Discovery | #lifewithsunday

In the past week two people I know have been diagnosed with cancer. Two healthy, strong, living-life-to-the-fullest people. In the past six months that number adds up to like, 6. Ugh... that's a lot. Cancer is a mean beast. And I pretty much hate it. So what do I do?

I turn my eyes to my daughter. Yesterday, we went to the park to celebrate the gorgeous weather. I watched her explore, discover and observe. I wanted to just be that mom holding her hand as she went down the slide and introducing her to new things… but I was so inspired by her I kept picking up my camera and pulling out my phone to snap pictures and take videos. The look on her face… the awe and wonder. It is just beautiful. I love it. I love her… I love the experiences I gain by watching her grow.

Sunday, baby... your favorite thing in the entire world (aside from nursing) is being outside and people watching. Doing both at the same time is heaven for you. I was almost brought to tears yesterday watching you discover people, colors, patterns, textures... personalities and interactions. It is the most touching thing, watching you learn. It brings me so much joy. Joy, despite the hard things swirling around us right now. You are this little light of mine. xoxo. I will always love you. Love, Mama

I am grateful for distractions. For beauty amongst the pain. For joy interwoven into the reality of living in a fallen world.

5 random things for this Monday (okay, maybe 6. or 7.)

Oh, gosh! SO much to share! I don't know where to start so I'm going to dive right in.

1. Today is the first day of the 30 Days of Juice challenge. Will you join us? Just commit to having one glass of freshly juiced fruits and/or veggies once a day. No fasting, no dieting. Just add a glass of juice to your day. Snap a picture and use hashtag #30daysofjuice on Instagram and Twitter. I'll be sharing the yummy recipes I discover throughout the month over on Instagram, so if you're not following me and you are interested in yummy juice recipes, add me! @sincerelylizinc

2. Speaking of social media! Have you heard of Vine? It's like, 3 days old. But... it is SO FUN! It's like Instagram but for videos. I've already posted a few videos and I can quickly see it becoming my new favorite form of social media! Download the app and sign in... and then follow me! Liz Cook. :)

3. On a less social media note... my Crossfit Box is starting another Paleo challenge for the month of February. This time, I have signed up. I'm nervous... but feeling challenged and ready to accomplish a month of eating a strict paleo diet. I want to share the journey with you all, but I haven't figured out what that will look like exactly. Weekly blog posts with what I ate and how I felt? I don't know... would that get annoying? I'm exploring options... but this is definitely something I want to be completely open and honest about here so be prepared for some more foodie posts coming up!

4. Just in case you missed the last blog post, Sincerely, Liz: Photography has our First Annual Professional Headshot Mini Session day coming up this Saturday! There are a few slots left so if you (or someone you know!) need a new professional headshot, contact me soon.

5. Also, are you following us on Pinterest? Chelsea has been pinning away some really great resources full of wedding inspiration, paleo foods, activities to do with your young babes, and more! Come over and follow us!

Oh... and I've got a little something' something' in the works for Valentine's Day... :) I'll be announcing the details of that later this week, so check back in a few days!

Happy Monday! Speaking of Monday... did you all catch the news that Sunday finally named her sock monkey? Oh, you guys... this is awesome.

His name is Monday!

(There has been some skepticism and I figured I should put it out there that Tommy, in fact, named the Monkey. But I think it's awesome and Sunday will think anything we say/do is awesome for the next few years... so we are rolling with it. :))

seeing beauty again | #gratituesday

These dogs have been less than enjoyable for me over the past year (maybe two?). I have had little to no compassion for them, very short patience, and quiet honestly, I think they have felt the same way about me. If it wasn't for Tommy, they probably would have run away forever and ever. (Instead they would run off during the day and come home at night to hang out with him. Every single day, guys. Every day.)

We finally invested in an invisible fence and they have learned their boundaries. They have stopped ignoring my commands and what do you know... I happen to give them bones a lot more often than I used to, too! Things are looking up!

And they are pretty good with Sunday, too. Hawkeye can't lick her enough and Traveler just avoids her (which is much better than the other option of telling Sunday how she really feels).

This past week my intern, Chelsea, snapped this shot of Traveler and posted it to Instagram. As I scrolled through my IG feed, it suddenly took my breath away. I forgot... how adorable she is. How much she is very much alive and well... and needs love and attention, too.

