13 Virtues

So, I am reading this book and it's talking about Benjamin Franklin and a list he made to take control of his life and set a higher standard for himself. He made a list of 13 Virtues that he wanted to follow daily, for the rest of his life. Sort of like a daily self improvement check list. He would write down all twelve states in his journal and made a grid for each day of the month, "Every time I violate any one of these virtues," "I will put a small black dot next to that value for that day. My goal is to have no black dots on my chart. Then I will know I am truly living these virtues." 

I really liked this idea and decided that I wanted to do this myself. 

So here's my list, for myself:

1. Cheerful
2. Passionate
3. Balanced
4. Courageous
5. Active
6. Happy
7. Loving
8. Faithful
9. Dedicated
10. Ambitious
11. Strong
12. Thankful
13. Open-Minded

That list took me a while to come up with hah! I even thought about this while I worked out too. Some of these are going to be harder for me than others. But I know that by doing this, and seeing these through it will help me be able to grow. I think it's very easy to get caught up in life, never stopping to see the good in it; or even really think to focus on self improvement. I think that when we take the time to work on ourself, we help better those around us as well. 

And this is totally un-related to this post but super cute, Grayson's FIRST hot chocolate!! Don't worry it wasn't to hot, it was more like luke-warm-hot-chocolate. But he was so happy, and cute. I love seeing him experience things. 

Xoxo,

Brittany Marie Powell

What is something you would put on your List?
What's your favorite Holiday/Seasonal Treat?

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 Black Friday Sales and a SPECIAL announcement!!!

So I went Black Friday Shopping at Khol's, I don't go there too often, but I decided to go because they were having pretty awesome deals on their Asics. I swear by Asics, I try out different brands and always go back to my Asics. I think they just work out really well for my feet, and these are my best yet. It was a toss up between this pair, and these bright, fun colorful ones..... #ilovecolor 

 I decided to make the adult, mature, decision haha *shocker*... and I went with the less-colorful, "boring" but-fit-amazing ones. And so far, I am very happy with my decision. They are very supportive and I like how the heel fits, it feels snug against my heel and with other running shoes I own it has felt too loose and has caused me to have heel pain. I have a heel spur so finding the right shoes has become super important to me. That is the only Black Friday purchase I made. I didn't really go crazy this year, because there isn't much that I need. I have been trying to focus more on my need purchases and less on my want purchases. ((confession:iwantallthethingsallthetime))

Who wouldn't want results like this?!

Speaking of sales though! Beachbody is having a magnificent sale right now, and it only goes until midnight tonight, the markdowns are amazing. You can purchase the workout program turbo fire for just $39.99, which I've been dying to try out Turbofire, it looks like such a fun workout and it gives awesome results. It's a great time to stock up and save...plus get some amazing gifts of health for your loved ones! 

But...things will sell out fast so sign up to get the sales live here!

www.beachbodycoach.com/GBPOWELL  I think if you've considered trying one of Beachbody's workouts now would be the most sensible time to buy because if it doesn't work out for you, or you end up not liking it there's always Beachbody's 90 Day Money Back Guarantee. Feel free to email me if you have any questions about your purchase ( bmpowell10@gmail.com ) plus when you purchase through the link above you get me as your coach... yay! haha  I really love being a coach, being able to help and motivate others really means a lot to me.  Well, I am off to go running, I put Grayson down for a nap before writing up this post, and I want to get a run in while I can. I'm going to imagine myself running in this cute outfit instead of what I'm actually running in haha which would be my sweatpants, and pajama tee 8-) that's the beauty of working out at home though, nobody can see you and all your frumpy-ness glory.  Xoxo, Brittany Marie Powell

Church Outfit Of The Day

Happy Sunday!
So I posted another church OOTD video up on the Youtube Channel. I haven't done one in a while, mostly because I'm either rushing or I don't like my outfit haha. But today I like what I wore and wanted to show all of you! Thanks so much for watching, and feel free to subscribe! :-) Let me know if you'd like to see more OOTD videos on my Youtube Channel or if you would like for me to do OOTD blog posts??

Xoxo,
Brittany Marie Powell

Post Thanksgiving Food Coma

   Hey Everyone! I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I had a great time with my family and ate a lot of good food. Too much, in fact! Which is why I am writing this post. 

I think this picture says it all! Haha. I've been feeling really bloated and uncomfortable from over-indulging since Turkey Day, and I am now on a mission to get back to my routine and feeling better. My work outs have been consistent and good the only thing that is lacking right now has been my nutrition! Which is a pretty crucial thing when it comes to overall well-being.

 I really love pie. Like alot.... So much so, that post-thanksgiving,  I had it for breakfast, and then again for dessert that night! Now even though it was fun indulging... I'm now experiencing the consequences, not just in how I look but in how I feel too. Because it really is a two-sided thing. I think sugar cravings will always be a struggle for me. I told my husband that I honestly would be happy just eating desserts for Thanksgiving! But I need to get out of this slump and back into my groove and into a healthy, happy, positive place. 

