Summer Goal Setting Time!

Okay… quite side note, I wrote this and about an hour later my friend Heather posted a link to an amazing blogger, Cassie at Backtoherroots. Tomorrow she is launching a HUGE Summer Goal program & I can’t wait to be a part of it. I HAD to share, so far I have 4 facebook friends signing up with me Thoughts would be GREAT! Now on with the post!

ONE month away if you follow the calendar! Crazy, where has this year gone so far? Here are some tips for Goal Setting when thinking about your goals over the next couple of months, or even YEARS if you can plan that far ahead. I can’t, just not one of those people, I need monthly smaller goals to get to a bigger one. This is a great set of tips from the back of my LululemonSummer is poster

- Define Your Values: Powerful goals are built upon your CORE values. What is important to you in the following areas?

* Career 

*Health

* Personal

- Say HELLO to your Future Self; Create who you are going to be. Ask yourself the following questions:

* What does my ideal Life look and feel like?

*What is the quality of my relationships, parents, dating, friends, etc? 

* What I am doing to challenge myself athletically & mentally?

- Writing Powerful Goals. A goal is most powerful when written with the following attributes:

* Affirmative: Articulate what you will create. A goal is what you will do, not what you won’t do! ex: I don’t drive to work vs I ride my bike to work

* Present Tense: Write your goal as though it’s happening! ex: One day I will go to Europe vs I have traveled through Europe

* Measurable: Can you CROSS IT OFF! ex: I read more books about yoga vs I have read 3 books about yoga

* Specific Subject: The more specific you are, the more focused you’ll be. ex: I exercise 2x per week vs I run 2x per week for 45 minutes

* By-When: Always, ALWAYS state the date that you intend to complete our goal! ex: I’ve completed my sailing course by Sept. 2013

Keep in mind: 

* Failing to reach about 50% of your goals is a GOOD indication that you’re motivated and challenged. Failures and disappointments are critical steps toward success. If you haven’t achieved a goal, decide if you should set a new deadline or reconsider the goal- perhaps it’s one you aren’t committed to!

What are your goals for the summer? I am currently working on mine to post around June 1st!! Now with the help of Cassie, it’s going to be AMAZING!!! Please check out her page and get in the group! Having a GREAT support team to help you with your goals is KEY!! At least in my book it is!

What I currently can’t get enough of……

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, I got 4 different job offers in a 2 week time period, left my first job in Virginia for a GREAT job closer to my house. This new job I will be making a GREAT difference in the lives of others, and though it wasn’t the highest paying job, it was personally the best one for the kind of person I want to be in life.

On that note, I have been going nuts about a couple of things over these past weeks:

1. I can NOT get enough of Jimmy Buffett, the Margaritaville station is on in my car non-stop and I have been listen to Last Mango in Paris & One Particular Harbour on a loop at my house. I personally blame my friend Carrie, for in Texas whenever I got in her car he was playing I have also been wanting a margarita, but I feel it’s just the music & memories of living in the islands. I am trying to talk my husband into going & hanging out in the parking lot before the Buffett concert here in July. We can’t afford the tickets ($135 for the LAWN, THE LAWN!!) and my husband it’s into Jimmy like me

2. Pinterest, I am on a HUGE kick again. I love then need a break from it, while I am on loving it again. My new job is inside, which is the first time since 2000 that I work inside & can dress business casual. I am looking for a new hairstyle, some simple makeup tips *ANY Favorite YouTube videos would be wonderful!*, and outfits! I have to look nice, and MUST wear closed toed shoes, but on the other side I can also wear scrubs some days

3. LesMils Combat, I know.. you talk about it ALL the time. Well, when you find your #soulmate workout I will listen you to you talk about it all the time too! I am currently at the end of week 3 of the Ultimate Supreme Warrior Program. I can honestly say that it is kicking me to the curb & I love it! I can also do more than 5 push ups in a row without breaks or falling on the floor Want to know more, just ask

4. Organizing… my new house, my new schedule, trying to get my hubby on a cleaning/chore schedule so he doesn’t flip out like a little kid on the weekends. *this happened last weekend about doing chores, lucky that our neighbor offered to mow the lawn… again… printing off tons of free printable thanks to Pinterest & Google search….

