We have come up with a creation that is craved at all hours of the day by all members of our family. It is a version of a peanut butter cup that is the perfect blend of sweet and a little bit of salt. For the last week, I have been making a batch a night to get us through the next day. Best of all they are sugar free, guilt free, delicious, and paleo!

Ingredients
banana
tsp coconut oil
1/4 cup peanut butter

Melt the coconut oil, smash a banana into the melted coconut oil, ass the peanut butter and stir together until all ingredients are smoothed together.
Line a cupcake pan with liners. Put a spoonful of mixture in each cupcake liner. Freeze and eat frozen.

These are great for a quick snack or when you have  a sweet tooth you need to give in to. My kids and husband love them too!

Nina Pears

Pesto Turkey Meatloaf

We used to always make meatloaf. It is a comfort food. Something about it takes me back to my childhood too. When I gave up sugar, I gave up meatloaf too. The recipe I used called for ketchup and bbq sauce both which have tons of sugar hidden in them.
Last night, I decided to get a little creative and make meatloaf that was sugar free.I was surprised how quickly it went and that we had no leftovers. When the kids are asking for more, I know it was a success.
Ingredients
ground turkey
tsp garlic powder
tsp salt
tsp pepper
1/4 onion finely chopped
1/4 cup pesto
1/2 cup small can tomato sauce- pure tomato sauce- just the tomatoes nothing else added!

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Mix all of the ingredients together using only half of the pesto and tomato sauce, saving the rest to top it with. Place meat in a loaf pan.
Top the meat with the remainder of pesto and tomato sauce and spread evenly to coat meat.
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Always check the temp with a meat thermometer. All ovens vary.

We served with peas and corn. No leftovers here!

Nina Pears

Reflections on the past year and resolutions for the next year.

Ending one year and starting a new year is a great opportunity. It is nothing more than a measurement of time but a significant one. Over the last year, we have aged, made memories, made mistakes, failed, learned, grown, and lived. We now get to recognize that and move on to another year that we have the power of keeping the same or changing for the better.
While thinking about 2014, it wouldn't appear that it was a significant year. No life changing events occurred. I didn't move, I didn't switch jobs, I didn't hit a milestone age, I didn't have anymore babies. Over the previous 10 years of my life, many of these things were happening.
If I had to sum up 2014 in one word it would be growth! I grew so much this year. I grew as a mom, wife, teacher, and individual. My confidence and self esteem grew tremendously. My relationships with friends and family grew.  I stopped saying and wanting and started doing.
I will never forget sitting on the couch signing up for the NYC Marathon. I laughed at the idea and the chance of getting in and knew I could get out of it. I will never forget sitting my classroom and reading the email that said I made it into the marathon and I will certainly never forget the making the decision to give it my all and run it! The marathon itself changed me. I raced against myself, my inner weaknesses, my past, and pushed through and found strength I didn't know I had! I became a runner!
We had some amazing moments making memories with friends and family as we traveled, visited others, and had loved ones visit us. We traveled the most this year and we spent amazing time with friends and family.
Relationships with others were strengthened or reconnected or developed.
I found something that I am truly passionate about. I have a love for fitness and I truly enjoy helping others. I was introduced to coaching and it has helped me get in the best shape of my life and it has given me an avenue to share this with others and help them start or continue their journeys.

As we approach 2015, I can't wait to continue to build upon this last year. I don't want 2014 to end because it was so amazing but I know as we enter 2015 it has the potential to be even better. I am not one for resolutions. A resolution is a desire that is more of a tradition to make than an actual goal to plan and follow through with. I have big scary goals and dreams for 2015. I have a vision and a map to achieve them.
In 2015, I will continue on my fitness journey and build upon my foundation that I have worked hard for. We will continue to travel and make memories with friends and family. I will run my Beachbody business and be successful because I am so passionate about it. We will renovate our house and make it into our dream house. We will continue to work towards financial stability for our family and become debt free!
Bring on the New Year and new memories, and continued success!

Nina Pears

Free Challenge/Accountability Group Jan 5th

Why will 2015 be different? How will we succeed and achieve our goals and resolutions? Accountability is the key! I have 2 free accountability groups starting on January 5th and I have a few spaces left.

Accountability Group 1- 10 day Sugar free challenge
This is a private group where we will support each other through a 10 day sugar free challenge. We will build awareness on the amount of sugar hidden in foods and consumed in a day. We will also provide facts, tips, recipes, and meal plans for the 10 days.

Accountability Group 2- Fitness/Nutrition Challenge
This is a private group where we will provide support and accountability for the fitness programs PiYo, Insanity Max 30 and 21 Day Fix. Schedules, meal plans, shopping lists, and and motivation will be shared.

