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Saturday, January 31, 2015

Challenge update

Hey all, sorry it's gotten crazy here this week.  How is everyone doing on no soda?  This was so much easier than I had anticipated...  Why oh why didn't I do this sooner!!!  I am doing awesome on all the challenges so far except the veggies....  I might have to modify that to a fruit or veggie for each meal until I can get into the swing of this.  But I am currently 5 days soda free and feeling easy peasy!!  Next weeks Challenge will be a daily challenge of improving our self image, yes I am doing a challenge within a challenge, but I really feel like it is so important to include all the different parts of wellness/health in the challenge, and self image is such a huge part of a healthy balanced lifestyle.  We will start a day early on Feb 1 and go to the 14th,  with daily challenges that I hope will help you improve your self image.

Friday, January 30, 2015

Love Yourself

With valentines just around the corner I thought is would be fun to have the next on our 12 weeks of wellness be a start to a 14 day challenge of improving our self image and learning to love ourselves a little more.  I know I for one could use some help here.  I have really high expectations of myself, much higher than I have of anyone around me, and I am very hard on myself when I don't meet that.

In the current standard of watching everyone's highlight reel on facebook, instagram, pintrest etc. it is really hard to find that moment of hey I am me and I am awesome.  When was the last time you really felt like you were happy with who you were in every aspect of life. (weight, mom skills, wife skills, running time, housekeeping skills, etc).  Honestly I am not sure I have ever been there.  I live in the moment ahead always looking toward the next goal and in doing that I know I miss the moments that I am in.  I miss seeing how awesome I am right now.  How often have you said if only I had realized how awesome my body was in high school, or in my 20's?  Or how often have you looked at your friend, sister, mother, brother and said wow look how incredible they are at _______ (you fill in the blank), and I can't even do _______....
 Appreciate who YOU are right now,  realize how amazing and awesome YOU are right now! Join me for the next 14 days of improved self image.  There will be a daily challenge each day starting Feb. 1  I will post on FB and on here.  I hope you will join me and love you just a bit more for 14 days and start a spark towards a healthier self image.

Monday, January 26, 2015

12 Weeks of wellness: Week 4 Bye Bye Soda!

I have needed to do this one for a while, but somehow didn't think I could do it.  I had to mentally gear up for this one.  Why oh why is this such a hard thing to leave behind.  I know, as I am sure all of you do, that it is bad for me.  I know it's got zero nutritional value, but somehow I still feel or felt as if I needed it.  I felt  entitled to a little indulgence because, I worked out, or I was doing laundry, or cleaning the house or had been good all day... (you fill in the blank here).  Why is it that I feel this way, why not reward myself with a soda...  This sounds like a really silly reward, but somewhere along the way I trained myself to think this.  So day 1 of saying good bye to a bad habit.  Here are a few reasons why I want to drop the soda
*No nutritional value
*I feel it when I exercise if I have had one
*I don't want to NEED anything that isn't serving me
*I think it will help me drop some lbs
*I think it is a start to cutting out unnecessary sugar
*I like the challenge
There are articles all over the internet about all the negative effects of soda so I won't lecture you on those, but here are a few things that really have helped me drop the soda habit in the past.
Don't tell yourself no, for me if I know I can't have it that is all I can think about, but I would always have a 20oz glass of water and if I still wanted a soda after that I could have one, but usually the urge passed, and eventually I found myself not wanting it.  Don't keep it in your house, if it is in my house I will drink it.  When going to dinner or out a lot of times a meal will come with a drink, get water anyway.  I also started drinking more water, and if I needed a little boost to my water I would add fruit or even sometimes a tiny bit of vanilla, or essential oils or other things to keep it tasty.  I would also think about why I was wanting it, was it out of habit, or because I needed a reward, if it was a reward I was after I would find a different one, like 20 minutes to myself, a hot bath, reading, a nice walk outside.

So now we are
*Drinking half our weight in oz of water
*Exercising daily for at least 20 minutes
*Adding a veggie to each meal
*No soda

For those joining me, have you seen any victories yet?  I am still not getting my scale to budge much but I feel better, and my skin looks better than it has in a while, I have more energy, and I am enjoying pushing myself.

Are you joining me on this one?  What is your why for leaving soda? and what tips do you have to share?

