Week 7 Healthy Living Check In

I've had a pretty good week. Vanessa decided she wasn't going to do "two-a-days" anymore (boo to you). Now I must workout by myself after work. Monday I'm going to try to get some girls from work to come in and do a Cize routine with me. I sure do miss my dance routines. Tiff and Vanessa made the team lunch on Thursday. We had spaghetti, sour dough bread with garlic butter, and brownies. Because I'm real about everything, I did eat some of that lunch. It's all about the bites! It's OK to enjoy treats from time to time. I just have to limit myself to how much I'm going to enjoy. Did I mention how much I love our team!?

The three of us decided to do the Cowtown 5K in February. Tiff and I took the plunge and registered on Friday. Still waiting on Vanessa (hint hint). I'm going to need those girls to help me train for this. I'm not a runner. Never have been a runner. And I'm quite certain I will never be a runner. I'm willing to try though. We are still working out when and how we can prepare for this. Either way, it's going down February 27! I need a tutu for that. I will run/jog/walk (whatever I manage to do that day) in a tutu...preferably a red one.

I only made one batch of nut butter fudge this week. OK, I lied....I made 2 batches. That's better than a batch a day though. I just love that stuff. I love peanut butter. So the oatmeal balls were a huge hit for me this week. Yeah, those will be making another appearance this week. So easy and so delicious. 

Some friends have shared some of their favorite healthy snacks on Facebook this week and in person. I thought I'd give some a try. I put these on my grocery list this week. 

Swarbrick brought us the plain sparkling La Croix water when she came to visit this week. I liked it better than I thought I would. I enjoy lemon water, so I found this at Sprouts and can't wait to try it.

Mikah posted about this Kombucha soda. I found some at Sprouts to try. I also found Kombucha in juice form, too. The soda was at Kroger and juice at Sprouts. I tried the root beer Kombucha. It was definitely different, but good. Definitely an acquired taste.

Mikah also posted about these Lara bars. I found some at Sprouts and Kroger. There are so many flavors. I tried the pecan pie bar and LOVED it. I bought 10 different flavors. I found them for $1 at both locations. This is my new healthy snack this week.

This has been a life saver this week! Where has this been all my life? I won this little gem in a challenge group that I participated in with Mikah and Katee. I love these challenge groups. They keep me accountable and  motivated. I can lose weight, get healthy, and win prizes. Who wouldn't want to do that!? I just put a scoop of this in my daily Shakeology and have this amazing energy all day. When you're with 20 first graders all day, you need it. 

Speaking of how much I love Beach Body and Shakeology, I finally took the plunge (thanks Mikah) and signed up to be a coach. I knew I loved my Shakeology (haven't missed a day yet) and wanted a discount. If I get to help others along the way, then that's an added bonus. I can't wait to team up with Mikah and Ana for the Fall Challenge starting at the end of November. 21 days of prizes AND we get to get healthy and lose some weight.....yes, please! I'm looking for friends who want to come with me and get busy before Christmas!

I skipped my workout on Tuesday and Thursday this week. I was pretty close to skipping Friday when I got a message from Mikah while I was grocery shopping saying: "Did you workout today?"

Man! Now I HAVE  to workout because my coach just called me out on it. I told her I needed to do double time since I missed 2 days. That means PiYo upper body AND PiYo core. I'd never done the core workout before. It. Was. Hard. Mikah said she'd do both if I did both. Fine. But if it isn't on Facebook, then it didn't happen. I got home, put away my groceries, and did both workouts.

#proof

#facebookofficial

#wheremyabsat

#thickandfit

She called me out. I needed that. You know I made her stick to her end of the bargain since that is what we do for each other. Challenge accepted. Accountability partners are the best. I'm so excited to be on this journey with family. It makes it so much easier.

On the menu this week:

Nothing new. Just repeating some old favorites.