Please email me for a garunteed spot in either one of these groups.
ninapears@hotmail.com

Nina Pears

How to read according to the educational shift.

If you have children in school, you are aware that education has changed drastically over the last few years. When I started teaching 10 years ago, there was a saying that kindergarten is the new first grade. As a first grade teacher and then a kindergarten teacher I saw this first hand. Kindergarten was very different than what I remembered it as  a child. Many times as parents, we remember what school was for us and wonder why our kids are struggling and why there is such a sense of urgency coming from teachers at conferences. They are only 5. They will get it eventually. Let them be kids!
As a parent of children ranging from preschool to third grade, I get it. I want my kids to be kids and they will get it when they get it and I want them to have fun and learn through play and not have to worry. As a teacher, I get that urgency and am shocked at what the expectations are of our kids and what they need to do. I see it on a daily basis, I would fail if I had to do it all over again. As a kid, I struggled in school and didn't really start to get it until I was in highschool when I really wanted to get it and had an interest. If doing it all over again, it would be so easy to give up and never develop the interest.
My oldest started kindergarten 4 years ago. I was actually her kindergarten teacher. 4 years ago just so happened to be the first year that common core was fully implemented. These kindergartners are now in third grade and will be the first to take the nation wide PARCC assessment. And now I just so happen to be a third grade teacher. I have lived this personally and professionally.
Four years ago as a kindergarten teacher, I was concerned that we were forcing our kids to read and skipping the foundation. I worried what would happen when kids got to the point where they needed that solid foundation to continue to progress and could not rely on force fed reading. I actually was so concerned I wrote and published a book, How to Teach Your Child to Read. Now here I am four years later looking over all the assessments seeing my worries come to life and seeing kids stuck or struggling to get where they need to be.
There is no looking back there is only moving forward. I have had my personal battles with the new assessments and the educational shift but battling it isn't going to get us anywhere. I have learned to embrace it, empower my children and students and make them the best they can be.

How has reading changed and what can we do?

In school, it is rare that students get an opportunity to read for pleasure. Eventually the reading being taught will make them much better readers but at first it appears tedious and mundane. Instead of novels, students are reading passages which are very complex. The complexity is determined by how deep you can dig into it. Students will rad the same passage several times and then answer explicit and inferential questions using evidence from the text to support their thinking. 50% of reading instruction is literature and the other 50% is non-fiction or informational.

What do you do at home to support this reading? 

Get the newspaper out. Did you know that most local newspapers are written at the 5th grade level? Find an article and have your kids read it. Ask questions that can be answered in the article. Ask inferential questions too that can then be supported int eh article. Why do you think that? How do they feel? What will they do next? Always have them go back and support the answer with what they read. Subscribe to magazines. Great kid magazines are National Geographic Kids and Time for Kids. Have your kids research something they are really interested in. Ella loves elephants. I can google elephant articles and a million are at our fingertips.
Just because your child can read (whether in kinder, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd) don't assume they have mastered phonics and phonemic awareness. This will show up on spelling tests and in writing and will interfere with comprehension and reading progression. Talk about how crazy the English language is and about vowel rules and the different sounds some letters can make. I teach the lessons with fun rhymes and tricks and hidden rules that most people have never even heard about. But as soon as the kids learn them, they get it!

Keep it fun! Let kids know that reading can be fun. I love that they can pick any book up and be taken anywhere doing all sorts of crazy things. As adults we read to relax.  A book can take us always from the stresses of our own life and into a new life for just a little bit. It is the same for kids. Let them discover that.

Remember there are 5 components that make up reading and to be a proficient reader all components need to be mastered. Phonics, Phonemic Awareness, Vocabulary, fluency and Comprehension. Today comprehension is being broken down into literature and informational.

Resources

Many parents want to work at home and don't want it to be a battle. It doesn't have to be. My 1st grader is a fairly good reader but I can't get her to read for more than 10 minutes and she will never finish a book. She thinks she won by me giving her articles and having her answer the questions. It really is about workign smarter and not harder!
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4378.Fun_Nonfiction_for_Elementary
readworks.org
national geographic kids
time for kids
http://printableworksheets.in/?dq=Close%20Reading
newspapers
favorite texts but really dive into 1 page- fiction and nonfiction
folk tales
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2013/04/investigating-nonfiction-part-2-digging-deeper-close-reading
http://www.readinga-z.com/comprehension/close-reading-packs/
http://teacher.depaul.edu/Reading_Passages_NONFICTION.html

Please feel free to ask me specific questions!

