breakthrough

I had a giant breakthrough!

Y'all. BIG.

I ran infront of my husband. Not like he just passed by me while I was on the treadmill. He full on saw me! I even had a short-mostly out of breath-few syllable- conversation.

I know this isn't a huge deal but generally I try to leave my exercising completely invisible to my lovely husband. I was way too embarrassed of my self for him to see me running.  Out of shape, sweaty, jiggly. It was and is too much. I can't believe I got this far where running a mile is something I need to work up to.

BUT

here I am. A changed woman. Last night, he came into the bedroom and saw me running and I didn't flinch. I wasn't counting down the seconds or just stopping so he wouldn't see how bad or out of shape I was. From now on I will run freely without embarrassment.

Ya know what... I am proud of myself. For 24 days in a row I have worked out. I feel good and more confident. I am running longer and quicker than i ever have. I feel like whatever that was supposed to "click" finally has. I feel like I have went around that corner and I am not looking back!

I know I am not where I need or want to be but I am on my way! It may take me years to be at my goal weight but the time will pass anyway.

I'm going to Tri

So, last night as I was on the treadmill I wasn't listening to any music. Nothing. Just me and my thoughts. Ordinarily this is my worst nightmare. I'm an over thinker and things tend to snowball if I think too much. 

But 

Last night was different. I was just talking and praying. I was thinking about how it is my responsibility to teach my son about being healthy, not to quit and push harder, and some days are harder than others.

 As I was reflecting on that. I kept feeling like I was talking the talk but not really walking the walk. Exercising the minimum 30 minutes a day and making healthy food choices with the treats in moderation is great but it is not enough for me. 

I want to teach my son to be healthy and follow his dreams. Whatever they may be, not just the easy ones. I want to teach him this. 

All of that to say. It is high time to put my money where my mouth is and start walking the walk. 

I've had a dream of doing a triathlon for as long as I can remember. It's always been kinda an out there dream. Mostly because I am a terrible runner. It's not my strong suit. At all. I haven't ridden a bike  in over 10 years. The one positive in this is I am a strong swimmer but I have never swam in open water. Also, I am scared of the dark so dark water full of snakes, sharks and/or gators. OH MY. Fun fun. 

Yet, here I am... declaring it here for the world to see.

 I am going to do a triathlon in 2015!

 Yikes. I'm scared just typing it out. Like my heart starts super pumping.

I'm not really sure how this is going to work because the latest triathlon I saw so far for Jacksonville is May 3, 2015. I won't really be able to triathlon train until we move down to Jacksonville in Februaryish (gyms with pools and spinning classes). So mid to late February till early May is not enough time to prepare. So I am going to start looking all around Florida. The one thing I can do in the mean time though is work on my running. 

And that's what I am going to do.  

I am planning on keeping track of my triathlon training here. If you have any questions or encouragement. Let me know!

Influenster #tlcvoxbox

 

So I was one of the lucky recipients of the #TLCvoxbox! It had some really great things in it and some ehh... I wanted to give you my honest thoughts on these products! So here goes nothing!

1. Ivory bar soap - This is my number one favorite thing! I was raised on Ivory bar soap! I love the clean smell and it floats in the water!!! I am not a huge fan of bar soap in general just because they leave soap scum pretty bad.This is a classic and I really love it!

2. Neosporin -Neo to GO - I will be honest I probably would have never bought this if I hadn't received this. It just seems so small for the price. BUT I will gladly buy it now! It is so convenient to throw in your purse or diaper bag. I have a 2 year old little wild thing. He has no fear and scrapes, bumps and bruises are apart of that game. So this has came in very handy!!

3. Puffs -I am a Puffs girl. They are the best the tissues you can get. The travel size is super handy to have with you. Also, just a thought for people with kiddos and especially potty training kiddos keep some in your purse in case a bathroom does not have any toilet paper! I will be honest and say I was very thankful for this little package of tissue. I was about to pee my pants just plopped on the nearest toilet because I thought I was going to explode.Of course no TP....So thank you puffs! 

