I am Moving Y'all. Save the Date!

It has been a long time coming for sure, but I am finally moving from Blogger to WordPress.  Not only that, but we will now be:

http://creativeoutpour.com

I'm am so happy to be getting rid of that dash y'all.

I am busily working on all kindza crazy giveaways to celebrate my blog warming with you!  There is going to be a new one every.single.day.  So, pay attention.  Mark your calendar!  We will go live

Monday, November 18th.  Giveaways will commence immediately following!

5 on Friday!

I'm linking up this week with 5 on Friday!  You should too!  Click the icon above to be included.  Here's my random 5:


1)  Have I mentioned my kids mad love for pom poms?

2) Toms Deodorant does NOT work.  This is the second or third time I've purchased it when Wal-Mart was out of my usual natural deodorant & I might as well have just sprayed perfume under there.  Ha!

The one that really works is:

They almost always have it at Wal-Mart & it works really well.  Also, it smells amazing without being too strong.

3)  Looking for a dry shampoo that works amazing?  This is the one I use.  I got it from Amazon:

I chose this one by literally doing a search online for the best dry shampoos.  This one was well respected.  It works very well & even looks good the following day sometimes!  Another cool thing about it is gives you a lot of body at the root; which I love because my hair is FLAT without a lot of love.

4)  Looking for a great devotional for your kiddos (think toddler/preschool)?

We have loved this one & I just noticed they have made another one:

Such sweet simple truths.

5)  Birth is amazing & it is always a blessing to watch your close friends become a parent.  One of my closest friends had twins after a long infertility battle.  We waited for the babies at the hospital for hours & hours.  We fell asleep waiting on them & eventually had to leave at (1am) because they hadn't come yet.  I loved getting share that with her & her family.

Sweet friend.  Looks at these two precious babies:

Happy Friday y'all!  Make it a good one!

Family Life Luncheon for Arkansas Women Bloggers with Barbara Rainey

On Monday I got the privilege of visiting the headquarters of Family Life.  They invited Arkansas Women Bloggers there to hear from Barbara Rainey about family & how her faith directed her to raise her children.  Such a blessing to get some wisdom from her!

She also shared about Ever Thine Home products:

These products are great vehicles to share our faith with people who enter our homes & also use to teach our children the truths about JESUS.  They have items for Easter, Thanksgiving & Christmas to use to keep JESUS the center of the celebrating.

They treated us to a delightful lunch & after we had great time of fellowship together.  So fun to be spending time with these women that I share so much in common with!

Me & Barbara

Heather from Heather's Dish, Stephanie from The Park Wife & Founder of AR Women Bloggers & me.

 Such a fun day!  I love being a part of the blogging community!  I feel so privileged to be doing what I'm doing.

Teaching Them About #SIMPLEGiving with Champions for Kids

I've posted before about the work that Champions for Kids does.  Why I love partnering with them in their #SIMPLEGiving programs is that they make it easier for people to give locally to children in need.  Since they are set up in Walmart, so many people are already going to shop there for other things.  Their purple bins are all set up at the front of the store:

(Front L to R: Donation Bin, Bins with products to buy & then donate)

When you go to check out, the bins with the pre-selected Kimberly Clark & Unilever products to purchase are right there.  So, it's simple to just grab what you'd like to donate & then deposit it in the donation bin as you leave the store (it's by the exit).  Their current program aims to collect personal care items for children in local schools which are then distributed by the school nurse.

It's such a good way to start teaching your children about giving in a very practical way.  Even if you're a super busy person, you'll end up with your kids at Walmart at some point most likely.  It's simple enough for even my 2 1/2 year old son to understand.  I let them pick out which items we were going to donate & put them in the basket.  It melted my heart to share that with them & just wonder what they were thinking.

Here is my basket of the items we gathered; Suave shampoo & conditioner, Degree deodorant & Cottonelle Cleansing Cloths.  They chose great things for the school to have on hand for kids that need them.  It makes me sad to think that there are kids that are not able to get their hair washed, take a bath or use deodorant if they need it.  What a privilege it is to be able to help provide that for them! 

I let them carry the bags from check out & put them in the donation bin themselves.  They loved it.

I want to encourage you to use this as an opportunity to teach your kids about giving while giving to children in your area.

         You can find out more about #SIMPLEGiving at:

• http://www.championsforkids.org/simplegiving
  
  
  You can also follow them: 
  
  
• Twitter

• Facebook

A Lovely Day

I was so excited about Halloween.  I thought about it way ahead of time.  I imagined my kids in the cutest costumes.  Then, I felt like maybe I was going to end up overdoing it & getting everyone all stressed out, so I decided to make it simple this year.  Right?

Cute, right?  So practical & they can use them after Halloween! They were $8.99 each at Crazy8.  I was super proud of myself, but then I had to go & complicate things.

