Meet Gabrielle!

Gabrielle is the 4th lovely lady featured on the blog for my Spring Break Bikini Challenge!

her facebook profile picture :)

starting weight: 197

We Aren't Scared Of Sugar: Tell us your favorite motivational quote.

Gabrielle:  "If you don't love yourself BEFORE, you won't love yourself AFTER. It's your body, adore yourself at every weight."

WASOS: Tell us your favorite healthy recipe.

Gabrielle: Hunter’s Chicken - weight watchers value- 4 points or 203 cals a serving

 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about (5 oz each if you do Flex)
 Or use thighs if you like dark meat
 ½ tsp salt
 ¼ tsp pepper I added 1/2 jar of stuffed green olives
 3 tsp olive oil
 Cooking spray
 1 large onion chopped
 3 cloves of garlic, minced
 2 large bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2 pieces
 ½ pound fresh white mushrooms, sliced
 1 celery stalk, chopped
 1 (1 pint) container refrigerated fresh tomato pasta sauce
 fresh thyme (optional)
 1.) Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat large nonstick skillet,
 spray and add 2 tsp olive oil. Brown chicken over medium heat, about
 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from skillet, put on plate and set aside.
 Cut each breast in half.
 2.) Add remaining oil into same skillet and add onion and garlic. Stir
 until softened, about 3 minutes. Add peppers, mushrooms and celery;
 cook. Stir occasionally until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Add back in
 the chicken. Add the Sauce and stir so the chicken is coated. Bring to
 a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 20-25 minutes.
 You can serve this right away, or make it in advance as it tastes even
 better the second day. This is an easy “bring to someone’s house”
 dish. This would also be excellent as a buffet dish, served in a
 chafing dish or on a hot tray. The chicken is good cold the next day.

WASOS: What is your ultimate fitness goal?

Gabrielle:  My end goal for this challenge would be 165-175. My over all goal would be to just be healthy, I want to run around with my kids and not worry if my flab is hanging over my pants or if my shirt is to tight. I want to be the person I know I can be for my husband, the better I feel the better I can be for him. Life is to short to waste wishing "what if" I have to do it now before it's to late.

You can keep up with the Spring Break Bikini Challenge updates by making sure you "like" We Aren't Scared of Sugar on facebook! Or you can follow the SBBC list on twitter, HERE. 

Sunday FUN day!

Ahhh ok, so maybe not entirely "fun." BUT, last night was awesome, and I got to sleep in (until 8!) this morning, and that my friends, makes it a fun day for me!

Last night I went for sushi and shopping with my friend Kristi. It was fun! And soooo bizarre! At the sushi place I ran into my cousin Lindsey that I haven't seen in 7.5 years! Thats super bizarre because I don't know ANYONE where I live, except the few friends I have- so to run into someone somewhere is a rare thing. We ended up sitting at the grill with Lindsey, her husband, their son (he's only a couple of months older than Olivia), and her mom & mom's boyfriend. It was really nice. :)

we took this picture to send to my mom and her dad, to prove we ran into each other haha. aren't we adorable!? :) 

After sushi Kristi & I went to the mall, and to target. I got a pair of shorts and a pair of jeans at American Eagle- where I am now officially a size 4. That is a size I haven't seen since Andy & I got married. :) *happy dance* I feel really proud because I got here by hard work and determination. Not sitting around *wishing* I was something I'm not. I'm working for it.

^ so excited up there!

At Target I got the cutest bikini, I'm going to use it as a progress tracker. I weigh in and take a progress photo every Sunday. More important than weighing in I take my measurements. This is so important to me to keep track of what is going on with my body. 

I also got an adorable pair of wedge sandals, and a couple of shirts. I spent most of my money at Target... on kids clothes. My girls are so so rotten. I can't wait to pick them up from my MIL's later today and bring them home to their piles of new clothes. Everything was on clearance- I didn't spend more than $7/item for them.. except their SWIMSUITS!!! Both are nautical themed and so super adorable. Olivia's is a tankini (Daddy has ruled that they aren't allowed to wear anything skimpier than a tankini for their entire lives. haha) Olivia's is navy with colored anchors and ruffles, and sophia's is ocean blue with sailboats and ruffles. SO ADORABLE. :)

I did the beach wave hair again :)

So pretty much, last night was great. It was a much needed night without kiddos (I think we are taking all our kids back to have hibachi next friday! Olivia loves it. And sophia is a sushi eating machine!).

As for today, I had planned to go to the gym. My throat has been really sore and I think running will make it worse since I'm a mouth breather. So today I will focus on yoga, abs, and legs at home. I might (probably) will break out the kettle bell and do the TIU saved by the bell. And I might spend this afternoon pouring through cookbooks to modify some of my favorite recipes to fit my TIU meal plan... and share them with you, of course!

If you haven't already, why don't you take a second to click "like" on my facebook page! :) It would really, really make my day!

Enjoy your Sunday, everyone!

Meet Tasha!

Contender number 3 for the Spring Break Bikini Challenge!! :) 

Yes, I stole her facebook profile picture. :)

Starting weight: 164lbs

We Aren't Scared Of Sugar: Tell us your favorite motivational quote.

