1. Place all ingredients in a bread maker in order suggested by manufacturer and set to "dough" setting. Check a few minutes into the process and add flour or water, if necessary, so that the dough isn't crumbly and dry or sticky.
2. When the bread maker has finished, divide the dough into 4 balls (or as many as you like). Roll the balls with a rolling pin on a floured surface to desired thickness (should be on the thin side).

OR

1. Dissolve the yeast in about 1/4 cup of the water; stir in 1 tsp of the sugar and set aside for 10 minutes. The mixture should get foamy- if it doesn't, the yeast isn't active or the water was too hot.
2. Mix the rest of the sugar with the salt, olive oil and remaining water and set aside.
3. Put the flour in the bowl of a food processor or mixer. With the processor running, slowly pour in the water/oil mixture. Then add the yeast mixture and process until the dough forms a ball. Add more flour or water, if necessary, so that dough isn't crumbly or sticky.
4. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Transfer to an oiled bowl and let rise for about an hour.
5. When the dough has finished rising, divide it into 4 balls (or as many as you like). Roll the balls with a rolling pin on a floured surface to desired thickness (should be on the thin side).

Grilling pizza
I don't have a pizza stone or peel or any other fancy pizza-making equipment. Here are my basic instructions for grilling pizzas on a gas barbecue grill.

1. Preheat your barbecue grill on high. Just before placing the crusts on the grill, turn the temp down to low to medium-low. Place as many crusts on the grill as you can fit and leave the top of the barbecue open. Let brown slightly on one side only then remove from the grill, flipping so that the cooked side is up on the pan.
2. Top the cooked side of the crusts with your favorite sauce and toppings. Note: I recommend slicing the veggies very, very thin so they get cooked enough when the pizzas go back on the grill.
3. Place a sheet of aluminum foil coated with olive oil or cooking spray on the grill and place the pizzas on top. Make sure the grill is on low heat and close the lid. Watch the bottom of the pizzas closely- they will brown quickly! Remove them as soon as they are done and enjoy!

Here are six quick breakfast ideas to help you get your day started on a healthy note!

1. Smoothie: Smoothies are such an awesome vehicle for so many good things. If you haven't tried a green smoothie yet, give it a try! Here are some ideas to get you started.
2. Oatmeal: To make this a faster breakfast, stick with rolled oats or try overnight oats or cook steel cut oats overnight in a crock pot.
3. Waffles: Waffles are a "sometimes food", as Cookie Monster would say, but I do like them every now and then! When I have a waffle craving but no time to make my own, I use organic and light frozen waffles. Try them with fruit and nuts and drizzle with a tiny bit of real maple syrup. Yummy combos: try apples and walnuts, bananas and peanut butter, or peaches and almonds.
4. Pancakes: I make a batch of my super pancakes every couple of weeks, doctored up with added protein and various other ingredients. I freeze the leftovers for quick, microwavable breakfasts later in the week. I add fruit and a bit of syrup to the batter, so I can skip the syrup when I serve these to my kids.
5. Muffins: Muffins are another great vehicle for good stuff. I add nuts, seeds, and all kinds of things to mine to make them a heartier breakfast.
6. Yogurt: Choose a yogurt that isn't loaded with sugar or other icky ingredients (I buy soy yogurt) and add to whole grain cereal (Kashi Go Lean has lots of protein) or top with nuts or seeds and fruit.

My story is definitely not unique, however, many stories like mine end with “happily ever after”. But what happens next? How do us independent corporate types adjust to never being alone? How do we maintain our connection to who we are and feed our minds, bodies, and souls with extremely limited free time? For me, it is through movement.

Finding my "new normal"
When I first started living the full-time mom life, I was so scattered. I was late everywhere that I went. I got lost in a town that I’d lived in for five years. I stressed out over everything and couldn’t seem to summons my inner logical person. It is amazing how entrenched we can get in our routines. Drastically changing mine really shook loose all of my tools for punctuality and, frankly, clear-thinking.

Within a week of leaving my job, I noticed an ad on a car window for a local bootcamp for women. I immediately looked up the website on my iPhone and, when I saw that the coach also offered triathlon training, I knew that I’d be giving her a call. I had wanted to complete a triathlon for a while and I desperately needed to begin establishing my "new normal" to satisfy my control-freaky "type A" side. I remember thinking, "this is the beginning of something for me." Isn't it funny how, when you take off the blinders that are created by existing in a routine that has become numbingly automatic, you find exactly what you need?

Signing up for bootcamp and triathlon training did, indeed, turn out to be a beginning for me. As I was adjusting to life away from my cubicle, I was meeting new local moms and losing baby weight while working on completing my triathlon goal. I was surprised to find that, even though I originally wanted to do a triathlon because I craved the sense of accomplishment from completing something difficult, I loved the training and the races. I actually had fun swimming in murky lakes and running in 100+ degree heat! More than that, though, I was learning to construct my life and routine in a way that I'd never thought was possible for me. I had always known that being successful at my goals meant that I had to work hard. What I have learned through this experience is that the hard work can also be fulfilling along the way if I am working hard on something that is congruent with my values and goals and passions. I also feel like I have found "my people" with the amazing group of women that I have met. Not only have I adjusted to my new life but I have also learned so much about being part of a team- a triathlon training team or a family who's members work together to support each other in their pursuits. This, along with treasured time with my boys, is my new normal. In every facet of my life, I am so blessed.

What about you?
Have you thought about adding movement to your life or shaking up your current fitness routine with a completely new goal? What if, instead of just losing weight and fitting in to smaller clothes, your goals for exercise were to feel good and have fun? What activities would you choose to meet those new goals?