4. Breyers Gelato Indulgences- Alright, I love ice cream. It may or may not love me back. So this is gelato. It is a bit pricey in my neck of the woods.With that being said. This stuff is good I got the chocolate chocolatey kind. It was rich and delicious. You don't need to eat a giant bowl full to get your fix. As I was eating this the only way for me to describe this was that it was "Disney world ice cream". Clearly, I don't mean the mickey ice cream on a stick. If you go to Disney and eat at one of the fancy restaurants with desserts or on the Disney cruises all the food is fancy. This gelato brought me right back to those fancy meals with a really great and amazing dessert. As an honorable mention the container is nice. I washed it and used it for leftovers. Very sturdy. I like that. lol

5. Shell Rewards Card- .03 cents when you fill up .25 cents the second time you fill up. You also have the chance to get more rewards to get more off of your gas. I like the idea of this but it is not my favorite. I shop at Winn-Dixie and I already get Fuel Rewards there that are better than .03 cents so I generally stick with those. This is good for the in between times when I haven't bought groceries and need gas. Another problem i have which Shell can't do anything about is that we don't have a lot of Shell's in our area. I think we have 3 or 4 total. Also, we get cheaper gas with our Sam's Club membership. SO this wasn't my favorite. It is a good idea. If we lived back in KY with shells all around and I drove more I would probably use this all the time but here its not really needed.

6. Avon Anew Reversalist Express Wrinkle Smoother - Whew! Say that 4x fast. I didn't really like this. I didn't see any improvement. I don't really have wrinkles anyway. It was greasy and left a greasy feeling on my skin. The mirror was nice though. Very big. Its expensive. I would never buy it.

Okay so that is what I got! I think it was an awesome box! I love doing these "reviews" because I want to be honest and just put it out there. I also have some influenster invites if anybody wants one!

"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes." 

XOXO

B

Healthy Livin'

I haven't really wrote anything about this because usually when I write about it... Nothing ever happens.

:/

But anyways I've been on the road to getting healthy for the past few months. I've lost 22 pounds!!! Which I am really excited about! Still a long journey to go but I'm freaking stoked (do ppl still say stoked?? That's how out of touch with reality I am. Lol)

So I wanted to tell you about what things I'm totally loving on my healthy journey. 

1. Plexus!!

     I know I've mentioned it once before but seriously. Plexus has changed my life! I love all the products but the Plexus Slim, Accelerator and X-Factor are my favorites!!

    Here is a little bit of what the Slim and Accelerator is. Plexus Slim is a natural health and wellness drink. It was originally made for diabetics to regulate blood sugars as well as getting your levels regulated such as lipids, cholesterol etc. Then they realized that one of the main benefits was weight loss along with being much healthier. So they targeted it to everyone. You just take 1 plexus slim drink in the morning. It's a little powder stick you mix up with a bottle of water similar to crystal light. Tastes good not gross at all, tastes like a cherry tootsie pop. One of my favorite benefits is my willpower over food and sweets. I no longer want junk or sweets. Which is pretty awesome. The accelerator which most people take with the plexus slim is just a pill you'll want to take with your breakfast. It just boosts your weight loss and it does have caffeine in it. 

   
     The X-Factor is a multi vitamin that I just love. It is made with aloe which is great because it is proven that your body will absorb the vitamins when taken with aloe. So the vitamins are made with it  and I can tell you i feel awesome! My hair and nails are growing like crazy. My skin is feeling so much better! Bomb.com

You want more info?? You can check it out here or contact me...info above!!!

2. FitBit

 

  So I am totally in love with my FitBit! It is a fitness tracker that you wear as a bracelet. It tracks your steps and calculates it for you. What I really love but you can't see in the picture is that it tracks your sleep!! Woah?! Right? It also has an option for silent alarms. It just vibrates on your wrist. But they are kinda touchy so don't put your life on this alarm if you know what I mean. I love that it just updates via bluetooth if you have a newer phone. The app is super easy to use. I dig it! Check it out!


3. C25K - Zen Labs

 

 I actually really really like this running app! I hate running/jogging i hate all of it. This makes it completely do able. For a complete inexperienced and out of shape person as I am... it is a little tough but the way it works up to it is really nice and easy going. I love how it gives you the prompts while you have your music playing. For some reason, this may sound dumb but having the app tell me to run versus me telling myself to run. I will run longer and actually do it when the app tells me to do it. But I like the whole set up and once I get finished with the 5K one I plan on getting the 13.1 and doing that! 

