happy half birthday

Little James Michael,

I can't believe you are 6 months old today. It seems like just yesterday you were a tiny newborn. It's crazy, but you turning 6 months old has been much harder than me turning 30. You're changing every single day, and learning new things at an alarming rate. As much as I want you to slow down, I would never dream of holding you back.

You're a curious little baby, always so perceptive of what is happening around you. You're still as much a morning baby as you were at six weeks old. You wake up happy and love flashing those gums, which still don't have any teeth, despite your constant drooling and gnawing on anything that comes close to your mouth.

You occassionally roll from your back to your tummy, but you hate it after 2 seconds. And when you do tummy time, we can only distract you for a few minutes before you get frustrated and roll over to your back. If you just realized that tummy time will soon lead to crawling and independence, I think you'd be much more apt to give it a shot. But every time I tell you that, you just look at me like I'm crazy.

You're a smart little cookie. You know exactly what you want, and when you get it, you stop your cries instantly. This makes me laugh, because you truly have us all wrapped around your chubby little fingers.

I can't wait to see how you grow and change over the next 6 months.

You have my heart, now and forever,

Mama

zucchini carrot muffins

When I was little, I used to hate carrot cake (though I'm fairly certain I made that assumption without ever eating it). I mean, what kid wants to eat veggies in a dessert? As I got older, I realized that carrot cake is one of the tastiest cakes around, and it's the veggie ingredient that hugely contributes to its moist layers.

Now that I'm a mom, I plan to sneak veggies into James Michael's diet in any way I can, though I'm hoping he naturally loves veggies as much as his daddy. But this recipe will come in handy if he's a picky eater like myself, because the vibrant green and orange sprinkled throughout these muffins are the only indication that any veggies were involved in the making. James loved these, as well as my mom, who is still acclimating to my use of alternative baking flours.

In the past, I've made carrot cupcakes and zucchini blueberry muffins, but I haven't attempted zucchini carrot muffins. Next time, I might try adding walnuts or pecans to the batter.

Zucchini Carrot Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini
• 2 carrots
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/3 cup palm sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (or less if you don't like yours quite as sweet)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• garnish: coconut flakes

1. Finely shred zucchini and carrots. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. In large mixing bowl, blend all ingredients except zucchini, carrots and coconut flakes.

4. Blend in shredded zucchini and carrots.

5. Distribute batter in muffin cups and sprinkle with coconut flakes.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for roughly 30 minutes, or until you do the toothpick test and it comes out clean.

june raves and favs

I posted my first-ever raves and favs post at the end of May, and my goal is to do one at the end of every month to share my favorite things for that month.

So here goes June...in a new layout that is a little more appealing to the eye...

