Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, everyone!! What did your little ones dress up as this year?

I love making these. Halloween through the years with Addie. 

2012: pumpkin

2013: Fox

2014: Minnie Mouse

2015: Doc McStuffins

2016: Coronation Elsa

taking a "sick day"

When I was young, I was sick a lot. My dad worked an hour away, and my mom half an hour. I spent a lot of time laying sick in the nurses office at school waiting for my mom to come pick me up.

Every single time she came to get me, I felt terrible that I made her miss work. But I needed my mommy to make me feel better.

Today my poor girl spiked a fever on her field trip to the Nature Center so as she snoozes it off (hopefully) I moved my office to be by her side. Wrigley is sleeping at her feet, and Kirby is at mine.

Being able to work anywhere and completely shut down is an amazing freedom I have because of my coaching job. I don't have to choose between work and her, but if I need to- it's no contest. Being a mom is my #1 priority and always will be. My boss understands that, because I AM my own boss.

Squashing Some Misconceptions about At-Home Workouts

            I titled this post today “Squashing Some Misconceptions” because I think that unless you go out and you learn the information about what it is I do you may have some misconceptions about it, especially about the fitness programs: that they may be super hard and you can't do it, or you don't have the time, or the space. I just want to let you know where I did my workout this morning. I'm at my in-laws house and all you need is like an L-shaped space: that's it. All you need to do is be able to take a few steps up and a few steps to the side. For the dancing workout programs like Country Heat and Cize, an L-shape is all you need. For most of these workout programs you just need to be able to have that bubble around you: if you can put your arms out and twirl in a circle without hitting anything that's all the space you need to workout at home. You don't need fancy equipment, either. Country Heat in particular requires no equipment at all, just my body, and I'm sweating like you wouldn’t believe. So that’s the first misconception: how much space you need.

            The second misconception about working out at home is that you need a ton of time: these workouts are 30 minutes long. That’s not a ton of time in the grand scheme of your day, especially given that in the morning it will really get your blood pumping, digestive system moving, and give you energy. You probably won’t even need your coffee! You can even have the news on in the background and mute the workout on your computer so that you can do the news and your workout at the same time.

            I am two-and-a-half years into my fitness journey, so I have done extreme programs. There are programs, like Country Heat, that are so accessible for anybody. Country Heat has been making me sore: squats and stuff like that are built into the moves. It's very deceptive because you think it's easy just because it's simple. But because it's simple everyone can do it, if you're willing to try. You don't have to get all the way down in your squats or jump huge like some of the people; as long as you're moving and having fun that's all that matters. There's no equipment, just your body. You’re not just standing there and doing squats, push-ups, or burpees; you're just moving and following along to the music and it's so much fun.

             

            I can tell you that I have felt a world of difference in my midsection from this program. I have been more mindful of what I have been eating, I haven't been 100% on the eating plan because let's just face it: I don't like vegetables but I fit them in. I’ve also been more mindful of what I eat if we eat out. For example, last night we drove through McDonald's because we were traveling during dinner time and instead of a double quarter pounder with cheese and chocolate chip frappe that I may have had a couple months ago, Corey and I split the two cheeseburger meal, shared the fries, and I just had water to drink. I know that’s not the same as grilling some salmon with steamed asparagus and olive oil and sweet potatoes on the side…let’s be real, its not. But of the choices I had available, I made a good one. I didn't starve myself and skip dinner I just had a smarter portion of what was available.

            I have lost some weight, I have lost or gained some definition in my midsection which is awesome and if dancing around in my living room for 30 minutes a day can give me a few pounds shred, a few inches lost, and some confidence to rock some new yoga pants…that's a win in my book and that's really what it's all about. This health and fitness journey is about giving you the confidence to know that you're doing something that is better for your body. When you find yourself not craving junk anymore and you find yourself having an apple with your daughter instead of grabbing your secret stash of M&M’s (because let's really be real, most moms have a secret stash to keep away from their kids so they don't have to share), you know you’re on the right track.