Yup!!! You read that right!!! I plan on doing a half-marathon! I want to get it done and my goal is to run in the Disney Princess Half Marathon!!!! BIG GOALS!!

GO BIG OR GO HOME!!!

4. DietBet

 

Have you heard of a dietbet? It essentially is when you put down some amount of money and say you will lose weight. Everybody that loses the required amount of weight in the time period gets to split the pot. For what I have seen the bet you put down is usually in the 20-30 range.They have a 1 month and you lose 4% and a 6 month and you lose 10% of your body weight. This is my very first dietbet and I learned about it through SkinnyMeg. I do think this is a great incentive to lose weight. It has helped me break a plateau. so if you are interested... Check it Out!!!

Well, those are the things that I are helping me on my journey right now!! Next month it could be a totally different thing! We will see... I'll keep you updated either way though!! 

until next time

xoxo

B

What I'm digging right now

The other day I went to Target all by myself!!!!

Eeeeekkkkk!!!! I know! Every moms dream come true. Just to get some alone time at target. 

I blared some music on my old school iPod on the way there. It was epic. This song came on and I'll be honest... I am pretty sure that this song was meant for moms that get to get out of the house with no kids or husbands. Lol.

 Don't get me wrong I love spending time with my family but I think a little "you" time is necessary. Sometimes when I pull out of the driveway to go to target this is how I feel!!

So while at Target I picked up some new girl stuff. So I wanted to tell you about them! I've had a couple of things for awhile but I just need to tell you about them.

1 & 2: E.L.F - Lip Stains. Crimson Crush #31206 & Pink Petal #31021

 I don't wear lip stick. Ever. I think I look ridiculous. My lips are super wrinkley like 70 year old lady smoking pall malls wrinkley. I don't smoke so I'm not sure how I got these wrinkle lips. So, wearing lipstick makes my wrinkles look so much worse. Plus it wipes off in like 3.2 seconds. Also, the smell and taste of lipstick. Yuck. Obviously I am not a lover of the lipstick.  Yet, I've always wanted to have that bright red Marilyn lip. I look better with some sort of color on my lips. Enter Lip Stain. I am completely new to the lip stain world. I received a sample in my Birchbox once kinda liked that so here we are. I totally dig lip stain. Stays on forever. Bright color. Didn't bring too much attention to my old lady lips. Best part of it all this brand was 2 freaking dollars. Just get in my cart! *These were the only 2 colors Target had. :( on the website they have more colors I like the crimson a lot. Mo doesn't like it really and thinks it is too dark. He liked the pink which i hated on me. I felt like an ugly barbie.*

3. PlusWhite - 5 Minute Premier Whitening System
 Okay, so about a month ago i saw thing on pinterest about teeth whitening. I then tried to find it again and couldn't find it for the life of me. Now, that I have gave up pinterest for Lent I can't look but right after Easter I will be on the search again. Anyways the clip was about how you get the cheap mouth guards at Wal-Mart for under a buck, then put them in hot water for 15-30 seconds and let it form to your teeth. Then you put this whitening gel on your teeth and then the mouth guard and let it set for like 30 minutes. This stuff works!!! Like good! It is super cheap! DIY whitening trays. It rocks. Try it out!!!

4. Pure Romance - Basic Instinct
  Okay, this is my second bottle of this stuff. I am absolutely in love with it. I know it says sex attractant and before you think I am a creep. Just hold on a sec. This perfume does or it did have pheramones in it which I guess could be a "sex attractant". The reason I am in love with this is because the smell changes for every single person. It generally just smells sweet but when it mixes with your body chemistry the smell changes. It smells great on me. I love it. I've tried it on everyone and the smell changes. On my husband it goes from sweet to smelling like wood and ceder like. I am not sure how it does it but Oh MY Lanta do I love this stuff!! PS. Pure Romance is a sex toy party thing. So do what you want with that but this stuff is legit.

