How Do You Like Your Sweet Potatoes?

Sweet potatoes. For many, it's another gross baby food. For others, it's a Thanksgiving staple. It took me until I was 21 years old to figure out that you could have sweet potatoes in months other than November. Nope, not even lying. It seems as though in recent years it's become a popular menu item in many restaurants and households. Lucky for me!

At my last OB appointment my doctor asked me about additional testing, which I declined. I've never done it, and I figure my baby is my baby either way. Because I have a history of miscarriage, she recommended that I change my diet just in case, since I didn't want the testing, and gave me an order to eat sweet potatoes every. Single. Day. The first thing I did was drag Shon to Hy-Vee and buy fresh sweet potatoes, canned sweet potatoes, and sweet potato fries. I'm going to be honest, I like sweet potatoes, but I've struggled with this task. Right now I'm trying to get them in a few times a week. Next I reached out to my North Iowa Blogger friends for recipes. Kristen, of Make The Best of Everything, shared these sweet potato brownies and sweet potato fries! Val of Corn, Beans, Pigs, and Kids shared her favorite Pinterest recipe for sweet potato noodles. Thank God for good blogger friends!

I started doing a little research of my own when I realized that I wasn't going to be able to bring myself to eat sweet potatoes every single day, even with the great new recipes. Knowing that the desired goal was to increase my body's levels of progesterone, I found a great blog that shared more foods than just sweet potatoes for promoting the body's natural process of producing the hormone. While no foods are an actual natural source of progesterone, there are many foods that help your body produce more on its own. After discovering that foods I eat on a regular basis including whole grains, spinach, oranges, and olive oil all made the list, I feel confident that I can maintain a healthy diet with plenty of exercise for my little Flash!

Do you have other sweet potato recipes to share? Have you had to get creative with your diet for pregnancy health reasons? I'd love to hear about it!

Peace of Mind with Ultrasound1

I have been extremely paranoid about this pregnancy. It may be number four, but that hasn't made it any less unnerving during any ache or pain or headache. Part of that comes with pregnancy after a loss, and I think, honestly, part of that comes from just being older now. I know 30 isn't the "end of times" in terms of child birth, but I do know that as you get older risks can increase, and I also know that my body in general doesn't bounce back from things as easily as it used to. On top of everything else, while my head told me it was still early, I started to get nervous that I wasn't really feeling the baby move much yet.

Our little zombie looking baby

After spending weeks worrying from appointment to appointment (and we all know that stress isn't good for me or the baby) to hear the heartbeat, I did some research online, and came across a service that I actually used once long ago when I was pregnant for the very first time. I connected with Joyce from Ultrasound1 in Mason City. Joyce has been doing ultrasounds in and out of hospitals for decades, and was SO easy to work with for scheduling. I made my appointment when I was at 18.5 weeks and while yes, we did find out the gender, it was really important to me just to see that my baby was okay, had the basics like two arms and two legs, and hear a heartbeat again. We got to take home a DVD of our session, several pictures, and an offer to come back at a discounted rate (I did the $119.50 internet special) for a second ultrasound if we choose to do another one for ourselves or with the kids.

I love this sweet, snuggled in pose

Ultrasound1 is a really cozy space located on the backside of Willowbrook Mall. I sat in a recliner chair with Shon next to me holding my hand, and we watched as Joyce talked us through the different things we were seeing on the screen. She was *awesome* at keeping a secret when we said that Shon wasn't going to find out what the baby's gender is (of course that lasted about 5 minutes after we walked out the door), and showed us all the comparison pictures of the 3D/4D images and baby pictures that former clients had shared with her. She made it an incredibly special experience for both of us, and I hope we do get the chance to go back later in the pregnancy.

While Ultrasound1 is a non-medical ultrasound, Joyce was able to help me see that the reason I probably hadn't felt a ton of movement was because of an anterior placenta. Basically there is a giant pillow between me and the baby. In fact, "Baby O53orn" was pretty content to just snuggle into that "pillow" the entire time we were there - yet another indicator that it is my child (Shon hates my pregnancy pillow ;).That was pretty much all the reassurance I needed. If you're looking for some peace of mind like me, a way to bond with your baby during pregnancy, or a special experience to share with loved ones, I highly recommend visiting Joyce at Ultrasound1!

Stay tuned for the details of the gender reveal party that the princess is planning for us!

Summer STEM at Home

One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to explore new facets of education. One of the BEST things I've seen come to education lately is the emphasis on student creativity, making, and STEM.

One of the biggest complaints parents seem to have about summer is that they don't want their kids sitting inside on electronic devices all day. However, it's not always easy or feasible to keep kids entertained on your own. Especially kids who can't drive somewhere.

