To pee or not to pee, that is the question. 

I realized that I haven't given an update on my pregnancy since the 10 week mark, so I thought I was due to share my current experiences and cravings at 21 weeks. Especially because my body and feelings have changed a lot since then. 

Can I just say that the second trimester is sooooooo much more enjoyable than the first trimester.  I have no idea what the third trimester has to offer, but boy am I going to ride this joyous roller coaster until then.  

Currently, I am going about my day like normal, cooking dinner, preparing lunches for the week, moving my body when I can, and just enjoying the marvelous changes my body is going through. It's still strange that I have no desire to drink coffee (since I couldn't go a day without it before pregnancy), so green tea is my new current addiction.  I like mine with a little bit of honey and almond milk, yum! We have made some new purchases and investments, and are doing small things here and there to prepare for the new adventure coming in June!  There's nothing like a new baby to push you to get house projects done. Thanks Baby K for the extra motivation :). 

My goal or pregnancy "plan" is to have an unmedicated birth, so I did invest in hiring a local Doula, who will prepare and support me and my husband with trying to make my birthing "plan" happen (fingers crossed). If you haven't heard of Doulas or have no idea what they do, definitely check them out because the amount of positive support and education they can give you is amazing!  Below is just a small update with some events that are happening now to best fit our needs as preparing to be a bigger family! 

MOVEMENT/ EXERCISES:

• prenatal workout class once a week (Fit4Mom)
• lift free-weights, 4-8 lbs, to do various functional movements throughout my house or while I'm watching HGTV (squats, lunges, bicep curls, bridges, arm circles, arm raises, etc.) 
• walk whenever I can either outside or on the treadmill 

CRAVINGS: 

• regular + sweet potatoes
• cooked sushi (the only time I will eat seafood it seems)
• noodle or pasta dishes (loving lentil + black bean noodles)
• egg sandwiches + poached eggs
• spring rolls
• popcorn with real butter or olive oil + garlic salt 
• Baked Ranch Sourdough Pretzels (click for recipe)
• Almond butter + Jelly Overnight Oats (click for recipe) 
• Berry Vanilla Protein Museli (click for recipe)
• dark chocolate paired with fruit + almonds
• fresh Gouda + mozzarella cheese
• smoked chicken wings and ribs (that good ole' man meat!)
• green tea lattes from Starbucks 

BODY CHANGES + FEELINGS:

• belly is growing (so fun!)
• butt is growing (hello, new underwear)
• some pregnancy acne (comes and goes)
• feeling more and more like a superhero (the bigger I get) 
• sex is amazing when your pregnant ;)
• energized (but naps are still my friend)
• overwhelmed with gratitude 

NEW PURCHASES:

• antique dresser/changing table (Letgo App is amazing!) 
• paint for the nursery (Behr)
• decals for the nursery crib wall (Etsy)
• Doula services (I need all the support I can get)
• 2 pairs of maternity pants (Motherhood)

PROJECTS TO GET DONE BEFORE BABY ARRIVAL:

• finish nursery, obviously :)
• remodel our master + other full bathroom (they're 25 years old)
• declutter the entire house (it's really fun guys!)
• finish baby registry (tedious, but necessary)

Hopefully I will have one more pregnancy update before sweet little Baby K arrives in June.  Thanks for allowing me to share my pregnancy updates.  These blog posts are a fun way for me to journal about my experience, so our future little girl and I have something to look back on to treasure always. 

​
                           Still craving everything, 
                                             Jillian 

Peanut butter and jelly is probably the greatest combination of all time.  The nutty and creamy texture of any nut butter paired with a sweet and fruity spread is a perfect union.

I don't know about you, but my memory immediately travels back to my childhood as soon as I hear about these two delicious condiments.  I loved eating PB + J sandwiches with a large, cold glass a milk and a bag of Utz potato chips, yummy! 

This breakfast is hearty and fueling with healthy fats like nut butter, to keep you satiated, and chia seeds, to add some much needed protein! Not only is this delicious breakfast a healthy and simple meal, but it may even take you down memory lane to when you would eat PB + J sandwiches on the regular :).