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Eat Your Veggies: Spinach

Here is another of my favorite veggies.  Spinach!  It is a super veggie, swap it out for iceberg everywhere you can.  I put it on my sandwiches, in my smoothies, in my eggs, and sometimes I can sneak it into other recipes. 
Why Spinach?  Well is a renowned muscle builder!  (we want muscles, they burn more calories and are sooo pretty)There is a hormone in spinach that increases protein synthesis by 20%.  This hormone allows muscle tissue to repair itself faster according to reasearch.  Spinach is high in vitamin K (one cup of spinach has more than your daily requirement of this vitamin), manganese, magnesium, calcium, folate, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and selenium.  This combination of vitamins and minerals can help to protect the liver and ward off Alzheimer's.  
Spinach is also a beauty power food.  It is rich in beta-carotene, and this converts to a powerful anti-aging Vitamin A. This promotes proper moisture retention in the skin, helping to prevent wrinkles, and removing dead skin from your body.  Spinach also contains lipoic acid, this helps vitamins C and E regenerate(both of these are a must for youthful skin).  It is rich in amino acids and has twice the fiber of most greens, this will keep you full and help you curb cravings.

 So here is the link to my green smoothie where I use my spinach most often.   One of my favorite little books of food info is Beauty Detox Foods  There are tons of great veggie recipes in this book.  She eats much more strictly than I prefer to eat, but there are amazing recipes and a ton of information on different foods and why to eat them.

Here is a recipe I just love!!!  It is a Spinach strawberry salad and it is sooo yummy, I could eat it for many meals.
I found this one on this site, but I have made it many different ways but I really thought this one sounded good.
(she has a lot of great recipes, go check out her site)
She even has the dressing recipe, which I love because then I know exactly what I am eating!!!

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Eat your Veggies: Avocado (I know it's a fruit)

Ok this week has by far been my hardest, I have had more mistakes than I would like to admit, but I am learning, and it is getting easier.  A few suggestions I had from comments on facebook, were to get a steamer so of course I got on Amazon and got one ordered right away.  I have had one before so I know this will help, steamed veggies are great!  I ended up buying the rice cooker with steamer because my hubby loves rice so 2 for one :)

One thing I have noticed is that it is easier for me to eat veggies when they taste good... That is my biggest problem I have a love for yummy food, and somehow veggies and yummy have never gone together for me.   But I am going to fix that problem.  Another thing that I really enjoy is knowing what different foods do to help my body (maybe it's just me but I think it is fascinating)  So here are a few of my favorite veggies and what they do for us when we eat them.


Avocado (technically a fruit, but we prepare them and eat them more like a veggie so they are staying in my veggie category)  They are full of one of the world's most healthy fats, monounsaturates.  These fats, according to several studies, improve your cholesterol, and decrease the amount of triglycerides in your blood.  They have 10 grams of fiber in one cup so they are great at helping curb cravings!  Avocados are great for your skin, if you eat them often you will notice your skin will become more supple and soft and youthful.  They have been noted among cultures such as the Maya Indians, for being powerful anti-aging foods.  They are great for skin and joints.   The oil in avocados is similar to our skin's own natural oil so its a great oil for skin rejuvenation.  Avocados are full of vitamins A, C, E and K, and contain minerals , potassium, copper, and iron.  Avocados also have one of the highest amino acid contents of all fruits, this helps you to build lean muscle.

How do you prepare your avocados?  Here are a few things I like to do.
Guacamole to add to anything (sandwiches, eggs, wraps, fajitas, chicken)
2 avocado
1 tomato
1/2 tsp garlic salt
Juice from 1/2 lime
1/4 bunch cilantro (or more)
3-6 green onions
1 jalapeno (seeded if you don't want as much of a kick)
cumin, salt and pepper to taste.
Cut your avocados in half pull out the pit, scoop out of the skin and mash with a fork.  Chop tomato, cilantro, onion and jalapeno. Mix all ingredients together and use.  Avocados will brown quickly so I usually only make a small batch at a time.


I also enjoy slicing them and just adding them in a wrap or fajita.  I have added them to my green smoothies for an extra creamy consistency.  I would love to hear how you prepare or use avocados, leave me a comment!

Friday, January 23, 2015

DIY Laundry Detergent

Anyone ever attempt making their own laundry soap?  I have, and I went through a few recipes to find one that I like.  The best part is it is cheaper than regular laundry soap and I can add in oils to scent it however I would like.  I have been using this recipe since the first of December and I haven't put much of a dent in using it up!!  That makes me sooo incredibly happy!