            I bought the program because my friends were doing it, so why don't you let some positive peer pressure change your life, too? Really!! My friend was doing fitness programs three years ago and I could have just ignored her, unfollowed her, or got mad that she kept inviting me but instead I was like “You know what? You're my friend; you have my best interest at heart and if you think that I can do this then I'm going to try.”

            And now I'm so glad that I did! So I'm extending an invitation to you! Let me exert some positive peer pressure on you: you need to try a program- I’ll help find one that is the perfect match for you. You need to try it, because what do you have to lose? If half an hour can make a day can make you a healthier person, a happier person, a more confident person, a more patient person…then why haven't you tried it yet?! You know I've been asking you to try it, so let's put the doubt, fear, and excuses away and let me help you. I will be there everyday with you. I promise that if you put in the work, I will not let you fail. Please reach out if you are ready to take that step today!

Grow It, Try It, Like It!

My husband went to a health and nutrition education conference a while back and came home with a form from Team Nutrition USDA with all sorts of educational nutrition resources from grades preschool on up through middle school.

Today I got a box of the "Grow it, Try it, Like it!" preschool curriculum in the mail that he ordered for me. It's awesome and my inner teaching nerd is drooling over these things as Addie sleeps nearby. 

It has sight word booklets and a different unit for 6 different fruits and vegetables that features activities like hands on stuff, eating and recipes, learning how they grow (and even planting your own), stories and songs, physical education activities, and even take home materials for the teachers to send home with kids.

I think it's a great curriculum and every school should be teaching about proper nutrition, getting in touch with growing your own food, and staying active. It would work great for homeschooling moms too!

If you'd like more information about this curriculum you can see here: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/grow-it-try-it-it 

#growittryitlikeit

You can't control everything, but you CAN control your reaction

            Good afternoon everybody! Although it's not been that good of a deal for me so far. L I don't know where you live but where I live last night we had some pretty strong storms and I was woken up not only by the storms but also by a couple things beeping throughout the house because the power went off.

            So this morning I got up kind of early and went to start working on the computer and it started making some noises and gave me the dreaded rainbow pinwheel and I thought “What's going on?” I had to hold down the power button for it to restart and then it had this grey screen and wouldn't work. I started freaking out and asked Corey “Can you get out of bed I don't know what happened!" He said to go workout I'll take care of it. He is a Mac pro and he was gonna try to burn the files off of there to hopefully recover it even though it wasn't starting up. And then it stopped doing that before he could get anything off. I took it into town and my hard drive is officially dead. Dead, dead, dead!!

            The good news is that most of my files for work are on Google drive so praise the Lord for the cloud. Another great thing is that I keep a lot of things on my phone that I don't delete and I also backup my pictures to Shutterfly. But the bad thing is that there were files on my computer that I did not have on my Google Drive or Shutterfly or even my external hard drive. My external hard drive does not do a real-time data transfer because it's not Mac-compatible so I have to try every month to do it (but I don’t always remember)…but it's too late so there are some things that are possibly gone forever.

            When I was at the Radio Shack in town I was so down and even if I think about it for too long right now, I get really depressed about it because so much of our life is stored on our computers now. On the way home I was flipping through the XM stations and heard Linkin Park’s “What I've done” and I thought “oh my gosh I don't need that song”. I turned the channel and next I heard Taylor Swift's “Bad Blood” and once again didn’t need that song, so I switched back to the Christian radio station on XM and it wasn't my favorite song but it started to ease my anxiety a little bit.

            With change my anxiety gets out of control; with traveling and then coming home and unpacking and trying to find a new routine my anxiety is bad and we're trying to clean up and do a big de-clutter around the house and get rid of things and sell things and so with that and now the computer, it's just too much.

            Corey found a company that you send your hard drive to them and they are super experts at recovering stuff so I'm really really hoping that they're able to recover things. My first inclination when the hard drive crashed I thought “Maybe I'll just get a brand-new computer and file a claim through our home insurance because the power surge/storm caused it to die." But then the Radio Shack person said they would recommend to simply replace the hard drive and those are cheap- we actually have a spare one in the closet right now. So at least for now we are saved that $500 deductible for replacing the entire computer; that's a blessing in this negativity. But we still have the issue of losing my files.