5. Reading; since quitting my job in Texas last November I have been reading like a crazy woman! I have been averaging 5 books a WEEK!! Now with my new job I have added a TON more, I need to get my butt in gear to my local library! I will be doing a book review very soon! One series was SO good that I stayed up until 5:30am to finish it!! I haven’t done that since Harry Potter! Yes, for some reason it was that I can’t put down good.

6. Learning to cook & meal plan without a microwave. This has been harder than I thought it would be, mostly for reheating left overs but I have also found that I can’t make some of my favorite breakfast foods because to re-heat them it must be a microwave… sigh… No microwave until we get the kitchen remodeled which won’t be happening for a while, if at all. It’s a double-sided sword, I WANT a new/ updated kitchen *current one is from 1979* but we will only be here for 3 years… it’s ALL that money worth it?

What are you currently into?

What are your top makeup tips? hair tips? clothing sites?

Current top reads?

Weekend in Picture Review

Hope that you all had a great weekend!!

Health Product Review: Cheribundi

A couple weeks ago I got the notice that I had WON Heather, from ThenHeatherSaid, birthday contest! *Go Aries Girls!

One of the products that I won was from Cheribundi. Now I had been seeing their juices being talked about around the health & fitness blogs that I read for a little bit now. I was so excited when I came home to a HUGE box of it waiting for me on my porch after work! I got four different flavors:

The Tart Cherry Juice, Tart Cherry Rebuild, Tart Cherry Restore, and Tart Cherry Relax. 

I have had a bottle of each so far and LOVE them all! When I checked out their website I found out they also have a CHERRY LEMONADE!!! WHAT THE WHAT!! This is on my shopping list when I make my big grocery trip across town next month!!

The only thing about them is that I personally water them down a little, if you know me, I do this with EVERYTHING!! I can’t handle juices or workout drinks that are too strong (for me personally). I loved all of them, but my top would be the restore & relax flavors.

Very thankful to Heather for holding this great contest, I can’t wait to see what else I get in the mail in the coming weeks!!

*** I was not paid for this review and as stated above, won the product in a contest***

What new product have you added this year to help you with your workouts/health?

Beachbody Fitness on a BUDGET!

I know that as of late I have been posting about what the sale of the month is, but I have been getting great questions wanting to do a Beachbody program but within their budget. I went through and did all the digging/ pricing for you! Here are all the programs under $60!

 

1. HipHopAbs with ShaunT : $19.95

 

 

2. Rockin Body again with ShaunT $19.95

 

3. Body Gospel, listen to gospel music while getting in shape! $24.95

 

4. Slim in 6, get slim in 6 weeks with this workout! Great one to add to your fitness routine! $39.90

5. Brazil Butt Lift, I can’t wait to try this after I am done with Combat!! $59.85

 

 

6. Power 90: Tony H, the man who brought us #P90X! $59.85

 

7. TurboJam: Chalene J, the amazing woman who taught us #Turbofire! $59.85

 

8. Insanity The Asylum Volume 2! ShaunT is bringing it! $59.85

 

9. Last but NOT least!! My CURRENT workout that is kicking my butt daily!! #LesMils #Combat! $59.85

 

Beachbody has something for every budget! You can even mix them together!! Do #HipHopAbs w/ #TurboJam or #Rockinbody  and get that body you deserve!!

Questions? I am here to help! Just post below!

Slow Cooker Pineapple Salsa Chicken

I am hooked on fresh fruit and vegetables once summer comes along, I CRAVE them along with salads. I could eat salads every day and be happy!

In Virginia we are having some crazy cool weather, but I was still craving some awesome pineapple. Here is a simple & fast healthy #Paleo friendly recipe.