Feel free to use any nut butter or jelly with this recipe, get creative! *When choosing a jelly or jam, make sure the first ingredient is FRUIT. 

Happy breakfasting! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of rolled oats (I use Bob's Red Mill Rolled Oats) 
• 1 cup of almond milk, or any milk
• 1/4 cup almond butter, or any nut butter
• 2 tbsp. chia seeds (I use Bob's Red Mill)
• 4 tbsp. strawberry jelly (I use Crofter's Organic Strawberry)  *add extra jelly if you prefer really sweet
• 2 handfuls of raspberries, or any berries

1.  In a large bowl, mix rolled oats, almond milk, almond butter, and chia seeds together using a whisk. 

2.  Next, divide this mixture into 2 separate mason jars or containers.

3.  Then, top each container of oats with 2 tbsp. of jelly and a handful of raspberries. 

4.  Lid both jars or containers, and let sit overnight in the refrigerator to set and chill.


Mix ingredients altogether before eating and enjoy this fun, healthy breakfast! 


                           Always craving good food,
                                           Jillian 

It's about effort, not being perfect. 
​
After working a long day, the last thing you want is to put together an elaborate meal that is not only delicious but healthy too.  Well I'm here to spread the good news that you don't have to compromise on the "healthy" part to get a nutritious meal on the table in a hurry.

During the busy work week, I would rather spend more time relaxing and chillin' with the family, than spending an hour in the kitchen preparing a balanced dinner.  If you're like me, and are in desperate need of some "dinner shortcuts," then I hope I can help you out.  

Listed below are my favorite 12 HEALTHY DINNER SHORTCUTS, with meal ideas included, to help you lessen your cooking time and greater your chillin' time :)  

1.  Rotisserie chicken
Meal Ideas: Chicken salad wraps or sandwiches; Chicken over salad greens and dressing, Chicken pasta with spinach; Chicken stir-fry; Chicken with some vegetables and a baked potato

2.  Chicken sausages
Meal Ideas: Chicken sausage with some veggies and tater tots; Sliced chicken sausage on a homemade pizza; Chicken sausage on toasted sourdough with onions, mustard and a side veggie; Sliced chicken sausage in your veggie pasta with some marinara sauce

3.  Eggs
Meal Ideas: Veggie and feta omelet; Fried egg wrap or sandwich with bacon, spinach and tomato; Poached eggs with sauteed spinach and tater tots; Veggie egg scramble; Hard-boiled eggs on salad greens and dressing

4.  Applegate chicken tenders
Meal Ideas: Chicken tenders with baked potato/tater tots and some sauteed veggies; Sliced chicken tenders over salad greens and dressing; Chicken tender wrap with some hot sauce, ranch and spinach
​
5.  Applegate deli meat
Meal Ideas: Deli meat sandwich on toasted sourdough with favorite condiments and spinach; Hot sandwich (bake whole sandwich in the oven for 8 minutes at 400 degrees) and add condiments; Deli meat wrap with tomatoes, onions and spinach; Deli meat over salad greens and dressing

6.  Canned tuna 
Meal Ideas:  Tuna salad with celery and mayo and/or mustard; Tuna salad sandwich on toasted bread with spinach; Tuna salad over salad greens and dressing

7.  Prechopped, spiralized or frozen vegetables 
Meal Ideas: Serve as a side dish with your protein of choice; Chicken vegetable stir-fry; Veggie pasta or add to chicken pasta with olive oil and garlic or marinara sauce; Serve steamed with some shredded cheese and a baked potato; Serve spiralized veggie noodles with your favorite marinara sauce

8.  Organic soups  
Meal Ideas: Serve with a grilled cheese, hot sandwich, tuna salad sandwich, deli meat wrap or small salad and dressing

9.  Baked Potatoes (bake + leave it for 1 hour at 400 degrees)
Meal Ideas: Pizza potato by adding your favorite pizza toppings; Taco potato by adding your favorite taco toppings; Serve with butter and a bowl of steamed broccoli, carrots and cauliflower

10. Spinach
Meal Ideas: Spinach salad with chicken or boiled eggs; Saute or microwave until wilted to serve with your choice of protein; Veggie pasta by tossing in spinach at the very end so it wilts perfectly; Spinach, tomato and feta omelet or egg scramble