Here is the recipe  I got it from http://www.couponcloset.net/homemade-laundry-detergent/ (it's a great site, go show some love and check it out)
20 mule team borax 4lbs 12 oz
3 bars Fels-Naptha
oxi-clean versatile stain remover 3lb.
purex crystals, 28oz or 36.2oz Gain Fireworks 
Arm & Hammer pure baking soda 4lb, 
Arm & hammer super washing soda 55 oz
Shred your soap, I used my ninja to chop mine very finely.  Then mix everything together. I used a huge bucket to mix it in and then put it in a pretty container.  I got my glass container at wal-mart, but I found some on amazon too.  I also had to store some in quart mason jars.

I add oils to each batch of laundry so that my oils don't evaporate and loose their yummy smell.  I really like using Lavender and orange on my bedding.  I use the DoTERRA blend Purify on my towels.  And whatever scent I am enjoying in the moment on my other clothing.  I usually just ad 3-5 drops of oil per batch of laundry, and I add it to my detergent so the oils are not going directly on my clothes.  Click here to order DoTERRA Oils

To use the soap, just use 1/8 cup of soap per load of laundry.  I am so happy with it and I love how my clothes smell.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Week 3 Veggie Challenge

Okay so I am struggling with this week's challenge a bit...  I need to get on pinterest and get some easy veggie ideas.  I did go yesterday to the store and bought some easy to eat raw veggies.  I do great with breakfast, green smoothie or a spinach, tomato, basil, peppers and onions scrambled egg... but then lunch rolls around and I cave....  Dinner hasn't been too bad, but lunch is where I really struggle...  Anyone have any great lunch recipes with veggies?  I am going to get online today and see what I can come up with, but leave me a comment with your ideas if you have anything you love.  Just a heads up next week we are giving up soda!!! I have to mentally prepare for this one, so I thought I would give you a heads up if you are joining me on this!

Also Here is a workout I did the other day and really enjoyed... Thought you might like it too.  In between each circuit I ran my stairs for 5 minutes for some added cardio.

Monday, January 19, 2015

What in the world is foot zone therapy?

About 7 years ago I trained and certified as a foot zone therapist.  Believing in alternative therapy as I do I entered my training without ever having been zoned. After my first class I had received my first zone and it was great!  I knew I was on the right path.  I have very much enjoyed my journey of learning and healing and helping other heal.    Foot zone therapy is similar to reflexology but much more in depth.

I found this image online as my scanner isn't working to upload the one I have created.  This one is very close to the one I have.  I found it at www.thaiwaysmagazine.com 
As with most alternative healing; foot zone therapy looks at the body as a whole, and not just the specific symptom or body part.  A zone session is applied to the feet through rubbing and applying pressure in a specific pattern and method to help the body heal itself.  It is continually gaining popularity in the field of alternative health as it is a non invasive way to help the body to heal itself without dramatic side effects.  The map of the human body lays out in the feet the same way that it does on the body.  If it is on the right side of your body it is on the right foot, and if it is on the left side of your body it is on your left foot.  If it is in the center or found on both sides of the body you will find it on both feet.  

Through a zone session your feet will be rubbed and had pressure applied to points throughout the entire foot  and therefore helping the entire body to heal.  Our body is fully connected with an intricate pattern of "subtle energies" such as meridians, chakras and also nerve endings that are sensitive to pressure and energetic movement.  We need to remember that our bodies are fully connected so we should treat it that way and help the body as a whole and not just one specific symptom.  Often you will find that a certain symptom has a much deeper underlying problem somewhere else within the body.  You will find in the feet, ways to heal physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.  It allows for renewed energy and healing of the body.  I really felt the renewed energy with my first zone, it was almost like a high and it was incredible!  Using electromagnetic trigger points within the specific areas of the feet, your body can be healed.  Each point creates a corresponding change in the area represented on the foot by stimulating that specific trigger point.  Every single cell in the body is triggered during a foot zone session.

If you are close by me (I live in UT)  I would love to schedule you for a foot zone session.  Sessions take 45 min to an hour and they are wonderful, sometimes slightly painful, but always a great way to increase your energy, sleep better, and to help your body heal.  I recommend getting a zone on a regular basis, ideally anywhere from every couple days to every 4-8 weeks depending on your current health status.  Please comment with your e-mail address below and I will be in touch to schedule a session with you.