1. Baby bath seat. Mine is an older version of this one, but my mom found it at a yard sale for a buck or two. James Michael loves sitting up and feeling independent in his bath!
2. Homemade margarita. I've never been a big margarita drinker. Usually, they're too sweet and sugary for me. But if you make it yourself and cut out the mix, I've found they're quite tasty and refreshing in the summer.
3. Pretty notepads. I've never been into stationery or pretty papers, but after finding a fun to-do list pad at Target a while back on clearance, I'm all about pretty, functional notepads now. Makes me more eager to write to-do lists and grocery lists :)
4. Baseball caps. Over the years, I've always worn caps playing softball or when I'm at the lake or beach. But I also wear them every single Saturday morning when I go to the gym. I'm not about to shower before the gym, where I'll be dripping sweat in less than 10 minutes.
5. Pics of my family. It's funny, but we have hardly any pictures of just the three of us. Usually I'm the one taking photos, which means I'm rarely in them. So whenever I do come across a picture of all three of us, even if it's from a silly photo booth at a wedding, I save it so one day we can reminisce.
6. Sweet potato chips. Once again, thank you Trader Joe's. When I want mexican food, I normally make taco salads. But every once in a while, it's nice to pile some fixings on top of a bed of chips. Enter: sweet potato chips.
7.  50+ SPF. Now I know they say that anything over 30 SPF doesn't really matter, but try telling yourself that when you have a baby. James Michael is heading to the beach in less than a month, and even though I'll be keeping him inside during the hot parts of the day, he'll have to face the sun at some point. Arming myself with SPF 50 makes me feel like I'm protecting him as much as possible.
8. Baby speedo. Because speedos look much cuter on a baby than a grown man. JM's first trip to the pool was Sunday, and now that we've figured out how much he likes it, we're planning on using our pool more this summer than we have in the entire 8 years James has owned the condo.
9. Pacifiers. I have a feeling our brief appreciation of pacis may develop into a love/hate relationship in the coming months, but for now, they're a great way to help calm down an overtired baby.
10. Bluebird studs. Now, I know I recently said that Nordstrom is my favorite place to by studs, and that's still true, but I love this little pair of bluebird studs I came across at Target. I also got a couple summery necklaces at Target in yellow, teal and aqua (yes, those are two different colors!).
11. EOS lip balm. My mom turned me on to this lip balm, and I love it for the same reason she does: it's super easy to locate in your purse. And it doesn't hurt that the flavors are great. I purchased mine from Walgreens, and I'm sure most any grocery store or Target stocks them as well.
12. Target bathing suits. It seems I'm on a Target roll this month. Since it's right next to my office, Target is both dangerous and convenient. I regress. I purchased two new mix-n-match bathing suits from Target this year, and I love this bandeau top. I got it in Black and Cirque (a fancy name for coral).

some days

Some days, I really have my act together--as a mother, as a wife, as an employee.

Some days, I'm a super mom and can pick up on James Michael's cues in 2.2 seconds.

Some days, I have dinner ready when my husband comes in the door, greeting me with a kiss on the cheek.

Some days, I can complete two days worth of work in 8 hours at the office.

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But some days, it's all a front.

Some days, I worry, get run down and wish there was more time, more energy, more of me to go around.

Some days, I get overwhelmed with the messiness of my house but am too tired to clean.

Some days, I wish I could be the one to pick up my baby when he wakes up from his morning nap.

Some days, I dread having to pump another time at work.

Some days, I wish my husband got off work at 5 p.m. every night.

Some days, I wish my family lived closer.

Some days, I wish I had more "me" time--to sleep, to read, to blog, to work out.

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Most days, I have to remind myself it's not about how much I can accomplish, but how much I can let go and savor the sweet moment of life I'm currently living.

perfect summer sunday

Yesterday was near perfect. While most Atlantans were still sleeping, I was out and about stocking up on groceries from Trader Joe's. Have I mentioned how much I love grocery shopping? For real. I'm a dork :)

We squeezed in some family time before James took the motorcycle up for a leisure ride around Red Top Mountain.

And as soon as he left, James Michael and I hit the pool--to distract me from daddy's ride and to keep James Michael a happy baby.

Thankfully, he loved the pool, and splashed for 20 straight minutes, unphased by all the water that got on his face. After a short swim and lounging in the shade, he took a glorious two-hour nap, which convinced me that pool time is awesome in more ways than one.

Once James was home from his ride, we decided to do it all again late in the afternoon when the sun wasn't quite so strong.

JM is into this new no-lips look. He just started doing it recently, and it's hilarious. Daddy is into this new mohawk look. It is also quite hilarious.

After pool time, it was a mad rush to prep for entertaining James' brother Brad and our friend Chris Bair for dinner. At the end of the night, I told James that if I could entertain every night, I would. Then I thought better of it. If I could entertain once a week, I would.

For appetizer, we tried out a new cheese I got at Trader Joe's: creamy toscano soaked in Syrah. It was amazing. Then I just stacked cucumber and pearl tomatoes, with a little hummus sandwiched in between.

And we sampled a wine that Brad brought, as well as our favorite, Apothic Red.

And on a whim I made a quick dessert, melted chocolate sprinkled with coconut flakes and roasted, salted pecans--cooled in the freezer.

