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Trajan: 2003-2017

May 1, 2017 by melissa

Trajan-pictures

He stepped his little yellow paws into the cold, clean water that filled his brand new stainless bowl. And stared.

At us.

His new owners.

Two not-quite-newlywed-but-still-young Carolina kids over 2,000 miles away from home, settling into a new home in Arizona.

Two kids who moved across the country with the taste of adventure on their tongues.

A month later, those two kids had fresh new jobs, so we took the next logical step any young married couple would do: we got a puppy.

We named him Trajan after a roman emperor with architectural ties. Given my graphic design background at the time, I loved the idea that the name was also a font (but of course). So it stuck.

We spent hours training him. Teaching him to paw a bell when he wanted to go out. Sit. Shake. Whisper. Bow. Roll over. Play dead.

We took him on adventures big and small. Making fast friends at the dog park. Trotting through long, sometimes steep hikes. Chilling at camp sites with his dog buddies. He’s even seen the Grand Canyon.

And boy did he love to swim.

Most people in Arizona have pools, so he took any possible opportunity to jump in and swim swim swim. God made labradors for that.

Fast forward 13.5 years.

We’re now two newly-40 adults living back in the Carolinas (just the north one this time). Except we now have kids of our own. Their childhood came with a dog. The default setting. An ever-present part of growing up. They know no other way.

Our kids don’t really remember much of the energetic, adventurous Trajan. As the kids grew to form memories that stay tucked in their heads, there were only glimpses of that version of Trajan. And there were definitely no traces of the unsure little pup that sat in my lap on the car ride to his forever home. He was cozy and comfortable with his life, even if his body eventually wasn’t.

He had a host of health issues that would rival any old man: diabetes for 8 years, blindness for 6, one “dead” eye for 3, Cushing’s Disease for a few years, deafness for around 18 months, and so on.

Yet he was resilient in every way possible.

He hadn’t slept through the night with any regularity for a few years. And neither had we. Instead, we’d sleepily shuffle from the downstairs master bedroom to the back door to let him out in the middle of the night. Multiple times a night.

Because that’s what pet owners do. What we need to do. We adapt, even if it’s inconvenient.

And when he started losing control of his legs a few months ago, we’d reach underneath him and boost his body up so he could walk to his destination. Sometimes 20 times a day.

Because that’s what you do.

And when he started losing control of his bowels and didn’t even realize what happened until it happened, we’d just grab some toilet paper and clean it up.

Because that’s what you do.

Upon learning Trajan was going blind years ago, I remember a vet told us “you should consider not keeping him since you have young children at home.” We never spoke to her again. It never even crossed our mind that he wouldn’t be with us until the end, no matter his conditions.

Because when your dog is family, that’s what you do.

We gave him almost 6,000 injections over the years. Probably 200 doses of his weekly chemo pills (for Cushing’s). And who knows how much other medicine. And we would have kept it up even longer.

But he was ready to let go.

Trajan, the lab who used to run laps around the backyard, full of excitement.
Trajan, who left a bare spot in the grass because he loved to roll in that exact spot.
Trajan, who’d perch his muzzle at the edge of the couch, hoping for some buttery popcorn.

Trajan, the wonder lab who went on so many adventures big and small, was weary.

When I made the call to talk to our vet to discuss his worsening health from that week, I told him I guess I was waiting for an event that would make the choice from us. And he, knowing Trajan so well, said, “Trajan is a fighter. He just rolls with the punches, so I don’t know you’ll get that from him.”

He was right.

The truth was that Trajan had been giving us “events” for months. Like tremors that come before an earthquake. The nighttime roaming, the panting, the back legs not working, the days I’d come home from work to find him laying in the floor because he couldn’t get up. In isolation they were easier to accept, but when you started to connect the dots, you saw the bigger picture of his health. And it wasn’t good.

Deep breaths, I told myself.

It will be okay.

He will be free of his limiting body.

He belongs there now.