12 Weeks to Wellness: Week 3

This week I am going to add in some nutrition/diet guidelines for myself (and you if your joining me)  I started with my two easiest things to change and now I think I am ready to add in some nutrition. I do best when I focus on what I can have rather than what I cannot have so this week I will add a veggie to every meal and/or snack. The idea is that veggies are sooo low in calories and so high in nutrition, so I will be giving my body the fuel it needs and consuming less calories until I am full.

When I told my husband what I was doing, he was like what veggie are you going to have with breakfast... Well Green smoothies are great for adding in veggies, spinach and carrots are a few of my favorites.  I can also add onions, leafy greens, peppers, and many other veggies to an omlete or egg muffin.

Snacks I am gearing up Saturday and I will get a bunch of  easy to snack on veggies, carrots, cucumbers, celery etc.  I will cut them up and put them in baggies in the fridge so they are easy to snack on.

Lunches and dinners are easy, I will add a side salad (minimal dressing), or a side of veggies, or even better I will make dinners where I can hide the veggies in them and we will all be eating a bit more veggies.  I will post a few of my recipes through the week, and I hope you will comment with a few of your ideas.  My nutrition is where I really struggle and I will take all the help, support and suggestions I can get.

I know for some this may seem sooo slow, but I am down 4lbs in 2 weeks, I have more energy, my skin is looking better than it has in a while, and I feel good, in just the small changes I have made so far.  I am looking to make a lifestyle change, not just a quick diet.  I want to always incorporate more veggies into my diet, I want to always exercise daily (even if it is just a walk),  I want to always have more veggies in my diet.  So for me this works to do it one thing at a time.  It feels much less overwhelming and I feel successful in what I am doing because it really isn't too tough to change a little at a time but at the end of 12 weeks I will have changed a lot.  Right now I am going to do everything each day, of course there might be a day or two where I mess up on something, but I am hoping to stick to everything everyday for the full 12 weeks.  After that I will for sure have a free day probably once a week, and I will enjoy my vacations, or celebrate with my kids on their birthdays etc.  But I want my everyday to be a healthy one!

What type are you?  Are you an all or nothing type where you have to make drastic changes? or are you a baby steps type person?  I know we are all different, and I would love to know what works for you.  There is no right way to do, and everyone has to do what works best for them.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Let's Workout!

I think that changing up your workout is important.  I have a few things I prefer to do, but I find that if that is all I do I don't make as much progress as I do when I change things up.  I really love strength training, it is by far my favorite, and then I love to dance, and I never thought I would say it but I enjoy running.  What are your favorite workouts?

To keep things changed up I like to get in at least a couple of cardio days, at least a couple of strength days and a couple of yoga/pilates type days (this is my least favorite, but I still enjoy it).  It is amazing to me how much work it is to stretch, how can something that seems so easy be so much work.  I find that so much in my running and strength training improves when I am doing yoga regularly.  When I have a weird pain that comes up usually incorporating more yoga helps me out a lot.  

Sometimes I combine things, like I will do a short run and some strength training, or a short run and some yoga.  HIIT workouts are great and they are such a great and efficient workout, combining strength and cardio.  I like change in my routine, if that makes any sense...  I am in the routine of exercising every morning, but I enjoy changing things and adding new challenges.

I think Sunday is of course a day of rest, so if I take a day off it is usually Sunday but during the 12 weeks I am really going to make an effort to exercise every day.  I do think that our bodies need rest from different things though so you don't over do it with one specific type of workout.  I really feel like a nice walk enjoying nature is a great sunday exercise, but since it is freezing outside (at least where I am at)  I really enjoy doing something soothing and calm like Yoga or pilates. Thanks to Kasey and her awesome comment about this great site, here is one to try today.  You can do just one or both, they are both fairly easy (I didn't even break a sweat doing both) but they felt great.

http://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/fluid-yoga-stretches-for-flexibility-and-strength  This is a yoga one, it's only 15 min so you could do a little something extra.  Or combine the it with this next one.

 http://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/quick-and-easy-pilates-toning-and-flexibility-workout  This workout is only 17 minutes so if you don't combine it with the previous one, maybe add in a little warm up run or something to get to your full 20 minutes.   Or do a few dance videos first.  Whatever you enjoy.

