Good morning, and happy Monday!
I debated doing a blog today because my week was repetitive, but then I realized it wasn’t bad. I’m a routined person, and though my routine changes, I function better with daily patterns. Before I get the “you only walk and make food” comments, I promise you I do a lot more in my week that I do not share. I share about 5% of my life through photos of food, my morning walks, flowers, and a few snippets. This week seemed to be the highlight reel of eating healthy and getting active. Most of my day consists of bottle cleaning, laundry folding, grocery shopping, yard work, or house cleaning. I’m in bed by 7:30 pm and up at 5 am. Not that interesting, but once Bugs is at an age where we can do more things or when it’s cooler outside, I’m sure my life will be a bit more eventful. I can’t drag him out of the house when it’s 95+ degrees. Each morning I head out for a walk before the heat sets in. I’m finally back up to doing 3-4 miles every morning with Leo. I’m so proud of how well he walks with the stroller. He stays right by my side or next to the stroller and never lunges or pulls, not even when a barking dog walks by us. He’s mellowed out a ton, and it’s nice he gets to join us on the walks. Once we have those fall temps, I’ll try to fit in two daily walks! Walking is now one of my favorite things with Leo and Bugs. Sometimes, he’ll stay awake the entire walk, giggling and babbling or grabbing his toes. I love every second of it.
Once we get back from our walk, I’ll change him, give him a bottle, and then put him on the play mat while I make myself breakfast. Since I started Whole30 on Monday, my breakfasts have all looked the same. I try to make Whole30 super simple without too many recipes so I won’t get tired of cooking. It was easier to make recipes for Whole30 before I had Bugs, but now my time is limited. Keeping the meals similar has made it easier since there is no thought put into it, and the groceries are easy to maintain because I always know what I’m out of. For breakfast, I always make eggs. I’ll do over medium or scrambled. My FAVORITE Habanero Ranch from Tessamaes has been sold out everywhere, and it’s made this round of Whole30 suck. I like putting that sauce on EVERYTHING. I think this round has been harder to do, but I refuse to quit. I have felt so much relief in my joints, and during my first postpartum period decided to return on day six.
For lunch, I eat a salad or leftover vegetables with grilled chicken. Kyle grills me a huge batch of chicken to have for the week, and I think that helps a ton with making meals. For dinner, I love having grilled chicken sautéed green beans, roasted Brussels sprouts, fresh peaches, and dates with almond butter for dessert.
I look forward to my morning walks more than anything! I know it seems early, but I’m already up a few hours before my walks, so I’m never tired when I start them. Going to bed early has helped me a lot. Once Bugs is in bed, I skip the T.V. shows, put down the book, ditch the laundry piles, and head straight to the pillow. Even when I want to stay up and get things done, getting sleep is much more critical for my health, and being tired is not ideal when you’re a parent.
I love catching the sunrise and always run into my deer friends. I can’t wait for the Fall when the coffee trucks start parking in the neighborhood. Leo keeps up on our walks, and I love how fit he is for being six! He’s always loved going on walks, and I hope to keep him in good shape for years to come. One of my favorite Whole30 breakfasts are the scrambled eggs with spinach, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, onion, Applegate sausage, and tomatoes. I usually keep a container filled with pre-sautéed vegetables to prepare breakfast faster.
For dinner on Tuesday night, I made chicken jalapeño burgers! I used my turkey jalapeño burger recipe but omitted the non-compliant ingredients. I used the Tessamaes buffalo ranch on top, but it isn’t the same as the habanero one!
Wednesday morning sunrise ♥️
When it’s hot out, we like to sit in the pool under the porch with the fan going! Bugs LOVES every form of water, so it’s something fun to do together. I put a list of summer items we love in my Amazon shop!
Because I couldn’t get my hands on habanero ranch, I decided to make a new spread for my meals. It has Primal Kitchen mayonnaise, basil, jalapeño peppers, avocado, avocado oil, lemon juice, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and sea salt. It’s sooooo good.
Fortunately, I haven’t gotten tired of the grilled chicken yet. I know it’s only a matter of time, but I love when it’s super charred.
After breakfast and my morning miles on Thursday, I headed out for a pool day with a friend. And I’m OBSESSED with these Humm Kombuchas. I have wanted to try out the watermelon basil flavor, so I just ordered it on Amazon today. I’ll let you know what I think!
I was hungry after swimming, so I had a Hazelnut Coffee Maca Thunderbird bar! It’s made with all Whole30-approved ingredients, and it tasted amazing. I bought a huge pack of these.