I picked up the phone and made the appointment. After I hung up the phone, Daniel and I held each other on the back porch and sobbed.

…

Emperor Trajan of Arizona was put to sleep on a Tuesday. He was three months shy of 14 years old.

I took the kids to my mom’s after they gave Trajan one last hug around the neck and pat on the head.

A few days before, we had told the kids the news. All four of us sat on a couch and bawled.

The kids had never seen their dad cry before. The staggering news paired with the evidence of their parents’ pain showed in their eyes. I won’t forget that.

The next few days were filled with lots of Trajan time and treat giving. His last dinner was a Five Guys burger. I sat on the floor with him and shared a bowl of popcorn. He got one last walk with just Daniel and me, sniffing all there was to sniff.

Then we hoisted him into the car for one last ride, with the windows down so he could feel the spring breeze on his face. He couldn’t see and he couldn’t hear, but feel he could. And he did.

The experience was heart-wrenching, but I couldn’t imagine not being there for him.

It started with us. Picking up a yellow, floppy-pawed pup that would change our lives.

It ended with us. Stroking the body of a soft-eared, hazy-eyed dog as his final moment slipped from the earth.

He softly passed to a world where he’s running free with eyes that can see, ears that can hear, and legs that don’t give out.

We puddled in the floor beside him, crying over his body that still remained. He, however, had moved on.

A piece of me floated away with him that day. When I looked at Trajan, I saw an old pup who lived a long, happy life. I saw my life reflected. A life when it was just two young souls with an adventurous dog. A life with children running through the house and a loyal dog by their side. Me going through my 20s, 30s, and turning the corner of 40.

From a prancing puppy to unsteady old dog, I witnessed the full life of God’s creature within a sliver of my own.

He embodied a piece of time. And that time was now gone.

—

Parts of Trajan still linger around the house.

A ball of fur in the corner. A bone under the couch. A dog bed with his imprints still visible.

We now also have his ashes in an unadorned mahogany box. And a beautiful portrait of him my sister painted. He’s with us, even if I don’t hear the clicking of his paws traipsing across the hardwoods any longer.

Sometimes I cry because he’s gone, and sometimes I still walk through the door thinking he’ll be laying in our bedroom floor.

Loss screams in your face, then is faint like a whisper. And back and forth and back and forth.

But faith reminds you that it’ll all be okay.

It’ll be okay.

trajan-collage-post

Filed Under: Mommy Ramblings

The Hunger Games Mockingjay- Part 2: Will Fans Like It?

November 20, 2015 by melissa

A lot of people have been anticipating the release of this movie. Including me!

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 opens today in theatres nationwide with lots of excitement about seeing the final movie in the series. I mean, who doesn’t want to see Katniss kick some butt?

Note: This post contains some plot details about the movie. No major spoilers though.

The Mockingjay - Part 2 movie review

Jennifer Lawrence stars as ‘Katniss Everdeen’ in THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 2. Photo Credit: Murray Close

For the set-up, here’s the synopsis: 

The blockbuster Hunger Games franchise has taken audiences by storm around the world, grossing more than $2.2 billion at the global box office. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 now brings the franchise to its powerful final chapter in which Katniss Everdeen [Jennifer Lawrence] realizes the stakes are no longer just for survival – they are for the future.

With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss confronts President Snow [Donald Sutherland] in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends – including Gale [Liam Hemsworth], Finnick [Sam Claflin] and Peeta [Josh Hutcherson] – Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to liberate the citizens of Panem, and stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her.  The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games.

My Thoughts 

I’ve read all the books, so I know how the story goes. Regardless of whether you’ve read the books or not, it’s pretty necessary to have seen Mockingjay Part 1 to really capture the full story. Part 2 jumps RIGHT in to Katniss trying to speak after a recovery period. What’s she recovering from? Oh, you know, that time Peeta tried to kill her.