5. BB Cream - Garnier
  I like the idea of BB cream. It has a bunch of stuff in it to make your skin better. It is not super full coverage which is exactly what I like. It's perfect for me as a mom it takes like 14 seconds to put on. Awesomesauce. The problem I have found with most BB creams is that since it has a moisturizer in it, it can make my combination skin gross. Add in some South Georgia humidity and its nasty. Also, SPF is good for me. SO far I am digging this. It stays on pretty well, it has a little bit more full coverage than normal for me but its okay. Doesn't make my face a huge grease ball. It was about 12 bucks which is a ton better than the 50 dollar one I liked from birchbox. I'll update you once it gets warmer here and how its holding up in the heat.

6.L'Oreal - Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara
  I heard about this mascara from Mama Lauglin. This is what she uses and her eyelashes are ridiculous. Forrealz. So what the hey lets give it a whirl. For a "Drugstore" makeup it is not bad at all. I will use it till its gone most likely. It is my favorite mascara ever. No. It made them a little longer but nothing dramatic for me. I guess because I am used to putting a primer on my lashes then mascara. So for someone that doesn't do that then this may be a good one for them. It was like 8 or 9 dollars. I think it is worth a try. It came off easily in warm water. I am just kinda blah about it. I really want to try the Younique mascara. problem is its 30 dollars for it!!! Yikes thats like a gas or a meal out. I will probably try it out just because I am super curious about it.

                                              

 *Here is my face with the pretty much everything on. Yeah I know it is a terrible selfie but I was just sending this pic to my friend to see what she thought of the crimson lip stain.*

So there ya go... My fav's for right now. This all could change tomorrow! If I find some more stuff I love I will let y'all know!

Have a great weekend!!!!

until next time

xoxo

B

how coconut oil saved my life

Okay.

that may be a bit of an exaggeration. 

seriously, this stuff is the bomb.com

unless, you've been living under a rock somewhere... I am quite sure you've heard of the benefits of coconut oil. If you have been living under a rock, you can read about some of its amazing qualities here. 

So now I will be to my reason on why coconut oil saved my life. 

This past winter lil' man caught the stomach bug at the same time as he was getting teeth then the following weeks we both were sick with bronchitis among other things. Needless to say December wasn't very fun.  With all of these things going on in his little body, he got a diaper rash. A bad diaper rash!!! I can count on one hand the times he's had some sort of rash down there. We've been very blessed. With this rash nothing was working. Aquaphor, desitin and a variety of other things I've read on the Internet. After looking all over the Internet for something to relieve my poor lil' mans pain. I stumbled upon someone saying they used coconut oil. 

I'm here to tell you folks that it works!!

We gave him a bath with baking soda in the water. Which is what we usually do when he has any type of skin irritation. Then after his bath we lightly patted his bottom to get the water off. Then put coconut oil all over. We used it instead of lotion and covered him head to toe. On his bottom we put on ALOT!!! By the next morning it was a complete 180. He was no longer red only a little pink. No more bleeding and he was one happy camper!! I also noticed the places around his mouth where the drool made him breakout were all healed!!! Can you believe that???

With all that being said you can NOT use the cheap stuff and get the same results! (Ahem LouAna I'm talking to you...DO NOT USE THE CHEAP STUFF!!) You need to get organic virgin cold pressed coconut oil. We get ours from Sam's club for super cheap. 16.00 for this big jug!!! Super great deal!!

Other things we use coconut oil for: cooking, body lotion, great for psoriasis, hair masks, lip scrubs, add to hot tea for sore throat. Honestly there are so many more. These are just what comes to mind at the moment. Oh.. I got one. Lil' man fell on the concrete the other day and used his face to catch himself. (poor kid didn't stand a chance with two clumsy parents lol) It looked bad! like i thought it would be really ugly for a long time. it has been one week since that accident and with putting coconut oil on it every night . its practically gone. just a little spot. where as a week ago it took up half his forehead.

Do you use coconut oil? If so, what do you use it for?? Let me know!!

Friday Again!!!

Wow! I can't believe that it is Friday again. That seems so crazy to me. 

I hate that it seems like I'm only writing on Friday link up days. I want to do better than that. That'll be my November goal. 

Well, this week it doesn't seem like a ton of crazy things happened. 

