A HEALTHY & HEARTY Thanksgiving!

So, if you're like me...you LOVE the holidays and most importantly the food that comes along with it! Let's be real..it's all about the food.

I mentally prepare myself and my body. "Okay Alyssa..just drink water for breakfast because you know THAT lunch at 12 is going to be the bomb diggity and you are going to go cray cray on Grandma's cranberry salad." "Alright, Lys, you aren't feeling sluggish yet so you definitely have room for another helping of mashed potatoes."  Like, seriously..the things that go through my head! LOLZ. And then I usually end up laying on a couch somewhere in my house, lethargically chatting with family, practically asleep (for the record, some of my family members do sleep - it's hilarious!)

But is that really what I should do?? Should I really gorge myself like that over the holidays? Probs not. SO - I've come up with a holiday game plan to help me enjoy myself but not go crazy and to help me pace myself so I don't become a sleepy, sluggish, bloated mess...because nobody wants that.

In this blog you'll find my plans for a Healthy and Hearty Thanksgiving! If you're the host - You can make these things for your guests - JUST as delicious and even more healthy. If you're following the 21 day fix plan (or just trying to be a clean eater) I have a nice meal plan set up for you here!


The most important part of the entire holidays?? DRINK DRINK DRINK DRINK Water!!!

All of these recipes/food ideas/portion control options came from a simple search on pinterest! IT is indeed POSSIBLE to have a healthy holiday season :)
Let's do this :) I literally just typed in "21 Day Fix Thanksgiving" and this entire page of options popped up!
You can look at these recipes under my "thanksgiving" section on my recipes page.

Turkey:
Crockpot Turkey Breast! This is great!! I'm so excited to have found a recipe that's EASY and healthy for you!!! YUM. Crockpot Turkey Recipe

Mashed Potatoes:
Skinny Smashed Potatoes - recipe here


Side Dishes:
Roasted Parmesan Green Beans - find the recipe here :)

Dessert:
There's no holiday without some dessert. Here is some HEALTHY pumpkin pie that looks and IS delicious! :) Pumpkin Pie here!

Here's an encouraging and motivating video from Autumn Calabrese, the creater of the 21 day fix! :)

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Don't just "be"...BE.

Soo...I've been kinda silent. Especially on the blog front. I just had this low time of feeling like what I wanted to say or what I had to say were things that people didn't care about, didn't want to listen too. I really began questioning my purpose in this life - asking God what He wanted me to do, where He wanted me to be. A few questions like...

 - am I dreaming too big?
 - is this all life is?
 - What's my purpose?
 - what's the plan here dude?
 - is there more life than Kindergarten? (Seriously, I love it. BEST JOB EVER. but I don't want my life to revolve solely around school, the system, the requirements, the ridiculous and the amazingness that comes with being a teacher - I didn't want that to be the only thing that defined myself)

For those of you that have ever asked those questions, you know if can lead to a slippery slope. A slope that could be a depressing spiral downward into the daily motions of life, with no emotions or strings attached really. I could feel myself slowly getting there ...slowly just going day to day, surviving as a first year teacher, trying to deal with a tiny apartment, starting laundry and dinner as soon as I arrived home from work, cleaning on Saturdays, church on Sundays, and then lather. rinse. repeat. for the following week. I could feel myself longing for change again. For something different, not necessarily a new job, but a new home? A place we can fit?? A place where that Christmas tree that I LOVED to decorate will be able to be on display? (because this year it won't.)

But I'm over that hump - and I'm FINALLY balancing life again! I'm finally feeling like I can be a GREAT teacher, a GREAT wife, and a GREAT friend at the same time. It's super hard to balance adult life. I never realized it before...and I have a new appreciation for adults. ;)

How did I get over it?? Let me tell you - it took a little bit of work. I'm not going to lie, I was in a funk for a few weeks. But I honestly can tell you right now, that it had nothing to do with me. I give it all up to God who reminded me over and over and over again that I have a greater purpose here, that lives will be changed, that people will find pure happiness, and that somehow I'm involved in it. God showed me - in the simplest of ways (a note, a pedicure, an argument, a scripture, a sermon, in school, with my kinders, with my colleagues, with my best friends)  - that I have a purpose to teach kinders, to love others unconditionally, to help others get healthy, and to live this life to the fullest.

So..I've realized that you can never dream too big. I asked my sisters the other day, "If you could do anything you wanted with your life (money - no question), what would you do??" They answered great and wonderful things, life changing things.

My response..."Why aren't we doing that right now? What is stopping us??" Money always plays a factor, but there are ways to make it work, ways to make things feasible.

I decided that I'm not going to just "be". I'm going to BE, I'm going to work hard and dream big and make those dreams happen. My dream?? To teach, to make a matching income as a Beachbody coach, to be able to stay home with my kids if/when the time comes, to be able to help others become fit and healthy, to be able to buy my students that need things the things they need. TO HELP, TO LOVE, TO GIVE - money no question. I've seen other coaches rock this and fulfill their dreams. I'm going to do it too! I plan on it!

Step one: Order business cards. Check.

Step two: Dive HEAD ON, FULL THROTTLE into this tiny little baby-sized "sideshow" business that makes me a couple hundred bucks a month.

Let's do this.

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