Katniss has it in her mind to kill Snow herself, but she ends up sticking with a unit from District 13 for a good part of the movie, a unit that ventures to the Capitol trying to free the citizens of Panem. Overall, the movie lacks the non-stop action of the past movies, but her unit has some pretty suspenseful moments. I found myself with my hands anxiously moving around because I just KNEW something was about to happen. Of course, I was right.

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence, left), Boggs (Mahershala Ali, center) and Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth, right) in THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 2. Photo Credit: Murray Close

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence, left), Boggs (Mahershala Ali, center) and Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth, right) in THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 2. Photo Credit: Murray Close

With there being an all-out war, lives are lost. Quite a few. But the movie stays true to the book. I even heard some hard sobs in the theatre during a part or two.

At times I wished there was more action during the movie. A decent bit of the movie focused on the Peeta-Gale-Katniss love triangle, which some may or may not like. But overall, there were some strong moments in the movie. And even though I knew what was coming having read the books, I felt all the feels.

Regardless of its slower pace, any Hunger Games fan will leave the theatre with some closure. Let me know what you think if you go see it!

Studio: Lionsgate

Director: Francis Lawrence

Release Date: November 20, 2015

Run time: 2 hours 17 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Filed Under: Announcements

8 Ways to Help Your Kid Overcome the Fear of Amusement Park Rides

August 10, 2015 by melissa

Big roller coasters, little spinny rides, water slides with lots of twists.

Amusement park rides can be lots of fun, but sometimes kids are a little hesitant to give a ride a try. Okay, more like a little hesitant to an all-out FREAK OUT about riding something new to them. This summer, we took a mini-vacation up to Williamsburg and hit both Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. And that’s exactly what happened.

My kids were scared of way more than I expected. I’m not even talking about big, crazy roller coasters. Even some of the small, gentler rides. The ones you know they’d just love if they’d try them.

By the end of our trip though, they made progress and each rode at least one thing out of their comfort zone. Here are my favorite tips for encouraging your kids to try new rides (and what to do if they don’t):

Got a kid who's scared of rides at the amusement park? These parenting tips can help your kid overcome their fear of rides (and what to do if they don't)

1. Point Out Kids Coming Off Rides Laughing and Smiling

A friend on Facebook shared this tip with me and it does help to ease their anxiety! We did this with everything from small rides to water slides. Knowing that other kids their size were enjoying the ride can make kids feel more at ease with getting on a new ride.

Just be sure to frame this positively, versus acting like those kids are brave and your kid is not. Remember you can still have a great time at the park without going on all the rides!

2. Try Smaller Rides First

I know that’s kind of like “duh,” but remember that a kid isn’t going to conquer their fear of rides with the blink of an eye. Marathon, not a sprint and all that. Head straight to the main kiddie ride section and let your child try some of the miniature versions of the bigger rides.

At Busch Gardens, we made a beeline to the Sesame Street Forest of Fun and spent a good half hour or more riding things like a mini roller coaster, mini pendulum ride, and mini drop tower. My five-year-old Ethan was eager to try the mini roller coaster but was white as a sheet after it. However, he LOVED the drop tower (Elmo’s Spire) and rode it about 5 times!

How to Help Your Kid Overcome the Fear of Amusement Park Rides (Or Not)

The eight-year-old Noah loved BOTH the roller coaster and the drop tower. He didn’t go on the grown-up drop tower, but he DID try a grown-up roller coaster. (No he didn’t like it — see #3 — but he went back to ride the one in the kids’ area. I call that progress!)

3. Know What the (Big) Rides Are REALLY Like

If you’re hoping your kiddo will ride something with you, but he’s unsure, try riding it first if the lines permit. Or at least pick a coaster or ride where you can see the entire thing so you can point out what the ride does. Many amusement parks will let you do parent swap, meaning you can ride, then switch parents and go to the quick queue or fast pass type line. Lots of times this is so each parent can ride with a child if another child can’t/won’t ride, but we also did this with just the adults (i.e. hubby rides a coaster, then I do). Saves lots of time.