Tasha:  Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. -Mahatma Gandhi

WASOS: Tell us your favorite healthy recipe.

Tasha: Right now my favorite (I know it's not a recipe) is Asparagus. Mostly grilled b/c it's fast, easy and delicious but I will take it in any dish. I used to avoid it because of the canned stuff. I never knew it had such amazing potential!

WASOS: What is your ultimate fitness goal?

Tasha: Overall I would like to see my weight decrease by 10-15lbs but that isn't firm. I am in great physical shape but I want to take some extra pressure off of my joints because I have Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis. The longer I am healthier and mobile with my children and husband the better. I went through a two year period where the disease owned me and now I take each day and give it all I have.

You can keep up with the Spring Break Bikini Challenge updates by making sure you "like" We Aren't Scared of Sugar on facebook! Or you can follow the SBBC list on twitter, HERE. 

52:4

Love your sister, she's all you have.

That is a phrase that I will probably repeat often throughout this project. Its something that I always think of when I see my girls together, and something I always hear my mom saying when I am talking to my sister.

When we were kids, our Grandma Barb used to put blankets over the kitchen table so we would have a tea party tent. I never even thought to do that for my kids, I hadn't thought of those little tea parties in years. Last week I washed my comforter and draped it over the bar stools to air dry....

And my littles could be found there all afternoon, tea partying away. Talk about re-creating history. Talk about melting mama's heart.

Meet Chelsie

Today we continue meeting the Spring Break Bikini Challenge girls!

How exciting!

(another stolen facebook profile picture!)

starting weight: 311.4

We Aren't Scared Of Sugar: So, What is your favorite motivational quote?
Chelsie: "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got." -Grandpa Dale
WASOS: Tell us your favorite recipe.

Chelsie: 5 spice roasted chicken 295 calories
marinade-
6 cloves garlic
1 lrg shallot
1 tbsp fresh ground ginger
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 c reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp chinese five spice powder
freshly ground pepper
6 legs of boneless skinless chicken legs/thighs with fat trimmed

place marinade items in blender, blend until smooth
place chicken in ziploc bag, pour marinade on top, shake/ toss to cover chicken. marinate in fridge for 6-8 hrs or overnight.

preheat oven to 400. place chicken on rack over a cookie sheet covered in foil, make a tent to cover chicken to avoid burning. roast chicken in oven for 30 minutes, remove foil and continue roasting until internal temp is 165-175- about 45 more min.
then tear it up.. nomnomnom
WASOS: What is your ultimate fitness goal?

Chelsie: To be able to look into the mirror and smile.

I am so happy that Chelsie has turned to this challenge to find the strength, motivation, & encouragement she needs to begin this amazing journey of self-transformation! 

You can follow Chelsie on twitter HERE! And make sure you "like" the We Aren't Scared of Sugar facebook page to keep up with how the challenge is going! :)

The Challenge

Well, as most of my readers know, I am hosting (and have been hosting) a little fitness challenge. I used to call it a weight-loss challenge, but that is not the case. I am definitely a contender (although, by default I cannot win my own competition!), but I am at a point where the number on the scale doesn't matter to me (much). My ultimate goal by hosting & participating in these challenges is to gain muscle, and confidence.

I realized this morning, as I was going through the various posts from the contestants, that this challenge is a lot different than the first one I hosted. This is my 3rd time to host something like this. The first challenge I did through my business, "Kandice Poirier Photography." I had intended for the challenge to be more of a local thing, and I even got a few local businesses to donate prizes. Unfortunately, there was not a lot of interest where I live... and I ended up opening the contest to people nation-wide. The prize was ultimately a "glam session" by me- and the winner was a dear friend of mine that currently resides in Germany. In order to participate in the first challenge, the contestants were required to submit a bio to me, complete with full frontal and side view photos of themselves in tight-fitting clothing, a swimsuit, or shorts & sports bra. These photos were showcased on my photography facebook page and served as a reminder to one and all how hard these girls were working. Their end results were also showcased next to their "before" photo. This was great motivation.

The second challenge I hosted lasted only six weeks, but instead of attempting to do a local challenge (again, not enough interest), I nixed the prize packages and the entrants were only required to pay a $20 entry fee. At the end of the six weeks, the winner (biggest loser in weight %) took the cash. This was great motivation. The rules were only that you had to post your before photo (in a private group on facebook) and that you post a photo of your weight on the scale every Sunday by midnight. There was no special way to showcase the entrants, especially since I didn't host the challenge as a "business sponsored event."

The challenge that is currently going on started on 22January, and runs until 18March. I have 16 awesome women participating, and a prize of $320 to the biggest loser. I am so excited and pleased with the motivation and love these women show each other and me. It really takes a special group of people to nourish and educate one another in a positive way. The rules for this challenge are a little different. Each contender was required to pay the $20 entry fee, create a twitter account for checking in (and to be exposed to the amazing number of resources shared via social networking), create a toneitup.com free account (my life has been forever changed by the fabulous TIU trainers & team), post a "before" photo in the facebook group, and post their weigh in & measurements every Sunday.

