The Mountains Are Calling And I Must Go

   I've liked this quote lately. To me it is a reminder to keep pushing myself towards all of the 'mountains' in my life. Losing my baby has been really hard. And with my son's 3rd birthday coming up, I being the weirdo that I am, am feeling sad because I had envisioned being pregnant for this event. I pictured Grayson blowing out his candles, while I had my little baby inside of me. I know my baby is still with me, but it doesnt make it hurt any less or the hurt go away. 
   I want this month to be a better month than last month. I want to grow from this and not let it destroy me. I know what I need to do to get to a better place, mentally, physically, and emotionally. I know that this season of my life has just been a hard one. And I want to be a good mom for Grayson and really be present and there for him. 
   My weight is at an all time high since my initial weight loss. It's depressing but I also feel like it's just reflecting how hard things have been. I'm going to start waking up early for my runs again, I function better when I do this and get more done through out my day. I want to eat healthier as well, since that hasn't been on par lately... I just want to feel like myself again and not so sad. 
  I realize this post is a downer but it's hard trying to act like i am "okay" all of the time. Because honestly I am not okay sometimes and sometimes I am. And for a while that is just how it's going to be. 
  I am happy we are moving so we can have a new start and make new memories. I am thankful so much for Grayson and my husband. Our relationships have gotten even stronger because of this. I can't imagine a life without them. <3

Xoxo,
Brittany Marie Powell 

What's Cookin' Wednesday plus an awesome GIVEAWAY!!

Hello my loves! Time for another #WIAW.... Idk if I am just weird or nosey, but I like seeing what people eat. haha. (ijustrealizedthecreepinessofthatstatement) BUT for me, when I was trying to lose weight it was SO helpful to see what kinds of healthy meals and snacks people would come up with. Especially if you are just starting out on your weightloss journey and don't really know how to cook healthy, or just aren't very inventive when it comes to food.
  I think a big part of eating healthy is to keep it interesting and fun. You'd be suprised at how much simply chopping a vegetable or fruit differently for your salads can make a big difference. I have this little kitchen gadget that makes my apples into apple slice rings and I love it! It's like I'm eating apple chips and it makes me crave apples!

My Breakfast was a Shakeology mug cake with pb on top (ask me if you'd like the recipe!) and slice apples sprinkled with sugar free raspberry jello.... random I know but don't knock it till you try it! hah

For Lunch I had some of my leftovers of this dinner I got when we went out to a Mexican restaurant on Monday night, it's hard to choose healthy options when going to a  Mexican restaurant for me, because I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD. And Cheese<3 haha But I went with this chicken filet with grilled onions, avocado, rice, and black beans with some cheese on them. I think it was a pretty good choice. 

I ended up not eating a snack today because I got busy cleaning. I did however drink one of my IdealShape Boost packets, which are awesome for keeping my energy up and my cravings down. I seriously LOOOOVE these things so much. And they taste delicious. 

For dinner I kept it light because I  had some errands to run and was still full from lunch. I had a naked juice smoothie, love those things!

When I got home I was a bit hungry so I made some of my #strangebutgood egg white chips. I also had one of my ideal shape bars, the cinnamon bun flavor, which is my fave! It tastes like a treat. And I also had some baby carrots haha.That sums up what I ate today, not super exciting, let me know if you try out the egg white chips or the apple slices with jello! 

Now onto the exciting part, since I love Idealshape's boost packets SO MUCH I wanted to give y'all a chance to win a pack of each flavor. This is a $70 value you guys! And they really do help give you a boost of energy and curb hunger in my opinion. They are by far my favorite product that ideal shape has to offer. I also 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. 
You can go here to order: www.idealshape.com













                         And you can go here to learn all about the boost packets: http://www.idealshape.com/weight-loss-drink/



I am going to let this giveaway go on until January 1st, so you have plenty of time to enter! Make sure to follow all of the steps, and I will be giving bonus entries for those of you that pin my Youtube videos on Pinterest, like my Youtube videos, like my facebook page, and subscribe to my Youtube channel. 