• Mexican lasagna
• Chicken burrito skillet
• Oatmeal muffins
• Oatmeal peanut butter balls

Goals for this week:

• drink more water
• work out 5 times
• check in with Mikah
• finish new coach training
• help others

Switching gears: We went to dinner with Mr. B's parents on Tuesday. His mom was so proud to show me what they made. I thought it was so cute! I told her I wanted to take a picture to share on the blog. I secretly want one, too. I just don't want to make it. She also said she was making one for Christmas. I can't wait to see.

I must admit to a splurge experience on Tuesday at Mexican Inn. While I did eat only half my burrito bowl, I had some difficulty stopping with the chips and queso. Granted, it wasn't as bad as I used to be, but I indulged a little more than I would have liked. 

What would a blog post of mine be without a picture of my adorable nephew!!!! He's a monkey for Halloween. I. Can't. Stand. It! Love how cute he is.

What's Up Wednesday- October 2015 Edition

What we're eating this week: I've really been trying out new healthy recipes on my journey to a healthier me! This week we've been eating out a little more than usual and sticking with staple meals. Here's some things I've made the past couple of weeks that are noteworthy foods to try:

1. Nut butter fudge (for when I need something sweet)
2. Mexican lasagna
3. Oatmeal muffins
4. Chicken burrito skillet
5. Chicken salad
6. Peanut butter oatmeal balls

What I'm reminiscing about: Since we just celebrated Mr. B's 30th birthday, it brought me back to the first of his birthdays that I got to share with him...his 24th. He had just got back from a week long trip to Boston. That was the first time we'd been apart for a long time since we'd been together. It was rough for me. Here we are almost 7 years later, and we still don't like being apart for long periods of time.

I made him a stuffed puppy with a leather jacket from Build-A-Bear and made frames with pics of us. I just changed out those pictures in those frames a few months ago with recent selfies. They're hanging in our hallway. 

Such a sweet girlfriend! I made his cake for him:)

We were so young!

He'd always wanted a leather jacket he said. Being the cool girlfriend I was, I made one of his dreams come true:)

What I'm loving: My Shakeology! I've tried the chocolate and the vanilla. Chocolate is my favorite, but I've enjoyed the vanilla more than I thought I would. I've also had the opportunity to try the Shakeology energy boost. I definitely feel the extra boost of energy! I've tried other shakes before, but these really are amazing! There's so many different recipes to try with each flavor, so you never have to have the same shake daily. Experimentation is so much fun. I made a pumpkin pie shake: 1/4 cup water, 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 Tbls pecans, 1 Tsp maple syrup, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1 scoop vanilla shakeology, dash of cinnamon. AMAZING!!! I'm loving my healthy  journey and the results I'm seeing!

What we've been up to: We just celebrated Mr. B's 30th birthday!

What I'm dreading: The end of the six weeks and all the testing! There's so much to get done at the end of each six weeks. On the bright side, the 3rd six weeks is one of my favorite times of year to teach. Thanksgiving and Christmas activities!

What I'm working on: My health. I'm on week 7 of my journey. I've been doing weekly blog recaps of what I've been eating (the good and the bad) and my workouts. This is a lifestyle change I'm trying to make before I try to get pregnant again. I love the encouragement that I'm receiving from my friends, family, and Mikah (my Beach Body coach). It's definitely work. I'm working on trying to say "no" to my nut butter fudge. Why it gotta be so good?

What I'm excited about: My Beach Body workouts and the results I've been seeing. I've been doing Cize (dance routines broken down move by move) and PiYo (combination of pilates and yoga). I've ordered the 21-Day Fix and plan on starting those workouts when I finish the PiYo circuit. Check out my recent haul!

What I'm watching/reading: Since it's Fall TV season, not a whole lot of reading going on. I do have a book on hold for me at the library that I need to make time to read. There's something on TV every night that we watch. Our DVR overflows with programs. Some new shows we're watching: Gradfathered, Truth be Told, and Supergirl.

What I'm listening to: Singers on The Voice....one of our many TV programs.