This year as part of my personal professional development I worked with one of my kids' teachers to create opportunities for families to learn more about how easily household items can become fun, educational learning experiences. As part of that work, I wanted to share with you a few resources from my "Making at Home" Pinterest board!


You can check out the projects, books, and resources for parents to use at home, or you can try connecting with your local extension office or 4H group. I found a lot of Hamilton County summer 4H opportunities on their Facebook page!

And Baby Makes 4 (or 6?)

I wanted to show the front and back, but Shon quickly
pointed out that I should clarify we are *not* having twins!!

I promised you new adventures from The Gym Mom in 2017... We're going to be a family of 6! Four kids will be quite an adventure, but we think we're up to it, and I'm sure I'll have some fun "first time dad" stories to share on the blog as Shon adds "dad of newborn" to his new "step-dad" role. ;) For our "Facebook official" announcement we wanted to include our love of football and the Midwest Rampage in our excitement, so I had Alyssa Noss of Noss Photography and Designs make up an AWESOME replica onesie for our new little one! I know I'll be following fellow North Iowa Blogger, Val of Corn, Beans, Pigs, and Kids to get some pointers on being a mom of four, but I'd love to hear from you as well! Share your best advice in the comments!

Summer Fun with Kelly Gau Studio

I received a free creation session to facilitate this post. My opinions are my own. 

Last week I visited Kelly Gau Studio in Albert Lea, MN and discovered what true love is. True love is holding a nail and giving your 4-year-old a hammer.

When the North Iowa Bloggers were invited to Kelly Gau Studio to try out an activity for her upcoming summer creative kids sessions, I was super excited to be able to take the boys. I'd never been to the studio (and actually she's now at a new location just a block away from the old one), but had heard my blogger friends talk about it many times, so I knew it would be a fun trip. When we walked in there were beautiful lights and paintings covering the ceiling, walls, and even the floor! The vibe in the space is super fun and relaxed.

While a lot of people know about Kelly and her painting classes, she set up a different activity us that night. We were going to do some nail art. I don't know if that's the technical artist name, but that's what I call it! This activity is one of ten that she'll have set up during her ten-week summer kids program. I wasn't sure how the nail art would go with a 4-year-old, but he was anxious to try, so we rolled with it. Spoiler alert: He loved it and only required minimal help!


We started by picking a paint color and an apron. This is no small task, but the boys settled on black and orange, and found a red and a green apron. I opted for Gator blue paint and skipped the apron, although there were plenty for everyone. Once I realized Monks wasn't going to need as much help as I thought, I realized I could make my own while we were at it!

Step one was to sand the wood blocks to create a smooth surface. The boys did a pretty good job on their own, though I did help Monkey finish his up and just give it a once-over. Bug was able to do his own for the most part.

Step two was to paint! Of course both the boys enjoyed this part, and were able to complete the task on their own while I did my own. When they were finished painting we took their wood blocks over to the hair dryer and then the boys washed their hands at the kid-height friendly sink.

Step 3. After the blocks were dry, we traced hearts onto the wood using a stencil, and then it was time to pound nails. Bug was pretty well off on his own. With a few pointers from Kelly, he was able to space the nails and pound them in like a pro. Then there was Monks. He let me do the first two nails (the top and the bottom of the heart), but he wanted to do the rest. First I started the nails for him and then let him pound away. Sometimes they were crooked and I'd pound them back out. Then, and this is where the true love comes in, he wanted to do it himself. You heard me folks, I held the nails and handed my baby a hammer. Obviously it was completely supervised and he doesn't hit very hard, but anyone who has ever done any home repair or building project knows that a slight miss can lead to a very sore thumb! He actually blew me away with his hand/eye coordination - he didn't miss once! He even did one nail completely on his own! I guess all those chores with dad on the farm are paying off!

Next up, step 4, was to weave the yarn around the nails to create a design. Again, Bug took off on doing his own thing, while Monkey waited (mostly) patiently for the color he wanted. Kelly had various yarn balls available, but Monks had a very specific design in mind and only wanted red. When it was his turn I tied his starter knot (which I actually had to do for Bug as well) and tried to let him do his thing. This actually proved a little difficult as he didn't quite understand the concept. I started him out by wrapping the first several layers around the outside of the heart to give him a base and tried to let him go again. Kelly stepped in to help a couple times when he struggled. The biggest issue he had with this part was keeping the yarn pulled tight. I appreciated having her there to guide when we got stuck.