Here are the links to do so:

Youtube.com/theianuzified

Facebook.com/brittanymariepowell


a Rafflecopter giveaway

What are some things you eat that are a little bit weird? What do you consider a treat when you are trying to eat healthier? What would you do if you won my giveaway?! 
Let me know in the comments below!
Xoxo,
Brittany Marie Powell

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

#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

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

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

   

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.

11:11 o'clock !!!

   So I'm planning out my week in my head right now. My goal for this week is to lift/strength train daily, and wake up early to do so. I do much better with strength training, when it wake up early to do it. My June goals are: 

I feel like by putting my goals out there, I'm much more likely to reach them. I'm going to sleep now, gonna be up bright and early. Seize the day! 

Xoxo,

   Brittany Marie Powell.

We Bought A Car!!!!!

   Finally, after years of waiting and sharing a car, we bought our second car! It's a 2012 Ford Escape and I couldn't be happier! There's something so great about having your own car. It's flex fuel and gets great gas mileage so that is why we chose the Ford Escape. It's so clean and brand new looking I need to put the seat covers on, since the seats are cloth. I'm very HAPPY and this is by far the most expensive thing Grant and I have purchased in our marriage which was a little bit scary haha! 

   Anyways. Back to my usual health/fitness related ramblings. I was inspired by LivyLovesToRun to do a two week no cheat challenge. I know the scale don't lie, and I know I've gained weight lately #byebyefelicia So instead of wallowing in my misery and eating my feelings, I am going to be proactive and do something about it. I've lost weight before and I can do it again. I'm not going to come this far and throw it all away. I miss feeling confident in my own skin, which lately I just don't. And more than any number on the scale that is whats important to me! 

   I have my half Marathon soon and I am nervous. I don't feel like I've been training 100% I've been tired and exhausted an emotional wreck. So I am going go get personal now. After I had Grayson I got on antidepressants. They really helped me and I do not regret going on them when I did because I really did need them at the time. I very much believe in doing things naturally and it's a constant inner battle with myself being on these medications. I know that with proper nutrition and meditation I can overcome my depression/anxiety woes but I've tried it and it hasn't worked. The only thing that has helped and I've noticed is the medication!!! I want to go off my Meds and this past month and a half I have tried and I've really been a mess. My motivation and passion for running faded a bit because I get to thinking I'm not good enough, which my pills help balance me out. So for now, I am back on them. Which I have mixed feelings about but I can't handle feeling how I've felt. It's not fair to me or my family for me to be this way just because I want to be med-free, so I will keep taking them.  Anyways I just needed to vent about that because it's been a really big challenge for me lately. 

   I'm going to run now actually cuz I just got Nani to take a nap he doesn't feel good today poor little guy! 

Xoxo, 

   Brittany Marie Powell.

What I Ate Wednesday

   Hey guys. So this post is pretty much just going to be some pics of my random eats lately. Not all from today, both Grayson and I are sick so this is just a real quick fun post of food yaaay!

    Green Juice made in my Blendtec: cucumber, kale, and lemon.

    Do you ever buy food for your kiddos and then wind up eating it, even tho you don't really care for it that much?! you.still.eat.it. Yeah, explains my gogurt consumption as of lately. We have a Costco sized box so gogurt for days around here. FYI they're darn good frozen. 

   Sweet Plantain Egg White Cake with Cottage Cheese

I've been making cauliflower purées and mashes lately mostly because they're filling and I can eat a lot of it. A volume food really. I like big salads, kale chips, cucumbers anything low cal that I can eat a lot of for replacement tv watching "cheez it" time which is what I used to do haha 8-) not gonna lie some days I still eat a lot sometimes it's good sometimes it's not but most of the time it's some sort of vegetable healthy concoction I've made up. I am proud of myself for running today even tho i feel like crap! Kudos to me. And with that I will say good night fellow readers. If anyone actually reads this haha 8-)

Xoxo,
Brittany Marie Powell.