Dinner was sauted white pangasus, strawberries, roasted zucchini and a saute of brussels sprouts, bacon, garlic and butternut squash.

To all the single ladies in Atlanta, this guy is available! Works in finance and prefers petite blondes, but open to all types. Must get along with sister-in-law, which should be fairly easy :) Any takers? Now accepting applications.

workout recap: june 10-23

Last week was crazy, and I only managed to get in O.N.E workout. Between family visiting from out of town, then a trip to my parent's house that weekend, it was hard to make it to the gym--and walking with James Michael after work didn't make the top of the priority list. Sure, I went on a few leisurely walks last week at The River and a couple in my parent's neighborhood, but they were more for socializing than anything. But honestly, that was fine by me, because after doing the WOD on June 13, I needed a couple days to recover from those deadlifts.

My sister and I always end up buying the same shoes!

Wednesday, June 13
Diane
21-15-9
HSPU (subbed 20lb dumbell push press)
Deadlift 155lbs

Notes: Um, yeah. 155 was tough. I tried to keep good form, but my speed definitely suffered. Still building up that strength. As hard as those deadlifts were, it feels great to be back doing heavy WODs.

Monday, June 18
Bench Press: 5 sets of 5 using same weight
WOD: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Back Squat 65lbs
Pullups Chest-2-Bar
Box Jumps

Notes: Did 80lbs for bench press, which is good for me. Hoping to go up to 85lbs next time. The WOD, on the other hand, did not go so well. I got to round 7 before James Michael was crying incosolably, and I felt so sorry for my gym friend Afra who was trying to keep him entertained. He was just tired and wanted mama. So I gave up at round 7, and honestly, my hands were thanking me. I was super close to ripping at the end of round 7.

Thursday, June 21
5k walk at Cochran Shoals with my friend Lauren and JM (in jogging stroller)

Notes: Super nice to be able to chat with someone else while walking. I also coerced Lauren into doing a guest post on a kale dish she makes that's amazing.

Friday, June 22
Shoulder Press: 5 sets of 5 using the same weight
Deadlift: 1 set of 5 using the same weight
WOD: On Fire
7 Rounds
5 Deadlifts 225/155
6 Burpees
7 Pullups

Notes: I did 60lbs for shoulder press, and will definitely go up to 65lbs next time. For deadlifts, I only did 155lbs. Even though I'm no longer pregnant, I'm still trying to listen to my body during workouts. If I've had a rough night because James Michael didn't sleep well, or if I didn't get in enough calories throughout the day, I ease up and go lighter/slower. I felt a bit dizzy during this workout--probably a combination of the heat and not eating enough. For the WOD, I scaled to 135lbs because of this. Hands definitely ripped, but I made it through the WOD.

Adrienne from the gym, who is a mama herself, graciously volunteered to watch kids this day. It was the first time in a long time that I could fully concentrate on the workout. Thank you! I was sure to dress JM in his muscle tee for her :)

Saturday, June 23
Team WOD
4 Min Each Station (teams keep score)
Max Thruster 95/65lbs
Max Rope Climbs
Max Box Jumps 30"/24"
Max Toes-2-Bar
Max Push Press 75/55lbs
Max Double Unders
Max OH Walking Lunges 45/25lbs

Notes: Love team WODS on Saturdays! I really need to work on double unders and rope climbs. Just so hard to find any extra time to work on anything nowadays.

Contrary to how this picture looks, I really did work out. I was just counting reps for our team at this point.

Baby staredown after the WOD!

all hail the mighty kale

As one of the latest leafy greens to make the superfoods list, kale is a vegetable that might scare off the average eater because of its dense cruciferous leaves. But it's worth spending time investigating how to prepare and incorporate kale into your weekly meals, because there's no denying the health benefits.

I could spout off a million great reasons to eat kale, but trust me when I say it's been touted as possibly the healthiest vegetable on the planet. A couple weeks ago, a family friend asked James what he considered to be the healthiest food. His reply: Kale, hands down. And in case you don't consider my husband a trusted expert, a simple Google search will yield a plethora of information substantiating his claim.

