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My life, my loves, my inspirations...and my journey to achieve a healthful life.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

My Reminder

The past couple of weeks, emotions have been running high for me.
I think it is due to a mixture of things, but it's safe to say that when one part of your life is a little "off," the rest tends to follow suit.
Today, as I had a little time to myself, I just started writing things that were in my head. I kept writing and rhyming and before long I had written a poem. I've always enjoyed writing. I grew up writing stories, poems, songs..I think it is a great way to exert a little energy, in a creative manner.

The thoughts behind the poem pretty much just come from my own thoughts and feelings. I tend to get a little overwhelmed with everything going on. Life is just busy, and I am constantly getting pulled in so many directions. Mix that with the fact that there is just an endless amount of bad things happening all around us, everyday.  The negativity totally creeps in when I am already feeling down.  And I rarely display my negative thoughts..who wants to hear about that, right?  But I am not doing this for anyone but myself.  I need to remind myself that it is ok to feel the negative emotions, as long as they don't take over.  It's bad enough to feel sadness, but do you really need guilt to go along with it? 

This poem was really not written in a negative light, but rather moving on from that negativity, and reminding myself of the good.
                                                    I used to be happy, what am I now?
                                         I'm happy, but scared of the when's and the how's.
Of the if's and the why's dancing 'round in my head.
"You just can't control it" is what I would have said.
So where is that girl who let nothing bring her down?
She is still here, just muddled with doubt.

Scared of becoming my worst enemy...
But I won't let that happen, I will always be free.
Free to think and free to feel, free to have my own free will.
Free to let the sadness come, even though I'm happy still.

Surely I'm allowed to feel anger and hate. But it will never define me, I'll strive to be great.
Great for myself and for others too. Since giving to others is the greatest thing you can do.
Give parts of yourself, but don't give it all. Keep a part for yourself, just so you don't fall.
The bad in this world will always be around. Just try to smile honey, don't let it get you down.

Sadness and fear, they mean we're alive. They are present everyday, no need to hide.
So when you're overwhelmed, feeling sad, stressed, or small,
Remember, it's better to feel something, than nothing at all.


Erica.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Carabox Reveal




It's time for my reveal!
I did a previous post discussing my recent participation in the Cara Box exchange.
If you missed it, you can find it here.


I was very excited to give this a try, since I have never done anything like this before!!

It was really fun putting a Circleville themed box together, for my partner in New Jersey :)
 (Won't mention any details because she should be receiving hers today!)
My other partner was from Texas.  I wont be listing any names either due to privacy, but if you follow me on Instagram, I'm sure you have seen my tags! ;)


We got to know each other primarily through photos that we posted on IG.  We would occasionally get a prompt asking us to post a photo of something specific, to help us get to know our partners even better.
Mainly I enjoyed all the pictures of these girls, and their beautiful babies!!!
I enjoyed my Cara Box experience, and it was great getting to make a couple new friends!
I look forward to keeping in touch with these ladies :)


Now on to the reveal...


I had to post both pictures...because that little hand snatching up that keychain is just too cute :)



Holy moly!  I feel like my partner really outdid herself!!
Not only did she send me some great things, but she also made sure she included a few things for Harper, and the pets!










Great Texas-themed gifts!








She made sure to include some of my favorite things!






And picked out some other things, that I love!




Her included note, was written on the back of this artwork she had gotten me. How sweet :)




 
This has been a great experience for me, and I would like to participate in it again in the future!!
For anyone interested in more information about the quarterly exchange, visit Kaitlyn over at Wifessionals, and click on CARA BOX...or just click on this nifty button :)

Cara Box


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I have been wanting to do a post for awhile that covers all things Harper :)
She turned 18 months old last week, so I would like to capture a little bit about this age; her likes, dislikes, etc!
And we got some photos done yesterday, so I of course would love to share those as well.
So be on the lookout for that.


A Vegas post will be coming soon, but it is still currently in the making.

I also got the itch to change up this layout a bit, so stay tuned for a future blog facelift.
I think that is all...
Happy Monday and...

Bye for now!

Erica.


Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Back to Basics

I recently decided to take charge of my health, and the most vital tool that I have utilized in doing so, is changing my diet.