What I Ate Wednesday

   Hey guys,
   I decided to do another #WIAW with y'all! :)
   Breakfast was a rushed meal, since I had to drive my husband to work and go to the gym. So I decided to just have a premier nutrition protein shake from Costco, chocolate flavor of course ;-)

   Lunch was leftovers. Last night I made a spinach plantain pizza for myself, and regular pizza for the boys. So I had the other half of my pizza and cauliflower for lunch. I realize how unappetizing this looks, but I promise it was tasty! Haha

   Today was Nana's last swim lesson. I don't know that he really learned that much but he loved them and if anything else it has made him less fearful of the water. He still won't blow bubbles or lay on his back though. I want to do a different class with him because he loved the social aspect of these lessons.
   We also went and ordered his Birthday Cake today. I chose an 'Avengers' cake because he loves them and lovingly calls them "guys". He loves action figures and fighting, he's sucha boy!
   For my workout today I ran 3 miles and did some arm exercises for an upcoming YouTube video I'm doing. Even though my form isn't the best I still wanted to do it. #brave #sobig
   Dinner was Chili's Tilapia without the sauce. And then it all went downhill because my MIL ordered dessert and i obliged haha. I ate some bites of a cookie-zilla and their molten lava chocolate cake. Sometimes ya gotta live a little. 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

#tmtt

   This morning I decided to go to the gym for an elliptical workout. I ran twice yesterday (2.6 miles and 3.6 miles) and I wasn't feeling running this morning. Grayson really likes the gym daycare and had a full on terrible two tantrum when it was time to go. Lovely. Lol. 

   

^elliptical session.

   I had a makeup fail today. I wore too faced lip injection gloss and kissed Grayson and well... It plumped up his face as well! I was so scared when I looked back in the car and saw this: 

I washed his face off with a wash cloth and water and it went away shortly after but it was scary! 

   For dinner we went out because I was tired and lazy and didn't feel like cooking. We got my favorite Pho :-P I am so obsessed with this soup! My favorite place to go for it is in Park City, at Shabu Shabu. The broth they have is phenomenal and has a strong ginger flavor which I love! 

  It will be Grayson's 2nd birthday soon! I've been pinning lots of fun ideas on Pinterest. I want to make him a cute little birthday crown. And I already decided on how I want his cake to be which you guys will see! I can't believe how big he is getting, but at the same time I can because of his Terrible Two tantrums! Haha. I'm just going to embrace all of his little stages, the good, the bad and the ugly. Because I know I am so lucky to have a child of my own and to be a mom. I know there are lots of women out there who want that very thing so badly. #alwaysbethankful 

   I've been drinking a lot of chamomile tea lately, I am hoping it will help with my muscle soreness. I also like drinking it at night to unwind. 

xoxo, Brittany.

   

   

  

#redhairdontcare

  So I have a not-so-secret secret! I am blog obsessed! I read a large variety of different blogs and I figure I should probably jump on the bandwagon. Even though most of the time I consider my life to be pretty boring haha. 

  Last night I made the decision to dye my hair red. It was somewhat of an impulse decision I was just getting so tired of my blonde roots, I needed a change! I do change up my hair color quite a bit but I think that the red will stick around for a while. I was excited to see if Grayson would have any reaction to my hair this morning but in typical boy fashion he could have cared less haha. I love that little boy. 

                                          

   I am happy to report I am finally over my cold. It wasn't the most horrible sickness I've had but it was pretty bad, and I'm still shocked that my child didn't contract it. Because of my being sick tho I've barely ran, and I seriously have anxiety over it. If it weren't for my race I would "let it go" but I'm stressing. Hopefully I will get in a good run later on today.

  I started swim lessons for Grayson this week. He loves it so far. He's taking them with his little friend and they have a lot of fun together. It's so cute to see little kids interact with one another. Last class he got brave and jumped to me in the pool, of course he had to witness his friend doing it first to reassure himself haha he's a little chicken! Which is just fine with me. I'm not sure how much he's learning but I do know he's having fun. 