So, how do we hail the mighty kale in our household?

Kale Chips: We first began our kale journey like many other kale newbies--by making kale chips. We simply douse the leaves in a little olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and bake roughly 10 minutes at 350 degrees (or until leaves begin to brown at edges). The first time James made them more than a year ago, I was shocked by the flavor. They were more savory than I would have ever imagined. And like potato chips, they are addicting!

I ran across this tiny $6 bag of cheesy kale chips at Whole Foods a while back. Um, why didn't I think of this? Totally missed my chance to make millions.

Kale Salads: James has been eating kale in his salad for months and months. I turned my nose up at the idea, unable to imagine chomping on raw kale, until he snuck it into my salad two months ago. With some spinach or spring mix as a supporting base, a heap of fresh toppings and a drizzle of homemade balsamic dressing, I realized that adding a stalk of kale to my salads was a way to take an already healthy meal to the next level.

Kale Smoothie: Another way to consume raw kale? In a smoothie. Just blend kale, spinach, carrots, orange juice, banana and ice. And mix it up by throwing in some different fruit such as strawberries, blueberries or pineapple.

Egg Scramble with Kale: James loves to add sauted veggies to his eggs in the morning. In the past, he's used onion, zucchini, spinach, etc. But earlier this year, he began adding kale to this mix. It's a great way to get in some veggies in the morning.

Sauted Veggies with Kale: Another way to eat kale is simply to saute it with a bunch of other veggies and serve it as a side. Or, add it as a topping to Cauliflower Crust Pizza. My friend Lauren made an amazing kale side dish a month ago when she had us over for dinner. It was sweet and savory at the same time. She's going to share her recipe through a guest post soon, so stay tuned!

friday's letters...from james michael

I'm linking up with Ashley for Friday's Letters.

Dear Aunt Ellie, you are the silliest person I know. Mama says the same thing about you. She also says not to expect her to have as much energy as you until I start sleeping through the night. I told her that sometimes I wake up and miss her and daddy, so I scream in my bed. She says that she and daddy don't get any sleep when I do that. But I told her I'm still just a little baby.

Dear naptime, I'm kind of over you. Every time you visit, I always miss out on something fun, that's why I'm boycotting you as much as possible. This makes for an even more exhausted mama, daddy and babysitter, but I told them it's hard to relax when you know you're the life of the party.

Dear crossfitters at CFA, sometimes I like to watch you work out when I come to the gym because what you do is so crazy. Other times, I like to put on my own little squealing show so you'll pay attention to me. Mama is trying to teach me manners early on, and says I should say thank you to the many members who have entertained me while mama works out. So thank you for holding me and talking to me and playing with me at the gym. You all are so much fun!

Dear biggest bathtub ever (which mama calls a lake), I can't believe how huge you are. I want to jump in you and swim around like a duck, but mama says I'm too little this summer. She's afraid I might swallow some of you, and she's not sure what all lurks in your waters. I told her I'll try to be a big boy if she'll just let me in, but when mama says no, she means business. For now, I'll just enjoy watching other people splash around. But next summer, I'm gonna give those ducks a run for their money.

Dear baby food, I'm still not sure what to think of you. Mama's let me "test" you out a couple times, but I'm confused by your color, flavor and texture. I'll be 6 months old next weekend, and mama says then I'll start eating a little baby food every day. I told her good luck with that. She called me strong willed. I told her I only do what I want to do when I want to do it. She said I'm just like my daddy.

body after baby

Before I got pregnant, I spent hours searching online for all-things pregnancy. I read articles, blogs, forums, you name it, to try to absorb as much information as I could about the ins and outs of having a baby. During this search, I stumbled upon many bloggers (whose blogs I still follow) who outlined their personal journeys through pregnancy and beyond.

I wanted to share my own personal journey and thoughts to help answer the question that I know is running through the minds of many first-time pregnant mamas: "Will I get my body back after baby?"