I speak from first hand experience about testing a potentially scary ride first! When we were at Busch Gardens, I tried to research which roller coaster would be a good one for my eight year old to try. From the pictures on the website, one particular roller coaster looked tamer than the others. Even in person, it looked tame. BOY WAS I WRONG.

My oldest son went on with his dad and came off shaking his head at how horrible it was! LOTS of dark tunnels with creepy eyes and the worst… an 88-ft drop in the dark. The website said “plunge” but I pictured a roller-coaster-like plunge, not a oh-my-gah-my-heart-stopped drop. Oops. (It’s Verbolten, in case you’re wondering.) He didn’t ride a big roller coaster after that (but he DID conquer his fear of the carousel-style swings).

4. Understand What They Are Fearing (in some cases it has nothing to do with the ride… AND it’s not even fear)

When we were at both Busch Gardens and Water Country USA, there were times when the five-year-old started crying that he didn’t want to ride something. We stayed in line and starting probing to see what was up. Turns out one time he just wanted some popcorn, and in other cases, he was just being a typical impatient kid and didn’t want to stand there and wait. In those cases, we were able to move past the “issue” and he LOVED the rides.

5. Point Out the Safety Features

Kids are often scared because they don’t understand how the rides work. My oldest asked me how the roller coasters stay on the tracks so I pointed out how the coasters are connected to the rails. I also explained how the harnesses lock so you can’t fall out. The kids had ALL sorts of questions about the roller coaster my husband and I both rode. I mean just look at the thing! Answer the questions as best as you can. You never know if it might help ease their anxiety about a ride.

How to Help Your Kid Overcome the Fear of Amusement Park Rides (Or Not)

6. Nudge but Never Force

I can’t stress this one enough! You DON’T want your kid’s memory to be of you forcing them on something that scared them to death.

In one case during our trip, we got right up to the top of a water slide — almost ready to get in a tube — and my five year old was squealing and pitching a fit. He had just gone down a similar slide, but he wasn’t having any of it. Knowing the ride DID have some dark tunnels and was mostly enclosed, I didn’t force him on the ride. I didn’t want to be THAT MOM. Instead, I walked him all the way back down and let the other my hubs and older son ride it.

There’s a difference between nudging a child and forcing one. Knowing when to back down can be the difference between a happy memory and a not-so-happy one.

My five-year-old was also hesitant to get on the Sky Ride that transports you from one part of the park to another. He’s been on ferris wheels before so I KNEW he’d be okay once got on. We talked about all riding it together and it would save him from walking. By the time we got to the front of the line, he was ready to get in… and getting a green bucket to ride in was icing on the cake (his fave color). He loved it and was bummed when we had to get off.

7. Revisit the Idea Later

Like I said, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. As the day (or days) go on, your child might decide they want to try a ride they were once too scared to go on. The more you’re at an amusement park, the more the newness wears off and they become more comfortable.

The eight-year-old didn’t want to go on the big carousel-style swings at first. He was willing to go on the kiddie ones but there was one problem… he was too big for them! So the little guy happily rode those.

How to Help Your Kid Overcome the Fear of Amusement Park Rides (Or Not)

Seeing his younger brother ride the little ones, I asked if he wanted to try the big swings and suggested we could ride in the double seats. It was a go! Turns out to be a favorite ride (and he rode it twice)!

We also found the kids had less fear overall with the water slides at Water Country USA than the rides at Busch Gardens.

8. Let It Go

Take it from Elsa. There’s something to be said for encouraging your child to conquer a fear, but you need to be the ultimate judge and know when to back off. Some kids might get to a place where they enjoy the faster rides. Other kids? Never.

There are still plenty of other things to do at amusement parks beside the rides!<

How Does Your Kid Like Amusement Park Rides?

When it’s all said and done, some of these might work and some might not. Each child is different and some have an easier time conquering fears than others.