Now when I say "diet" I really don't mean it in the sense that, I am on a diet and trying to lose weight.  To me, "diet" is just a word meaning...what foods I am eating...my diet :)

So looking back over the past several months, I can't say that my diet was that great. I've been a pretty healthy eater for awhile, but when life got busy with mommy duties, I noticed that I was eating less and less.  More snacking than anything. No breakfast, a couple bites here, a couple bites there, dinner.  The no breakfast thing was a real killer for me, especially because I was usually someone who never missed breakfast! The main reason for that was because I would wake up with no appetite.  I would try to shove food in my mouth and make myself eat and would literally gag on it.  It didn't take much of that before I knew I needed to make some changes.  I was highly aware that my hormones were playing a big part in my feeling crappy.  And not eating a balanced diet made me feel even crappier.  And of course there was little time or energy for any type of fitness in my life, which I missed greatly.  Life has changed so much over the last couple of years, and I was struggling with knowing just what to do to help me out of my slump.
I contacted a friend who is a Beachbody coach about getting some Shakeology.  She had been kind enough to send me some samples a good while back, so I knew I liked the way they tasted (speaking as a chocolate addict, let me tell you, those chocolate shakes are yummy!! I messaged her and told her that I wanting to get a full order of Shakeology because I was wanting something easy, and nutritious that I could have for breakfast.  I told her how I thought it would help me with the whole breakfast issue and help me with my fitness goals.  We got to talking about exactly what my goals were. I said that I was not wanting to lose any weight (I had pretty much already achieved that), but I just wanted to tone up and maybe even gain because I desperately wanted to get my strength and muscle back!  She then told me about the 21 Day Fix, which I had seen her post about, but wasn't sure what it was.
After hearing about it, it sounded like exactly what I needed! 

Following this program has helped me take charge of my diet and has helped guide me through meal planning.  I am not new to clean eating, but it had been awhile since I had completely embraced it, like I am now.  I eat about 6 meals a day (some are snacks).  There are color coded containers that help you measure out your correct portions.  And let me just say, that by measuring out my portions, I am now eating way more that I was before.  That really helped me see the error of my ways.  Not only that, but it has enabled me to keep track of what I've eaten, and what I need to eat more of.  For example, for me, I am supposed to eat 4 of the green (think veggies) containers daily. By keeping track, I can see what I need to eat at each of my meals, to meet my target for each of the groups!  It is really very simple, and very basic.  Another big thing is water intake.  I am not great at this, but I am getting better!  Overall I am eating more fruits and veggies, whole grains, have cut back on dairy, and for flavor I use spices, juices and homemade dressings, rather than store bought ones.  And I have been drinking Shakeology, usually in the mornings.  It's such a quick and easy start to my day!
I have been eating some pretty yummy foods, and it is amazing how good food can taste with just a few simple ingredients...like I said, back to basics. :)

The fitness portion of the program has been another great tool in itself.
It's pretty easy to fit the 30-minute workouts into my day.. usually at Harper's nap time :)
And I saw definite results after the 21 days!!  I've always had a pretty flat stomach (besides when I was prego LOL) but I don't think I have ever has this much definition in my ab muscles!!

I did lose 5 pounds by the end of the fix, but that is what I achieved just from eating healthy and working out.  I didn't figure a calorie deficit into my diet, like the fix calls for if you are wanting to achieve weight loss.  I also lost a little from my hips and waistline.  Ultimately, the way I am feeling is what has me happy that I decided to start this journey in the first place.  It has helped me learn to hold myself accountable.  Making sure that I am eating right, eating frequently enough, and eating a well balanced diet.  And staying active is just as important.  I have more energy, a clearer head, I even noticed more color in my face a few days in. I'm pretty pale so I never thought much of my ghostly appearance.  Then after making changes in my diet, I noticed that I wasn't as white as a sheet. Diet people!  It is a great feeling to know that the changes I made, have had such a positive affect on my whole body.

Mostly I did this for me and my health, but I couldn't help but think of Harper and how I wanted to be a good role model for her.  Eating clean and healthy is a part of our life, and she will grow up to embrace it.  It was sad that I was always making sure Harper was eating well, but I wasn't doing the same for myself.  Now with the changes I have made, I am on the right track, and I intend to stay this way!  Brady is interested in making changes to his health as well, so I am happy to have the knowledge I do, and I will be helping him with some of his own goals! :)
 
 
During this journey, I, along with other women, posted daily to a group on Facebook. 
Here are some of my photos, mostly of food :)

 
Chicken nachos with lots of veggies, and yogurt in place of sour cream.
I can barely tell the difference!!


This is oatmeal with chocolate Shakeology added, and a banana.
This tasted like chocolate cake!!





Lunch- 1 green baby spring mix, 1 yellow quinoa, 1 red lemon pepper chicken, dressing is lemon juice with some grated ginger. (Made with cold chicken and quinoa.)
And 1 orange of raw sunflower seeds. And a lot of water with some mint leaves added!




Two of my meals from one day..Pumpkin Pie ShakeO and then a breakfast sandwich, with some green :)





 


 
 




chicken fajitas, with whole grain quinoa. Topped with peppers, onions, baby spinach, and a little cheese and yogurt. 1 green, 1 1/2 red, 1 yellow, 1/2 blue.
 
