IT'S RAINING & Giveaway Winner Announcement!

Hey Y'all! 
It's been a while since I've written on here. Lots of events have taken place since I have last written! To say the least ;-) We were lucky enough to be able to visit family for Christmas this year which was a lot of fun.

lilly presents from my lovely mother! #lillychristmas

I loved seeing Grayson interact with my little brother, it was too sweet. I miss my family a lot and I am happy to at least have my sister out here now!!

All of us, after Church. I love how you can only see my Husband's head! Ha.

We also had it flood in the home we are renting out. It completely flooded in the kitchen and it was quite the ordeal. A huge mess, and a lot of stress. Grayson came running saying "IT'S RAINING" and I was thinking he was just playing or watching a show, and then I see this.... 

I had a melt down (and that's putting it lightly).... luckily nothing *really* got ruined even though some major important things got wet.... vacuum... computer..... and other random kitchen appliances. At least my Blendtec was safe ;-) I think I actually went to get that first thing haha. I feel like our place is still  in shambles a little bit. We had to use every towel we had, plus a lot extra from my husbands family. They were really great in helping us and helping shop vac out all the water. They've had this happen a few times to different homes they've lived in or rented so they knew what to do luckily! I am also glad that we were home when this happened because we were about to go out on a date and let my sister tend Grayson. Which that would have been way worse to have her alone and have that happen! I am thankful for my family and everything that they do for me. I wouldn't have been able to make it through this weekend without them haha. 
I am trying to at least find a silver lining to this in that I can now completely re-organize my kitchen, pantry (it leaked in there too) and linen closet, since we had to use all of the towels and it was pretty much a mess prior to this. [well a "trying to look halfway organized" mess.] So there's that! ;-) 

Sisters<3

I want to also take this time to announce the IdealShape Boost Packets Giveaway Winner, not too many contestants this time! But it's all okay, since the winner is Kendal Ianuzi, my sister... She's pretty pumped to try these out and is thinking of starting a Fashion Blog herself. She is seriously amazing at putting outfits together! She is also one of my biggest supporters when it comes to my blogging and youtubing which means a lot to me :) I love her and I am so happy she is back and that I get to see my son, Grayson spend time with her and see how much he loves his Auntie "Kennel". Thank You to all those who have entered and stayed tuned to my Youtube Channel for some more exciting Giveaways which shall be taking place soon! 

Xoxo,
Brittany Marie Powell 

Have you ever had anything major happen to your home or where you were living?

#TBT Weightloss Edition

Here's a little #tbt action for you guys! In my first picture I was prego with Grayson boy. My second pictures was prepregnancy and actually the day that my husband proposed to me!!! An my last picture is one of my more recent pics, on a side note I REALLY need to get my hair done haha. Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this short and sweet post. I love reading/seeing weight loss transformations myself. 

Xoxo

Brittany Marie Powell

Beehive Bazaar

Today was a fun day because I actually had something fun to do, and not boring (like laundry) hah! I decided to go check out the Beehive Bazaar down in Riverwoods. 
I met up with a friend and we had fun looking at all of the different booths vendors had set up. Everything was set up beautifully, and it was all so crafty and adorable. 
Some things were so simple yet I would never have thought to make it! 
I got a lot of cute decorating/crafting ideas and 
I purchased a couple of cute items that I want to share with y'all.

{i am going to do my best to mention everyone who 
crafted these items, to give credit where credit is due my friends!}

Item #1 is this cute little wooden iron-man, which I believe all the Avenger ones were strategically placed at toddler eye level for a reason ;-) hah but he really wanted it,  I usually don't give in to all the toys he wants, because he always wants toys whenever we are out and about, but this time I did. It was too cute to pass up. I would have liked to get all of the Avengers!

made by littlethingshappy instagram

IRONMAN aka "man man" as Grayson likes to say.

made by unknown, if you the crafter of this beautiful-ness
happens to read this blogpost, let me know! :)

Item #2 is this darling deer antler decoration (by which I can hang jewlery on... and anything else that needs hanging. Maybe my race medals! I am wanting it to be hung with all of my other girly items like my makeup and shoes and nail polish. :) aka #myhappyplace I have actually been wanting to craft something similar to this for a while now, one of my good Youtuber friends did a whole tutorial on something similar she had made, and it was so cute! So when I saw this I had to have it, because I know I probably wouldn't be making it any time soon, since I've been saying I'd make one ever since she put the video out. Which was a while ago....

