Simply Tasheena

I wanted to give you guys a quick update on what's been going on in my garden. I haven't been successful at growing Swiss chard. It's 100% my fault though. I haven't tried directly planting the seeds. I planted the seeds in a container and was hoping to transplant them, and it has been an epic fail. I'm going to work on this and try again for my fall garden.

I haven't harvested any tomatoes yet. I believe some people were able to harvest some by 4th of July. I think this is due to pruning. I really haven't pruned my tomato or pepper plants. I hope to work on this soon. I know this has a lot to do with my results and why I don't have an abundance of tomatoes right now. I also planted a small patch of kale. I honestly did not know what it was until it was close to harvest time. You see. I don't have any gate around my garden and some animal had a field day and dug up all of my seeds, so I really wasn't sure. I would love to plant some more kale. They've been doing well and there little spot. Four to five more plants would be great. I also have a cherry tomato plant that has to be transplanted into a larger container. I'm happy to see that it's thriving.

Having a garden is a learning experience for me each year. I try my best to learn from my experience and use what I've learned in the following year. I also have to get better at my food/ Epson salt routine.

I also forgot to mention that my basil plants have been thriving. I love tomato and basil sandwiches and it's nice to just be able to go into my garden and get the items needed.

So you have a garden? Any gardening tips

Pictures from My Garden

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Whether we like it or not winter is right around the corner one of the things I’ve struggled with in past years is winter weight gain. I could imagine that most of you can relate to this as well. All of a sudden the fall season comes and goes winter is here and you’re indulging in all of your favorite treats in the pounds she’s add-on. Today I’m sharing with you a few tips to assist you with not putting on the winter weight gain.
These are tips and tricks that I've personally used. I am very proud of myself because last winter was the first winter that I did not put on a lot of weight. I was still able to indulge in all of the savory holiday meals. By just being strategic.

Meal plan
Meal planning has just been crucial in my life. I honestly do not know where I would be today as far as my weight goes. I created a weekly menu plan to use as a guide. My breakfast is pretty routine. However, a lot of times when it comes to lunch and dinner. If I don't have it already prepared. I tend to go with an unhealthy option. Though sometimes I don't follow the meal plan all week. It a wonderful guide. Especially, when it's so easy to forget about what you have in your refrigerator.

Stay Active
I think a huge misconception is that if you can’t make it to the gym or you can’t go outside for a while because maybe there’s like five feet of snow. That you still can't stay active. Our home is really small, so I don't have the luxury of climbing up and down the steps, and we had to get rid of our treadmill due to lack of space. It's very important to think outside of the box. When shopping park your car far away. Take the stairs. If you work out of your home walk around more often. I've also found that Pinterest and YouTube is a wonderful resource to keep on hand. Let's not forget about having a gym membership. You have to do what works for you. Start off with a simple workout plan. Take part in a couple of exercise challenges. Pinterest has a ton of them. I'm sure you could probably find some on Instagram as well.

Routines
It’s so important to have a daily routine even if you have children and I actually will go more in-depth with daily routines in another blog post. I remember as a child I just wanted to go against the grain. However, I've grown to love daily routines. It's really how I maximize my time. Meal planning, getting up around the same time each day. Creating a to-do list for the next day prior to going to bed. It's so important to have some type of structure. It makes it a lot easier to live a healthier lifestyle this way. As an adult, sometimes we just lose focus of what actually works. Yes, your routines will vary by season. However, the first step is actually having one.

Set a goal
It was so important for me last year just to set a goal for myself in regards to not gaining any weight. It was the first winter since reaching my weight loss goal and I was terrified of gaining weight. However, I was not going to let that stop me from what enjoying the holidays. Once the holidays were over, I did get back on track with my eating habits. I love the saying " a goal without a plan is just a wish." Though I had a goal, making sure I had a plan to backup my goal was more important. I did not overeat. Once the holidays were over I got back on track with my healthy eating lifestyle. I rewarded myself for reaching my goals. What I've learned most is it's never too late to start over. I think a lot of people get so bent over shape if they gained weight, that they just give up. However, getting back on track and can possibly assist you in maintaining your goals.

Goal Examples

Walk Daily
Drink "X" amount of water daily
Take Supplements
One Cheat Meal
Meal Plan Weekly
Create a Grocery List
Join a Healthy Lifestyle Facebook Book or IG community
Reward Myself

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Happy Monday! Last week I attended Sweet Suite and Baby Poolza in New York. I had so much fun at this event and was able to connect with so many amazing brands and influencers. This was my second year attending this event. I was so impressed, I honestly never considered my expectations from last year being over exceeded. Can't wait to share a recap from this event with you guys.
Ironically, prior to heading to New York, I prepped for dinner. Instead of putting the chicken in the crockpot. The Mister decided to grill the chicken instead. He raved about how yummy the chicken came out. It marinated for about eight hours prior to going on the grill. When I came home. There wasn't a bone in sight! Looking forward to recreating the meal again this week for them.

How was your weekend?