What I'm wearing: This past weekend was finally cold enough to bring out the boots, scarves, leggings, and sweater dress. It was short lived since the rest of the week has been in the 70s. Get ready....that's going to be my go-to outfit this Fall/Winter. Since it's Red Ribbon week at school, we are doing themed dress up days: Wear red on Monday, dress crazy on Tuesday, PJs on Wednesday, super heroes on Thursday, orange/black on Friday.

What I'm doing this weekend: There's a Halloween party that we may go to if Mr. B manages to get Saturday night off. However, I may end up spending the evening handing out candy with Mr. B's parents after I watch the Tech game. It's supposed to be a rainy weekend, so maybe I'll read.

What I'm looking forward to next month: Thanksgiving and seeing my family! That includes my adorable nephew, Jude the Dude.

What else is new: Nothing is new since I post anything noteworthy on the blog. Right, Swarbrick?

What's your favorite Thanksgiving recipe: Daddy's homemade dressing. Since he's requested Mexican food for Thanksgiving this year, looks like I won't be enjoying that dressing. However, he also makes really good Spanish rice....so maybe he'll indulge me???

Cooper's Dirty 30 Festivities

October 21, 2015 Mr. B hit the big 3-0! I can't believe we are in this new decade (well, I still have a couple of months). Bright and early that morning I had to get a pic with my main squeeze. The first pic of his 30's. Even early in the morning, fresh out of bed, he's still the most handsome man ever! Me, however, well thank you Younique makeup because #aintaprettymorningperson

Even on his birthday, he chose to get up early with me even though he had the day off. 

birthday kisses for my handsome honey

Here's his present from me: a basket with 30 of his favorite things

Contents: Dr. Pepper, 3 Musketeers, cookies, popcorn, chips and salsa (Tostitos Brand because I roll rich like that), Green Bay Packers cup, chocolate covered cherries, donut holes, poptarts, and some birthday coupons. These coupons include some of his favorite meals for me to cook, or for us to go out to enjoy.  Each coupon has an explanation on the back with specifics and things the wife can/cannot say or do upon presentation of the coupon. It's mostly just me not being able to argue about any of his choices. Normally, when he gets chips and salsa we buy the Kroger brand because it's cheaper. But since it was his birthday, I splurged for the high dollar name brand he loves because #imawesomelikethat #rollrichforbirthdays

He loved his basket and was very grateful for everything. I love seeing him so happy and excited about things. 

His parents always cook for him on his birthday. He always asks for chili. So, we had chili, cornbread, Fritos, and watermelon. It was delicious. The watermelon was grown in his parents' jungle a/k/a their backyard. But seriously, it looks like a jungle out there. They were very proud of their watermelon and couldn't wait to share it with us. It was as good as they'd hoped. Better than anything you'd get in a store. So sweet and juicy. Yay for watermelon in October.

Dinner pic at his parents' house that night.

Family selfie: doesn't my mother-in-law's hair look amazing!? 

Double chocolate cupcakes. There were definitely as good, if not better, than they looked. 

Since he's so old they don't make a box of candles with enough to match his age, he gets only 3. One candle per decade. 

Look at how cute he is. I just can't believe that guy is 30. 

Birthday selfie with the birthday boy. I just love him!!!

Saturday night we went to Sundance Square for a surprise birthday dinner with friends and family at Risky's BBQ. Mr. B's parents, his sister and her family, Misty & Adrian, and Christy all met us there and were waiting when we walked in. We enjoyed a nice visit with everyone over some good BBQ. After dinner, Mr. B's family went home while the gang went to our usual hangout spot, Starbucks, for coffee and chit chat. OK, so the girls talked while the guys sat silently playing on their phones. They would chime in every so often if the topic interested them.

Me and my love in our usual parking garage for a pre-date selfie....please ignore the dump truck scenery.

Chocolate covered cherry cake. We didn't want to break some fire code with 30 candles (which wouldn't have fit on the cake anyway), so we stuck with the numbers instead. Yeah, we're singing to him here.