   I'm currently being luxurious and giving my feet a 'foot mask'. I didn't know there was such a thing, but there is. And I need it. My feet are nasty. 😳 Just one of the many perks of my love for running. I'll let you guys know what I think of it! 

   Another reason I want to start blogging again is because I want someplace where I can write about my weightloss efforts, which lately are non-existant. I know I need to look forward and focus on what I've accomplished but I also don't want to not reach my goal weight when I've come this far. I'm only 10 lbs away and you'd think after losing 80 it would seem easy, but lately it's felt daunting. That's why I want to start writing. To keep myself sane and accountable. 

  Well, that's all for now. 

xoxo,

Brittany 

New Blog, Same Blogger.

Hey Everyone,
So I am switching my blog over here. It was just easier to do through my primary email. Plus I am fairly certain that nobody was reading my other one anyways hah! If you're curious to see any of my old posts you can go on over to: 
http://ianuzified.blogspot.com

My hopes are for this to be a fresh start though and for me to be more consistent with my blogging! And youtubing! Lol people don't realize how much work it is to keep up on social media! My youtube channel is:
youtube.com/theianuzified


Okay, so now that you can fully stalk me... 8-) I want to talk about Mommy Life for a little bit. Grayson has seriously been such a sweetheart lately, (at times haha) and it makes me so happy. He is such the little mama's boy lately, and I am loving how cute he has been with me. He is growing up so fast and he really is my best friend. Having a baby has been one of the hardest and best things of my life. I never was one of those women that was "excited" about motherhood, I knew I'd have kids one day but I guess I never really thought I'd enjoy it as much as I do. Having this little person in my life is such a blessing. I can see why people have more kids. :)

As far as running goes, my mileage hasn't been where I want it to be lately. I've been doing more cross training with the stair master/elliptical. Prior to going to new york, I was having heel issues, so I decided to take it easy for a while, because I didn't want to injure myself any further. I hate getting injured. I really would like to start training for a full marathon. I really need to get new shoes! I want to go to a runner's store and have them fit me I'm nervous I still don't feel like I qualify as a runner. It's funny how with weight loss... at least for me... Idk if your mind ever fully catches up. I still sometimes feel like I did 85 lbs ago. I've done a lot of research on these mizuno stuft mama has talked about them on her blog. I want to try them on, but I will probably end up purchasing them online, since I've not seen them in any stores. It's going to be my hubby's christmas present to me haha I just know about it 8-) And aren't the colors so fun?!

I just found out that Urban Decay is coming out with a Naked 3 pallet. I am ABSOLUTELY obsessed with the naked line. I have both the first and second pallet plus the basics pallet and the flushed pallet. I really would like to try their foundation as well. I am excited that my area is getting an Ulta. I can tell I will probably spend way too much money there. I got a catalog in the mail the other day and was drooling over this Tarte Gorgeous Getaways Palette. I think it is such a good deal ($433 value!) And I've been wanting to try this line for a while now. I also would love to get their amazonian clay foundation. Now that it is winter, my skin is SO pale. I need to get more lighter foundations because I only have two that really work for me right now. I also really need to get a spray tan hah! The other product I actually got a chance to play with at Ulta when I was in new yorkwas the Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder. I think this product is great for it's versatility because not only can you use it for it intended purpose, but I think it would also do a great job as an eyeshadow or hilight, and it is a product that would last you a LONG time, it's huge! And I also want to get a good makeup setting spray, do any of you have one you are in love with? #buyallthemakeup #makeupjunkie #addicted #beautyguru

Anyways, I am going to go run now, I've been procrastinating all morning, it's funny. At least my house is super clean now, and my laundry village has been folded. Having my little has made for SO MUCH laundry, it is seriously never ending. I want to start with my early morning workouts again. Or just working out before I eat breakfast. I've been really good with my workouts and eating clean lately. I've been stressed and I think now I just turn that into motivation, where before I'd just eat all the things. haha 8-) self made.

xoxo,
brittany