Find My Phone…
Hey guys!
Checking in with a little post inspired by pictures on my phone. But first… Did you enter my giveaway?! Check it out in this post and enter to win a Lotus Face Scrub + Eye Cream from AlumierMD. Giveaway open to Canadian residents excluding Quebec only; I’ll pick a winner Tuesday and announce via social media Wednesday!
Okay. You ready for this blend of goodness?! Let’s do it.
Well said, Joy and Claire! The girls from Girls Gone WOD Podcast sharing some truth again – fitness is so much more than feeling lean or seeing abs or what you weigh. I’m experiencing this more than ever with pregnancy and it’s very freeing to watch my body grow and stretch and gain weight on the scale but focus on what I can DO – and the same is true for you, injured or not, pregnant or not, frustrated with your progress or feeling great.
I shared this decadent delight on my Instagram feed – are you following me over there? It’s my favorite form of sharing inspiration, workouts, and life!
You’ve got to try this smoothie. It’s higher calorie but would be great post-workout if you’re watching carbs and sugar! Your body will use it right up. And there’s nothing “weird” in this one like hidden veggies or additional things to make it taste “off!” I’m using my favorite, Chocoalte BiPro Protein Powder, for the additional protein boost – you can read more about them here!
As for the dates, I’m starting to eat them more now as I’m in my third trimester (can you believe it?!) as they are said to:
Have intact membranes upon admission to the hospital
Go into labor spontaneously
Avoid pitocin
And have a shorter first phase of labor
(according to this study)
While exploring Mama Natural’s post about dates and labor (and further exploring on her website), I learned that researchers found that:
“Date fruit contains saturated and unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids, which are involved in saving and supplying energy and construction of prostaglandins. In addition, serotonin, tannin, and calcium in date fruit contribute to the contraction of smooth muscles of the uterus. Date fruit also has a laxative effect, which stimulates uterine contractions.”
Plus, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence about dates and labor, and they taste great, so why not have a few a day? Although I’m still only creeping up on 29 weeks and still have more time to go, I’m having just a few a day. Towards the end I’ll up that to 6 dates a day, but for now I’m mindful of their sugar content (even though they’re natural and have a lower glycemic index than sugar like just licorice!) and loved incorporating dates into my smoothie above. Give it a shot – it’s chocolatey and super refreshing!
Speaking of the third trimester…here’s a little bump update!
My varicose veins are coming in hot and heavy on my left leg only, but my midwives weren’t too concerned about them. I’m wearing compression when I can (which should be more often; in this heat I just tend to opt for shorts and no shoes/compression socks!) and trying to be mindful of putting my feet up and not being on them all the time. It sounds like for many women they disappear after pregnancy and aren’t in my family as far as I know (at least my mom doesn’t have them; mom – did grandma?). I know this means I can have them later in life, but what I can I say/do? Guess my veins are just taking a beating as my blood flow doubles!
Something I’m loving this summer is fresh fruit, and the fact that we actually have a producing (and flourishing, in this heat, I think) fruit tree in our backyard!
Apricots for the win!
I’m also loving having Mikey back – he’s been helping lead trips while teaching new facilitators and time at home alone sure allows me to connect with friends and have new adventures, but I sure miss him! We’ve done a few fun things this summer together despite not having much time together:
Kayak trips – putting in right at our house with our new boats!
Any roadtrip with this guy is one of my favorite uses of time!
And we’re anticipating another kayaking trip this weekend with friends!
Biking trips downtown and on paths, oftentimes to movies.
One thing that’s helped while he’s been away? Paddleboarding with friends like Sally from Wholistic Health YYC (an awesome friend and source of knowledge and inspiration for me!), camping with friends, connecting in the evenings with people I haven’t seen in a while, and that visit from my mom! Forever on my phone from a few weeks ago are a few photos from our highlights:
Gym visits!
My strong mom!
And lots more regular moments and undocumented times together like driving around town to look at rugs and tables and lamps, biking on the paths to breakfast, doing yard work together… It was such a gift to have her (and my dad earlier in June!) here this summer, especially with Mikey away so much.
Sometimes our weekends together are filled with a bit of disappointment, as we can’t control everything that happens to us…
Let me first say that the baby and I are fine! And actually everyone in the crash is too – not even a scratch. I shared this experience a few weekends ago on Facebook but haven’t blogged about it yet! The thing is, outdoor adventures come with an element of risk, & life is always outside of our control. You expect a bit of turbulence when it comes to planning trips & anticipate that things like wild weather add craziness – & sometimes hardship – that can make for a more meaningful trip. However, cancelling our Survive & Thrive donor appreciation rafting trip due to a car accident on a gravel road is NOT what we could have expected this weekend.
Scott, Jerry & I were running the car shuttle while the others got the raft ready at the put-in & were on our way back to join them. An old 4-runner came screaming down a hill on our side of the road around a blind corner and skidded into us when their brakes locked. A huge thanks to Jerry for quick thinking & slowing down so much and avoiding a head-on collision, but they still nicked the side of the car & pushed us over the edge. One & a half slow, very surreal rolls later, we sat in silence down the embankment but we’re all okay – barely a scratch. It was a comedy of errors getting off the 50 km gravel road (more than one flat tire, some hiking for part of the group, no way to communicate) & back to our group with no cell coverage for at least an hour in either direction of where we were.
Finally, a bear hang out session, dinner at 11:30 pm in the ER & finding the last rooms available in a hotel later, we all made it in to Radium for the police report and were checked out at the hospital.
We’re all fine (including baby ! Stress test, ultrasound & lots of baby kicks!) & it could have been so, so much worse – God clearly was with us in the midst of a scary moment.
It is hard to understand why things happen sometimes, & why a weekend of so much prep, planning & anticipation ended up with us all returning home to only unpack the gear and head our separate ways. Mikey & I felt defeated on the drive home for many reasons, but as a friend put it, what a blessing that the only casualty was our trip. And you just never know what can happen in life, right? The next day was the day we did our kayaking adventure and that was some neat redemption for us.
That’s about it from my phone for any updates. Enter that giveaway, Canadian friends, and thanks for reading! Any updates YOU GUYS want to share? Please do so in the comments below! Have a great week.
Live well & be well,
Bonnie