Above all, remember these two words: PATIENCE and FUN. Have patience while encouraging them at the same time. And above all, you can all still have fun without riding a lot. Fun shows, sugary snacks, train rides, games… there’s still a lot to do at an amusement park.

I’d love to hear your experience with your kids at amusement parks!

Filed Under: Parenting

An Artsy Big Hero 6 Birthday Party and Free Invitation Download!

April 20, 2015 by melissa

My youngest son is obsessed with Baymax from Big Hero 6. He also loves making, building, and drawing things.

Tired of yet another bounce house party, I decided an art party would be the perfect choice for my little maker.

But Big Hero 6? Combined with an art party? I didn’t really even know what that looked like myself, but I stumbled upon a cute art shop and it turned out we didn’t have to pick one of their pre-selected themes. I mentioned we wanted to do a Big Hero 6 theme and the owner immediately said “Oh we could do Baymax made out of clay!” And that’s exactly what we did (and it turned out to be the perfect little craft project for five year olds)!

Big Hero 6 Party Ideas! We threw a Big Hero 6 art party, with Baymax invitations, Baymax cupcakes, and Baymax goody bags. He was everywhere! It's the perfect party idea for boys or girls.

Download a Free Baymax Birthday Invitation!

Before the party stuff though comes invitations. I made these for the party and I swear it was actually the easiest thing I ever designed! Isn’t Baymax just the best?

Big Hero 6 Party Ideas! We threw a Big Hero 6 art party, with Baymax invitations, Baymax cupcakes, and Baymax goody bags. He was everywhere! It's the perfect party idea for boys or girls.

Download a free invitation printable right here! It’s a PNG file so just open in your photo editing program (Picmonkey is great!) and add type over it– the font size will seem HUGE but the image is at 300dpi which is the proper resolution to print out nice. You can get the Big Hero 6 font for FREE at this font site and use any simple font for the party details. If you use InDesign, grab the packaged template, complete with the fonts you need. There is a main InDesign file if you use CC (.indd) and another file (.idml) for older versions. By downloading this printable, you agree not to sell it as your own or offer it for download. Okay? Okay!

Cupcakes and Treat Bags

Prepping was a family affair. I made Baymax Cupcakes, which are pretty much red velvet cupcakes, topped with vanilla frosting and a marshmallow with Baymax eyes drawn on them with a Wilton Black Gel Tube. Tip: Red velvet cupcakes go perfectly with cream cheese frosting, but make sure your kid actually likes cream cheese frosting. Guess who had to put her batch of frosting in the freezer for another day? Ha! We ended up with straight up Vanilla.

I tasked my husband with drawing on the treat bags. I honestly thought he’d just do two circles and a line for Baymax’s face and be done. But his artsy side wouldn’t allow that so we got fancy Baymax treat bags instead. Show off.
big-hero-6-party-prep

And the finished products?

Cupcakes!

big-hero-6-cupcakes

And the treat bags..

baymax-treat-bags Daddy Roo really took his job seriously, didn’t he?

How to Make a “Clay” Baymax

The highlight of the birthday party, beside eating cupcakes, was actually making big, lovable Baymax out of clay.

Here’s what they used:

  • Crayola Model Magic– white for Baymax and a little black for his eyes
  • Fox White round cardboard cake bases
  • Folk Art 493 Metallic 2-Ounce Acrylic Paint, Bright Red

First they painted the base red (and added some gold stars too). Then they rolled Baymax’s body, face, arms, and legs. The instructors had to help a little with the eyes, but they sure turned out cute.

Big-Hero-6-Baymax-Craft

Big Hero 6 Party Supplies We Used:

  • Big Hero 6 18″ Mylar Balloon 3pk (though they have this one now which has a giant Baymax balloon: Big Hero 6 Mylar Balloon Bouquet!)
  • Disney Big Hero 6 Self-Inking stamps / Stampers Party Favors (10 Counts)

And these weren’t available at the time we did my son’s party, but they’re pretty awesome!