Menu Plan Monday

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Nothing screams summer like floats! Today I'm sharing a super easy sparkling sorbet float recipe. As you guys know I'm all for low calorie treats this summer. Especially during the summer months. What I love about this recipe is that it's pretty much guilt-free and you control your portion size. The sparkling water is zero calories and you can purchase the sorbet based on your likes. This recipe is also kid friendly which I love so the entire family could enjoy!

What's your favorite sorbet flavor?

Easy Sparkling Sorbet Float Recipe

Recipe

Ingredients

Sparkling water chilled
Sorbet

Instructions

Scoop your sorbet into your desired cup. I used four mini scoops. Pour the chilled sparkling water on top of the sorbet and enjoy!

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My son has been planning football for almost seven years now. As a football mom, I 've learned so much over the last couple of years. Seeing how we live in New England. Your must-haves may vary from mine. However, most of the items will apply to you. We've had games in every type of weather. I can't think of any games that were ever canceled. No matter what the temps were outside. Now that the kiddos are older, I typically do not carry as much stuff with me or in the event it's a home game. I typically won't carry as much stuff as well. When Michael played youth football. The times of day of his games would pretty much change every year based on his age. The last couple of years of him playing was really nice due to his games being not too early ( I'm all for if it's not freezing outside) and not the last game of the day. I remember his first year playing we had a snowstorm during a championship game. Let me just say that the drive home was really interesting seeing how I believe it was late October or November, and we typically do not get snow until December or January. So I've learned to try to be prepared as possible. If it's not too hot outside, you can keep a mom bag in your car or in a central location. I've also included a list of random items that I carry with me as well. A lot of these items you can carry in travel size bottles so they're not taking up too much space.

5 Must-Haves for Football Moms

DSLR Camera

You will see that a lot of the sports moms/dads carry a DSLR camera with them to the games. No worries if you don't have a DSLR camera. A lot of the parents are really nice about sharing photos. A DSLR camera is one of the best investments I've made for my business and our family. Not all DSLR cameras are created equal and some do not have the best video quality. So make sure that you do your research. I have the canon t3 which I primarily use for photos ( this was my first DSLR camera ) and the Canon 80D. The 80D does an amazing job taking photos and video. Especially with the motion of football.

Portable Chair

Purchase a good quality portable chair once. So you do not have to purchase a new one every year. There were times at some of the away games that they didn't have enough seating or any seating at all. Especially, when they would have scrimmages. A portable chair really came in handy and is a great investment.

Water Bottle/Thermos

Purchase a good quality water bottle that can take being thrown on the ground. Trust me, you'll possibly forget it's on your lap when your team makes a touchdown. I also suggest a thermos, especially during the cooler months. It's nice to be able to enjoy a warm cup of hot chocolate, coffee, and/ or tea.

Bleacher seat

If your child is playing football no matter what time of the day it is. A bleacher seat is such a great investment. TRUST ME! It rains, snows, too hot, dirty. Plus, it's a lot more comfortable than a regular bleacher seat.

Cooler

I small portable cooler is perfect especially if you have kiddos and family with you. You can easily restock it the night before a game and it's perfect to just have all of your food items in one central area.

Random Stuff I Carry with Me:

Umbrella
Snacks/Water
Extra SD Card
Hand sanitizer/sanitizer Wipes
Cleansing Cloths
Benadryl
Bug Spray/ Wipes
Sunscreen
Tripod
Hand warmers
Blanket

Are you a sports mom? Any items I'm missing?

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I'm not sure what year I started making the homemade copycat Starbucks iced tea. However, once I tried the recipe I was hooked! Not to mention how pretty the color is. I'm all for pretty drinks all year long. Last year when I went on my weight loss journey. I stopped using refined sugar. This was huge for me. I was one of those people who looked at the original copycat recipe and would add twice as much sugar when making beverages at home. I know, I've come along way. Now that it's summertime. I want to incorporate back some of my favorite summer drinks. One being the iced passion tea. It's so refreshing to enjoy on a nice summer day. Especially, with the heatwave that we've been having. I love that this recipe is low calorie and doesn't require a lot of ingredients. I opted to use limes instead of lemons because that's what I had no hand. However, please feel free to use lemons as well. I typically do not make a large batch if I'm just making this for myself because it will only last a couple of days in the refrigerator.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 Mason Jar
500 ml of boiled water
2 Tazo Tea bags
1 Tablespoon of honey
The juice of 1 lime

Instructions

Add the boiled water to a mason jar.
Add the honey, tea bags and allow steeping overnight or for at least a few hours. (allow cooling before placing in the refrigerator.)
Once ready to serve. Remove tea bags, add the lime juice and enjoy over ice.

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Happy Monday! I hope everyone had an amazing holiday weekend. I spent a good amount of time last week cleaning out our garage. I've noticed that our garage and front porch turns into a dumping ground during the winter time. I'm trying to change that habit and reorganize our space and get rid of stuff that we're just not using. Last week I donated a bunch of items which felt great because it really was just taking up useful space in our garage and causing such a mess. Last week we also had a heatwave which was really interesting. It just seems as if the summer months speed by, so it was nice to me to just be able to go outside and enjoy the weather.

How was your weekend?