1. We put up our Christmas Tree!!! 

 You know what really burns my biscuits is when people get their tinsel in a tangle because someone has the tree up early. I just don't get how me or any other person that has the tree up affects them? Ya know? Personally, if you are so worried about me and my family having the tree up in OUR home. Then frankly you have too much time on your hands. Get a hobby. 

 

*oh can we mention that this tree is older than me. So that makes this tree 28 years old. 

She looks pretty good for her age, huh?!*

 

2. I made a giant batch of beef vegetable soup. Probably enough to feed America. At least it seems that way. But it's super yummy and very healthy!!

3. I'm trying to eat healthy and somehow I had a cookie blackout. I made white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies. I really don't even remember starting them. I was talking to Mo... Then I was putting dough on cookie sheets. Have I told you that they are my favorite cookies? Needless to say my healthy low-carb diet hasn't went very well. :/

4. I received my second VoxBox from Influenster! Full of goodies to try out. I'm still making my way through it. Have y'all heard of Influenster? It's completely free and you write reviews on products. Then sometimes companies send you products to test out and you tell them what you think. It's pretty awesome! You can sign up but it goes a ton quicker if you are invited. I actually have some invites left...so if you would like one leave me a comment with your email and I'll send it your way!!

 

 

5. I'm attending and helped very marginally with the planning of a baby shower tomorrow. I'm not making the diaper cake this time. It feels weird not to be doing that. I am helping with the games and decorations. I just hope mommy to be enjoys herself!!

I think that's all that has been going on. Hopefully more interesting stuff for next week. 

Make it a great week y'all!

Linking up with Darci & Lauren

Holla!!! It's Friday!!!

I am going to go ahead and warn you this is a 100% photo bomb! Here are all the awesome things that have happened to me since last Friday!!



1. It was my birthday on Saturday! I am now the old 2-7. Yeah, that's right. I keep asking Mo. He assures me I am 27 not 28. lol

                                  

 

Some of my girlfriends took me out for a lovely dinner earlier in the week. I forgot to post it then but here is my birthday dessert that night!

 

 

 

2. We made homemade corn dogs. Yumm-o. I will be posting the recipe up tomorrow! Super easy! They were totally calorie free!!! lol hahah

 

This corndog was the prettiest one. The first few turned out really ugly. I should've taken a pic of those to show you want not to do. =/

 

 

3. Mo, the wonderful husband he is got me a Silhouette Portrait! Woot-Woot! He also got me Pitch Perfect, Jimmy Buffett Lullaby CD LOVE!, and a Delicious Disney Cookbook. Lil' man got me the first movie we ever watched together Bee Movie. We watched it in the hospital together right after he was born. Awww.

 



                                           

I can't wait to get this thing fired up! Everything has been super crazy lately so I have only been able to play with it a little bit. But its awesome!!!

 

 

4. My actual birthday cake. It is clearly the best type of cake there is. FUNNEL CAKE!!!! Oh Lawd. I am drooling again. This was my first year with Funnel Cake as my dessert but I think this will be the new regular. I seriously have the best husband ever!

                                                                                                     



                         

I will be posting the recipe for this delicious funnel cake in the next week!

 

 

 

5. This is actually really late. I got my very first VoxBox from Influenster! It is awesome! Have you heard of Influenster? It is awesome! You write reviews on products and anyways they send you free stuff to review. Ummmm did I mention it was FREE!!! I've got some invites left if anybody would like to join. Email me or Leave a comment!

 





                                    

Review of all products will be coming next week.

"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

 

 



 

*BONUS ROUND*

I am now a Plexus Ambassador! WooHoo!!!

If you'd like some more information on Plexus...Let me know!!

 

 

                         

 

 

Alright, y'all! I think I finally got it all out there!!! So let me know if anybody wants some Influenster invites or you want some info on Plexus!!! Have a fabulous weekend!!!

 

 

 

M.I.A.

I have been missing in action for quite awhile now. I wish i could give you some big story about why I have been missing but all I can really say is that I am lazy. It has been on my mind though if that counts for anything.

One thing that has happened since I last posted was that my step-dad passed. He had a heart attack and was gone. It really made me realize how life can be taken away from you in just a blink of an eye.

