The Tapia House

When I set out to write this blog I knew it wouldn't be a daily, weekly, or maybe even monthly thing (even though I would like for it to be at least bi-weekly). I wanted to sit down and write when I felt it was time to write. When I was inspired to write. Today I feel inspired to write. I wanted to write a quick list on what I'm thankful for. 

Every week I set out to workout 4 times a week. That seems doable for a busy, working mom. But every week I would make it to the gym on Monday + Tuesday + by Wednesday I was sore, tired, + had mom guilt for going to the gym so much in one week. Two days isn't a lot, but it was enough to make me feel like a less of a mom + wife because my husband was the one doing the cooking. I get home between 5:30 + 6:00 from the gym so I'm able to help with school work, cleaning up, + bedtime, but the guilt was still there. Jewish guilt is real + true. And all of this guilt was self-inflicted because my husband never even so much as hinted that he has a problem with me going to the gym. In fact, on numerous occasions he's told me that he's glad I go because I'm less irritable when I'm able to take care of my body. I'm able to be a better wife + mother when I exercise. Sweating + lifting weight is therapy for me + I am beyond thankful for such supportive husband who encourages me take care of my health.

Weekends around here are usually pretty busy + during the week I'm at work + don't really have the opportunity to document what I eat. But this Saturday we didn't have much going on (finally) so I was able to snap pictures + show you what a day of eating looks like me for on the weekends. Fun stuff, yeah?



Breakfast: 2 fried eggs over some brown nice with peas + carrots + avocado. This is seriously so good + so filling. And I'm a big believer in using leftovers even if they aren't traditionally breakfast foods.



Lunch: Springrolls. Basically a perfect food + totally gluten free. If I'm going to have grains, gluten free or otherwise, I usually don't eat them after lunch.

 Dinner: a half assed attempt at a caprese salad. Fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, + balsamic vinegar. I tried to eat those chicken tenders + they didn't do it for me.

This past Saturday was our two year adoption anniversary with our kiddos + we took an hour trip to the mountains to go to our favorite pumpkin patch. It's become our annual fall family tradition + I love it. The weather was rainy + kind of gray + it was the perfect fall day. We snacked on roasted corn, ate pumpkin cookies, + took a hay ride. It was too rainy to go through the corn maze, but we still had a blast.

I love these moments with my little family. I know that the kids won't want to do these things with us forever so I'm going to enjoy this phase in our life as much as I can. I also can't believe how big my kids are getting! They need to stop growing up so fast, it's not fair.

totally fall

children of the corn

I'm a creature of habit. I thrive on consistancy + routine. I would like to be more laid back but it's just not in my DNA. With that being said, I need to put my weird obsession for habit to good use. Research says that 21 days makes a habit. I need to get in the habit of exercising. 21 days in a row isn't going to happen, that's just crazy talk, but I think that starting off with 4 days a week is totally doable. I know that my body needs + thrives on exercise, but the motivation to fulfill those needs can be lacking. I need to make a schedule. I need to stick to said schedule. I want to feel strong + see what my body is capable of. I want to do yoga + learn to mediate. I want to feel good about myself + my choices. I also want to grow the worlds best booty. So today I'm going to sit down with my planner + write out my workouts. I am more likely to complete a task if I have it written down + I'm able to check it off. Isn't that such a good feeling? I'm a weirdo, I know.

-Alex

I know that it's already the 6th, but I can't help but to gush over the fact that it's October. It truly feels like fall is in the air. The weather is starting to cool down + I want to light candles + watch movies in bed with my family. I also feel that when fall hits there's a newness in the air, like anything is possible. Something about the crispness makes me feel inspired. I want to make the most of this fall. I want to read scary stories with the kids, watch Hocus Pocus + The Rocky Horror Picture Show, make a paleo pie, + document my life. I'm excited for what's coming. The future is mine. A better more purposeful life is mine.

I'm sure by the name of this blog + the name of the post you're currently reading that you've learned that my name is Alex (short for Alexandra). I wanted to take sometime to introduce myself + give you some background information on who I am.

I'm a mom. I have two awesome kids, Julian (11) + Jocelyn (9). They were adopted almost two years ago + came to live with my husband + I over 4 years ago. I know that one day I'd like to get into depth about our adoption journey but it's always such an emotional thing for me to talk about.

My husbands name is James + we've been together for almost 10 years. He's a major nerd + I honestly love that about him.

I'm 28 + have an obsession with lipstick, young adult fiction, + chai. I'm a former Jersey girl + now I live in the desert of New Mexico. I'm a TA at a preschool + I think the treadmill was created by the devil.

I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 13 + I knew at  an early age that having kids biologically was not in the cards for me. In the beginning that was an extremely hard thing for me to come to terms with + I had major depression when I started getting older + trying to get pregnant. I turned to food. It was comfort. Carbs were my security blanket. Pasta was my savior. But now being 28 I am learning to break those emotional bonds that I have with food + become a healthier me. Pregnancy used to my only goal in life. I thought that I wouldn't be considered a real woman if I couldn't carry a child (that's a topic for another day). Now that I'm older + hopefully wiser, I'm learning that not carrying a baby doesn't make me less of anything, but that being a good mom + role model to my children makes me a woman. Also, pregnancy isn't my goal anymore; I have two happy + healthy kids who completely fulfill my life. My goal now is to become the best possible version of myself that I can be + I know that I have to start with my health.

I've done a few rounds of the whole 30 program + I can not say enough good things, but on day 31 I'm a fucking mess + shoving cake in my face. I'm a person that thrives on structure + for 30 days I have set rules that I need to follow. On the 31st day there are no more rules + I can't function properly without them.  That's where paleo comes in. There are a set of rules + no start date or end date + that's what I need in my life.

I plan on taking this week to write notes, do more research, + write a menu. I'll report back + document everything along the way.

I'm excited for this journey. It feels right.

When I decided to start a blog I sat down + wrote what I wanted to talk about. At first it seemed so obvious; I wanted to talk about transitioning to a paleo lifestyle and what that meant for me as well as my family. But the longer I sat + wrote about what was important to me the more inspired I felt. Primal doesn't just mean paleo to me. The definition of primal is: first in importance. The things that are important to me are so vast that it became clear that I couldn't just talk about a paleo lifestyle. I want to talk about my family, my job, my interests, bettering myself,  and everything in-between. But I want to address these things with purpose because that's what primal means to me..being true to what's important to you as an individual. I'm on a journey to become the best version of myself + documenting it seems like what I need in my life right now. In the next few days I want to take more time to introduce myself + talk about why I want to live a paleo + primal lifestyle. So thank you for stopping by + visiting my little corner of the internet. I hope you come back.




-Alex