So for the next few weeks, until Christmas, I am going to do my best to nourish my mind and body in a healthy and positive way. I think this time of year, our bodies will naturally become depressed...and because of this we may tend to over eat or eat for emotional reasons. I wish I wasn't an emotional eater but I am...and I am always curious to learn the habits of people who are not! So here are some habits I am going to be adopting for these next few weeks:

1. embrace personal responsibility instead of blaming other people or factors.

2. patience... stop feeling the need for instant gratification.

3. consistency instead of 'only when Im motivated' to do something.

4. diligence and a desire to understand what I am doing, and why.

5. self-awareness.

6. self-love and positive thinking.

I always feel better writing things out. I feel like now that I've put it all out there, it's more real. That because I took the time to type this out, my brain will remember it and my body will too. This healthy living and weight loss stuff is as hard or as easy as I choose to make it. And I think....no, I know that I have been overcomplicating things in my life lately. I want to be the happiest, healthiest "best-est" (haha) me, and I feel this way when I am healthy...inside and out. Xoxo,

Brittany Marie Powell

****And By The Way****

 I thought it'd be a fun to get together a Christmas nutrition and fitness motivation group! The holidays are especially tough to stay on track, so I want to invite anyone who could use a little boost in finding balance for a healthier lifestyle. It's totally free to join, and it will be held here on Facebook. Let's help lift eachother up and give ourselves the gift of health for Christmas! :-)

facebook.com/brittanymariepowell

And The Winner Is....

Kayleigh Thulin!! Congrats, I will be emailing you shortly to give you your prize info! Thank you for all that entered and stay tuned for I will be having more fun give aways for you all! For those of you that didn't win you can go to:

www.idealshape.com

Call 1-800-51-0896 and ask how you can save 10% and FREE Shipping on every order. 

Follow us on Social Media:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/IdealShape

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/idealshape

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IdealShape

****And I want to offer you a Special one time 20% discount code for my followers.

Simply put the code BPOWELL20 in the space provided at checkout for 20% off your order.****   

Xoxo,
Brittany Marie Powell

#MIMM and a GIVEAWAY!!!

    Happy Marvelous Monday Darlings! 

   So for today's Marvelous Monday post I decided it would be fun to do a GIVEAWAY!! A few weekends ago I had the opportunity to attend the Pinners Conference which was so much fun! I attended two classes, both on photography which helped me learn a lot. But one of my favorite parts of the Pinners Conf. is all the fabulous shops and booths you can explore. While I was visiting the booths I came across a booth called IdealShape, right away I was intrigued by their products because of a key ingredient in them called Slendesta. Slendesta is a potato starch which helps curb hunger.

    Just a few tips I have for you my loves:

• I suggest drinking a full glass of water after each bar you consume. This helps to activate the hunger blocker.  
• Any time you cut back your calorie intake it will take a couple of days for your body to adjust.  (complaints of still feeling hungry) so don't give up!
• Be sure to be eating 5 times a day. I suggest 2 healthy snacks. The Idealbar works great for this. 
  
  
  
     I've been trying out these bars for a while now, and I honestly have noticed a change. I have to be careful when I choose to eat a bar because I find it curbs my hunger for 2-3 hours. Once I ate one close to dinner, and wasn't super hungry for dinner. So you do have to plan it out so you can get all your meals in. 
  
  
  So for today's GIVEAWAY I am giving away: 
  
  
  IdealBars Giveaway Retail Value $67
  1 of each flavor which is 4 boxes. 
  
  
  
  

  ****And I want to offer you a Special 20% discount code for my followers.

  Just simply put the code BPOWELL20 in the space provided at checkout for 20% off your order.****

  
  
  If interested about IdealShapes Products and Program you can go to: 

  www.idealshape.com

  Call 1-800-51-0896 and ask how you can save 10% and FREE Shipping on every order. 

  Follow us on Social Media:

  YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/IdealShape

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/idealshape

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/IdealShape

Hope you all have had a Marvelous Monday, and Good Luck to all those that enter, this giveaway will end on November 22nd! :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#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

   

Guest Post I wrote for themumsyblog :)

My name is Brittany Powell 
and I am a married 
mother of a two year old boy. 
When Michelle and Natashia asked me to write a guest post, I was
delighted, but nervous. I think I've always felt overweight
and insecure. Losing weight is HARD. One of my favorite quotes is, 
"We either make ourselves miserable, 
or we make ourselves strong. 
The amount of work is the same."  
HOW TRUE THAT IS!  I don't know about you, but I
can spend a day feeling bad about myself, my food choices, being lazy… 
Or, I can spend a day putting GOOD foods into my body, moving, and feeling GOOD.

My hope has always been that I can inspire
someone so much that they can say, 
"Because of you I didn't give up."