[Time out]
I acknowledge that parts of this post might rub some people the wrong way, but that is not my intent. I want to honestly and accurately share my experience during pregnancy and post baby, in the hopes that it might be valuable for some other pregnant mama out there who is fervently trying to absorb as much information as possible.

Oh, be sure to grab yourself a cup of coffee and settle in, this is going to be a long one.
[Time in]

Fit Pregnancy
Before I ever got pregnant, I knew that I wanted to have an active, fit pregnancy. Of course I planned to put my baby first, but I didn't want to stop working out just because some doctors try to scare you into drastically scaling your work outs. Instead, I decided to listen to my body. If there was a day when I was feeling too tired or nauseous to work out, then I took the day off (though I found that working out through the nausea actually helped). If a particular exercise in a WOD didn't feel right, then I subbed another movement for it. I gave little regard to the 140 bpm heartrate that doctors and most online resources outlined as the absolute maximum (here's a great article for knowledge seekers). As many CrossFitters know, we can achieve 140 bpm just from our warmup.

 Light deadlifts in a chipper 9 days before James Michael made his appearance

Also, I avoided gluten throughout my pregnancy, though I did indulge in processed gluten-free options more than I would have liked, but hey, first trimester nausea is tough. So on the whole, I ate fairly healthily and continued crossfitting 4 to 5 days a week, as I did pre-pregnancy.

This equation (plus other variables, I'm sure) led to me having what I consider a healthy, fit pregnancy. I gained less than the average 30 pounds of pregnancy weight, and had no issues with stretch marks, swelling or mobility. I could still move heavy weight (though I wasn't focused on max weight) and perform many of the CrossFit elements that I'd always done.

[Time out]
I'm giving a snapshot of my pregnancy habits so that my experience getting my body back postpartum makes a little more sense.
[Time in]

Postpartum Experience
In my personal (very subjective) opinion, the following factors contributed to my postpartum body:

• Gaining the Right Amount: I lost more than half of my pregnancy weight before I left the hospital after delivery, and the rest of it in the first three weeks postpartum. I'm not trying to brag, but this is just fact. I think my body gained just enough to support James Michael, and once he was out, it had no more need for the extra padding.
• Breastfeeding: I think that breastfeeding has really helped me get my shape back, and during the first week postpartum, it was amazing how much my uterus contracted back closer to its original size just from nursing. These afterpains weren't especially painful, but similar to menstral cramps. Some mothers and experts say that nursing mothers may hang onto 5 or 10 extra pounds until they wean. This has not been the case for me. If anything, I'm a couple pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight at the moment--but, I know I've lost a good bit of muscle weight, so weighing less than before doesn't mean I'm leaner.
• First-Time Mom: Being a first-time mom also contributed to the weight-loss process during the first three weeks. The last thing I could think about was food because I was super focused on tending to my baby. I wasn't indulging in any fanciful cravings, just because that was one more thing to have to worry about. Even though they tell you to nap when the baby is napping, it's much easier said than done. I could do it if someone else was around to watch the baby, but if it was just me and James Michael, my body wouldn't relax because subconciously it assumed he'd be waking up any minute. Or, I used his nap times to tackle all the other stuff around the house that I'd been neglecting.
• Diet: My mom helped me a lot those first couple weeks, especially with meals. Luckily, the meals she made were healthy. I can't imagine how much more exhausted I'd feel if I wasn't eating well. The one craving I did have post-pregnancy was for salads. Thinking back to the night of James Michael's birth, all I wanted was a salad for dinner. Even now, 5.5 months postpartum, I'm still on a salad kick and have one about 5 times a week. (This is ironic because during my first trimester, I had an aversion to salads, among other things.) I'm not sure if it's the nursing or being busy all.the.time, but I could probably eat most anything nowadays and not gain weight.
• Exercise: I started going on 30-minute walks around 2 weeks postpartum when family was around to watch James Michael. And I was super fortunate that this past winter was very mild so I could actually enjoy being outside a bit. Working out didn't lead to weight loss for me, but I'm hoping that since I started CrossFitting again at 4 weeks postpartum, it's helping to reshape my body as I work to rebuild my strength and endurance.

