5 Goals That I Am Working on and an Awesome Giveaway!

I hope your Monday run/workout is a great one today!  I love starting out the week with a great run.  Maybe I’ll even do a different distance today than my current go-to of seven miles:)  This post is sponsored by General Mills to celebrate the #ButFirstWholeGrain Challenge.  I cannot wait to share with you 5 goals that I am working on this September.

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September is here and I am pretty sure that this summer went by faster than any summer ever has for us.  The kids have both started school and Brooke has started KINDERGARTEN.   Brooke’s first day of school went really well and I didn’t even cry in the parking lot.  I cried for a few minutes on my morning run but all I could do once she got to school was smile.  She gave me a big hug (two actually, not like I was counting;) and a kiss and ran inside.  I watched for a few minutes from the window but it was impossible for me to be sad when I saw how happy she was to be there.  Her confidence and excitement (that morning she woke up 1.5 hours before she normally does) just made me happy.

With all of the changes that come with this time of year, I came up with 5 personal goals that I want to work on right now!  I would love to hear about any goals that you are currently working on too!

1.   To eat more WHOLE GRAINS!!!   September is National Whole Grain Month and it is the perfect time to start adding in more whole grains to our diets each day.  With the kids back in school and things settling down around here I’ve really been wanting to take time to evaluate my nutrition and how I can make sure I am getting what the baby and I need each day!  According to NHANES, Food Patterns Equivalents Database 2013-2014, 99% of the population is NOT getting enough whole grain in their diet!  Time to choose foods with more whole grain!

My goal for the #ButFirstWholeGrain Challenge is to consume 48 grams of WHOLE GRAIN daily and to continue to do this each month!  As a runner, I’m a big believer in the importance of whole grains and how it helps me and my running!  My running times are better, my running is happier and I have the energy I need to hit my workouts when I consume enough whole grains!  A healthy diet including whole grains has so many benefits that are so important to me including heart health, improved digestive health and reduced risk of certain cancers.  I believe that whole grain is such an important part of our diets because of the energy, B vitamins/minerals, fiber and flavor they offer our diets!

My absolute favorite way to eat whole grains—> CEREAL!!!

All General Mills Big G cereals have at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving and many of them have 16 grams!  Whole Grain is the FIRST ingredient found in EVERY box of General Mills Big G Cereals!

I have about 50 reasons why I love General Mills Cereal but the first one has to be taste.  I don’t know what it is about cereal but it has me craving it all day long… I love it after a run and for my breakfast, as a late night snack while watching The Office with Andrew, or during the day with the kids too.  It makes mornings with the kids so much easier and they love it too.  I love knowing that the kids are starting their day off with whole grains before leaving to school or running around the house with all of the energy on the planet.   I love cereal because it is something that ALL of us love so much and it is so easy for us to eat before we have a busy day!  There are zero complaints when I get out cereal for our meal!  I cannot get enough cereal lately and the combination of cereal with milk hits all of my current cravings perfectly.

PS If you haven’t tried the Pumpkin Spice Cheerios, you need to now.  Come over for a cereal party:)

I’d love it if you joined me this month by taking on the #ButFirstWholeGrain Challenge and consuming 48 grams of whole grains each day!

2.  To multitask less.  I heard this quote from an Oprah podcast with Arianna Huffington and it really hit me.  Ariana said, “I abhor multitasking.  Being connected in a shallow way to the entire world can prevent us from being deeply connected to those closest to us- including ourselves.  And that is where wisdom is found.”  My normal brain (whether learned or partly just part of my nature) multitasks ALL OF THE TIME.  Whether it’s doing dishes while talking to the kids and thinking about my next blog post or writing emails while playing Go Fish and organizing my desk, for some reason I turn to multitasking often without even thinking about it.  When I think about the quote above it makes me realize that I am not fully engaging in anything when I multitask, I’m just giving a part of myself.  My goal this September has been to truly connect with who I am with or what I am doing before moving on to the next task.

3.  This one also goes with #2 but it is something I’m truly working on doing and it is helping me to multitask less.  Spending time each day where my phone is in the other room.  It’s so easy to constantly be stimulated by social media but I am loving having my phone either on airplane mode (so I can still snap pictures) or in the other room.   Dieter F. Uchtdorf said this and it is one of my all-time favorite quotes, “Love in family relationships is spelled T-I-M-E” and while I am able to spend a lot of time with my family, doing so without a phone makes that time even better.

4. Prenatal YOGA.  During this pregnancy I have done a great job getting in my cardio exercise each day but my body is telling me that I need to be stretching more.  I have not done prenatal yoga with this pregnancy but I am starting now.  I found some awesome videos on YouTube and can’t wait to start!

5.  Mentally, I have two goals that I am working on mentally.  I have been reading a lot about meditation and the benefits that come from this practice.  Most mornings I get up and either leave for my run or procrastinate leaving for my run by picking up around the house.  I have started to spend the first 15 minutes of each day sitting still.  Thinking, praying and writing down things I am grateful for.  This goal has been amazing so far and I am so excited to continue to do this.  My other goal in this category is to read two books per month!  Maybe we should start a book club together?

I’ll be focusing on these five goals and I’ll keep you updated with how I am doing with them!

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**Join me in this challenge this month to get enough Whole Grains each day!  Put yourself first with #ButFirstWholeGrain by adding whole grain to your diet, including adding your favorite General Mills Big G Cereal with whole grain as the first ingredient!**

This week you can check out Monica from Run Eat Repeat, Tina from Carrots ‘N’ Cake and Jen from Fit Bottomed Girls and their AWESOME #ButFirstWholeGrain challenges as they are also working towards hitting their WHOLE GRAIN GOALS this month!  We are all going to be sharing ways each day this week on our Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages about how we are celebrating National Whole Grain Month!

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To enter this giveaway for some delicious and awesome General Mills goodness:

1.  Join me in my goal this month to get 48 grams of whole grains daily and leave a comment telling me that you are doing this challenge too!

2.  For an extra entry to the giveaway, leave a separate comment telling me your favorite General Mills Cereal (I will probably have to eat mine while I read your comments so I don’t drool the entire time)!

Giveaway ends on 9/18!