Nina Pears

What are the holidays really about to you?

To every person and family, the holidays have a little bit of a different meaning. Some people believe and celebrate in the religious aspects of the holidays, others celebrate in the magic, others the material aspect, and for others it is about time. I respect everyone's beliefs and celebrations! I love how one day or time of year can be looked at in so many different ways.
For me, the holidays are about time with family, happiness, and giving. I love holding on to traditions, making new ones, and passing them along. I love the joy and happiness that gift giving brings. I love the uninterrupted time which allows you to slow down, look around, and enjoy what you have.
This time of year brings about a peaceful feeling and my heart fills with love and warmth for all thsoe that are in my life!
I hope you are able to connect with love ones, find happiness, and enjoy the time you are given.
No matter what your beliefs or values are, I wish you all a very happy holiday season!

Nina Pears

Grain free/Sugar free banana muffins

When you decide to eat grain free and sugar free, you tend to have to give up on pastries, muffins and such. I am always trying to improvise and tweak recipes. Some are a success and others not so much! I let my kids and husband be the judge. Our banana muffins were a success.
Ingredients:
2 cups of almond flour
2 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla
1tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

Add ins. We thought the ripe bananas added enough sweetness but you cold add a little honey. Chocolate chips or walnuts wouldbe good too. We just made them plain and everyone enjoyed them. 

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all of the ingredients together. Fill up mini muffin pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
Let cool and enjoy.

When Ella had one this morning she said, wow these are good. Tate ate 5 of them this morning so they must have been great!

Nina Pears

At Home Workouts- Benefits for the whole family

When I first started hearing about at home workouts, I was very skeptical. I had been going to the gym for a few years and felt like i needed the gym and socialization to get a true workout in. I felt like I would lack accountability working out at home. How can you workout in your living room with minimal equipment and get great results? I thought it would be hard to get into a routine at home. There are also just so many distractions at home.
It is hard to believe I have been working out at home for 7 months now and have not been to the gym since August. It is even harder to believe that I workout harder now than when I went to the gym, I workout more often, and I am in even better shape. I am so happy that I gave it a try. Now I don't understand why people still go to a gym.
The number 1 benefit to working out at home is the exposure that my kids get to me working out and the healthy lifestyle. They can even join in too. When I went to the gym, they would have to go to day care and wait. Their day would be extended longer and I had less time with them. Even though they knew I was going to the gym, they weren't exposed to what I was doing and weren't able to be a part of it.
Following at home programs is the same as having a trainer work with you. I have learned so much about proper technique and the programs are designed to provide specific results. When ever I push play. I feel like I have a trainer in my living room and they push me harder than I would myself at the gym. Because of these trainers and programs, I can workout effectively and have been able to get into amazing shape.
The workouts are also efficient. I have never worked out longer than an hour. The workouts come with a plan to follow so the guess work is taken out of it. Each day, I know what workout I need to do and can follow a plan.
I no longer have a busy schedule or excuses to prevent me from getting my workout in. To go to the gym, I had to work around day care hours, my husbands work schedule, my work schedule, and kids' activities. I can wake up early and workout in the comfort of my living room while everyone is still asleep. Or I can do it at night after all the tasks of the day are done. Or I can even do it when I find 30 spare minutes in between everything else that I need to do.
I worried about lack of accountability and lack of socialization working out at home. Gyms are very social and there is an accountability factor when you regularly go. I find that I am more social about my workouts and have an amazing fit family that supports me, holds me accountable, and pushes me.
So if you have never tried working out at home before, I encourage you to find the right program and give it  a try. You can even still go to the gym but have  aback up plan too!

Nina Pears

Insanity Max Week 1 is Done!

I wrote about my initial reaction to the Insanity Max workout. It was tough for sure. Now I am officially done with week 1 of Insanity max 30 and will begin week 2 tomorrow. I completed week 1 with my husband but we did not workout together. We are too competitive with each other and the workout is too tough. It wouldn't be good for us to do it together.
After the first week of this workout, I can say it is really tough. I thought the first day was hard but the workouts got more difficult as the week went on and Friday's workout was insane for sure!
What I really like about this workout is that it truly is a mental and physical battle. Your body wants to stop and feels like it can't go anymore but you have to mentally push through to keep going. Even when you max out, you have to stay in mentally to start again and continue to give it your all.
After about a minute of the workout, you are already working out at max heart rate and then for the duration of the 30 minute workout, you continue to workout at max heart rate.
I am excited to compare my max out times from last week to this week. I am not sure if I liked going into the workouts blindly last week or heading into them knowing what to expect this week better.
I say bring on week 2 and I can't wait to max out and compete with last weeks times!