Slow Cooker Pineapple Salsa Chicken *adapted from Clean Eating

Serves: 6 *Leftovers for lunches!!

Ingredients:

4 zucchini (small)

1 jar of clean, healthy salsa

1 pineapple *it’s SO much cheaper to get a whole one & cut it yourself!

4 chicken breast

Cut the zucchini into bite size cubes and line the bottom of the slow cooker with them. Place the chicken breast on top of the zucchini, then pour the salsa all over the chicken & zucchini. Slow cook for 6-8 hours, then pull out the chicken & shred it then replace it in the slow cooker. Scoop out a little of everything into a bowl & top with the fresh pineapple. Amazing!! Enjoy!

Why I became a Beachbody Coach

Why did I become a Beachbody Coach… it’s a simple answer.. their workout programs are the ONLY ones that I have ever completed! I have a PASSION for them! I actually wake up and ENJOY working out with them! I look forward to my workout in the mornings, and get excited to when I wakeup to workout! I fully believe in these workouts. Last summer before we got married my man did #Insanity while I did #TurboFire to get in shape. We both got ALL the way through them & enjoyed them, we both yelled at the t.v. and sweated our way through everyday.

For our new house, my husband made us a workout room, that is how much we are HOOKED!

Our workout room in the new house! Love the swing arm on the T.V.

I love these programs!! From left to right: #P90X, 10 Minute Trainer, #TurboFire, #HipHopAbs, & LesMills #Combat. Thinking about getting either #ChaleanExtreme or #LesMillsPump for my summer program.

Storage for all of our workout equipment. LOVE my Trigger Point orange roller!

Every so often I have someone approach me wanting to know more about Beachbody Coaching. If this is you, I am always happy to share with you! Every month I look for new people to join my team,  so that I can mentor and train them to do the same thing I am doing… to help people change their lives.

What do I look for in a Beachbody Coach, you ask? I look for the following:

1. A person who is passionate about helping others succeed in their fitness and health goals.
2. A person who loves to encourage others.
3. A person who loves the Beachbody workout programs or is willing to do one.
4. A person who wants to be part of a team that cares for one another, helps each other, and works towards a common goal.

Now this person can come in many forms! Here are some examples of people I think are a perfect fit for my team:

1. Someone who is a stay at home mom who wants to make an income but stay at home with her children.
2. Someone who works but would love to be able to stay home with their child and be a work at home mom.
3. Someone who works outside the home but wants to eventually work for themself.
4. Someone who is in college and doesn’t have time for a conventional job, needs a job that can work around their school schedule (you make your own hours), or wants to pay for their schooling.
5. Someone who wants to get out of debt.

Do you fit into any of these categories? If so, contact me and I will send you information about coaching.

Lastly, I want to tell you about the BIGGEST misconception about becoming a Beachbody Coach. Here it goes… You DO NOT have to be at your goal weight to be a coach!! Yes, you heard me right! You don’t have to be some super skinny person with big muscles to help others. The only requirement is that you are on a fitness journey. You must be exercising every day or start exercising every day so that you can lead others to do the same. Once people see that you are on a fitness journey, they will naturally want to join you. So if you still have 30 pounds to lose, it’s okay! You just need to be willing to be a product of the product and help others to dp the same thing you are doing.

Again, I can’t even describe the awesome opportunity that becoming a Beachbody Coach is. *Bonus! If you are a #MilitarySpouse like myself, you get a HUGE discount on becoming a coach! How great is that! You can make money for your family without leaving your family daily!

Here is my video talking more about why I became a coach & my LesMills Combat starting questions/answers.

What I use to stay on track for my fitness goals!

Here is a quick video talking about what I do to keep track of my health & fitness:

Myotape 

FitBit 

Diet & Fitness Journal

LesMills Combat

Shakeology

What are your must haves to help you keep on track for your fitness?

Top Tips for moving into your new house!