            I titled this post that you can't control everything, but that you can control your reaction. I used to listen to non-Christian music and so when I would get down and be depressed and have anxiety and get stomachaches over things, the music I would listen to what would perpetuate that and make it worse. I’ve found that listening to Christian music really helps and working out does too. I might need to have another workout later just to get this frustration out it so I don't cry about it. Another thing I think a lot of people do in stressful situations (because I know I do it too) is turn to food. I initially thought “Oh gosh, I'm so frustrated. I need to go to McDonald's and get a frappe right now.” A chocolate chip frappe is my ultimate indulgence- my cheat. ;)

            Why is it that the first thing that you do when you're stressed is to reach for food?? Food is not gonna fix your problems; it's going to make them worse, especially after the sugar high wears off. Reading personal development can help get your mind right, and you can talk to God for a while and He will ease your anxiety. I can't remember the exact Bible verse right now but if you pray to God, “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” That's like my life Bible verse!!

            I wanted to let you guys know about this crappy thing that happened and the first things that I thought about were: money- how am I gonna pay for this, and the yo-yo of just the last few hours with the stress of possibly having to rebuild it. I encourage you to take these difficult situations in bite-sized chunks and when you can't handle it go escape somehow. Don't escape into food; escape into a workout, escape into a game with your kids, find a more constructive outlet for your for your stress, meditate, pray, journal, listen to uplifting music (not music that's gonna drag you down), find a good book to read and just check out of that situation for a while!!

            So often your anxiety can consume you and you just get drug deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper and before you know it, the whole day is gone and you're even more entrenched in this problem. I wanted to share that message with you guys today that if something crappy is happening to not let your initial reactions go make you go crazy. Right now my plan is to go play with Addison and finish my Shakeology instead of going through the drive through at McDonald’s to get a frappe.

            You’ve got to stop yourself when you when you recognize that you're going down paths that aren’t healthy for you to deal with, and know that you have the power to control how you are affected by things. And you definitely don't have to deal with your anxiety alone- please tell someone if you are being burdened with anxiety and depression.

Taking care of your WHOLE self

            Hey everyone! I wanted to share some things with you today. If you've been following my blog at all you probably know that I have had a really busy July: at the beginning of the month Addison and I took a one-week road trip to my best friend's house and had a great time playing with her kids and Toni and I did a lot of work for business together and it was great to collaborate. We came home for a week and then we were right back for two more weeks over at my parents’ in Illinois and then I went to Summit in Nashville for Beachbody. Now I'm finally home and unpacked with put everything away and I'm trying to get back into a routine.

            I’ve been feeling off all of last month and some of that has been my nutrition; even though I've been drinking Shakeology, my other meals are not on point when I'm traveling. I've been doing awesome with my fitness, which (for me) once I get started it is it is just a non-negotiable for me but I've recently realized that I haven't been taking care of my whole self.

            I’ve been doing my workout which is great: I've been doing 22-Minute Hard Corps so it's just 20 minutes and I’m in and out and I'm done and I'm moving on with my day. I'm drinking my shake every day, no issue. Well when I was traveling, we were eating out a lot and my cravings got all messed up and my complexion is a reflection of that right now. But another thing that was off for me was my personal development: reading books!

            My small group this summer has been reading “Grace-Filled Marriage” and I got about halfway through it and then with traveling and everything I stopped reading it. I'm the type of person that when I read a book where you learn things and implement them I really need to focus and take notes and highlight. I’m very engaged when I read; otherwise it's just pointless. I could just be reading a novel or some other fiction but I really like to make the books that I read “count” and I haven't been doing that.

            The other book I've been reading is “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” because I want to become a better person and a better leader for my team so that I can help them to start achieving their goals for themselves. I'm a very scheduled person and I thrive on that; so although it was nice to travel and see people, when I got out of my schedule I wasn't reading before bed every night or taking notes or listening to my podcasts regularly either.