11. Minute rice or Boil-in-bag rice 
Meal Ideas: Veggie stir-fry with rice, rotisserie chicken and coconut aminos or soy sauce; Serve as a side dish with your choice of protein and veggie; Chicken taco bowl with rice, rotisserie chicken, salsa, chopped spinach, shredded cheese and guacamole 

12. Pasta (Lentil, chickpea, brown rice, black bean or whole grain) 
Meal Ideas: Chicken spaghetti by mixing pasta, marinara sauce, spinach and rotisserie chicken; Veggie pasta by mixing pasta, olive oil, garlic and lots of veggies; Macaroni + cheese by mixing pasta, lots of shredded cheese, chopped spinach, garlic powder and a little almond milk for creaminess 

I hope these healthy shortcuts are able to help reduce your cooking time in the kitchen and increase your play time!  Please comment below to share your favorite dinner shortcuts.  


                        Always craving good food,
                                         Jillian 

“You have a story and your story is your gift.”
                                   -Grant Faulkner 

Before I thoroughly dive into the dramatic changes that infertility has done for me and my family, let me first describe how my story will be told.   

I have categorized my story based on specific elements in my life, money, happiness, movement, love, food, relationships, and home.  Doing it this way allows me to explicitly explain the impact that infertility has had on my whole lifestyle.  "Infertility Sucks?" seemed like a very appropriate title to my story because it actually does suck.  But, like any challenging event in my life I will eventually find a silver lining, a path for learning and growth.  If I could give anyone advice about dealing with a "sucky" experience, I would tell others to be intentional in finding ways to make yourself happy every day.  YOU and only YOU have the power to make yourself live a sad life or a really happy one.  

MONEY
 
Infertility = cha-ching $
 
"Infertility is cheap," said no one ever.  This experience made me even more mindful of my budgeting. It made me look carefully at my monthly, weekly, and daily expenses and spending. Luckily for me,  my husband made this amazing Excel spreadsheet that lays out all of our expenses and bills. The problem was that I had only looked at this beautifully organized spreadsheet once in my life.  Over the three years we have lived together I should have referred back to this resource at least once to reflect or reevaluate our expenses.  Well fortunately for us our new infertility bills had led to me to finally reflect and reevaluate our expenses (like I should have done to begin with).

My priorities were changing and it was time to adjust my monetary life to decide what was worth keeping and what was not. To make a long story short, I sold my "new" used SUV (which had a large monthly payment) and traded it in for an older car ($100 less than my previous car's monthly payment). I started selling furniture that never got used in our house in yard sales and on an app called Letgo, which was extremely freeing!  I planned our family's meals for the week very carefully making sure only to spend what we needed at the grocery store. Let it be known that I don’t skimp on buying the best, real food ingredients :).   

In addition to all of these changes I also had stopped my careless shopping habits.  See blog post on simple strategies that helped me shop less.

​My shopping habits involved visiting Target and Marshall's monthly to buy new clothes or decorations for the house.  These things that I bought I didn't really need, it was just a thrill to purchase new items.  All of these changes that I had made seemed to develop nicely into a strategic plan to spend my money in the most intentional way possible. Infertility clinics are expensive and my lifestyle had to change to adjust to this new future baby bill. It felt good to take control of my money, so it was being used purposely to make my life better.
 
HAPPINESS 
 
My idea of getting pregnant: It's this magical experience of it “just happening” naturally on it's own.  
 
This wonderful vision I had of how I would get pregnant just didn’t happen for me. When you're infertile it actually takes a lot of practice and commitment mentally and physically.  Like anything in life, when things don’t come natural to you, you have to make an effort to practice and have patience that all of your hard work will pay off.  Unfortunately, I only have so much control over my body's functions (what goes on inside) and my patience was wearing thin due to daily injections of medication and the emotional stress of it all. The injections weren’t that bad physically, but after two to three months of your body not responding the way you wanted, it finally takes a toll on you.  The injections were starting to take control of my travel experiences too. 