He managed to blow out the candles. This cake was good and had just enough slices for everyone. Mr. B loves his chocolate covered cherry flavor:)

The gang (minus DeVon) in our lovely Fort Worth

Got to get that funny pic in! Adrian really does love me even if he pretends otherwise

Another favorite from that night. Love the backdrop. This is one of our favorite spots....We love the square. Many good date nights have happened in this place (including our engagement)!

Of course there must be a Trio pic in here. All our men are the #dirty30 while we still get to call ourselves #mightfine29 for a couple of months.

Group selfie...or #groupie 

Oh, Christy!

#groupie number 2

The many faces of Christy

I really enjoyed spoiling my hubby this week. Here's to many more great birthdays together! Life in our 30s is going to be the best yet!!!!

Week 6 Healthy Living Check-In

I'm finishing up week 6 of my journey. The thing I'm most proud of this week is my workout commitment. I worked out Monday-Saturday this week. I told myself on Sunday that I was going to re-commit myself to PiYo and follow the calendar. I did. Friday is a rest day on the PiYo calendar. That didn't mean that I rested, however. I took that opportunity to revisit my favorite Cize workouts with Shaun T! I normally don't workout on Fridays since I do all my grocery shopping that day. I was feeling motivated (and a bit guilty due to my week), so I pushed play. It was only about 20 minutes, but I got something in! I managed to talk Vanessa (shout out) into working out with me this week. Working out is so much more fun with friends. Mikah and I messaged each other daily to hold each other accountable for working out. This helped me so much. When I have her checking in on me, I know I need to push "play." I don't want to let her down or myself down. 

This week was a bit challenging food wise for me...again. I made some nut butter fudge and became addicted. I made about 3 batches this week and ate. it. all. #sorrynotsorry #blameitonladytime

I got greedy Friday night when I was like, "hey, let's make a double batch...again!" I must have done something wrong because it didn't set right and was really sticky. It was all kinds of stuck on the wax paper. I just had to face the fact that if I wanted to eat it there was a real possibility that I'd be eating some wax paper with it. #notabouttowaste

Saturday morning I decided to just eat what was left and realize this was punishment for being greedy. No more nut butter fudge....this week. I shall choose another snack to make and TRY not to be so greedy with it.

I survived Sunday's potluck dinner after church. I made the Mexican lasagna to take so I'd have at least one thing I knew was OK for me to eat. As it turns out, there was a few good options for me there....including a salad with balsamic dressing. I just took small portions (about 2-3 bites worth) of a few dishes. When it came to dessert, I just stole a couple of bites from Mr. B's plate. I notice that these days it doesn't take much to fill me up. #nonscalevictories

We also celebrated Mr. B's 30th birthday this week. His parents always cook for him on his birthday. He always requests chili. I had a small bowl with 1 piece of cornbread and a sprinkle of cheese. 1 bowl was more than enough for me. When it came to the cupcakes, I ate 1/2 and gave the rest to Mr. B. Saturday we are going to Risky's BBQ in Sundance Square for a surprise birthday party for him. He thinks it's just me and him. Nope! I've got a few surprises for him. I've already scoped out the menu and decided on a salad. Yes, I'm going to eat some birthday cake. But I know that a few bites is all I need to be satisfied.

Breakfast this week was a win! It was very filling early in the morning.

Friday my new challenge pack came in! I always get excited when these show up at my door. I'm also thankful for my chocolate shakes again. I'm seriously considering becoming a coach to get a discount on these great products and maybe helping others reach their goals like Mikah and Katee have helped me.

My feel good moment this week: Seeing Mikah and Katee's post on Facebook about my journey. I was overwhelmed with all the "likes" and comments I received from friends and family. That just motivated me even more to keep going knowing others were noticing and were proud. Not to mention, I feel so much better these days. I WILL walk into my annual physical in January lighter with better cholesterol. There is no other option. I WILL be healthy before I get pregnant. I WILL do this for me, my husband, and my future children.