Nina Pears

First Impression of Insanity Max 30

I am going to start off by saying I hate cardio. Yes, I recently ran a marathon and I love to run but long distance running is different than intense cardio. I have been a little bit scared of this program but also want to push myself and step out of my comfort zone. I have a hard time pushing myself and tend to hold back quite a bit. I even went into this program with the idea of following the modifier.
I put the DVD in and at the very beginning during the warning notice, Shaun T is talking about the program and it really was inspiring. I decided I was going to push myself and give it my all!
During the warmup, I began to breath hard and was surprised at the intensity level of the warm up. I was determined to push myself as hard as I could. Maxing out is a mental and physical challenge with yourself. Physically my body was starting to hurt and mentally I just wanted to take a quick break. It was fun in a crazy way hanging on for as long as I could. I honestly pushed myself as hard as i possible could and need to take a break at 17:21. That was my official max out time. You realize that you don't need that long of a break but a few seconds allows you to finish strong. I wasn't prepared and didn't have water with me because I usually don't drink water while exercising. I ran into the bathroom and put my head under the sink and drank from the sink because I was dying.
I loved the workout because the exercises were so different from anything I have done in the past and they were fun. On the third repetition of them each round, I thought they were hell! The workout is set up in rounds. Each round has 3 exercises and you repeat each set of 3, 3 times. I think anyways. It is a little bit of a blur because it was so fast! The 30 minutes flies by and the exercises are tough. There was jumping but it wasn't crazy and the flow of exercises gave your body a break from jumping. I would compare the intensity to running my marathon. You truly do push yourself to your limits. I have never experienced that before besides my marathon.
My legs are already sore and my calves are on fire even when I am just sitting.
I think I am going to like this workout and I can see how it will give results! If you like to compete and push yourself and you like the challenge, this is the perfect workout for you. If you think it might be too much but like the idea of it, there is a modifier to follow.
I really love the nutrition guide that comes with the program too. It is the same as the 21 day fix meal plan but the lay out and organization of the guide is very user friendly. It is very doable too! My big takeaway is to eat 5 meals a day.

Nina Pears

What's for breakfast? Cereal alternative

has cereal been a go to for you? It is easy and kids love. There is something comforting about it too. I went through a phase where I bought "healthy" cereal just because it was so easy. It was a quick breakfast before school, the kids can get it themselves, and there wasn't any complaining. I knew that there really wasn't much nutrition in a bowl of cereal and the kids were always complaining of still being hungry or were starving before we even got to school. I always try to make a hot breakfast and eggs are our go to. They fill the kids up and keep them full. But we still have those mornings where I just don't have the time to make eggs and the kids aren't quite ready to make them on their own.
While visiting a friend she told me about a breakfast that she makes for herself- a hot grain free cereal. I tried it for myself and tweaked it and made it into a go to breakfast for the kids.
The original recipe called for almond butter, warm water or coconut milk, coconut flakes, honey to sweeten it, vanilla, and cinnamon.

My version-
1 tablespoon almond butter, 1 banana sliced, coconut or almond milk, cinnamon.
I slice my banana, add the almond butter, add enough milk to cover the banana and a dash of cinnamon.  I then microwave it for a minute and then stir it up really well. This is the most filling breakfast I have ever made!

I add a few oats to the mixture when I make it for the kids to give it a heartier consistency. They don't like the texture with out the oats but if I just add a tablespoon of oats, they love it! And it does the trick! Fills them up until snack time!

Nina Pears

stop and listen

Life is crazy. The days just get busier and our roles as moms become more and more demanding and diverse. This time of year is especially demanding. Everything we do that is making us crazy is usually for our children and we try so hard to make everyday so amazing for them!
I had one of the best moments as a mom today. I was in the kitchen cleaning and the kids were eating lunch at the table. I was able to just listen to them. The things they say and the dynamic between them is remarkable.
I took it all in and then I realized that so many times we are so busy doing things, I don't get the chance to stop and listen. I listen when they talk to me and we engage in great conversations together and as a family but very rarely do I listen to them talk and joke and fight with each other. While listening, I hear so much of Morgan and I in them. I realize that they are funny and that they truly get each other. I also realize that they fight a lot but there is so much love for each other in their fight and every argument ends with a laugh or a smile when the tears and frustration fade.
I look forward to eavesdropping on more of their conversations.