I hope this week of exercise has started your habit so it is easier to continue.  As with each habit we start we will be continuing to exercise at least 20 minutes each day through the full 12 weeks, and I will sporadically post some workouts for you to try out, but I hope I gave you enough tools to get a few workouts in without a gym if you need.

Just a review we are now
*drinking half our body weight in ounces of water each day
*exercising at least 20 minutes each day
*check back tomorrow to find out what else we are adding for week 3!!!

As always I would love to hear how you liked the workout!?  Tell me what types of workouts you enjoy most?  Did you check out the site aside from the workout?  Isn't it awesome!

Saturday, January 17, 2015

It's the Weekend Let's Workout

If you are like me, I have to workout in the morning or it doesn't happen.  I get up and get the kiddos out the door to school and me and my youngest kiddo head down to the basement to get our sweat on.  He last about 15 minutes and then has found a cool toy or is trying to grab my leg and give me extra weight or climbing on my back, it definitely keeps things interesting.  I should probably get up before the kids go to school and get it done, but right now this is working for me and even with the cute distraction I still get a great workout.  But I do schedule the post for early for those of you who have to get your workout in before work or just enjoy the early morning hours.

Today after an awesome comment yesterday we are going to do a HIIT workout from a new site called fitnessblender.com!  This site is awesome, tons of workouts and they are free!!! Thanks Kasey for letting me know!!! I love comments especially ones like this where I find a new wonderful treasure!  I will definitely be doing some of these workouts.  The site is great you can put in how much time you have and it will find you a workout, or search what type of workout you are looking for.

http://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/hiit-cardio-sweatfest-butt-and-thigh-workout  This is the one I chose, and it was awesome!!! Hurts sooo good!  Be ready to sweat and feel the burn.

I love HIIT workouts!  Mostly because I can do them from home, I don't have to have fancy equipment, just me n my body.  Of course there are equipment you can add in to your HIIT workouts such as jump ropes, rowing machines etc.  But you don't have to have them.

You burn more fat during a HIIT workout than a steady paced run.  In fact studies show that you will continue to burn more calories than other exercises for up to 24 hours after that workout is over.  And not only that but you don't burn muscle (we want muscles because they help us to burn more calories, and they look so much nicer than cellulite).  Steady state cardio seems to encourage muscle loss while strength training and HIIT do not.

They are efficient!  Research shows that doing a HIIT workout 3 days per week for only 15 minutes will get you better results than an hour on the treadmill!  Just 2 weeks of HIIT improves your aerobic capacity as much as 6-8 weeks of endurance training!!! Yup sign me up!  We are all busy so if you can get a more efficient workout done in less time why not!!!

They help you in other areas such as running, biking etc.  When I was doing crossfit several days a week (which a lot of the workouts are HIIT style) I found that I shed 1 minute of my running pace up to a 5k (I don't know if it shed more than that because that was as far as I was running at the time)

HIIT workouts encourage production of HGH (human growth hormone) this is the hormone responsible for caloric burn.  So you stimulate more HGH production during HIIT thus increasing your metabolism and as an added bonus, HGH also slows the aging process.  Fountain of youth right here!!!

HIIT is wonderful because it is short and sweet and to the point.  You wont' be chatting it up while you do this but since you won't be working near as long, that won't matter.

I hope you enjoy this one, HIIT workouts are some of my favorites!!!  Let me know how you did, or what you thought!!

Friday, January 16, 2015

Rise and Shine! Time To Work it!

I hope you all had fun dancing yesterday!! I love to dance, it makes me feel young and free and sweaty.  lol.  Here is your workout for today!  Let's run.  If you can, go run outside!  If you are like me and have a treadmill at home and don't want to brave the cold then lets do a fun treadmill workout.  Here is what I do to keep the TM a bit more interesting.  I crank my music to something great, my current favorites are anything Pitbull, All about that base, Uptown Funk, and Shake it off, or get a good movie/show on netflix and tune in.  Intervals help me keep it interesting too.  Sometimes I follow a set schedule and sometimes I go with how I feel.  As always warm up first, and stretch after!  Let me know how you do.  If you run outside, try just doing intervals for certain distances, for example I am going to sprint to the next light post, and then slow to my normal pace, then sprint and then slow, then sprint and then walk...  I do this with most of my runs to keep things interesting.  Can't wait to hear how your run goes.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Just Average...