When my body was getting to a certain point (close to ovulation), it had to be carefully monitored and leaving the local area wasn’t an option.  Luckily for me I only had to cancel one trip with some girlfriends due to this experience.  And let’s face it, the monotonous injection routine every night at 6 p.m. was no fun either.  The more I received injections the more I thought about how I’m never getting pregnant. These negative thoughts consumed my mind even though I consider myself a pretty positive person.  Apparently, infertility was trumping my happy thoughts.
 
But here comes the silver lining! These daily injections changed my outlook on finding daily happiness. Because I dreaded these injections, it forced me to structure my day to include lots of daily activities that brought me joy. At first it was difficult, because it meant saying “no” to people.  Saying “no” to people is hard when all you ever want to do is please people and be liked.  I never realized just how much I had said “yes” to people, practically 90% of the time. 

Before infertility, I would attend all types of events and parties without thinking twice about it. I’m talking about birthday parties, LuLaRoe parties, late night group dates of drinking and eating, committee functions at school, and the list goes on and on.  I never thought that a measly five minutes of my day of injecting medicine would be so spiritually and emotionally depleting.  This daily depletion of happiness had to be replenished with incorporating more things that made me feel good.  My new plan was that if I was asked or invited to attend something, it had to be a “hell yes” or I would just say “no thank you”.  From here on out I had decided that I would only do things that brought me joy. I felt empowered and excited for this new person I was becoming.
 
MOVEMENT 
 
My workout habit turned into this idea that I had to maintain a tight, defined stomach so I felt confident in my body and looked good around others. 
 
I was a stickler for my three day HIIT workout routine and nothing was going to get in the way of that.  Working out made me feel strong, sexy and energized.  But my extreme HIIT routine was no longer helping my body or my hormones in this season of my life, but stressing them out instead. 

It was time for me to slow it down. Which is really difficult to do when you live a go-go-go kind of lifestyle. The new plan was that I had to stop my intense routine and find more relaxing ways of getting my sweat on.  My new movement routine would consist of low-intense workout moves, lots of walking, random push-ups and squats throughout the day, and some monkey bar climbing with my students at recess time. This change in my daily routine transformed me emotionally and physically. I gained about 10 pounds and still felt confident and sexy.  I no longer stressed about my aesthetics of having to maintain the leanest stomach.  My workout routine went from go-go-go in a short amount of time to being intentionally active throughout my whole day.  Stress relieving movements were part of my day now and that made me feel good while still keeping myself strong. 

Slowing down forces you to pay attention to EVERYTHING. I began to realize that there was way more value to that story of The Tortoise and the Hare.  Slowing down and changing my routine showed me how to appreciate a simple neighborhood walk, being mindful of how I felt, what I saw, the beauty of nature, and friendly exchanges with people. Whereas before I was focused on just pushing my physical limits in a thirty minute time frame. I transformed from a workout robot to an observer, listener, and being more mindful of my surroundings; truly appreciating the world around me and my body way more than I ever had before. 
 
LOVE 
 
When a partner supports you in all of your glorious personalities, that is true love.
 
I’ve always known that there is true power in communication, but boy do you really need it more than ever when your hormones are acting all kinds of crazy.  Unfortunately, I can’t control what my hormones do when they are being medicated, but I CAN control being open about how I am feeling.  My advice on dealing with any difficult event is to talk to your partner about all of your feelings, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Allow yourself to cry, be mad, or act crazy, just as long as you are open and honest.  You need to give your partner the chance to at least attempt to understand how you're feeling, so he or she can be your #1 emotional cheerleader.  Don't be fearful of your feelings, LET THEM OUT! 
 
FOOD 
 
If your body craves it, cook it!
 
I have one body to live in and I will treat it with respect.  That includes putting real, or as close to real foods as possible in my body.  Eating real, whole foods make me feel energized and happy. Eating good food brings me joy, so dieting or restricting myself would be a severe punishment.  It's so vital to fuel your body to do the amazing things it’s capable of doing, like walking, jumping, and having children (women rock!). 