Body Changes
Even after losing all the weight, my body isn't the same. I'm bigger in some places and smaller in others. I'm up a cup size from nursing. My butt and thighs are smaller than before pregnancy because of muscle loss. My arms are leaner, thanks to toting a growing bundle of baby. My stomach isn't as tight--though it's in much better shape than I anticipated--and my linea nigra is close to gone.

My body has also changed when it comes to working out. Nowadays, it's a good week if I make it to the gym three times, twice is more likely though. Pullups and many other bodyweight movements are easier, because I'm not carrying the added baby weight. But I'm still working to regain my strength on Olympic lifts and other heavy movements. If I can't make the gym, I try to take James Michael on a walk so that we both get fresh air, and so that I can be slightly active. I've started posting my two-week snapshot of workouts, thinking it might be helpful for other new moms looking to get/stay active. I'm also going to do a post about different exercises you can do with your baby to mix things up.

Saying I'm proud of my body after baby isn't quite the right description, as, admittedly, I haven't had to work hard at it. Saying I'm happy with it is more accurate. For those of you pregnant mamas who are in good health, eat fairly well (especially paleo or limited carbs) and exercise with intensity (especially CrossFit), don't worry, you will get your body back. It might take 3 weeks, 3 months or even a year. When I got pregnant, I had no idea what to expect, but if your lifestyle is similar to mine, I think your postpartum journey will also be similar.

3 months postpartum

3.5 months postpartum (getting ready at sister's wedding)

 5.5 months postpartum

And you can't really see my postpartum body in this one, but you can see my cute little family. Isn't that turtle hat the cutest thing ever?!

happy father's day

Happy Father's Day to the best dad and most patient Pop. I'm one lucky gal.

Love, Haley

And Happy Father's Day to the greatest Daddy in the whole world. Our morning walks are my most favorite time of the day. I hope you enjoy the electric razor I got you. Now when you kiss me, I won't scrunch up my face from your prickly whiskers.

Love, James Michael

friday's letters

I'm linking up with Ashley for Friday's Letters.

Dear glutes, I know I've neglected you during the last few months, and that's why you've lost your perky shape. I foresee many deadlifts and squats in your future, and I don't want any complaining.

Dear husband, I know you're so excited to ride your new motorcycle, but please watch out for all the crazy drivers, as I'd like you to father more children one day.

Dear California, it would be awesome if you would relinquish your grasp on the Morgan Family and let them move to Georgia. I think Mama Morgan and I could be great friends.

Dear James Michael, I would really appreciate it if you'd stop this pattern of dirty diaper blowouts in the middle of the night. 4 a.m. baths are not your friend, even though you are all smiles and think it's play time.

Dear coffee, some days I put too much pressure on our friendship and then you fail to deliver. It's not you; it's me. I promise to ease off a bit, just promise you won't leave me.

Dear Hilton Head, I am counting down the weeks until I can frollick on your beaches. Contrary to what people might believe, those three months of maternity leave were a lot of work. I need a real vacation.

Dear blog, between my one hour of free time on weeknights and a couple hours on the weekend, I'm finding time to finally pay you some attention. I told the hubby that on weeknights I have time to either blog or cook dinner, and his face dropped. He knows how much I like you, and I know how much he likes to eat. So I struck a deal and told him I'd alternate my focus each night. I convinced myself I'd cook enough dinner to eat as leftovers for the following night. Who am I kidding?

Dear Game of Thrones book, I like you, I really do, but 807 pages is a lot of book for a sleep-deprived mama to read. I'm determined to finish you, but don't count on me reading book No. 2.

Dear mosquito that attacked these chubby baby legs 10 times, this means war.

he got a what?