4:30 am snuggles! He always wants a bottle and falls back asleep. I know I should go back to bed when he does, but sometimes I like to fit in a few hours of computer work before we start our day. I don’t get much uninterrupted time during the day. Tux! ♥️ He always goes crazy when we get back from our walks, and him and Leo sprint all over the yard chasing one another. He does his long walks with Kyle at 5 am. Kyle took over walking duties on Saturday morning, and I headed out to play tennis! I’m so happy our group has started again, and it’s the best outlet for me!
I still need to get my garden post up (along with others!), but the flowers I planted around the trees are thriving! I love how many butterflies and bees they attract. We have officially retired the Snoo 😢 Bugs slept AMAZING in it, and if he weren’t growing like a weed, we would have kept him in the Snoo. He is too long and keeps breaking out of the swaddle since he likes to keep his hands over his head when he sleeps. I tried leaving his arms out, but he had nowhere to put them since he was tall. We moved the crib into our bedroom because I want him in there with us until he’s six months. Fortunately, he’s just a great sleeper! He’s been sleeping 8-10 hours in the crib since putting it in our room. I think he likes it better than the Snoo because he’s in a sleep sack and not swaddled. Last night, he slept for twelve hours with only one 30-minute wake-up. He’s my entire world!
Another day, another backyard pool session! We hung out in the pool on Saturday afternoon while Kyle worked on leveling the grass. We’ve been doing grass rehab, and it’s starting to look amazing (compared to what it was!)
Sunday sunrise ♥️ We went 4 miles because it was gorgeous outside.
I spent the day grocery shopping, catching up on laundry, house cleaning, and hanging out with the bugs! I talked myself out of Chipotle for dinner and went with leftover grilled chicken, eggs, sweet potatoes, and avocado!
I hope you guys have the best week!
Questions for you!
- Have you ever done Whole30?
- Do you like walking in the mornings or the evenings?
- What is your typical bedtime?
Jodi says
I prefer morning walks. Less people out and about. I aim for a regular bed time but it is harder for me to fall asleep in the Summer. I have not tried whole 30. I should though. Looks delicious
Taralynn says
Hi, Jodi!
Yes, mornings are best and it’s so peaceful and quiet with no one out and about. It is tough falling asleep while it’s still light outside, but thankfully my body is so exhausted at the end of the day that it’s been a little easier.
Hope you have a great week!
Kim says
I love reading these recaps – I had a baby boy at the end of April so you and I are basically doing the same thing everyday! It is a bit repetitive, but that’s life with an infant. I also have an almost 2 year old daughter. It’s harder now to fit my walks in than when I had just one kid, but I try to go in the mornings. I also go to sleep as soon as the kids are sleeping!
I love your commitment to whole30. I’ve tried a few times but can never seem to stick to it 100 percent. I have about 8 more pounds to lose until I’m back to pre baby weight, trying to go slow because my breastmilk supply starts dropping when I ramp up my efforts.
There’s nothing in this world that can prepare you for motherhood. It’s the best and hardest thing. You’re doing a great job 🙂
Taralynn says
Hi, Kim!
Gosh, yes! Definitely a repetitive cycle with the babies at this age! I bet that transition is tough with having a two year old as well. It’s good you get sleep when they do!
Yeah, if I didn’t stop breastfeeding I wouldn’t have done Whole30! It’s good you’re listening to your body and feeding it so you can feed your little babe! ♥️
& thank you! I’m absolutely in love with motherhood!
Kat Leger says
Hi Taralynn,
1. Have you ever done Whole30?
I haven’t, but I’ve done other meal plans instead. At this point in my mom life, I survive by eating whatever rhe kids are eating so I’m not preparing two separate meals all the time!
2. Do you like walking in the mornings or the evenings?
Evenings for me! The heat has been so brutal lately up here in MA though, so we’ve been skipping rhe walks entirely. I miss them and can’t wait to start again when the weather figures out what the heck it wants to do!
3. What is your typical bedtime?
I should really go to bed after my kids…my husband works second shift, so I’m always alone with the kids ay night. After the 14 month old goes to bed at 730ish and the 3 year old at 830ish, I use the time after that to clean or read or take some time for myself. Bedtime ends up being late. It’s mostly because I’m on summer break right now, so once I go back to teaching in September, bedtime will be much earlier again 😊
Taralynn says
It’s good you have that time to yourself at night. I know once we’re in the clear and Bugs stops waking up in the middle of the night randomly, I’ll stay up later to have some “me” time. And I feel ya on that heat! UGH!
Freshi says
haha, obviously you do more than walking and making food… 😀
lovely pictures from your morning walks! I love walking in the mornings but after a tough day, I also enjoy walking in the evenings. But at the moment, our little one sleeps early, so we are not doing evening walks anymore, and it’s too hot before he goes to bed.
So happy that Bugs sleeps so long without interruptions at night! Our little son sleeps well but wakes up every 2 -4 hours, which is totally fine for us.