So this week we reached out with a little more effort. We've had a lot of doggy cuddling time and extra bones have been given during the day. Our relationship is on the upswing again and I'm feeling really good about that.

I'm grateful for these pups. They are so good... obedient, patient, and loving. Far from inconvenient or a burden - truly. I have a hard time remembering that. I'm thankful for my new perspective this week.

Join us for Gratituesday at heavenly homemakers!

Food Confessions | #wellness

If we are friends on Facebook, you have likely caught on that I share a lot about food on my timeline. I post things like information about the paleo diet, eating gluten free, and the lies I believe the government has told us for years about nutrition (i.e. fat is bad, sugar is not so bad - LIES!). I share these things because I follow a ton of food related Facebook pages and blogs... I follow them because I'm obsessed with food... Or, rather: I'm obsessed with my diet.

And, big confession: all of this roots in the truth that I am not happy with my body.

Now, I'm not writing this so people will respond and tell me I'm beautiful. So please don't do that. I am writing because I am on a journey and I want to share it with you. And seriously, I'm not the only one who isn't happy with her body so let's not pretend I am.

I want to be healthy and strong. And I am not as healthy and as strong as I would like to be. As I should be.

So this is my journey.

Sometimes (a lot of times), I find myself blaming society for raising us American kids with so much immediate gratification, indulgence, and really horrible food on the shelves in the grocery store. I want to blame my parents for giving me anything and everything I could have ever wanted before I even knew I wanted it. (They loved me so!) I want to point my finger and blame the people around me for raising me with bad habits and a lack of self-control.

But of course, it's no one's fault but my own.

Now, moment of truth: I'm a mom. And I do not have healthy eating habits. And it's time I face this issue of mine.

So, I stare into the mirror and ask "What will you change so that your daughter will not struggle like this?" I've said before that I really like (need) to focus on small steps. If I can change one thing at a time (maybe two), then I am more likely to find success in the future versus trying crash diets and huge overnight changes and failing repeatedly.

Because of what I share on Facebook and here on my blog, it's easy for people to assume that we eat paleo all the time, that we have a gluten free diet, and that we never drink soda. But the truth is, we still have a lot of bad eating habits and I share the research findings and interesting blog posts on social media because I am preaching to myself. I'm trying to learn, to take it all in, and ultimately to motivate myself to get my act together.

So here are our family truths:

• Eating paleo is always my goal around here, but we fail daily (see below). And Tommy is not really on board with the idea at all.
• I intend not to eat or serve starches at home (that includes rice, grains, and lentils, etc), but Tommy needs starches (both because he wants them and also because he is an endurance runner). So then I try not to eat the rice when I make it for him. But I always do.
• I believe gluten is bad for our bodies and we were not designed to eat it. But I purchase and we eat tortillas regularly. (I justify this by saying we don't eat bread… but I'm only fooling myself.)
• We drink soda. Tommy drinks it daily, I'll have a few swallows probably once a month. I love me some Mountain Dew.
• I am a fast food (Bojangles) junkie. I go through phases but my bad habit probably equals out to 1 meal a week from Bojangles (including sweet tea).
• I may have made the switch from white sugar to maple syrup or honey (both great, natural options), but I haven't changed the ridiculous quantity of sweetener in my life. I use a lot of syrup in my coffee, with organic half and half as well. (Although I've come a long way from the processed Sweet Italian Creamer!)
• I justify fats as being healthy... and we eat a lot of them. Coconut oil, olive oil, avocados, butter... and really these things are good for you... but everything in moderation. It's the moderation part I struggle with!

Those are merely the beginning of our truths. I am not happy with my body because I still have bad habits - eating and fitness. But I'm learning. It's a process… a journey.

I am going to be sharing my journey with you all in a little more detail than I have in the past. I hope to share the why behind the what, the resources I have found helpful, and the challenges I'm up against in our home. Our steps have been small, but they are adding up. Here's to health… and encouraging one another!

Read to me, mama!

Sunday says, "Read to me, Mama!"

And I say... "Tommy! Sunday wants you to read to her!"

And Tommy just can't say no...

But he knows what I'm up to. :)