::adventures of J & L::

You know, working out by yourself has its advantages. 

You don't get any weird looks from others. 

You can rest when you want to. 

You can look like a hot mess and no one will know. 

But-- working out as a team also has its advantages. 

You get motivation from each other to keep going. 

You want to out-do the other one (hence more motivation and pushing yourself) 

You aren't alone. 

I've really learned to embrace my Husband working out with me and I look forward to the time I get home so that we can press play together.

Do you workout by yourself or with others? 

workouts and the pups

You know, sometimes having two dogs drives me crazy. Think of it as a mini zoo. I can't turn around, go to the bathroom or eat a meal in peace. 

Kinda like I'd imagine kids. I don't know, since I don't have any. 

But, animals in the dog form are pretty needy. I may complain, but I honestly wouldn't trade them for the world. If I could do everything with them, I would. 

The one thing that I can honestly say I enjoy about them and love having them around is during my daily workout. It's funny looking back on my gym days when I actually had to look put together to go sweat it out. That's as funny as it sounds. Sigh. Those were the days id stop my workout when I broke a sweat in fear that a guy was looking my way... Of course, a red faced, out of shape gal, is not attractive. 

But-- fast forward to now. I have a man. I have fur babies. I have my own gym that consists of the area in front of my bed. 

It gets the job done and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

My dogs are part of my workout routine, and I look forward to them cheering me on, tripping me up, and licking my sweat when I'm finished. 

You have to be a dog mom to understand. 

::366 in 2016::

I'm going for 366 in 2016. 

You may have seen others with this same phrase and, frankly, it could mean different things. But, for me, it means that I'm going for 366 straight days of Shakeology-- my healthiest meal of the day as cheesy as that sounds. 

It 366 days because it's a leap year! 

Why am I doing this? Simple. It's my daily multivitamin. My daily dose of nutrients. My probiotic. My healthiest meal of the day. Shakeology keeps me regular above all things... Sorry if that's TMI. I was always irregular prior to Shakeology going days without any 'activity'. Now, you can almost pinpoint it down to the hour.. Crazy.. But it feels good in every aspect. It also gives me energy. It makes my hair and nails grow FAST and strong. It curbs my sweet tooth. 

It's pretty amazing and I feel like poo when I DONT drink it... Hence my reasoning for 366 in 2016!! 

I'll keep you posted on how I do. So far-- I'm 6/6 in 2016! 

Here's also a few things I've been up to in the fitness/nutrition department! 

Day 1 of the challenge. I used my Shakeology as my 'go to' after I burned my collards. Oops. 

Proclaiming my challenge! 

Yoga Fix with my trainer this past Sunday. It felt good to stretch! 

Shakeology strong! 

I want to know-- are you going for 366 in 2016 or doing some other type of challenge? Let me know! 

hello ::2016::

I say this every year and feel like a broken record, but 2 0 1 6 is the year that I'm actually going to get on my blogging train.

I have a few New Years Resolutions that I'm going to share and do my best to keep true to my word.  Who wants to hold me to it?

New Year Resolutions:

1.  Eat Healthier & Consistently workout

Yes, I realize that most people have this on their list.  But, I KNOW for a fact that I feel SO MUCH BETTER when I actually eat healthier foods.  The more good I put in my body, the better I feel.  Same goes for working out.

2.  Blog 3 times a week

I want to share my ups and downs and my journey with #1 above with all of you, the people who love and support me every single day.

3.  Save money

My sweet Husband likes to remind me daily of my bad spending habits.  I really struggle with the "life is too short and we're not guaranteed tomorrow" and the "you have to save money for the important things in life".  I need a good 50/50 balance with this.  Part of me says why save when I might not be here to live another day, but then reality hits, and I need money 20 years from now.  So, saving up is on my to-do list for 2016.

4.  Read 12 Personal Development Books

I've learned in the past couple of years, that filling yourself with good and inspirational things really DOES boost your morale and your outlook on life.  I can't stand Debbie downers, so I'm working on always seeing the good in everyday as opposed to the latter.  Personal Development is my jam when it comes to this.  My goal is to aim for 1 book a month.  I've got this.

5.  Have date-night with my Husband at least 1 time a month.

We have opposite schedules, so spontaneity is our go-to when it comes to date nights.  It's super important to make time for "us" especially since we are in our early stages of marriage and spending time with us and the pups before we talk about the "B" word.... you know what I mean?

6.  Go on at least 2 random weekend trips

We love to travel, and why not just pick up and go somewhere we haven't been before?  That's on my 2016 list!
Do you have any of the same resolutions as me?  If so, I want to hear them!