Menu review from last week:

Everything I made was a win! I enjoyed the egg white muffins and oatmeal muffins. I think I finally found a way to consume oatmeal without feeling nauseous. The chicken burrito skillet was good, but we messed it up and didn't get to enjoy it the way we wanted. We used the wrong rice and ended up with crunch rice instead of cooked rice. Ruined the whole thing. We ate it for a couple of days, but didn't enjoy it. Next time, we will cook the rice and just mix it in. That's what we did with the chicken. #liveandlearn

The chicken salad was AMAZING! I cooked my chicken breasts all day in the crock pot with water and seasonings. It made a whole bunch of chicken, so I divided it and will make a second batch for this upcoming week. 

I accomplished all of my goals that I set last week. I even exceeding some. 

Goals this week:

• meal prep
• continue being diligent with PiYo
• message Mikah daily
• snack moderation
• work out 5 days

Total inches lost in 6 weeks: 7 inches

Total weight lost in 6 weeks: 17 lbs 

On the menu this week:

• Breakfast will be the same as last week
• Lunch will be the same as last week
• Dinner: an assortment of some staple meals-spaghetti squash w/zucchini and ground turkey, canned okra and tomatoes w/brown rice and shrimp, salmon and asparagus

Of course I had to share my Jude the Dude pictures I received this week. This is his Halloween costume this year. He's a sweet pea. Could he get any more adorable!?

Finally, a proud teacher moment. I usually give the kids free choice on Fridays for the last 30 minutes of the day. They can get on computers/ iPads, build with geo blocks, do puzzles, or whatever else they want....within reason of course. This week I had a group of kids ask if they could get my small white boards and markers and use them. I gave them my permission. Later, I observe them playing school with the stuffed animals and each other. They were writing numbers down and putting them in order like I showed them in class. Then I see this girl "teaching" greater than/ less than/ equal to to her "class." I was so stinkin' proud at that moment. This, ladies and gentleman, is why I do what I do. Moments like these make those hard days worth it.

Week 5 Healthy Living Check-In

So this week was not my finest week in my journey. I hear that sometimes weeks like that happen sometimes. I mean, I didn't go crazy with my eating. I did slack hard core with exercising. I was just in a blah mood this week and so busy with work. I was definitely off my routine. For me, an off routine really messes with me. I worked out Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday. I skipped Tuesday because Vanessa bailed on me due to lack of pants (like how I threw that blame to someone else #shoutoutvanessa). We had a field trip that day, so I was wiped anyway. I went straight home since Mr. B was home. Thankfully, we meal prepped and had dinner ready. I did a minimal workout Wednesday after school, but it hardly felt effective. By the time I got home, I wasn't feeling well. I was super congested and had the worst headache. I opted to stay in the rest of the evening. Since it was my dad's birthday, my family Face Timed me as they sang "Happy Birthday" to my dad and had cake. They gave Jude the Dude some cake....yeah that was too cute not to take screen shots of.

"This looks interesting"

"This is pretty good, and I'm being watched!"

"Now, back to my cake. This stuff is pretty good."

Thursday I worked late. Friday I grocery shopped and picked up my friend's kids. By Saturday, I was just like "Forget it!" I'll just start fresh on Monday. Sunday is potluck day again. When I started my journey, it was potluck Sunday. This time, I won't be bringing my own food. Instead, I'm making a dish that is clean eating friendly. If I want some of the other items, I can have some....just a bite or two though. 

I dropped my first 15lbs really quick. I seem to have slowed down. I'm about to start my final week of my second challenge group. I just ordered the October special from Beach Body. Their 21 Day Fix is on sale this month. For just $10 more I can get a whole new workout DVD and many other tools to help me on my journey. I'm loving the way I feel on this journey. Even though I've hit a minor road block, I'm making better choices on a consistent basis. I no longer crave what I once craved. It's getting easier for me to say "NO!" Now, I didn't say "no" to a couple of roasted marshmallows on our field trip. And....I may or may not have had a few pieces of candy corn this week. If that's the worst I do....then I'm OK with that.