Going to this shin dig made me realize all of the things I want to craft up, so I making a personal list of crafty projects I want to finish/DO.... feel free to ignore this haha
*paint thrifted bookcase, you bought it in JUNE....
*make a pretty bunting banner with fabric for my Youtube Videos.
*make a cute wooden sign.
*make a christmas tree like this whimisical one by noelledesigns instagram:

the green one with the pink pedestal is my fav <3

#tiredmommyselfie

I am including this lazy selfie of me, because I really liked my outfit today. I'm wearing a Lilly Pulitzer mermaid top and a mermaid necklace to match! Both of which were purchased on ebay and I got a really great deal on both items. #ilovelilly and #iloveebay

I feel very sleep deprived right now, even though last night was the first night in a while that I was able to sleep. Perhaps that's why. Do any of you function better on less sleep than you do with more? Or am I just extremely strange? I still need to work out too... I ran a mile this morning... and then I talked to MY SISTER, which may not seem like a big deal to most but she has been serving a mission for our Church in the Phillipines, and today was the first time i got to talk to her for 18 months. I am so happy she is home and I am so proud of her for serving for our Church. She's a good egg! <3 hah

Xoxo,
Brittany Marie Powell

#MIMM

  Today I got off to a late start. Planned on waking up early (5:30 am) to go to the gym, but I switched off all my alarms in a half sleep, half awake state. I hate when I do that. I ended up running during Graysons nap, just a 5k it felt good I could have kept going but I had to get ready.

 

  I had a Marvelous time at the Pinners Conference this weekend. I learned lots of good tips and met a lot of nice people. I also met up with my two friends from themumsyblog.com 😊 they are so much fun!! 

  I am currently trying to paint Lilly Pulitzer's First Impression Floral Print, I don't want to show it until it's done... But let's just say right now it does NOT look similar haha. Grayson got jealous though and had to join in on the painting. I like this little crayola "paint" set I had lying around because it's washable and it only allows you to paint on paper, so my walls and tables are safe #mommywin 

   For dinner I went out with my family, they all got Five Guys and I just couldn't stomache a burger tonight. I'm not really a beef person. So I walked next door to Which Which and got a "bowl which" which (haha) is basically just a salad.

  We then went and saw Hero 6 which was Graysons third time in a row of seeing it. He loves it. Grant bought him a Baemax doll at the Disney store, Grayson calls him IMAX though haha! When the movie was over Grayson kept saying "MORE" and crying. Haha he really loves this movie. 

   I am thinking of signing myself up for another half marathon for thanksgiving. My cousin is doing it and even though I am not in racing condition for a half marathon race I do think it would be fun to walk run it. It will probably be the last  one for a while. 

   I uploaded a review of what I think about P28 Foods Company's products. They were kind enough to send me a package, with tons of goodies to review. I especially love their nut butters, with added protein. The White Chocolate Flavor is my favorite. I still think it's such a great idea to put protein in bread #mindblown. 

   Well that's all for now. Thanks for reading my friends! 

     XOXO,
Brittany Marie Powell

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday My Loves!
Today I woke up and ate breakfast and got Grayson and I ready for the gym. I ran 3 miles. My new thing has been running with my iPad and reading. 
I am really love my new hair extensions. They are from a company called gud hur and have an etsy shop, etsy.com/gudhur and when you use the code BPOW2014 you can score 15% off. I've enjoyed having my hair short, it's a lot more manageable for me, with my working out and chasing around a toddler, but it is so fun to be able to have long hair when I want to! I love how it looks curled :) I don't think my hair would ever be able to grow this long naturally. 
I am still obsessed with Suja juices, I wish they weren't so dang pricey, I need to just get myself to start juicing again even though it isn't really the season for it, because my body feels so much better when i'm drinking fresh juices, especially greens. 