  • 16 Big Hero 6 (Hiro Baymax Fred) Shoe Charms & Wristband Bracelet Kids Party Gifts
  • Big Hero Dessert Plates [7 inchs – 8 Per Pack]

A Happy Little Five Year Old!

We had a blast putting together this Big Hero 6 party, and Ethan had a blast too. Can’t you tell?!

Big Hero 6 Party Ideas! We threw a Big Hero 6 art party, with Baymax invitations, Baymax cupcakes, and Baymax goody bags. He was everywhere! It's the perfect party idea for boys or girls.This post contains a few affiliate links, but all the awesomeness is thanks to the little guy.

 

Filed Under: Crafts

Whole 30 Week 4 + 2 Days: What I Ate… and the Final Results!

February 5, 2015 by melissa

Wow.

We did it! We finished THIRTY ENTIRE DAYS with no sugar, dairy, legumes, grains, alcohol, MSG, or soy. Like NONE. (If you want to start at the beginning here’s our week 1, week 2, and week 3.)

I’ll share our results at the end of this post, but in case you’re wondering how that last week felt (including Superbowl Sunday), then keep reading.

Whole 30- The last week and two days of eating Whole 30. What meals we ate and the final Whole 30 results!

What I Ate and How I Felt: My Week 4 (+2) Meal Plan

DAY 22 (Monday):

WHAT I ATE

Meal 1: Sweet potato hash with chopped Chicken & Apple sausage, omelet with fajita veggies and heirloom spinach

Meal 2: Leftover steak on salad with monkey salad (bananas, strawberries, blueberries and cashews)

Pre-workout snack: hard-boiled egg and handful of nuts

Meal 3: Shrimp tacos on mashed plantains (blend in food processor and make into patties then bake until done), leftover sauteed veggies (zucchini and red onions)

Kid dinner alternatives: tortillas and cheese for the tacos, guac, salsa and chips

WORKOUT
Zumba for 1 hour

HOW I FELT 

Really digging plantains with the tacos. We typically only do plantains either sweet or as tostones, so using them this way is a nice change. Still feeling lots of energy during workouts (and my workout pants are getting baggy).

DAY 23 (Tuesday):

WHAT I ATE

Meal 1: Leftover sweet potato hash (just a bit left), leftover spaghetti squash, fried eggs and bacon

Meal 2: Steamed broccoli, plantains with leftover carnitas, fajita veggies, and guac (one of my fave things yet), banana

Meal 3: Sopa de pollo (chicken, zucchini, squash, yuca, carrots, seasonings)

Kid dinner alternatives: Added noodles to soup and only gave them what they liked from last time (chicken and carrots). This time they did NOT like it. Go figure.

HOW I FELT
Just another day of Whole 30. Enjoying the food.

DAY 24 (Wednesday)- ONE MORE WEEK!:

WHAT I ATE

Pre-Workout Meal: Hard-boiled egg and cashews

Meal 1: Fajita veggie egg scramble, bacon and fruit (strawberries, blueberries, 1/2 banana)

Meal 2: Leftover spaghetti with spaghetti squash, apple with cashew butter

Meal 3: Butter Chicken Masala (Whole30-style) and roasted cauliflower, mixed fruit (melon, pineapple, grapes)

Kid dinner alternatives: Cheese pizza from Trader Joe’s. They did try the masala but of course didn’t like it.

Whole 30- The last week and two days of eating Whole 30. What meals we ate and the final Whole 30 results!

WORKOUT

1 hour Zumba

HOW I FELT

Nothing too special about today… other than in ONE week we’ll be on Day 31! I’m a time-keeper. I love counting down so you’d better believe I’m counting the days.

DAY 25 (Thursday):

WHAT I ATE

Meal 1: Chicken and apple sausage, leftover cauliflower and spaghetti squash, two fried eggs

Meal 2: Leftover butter chicken and cauliflower

Snack: half a Cashew Cookie Larabar

Meal 3: Beef, cabbage and tomatoes, roasted butternut squash and parsnips, rest of my Larabar

Kid dinner alternatives: Dinner served on top of egg noodles for the kids.