I really didn't understand how complicated getting pregnant was until it happened to me. Luckily, the nice doctor at my fertility clinic was able to break it down in terms I understood. Holy cow! There are so many things that have to go perfect in order for you to make a baby. It’s amazing how I am even alive here today with ten fingers and toes.  Ladies, our bodies are truly magical beings.  Forget the unicorns, because women are the real majestic ones! Bottom line, eat what will fuel your body to do what it does best, thrive! 
 
RELATIONSHIPS 
 
Hormones control most of our body’s functions. They can make you feel really good or really bad, make you lose or gain weight.  They can even make you feel angry, which may lead to the worst case of word-vomit ever. Let’s just say that through this fertility process I started to feel more confident about myself, and less about how anyone else felt.  I was getting bolder and braver by the minute and beginning to not give a sh*t of what other people thought of me. The great thing was that my true friends understood what I was going through and forgave me when my mouth decided to run away with itself.  Throughout life you will lose friends and gain friends, and this process really sheds light on the people around you.  It sheds a bright light to help you spot the people you want in your life and the people you don’t.   

Being open about my infertility made my true friendships even stronger, as well as introduced to me a whole new community of positive-minded people.  Being honest and real about my ups and downs led others to share their stories and experiences. Connection to others is a wonderful thing.  A sense of community and connection is what helped me stay sane and hopeful during this experience.  Keep and build upon relationships that will only make you become your best self. 
 
HOME 
 
Cleaning bathrooms, laundry, cooking, dusting, vacuuming, fixing, and maintaining are all glorious parts of owning a home.  Owning a home is an amazing feeling of both comfort and joy.  It's the space that you get to create and customize to match your needs, wants and pleasures.  It's the place where you can entertain, as well as try to impress others with your decorative taste and all the cool stuff you have in your house (my feelings about impressing others with our stuff have changed completely now).  What I didn't know about being a homeowner before it happened to me is that it's actually a lot of work, mentally and physically.  

Whether you have a small or a large living space, it can be very stressful to manage and maintain that space (if we let it).  I had found that over the few years we had been living in our home we had acquired lots of stuff. 

Some of this stuff sat in a room, closet, boxes or shelf for months or even years just collecting dust. Some of this stuff we used everyday and had a purpose in our lives. But why were we holding on to the dust-collecting and unused stuff?  We realized there were several reasons why...

Reasons like not wanting to hurt the feelings of people who had gifted things to us.  We kept a lot of stuff because we thought that maybe one day we would use it (but we never did).  We also held on to stuff because some were family heirlooms that had been passed down generation after generation and we felt guilty saying "no".  This is why it made the process of letting go of our stuff very difficult.  

What I have learned during this journey is that STUFF = STRESS.  Think about it, the more stuff you have, the more you have to maintain, clean, and worry about.  The solution seemed simple to me.  Let's GET RID OF STUFF that has no purpose in our life.  Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong!  This process was challenging and still is.  Living intentionally requires constant questioning and reflecting.  I am very proud to say that after six months of selling, donating, and getting rid of stuff that served no purpose in our lives we are now living a much happier and stress-free life. This journey will never be finished or perfect, but we are enjoying the process of letting go! 

Hopefully all of my rambling has helped you get a much better understanding of how even the suckiest of experiences can lead to a much more meaningful and happier life.  Whether you are going through the same journey as me, or you are dealing with other not so favorable events, remember that there is great growth and learning that comes with every life experience.  It all depends on how YOU decide to handle it.  


                             Much love,
                                     Jillian 

I've listened to your needs and wants to create a simple solution for your dinner plans this week or future weeks.  I know your time is precious, but health is of most importance. I only hope to help you simplify your cooking time without compromising the health, nutritional balance and taste of your food. The meals provided for you in the eBook are fan favorites that the whole family can enjoy! Not only will you get 4 simple recipes, but a complete grocery list including all the ingredients needed to make these tasty meals for the whole week. 

Click to get your free eBook A SIMPLE DINNER WEEK! 

Please let me know how your recipes turned out by tagging me on your Instagram photos at the.clean.and.simple.life or #jilliankraves.  Join our health tribe on Facebook too, to either post and/or read other healthy recipes to support a healthy + happy lifestyle! 

Happy cooking lovelies! 

                               xoxo
                                  Jillian