When we moved into our house in San Antonio almost 4 years ago, it was move in ready. There was NOTHING that had to be done, just things we wanted done which was mostly repainting everything.

Now that we are finally fully moved into the Virginia Beach house we truly learned many new lessons. Our current house was NOWHERE near move in ready, though we kind of thought it was. Here are some tips/tricks that we have learned so far with this house.

Items to Invest in:

1. canvas drop clothes, okay we actually got our when we painted the San Antonio house, but have been reusing them ever since. They work great, last though many projects, and don’t bunch up/make you trip like plastic ones do.

2. Paint covers for your electrical outlets, when Jrod bought these I thought to myself… “Do we really need these? I mean just be careful & it will be fine” Well, I have to say get them! They are a HUGE time saver, takes 2 seconds to put in, and 2 seconds to take off.

3. Micro Gear Polyurethane sponges, I put a picture of these up already but I wanted to talk about them again. These sponges will be the best $2.98 you spend for cleaning! I used them no stop when we were cleaning the house and one pack is still going strong! I will be using these to clean my bathrooms all the time now.

Tips for moving into your new house:

1. Getting help from some of my favorite cleaning bloggers, ( MamaClean, FirstHomeLove, & AskAnna) I basically broke down the top Spring Cleaning To Do List and made it my moving in list. I can’t tell you how GROSS wiping down all the doors & walls. I also wiped out all the cabinets, lined them with contact paper, and then put all of our stuff in.

Here is one that I went off of from FirstHomeLove:

2. Take before & after pictures so you can really see how far you have come in your projects. Doing this also helped us to move rooms around when we just couldn’t figure out exactly what needed to be where.

Here are some more after pictures!

Workout Room complete!

Living Room Pic. 1

Living Room Pic 2. I am SO excited to try out the wood stove next fall!

 

 

What are your top To- Do’s when moving into a new house?

Meal Planning: Week of April 28th

Good Sunday Morning!

On my twitter feed I have been getting a lot of questions about meal planning, where to start, how do you do did, etc. I started meal planning about 4 months ago, it’s been off & on due to the move, but now that we are settled into our house it’s been GREAT!

What meal planning means to me is that I sit down through out the week and take a couple of minutes here & there to get some ideas of what I would want to eat in the coming weeks. I mainly get all my ideas from either Pinterest or Practical Paleo over these past months of eating a more Paleo lifestyle. Meal planning has cut down on my grocery bills & taken away TONS of stress since you already know what you are doing to eat. I have also found that if I meal plan and prep accordingly we eat so much healthier! Which is always a great bonus.

My current job I get home really late, so I have been leaning more towards slow cooker meals so it’s ready as soon as I walk in the door.

Here is what I am planning for this week.

1. Slow Cooked Cinnamon Pork loin with Parsnips *2 dinners

2. Whole30 Thai Curry *1 dinner, 1 lunch

3. Turkey Burgers w/ Sweet Potatoes Fries *1 dinner, 2 lunches **I will prep the potatoes & have them frozen into servings for quick cooking.

4. Slow Cooked Chicken Curry with Greens *2 dinners

5. Slow Cooked Pineapple Chicken *1 dinner, 1 lunch

6. Sausage & Sweet Potatoes Casserole *1 dinner, 1 lunch

**Treat for the week: Freedom Brownies which are gluten-free, dairy-free, & grain-free!

This meal plan is good for 8 dinners & 5 lunches! Sometimes we have extra so that will count for more lunches!

Breakfast prep was all done last night: Apple Cider Pancakes and  Apple Egg Muffins (recipe will be posted this week!)

Hope this helped you with your meal planning! Remember to join my #30Day Health Meal Photo Challenge starting May 1st!

Here is a GREAT series of post from Lindsay at LeanGreenBean about meal prepping for the week!

Here are so fun FREE printable worksheets to help you with your meal planning! 1, 2, 3* this one’s not free but it’s too cute to pass up!