After getting the group rolling, some of the ladies were a little uncomfortable with twitter (sometimes I forget that not the entire world has embraced social networking exactly as I have), and asked if that rule could be omitted. I obliged, but put in a bonus: if the winner at the end of the challenge HAS used twitter & TIU to their advantage, and not just once or twice, I will send the winner a TIU shirt or firedaughter shirt of their choice. This is a personal little gift from me to the winner, because I want everyone to be motivated enough to USE the resources at hand.

... Back to where I was going with this post! I want to take the time to showcase each competitor in this challenge individually, because I believe in these girls and I know that they have so much potential! I am going to showcase a few girls every week until I have gone through the entire group. Today I will start with the winner of my last challenge!

Meet Beth!

(I stole her facebook profile picture!)

Beth started my last challenge weighing in at 187.8lbs and came out the winner weighing in at 169.0lbs. 

Beth is a mother of one, a sweet little boy named Jacob. We actually "met" through our babies- yes- on the internet. Actually, on an iphone app called "baby bump." Our children are the same age, only a little bit apart. After my family moved back to Tennessee Beth & I realized we were only 2 hours away from each other. And since then she has actually grown to be one of my best friends. I know this because when something good (or bad) happens, aside from my husband, she is the first person I tell. I am so thankful for the internet bringing such amazing people in to my life!

We Aren't Scared Of Sugar: So, What is your favorite motivational quote?

Beth: "Eat to live, not live to eat." It's something I struggle with- eating because it tastes good, or I'm bored, or sad. Not because I'm hungry and need fuel.

WASOS: Tell us your favorite recipe.

Beth: My grandmother makes what she calls "eye-talian chicken tenders." Cut up some chicken into strips. Season with Mrs. Dash. Put the chicken in a pan with a little bit of butter or something to keep it from sticking. When the chicken is white on the outside but not done yet add about 1/2c zesty italian dressing (I've started using fat free dressing to make it healthier). The dressing will cook into the chicken. When the dressing is absorbed and the chicken is finished, add about 1/2c more of dressing. Cook on low until the dressing makes a thick sauce, then its done. It tastes a million times better when cooked in a cast iron skillet. Its really good served over brown rice, or quinoa. Its super easy to substitute the high fat ingredients with low fat options. And it makes awesome left-overs.

WASOS: What is your ultimate fitness goal?

Beth: I want to be healthy. I want to feel good and have energy. I want to look in the mirror and love what I'm looking at. I want to buy clothes because they are cute, not because they have one big enough for me, or that particular style hides my tummy. I want someone to look at me and say "I wish I looked like that."

See!? Isn't Beth inspirational?! Yes, she is. You can follow Beth on twitter @beth_winfield, and read her blog HERE. I think she should start a facebook page :) so we can all become her "fans." :)

You can keep up with how the girls are doing over on the We Aren't Scared Of Sugar facebook page! If you're not a fan already, go ahead and "like" it. :) 

Goal: Achieved!

click the image to link up :)

{one} I set a goal for myself this week: 3 miles without stopping. Today I did 3.5... and its only MONDAYYYYY! I feel really proud!

{two} cheese overload. Yeah. I didn't do so hot at staying on track yesterday. I blame the cake I had Saturday night. I also ate 6. yes SIX oreos. Right before bed. :( No biggie, today was awesome, and I'm cool with that. :)

{three} water goal. Mine is 80oz/day. Whats yours? I'm currently 14oz away and then I'll have some hot tea before bed!

{four} Last night was spent in and out of the bathtub with on and off again tornado sirens. I really can't wait until I'm only dealing with hurricanes and not tornadoes. I've witnessed both and well... I'm less scared of hurricanes.

{five} Since we were up until 1am with stormy weather, naturally I overslept this morning. I slept right through my alarm, and the painters ringing the doorbell repeatedly. Luckily the doorbell woke Olivia up (at 0730!) and she got me up. She missed the school bus but hey, at least she wasn't late for school.

{six} I am so bored with the food I eat. So tomorrow part of my day will be spent (I should have done this yesterday) planning a menu... which also seems so boring to me. I do believe I'm in a rut.

{seven} I participated in a blog book exchange, and I am so excited about the book I gifted. Once my partner receives it (its an e-book, it shouldn't take long, haha!) I will post it. I love it, and I really think everyone should read it! :)


*** I have a request!! ***
Leave a link to your favorite recipe! Whether its on your own blog (hey, fitnessistas, I'm looking to you, here!) or on a website you love (Pinterest, maybe?), I want to see it. INSPIRE ME! Even if its not "healthy"....... maybe I can switch some things up and come up with a new healthy favorite. :) That would be, what I call.. winning. :)

xoxo
Kandice

Weekend!

Yay! The weekend (is almost gone... so I'm not sure why I'm cheering, haha).

Today is weigh in day.. and measure in day! I lost .5 pound.. and I lost an inch on my torso, but gained up to 1/2" everywhere else. I know why. I had wine this week. I had 2 rest days this week. I had part of a piece of chocolate cake last night for Jessica's birthday. I had pita bread last night (not a lot) at dinner. Its ok. It was a great celebration for a really sweet friend, and I will hit it hard this week! :)

the slice of cake we split between the 3 of us... and still didn't finish it. 