I want to share my story.  I have seen so many blogs where you see the inspirational before and after photos where someone looses 100lbs and it is amazing and I always cry and feel for them as they find themselves and find how to love themselves.  I don't have that story, I probably never will, and I am am okay with that.  I do however want to motivate and inspire people in a similar way.  I want someone to read my story and think wow, I want to be healthier.  I want to motivate and inspire others and I hope I can do that.

I have as some would put it been blessed with good genes (thanks Mom and Dad).  Yes for the most part I have, both of my parents are very trim and healthy, above average in my opinion in their physique...  I have inherited some of that, but I also was raised watching both of my parents exercise, Dad often lifted weights and worked out in our home with what he had to work with, a bench, some free weights and a pull up bar.  Mom was always doing something, exercise videos, aerobics classes etc. and so I too have inherited that example as how things should be.  They both ate very healthy, nothing too extreme, and us kids still had normal foods, mac n cheese, pizza, cereal etc.  I am very grateful for the example given to me not only as a child but they both still continue to strive for health by exercise and healthy eating, they both inspire me.

Growing up I was always small, I also played soccer, did dancing, gymnastics, karate, and a few other things here and there.  Of course I spent my fair share of hours in front of a television or video game, but for the most part I was active and busy.    I was lucky and I had never had to pay attention to what I was eating EVER!  Then I started college, I was no longer dancing, playing soccer, doing gymnastics... I was sitting in class, eating out a ton, working, staying up late and partying.  And I paid for those mistakes.  I gained the freshman 15 easily and then some.  I lost a bit before my wedding, but not a ton.  I did loose a bit more of it when I started following weight watchers and exercising again just after I got married.  Now let me say that during all of this I was still within a healthy weight range for my height, but there were moments during this that I was uncomfortable in my own skin because it was not my normal.  I would get comments from others saying "where do you have weight to loose" and "you look great", and "I wish I was your size"  whether that was their way of being nice or they sincerely meant those things it mattered little to me.  I wasn't happy with me, I didn't love me.  With diet and exercise I finally got to a nice comfortable  average weight and size and stayed there for 10 years (aside from the 3 kids I had during that time)  I maintained fairly easily as long as I was exercising.  But I felt very average.

Then I started crossfit, I did a paleo challenge and I lost a ton of weight (well for me it felt like a ton, in reality it was only 10lbs, but those 10lbs changed me).  I was back to my high school weight and it felt great, it felt great because I felt sexy again.  It felt great because I did it eating healthy and exercising.  It felt great because for the first time in a long time I felt above average, I felt like I was succeeding in this.  I did great at maintaining this until the stress set in.  My husband got a new job out of town and he began a 2 hour commute to and from work every day while I got our house ready to sell and maintained the inside and out (we lived on 1/2 acre with a push mower).  If you have kids you will understand how hard this is.  When this happened I had a 1 1/2 yr old, a 4 yr old and a 6 yr old all boys and very active and messy.  But thankfully I had a lot of help close by and I utilized it.  The lbs started coming on as I had less and less time to watch what I was eating and fewer workouts.  Then the stress really piled on, we had had the house for sale for 5 months with no offers, my husband was out of town on a fishing trip when my 4 yr old fell out of our 2nd story window...  After a trip to the local hospital and an ambulance ride to a children's hospital and 24 hours of close watching he was fine but was to be walking only for 3 months.  I still have a hard time thinking about the week that he fell, I handled it all on my own without my husband and was very grateful for my parents being close by to watch my other two.  I still blame myself for his fall, in my rational brain I know I cannot be everywhere at once and I cannot watch my kids all the time, but I should have checked on them one more time.  I should have locked the window.  I should have done something, but.... I didn't and he fell.  During those 3 months of walking only for my very active 4 yr old, my workouts stopped, my 6 yr old broke his arm, and we had found a renters for our home,  we found and moved to a rental home 2 1/2 hours away from everything we had ever known, and somehow my husband was still working late hours.  The lbs piled on with the combination of lack of diet and exercise, and stress and depression.  Every time I felt stressed out or anxious I ate.  We lived in that house that we rented for only a year but it felt much longer.  I didn't love that house, I was depressed, lonely and felt a bit lost without my friends and family.  During this time I trained for and ran my marathon, this was the best thing I could have done, I honestly think it is what saved me and helped me to snap out of it.  We then moved again, and now that the dust has settled and I am feeling less lost and I finally have a moment to think about me again I am at the heaviest I have ever been and it is frustrating.  I started the year 30lbs heavier than where I was just 2 years ago, but I am still very average, I am not obese or even considered overweight for my height but again I am not comfortable in my own skin.  I have however learned that there are other things that I value in myself and those things I am doing well with.  I am learning that my body and my appearance will never be what it once was, that life has a way of changing us.  My outward appearance will continue to change but I want to feel good.  I am finding less value in the number on the scale and more value in feeling good.  I am finding less value in my pant size and more value in the person I am becoming.
After getting to the best shape I have been in  in over a decade and then going to the worst I have been in my entire life I have that thirst to be back to my best!  I am ready to put in the work and time to make me better.  I am 2 weeks into my challenge to wellness, I am currently getting at least half my body weight in ounces of water each day, and now am exercising at least 20 minutes everyday.  I will add one thing each week until I get to 12 weeks and by then I am hoping some of this will be just part of my daily routine.  I am hoping that at the end of 12 weeks I will have learned more about myself and how to love me more.  I am hoping that at the end of that some of you will be inspired to join me in my journey to health and wellness!  I am hoping at the end of 12 weeks I don't feel average anymore, I am hoping I feel above average.  And I hope you feel that way too.