My husband really has a knack for perfect timing. Buying a motorcycle with a 5-month-old baby is right up there on the list with starting a new business a couple months after we got married.

Luckily for him, he's nicknamed the golden child for a reason. Thankfully, everything has worked out well with the business, and CrossFit Addiction is still going strong after four years. I can only pray that same success--and attention to detail--keeps him safe on his new ride (well, that and his promise to me that he'll stay off the interstate).

As fun as that back seat looks, this mama isn't taking any chances anytime soon.

Plus, with his learner's James can only drive during the daytime and cannot take any passengers.

Stay tuned for what I'm sure will be many motorcycle diaries.

cauliflower pizza crust

A couple weeks ago, make that a month ago, I posted some recipes that I wanted to test out. One such curious recipe was for cauliflower crust pizza. I tried out this crust recipe from Recipe Girl a couple weeks ago and it was delicious!

The rich flavor blew me away, so I knew that it wouldn't be long before I tried my hand at another. I tweaked Recipe Girl's recipe a bit to make a mega pizza, because we do things in mega-style in my house.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup mozzerella
• 1/4 cup parmesan

1. Rice cauliflower using food processor. Or, if you're the ambitious type, you can do it by hand.

2. Place riced cauliflower in large bowl and microwave for 10 minutes, and set aside and let cool for 5 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

4. Mix in remaining ingredients, then spread on a greased large baking sheet.

5. Cook for roughly 20 minutes, until crust begins to brown.

6. Remove crust and top with your choice of toppings. Here's your chance to get creative. For one side of my pizza, I layered with pesto, mozzerella then sauteed green veggies (zucchini, broccoli, asaparagus, kale) and crumbled bacon. For the other side, I went with the classic of ground beef and marinara with mozzerella and turkey pepperoni on top.

7. Bake for 10 more minutes.

Linking up with Fight Back Friday

workout recap: june 2-9

This was probably not the best time to start tracking my workouts, as I caught a summer cold last weekend. Or maybe it's just proof that I'm human and everyone gets sick at some point :) I'll normally post a two-week workout recap, but because I just decided I wanted to start posting my workouts this weekend, my brain can't think far enough back to what I did last week.

Saturday, June 2
Each 2-person team has 2 minutes to complete total reps at each station:
Wallballs 14lbs
Power Snatch 75lbs
Fireman’s carry 100ft
Pullups
Overhead squat 55lbs
rest…repeat

Notes: Great, hard workout. Power snatches were tough. My partner Amber is a firefighter and managed to hoist me over her shoulders. First time I've ever been carried like that. Never realized how much core you had to use so that your partner's shoulder doesn't go through your stomach. Ha! Managed to eek out 15 pullups the first time on the bar in round one, then 10 and 5 in that same round. Definitely happy with the 15 since I haven't done max pullups in forever.

Sunday, June 3
James wanted to do a track workout with our friend Chris Bair, so I decided to do some laps with James Michael. After one lap, I thought the sun was too much for his little legs so we sat in the shade and watched daddy work out.

Tuesday, June 5
20-minute walk around neighborhood with James carrying James Michael

Wednesday, June 6
30-minute stroller walk on Bob Callan/Rottenwood Creek trail. I definitely wasn't feeling great, but I figured it would let me spend time with my boy without getting him sick.

Thursday, June 7
20-minute walk around neighborhood with James Michael in front carrier

Friday, June 8
Run 400m
5 rounds of:
   -10 dips (I scaled with blue band)
   -10 deadlifts 105 lbs
   -10 kettlebell swings 35lbs
   -10 dumbell push presses 20lbs
Row 500m

Notes: Hard workout for me since I've been sick. Had to pace it.

Saturday, June 9
I ran the gym so James could go kayaking down the Broad River in Athens, so I missed my CrossFit workout. Probably for the best since I'm still recuperating.

Sunday, June 10
We were supposed to spend the day walking around Athens and capitalizing off college nostalgia. But rain and babies do not mix. So it looks like another rest day for me. I'm not complaining, and neither is this cold.