come up. That easy!

Way to combat your toddler #2) Cloth Diaper. No I am not saying switch to cloth diapers, although you really should. No. What you do is you can buy just a basic cloth diaper for as cheap as you can get it, and you put it on over the normal diaper. So you put babies normal Huggies or Luvs on, then you put the cloth diaper on over it. Cloth diapers normally have snaps on them that are hard for babies to get undone. If you baby is like super baby smart like Andy, you can simply put the cloth diaper on backwards. Im like %90 positive no baby is getting that diaper off. This wa will cost you about $10, but the positive is your baby will have a super cute booty poking out of that dress!

http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Printing-Reuseable-Washable-YA88/dp/B00FYOENMI/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1438719767&sr=8-18&keywords=alva+cloth+diapers

Way to combat your toddler #3) Distraction. If your having this problem during the day it is entirely possible to distract your child. When Autaum was first showing signs of readiness to potty train she would go hide and poo somewhere. One of the ways I got her to stop was stickers. I would put stickers all over her arms and face. Sounds mean, trust me she was in heaven. This honestly kept her busy for a good hour. I was able to cook dinner and not worry about her ninja pooing until I could give her more attention.

 Way to combat your toddler #4) Double Pants. My last and final way is double pants. So what I would also do when I really had to give something else my full attention was put a pair of light leggings and then a diaper cover, like for a dress, over the pants. She would pull and tug at it for hours and never even get the diaper cover off.

I hope this can be of some help. As of now Andy is on the “Diaper Cover Over the Diaper” plan. This plan has not failed us since.

Please feel free to share with your other momma friends. Also, PLEASE leave comments or suggestions what you’d like to hear about.