Another lovely Pinterest thing from yesterday: I FINALLY learned how to create the "beach wave" look with my flat iron! I love the way my hair turned out and I can't wait to practice more. I will probably look like this a lot now.. because I LOVE the whole "just back from the ocean" look. LOVE LOVE LOVE

Yesterday I was browsing Pinterest and I saw THIS recipe for Quinoa salad. So I decided to make it. Only... I modified it a bit, and I am about 100000x positive mine tasted better than the one in the recipe. haha. So, here you go, my modified quinoa salad.

1c cooked quinoa
1/4c rice vinegar (I'm totally leaving this out next time, btw)
1/8c olive oil
2 roma tomatoes, diced
cilantro
basil (leaving this out next time too...)
oregano (also going to leave out! I think that a more spanish based flavor will be better without the italian seasonings)
4oz diced green chiles
1 can of black beans, rinsed & drained
1 orange bell pepper diced
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
sliced black olives
cholula (adding way more of this next time)
optional: crushed red pepper

it was really good, except I know for sure I don't want to include the oregano or basil next time. those were included in the original recipe. 

Ok. :) Today I am going through my closet and dresser to rid myself of things I feel the need to cling to, but don't wear. Also I will do the same with my jewelry and all the random little things in my room. This week I am doing a purge throughout the entire house.. one room at a time! :) How exciting. Hopefully the decluttering will help our house look better to potential buyers. The painter starts in the morning at 0730. I can't wait to see how the house looks all boring tan. Maybe then someone will fall in love with this place and buy it. Because if that happens, and things go the way they might.. we could be picking a place to live in St. Thomas in about 5 months. So please, pray that someone buys my house!!!

FRIDAY!

Hey there! First, let me start off with this: I did not take a single photo with my nikon this week. which means I don't have a "fancy" picture for my project 52. But I do have a photo I snapped with my iphone that is, to me, the epitome of sisters. Ready? 

my two pretties playing tea party with their morning hair. haha. perfection!

Today is a good day, the realtors are showing my house, and I couldn't be more excited. I hope the people viewing it love it, and want to purchase it. I am so ready for the next chapter of my life! At this point, nothing else matters at all, to me... except getting my family to a location where we can start a new, exciting chapter. I am ready to feel the ocean breeze on my face every day!

"5 crooked Halos" does 5 question Friday every week, and this week I'd like to participate! If you want to play, all you have to do is answer these questions on your own blog, then go link up!

1. Where do you hide the reeeally good snacks? Considering the best snacks in my house (to me) are think thin bars, I don't have to hide them. They're protein bars and the kids can't have them. We don't keep a lot of sweets in the house. This week's special treat for them: mini fig newtons. They're in a glass bowl on the counter.

2. Do u keep your vehicle clean or am I the only one who has things falling out of their van? Its in between. I try really hard to keep it clean, my jeep is my precious. :) But it does get crowded with toys and mail every now and then. 

3. Have you ever been to Vegas? We got married there. by Elvis.

4. Warm room light blankets or cold room warm snuggly blanket? cold room, warm quilt!

5. What is the worst airplane/flying experience you've ever had? I have to say on the way home from London last October!! Somehow we ended up on opposite sides of the plane, same row- and no one would switch us seats!! Ugh! Anyway, the stewardess was so sweet and finally a woman in the middle volunteered to switch after some stewardess coaxing... so we only had to sit with an aisle in between us. It was so frustrating to me... I love airplane snuggles!

good & pleasant things

Really, I am not having the best week. :/ I hate it when that happens. I seem to be able to go from my normal, happy flouncy bouncy self to a big, mean, irritable grouch in a matter of seconds. I miss my husband. He's super busy at work and I feel like we never get to talk anymore. I know what my problem is. I just have to suck it up, and get used to it. He will be home soon. Then I will have 30 days of perfection before we have to go back to living on different continents.

Today, to pick myself up, I am going to make a list of things going on that I LOVE right now. It will probably be random, and hopefully long. The longer it is, the better I'll feel. Ready, set, GO!