With his passing it has made me think about my own health quite a bit. Heart problems and problems of those nature run in my family. I know my step dad wasn't my blood but it runs in both families. Anyways my health has been on my mind a lot lately. I actually have a doctor appointment to get myself all checked out this week. My goal this time isn't to be skinny I just want to be healthy. I want to be able to keep up and tire out lil' man when the time comes. I don't just want to be sitting on the benches all tuckered out. I want to be showing him how its done. He isn't walking yet... emphasis on yet. He will be soon so I need to get my butt in shape. I want to be healthy but if I happen to get a smokin' hot bod along the way... so be it. hahahhahahahha

I have signed up for the Joggermom Marathon. What it is essentially that you have one month to run 26.2 miles. That is less than 6 miles a week. 1 mile a day and you are done! Awesomesauce.
Another thing that really spoke to me is that 10% of the proceeds go to the American Heart Association. I would love to do more with that cause as it is near and dear to my heart.

I am telling y'all and putting it out there that I am doing this. I am going to try to update more and make sure that I do this. I lack in follow through very badly. So if you guys have to hear about my walk/run/jog everyday for like the next month or so I apologize now... :) Since we moved we are no where near a gym so if you have any workouts or anything that can be done at home to go along with the marathon. Let me know!!

Have a great day! I promise I'll be back soon!

Birchbox

Have I told you (lately that I love you) that I love things that are tiny i.e. samples or travel size things? I also love things in bulk. Love me a trip to Sam's.

...anyways...

With my love of samples and beauty products. I was absolutely thrilled when I discovered the Birchbox.

I stumbled upon it at The Small Things Blog. I received my very first Birchbox on Christmas Eve. How fitting, huh? It was awesome. I took no pictures because I tore into it like a crazy kid. If you are unaware of what is a Birchbox. Let me tell you of the pure genius that is the Birchbox. You pay 10 bucks a month with free shipping and they send you higher end beauty samples. I really like it because I live in a small town with no nice makeup places. If I want higher end I have to travel 2 1/2 hours. Lets be real... If I have to drive that long with a baby I don't have time for samples or whatever else. I have to be on a mission.

So with the Birchbox I am able to try it out and then if I like it just order it online through Birchbox and I get points for my purchase. Score!!!

Seriously, why didn't I think of this?!

So here is what is in my January Birchbox!!!

I'll update once I've tried it all!!!

Update: I tried the Nectar Thermique and I am totally impressed. It's a leave in conditioner and it is aaaahhhhhmazing. I washed my hair like normal and used only half of the sample. I air dried my hair and I'm not going to lie to you fine folks. My hair feels like silk. My Lord I could run my fingers through it all the time.

favorite things

So everybody has products that they love, right?

 Ones that you are completely committed to. Well, here are a few of them I really enjoy.

1. Lanolin - I am aware that this is for your sore nips due to breastfeeding. Well, I am here to tell you that it has another purpose. For your LIPS!!! Seriously, put it on before you go to bed and by morning...BAM! Soft, kissable lips.

2. Baby Oil - Use it on your legs and feet after your shower. Super silky legs and soft feet.

3. Whitening Booster - Okay. I LOVE this stuff. What makes any lip color look better? Well, pearly white teeth of course. This stuff is under $5 and it make a difference!! Check it Out!

4. Clinique Spot Healing Gel - I'll be honest every now and then I break out. Not bad, but enough for it to bother me. I am huge fan of Clinique 3-step program. So with the spot gel. I will wash my face, toner, spot gel and then lotion. By the next day it is usually gone or so much better that it isn't even noticeable.

 

5. A pretty smile is important to me. I think I've read somewhere that your smile and your eyes are the first thing people notice. So I love Crest 3Dwhite toothpaste and mouthwash. I've already told you how much I love the whitening booster.

 

 

Those are a few of my favorite things. Do you have any favorite things?

Eeeeekkkk!! My 1st Post!!

Hey! This is my attempt to start a blog and put myself out there. I have always wanted to start a blog... so here I am! This blog is mostly going to cover my new adventure into mommyhood. My pinterest addiction (can you have a pinterest addiction? Pinterest Anon? lol) which would included cooking, crafting, health and beauty. That is a really broad range, huh? I am sure I will focus on something the more I get into it. Well, I look forward to starting this blogging adventure!!