First, I decided to make Katie a princess dress.  Then, she also had to have a pre-historic costume for school.  So, I was thinking she could use Jack's dragon hoodie (kinda like a dinosaur).

Fast forward to Halloween.  Katie wore the hoodie to school & it was my day with Jack by himself.  It was one of those days!  Just plain awful.  Fits, crying, spankings all.day.long.  I was exhausted when I went to pick up Katie from school.  I brought the kids home & put them both down for a nap & I set to finish up Katie's dress.  I looked at the clock & it was almost time for my husband to get home from work & I hadn't even started dinner.  He had a super long day (up at 5am!) & would be ready to eat & tired.  It is then that I realized that we left Jack's costume at her school! So, Jack no longer had a costume.  The only boy costume we had left in the house was what he wore last year.  #mommyfail

My husband came home tired & a little stressed.  I was exhausted.  For some reason, Jack was crying about everything.  No dinner was ready.  Nobody was in their costumes.  We had to make a decision.

Spencer went to get Taco Bell while I thought about it & he thought about it.  We decided the boys were going to watch a movie & pass out candy to the trick or treaters.  Katie & I would go out Trick or treating.  Somehow, I finished her costume & she looked adorable:

She also had a blast.  Super sweet night.

It turned out pretty well considering the long, crazy day.

Today was such a peaceful, happy day with the kids.  No stress.  Everybody was in a great mood.  Such a different day & that's how it as a parent of 2 littles.  It changes constantly.  It definitely keeps me on my toes, but it also teaches me what really matters.  I am learning to shrug off a lot of the things that make us crazy & to keep it simple - -LOVE.  I need to just LOVE them.  Everything else is just details.

UPDATE: Shamrock Farms' Rockin' Refuel Review & Giveaway! GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

Congrats to Latanya Thornhill for winning the giveaway!!! Thanks to all who entered!
- - -

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Rockin Refuel® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hey y'all!  I am a member of Social Spark, a blog marketing company that connects advertisers with bloggers for sponsored blog posts.  Because of my membership with them, I get the chance to do all kinds of neat things.  Recently, I got the chance to review Shamrock Farms' Rockin’ Refuel Protein Milk Beverage.
They sent me a case of awesomeness in a cooler packed with ice.  It was still cold when it got to my house!

Immediately the kids wanted some of the chocolate milk they sent.  It's the same milk that Chik-Fil-A offers in their kids meals.

The product that I was reviewing though was their

So, to give it a good test drive, I needed to get a good workout in.  If you've been following me lately, I have been doing my best to exercise almost everyday & limit my calories.  #IWannaBeAFitMama !

(Pre-Workout selfie)

I am currently injured.  I  overworked my Achilles tendons, so I have to watch how I work out until they heal.  So, I did 10 minutes on the elliptical & then switched to squats & ab work to finish out.  Enough for me to get my heart rate up, sweat & work on strengthening my core.  After that, I got to sample my new recovery beverage.

I'm such a goofball!  I know.

Do you drink anything for recovery post-workout?  Kelly L. Phillips with Fitness Magazine says, "Compared to plain milk, water, or most sports drinks, it has double the carbohydrate and protein content, perfect for replenishing tired muscles. Its high water content replaces fluids lost as sweat, preventing dehydration. Plus it packs a nutritional bonus of calcium, and includes just a little sodium and sugar -- additives that help recovering athletes retain water and regain energy. "

Good to know, right?  Rockin' Refuel is just that.  It tastes great; pretty much like a more dense chocolate milk.  With 20g of protein, I was super full.  I had it just after lunch & wasn't hungry until dinner.  I usually want to just go to sleep after I exercise hard, but I felt energetic.  That's pretty important for a mom of 2 under 5! I would definietly get this product in the future.  Protein is so key to overall health!

Rockin' Refuel is available in the dairy section at Walmart or at RockinRefuel.com.  

Also, we are doing a little giveaway, so follow all the steps in the widget below to enter!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Just One of Those Days

Today was one of those days.  Feeling a little down and emotional.  (Insert Monica "Just one of dem days that a girl goes through...")  It's been a super cloudy day & I started the day with some super sad news from a friend.  I think the tone of the day was set from then on.  Probably a bunch of PMS.  When I feel like that, I like to bake things for my kids.  They smile, I smile.  Win win.

So, I decided  to make one those cute little bundt cake pumpkins.  I got the idea from Country Living Magazine:

 I found the picture on the left on Pinterest.  Not sure where it originated from.   I have a little mini bundt cake pan.  It's like a cupcake tin, but all bundts.  Super cute for the kids.  