• The gym. Its my new church. And that is how life should be (aside from your *real* church, don't get your panties twisted)
• Today I had a workout partner. 
• Today I was brave and did more than just cardio for the first time since Christmas (in the gym). I lifted weights, had adult interaction, and ended up with jelly arms. LOVED IT.
• Eating clean. I have been doing so well, and I am so proud. I can tell, all over my whole body, such a huge difference. This makes me want to keep on. I'm not even really craving anything I shouldn't eat. Although yesterday was a *bit* stressful and I had a small handful of chocolate chips. But, I worked it off.
• Dinner with friends this Saturday. Make up. I might even wear heels. Who knows?! I know I will indulge in a delicious glass (or two) of wine. Maybe I'll have champagne. OH MY GOSH or maybe I'll have something that is mixed with champagne. I know that I am so excited!
• Gift shopping. Its someones birrrrrrthdaaaaaaaaay!!
• Under Armor. Yep. I bought a UA sports bra last week, and I finally wore it today. UHMAZING. I can never go back to target sports bras again!
• Olivia's first basketball game is Saturday morning! I can't wait to see her play. I hope she loves it. She has been doing well in practice... when she isn't dancing and playing. ha.
• 3 weeks until my over night visit to my bff Beth! Sushi, the Melting Pot, and shopping at the "fancy" mall all day Saturday. Color me pink, I am so ready to see her!!! :)
• The closet floors are being finished in the morning! A painter is coming to give an estimate, and the yard will be taken care of soon. 
• One week until a day shopping trip with my 2 favorite people here. :) 
• My bffffff Ang finds out pink or blue this week!
• Lunch date with my friend Kristi tomorrow!
• UV RAYS. Yeah, I said it. I've been laying in a tanning bed. My eczema is clearing up nicely, and that shot of Vitamin D is helping me fight winter blues. 
• Nicole glitter nail polish

... Well, thats my list of positives. What are the positives going on in your life today? 

*** 3 days left to enter the Spring Break Bikini Challenge. Head over to my facebook page and check out the details! :) 

Miscellany MOTIVATION Monday!

Can I participate in two "days" at once? I think I can. :) So get ready!

1. The last week has been so crazy. Seriously, I have barely left my house. BUT. I did make it to the gym almost every day last week. I did eat clean all week. I DO FEEL GREAT! I lost an inch off my thighs. I lost an inch off my natural waist. I lost an inch off my abs (right around the belly button!). I lost an inch off my calves. I lost half an inch off my arms. I pushed myself harder than ever. I killed some awesome ab workouts. I have almost mastered my kettle bell (and I haven't dropped it on my face ONCE! biggest fear ever... "hey, what happened to your nose??" "Oh... I'm a klutz and I dropped my kettle bell right on my face because my hands were sweaty." hahaha). Oh, and I have decided I want to become a FitFluential Ambassador. So, if you don't already, click follow up there ^^^ and then go "like" my facebook page- I just created it last night.

2. 88. that is the number of ounces of water I consumed yesterday.

3. Girls' Night wine and apps:: I created an event (Feb 4, I  believe!) and I can't wait. So far I think 6 or 7 girls have confirmed. A night at uptown upstairs, wine, laughing, appetizers, laughing, adult conversations and high heels. That is whats on my agenda. I NEED THIS!

4. Sophia has become, over night, a diva. Ok, maybe not over night. And maybe Olivia calling her "Little Diva baby girl" doesn't help. But. It is what it is, and Miss S feels the need to accessorize 24/7. hahaha.

5. I am hosting the SPRING BREAK BIKINI CHALLENGE, and if you're interested in joining up, please leave a comment here or check out the facebook page. $20USD to enter, and the winner (biggest loser) takes all the cash. Its a great, fun and inspiring way to have fun, lose weight and enjoy a little friendly competition. :)

And NOW... the MOTIVATION portion of this post:::

THIS is what is motivating me this week!!!

this is the Betsey Johnson 'Romance' swim suit. This is what I want! Only.. its $98 PER PIECE. So, I'll aspire to this and buy something similar.. but not quite as pricey!

Holy Day

Sunday is a holy day. A day for church. We don't attend a local church. As episcopalians, we are churchless here. The nearest episcopal church is an hour away. So, aside from holidays & when Andy is home to help me with the children.. we don't go. That makes me sad.

Anyway, where I was going with that whole "Holy Day" title, our bodies are our temples. So I wonder how so many people can put such awful things into their literal temple (body) when they try so hard not to put awful things in their figurative temple (mind/heart). I'm guilty of both, I sin and sometimes I fail at health and have a soda. {moving on}

Sundays are weigh in & body measure day for me. I have worked so hard this week, pushing myself physically and it paid off. I lost 1.5lbs, and I lost an inch from my natural waist, abs, thighs, calves. I also lost half an inch off my arms. I feel great. and I feel like I can really tell a difference in my body. I'm sure that part is all in my head, and those that see me won't notice.. but I feel it. Its a great feeling. I can't wait to reach my goals and be able to post my before/after photos. That moment will be glorious.

I am hosting the Spring Break Bikini Challenge- a motivating challenge between a group of girls to see who can lose the most body fat percent. Everyone wants a great bikini body before their big spring break trips! If you are interested in entering, you can find out more details on my facebook page. The entry fee is $20, and the winner (biggest loser) walks away with all the cash. The last challenge I hosted had 13 ladies and $260. I am happy to report the winner was my friend Beth, and she has continued to lose weight and be healthy! I am so proud of her!

Since the weight has been coming off, I can no longer wear my engagement ring without my wedding band being on the wrong side to keep it on. I have been wearing my rings the "widow" way, which I feel really uncomfortable with since my husband is in Iraq... I went ahead and took my engagement ring off today. It is safely tucked away in my jewelry box until I can get it to the jewelers and have it re-sized. Which makes me really nervous because my ring didn't come from just any jewelry store, my husband custom designed my ring from a diamond bank. He picked out each individual diamond. All together my ring is 2 carats and VVS1. I love it. Its perfect. Just like my sweet Andrew.