I part of my healthy living journey includes my honey! He's working nights now for a while, so I really enjoy when he's home with me. I couldn't resist a family selfie with our furry children! I love that he supports me...even if he does suggest places to eat that include "Kincaids Hamburgers" or "Buffalo Wild Wings." Why he try to tempt me with wings during a football game? Doesn't he know my inner guy drools at that suggestion...? 

This upcoming week we get to celebrate Mr. B's big #dirty30!!! His mom is making him chili like she does every year. He also will be getting some chocolate cupcakes. Wednesday may turn out to be a day when I take in a smidge of a cheat meal....

Saturday night, he requested Risky's BBQ for his official date night birthday dinner. In the spirit of love, I may have 2 cheats this week. Which means I better get serious with my workouts this week. 

Excited to celebrate my love on his special day. 

Goals for this week:

1. Meal prep for meals
2. Re-commit to PiYo...I need to give it a chance
3. Daily check-ins with my coach to hold each other accountable for pushing "play"
4. Workout 5 times this week

On the menu this week:

Breakfast:

Baked Oatmeal Cups

Egg white muffins

Lunch

Chicken Salad

Dinner

Chicken Burrito Skillet

Snack

Nut Butter Fudge

Pot Luck Meal

Mexican Lasagna

Last Week's Menu Review:

• As feared, I still HATE oatmeal. I thought I would try the over night oats with the mix-ins to see if I could change my mind. Nope. Still didn't like it. I tried it 3 mornings in a row. By Thursday, I went back to my staple breakfast. I'm hoping this week that I'll like the oatmeal since it will be in muffin form. I mean, who doesn't like muffins?
• The egg salad made with avocados wasn't a favorite either. I tried it on the English muffin with a side salad on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday I put it in a salad. Wednesday I was so sad at lunch time because it just looked so unappetizing. Thursday I had left over soup. Friday I had a pita sandwich with turkey and avocado.
• The Cajun sausage soup was soooo GOOD! This was the one major hit we had this week. It last Mr. B and I for 3 dinners and 1 bowl for my lunch on Thursday. It had some serious kick to it, but was so worth it. 
• The Greek yogurt frozen snack was also very good. It melts really fast, so I found myself eating it out of a plastic bag with a spoon once it melted. If you love peanut butter (I'm obsessed), then you'll love this.

Week 4 Healthy Living Check-In

So here we go with week 4! I started a new challenge group this week. I decided this time around I wanted to try the Vanilla Shakeology and the PiYo workouts. I've been mixing PiYo and Cize workouts this week. I just can't quit my Cize. I love it too much. PiYo is tough because I have no flexibility and I feel so awkward doing the movements....even the modified ones. I just have to keep at it though. I went through the fundamentals, upper body, and lower body workouts this week. I have yet to do the "Sweat" PiYo workout. I did find out this week that I definitely prefer the chocolate Shakeology to the vanilla. #nowiknow

I saw this on a friend's Instagram this week and LOVED it! This is totally how I feel when I finish a workout. Usually my problem is actually starting the workout. I usually have no drive to exercise. Since I've been doing Beach Body, I don't dread the workouts. Don't get me wrong, I totally have my days where I'm not feeling it. However, I find myself more motivated to hit "play" than in the past. 

I started off Monday determined to get in my workout. I did the PiYo fundamentals then a couple of my Cize routines that I have learned. I didn't go through the whole Cize workout, just the final dances to the music. I decided I would take a sweaty selfie to post in my challenge group. #sweatyandfabulous

I stayed on point with my eating pretty much all week. We decided to order out on Wednesday since we had church at 7 and didn't feel up to cooking. We ordered Jason's Deli. While Mr. B had the meatball sub with chips, I had the turkey wrap (minus the ranch dressing) with the fruit cup (minus the fruit dip....I had Greek yogurt instead). The only day where I wasn't 100% was Thursday. It was my first cheat meal in 4 weeks. I knew it was coming, so I was able to make a plan on how I was going to handle it. When I first started, I was presented with a potluck after one week in. I knew I couldn't allow myself a cheat meal this early in. However, I'd gone 3 1/2 weeks without deviating. I could allow myself a small indulgence, but in a controlled manner. It was Vanessa's (shout out) birthday lunch. She wanted enchiladas and my chocolate molten cake with cream cheese Nutella frosting. I ate a small section of enchiladas, salad, a small handful of chips, a spoonful of guacamole, and a sliver of cake (about 3 bites worth). Much to my surprise, it was filling and I was satisfied without wanting to go back for more....even though the food was delicious. I didn't even feel guilty, bloated, or fat afterwards. Now, I did make sure I got in a workout. It was small, but I still got it in. 