It was easy to make them:

1)  Just bake the bundts 

2) Let them cool

3) Put a little frosting in between 2 of them

4) Stick them together

5) This was the tricky part for me: getting that frosting on there!  I slathered on a ton of it, but it still didn't cover the whole pumpkin.  

Oh well, the kids loved them & they made me giggle.

We all had plans as a family to go somewhere together, but I was just not in the mood to see a bunch of people.  I just wanted to stay at home with my little sweetheart girl & carve a pumpkin.

We decided to go to Wal-Mart to pick our big ole pumpkin.  On the way this song came on:

It's like the perfect song for a bummer kind of day when you just need to remember the good stuff.  I love it.

When we got there we shared a Happy Meal at McDonalds:

We had the best time.  She wanted me to video her singing one of her favorite songs, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

This girl is such a little sunshine:

I asked her what she wanted her Jack-O-Lantern to look like.  She said, "A mean face with fire!"  OK done:

Such a sweet time with my precious girl.  We need more girl time.  Totally cheered me up & I know it was good for her too because she rarely gets all my attention.

It's ok to hang back sometimes & just regroup.  To breathe.

Low Calorie Oatmeal Apple Raisin Muffins

This recipe is based on a recipe from Sun-Maid.  I changed a few things to make them a little healthier.

Low Calorie Oatmeal Apple Raisin Muffins

1/3 cup of raisins
1 cup cored, peeled, chopped apple
1/4 cup apple sauce (unsweetened)
3/4 cup almond milk
1 egg beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup of sugar
1 cup of whole oats (uncooked)
2 tsps baking powder
2 tsps ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs packed brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla


Preheat oven to 400.
Grease muffin tin.
Mix ingredients together.
Divide evenly into a 12 cup muffin tin.
Bake for 20 minutes watching that the sides do not over brown.
Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.

109 calories per muffin!

Are You Exercising Wrong? I Was!

So, apparently I've been exercising wrong for the past 4 weeks.  I was visiting a Body Attack class at my friend's gym & my ankles were killing me after all the jumping!  They had been bothering me already from doing the Insanity workouts, but it was feeling even worse.  So, I had to ask the instructors what they thought was causing it.  They told me that the tendency for a lot of people just starting out is to land on their tip toes instead of landing on their whole foot.  Insanity is pretty jumpy & that day of Body Attack was majorly jumpy.  It was crazy!  I am not there yet.  

Anyway, it's the Achilles tendon that is sore & inflamed.  Check out this from Web MD:

- - -


What Can Cause Achilles Tendon Injuries?

• Overuse

• Stepping up your level of physical activity too quickly

• Not stretching enough before exercise

• Wearing high heels, which increases the stress on the tendon

• Problems with the feet. An Achilles tendon injury can result from flat feet, also known as fallen arches or overpronation. In this condition, the impact of a step causes the arch of your foot to collapse, stretching the muscles and tendons.

• Muscles or tendons in the leg that are too tight

- - -

Ok, almost every single thing on that list is a possible cause for me.  I have never worked out this much & started very abruptly exercising almost every single day since.  Insanity does not have you stretch before each workout, but about 15 minutes in.  Not sure if that was part of it?  I also wear heals often & have no arches; at all.  Ha!  

Here's a list of symptoms from the Web MD:

- - -

What Does an Achilles Tendon Injury Feel Like?

• Pain along the back of your foot and above your heel, especially when stretching your ankle or standing on your toes. In tendinitis, pain may be mild and worsen gradually. If you rupture the tendon, pain can be abrupt and severe.

• Tenderness

• Swelling

• Stiffness

• Hearing a snapping or popping noise during the injury

• Difficulty flexing your foot or pointing your toes (in complete tears of the tendon)

- - -


If this sounds familiar to you, you may want to get it checked out just to be sure.  Protect yourself from a more serious injury.  

I'm sure the main thing, for me, is all the jumping & my ankles are just freaking out.  So, I had one of the instructors kind of demonstrate how to correctly land.

Here are some tips from sportsmedicine.about.com:

- - -

How to learn proper landing technique:

• Begin with a thorough warm up, and use the Glute Activation Routine to get the glutes firing prior to practicing jumping and landing drills

• Initiate small (1-2 inch jumps), land as softly and quietly as possible, and sink deeply into the landing.

• Land with your whole foot and keep your weight evenly distributed from heel to toes. Avoid landing only on the balls of your feet.

• Ensure your knees are tracking over your foot and not caving in or falling outward)

• Shift your weight back over your heels. Your knees should remain behind your toes during the movement.

• Focus on the glutes (review the safe squat technique) throughout the movement.

• Over several weeks, and with your trainer's guidance, increase the height of your jumps to a 12 inch box.

• Follow your trainer's lead regarding reps and sets, but consider performing 2-3 sets x 6-10 reps. Do this 3 times each week or more as instructed.