HOW I FELT
Breakfast was hard to eat, honestly. Partly because I’m tired of spaghetti squash (but didn’t want to waste it) and partly I’m just tired of breakfast.

My oldest was sick and went to the doctor- walking pneumonia. Awesome. Luckily he really didn’t feel too bad and we now have medicine to clear it up.

I went and got my hair cut tonight. She always pours me a glass of wine, but I let her know beforehand not to. Another mini hurdle passed!

DAY 26 (Friday):

WHAT I ATE

Meal 1: Bacon, leftover butternut squash and parsnips, fried eggs

Meal 2: Curry chicken salad in lettuce, steamed broccoli

Meal 3: Pork and sauerkraut, baked potato wedges, mixed fruit

Kid dinner alternatives: Annie’s Mac n Cheese in addition to the rest. This time they did NOT like the pork. Last time they did. Grrr.

Pre-Workout Snack: Handful nuts

Post-Workout Snack: Baked sweet potato with ghee and cinnamon, hardboiled egg white

WORKOUT

1.5 hour Zumba Night Out

HOW I FELT

Gah, really sick of heavy breakfasts. I know it doesn’t have to be so heavy, but I also don’t want to be starving come mid-morning either. Also, my stomach was hurting mid-afternoon. Not really sure why, but it ended up passing. Despite being on Day 26, I am still not 100% used to no snack in the afternoon on non-workout days. I did eat dinner early though so I could let my stomach settle before the Zumba Night Out! Sweet potatoes are surprisingly good after a workout!

DAY 27 (Saturday):

WHAT I ATE

Meal 1: Fajita veggies, eggs, and sausage

Meal 2: Leftover sauerkraut and pork, fruit

Snacks: Fruit, carrots and Whole 30 approved ranch

Meal 3: Whole Foods Hot Bar (chicken, vegetables, plantains, and salad)

Kid dinner alternatives: Pizza

HOW I FELT

I went to my sister’s house for my niece’s first birthday… and I didn’t eat birthday cake! I mean, there’s no way I was going to ruin my Whole30 with a few days left. Honestly, I didn’t crave it that much anyway. I did miss having a glass of wine with company. But again, just a few days left.

Since my sister had family in town from her husband’s side (and my other sister was visiting too), we stayed at her house after the official party to hang out. We knew exactly where we were eating: Whole Foods. I love that most of the family ended up eating Whole Foods too. 🙂 We ordered pizza for the kids and a few people, then the rest of us hit the hot bar for some grub.

We had two chicken choices and got both. One was terribly dry but the other was pretty good. The rest was veggies and a salad.

By the evening, I was feeling even worse with my stomach and ended up laying on the couch while we watched a movie. Went to bed feeling blah and ended up almost getting sick in the middle of the night. BUT it really had nothing to do with Whole 30 eating. I think I got a minor version of what my son had earlier in the week.

Day 28 (Sunday):

WHAT I ATE

Meal 1: Bite of sausage and sliced potatoes, then switched to banana and mango (still feeling sick)

Meal 2: Salad with chopped deli turkey, chicken broth, and mixed fruit

Meal 3- Superbowl Style!: Baked jalapeños with guac and bacon, sweet potato with buffalo chicken casserole

Kid dinner alternatives: Tacos their uncle made!

Whole 30- The last week and two days of eating Whole 30. What meals we ate and the final Whole 30 results!

HOW I FELT

Muuuuuch better after lunch. Today was Superbowl Sunday so we headed to my mom’s house since we sister was still in town. And? We passed up a delicious slow cooker full of nacho cheese dip. I’m a sucker for cheese dip, but just pretended it wasn’t there.

We made “football food” Whole30-style though! The jalapeños and our buffalo chicken were both amazing (recipes at the end). I’m happy that we could still enjoy the game without downing all the food.