Our first creations were a success! After posing for a group photo Bug told me he knew that we definitely needed to bring his sister in sometime because this was the kind of place she would love - she's very into art and creating new things. I think she'd love the dreamcatcher session that Kelly was telling us about! To sign up for the kids' sessions you can purchase a punchcard, which guarantees you a spot each week, but for people like me with a crazy summer schedule, you can also do a drop in option (although it is recommended that you call ahead). To check out Kelly Gau studio, the summer kids club, and her other great sessions like "Paint with a Princess" you can visit her website or check out her Facebook page! I know we'll definitely be back with our princess!

Will you be my bridesmaid?

You'll notice the red bottle - my princess,
as my pre-teen maid of honor, got cherry
limeade soda instead of wine #solidparenting

I truly believe that one of the best/worst changes in the last five years has been the introduction of Pinterest to our lives. I love Pinterest. It has helped me plan a huge chunk of my wedding, find new exercise tips, given me some of my favorite meals, and has helped me plan awesome activities for the kids. However, I am the queen of the "Pinterest fail." I am also just not super creative. So when it came time to ask my girls to be in my wedding, I knew that the "new" way to do it was with a fancy, creative, adorable invitation. Ring pops, puzzles, elaborate gift baskets... when I got married in 2007 we just asked people. I think I may have texted a couple. NOW, the pressure is on.

The lucky thing about the internet age and the Pinterest world, is that unlike me, many people are SUPER creative, and are selling their super creative goods on Etsy! So what does a self-proclaimed Pinterest Fail Queen do in a time like this? Go shopping! Crafts? No. Online shopping? I'll take home the gold medal. I was able to find these simple, yet chic labels and tags, lucked into a peach moscato at Hy-Vee that was IN MY WEDDING COLORS, and put together a fun way to ask my lovely group to be in our wedding, without getting paint on my clothes or hot glue in my hair, AND without breaking the bank (I don't know if you know this, but weddings are a little bit on the expensive side).

Moral of the story? I hereby give you official permission to a) not play TOO much into the crazy world of Pinterest when it comes to all of life's biggest moments, and b) let someone else be creative for you.

That 2nd Shift Life - Creatively Connecting With Your Spouse

A night at The Buffalo Tavern
Burlington after work

One of the things I cherish most about my relationship is our commitment to making time for each other. In the crazy day-to-day life that is work and kids and friends and family, it can be really easy to lose sight of your partner in the mix. You can easily become partners in a taxi cab service instead of partners in life who are connected and invested in each other as much as (or more than) the world around you. One of the things that can make that particularly difficult to manage, is when you have opposite schedules. I work a more traditional "first shift" job with schools, while Shon works a 2nd shift job. I am home to see my kids at the end of the school day, but Shon leaves shortly before they get out of school and isn't home again until after bedtime. It's not unheard of for the kids to go a couple weeks without any real time with him, depending on the schedule with their dad (but I'll save
step-parent bonding for another post).

So what do you do when from 7am until 11:30pm you're on opposite schedules, just in time to go to bed? Sometimes I whine about it, to be honest. It's not convenient or ideal most days. But it's our life and we make it work for us. Here are a few of the things that have worked best for us!

1. Finding a show to watch together. Right now we're watching The Game on Hulu, which consists of 20-25 minute episodes. I know, you're shocked, we're watching a show about football. Having a short sitcom we can watch together means we can sneak in an episode if we happen to have a lunch break together, or maybe catch one or two before I fall asleep for the night.

That one time I beat him at darts...

2. Naps! I've found that if I can catch a little nap after the kids go to bed, but before Shon gets home, I will occasionally have the energy (if he can get me to wake up again!) to stay up and talk or watch a movie once he gets home.

3. Bar games. I'm 30. I'm not about going out and drinking very often at this point (if at all, it seems like), but when Shon was working weekends it was not uncommon for us to plan a date night that didn't start until 11:30. We'd pick some music and, while I'm still completely terrible at it, I found that I really enjoy
playing darts! I even got my own pink set for Christmas last year.

4. We protect our weekends. If you've ever read my blog, you know that a free weekend is hard to come by, but we've made it a priority to try and protect at least a chunk of "us" time on the weekend as much as possible - usually Sundays. Sometimes that means taking the kids to the park and sometimes that means spending the day in bed with Pizza Hut Cajun fries and binge watching Netflix. It's not always easy to carve out the time, especially when it seems like there is always something coming up or going on, but we make it work.

5. Lunch dates. On days I work from home or nearby we can sometimes sneak in a date at Subway or Whoop-ti-doo's (stay tuned for that blog post because the Big Boy panini is ah-may-zing). It's not super fancy, but while some people do dinner dates, we just happen to get lunch. We work with what's in our schedule.


I know a lot of my friends are in similar situations. I'd love to hear what other ideas you've come up with!