Hey friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend! My husband and kids were off of school last week so I took some time away from the new site to spend with them, so if you have any emails to me, I’ll be getting on those this week!

Not that I need a fire lit under me, but Easter always helps re-focus my thoughts on why I do everything I do the other 364 days of the year.

Because He lives— our marriage has purpose beyond our struggles.

Because He lives—our children carry a legacy beyond our last name.

Because He lives—our family can embrace the ups and downs as we we live our cRAZy life!

easter 2015

I hope your family had a wonderful weekend!

♥♥♥

Easter "Food Hang-Over": How to get back on track this week :claresmith.me

And now, let’s talk Easter food hang-over. You overdid it, didn’t it? You got into your kids’ Easter baskets, ate dessert (3 diff kinds), loaded up on the rolls & mashed potatoes…and that was just on Saturday. (haha)

But no, really–you feel a little plump, so what’s the natural thing to do? Call a strike on sugar tonight! No more candy! No more casseroles! Veggies and lean meat, with a side of many intense workouts this week, right? Let me propose another option to you.

First off, thank the Lord for the fellowship you had that came along all that food! Sure, you had another helping of strawberry shortcake but that God-ordained conversation that was served beside it was well worth it! Maybe not what you would normally hear from a fitness blogger, but I guess there are more important things to me than calories!

Second, plan your meals for the week. If you don’t have a clue about what you are going to eat this week, then when you are standing in the kitchen with a basket full of chocolate or a fridge with last week’s leftovers and some dried up broccoli, guess what you are going to go for? Get to the store tomorrow and fill your kitchen back up with nutritious foods.

Third, plan your treats. I don’t think you should swear off all your “off limits” foods! There are some solid leftovers I want to have this week, not to mention some candy that I only eat around Easter! Just figure out when those things will happen and arrange the rest of the day’s eating with that.

Finally, get the junk out of sight. You are much more apt to chow down if you keep walking by a bowl of candy, especially if you’ve been a little lax over the past few days. Out of sight, out of mind. (Usually)

Moderation is important, but remember, healthy restrictions are a part of that. You may choose not to do any of these things because they send you into a bad place–and that’s ok! Find what works for you and don’t beat yourself up for this weekend!

♥♥♥

And now, let’s find out who the winner is from my giveaway last week!

Congratulations to Julie Geiss!

I’ll shoot you an email and will get everything to you!

Thank you to everyone else who put your name in for the giveaway and for trying out the new video!