I also was able to get some much needed cleaning done today. I've held out on the packing for now. Packing stresses me out! lol

I attempted to try doing my hair hungry runner girl's method today. I have an instyler and I loved it the first few months I had it but then I forgot about it and gave up on trying to figure out how to curl my hair with it. Her video made it super simple to understand and even though I need a bit more practice it was an easy method. This is why I love Youtube! You can learn nearly anything on Youtube.

Anyways, that's all for now, I am hoping to get in some strength training during Graysons nap today. And I am also hoping that we will find a baby sitter so that Grant and I can go on a much needed date together tonight!! 

XOXO,

Brittany Marie Powell

WIAW

Hello my loves! So today is another what I ate Wednesday post, I've been eating a bit differently lately eating a big meal in the mornings, fruit or veg for lunch, and then a clean protein rich dinner. For breakfast I had Shakeology Chia seed pudding with 1 serving of Jif PB Cereal on top, soooo gooood!! I also ate some frozen berries. My snack was some Quaker cheddar cheese popped chips, and some  beehive cheese curds, I love cheese curds :-P And my other snack was a honey crisp apple! they're so pricey but so delish! They really are my favorite apple. I also had some applegate farms organic chicken breast slices (60 calories). Man, I eat a lot haha. I was able to wake up early and get my run in. I really enjoy the feeling I have after an early morning run, it makes me feel like I can conquer my day, and I'm about a billion times more productive versus when I wake up later. So I'd rather be a bit more sleepy, and feeling accomplished than not tired, and frazzled. I got such a delightful surprise I'm the mail today! I'm like a little kid when I get packages in the mail. I received a package from a company called P28, they're are based in Syracuse, New York which I think is pretty cool since I am from Binghamton, New York! It's no secret that aside from my husband and child, carbs and peanut butter are the loves of my life. So for me a protein bread is like a dream come true! A lot of their products have 28g of protein! Thats so awesome and it's such a fun way to switch up your protein sources. That's what this healthy living lifestyle is all about, making healthy choices fun!!! 

Later on tonight I had the opportunity to do makeup on some girls at our church, it was so fun for me. Makeup artistry really is a passion of mine. And I'd love to expand my knowledge and hopefully someday be able to shadow someone or take some classes. Makeup is so much more than what we put on our face, it's am art and it really can change how someone feels about themselves. I love getting a woman all done up and to see her face when she sees how beautiful she truly is. Because I think as women we don't give ourselves enough credit, beauty truly does come from within. I loved watching the girls reactions after they got all done up. 

I filmed several youtube videos today as well, one of which I already uploaded, all about my new hair extensions! 

Xoxo,

Brittany Marie Powell

#MIMM

Happy Marvelous Monday Everyone!
   Today was a cooking day for me, every year I like to continue my Grandmommy's tradition of Dinner In A Pumpkin :) It's not a very complicated recipe, I'll post the recipe on here soon, but it's pretty time consuming when you are serving a large group of people. I bought 3 pumpkins for cooking, two pie pumpkins and one normal Jack-O-latern pumpkin, the pie pumpkins are slightly sweeter tasting and perfect if you have a small family or if it's just you and your significant other. I also made some Protein Cheesecakes for dessert, which I have a post with that recipe on here.

   I also was able to get some much needed cleaning done today, the clean mama's cleaning charts are so motivating. I am looking for a shoe organizer to take care of the shoe explosion in my closet. I am thinking of purchasing this cute locker style cabinet from Ikea, I would need to figure out a way to set up shelving inside of it though for shoes.