I have one other thing I want to touch on... VITAMINS. I have a huge daily regimen for vitamins! I take Biotin and B12 for my hair, Zinc for my face, a womens multi (which has been replaced with two flintstones because I haven't placed another order with bodybuilding.com) fish oil, evening primrose oil (just started this again last night for my eczema), and green tea extract. I'm curious to know what vitamins you take or have taken, and why?

52:2

  52:2

As an older sister, I know what it is like to always want to be there for my baby sister. For all of my siblings. I want to help them when I can, protect them from everything that is bad, show them I believe in them, I love them, and I will always have faith in them, no matter what choices they make in life or what they decided to do.

Olivia is such a mother hen. She is always right on top of Sophia making sure she stays out of things she shouldn't be in, and protecting her. When Sophie falls, Olivia wants to be the one to hug away her tears and pick her up. She is such an awesome big sister.. and I think Sophie knows that already. She is going to be Olivia's shadow for the next 11 years of Olivia's life. I already dread the sad little look on Sophia's face when Olivia moves away for college (whoa, slow down, mama!)

Random Recipe Tuesday

^^ Yeah, so I don't think that will be my weekly "thing," but hey, today I feel like sharing a recipe! I suck, super duper suck at protein. I never remember to thaw anything (I took chicken out of the freezer today at like noon, hopefully by dinner its ready to cook. I refuse to thaw anything in the microwave. It feels like eating cancer... even if it isn't. Thats how I feel.) So of course today I didn't have anything for lunch meat-wise. So, I made my very favorite fast lunch ever.

I shall name it.. Spicy black bean salad. :)

You will need:

• 1/3c black beans (cooked and seasoned with crushed red pepper, garlic, cilantro, and onion)
• dark green leafy lettuce
• black olives, tomatoes, peppers, any veggies you want to toss in
• fresh salsa (recipe to follow, super easy, its my Grandma's)
• hot sauce of choice (I prefer cholula).

So pretty much, heat the beans, throw the lettuce in a bowl, top with everything, drown in hot sauce. Quick, easy, delicious, healthy. :) Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Salsa (you can do this one of two ways: a can of diced tomatoes and green chiles (low sodium), or fresh tomatoes and green chiles, the amount of time I have usually dictates what I use). 

Throw these items into a food processor, including your tomatoes & chiles: cilantro, diced onion, 1-2 cloves garlic, fresh cilantro (freeze dried will do in a pinch), sea salt. Process. Smell. Taste. LOVE. :) 

Yay! That salsa is fantastic and so easy, and goes great with everything. 

Today is day THREE in a row for me of completely clean eating, and working out. I feel so so good. I love being back on track- I had no intentions of letting the holidays mess me up so badly. But, lesson learned, and now I am rocking it and weighing in at 125.5, which is great for me. I really don't have a goal weight, I want to build muscle and be jacked. So as I tone up, if that number rises, I'm totally 100% happy with that. 

I have done planks and squats all day. My booty already feels higher. hahaha :D I also did THIS tone it up circuit and at 530 when my babysitter gets here I'm off to the gym to run, and I am going to do the kettle bell beginner workout before bed. I have had my kettle bell for about a month now, and I haven't even watched one of the videos for it. I used to lift at the gym, but all the New Years resolution people are there 24/7 now and its so crowded. So I am just getting my run in (its so cold and wet here... still) and thats it. Thankfully I haven't had to wait on a treadmill yet, I would be so mad! 

I saw this today on a tumblr blog and I LOVE it SO much, I pinned it AND I'm sharing it here- and in my facebook fit is freedom group. :) 

I have motivation :) Do you? 

Random question: Have you ever encountered someone that was not really supportive of your decision to be healthy.. but more like, annoyed by your motivation? Just curious. Please share if you have, and why you think people feel that way. We will be discussing this in my fit group soon, and I would love to have a few examples to share with my girls! :) 

Have a lovely day!

Miscellany Monday! :)

I love Monday posts. I adore Carissa, and I love her MM every week- always so many pretty pictures! Let's get started!

ONE. (yes, I am about to hit you up for MONEY. Don't worry, you'll love it). GIRL SCOUT COOKIES are HERE. And by here, I mean we are taking pre-orders, that will be turned in on 30Jan, and OLIVIA WANTS YOUR MONEY. Her goal is to sell 2,012 boxes of cookies, so she can have lunch with the CEO of Girl Scouts, win a laptop, and a stuffed giraffe. Big dreams in those little blue eyes. Anyway, we live in a TINY town, where we don't really know anyone! So, we are (like we did with the MagNut sale) shipping anywhere in the USA. Cookies are $3.50/box, 4 boxes will fit in the medium size USPS flat rate box ($10.95), and 8 boxes will fit in the USPS large flat rate box ($14.95). You can PayPal us (today I am setting up a bank account for the troop, which will get its very own PayPal account) OR you can mail a personal check made out to Girl Scout Troop 43098. Either way, Olivia would love to be your go-to scout for all your cookie needs.