            I think that so often people forget that your health is multifaceted! Even just missing one Sunday at church makes me feel “off” because I'm not getting my cup filled. I love getting daily devotional emails and I share them quite often on my Facebook page if you if you look through it (bit.ly/1fitlife). Those quick little nuggets fill my cup and make me feel more whole. Reading a book about bettering my marriage, or reading a parenting book, or reading a business book, or just a feel-good book help me “fill up” my tank in all areas of my life.

            I think one of the next books I'm going to be reading is called “The Energy Bus”; I've had a lot of friends tell me that it's amazing and so that is in my cart on amazon right now. I want to encourage you to not just focus on one area of your life; you need to focus on all the areas of your life. Your fitness is important; your nutrition is important; your spirituality is important. If spirituality for you means your faith and your relationship with Jesus like it does for me, or the energy of the universe, yoga, meditating, or other religions that's fine. But it's taking care of your inner self that's really important to do, by taking some time off for your mind to unplug. I just spent half an hour in the backyard just picking through the grass at the clovers and just letting my mind be blank for a while and letting my fingers look at a puzzle and not have to be focused or figuring out anything else.

            One of my commitments this August (I'm not waiting until school starts up again) is that I'm taking little little bits of time after Addie goes to bed or trying to get up before she does to get plugged back into my personal development. I’d like to share some of that with you, too. I've read so many amazing books recently and since I mentioned I am a note-taker, and I want to share that with you. I'd really like to start posting more things about personal development and bettering yourself in all areas, so that’s where I'm at right now right now.

            My fitness is doing great, I love my program. My nutrition is getting back on track now that I'm home: Corey and I have our monthly meal plan calendar out for dinner and we went grocery shopping and we are staying on point with that. I’m also getting back on track with my personal development now, too. If you are looking for a good book to read please don't hesitate to reach out and ask; I’ve got a great bookshelf that I'm filling up of books that I've read.

            I love that part of being a Beachbody Coach is taking care of your inner health as well as your body. If you would like to read some of my takeaways from the books that I've been reading because I hope that the information that has been blessing me can be used to bless you as well, please follow me on Facebook: bit.ly/1fitlife

No DVDs? No problem. Beachbody on Demand explained

            Good morning everybody! I am at my parents right now (which is in Illinois) and I'm since Corey and I are doing the same workout program, I left my DVDs at home so he could use them. The great thing is that I have access to Beachbody on Demand online which gives me online access to all of the workout programs I’ve bought. I can log onto my computer and do that if I wanted to, and there's also an app on my phone that I can use to stream my workouts.

            A lot of people didn't don't know about this capability from Beachbody or they prefer to work out in an actual gym, or don’t like DVDs, or just find themselves traveling (like me) and don’t have my program with me. Well now you can take your workouts wherever you are!

            Today I want to work out a life-size Tony Horton and since my parents have the newest Apple TV, I wanted to show you guys how simple it is to log on and stream your workouts if you don't have the DVDs. The new Apple TV has a Beachbody on Demand app in the App Store. It is a free app, and after you download it you can either create a free 30-day trial account or log in with your account that you already have. After you log in to your account, you have access to all of the programs you’ve already bought as DVDs. There’s also over 3,000 unique workouts like exclusives from all of the super trainers, it's even got a maternity line, and you can pay for a “digital unlock” of other premium programs if you don’t want to buy DVD copies.

You don’t just get the workouts; you get the nutrition guides, the workout calendars, everything that you would get if you bought a physical copy! You can get all of this if you use the Beachbody on Demand app on your smartphone, too. The great thing about the app on your phone is that you can download up to 7 workouts to use offline! I’ll be doing that when I’m in Nashville for Summit since I’m not sure the tv or Internet situation for where I’ll be staying. ;)

            If you have any questions about Beachbody on Demand or would like a free 30-day trial to check it out, please contact me by commenting below or follow me on Facebook at bit.ly/1fitlife