My bedtime is much later than our son’s because I need to work… But this also will change in a few months hopefully, very much looking forward.
Do you plan holidays with Bugs this year?
Taralynn says
Ha, well sometimes I think people believe I do only what I share 😂
I’m right there with you on the evening walks. I can’t wait to start them back up, but it is SO HOT right now.
There are nights where Bugs definitely wakes up and needs a bottle, but I kind of love it because it just means I get to cuddle him lol I’m the type of person that flips through photos of him while he’s sleeping because I miss him lol
We don’t have any holiday plans but I can’t wait to go all out with Christmas decorations this year! I didn’t put any up last year with being sick and not feeling in the spirit, but I can’t miss out on going big for his first Christmas. And I’m already brainstorming halloween costume ideas! lol
Freshi says
oh my, I do the same xD I also flip through his photos and videos when he sleeps haha good to know I’m not the only one…
Yesss, Christmas with a little baby will be so special!
Lorri says
Honestly, taking care of a baby full-time, dog care, cooking, grocery shopping, housekeeping, exercising . . . is plenty!
Amy says
He’s so precious! Congratulations! You are much more mature than your age. I loooove your routines. Thank you for sharing. You always inspire me.
Taralynn says
Awww!
Shelby says
Really beautiful photos! I know I’ve said this before but you look so happy and healthy ♡ I’ve been reading your blog for a long time and I wouldn’t care if all your posts were just about walks and food. I love it!
Taralynn says
Thank you, Shelby!!! ♥️
Chandler says
Hey Taralynn! I love seeing sneak peeks of Bugs. He’s so sweet & cute. What a pumpkin.
I’ve done the Whole30 & it is a challenge! Not my fave, that’s for sure.
I like to walk in the mornings, but it doesn’t work with my schedule since I work in the office most days pretty early.
I always shoot for a 9 PM bedtime because I get up between 5 & 5:30 AM, but it rarely happens. I’m getting better though!!
My question for you is how do you make your grilled chicken taste good all week? I find reheated chicken to taste funny & get a rubbery or dry texture!
Sending love! ♥️
Taralynn says
Thank you, Chandler!
He’s such a little pumpkin! ♥️ 🎃
One of my neighbors recommended we start marinating our chicken in mayonnaise! I thought it sounded crazy, but it makes the chicken moist all week long and keeps all the flavor! We also make sure to never cook it over 165 temp! 😃
Megan says
I love your weekly recaps – so relaxing and inspiring! I am 15 weeks pregnant and have loved following your pregnancy and post partum. I have been trying to walk a lot, but it’s also been so hot! I live in Charleston, SC. I am curious about Whole30 and it’s nice to see how delicious and healthy the meals look.
Lynda says
I would like to start Whole 30 again…I did it 4-5 years ago. Any suggestions? I had Covid this summer and injured my back. I have gotten out of a routine. I use to walk in the mornings. I suffer from insomnia, so sleep is a problem. I just discovered your blog today and even though I am probably twice your age, you remind me of my younger self and the hope to get back into a healthy routine.
Tracy says
I love the butterflies! I grow a passionfruit vine so the gulf fritillary butterflies show up, so pretty to see them flying around.
Your baby is darling, so glad you are sharing his sweet little face with us!
I’ve never tried Whole30, I was surprised sausage was ok – I’ll have to read up on it. Your meals look fabulous.
Kathy says
Questions for you!
Have you ever done Whole30?
Do you like walking in the mornings or the evenings?
What is your typical bedtime?
1. I haven’t. I don’t know what it is? I’m from the UK, so it may not be a thing here, yet?
2. I exercise when I can, but it’s never early morning unfortunately. I’d love that discipline, but I take epilepsy meds that knock me out and I need to sleep off until the absolute latest. I work as an EAL Co-ordinator in a high school, so my alarm goes off at 6.30am during the week so I can be at work for 8.30am and I love to lay-in as long as I can at the weekend (no later than 9am usually).
3. I head to bed by 9pm, but will always read for at least an hour. It’s my thing 😀 I wish I had time in the day to do it, but sadly not.
I’ve got grown up children (21 & 19) so hubby and I are at the empty-nedt stage and finding our feet 👣
We have a motorhome and travel as much as possible.
I love reading your blogs and watching you enjoying motherhood. There really is nothing like it and even if your blogs WERE just walking and eating, I’d still love them 😀
Hannah says
I’m 7 months pregnant and this post has made me so excited for walks with our daughter when she arrives! I hadn’t realised how much I miss walking until now, but my body just isn’t letting me waddle for longer than five minutes at a time. Thank you for giving me something else to look forward to on maternity leave!
Taralynn says
Awww! Take care of you!