TWO. I am back on the TIU and motivated 2012 wagon. Yesterday I cleaned out our cabinets, and got rid of all the junk food in the house. THIS IS MY YEAR. I want to have a flat stomach, bulging thigh muscles, and I really, really want to have muscular arms. Not I want to have... I will have. Just throwing this out there... You can do anything you put your mind to, and my mind is made up. No more wishing I was "that girl" looking fit and muscle-y in her clothes. I'm going to. And this is my year. This is MY LIFE. Why waste another minute of it being something I DON'T WANT TO BE?!

THREE. Branching out... is what I'm doing this week. I am going to attend a yoga class Wednesday (finally) and hopefully I enjoy it. Hopefully its easy and I can change to the Tuesday class.... which will leave me in a babysitting predicament, BUT I might already have a solution (that results in a coffee date) worked out in my head. That could be a win/win sitchy!

FOUR. Trip planning! My lovely, amazing, handsome husband will be home too late for Valentines day and too early for our anniversary... so we are planning a Valiversary trip! We are thinking a couple of nights in ATL or St. Louis. Not sure which yet, we haven't ever been to either place... but it would be such a fun road trip together and even more fun sleeping in and ordering room service. :) I love room service! We have yet to find any room service that matches MGM Grand's... or a hotel room that matches our celebrity suite there. Our wedding trip was bliss!

FIVE. Our house was shown last week. I haven't heard anything so I assume no offer was made (or if it was, it was way too low). Thats ok. My bootycalls this week are going to be raking the yard. Which is really what I should be doing right now instead of blogging. But my lunch date just got moved from tomorrow to today (yay, uptown!) so I probably need to get in the shower, anyway.

SIX. Olivia helped prepare dinner last night, and we had a really fun time. Salsa chicken, and kale chips. Both of my children love kale chips. Whats not to love?

SEVEN. I actually worked a little last week. Our babysitter is pregnant, and this is how she chose to announce to her family and friends the gender of their baby!

52:1

Hello! Happy Friday!

I am going to participate in Project 52 with Shawna from StyleberryBlog. I find her to be an inspiration, and I love the idea of keeping a photo journal for my kids.

I have been thinking about this all week long, and I really wish I would have done this project last year. Although, with the theme I've decided to go with, now is probably a better time. Are you ready?.... wait for it.. wait.. ok! :) The theme I have chosen is 'sisters'. Completely, totally corny, but this year I would like to really focus on what it means to my kids to have each other. I come from a huge family, I have 3 brothers, a sister, and now a little step brother. My siblings and I were really close as kids. That close relationship doesn't always carry over into adulthood (not for all of us, anyway), and I would really like to be able to show my kids... "love your sister, she's all you have." Which is the name of my project, and will be the name of my photo book when I create it, next January. Because that is what my mom always told me, and my younger sister, every single time we would have a fight. Which, sometimes, was more often than not. My mom.. she was right. My sister is, above all, my very best friend. We might not always talk a lot, but I know she is there for me, and I hope she knows that I am always going to be here for her.

 I can't wait until Olivia and Sophia have their first real fight, when Sophie is bigger... and I get to say "Love your sister, she's all you have!"

f/7.1 1/200 ISO1600

lovely lunching

Today was such a lovely day! It still is, actually. No seriously, the weather out is pure perfection. If Sophia wasn't napping (for the FIRST TIME all day today) we would go for a run. THAT is how gorgeous it is. Windows open in January. LOVE it. :)

My friend Whittney came over for lunch today (and some much needed adult time... I had taken up talking to the couch). I took the opportunity of having company to not only actually clean my kitchen (I have been so house-chore lazy its pitiful) but to create a delicious lunch from my Tone It Up meal plan.

The menu:

Pasta Salad

Guacamole 

Kale Chips

This was my first attempt EVER to make kale chips. I admit, I was a bit nervous. Why? We all know I'm pretty much a goddess in the kitchen. Seriously. If you know me, you love the things that come from my kitchen. I'll tell you why. The kale at walmart (I hate shopping there, but I live in a tiny town and unfortunately, they have the largest produce selection out of the other little chain stores here like piggly wiggly or kroger) was SO bright bright green. I was SURE it must be labeled wrong.. but the leaves were textured like kale... and I had read about the different places kale grows and the seasons and how it is a great cold weather plant. So I thought maybe this kale came from a different place. Don't get me wrong, the brightness of this kale was very attractive! Much better (and tastier!) than any other kale I had gotten at walmart previously.

Another reason: I hate avocado. True story. Pathetic, right? How can a once-vegan hate the motherfood? I do. But I have been treating it like I did sushi... I wanted to like it, so I begrudgingly ate it every week or two for an entire year. Then the taste became something I enjoyed, even craved (switching from Nori to soy paper helped a LOT on my sushi-tolerance, as well. Nori just... makes me gag sometimes). Right. Back to avocado. I have been chopping it up and putting it on things the last few months. Ordering food that contains it in restaurants (hello, Cali wrap at uptown... I'm looking at you, drooling!), and mixing it with a tiny bit of pesto when I make sandwiches and wraps at home. The TIU guac was AWESOME! :) The only way I could think to improve it: add peppers. But, I am a "fire mouth" and I love love love hot food. So next time I make it, I will chop fresh serranos or I will add red pepper flakes. I love both.

