meals for new moms

There are two things that I love big time.

Making great food.

Eating great food. 

When we had Nathan we were tremendously blessed by our close friends who put together a Meal Train through MealBaby.  This is a super convenient website where people can sign up to bring you a meal.  And let me tell you, it was better than I could've ever imagined.  I love to cook, but quickly realized I had my hands full with a little one.  And it never failed that dinnertime was the hardest to step away from Nathan, so it was such a treat to just pop something into the oven and chow down.  This helps both mom and dad stay nourished, too, ensuring they are getting enough to eat.  

Because I can't rave enough about how amazing it is being on the receiving end, I make it my goal now to take new moms a meal.  Plus, babies are popping up left and right currently in our lives.  I love setting Nathan up in his bouncer and talking to him about the ingredients I'm putting in (I'm secretly training him now how to cook me breakfast in bed one day).  I love packing everything up into my bright red basket.  I love writing a little love note for the sweet new mama, along with any directions she needs.  And I love giving her dessert…especially ice cream and fresh baked cookies because that really hits the spot after having a baby!  

Here are five recipes that are fantastic to make for new moms: 

Mushroom Kale Lasagna Rolls from Skinnytaste 

These are a great meatless option, and they freeze beautifully.  I'm not joking you, I have three sets of these in my freezer for new mamas I'm seeing over the next two weeks.  

Tamale Pie from Peas And Thank You

This is great when you don't want to give someone pasta and want to mix it up a bit.  I use ground turkey in mine. 

Chicken Enchilada Bake

The recipe I use is from Bread & Wine, but I'm sure you can find similar ones easily.  We are a bit obsessed with mexican food over here so this is something I always double.  One for them and one for us! 

White Bean and Turkey Chili from Cooking Light 

Chili just warms your belly amazingly!  Just be careful with how spicy you make it for the breastfeeding mamas. 

Roasted Tomato Tortilla Soup

Soups are nice and easy to bring to other mamas, and this one is perfect when you also bring over chips and an avocado!  My family personally loves this recipe, so I love making it for others. 

I like to buy foil pans and Ziploc tupperware to serve the meal in.  This keeps the new mama from worrying about returning it to you, or keeping track of whose is what.  Bags of plain lettuce are so helpful.  Then I include all of the toppings in a ziploc bag.  Cookies can keep from being crushed when placed inside of a mason jar, and it looks pretty cute as well.  

Can't wait to go bless some new mamas and visit their sweet babes these next few weeks! 

international day of happiness

Did you know that today is the first International Day of Happiness??  When I first found out Pharrell's song "Happy" was on repeat in my head, because who can't listen to that song and not be happy?!  

Happiness is something that I love, it is simple yet powerful.  Not only is it important for us to be happy, but to spread that happiness to others.  As I've aged a bit I've quickly seen the injustice in the world, the bitterness that people hold onto, the anger they possess.  And I'll admit that there are times when it has been easier to be angry or hold onto negative thoughts.  So how do we cultivate positivity in our lives so that we not only feel joyful and complete, but spread that sweet goodness onto others?  For me, it is focusing on gratitude.  Thankfulness just oozes into a spirit of happiness.  There are days sometimes when it is hard to get out of that "funk" and only see the negatives, but challenging ourselves to start listing things that you are thankful for can instantly change your mood. 

And because I deeply want to be transparent over here, I'll share that the past two weeks have really gotten the best of me.  It has been much easier to hang on to negative feelings, and then take them out on my poor husband.  So I have been trying to tell him "thank you" more often, even over the little things like putting a dish in the sink for me.  And then this morning I woke up with coffee already set up in the coffee maker so all I had to do was press "Start".  This. Made. My. Day.  It was something so small, but to me it meant so much.  And my day was set into motion with an attitude of gratitude and happiness.  

So if you're feeling like happiness is just hard these days I challenge you to start listing things that you're thankful for, even itty bitty things like the sun shining bright outside or the fact that you got a good night sleep.  And then pass that sweet goodness onto others.  Smile at someone you pass.  Hold the door open for a stranger.  Spread happiness. 

And I thought I'd share some pictures of the two people that make me so happy! 

working out with a newborn

Working out is something that brings me great joy and peace in my life, it's probably all of those endorphins working their magic!  Not being able to work out can sometimes make me feel stifled, stiff, and stuck. After having Nathan I was worried that I'd feel that way knowing that I'd need to take a break.  Fortunately, I enjoyed the break that my body needed (because your body definitely needs a break after childbirth) but I was also very eager to slowly get started.  

Now please know that I'm not a doctor, and I strongly advise you to wait until you get the all clear from your doctor before getting back into the workout rhythm.   

I've learned some big and little things along the way in terms of how to workout now, and what to remember about my body when working out and I thought that I'd pass it along to you!  (Also, I didn't start running again until 8 weeks postpartum, and started light strength training at 6 weeks.)

**Listen to your body.  Even if your doctor says that you can start adding in exercise, you ultimately know what your body can and cannot handle. 

**Listen to your doctor.  Don't push yourself and think you are super woman.  Remember, you just had a baby.  And you carried that beautiful being inside of you for 40 weeks.  Your body has done a lot in the last 10 months, and even if you did workout during your pregnancy, it still isn't going to move the same way it did before.  I tried to run when my doctor told me to stick with the elliptical, and it was not a pleasant experience.  I didn't injure myself, but I did lose a ton of motivation because it felt so off and it was a big struggle the entire time.  

**Start by taking nice long walks.  This was my favorite part during the first month with Nathan.  I was so excited he liked his stroller, so the Mr. and I got into a good routine of going for long walks in the mornings.  Sometimes we'd take a basketball with us to the park and shoot hoops while Nathan slept in the stroller.  Other times, we would walk to the bank to get errands done or to Panera to grab breakfast. Having something fun to do on your walk makes it much more enjoyable.  Plus, you have great company with you as well! 

**Exercise with your baby!  Once I got the clear to run and felt comfortable doing it, I started taking Nathan on jogs with me.  He either falls asleep or just stares up at me as I smile bigger than ever at him.  (Cars that drive by must think I'm a bit loopy.)  

**Get in some HIIT while they nap.  High Intensity Interval Training is every mother's dream for working out because they are short yet super effective.  They leave you breathless at the end if you stick with the workout, and give your muscles that jolt they needed.  My favorite place to find a good quick workout is over at the Blonde Ponytail, she's a new mom herself and has great exercises!  Nathan is a cat napper and it never fails that even if I do a 15 minute workout at home, he wakes up within the last 5 minutes.  Instead of getting frustrated, I just talk to him while I do a push up or a squat to keep him entertained. 

**Treat yourself by taking a class.  Have your husband watch your baby or utilize the daycare if your gym has one, and go take a class!  I've noticed that when Daniel watches Nathan so that I can go to our small gym in our complex I'm much more focused on my workout which helps a ton.  This week I'm taking a yoga class, and I can't tell you how excited I am!  This is not only exercise but also a form of self-care, which every new mama needs. 

**Thank your body for everything it is doing!  Sure, you can get discouraged that you're not working out as much, doing as many reps, or lifting as much weight as you did before.  Running, mentally, has been challenging for me.  But after each run, whether I had to walk or not, I have to thank my body that it got me through that workout.  Our bodies are amazing!  They created life, and they are providing for your baby if you're breastfeeding.  Give yourself grace and except this new body that you're in.  

Having a little mantra is always helpful when you have those days that you wanted to workout but you didn't or it wasn't as long as you had hoped it would be.  Mine is "I workout to be strong not skinny".  This always helps me reframe my mind, because being strong and healthy is what makes me the best mama I can be!