I am also in search for a toddler bed for Grayson, I was going to start him out in a twin bed, but I'm thinking it might be an easier transition for him if we start out with something lower to the ground. Any mommies reading this I am happy to hear your input with this! :) 
  I was able to fit in a run today. 3.5 miles. I am really wanting to start running more regularly again, and have a goal of doing 3 miles every day till christmas. I think that's reasonable, but we shall see, if I start getting knee issues again, I know when to hold back. I just feel like I need to give myself a little challenge again, since hubby and I are looking for a house I have cut back on how many races I've done this year, and in some ways that sort of kills my motivation so I need to find new ways to give me that push. I do think I'll be signing up for some sort of race soon though, even though it's getting chilly!

 I also was able to purchase some of the Suja Juices today, they're $$$ but my body is in need of juicing again I think.... and this just might get me to get in the mood to start juicing again :) 
Anyways, that's all for My #MIMM not much to post today, but just wanted to fill you guys in! :) 

XOXO,
        Brittany Marie Powell

What I Ate Wednesday

What I Ate Wednesday!

   I haven't done one of these in ages! Mostly because I have #strangebutgood food choices! haha This morning I made egg white chips, which my husband thinks is the oddest thing on earth! But I think they are a good low carb option, and high protein, and great for when you're craving something crunchy. Plus you have so many options when making them, you can make them sweet or savory. What I do is spray a few muffin tins with a non stick spray and pour a tiny tiny amount of egg whites in each muffin spot. And then I let it bake at 350 for however long it takes them to get crispy, I am weird and like them to be a bit burnt... haha.

egg white chips

I also ate some carrots with Grayson (side note: he LOVES carrots, he always tells me when we eat them "MOM bunnies eat carrots!" haha funny boy) in bed while he watched a show and we both tried to wake up a bit. I then made his breakfast too which is usually Eggo waffles, not the healthiest thing, but he's so picky when it comes to food. I'd like to make him a healthier alternative such as spinach banana pancakes, I know he would probably like those since he loves 'nana's.  I went running after I ate my egg whites I like to eat something light if I know I am going to go running after. 

  After my run I made myself shakeology, I love the chocolate it tastes just like a frosty. Then Grayson and I got ready for the day. We went up to the mall so I could return some shoes that ended up not fitting... I was trying to be frugal and decided to buy some boots that were children's size which normally that works out for me when it comes to certain boots like Uggs or Hunters but these were some Steve Madden zip up boots and they wouldn't fit around my calf, haha I think I have large calfs... But I was happy to see that Burlington Coat Factory had the same ones for $35! And I had paid $75 for the ones that didn't fit so it was sort of a blessing in disguise in a way. I've wanted these boots for years, I just love the red zipper and tan color, I can't wait to wear them with skinny jeans. 

  And for dinner I had a Garden lites souffle, more egg white chips haha, and butternut squash. 

XOXO,
Brittany Marie Powell

   

Three Things Tuesday

I finally was able to go to the doctors today to get anitbiotics, I am not a happy camper when I am sick! I have so many projects I need to get done and now that I am feeling better I can finally tackle them. I went on pinterest and printed out a cleaning schedule courtesy of cleanmama.net  she has a bunch of free printables, I love her blog so much! It is my dream to be even half as organized as she is. 
   

 I don't really have much to say today so I am just going to share a few Pin's on Pinterest, that have caught my eye. I really am Pinterest Obsessed. I've had many sleepless nights due to spending way too much time on Pinterest! haha Anyways, I very much want to try this Ben Nye Banana Powder, I've heard nothing but good reviews about it, and look how flawless of a finish it leaves! 
   I am thinking about applying for a few makeup jobs, I'd love the opportunity to learn more and enhance my skills. And we could also use the extra income right now since we are finally starting our search in House Hunting again! Ahh! IT is sooo nerve wracking, and I wish houses weren't so expensive where we live but such is life! I know that we will find the perfect home for our family and that everything will work out. 

