Oh boyyy, this was the most fun yet tiring weekend I have had in awhile!

Friday:

Matthew took a half day at work which worked out perfectly because my mom and I were prepping food for a bridal shower that would be taking place at my house, Saturday! However, before I headed to my moms to get to cookin’ Matthew, Oliver, Olivia and myself went on a family run. We got both babes strapped in their BOB stroller and off we went! They ended up dozing off very early in the run. Matthew and I ran two miles, switching off periodically on who pushed the stroller (it’s quite the arm workout!). We ended up walking the third mile and talking, laughing, just enjoying one another’s company. I have to say this family-run felt refreshing. It was genuinely the best of both of worlds. Our babies were sound asleep but right with us, Matthew and I got some one-on-one time, and squeezed a short workout in. It was simple and enjoyable. I use to daydream about going on family’s runs/walks when I was pregnant and it’s surreal to finally start to do all these activities with the nice weather!



Afterward, I headed to my moms to start prepping dishes! Here’s what we were working with!

Veggie cups
We cut up some celery, cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers and portioned them into plastic cups. For the shower, we left dressing by the veggie cups so guests could help themselves to how much they wanted.

***Don’t judge my photo taking skills…I was taking all these one-handed with a baby in my arms!

Fruit
Originally we were going to portion the fruit into plastic cups but opted for just a big fruit bowl instead! We had cut up pineapple, cantaloupe, strawberries, and grapes!

Cheese hearts
We saw this really cute idea on Pinterest where you cut blocks of cheese into layers and then use a heart shape cookie cutter to make cheese hearts! Very suitable and adorable for a bridal shower!

We tried to incorporate a little bit of everything into the food plan for variety. For carbs, we had meat pies (Lebanese tradition- made by my fabulous Aunt Zeina!), fruit, vegetables and of course dessert! Whenever it’s an event like this, of course, a yummy dessert is a MUST but it’s also crucial to have healthy options! It takes me back to when I use to do nutrition challenges with clients. They would literally text me everything they ate and I would give them feedback. They always did extremely well until it came to social gatherings! It was a challenge for them to attend because they knew they would be faced with a lot of unhealthy – not to mention scrumptious! – food temptations. I advised them that the best way to go about this is to offer to bring a dish for everyone and make sure it’s healthy- something they could eat themselves to stay on track! Many times they would try to skip going to any social gatherings all together to avoid the unhealthy food but I would encourage them to show up! It’s important to learn how to handle these situations head-on!

Some popular, simple options my clients enjoyed bringing to parties included: veggies and hummus, skinny pop, a large bowl of fruit, whole wheat crackers and cheese, broccoli apple salad, roasted Brussel sprouts,

These are just a few I can remember off the top of my head!

Saturday:

We woke up early and picked up cupcakes from Trefzgers – which is a bakery in Peoria that makes mouth-watering desserts! I will confess that I have an icing addiction. I ate the icing off two cupcakes… #noragrets

 

The shower was beautiful and it was fun to see so many familiar faces all in one room! Like I said in my last blog, I love, love!

After the shower ended we cleaned up and winded down for the day. Once babies were in bed (or shall I say cribs!) for the night I headed out to have dinner with my sister, Jennah, and sister-in-law, Laura! It was nice to have girls time and catch up on life…and have a beer!

Sunday:

I woke up feeling tired and knew I need a solid workout in to feel more lively. Matthew headed to the gym first while I stayed back with the twins, my mother-in-law, and sister-in-law! Once the babies were down for their first nap, Matthew arrived home and I was all dressed and ready to head to swim some laps! Lately, I have been asked if all I do is swim, run, or walk and the answer is yes. I have a past of doing some serious weight training- it’s something I know a lot about – but currently, I’m just focusing on what makes me feel the best. Truthfully, I don’t care how lean or cut I look. As long as I’m a healthy mom – I’m happy! An intense cardio session helps me immensely! It’s insane how much it affects my mentality and overall mood. In the upcoming months I know I will be hitting the weights, but for now, I’m very content with my current workout regimen! I swam freestyle for 45 minutes straight and then headed to the steam room to stretch.

I arrived home full of energy and determined to take the Oliver and Olivia to the park! I’ve been itching to put them on the baby swings! I’ve seen a lot of twin moms put their babies back to back to share a swing- It was such a cute idea I could not resist! Well, they ended up being super crabby so Matthew, Laura and I took the babies for a walk to let them sneak a quick nap in. They woke up revived and ready to play so we made our way to the park! Oliver could have swung forever but after 15 minutes Olivia was like “get me outta here!!!”

Afterward our park extravaganza we headed home! We got the babies third short nap in then headed to mass. I love ending our day going to church together. Like I said before, we don’t hear much of anything going on…but we love going as our little family. It’s important to us! I leave with a clear mind and a full heart every single time.

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and enjoyed the weather! Looks like we are finally getting some suitable walking/hiking weather- heck yesss!

Some randomness I am lovin’

1.) I made this mixture on Sunday that makes your home smell amazingggg. It is so simple!

Ingredients:

A tablespoon of baking soda

3 cups of lukewarm water

3 tablespoons of fabric softener

Prep:

Pour the fabric softener in an empty spray bottle, then follow it up with the water and baking soda. Close the bottle and shake well! I sprayed it all over my house- supposedly the fragrance is long lasting so we shall see!

Thanks for stopping by the blog! Stay Lively!