 


Post workout chocolate ShakeO with a tsp almond butter, can't even explain how yummy this is!

 

Most workouts had to be done without miss Harper, but she joined in for one.



Before and after- 21 Day Fix


To me, my weight has always just been a number. I rarely weigh myself, to me it is more about how I look and feel. I have never, and will never set a goal weight for myself.  And the only time I have felt bad about my weight was when I was pregnant, and my doctor told me I was gaining to much (whatever!!) :P lol And I am not one to deprive myself.  I have cut out a lot of bad things, but you will still find me enjoying a Pepsi or Coke occasionally, feeding my face with chocolate, and eating way too much pizza for a girl my size. I don't want to jeopardize what I have already achieved, so obviously I don't indulge on a daily basis, but I have always been a strong believer that anything is ok, in moderation. I do plan to adhere to the Fix way of eating as a lifestyle change, but I'm sure I will cheat from time to time :P
I started another fix on the 28th and so far I still haven't been eating enough or drinking enough water, but things have just been so busy..I will get on track and I look forward to seeing what results this will bring.. a tighter tushy maybe? :P LOL
Working on The Weekly Recap Vegas post, so that should be up soon!

Bye for now!
Erica.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

::The Weekly Recap::

Last week seems so long ago...
Tell me again when my life entered a state of accelerated time?
Oh that's right, when Harper was born :)
And these days, time seems to pass even quicker!
This week is also jam packed, so I'll try to keep this short..
But I just had to do a little post to recap last week.
 
 
We had some beautiful weather for most of the week.
Unlike yesterday, when it decided to SNOW!!!
I don't know why I was surprised. Our Forsythia bush just bloomed last week, and I told Brady that once it blooms, we still have a few more snows (as legend has it.)  One snow down, and we better not get anymore!!! LOL





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Harper can always brings a smile to my face :)
She is such a little character, and it is so much fun watching her grow, and watching her develop her own little personality!
Too cool in mommy's shades!



Waving at the Olaf balloon in Giant Eagle :)


Morning snuggles with my girl.


Feeding all her babies, while Mommy gets ready!


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A special little boy turned 2 yesterday!!
And we took part in some birthday fun at Chuck E Cheese's over the weekend, to celebrate Trey's birthday! It was Harper's first time, and she had a lot of fun!



 Happy 2nd Birthday Trey!
Mmmm cupcakes :)









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We also took Harper to her first Easter egg hunt!
I'm thinking of doing a separate post for that, since there will be more Easter fun to come, and plenty
more pictures to take ;)
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We are gearing up for our upcoming trip to Las Vegas
This will be our first trip without Harper!  So needless to say, we are very ready for this mini vacation!  Brady talks about how much we are going to miss her, and he doesn't even know the half of it...that kid has been the biggest part of my life for the past couple years..I just may shed a tear or two...or three LOL 
However, we both desperately need a getaway, and I have never been to Vegas (Brady has twice,) so I am super excited!! And shopping for some Vegas duds proved to be quite fun too :)
Seeing as I had nothing in my closet that was Vegas-worthy, a shopping trip was a must!  I was happy to find a lot, and I found some stuff that I would probably never have even considered trying on before.  Stuff that I feel like I'm too old to wear...except, wait....I'm 26.  I'm NOT old!
I know that crop tops are really in (is that the correct term? Let's say it is.)
I think they are cute, but I just couldn't feel comfortable walking around, let's say, Circleville, with a crop top on.  Especially if I was in mommy-mode.  Sorry, but that's just looking for the wrong kind of attention :P Vegas, on the other hand..I'm pretty sure my midriff will blend right in with everyone else's .. LOL


Dressing room pic :P


This outfit was from Wet Seal.
The overalls were also a fun fashion trend, I thought. Should have gotten a picture of the fanny pack..yes, you read that right. LOL  They had the coolest fanny pack on dispaly, coral with ivory crochet, very cute! It will be going with me to Vegas :)  I'll be sure to get a pic!


I found several fun dresses, and some cool casual wear. I also stocked up on a ton of accessories from Old Navy..have they always had such a massive jewelry selection!?
I think I just need to find a new par of heels, then I'm set!

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Every day, Harper falls more in love with her big brother Tuck.  She loves chasing after him when he's all excited, and throwing his bone for him. And Tucker kisses are her favorite :) Lately she's been cuddling up to him even more, and laying by him. It is so cute.












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Bye for now!
Erica. 