How adorable is this arm party?! I am looooving Tortoise Shell jewelry right now. This Tortoise Shell Michael Kors watch is so chic, and timeless. I love looking at all of the fashion posts on Pinterest. I looove this Lilly pumpkin printed skirt! <3 data-blogger-escaped-font="">

I am going to now try and find the energy to work out. I don't feel well, but I think I can work out today. I've gotten better at listening to my body I think I am even more paranoid now to when my body needs rest or when it doesn't. I've fell off the wagon lately, I feel like, with eating and working out. So I really need to get my right mind set back, and stop letting my stresses affect my food choices....which happens! 

To Do's &amp; Goals For the Week:
-Film and post at least 3 Youtube Videos.
-Stick to my daily meal plan and calorie goals.
-Wake up early for cardio.
-Get back into my lifting program.
-Drink more water.
-Focus on the positives, don't let the little things stress me out.
-Get Grayson Mickey Mouse Flashcards, and practice with him.
-Be better at Potty Training with Grayson. 

XOXO,
Brittany Marie Powell

#mimm

Happy Marvelous Monday my Lovely Readers!

   Today was a "Cinderella Day", as one of my friends would say. Which really means I just did domestic wifely duties. Which consisted of laundry, dishes and making jam. I made some appricot pineapple jam, and I also made some Chia seed jam with it. I can't wait to try it out tomorrow.
   For today's workout I ran 3 miles and did Body Beast Bulk Back. I like the back workout because it is only 28 minutes long 8-). Both my husband and I needed a quick workout this evening because our son was getting pretty fussy. My post workout snack was something new to me. I had egg whites topped with a horseradish mustard and salt&vinegar almonds, it was delish!

  I also had to take Grayson to his 2 year check up today. He is 35 inches tall and 26 pounds. The Nurse and Doctor both thought he was a very well behaved toddler and that he was pretty tall! I am happy to see that he is developing good. 

   It was my Mom's Birthday today. Times like this make me really miss my family. They live in Upstate New York, while I live in Utah. I wish I could have been with her today to celebrate. She had a Marvelous Monday birthday celebration, which included a massage and hot yoga. Whenever I visit we do hot yoga together, it is for sure a good workout, HOT and challenging. She is considering doing Piyo and shakeology. I think that she would really enjoy both, seeing as how she is busy with her job, and on-the-go a lot. Plus Piyo seems like it would be right up her alley. 

   My quote for the day is: "Prepare for the BEST." I think often I naturally prepare for things to go for the worst. I am trying to be more of an optimist. 

   Well I am going to get ready for bed, I am hoping to wake up early and run. I REALLY want to get in the habit of doing that again. I am NOT a morning person unfortunately. But I am striving to change that. What do you early morning exercises do to motivate yourselves not to hit the snooze button in the morning?

  I've been lusting after this Alex&Ani bracelet. I just love the message behind it and feel that it really pertains to my weight loss journey and to my running training.
  I also REALLY want a wonder woman shirt. How cute is this one?!

Xoxo,
   Brittany Marie Powell

My Birthday in Pictures.

    Birthday Date with Grant.

On July 16th I turned the big 2-5 I had an awesome time with family and friends. And food :-P haha

    "First Let Me Take A Selfie"

    

    Love my Girls! And Grayson helped me blow out my candles, he's sucha good helper.

   

   PIZZA!!!!

    

   I've waited forever to have this cookie, because I kept telling myself I could have it on my birthday it was delicious! 

Xoxo,

Brittany Marie Powell

Is Shakeology worth it?