Clean Eating: Peanutty Peanut Butter Bars- Fixate Recipe

So--- I've been raving over these Peanutty Peanut Butter Bars for quite some time.

Sweet.  Not too sweet.  Just sweet enough.

It will satisfy your cravings, for sure.  The only kicker is: You must LOVE PEANUT BUTTER (But, come on.  Who doesn't love peanut butter? Unless your allergic.  And then I'm so sorry).

Here's the recipe.  SUPER DUPER EASY.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all natural PB
1/2 cup raw or local honey
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix all ingredients WELL.

Pour into a greased 8x8 baking pan.

Bake 20 mins.  They may feel soft coming out, but they will continue to bake.

ENJOY.  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

If you're interested in getting your hands on the FIXATE cookbook--- message me or click this link for my website!  If you're interested in joining one of my upcoming online health & fitness groups--- fill out my online application and I'll be in touch!

Battling Sinusitis

Life with Chronic Sinusitis.

I'm finding myself writing this post because for the past 5 weeks, I've been dealing with, what seems to be, a never ending cycle of a minor sinus infection.

It's not full blown like I've known some to be in the past, but it's just a full cycle that won't let up.

Sore throat.  Nasal Drip.  Congestion.  Sinus Headaches.  Stopped ears.

repeat that times 5 and see how you feel.

I've realized that unless you've dealt with Chronic Sinusitis then you have NO IDEA what we have to go through on a daily basis.

I haven't felt like myself in quite some time.

Here's a few things that I use to cope with my sinuses when they are acting up:

1. Neti Pot.  If you've been holding off because it scares the shit out of you---- buy it.  You'll be glad you did.  People (doctors, nurses, friends, co-workers) all suggested this and I always ignored them.  I wasn't down for having anything go up my nose.  I wish I would've bit the bullet sooner.

2. Peppermint Essential Oils- I swear it's something about peppermint.  It just seems to open me up--- and it calms me in an amazing way.  I diffuse it at night.

3. A great ENT doctor.  One who will work with you to help give you medication when all else fails.  I have an amazing one who lets me self-prescribe myself with an antibiotic. It's pretty amazing.  No more $$ spent at doctor visits every month!

4. A comfy bed and blanket.  Sometimes it's just acceptable to go to bed at 8PM on a weekend, or week day.  It doesn't matter.  Rest when your body needs rest.

Don't hesitate to reach out to me if you need help or want to talk.  I feel you.  I'm right there with you.  Some days I just wish my head would explode so I didn't have to feel it hurting anymore.


*my next step is a sinus surgery.  I actually may be planning it in the coming months.  i'll keep you posted

::weekend recap::

I follow a blogger who made a post this past week that really spoke to me. She basically said that she didn't care whether you liked her blog or read it. She doesn't blog for you (or me) but she blogs for herself. 

Wow. 

So many times I want to write the perfect post for you. I want that-- because if I can help just one person with whatever I'm talking about, then I feel like I'm making a difference and living for a purpose. But, it really boils down to ME. I can't blog for YOU, because, chances are I don't know you. I need to blog for myself. I want to blog for myself because I feel like it's a huge diary. It's something I can look back one in the future to see where I've been and how far I've come in life. I want to share my triumphs and setbacks. My happy moments and sad ones. 

To start it off-- I'm just going to share what went on this past weekend! My husband, Josh, was home.  That happens on rare ocassion. So- we took advantage of it! 

First up-- we did a little shopping on Saturday and I picked up this S'well bottle. A little boutique in town carries them, and I'd been wanting to give it a shot. So far-- so good. I got the big one-FYI! 

I also HAD to get my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season when my husband ended up at Starbucks! Of course- mine is iced with nonfat milk and no whipped cream. It may not be the healthiest, but it feels good knowing I'm cutting a few calories with my drink choice ;) 

The pups have a love/hate relationship with my phone. I tried taking a photo of Stella and Hudson got a little jealous. Needless to say-- I ended up with Huddy and no Stella pic! Ha. 

We then ended our weekend tonight celebrating my Mom and her birthday. Another year young! It was the perfect evening for Chili and Birthday Cake. Of course, mom requested my famous chili (I'll have to save a post for that another day)! Publix pulled through with the most delicious chocolate cake. Yum. 

That's it, folks. Now I'm going to watch a little Miss America Pageant and get ready for a week of work and a new health & fitness group to kickoff in the morning {goodness knows I need to get my nutrition back in check!} 

What did you do this weekend?