I think for me, losing weight was just the tip of the iceberg.I don't know if anyone can really embark on a weightloss or fitness journey and still stay the same.  It's from the inside out, your own personal health is an overall thing.  It all started from a remark I received from an acquaintance, she had told me I needed to be careful kneeling since i was pregnant, when I WAS NOT PREGNANT!  Then, shortly after that incident, a co-worker at work had said something to the effect of, "Oh that stocky girl?".  They were talking about me.  That made me think. I knew I had a weight problem, I knew I needed to be healthier, eat less junk, and think happier thoughts. I was tired of being tired, tired of not liking what I saw in the mirror, tired of being insecure (which by the way has NOTHING to do with weight)! So one day, I just decided I wasn't going to be this anymore. I was going to change for ME; to become someone I love! To become someone I love, because I loved myself enough to TRY. It is, however, the act of doing it that determines the difference between who you are, and who you want to become.

I really had no clue where to start, so I did some research. I read running magazines, looked at pinterest for healthy recipes, and I turned to Youtube videos for help and inspiration.  I loved watching videos of others on their weight loss journeys and talking about it, or just giving motivational pep talks. I now have a Youtube channel myself, and my own weight loss video with over 100,000 views. I finally made my health and fitness a priority.  I literally had to tell myself, "I don't care how long this takes, I don't care if I'm 80 years old and still working at this I WILL do this because it matters to me!".  There is strength in the struggle, people!  It's crazy to me to think how different I am now from the woman I was. Sometimes I still feel like the "old" me, or let some of my past thinking patterns creep in; but I've ran two half marathons, I've lost 80 pounds, I am doing a body beast strength training program, and I'm a health coach, ME!

Being a health coach has given me a team to be accountable to, and without my team and challenge groups I know I would've slipped back into my old ways. If you're like me and NEED that support, accountability, and motivation DAILY, then please, feel free to contact me! I know how hard losing weight is, I would love, and want to help empower others. If you want to live this lifestyle forever, don't look for the finish line, run this race with a smile and you'll never stop winning!

XOXO,
Brittany Powell

Check out the mumsy blog, it is full of amazing, wonderful things, I promise! 
themumsyblog.com

#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

Me Party Of One!

   Well, Grant went to the movies with a friend so I decided to have a ME party, as the Muppets Movie would say! Which really just consisted of having a sugar free Rita's Italian Ice...watching trashy girly reality TV shows and reading blogs. Livin' it up over here. ;-)

   We are on the bulk phase of Body Beast. I've really enjoyed Body Beast, and even though it is tough it is worth it to me because I can see and feel the changes. I can even see myself doing another round of this! I'm starting to enjoy lifting more. I still don't think I get quite the same endorphins/stress relief as I do with running. 

   

   Lately Grayson just thinks it is hilarious to cover himself (and mommy) in stickers. It's so funny to see what he thinks is funny. He's developed such the little personality. He's my boy<3 

   Tomorrow for dinner I am hoping to make a turkey meatloaf. The body beast nutrition guide came with a recipe book for one. I am also thinking of trying to make a key lime cheesecake or maybe a Carmel one or maybe a cookies and cream one. Or I might just get the church lazy's and not make a dessert haha we shall see. Church wears me out sometimes (my service is 3 hrs).

   

^ I like this quote a lot. For me personally, I think I let fear win when it comes to things I want to do. I think, I think I won't succeed and that scares me. But honestly I have come to the conclusion that I would rather try and fail at something, than to never have tried at all and spend my life wondering. Anyways that's my "deep" thought for the day haha getting sleepy now. Good night everyone! 

Xoxo,

Brittany 

   

   

Utah Valley Half Marathon

   Woo Hoo! I did it guys, completed my second half marathon. The morning of the race was kind of crazy for me, I woke up at 3:30 a.m. and drove to where I thought the buses were. But it turned out it was the buses for the FULL marathon and not the half. So I ran back to my car and had less than 10 mins to make it to the half marathon bus location. I honestly barely made it. But the fact that I did reassured me in some small way that I was meant to do the race.

  I always feel somewhat inadequate at these events. Especially when the woman I sat next to on the bus was on her 35th half marathon! Crazy. My time was not as good as my first half. I think waking up as early as I did had a lot to do with it. I also had to use the port a potties quite a few times during the race tmi I know haha. It was all worth it when I crossed the finish line tho. There really are no words when you finish. I think for me a lot of emotions hit me during this race. It's funny how that happens. It also has offered me a lot of clarity and insight for what I want to do next. I'd definitely want to get my body ready for a full marathon in a full and calculated way. And I really feel like strength training needs to be a bigger part of my goals now. I know I say it often on here, but I really do feel that way. I also have something else I'm working on but I am waiting to unveil. ;-) 

  Some things I took away from this race:

  1) practice waking up and running at the time your race is scheduled for so it's not sucha shock.

   2) fuel better pre run.

   3) set up a race playlist. I kept hitting next song a lot this race because too many slow songs came on shuffle.

    4) hydrate better! 

    5) RELAX I think I stressed about this race way too much, and at the end of the day I am proud at listening to my body and pushing myself the right amount. I now feel like I could do another half this summer or maybe even a full. 

   Anyways that's all for now, Happy Father's Day everyone!!! I'm so thankful I have my husband and for what a good father he is to our son.

Xoxo,

   Brittany Marie Powell.