• Jumping drills can be intense, so stop when your form fails, your lower body fatigues, or you have any aches or pains. It does more harm than good to practice this drills with poor or sloppy form.

- - -

Here's a video of a pre-workout stretch to do to avoid injury:

Here is a video demonstrating the proper way to land:

Hope this is helpful!  I wish I'd come across this information sooner.

Love you!!

Some Laughs for You

When you & your best friend hear that song you like:





Fear of pineapple:



First time you try Nutella:



Funny improv:



Hope that made you smile this Tuesday! xoxoxo

Low Calorie Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

These taste so awesome & they are only 125 calories each.  You could eat them for a dessert or for breakfast or add frosting.  They are also super easy to make!

LOW CALORIE CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN CUPCAKES:

Preheat your oven to 350.

Prepare your muffin tin with paper or cooking spray.

Mix together 1 box of Devil's Food cake mix (I used one from Aldi's), 1 15 oz can of pumpkin purée, about 60 semi-sweet chocolate chips & 1 tsp of vanilla.

Fill 8 equal cupcake spaces.  I kept it even by using an spring-loaded ice cream scoop.  They should be about 3/4 full.

Cook for 18 minutes (or so).

Check with a toothpick to see if your yummies are fully cooked.  (It should come out clean.)

I didn't use paper cups because I was giving them to my kids & it's just easier for me.  So, I used a spoon to pop the cupcakes out once they had cooled for 10 minutes.  

They were awesome.  I may have had 2 for breakfast. 

¡Tacos Sobre Polenta!

Polenta!  Have you tried it?  I bought it the other day & it has sat in my cabinet while I thought about how to use it.  I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I figured with corn as a base, something taco-like sounded good.

One very cool thing about polenta is that 2 1/2 inch slices are just 70 calories.  Motivating.

So, I started gathering supplies: cilantro, salsa verde, shredded colby & monterey cheese, green onions & bell peppers.

Next, I just sliced the polenta & cooked it up in my griddle.

Eating the rainbow right here folks:

It was super good.  Even my husband liked it!  Just 343 calories for the whole dinner.

Then, I used the leftovers for breakfast.  Just added poached eggs, cheese, onions, cilantro & of course, salsa verde.  Just 224 calories.  Polenta, right?

Protein is My Secret Weapon!

The biggest obstacle for me, in eating less food, is that I feel hungry.  Which is especially a problem when I feel stressed, hormonal, or stay up too late & get the munchies.  I knew it was important to eat protein for a healthy diet, but I've never been all that into protein.  

I freaking love carbs.  

Lately though, I've been keeping better track of what I'm eating & trying to take in less.  So, I've been adding protein to help curb my appetite.  Then, I added WAY more & didn't even use up all my calories.  Woo hoo!  Protein is my new secret weapon.

I've stocked up on 2 different kinds of protein powders (to add to my smoothies), greek yogurt, tilapia, a couple different types of protein bars, tuna, oatmeal, eggs, all kinds of stuff.  It is totally helping me!  

Then, I pair those proteins with fruits, vegetables & some grains & I don't feel the need to eat so many carbs. I can eat less, but feel more full.  

So, I'm making it my business to find out which foods are the highest in protein.  That way I can make sure I'm getting enough to be satisfied & calm about food.  

Here's a little cheat sheet of some great high protein foods: 

I like to make cute little graphics to encourage myself.  It makes me happy.

Are you working toward a more healthy lifestyle?  What efforts are you making?  What's working for you?  I'd love to hear about it!  Email me!

The Surprise Wedding

Have you seen this yet?

It's such an awesome story!  

H A P P Y  F R I D A Y ! 

I Wanna Be A Fit Mama: Catching Up!

*Disclaimer:  I am not selling any products & I'm also not being sold any or paid in any way.  My husband bought Insanity online months ago, so I decided to try it.  All opinions are my own.

Boy!  I have been so pooped from all this exercise, that I have been falling asleep each night and not keeping up with blogging!  Forgive me.  I need to keep up with it to keep myself honest with you, but also with myself.  

Here is how I've been eating lately:

9/30:

10/1/13:

10/2/13:

10/3/13:

Kinda blew it some today.

I was feeling really stressed out & had a cookie binge!!!  LORDY!!  490 calories of cookies!!!  (It was pretty yummy though)  Anyway, I do not want to lean on cookies when I feel stressed.  I want to lean on JESUS when I feel stressed.  That's what I want to learn.  

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary & burdened, & I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you & learn from me, for I am gentle & humble in heart, & you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy & my burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

The last few days I have been dragging.  I'm finding it hard to finish the Insanity workouts.  They are pretty intense.  Let me give you an idea what's it's like:

I'm going to keep at it though because I want to be a fit mama.  I want to have energy, be healthier & set a good example for my kids.  See you soon!