   So as some of you may or may not know, I am now indeed a BEACHBODY COACH. Yes, I've joined the masses. Never in a million years did I think that I would be doing something like this. Some of the "coaches" I have come across have been so pushy that I think it turned me off to the idea of it. Also, my lack of ever completing P90x :-P But a close family member of mine convinced me to do it, so here I am. 
   I have chosen to do the program Body Beast. What I like about this is it's mostly lifting and that's what I aim to do/learn is how to lift weights. I am extremely uncoordinated so sometimes something like plyo can really challenge me and not end up being much of a 'workout' because I spend half my time trying to do what they're doing. haha! SO I think being a coach is going to push me to DO THIS. To see what i've made of so to speak. I also would love to get Grant on board, for him to get healthy and maybe gain some bigger biceps in the process ;-)
   I've wanted to try Shakeology for a while. It has loads of stuff in it. And I like feeling confident that I'm getting an adequate serving of veggies via a chocolate shake. I was SO skeptical that it would taste good. I thought for sure since it was "healthy" and had so many good things for you in it, that it wasn't going to be some delicious treat. BUT it actuallly is. Oddly, I get happy in the mornings when I get my shake ready, cuz its that good you guys. It's become something I CRAVE now. I'd have to say that Shakeology in and of itself is worth the investment. Even if you never plan on doing any of the Beachbody workouts I think Shakeology is something everyone should look into, young and old! haha I know that I'm not making this up in my head or trying to get myself to like it (which trust me I have done with certain foods throughout my weightloss journey) it simply isn't something that takes an acquired taste. I knew I wasn't fooling myself when my husband had his first shake and said "its pretty good, for a health shake."In fact, he even just the other day said "yeah, the shakes aren't bad." You guys, this is monumental for my red meat loving husband to like it.  And Grayson likes it. So yeah overall Shakeology is a win-win at our house. 
   To me it is worth it. I wasn't sure if I wanted to shell out the cash for it, but I'm honestly happy I did because of the energy and impact it's had on me, I plan to do a follow up post talking about body beast too. Don't worry just because I'm a Coach now I won't bombard you with Beachbody things. When it comes down to it you have to decide what you want. Not to toot my own horn, but here's my beachbody coach link, just incase you do decide to become a coach, buy a challenge pack or shakeology. Just so you know the challenge pack is the best deal, which is something I wish I would have known at the start! 

beachbodycoach.com/GBPOWELL
beachbodycoach.com/GBPOWELL
shakeology.com/GBPOWELL

my coach ID # is: 422548


P.S.- I've already lost 5 lbs since starting Shakeology!!!
Xoxo,
   Brittany Marie Powell.

#MIMM

I LOVE Healthy Diva's Marvelous in My Monday Posts, so I decided to hop on board. 

Some of my Marvelous recent eats have included:

                           

Sea Salt Carmel Arctic Zero Ice Cream. This is by far one of their best flavors yet! I am obsessed with all of them but I'd have to say that the Strawberry flavor is my favorite. I also love that the whole pint is only 150 calories and that there is protein in it as well.

 

 GREEN SMOOTHIES! I am so into these again. For a while I stopped eating them because 1.) It got too cold. and 2.) I think I overate them when I was prego with grayson so sometimes they just don't sound appealing, but lately they really have been good to me. This one had 1 Cup Almond Milk, Spinach, 1 Frozen Banana and some Frozen Tropical Fruit Mix. I also added a packet of Stevia because let's be honest, I am kind of a sugar addict. This has been my go to breakfast lately.

I am proud of myself. This weekend during night-time hours I was craving a quesadilla like mad. But instead I steamed some cauliflower and carrots and sprinkled a generous amount of cheese and some of the Bolthouse Farms Yogurt caesar parmesan dressing, which has been marvelous to me lately. I find I always get the worst/most fattening cravings at night, because I'll watch my Hubby eat all these delicious things and I'm like...... so yeah sometimes I gotta get creative haha.




I went to nordstrom rack a few days ago, and got

Grayson this like dressy t-shirt. It is so adorable on! I love it. It's funny how much I love boy clothes now. I also scored myself these Sperry's, they're totally me. They have pink glitter on the sides and they were only $9.90. I love finding good deals, and hardly ever pay full price for clothing. It actually kind of pains me to do so! Haha 


        I am still trying to come up with a crown for my little man for his BIG 2 BIRTHDAY! I finally got the supplies so now I just need to get crafty. This one looks so perfect. I'm always amazed at how crafty some people are, it inspires me. 


       HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE! 

           SEE YOU TOMORROW :)

                         

xoxo,

Brittany

What No One Tells You About Losing Lots of Weight

   So as you all know I've lost quite a bit of weight. Initially 85 lbs although I've gained 9 lbs since my initial loss. I wanted to write a post for those trying to lose weight, the things nobody says. Because it's dang hard losing weight, I don't know if it will ever be an easy thing for me honestly. A quote I love is: 

    I feel like is that is so TRUE. Every step and stage of this journey is HARD. The struggle is real. So here are some things about weightloss, that I feel like nobody talks about:

1) You will miss the foods that made you fat/overweight. I know I do. As much as I do like eating healthy, I miss cheez it's and Oreos just as much! ) You will still miss eating all the things and not stressing about it. I feel like now that I've lost weight I am a lot more conscious of what I'm eating. I'm not as care-free as before and sometimes I miss that. But I do not miss being overweight/the depression and self loathing that came along with it.

2) Not everyone is going to care about your weightloss journey/diet. In fact some people might bring you down about it, or tell you to just be "normal" but in the end it isn't about them, it's about you achieving your goals. 

3) Just because you lose the weight your life isn't going to be all glitter, rainbows and butterflies after. You just will have the upside of not having to worry/stress about your weight as much. But you're still going to have stressors. I think I had this delusional idea that once I lost weight everything would be perfect and I'd always be happy, but the truth is that's not the case! So don't fall into that way of thinking.

4) You will have dreams of regaining the weight. 

5) You will feel guilty after indulging at times, I think that this is a good thing though because the minute I stop caring is the minute I start gaining and I do think that's the reason behind these 9 lbs. 

6) It's okay to feel hungry. I think sometimes I just miss eating for the sake of eating. For example I really like eating and watching TV, but unless you're eating carrot sticks or celery it's not something that you can do all the time and still lose weight. 

7) Weigh yourself daily, I feel like this is key when it comes to maintenance. 

8) Some days you'll feel like a million bucks and some days you'll feel like a busted can of biscuits. 

9) There are no short cuts, no easy ways out, no tricks. It all comes down to eating healthy, eating less (because you can still gain weight eating healthy foods) and working out. 

10) Losing weight is an emotional roller coaster, but I know for me it is one of the best things I've ever done for myself. It's given me strength, courage, and more confidence to be the kind of person, woman, wife and mother I strive/want to be. 

   There you have it! I think this post was kind of all over the place but I feel good about getting this off my chest, I think this post was more for myself than anything hah! I'm off to attend to mommy duties and running.

xoxo, Brittany

Happy Easter!!!

Happy Easter! 

  We had a lovely Easter together as a family. We went to church and had a big Easter egg hunt for the kids, it was so fun to watch Grayson gather all the eggs. He kept saying boo-ket whenever he put the eggs in his bucket. It was so cute.

   I ate way too much candy tho, and I am going to put Grayson's candy up high so I don't get tempted and have to think twice about eating it. I'm also going to make little treat bags for my scouts with the candy to get rid of some of it lol.

   I've had a productive day today and got a lot of cleaning done. That always makes me happy. One of my goals for this week is to organize my makeup room. Which is quite the daunting task! 

   I've been obsessed with this show on Hulu called 'the only way is Essex' it's basically like a British version of 'The Hills'. All of the girls on the show are gorgeous and I love their makeup. It always gives me inspiration. 

  I made a strange-but-good concoction for breakfast this morning. It was a sweet cauliflower mash with strawberries and walden farms chocolate sauce. The consistency reminded me of cream of rice. I think this is going to be a new love of mine. Here's the recipe:

1 cup cooked cauliflower 

1/2 banana 

12 drops English toffee stevia drops

More stevia haha 

Blend in blender until it reaches a purée/mash consistency, then enjoy! I think this would also be good with some sort of nut butter on top. 

xoxo, Brittany