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Up and Coming

I have so many things that I want to do posts about... but I am not finding much time to do said posts LOL

So I am just going to do a post about all of these things, that are up and coming :)










I have been participating in the Cara Box Exchange by Wifessionals. 
It is a quarterly box swap among women, geared toward Instagram users. 
We are paired with two other woman around our own age, we then follow each other on IG, and get to know each other a little better! 
So far it has fun getting to know my partners, we are all mommies, so we definitely have that in common :)
Occasionally we are prompted to post a picture of a specific thing, so that has been a great way to get to know them better.  The theme this quarter is "Hometown." 
I am anxious to receive my box, and learn about somewhere I have never been!
And it will be really fun putting together a box for my partner, and giving them a little glimpse of Circleville :)
I will do a reveal post once it is all wrapped up, and I receive my box!







21 Day FIX




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I have also happily been taking part in the 21 Day Fix.  It's a Beachbody program that helps you shed weight in just a few short weeks.  I am not trying to lose weight however, I am using it to help with my nutrition and fitness goals. 
The 21 Day Fix focuses on eating a clean, balanced diet, and eating several well-proportioned meals, throughout the day. It has greatly helped my eating habits, as well as my energy level. 
Before, I would mainly snack throughout the day, and then my largest meal of the day would be dinner.  While I was eating healthy foods most of the time, I was not eating a balanced diet whatsoever.  I have also added Shakeology to my diet, to help with my nutrition.  I usually drink it as a breakfast shake, and it has proven to be a very easy way to start my day off right :)
And the Fix workouts are 30-minute workouts, that differ daily, and let me tell you, these are some killer workouts! And I can't even begin to tell you how much I am loving that they are only 30 minutes.  I have been able to complete them daily, and I cannot even remember the last time I was able to work out on a daily basis!!!
I am seeing results already, and I am only 10 days in!
I have had muscles sore, that have not been sore in a long time! ..Especially my abs and booty! LOL
But I am getting stronger by the day, and loving it.
For me I plan to embrace the Fix way of eating, not just for 21 days, but as my permanent clean eating lifestyle. Not that I won't allow myself to cheat here and there, because I will never deprive myself of anything..its all about moderation!
 I don't have a goal weight that I am trying to reach, I'm actually happy with my weight, and don't care to lose a thing!  But I am eating way better than I was, and feeling way better, so I plan to stick with this!  
I plan on dedicating a future post to this, and sharing some of my favorite meal, snack, and shake ideas, as well as the progress I've made :)



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I'll be posting my Weekly Recap in the next couple of days.
With lots of pictures of Harper...of course!
She went on her first official egg hunt today, and met the Easter bunny! Who she loved, by the way!
17 months may be a busy age...but it is fun :)


Happy Friday!
Erica.

Monday, April 7, 2014

::The Weekly Recap::

Another week has come and gone...and it was a very rainy week at that!  Quite a bit of our time was spent indoors, but we were able to sneak in a few outings, nonetheless :)


I have been feeling like now, more than ever, is the time that I need to come up with creative things for Harper and I to do during the day.  After she gets done dragging all of her toys out, she usually is ready to move on to another activity.

I figured a mini Easter egg hunt would be a good way to practice for the real thing, which is coming up soon!  After I finished washing and drying the cheap, made in China Easter eggs (hehe), I hid a few and let Harper get to looking!


 


After awhile, all she wanted to do was put the eggs in her mouth.
Time for something else!


 
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Harper has really been fighting her naps lately, and sleep of all kind really.  I had done a lot of reading up on infant sleep in the past, and this actually didn't come as a surprise to me.  With that being said, there have been a couple of times where this little girl just would not go to sleep. At one point I gave in and got her up...she happily plopped on the couch with a snack and some milk. :) And then went down for a nap about an hour later.. :)






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On one particular day, the rain had cleared up, but it had left behind some nice size puddles in our front yard.  Harper's rain boots had just came in the mail too, so we were ready!!









The rain had also left behind some pretty happy flowers!






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This weekend we actually got out of the house, and got to spend some time with friends for a little surprise party fun!  Harper tagged along, and I thought she looked just too darn cute in this outfit :)






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The next day she was all rested up and ready to sing and dance the morning away!






I think her music classes have been paying off! LOL

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And since yesterday was such a beautiful day, we took advantage of it and spent some family time outside!









We finally got our porch tree from Christmas transported... and then we planted that baby!








Harper even helped with the shoveling!








Then she decided that she would rather pick up the dirt and rocks with her hands. 
She is obsessed with the gravel rock in our driveway! She always tries to bring them inside, so we now have a nice little rock collection right by the front door :)







We walked around the property, and I just had to snap a few pictures of this huge Sycamore tree.






I am so curious about how old this tree is, I have a feeling it has seen a lot of years!





love this big beauty
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That concludes my recap from last week..
Looking forward to another fun-filled week ahead :)
And to the new season of Game of Thrones, that just started last night.
Hubby is very happy, to say the least!


Look for a post soon on my 21 Day Fix journey!


Bye for now!

Erica.