Nina Pears

3 Day Refresh Results

Up until 3 days ago, I had never done any type of cleanse before. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into and heard of great things about the 3 Day Refresh so I wanted to try it for myself. After all it was only 3 days and I figured I could do anything for 3 days. This one appealed to me because I could eat during it. I did it with my husband. I highly recommend having an accountability partner or someone to do it with. It was much nicer to go through it together.
Day 1
As I woke up Friday morning for Day 1, I was excited. My day started off the same as any other day. I did my workout and ran then had my Shakeology with water instead of almond milk and only half a banana. It wasn't a big deal at all. The fiber sweep was scheduled for my mid morning snack. I actually really enjoyed this my first day. It tasted like cream of wheat cereal with lemon. It wasn't bad at all. We had a pretty hectic day of hiking in to cut our own Christmas tree down and an hour drive up to the mountains. We packed our lunch and it wasn't terrible. We had a vanilla protein shake, a fruit, vegetable and hummus. It was mid afternoon that it started to hit me a little bit. We had more veggies and hummus for our afternoon snack and by this time I was starting to feel tired and a little hungry. I had a cup of tea to get me through. We did the worst thing ever which was Costco. I walked by all of the samples and spent a little more than usual fantasizing about all the foods I wanted but couldn't have. Making dinner for the kids was also torture. The smell and not sneaking a taste was hard. For dinner we had another vanilla shake and veggie stirfry.
We went to bed early and probably had the best nights sleep ever. We slept for 11 hours straight!
Day 2
I woke up feeling great and quickly drank my shake. My initial surge of energy from my 11 hours of sleep wore quickly. I did a normal workout but had a hard time doing it at the same intensity as I normally do. After the workout, I had my fiber sweep and it wasn't as delicious as it was the first day but still ok. We went about our normal day running errands with the kids. I noticed my stomach was a little grumbly and I was kind of in a fog all day. I was able to do everything as usual but I didn't have my normal pep. I was also a bit more irritable than normal. We switched up lunch for celery and almond butter and a pear and our afternoon snack was celery with peanut butter again. It seemed more satisfying and was absolutely delicious! Lunch and dinner for the kids were difficult again. In away we weren't really thinking about food so the kids had to remind us to feed them and while quick was the best approach, I didn't want to slack and go the unhealthy and easy route for them. Dinner consisted of veggie stirfry again. it was nice to have something hot for dinner. By the end of day 2, I was tired, fatigued, and grumpy. But physically, I felt great. My stomach felt good. I was not bloated and I noticed my clothes were even fitting differently already. I was able to stay up a little later but I was just laying on the couch. I got 9 hours of sound, quality sleep in.
Day 3
I wasn't in a hurry to get out of bed. I dragged my feet knowing I had one more day to get through. Thankfully it was a lazy Sunday and I didn't have anything I needed to do. There weren't any surprises and I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. The fiber sweep was really hard to get down this last time. I tried remembering how much I enjoyed it the first day but it just wasn't as tasty. It really isn't that bad if you just sip it quickly! I kept lunch, snack, and dinner the same to keep it simple! By the end of my dinner I was actually full which really surprised me. I enjoyed laying low as I still felt a lack of energy but was almost getting used to it and did a bit around the house. It was nice to slow down this last day because I realized that I never do slow down and also that I need a lot of energy to get through a typical day of mine. What got me through day 2 was Morgan weighing to realize he lost 9 pounds in his first 2 days and me weighing in to a loss of 5 pounds. And overall I didn't feel horrible and was able to function. I was just not 100%. Probably more like 50%.
Final results and Take Aways
Morgan is down a total of 9 pounds and I am down a total of 5 pounds.  As it felt like hell while doing it, now that it is over, it was well worth it. Some have asked why I would do it. I eat clean already and I am probably at my ideal weight. I did it for many reasons. No matter how clean we try to eat, we all slip a little here and there. I was fresh off a road trip and Thanksgiving. I was also at this point where the scale wouldn't budge no matter what I did. I worked out hard, I ran a marathon, and I ate constantly. The 3 Day Refresh brought me back to a balance. Watching my body detox proved that I needed this. I was also able to make the scale finally shift. I got out of the habit of eating 24/7.
So what is the plan now? Will it stay off? I am jumping right into the eating plan for the 21 Day Fix. It seems like a surplus of food now! I will eat the right portions of the right foods. I expect my weight to fluctuate up and down a little bit. This gave me some extra motivation to stay on track until Christmas!
It was worth it and now that it is over, it wasn't all the bad!

Discounted price with a month of Shakeology
 http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/BCP3D160?referringRepId=425661

Just 3 day refresh with shakeology for 3 days
http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/3DayRefresh?referringRepId=425661

Morgan's results- Before 258

Nina- Before- 134

Nina Pears