Let's Workout!

Who's feeling the burn from the last couple days workout!! I am!!!  I have a love hate relationship with this feeling.  It makes me know I am changing things, and that feels good!  But man I am noticing muscles in all the things I do.

Here is a few workouts that I love... go check these out and let me know how you like them!

This girl is awesome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28E0Fj7kiP4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaFkJMxVI3I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRonksZ2RUc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3opIDrBhCR0

These are a few of my favorites!  But feel free to scroll through and try a few others, just be sure to get in 20 minutes or more!  Here are her workout videos if you don't want to have to wait for the youtube ads and go from one video to the next etc.  Only $8.99 isn't bad for a great workout video from home!  I love the combination of dance and strength!  Can't wait to see how you like these!  Let me know which one you liked the best.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

DIY Makeup Remover

As you know by now I love a good DIY anything, but especially a DIY beauty remedy.  Here is a great makeup remover.  It is also a great night time moisturizer and soothing skin cream.

1 Tbsp jojoba oil
7 Tbsp pure vegetable shortening
10 drops lavender oil

Warm oil and shortening until completely melted, and cool 5-10 min.  Add your essential oil and mix until it starts to thicken.  Pour into a cute little jar and in a few hours your potion will be ready to use.  To use get a soft cloth or use your fingers and apply 1/2 tsp to cover your entire face, neck and décolleté. follow with astringent or toner.  This will only keep for about 6-8 months so use it up. 
I use these cute little jars to store mine in right now, you can get them through amazon or IKEA

I also like these jars too, they are perfect because they are tinted blue to help your oils and ingredients last longer.

Time to workout!

Here is another idea for you today!  Hope you enjoy!  Let me know how it goes!


Tuesday, January 13, 2015

12 Weeks to Wellness Week 2 Workout

Here is a good little at home no equipment needed workout.  You can use a jump rope if you have it, if not just play like you do.  Use a chair, bench or whatever you can for your dips.  With any exercise, make sure you have proper form and always warm up and cool down, and stretch after.  I would love to hear from you when you finish your workout today, did you try this or go with something else?  If 2 minutes is easy, go for 3 or 4...

Monday, January 12, 2015

12 Weeks to Wellness

Hey everyone! I am hosting 12 weeks to wellness over on my facebook page and I wanted to include you all in on it!  We started last week with getting half our weight in water each day!
 As you know from a prior post water is super important!  Helps in so many ways, so if your up for the challenge this week we are adding in 20+ minutes of exercise each day!   I will be posting a new exercise idea each day that you are welcome to do or you can go ahead and do your own thing!  During my 12 weeks to wellness I will be adding one more thing each week.  I do well doing a little at a time so my system isn't shocked into a whole new routine and feeling deprived and overworked.  I know some of you are the all or nothing type and if that is you then by all means do it all, and encourage us slow pokes!!!  For me I want lasting habits and it seems that when I jump all in I last about 4-8 weeks (or hours) and then I start to feel deprived and binge. 
 

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