The pasta salad was easy to throw together, delicious, and it got Sophia to eat broccoli (the only food left that she doesn't like... luckily she has gotten over her distaste for bananas). I call that winning!

I would have to say the entire meal was a huge success. Whittney seemed to enjoy it, I loved it, and Sophia ate every bite, with the exception of a few red bell peppers... I don't think she really likes the "crunch" yet. Her little molars are in but not completely- maybe that had something to do with it.

fitspo

So today, I'm pretty grossed out and disgusted with myself. Why? Well its day two of my 7 Day Slim Down. Only... my lunch made me GAG. seriously. I am so over chicken and spinach and well... to be honest I haven't even tried to get creative with it. And that, my friends, brings on the self loathing. I ate mac and cheese. Granted, it was organic, but we ate the whole box. As big as Sophie is... I just can't blame much of that on her.

Tomorrow is a new day, and with it comes new motivation. Fresh. I need to be better at respecting my body. I have a HUGE wealth of knowledge about food.. diets, lifestyles, health, fitness... growing up half the time in a home that revolved around chocolate and sweet tea and the other half with a diet-obsessed parent constantly berating her body image (which was smaller than me!).. well, I've had my share of struggles with food. I'll leave it at that. I do not want to put that on my daughters. I refuse. My kids will hear me talk about food, but Olivia already knows the secret to being happy with your body is to eat organic, fresh, and to exercise regularly (doing something you love). I am actually impressed with all of the food knowledge Olivia has retained, and how she will tell me about her healthy choices, or how good her lunch was when they ate crap at school (or someone's mom sent a dozen cookies for them as their afternoon snack).

I did, however, get up to do my bootycall today (I did yoga) and I felt good about that. I really felt great until after lunch, when I couldn't finish what I was trying to eat (ugh, chicken- so over it. From now on my protein will be tofu, or black beans.. at least for a while). Then a package came from my awesome cousin Kylea.. loaded down with SO MANY SUGARY TREATS... so I sampled a bite.. and then Sophia needed lunch so we made Annie's organic white shells and cheese. Let me tell you... I felt guilty with every bite and afterward I felt SO SICK. I'm sure it was all mental, because I felt like I was failing my TIU 7DSD girls... and I did. :( I'm so sorry.

So with that... guilt.. tomorrow I bounce back. I felt a little sad (a lot sad) all day, actually. Maybe that is part of why I was so easily swayed. I realized today.. just how lonely I am! I need a BFF that lives close. I miss spontaneity. I miss laughing so hard I cry (Anna Ramirez you were the best for this one). I miss champagne brunch and tea parties (another thing I really, truly miss Anna for!). Kayaking.. road trips, gossip, heart to heart talks. I miss having someone. Living here is really starting to get to me. All the more motivation to work harder, I suppose.

What keeps YOU motivated? Not just fitness motivation.. but  motivated in life. I would love to know.

right, so..

I've started a new post 2x today... and I haven't finished either post. We literally have done NOTHING of interest. Seriously.

Yesterday I tried to start the 7 Day Slim Down, but my other TIU girls were starting today, so I decided to postpone and start today, too. I AM SO GLAD I did! This morning we slept in (last day of Christmas vacay, hello!) but I still managed to get a bootycall in. I did a TIU ab circuit and some Windsor Pilates sculpt. Sophie decided she needed to sit ON me while I was finishing up so... it was adorable but not a very productive last set. Then my sweet babysitter texted me and I was so excited.. FINALLY I would get to go to the gym! Nope. It was sooooooo crowded. All those people trying to make good on their New Years resolutions, I suspect. So I drove right on past the gym and came home. I downloaded the latest Drake album, the latest Weezy (hello, I love you, Wayne... come be my honey.. Andy doesn't care, I promise!), did some hooping (3lb hoop) and a 1.7 mile run in the FORTY DEGREE WIND ADVISORY! My ears were hurting SO BAD and my feet were SO COLD, but I got it in. I feel like a badass for it, too. :)

I would also like to mention that I drank my Meta-D AND got in the appropriate meals today... subbing a Lara bar for M4 (blueberry muffin!) and a really smaller version of M5 (2oz baked chicken on a romaine leaf with hot sauce- taco style). I haven't really been hungry all day, I think its because I got such a late start (9am wake up).

Random Facts for Today:

Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale = new yoga pants for meeeee :)

My think thin bars (2 boxes) shipped today!

Cecile gave me the most ADORABLE ipad case today- quilted and zebra print, my favorite!

Oh, one other thing. I'm going to participate in Project 52, and I am so very stoked to link up with Shawna from StyleberryBLOG. She is such an amazing source of inspiration to me- be it photography, DIY, motherhood (I learned all my cloth dipe knowledge from her and my sweet friend Melissa), or fitness. She's pretty much a know-it-all.. in the best way. :) I would love for you to do the Project 52 as well! :)