I started stalking my cousin's Pinterest boards for healthy recipes to try. I wanted to mix it up next week in the food department. I found this 3 Day cleanse with Shakeology on her board. I thought that it was totally doable for me. I decided to do it Friday, Saturday, Sunday. It might seem strange to do it over a weekend, but for me it's way easier. One, my days are shorter on the weekends since I don't have to get up as early. Two, Mr. B works nights so I don't have the temptation to go out to eat. By the end of Friday, I was surprised at how good I felt. I thought that I'd be ravenous throughout the day, but I actually wasn't. My salad for dinner was extremely filling. I opted to take my 3rd shake after dinner so I wouldn't go to bed hungry.

Saturday I knew I wanted to get my workout in before the Tech game. No college football until after I worked out. #motivation #rewards

I don't usually workout on Fridays since I do my grocery shopping right after work. I  must make day 5 (or 6) be on Saturday. I met my goal of 5 workouts this week. I decided I wanted to try a new Cize routine (I'm still afraid of PiYo Sweat) since I seem to have mad dance skills now. You're supposed to rate yourself one of three ways on the dances: back up dancer, front and center, or ready for your music video. On the second beginner routine, I totally thought I was ready for my music video. On the first intermediate routine, I at least thought I was front and center. Surely I can handle the second intermediate workout. Yeah.....it kicked my butt. It was super fast and challenging. I'd be hard pressed to say that I was even a backup dancer on that first run through. I guess I have a new challenge this week. MASTER THE ROUTINE!!! Regardless, I still felt #sweatyandfabulous so I took another selfie to post to my challenge group.

These challenge groups are awesome for accountability and encouragement. So thankful for them. I got in a rare Sunday workout. It felt great. I'd also like to point out that I survived the 3 day cleanse without hurting anyone. It wasn't too bad, actually. The only sad part is that I finished my bag of chocolate Shakeology #sadday

Ok, switching gears for a moment.....A friend at work is a consultant for Younique makeup. I ordered some 3-D lash mascara for her and LOVED it. I received an offer for 50% off a collection after that purchase. You know I ordered! I just fell in love with this eye shadow pallet that I chose. I can't wait to try it out with the other goodies I received. I meant to take a pic of my total makeup haul, but I forgot. I already unpacked it and put it away so.....just the pallet pic instead.

On another note, I had my parent conferences this week. I was so pleased with how they went. All 19 parents signed up. I had 2 phone conferences, 14 face-to-face conferences, and 3 no-shows. Of those 3 no-shows one was absent, one called, and the other was a no show/no call. Those are great turn outs for our school. I really enjoyed talking with all the parents. There were a couple that I had conversations with past their child's performance in class. What made me the most happy was hearing the parents tell me how much their kids loved me and enjoyed being in my class. Sometimes I worry that I may be too tough on these first graders. However, at the end of the day when I get those hugs goodbye and then again in the morning, I know I must be doing something right. It made my heart happy hearing that my babies liked school and me:)

On the menu this week:

Breakfast: Overnight oats

Lunch: avacado egg salad on whole wheat English muffin with side salad

Dinner: Cajun sausage soup

Snack: Greek yogurt bars

Goals this week:
Workout 5 days this week
Master that Cize routine
Try the PiYo sweat workout
Drink more water
No Cheats this week (there shouldn't be a reason to)
Meal prep

Total weight loss to date: 15lbs (yay me!) 15 more pounds to go before reaching my first goal!!!