Day 29 (Monday):

WHAT I ATE 

Meal 1: Fire-roasted sausage and sliced potatoes, eggs with pico, broccoli

Meal 2: Salad with tuna salad, monkey salad (strawberries, mango, pineapple, banana, cashews, coconut flakes)

Meal 3: Chicken marinated in red wine vinegar and olive oil with parsley, side of roasted pineapple, red peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, dried pineapple, handful baked plantains

Kid dinner alternatives: Corn and applesauce to go along with the chicken

HOW I FELT

My throat’s been hurting off and on all day. It got worse. Plus, I’ve been so busy with preparing for a presentation that I’m just feeling stressed. Oh and I fell going down the steps in my garage and hurt my ankle a bit. Despite all that, tomorrow is my last day of Whole 30 so hip hip hooray!

Day 30 (Tuesday):

WHAT I ATE 

Meal 1: Bacon, sliced potatoes with pico, scrambled eggs with spinach

Meal 2: Leftover buffalo chicken and sweet potatoes, leftover pineapple, peppers and mushrooms

Pre-workout meal: Cashews and hardboiled egg

Post-workout meal: Plantains and proscuitto (I didn’t have any compliant deli meat so I just rolled with it)

Meal 3: Leftover sopa de pollo (we froze a batch from last week), mango and pineapple

Kid dinner alternatives: Plain chicken noodle soup with grilled cheeses

WORKOUT

1 hour Zumba

HOW I FELT

I woke up without the terrible sore throat I went to bed with (yay). But my voice was a little hoarse. Not super when you have to give almost a 2 hour presentation, but I managed.

TOTALLY phoned it in with the food today. Daniel cooked breakfast, I ate leftovers for lunch, and dinner consisted of dumping the leftover soup into a pot and heating it up. Easy for the win.

I did okay in Zumba class, but certain moves put a little stress on my ankle so I just kept it low impact when I needed to. Wish I could have ended stronger with my last Whole30 workout, but – hey – it’s not about the workouts anyway.

Recipes I Used

Indian Butter Chicken Masala (we used Coconut milk to make it Whole 30 – which made it a little more like korma)

Guacamole Bacon Stuffed Pepper Poppers (we used jalapeños instead of sweet peppers)

Sweet Potato with Buffalo Chicken “Casserole”

The Results

I’ve already told you about my clearer skin and sharper mind. But we all know what you REALLY want to know… did I lose any weight?

One of the Whole 30 rules is that you can’t weigh yourself during the 30 days. I actually love that rule because I stayed focused on what I was eating. However, you better believe we jumped on that scale on Day 31!

For years I’ve wanted to lose those pesky 10 pounds… well I lost SIX of them during Whole 30. Yes, six pounds. Insane!

Whole 30- The last week and two days of eating Whole 30. What meals we ate and the final Whole 30 results!

My husband (who also didn’t have much to lose), lost TEN pounds.

Whole 30 did in thirty days what months of counting every little calorie couldn’t do.

I believe the hype about Whole 30 now. It’s nothing short of amazing!

We were fairly healthy eaters to begin with too. But we were in a rut with our food (mini bagels much?) and Whole 30 opened our eyes to try all sorts of new recipes we wouldn’t have tried otherwise.

And I see why it’s Whole 30 and not Whole 15. The eating habits weren’t quite habits yet. I would have probably gone back to my past eating with a few mods. Now it’s the flip side of that. I will keep eating mostly Whole 30 while adding my “old” foods back sparingly. Thus, the shift.

The big question I’m sure you want to know is… what are I going to do now?

Well, next is the reintroduction phrase, where you reintroduce non-gluten grains, dairy, legumes, and grains one at a time. If you don’t want to add anything back, then don’t. I’ll post about this phase too, but for now I can safely say we won’t be eating as much of those things as before!

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About Melissa

I’m Melissa. Most people call me Mel. I’m a mama to two boys and a lover of all things outdoors. I'm a marketer who hearts good grammar. I also love Twitter, my Mac and all things techy.

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