Getting My Run On

Who PR'ed her 4 mile run time tonight?  THIS GIRL!  

My constant reminder that there will come a day when running is no longer an option for me.  So thankful that today is not that day!

Yes, I am aware I could have posted this without taking the snapshot of my phone screen, but I love the encouragement from my long lost running buddy!   

Shower time!!!!!

Whole Lotta Nothin'

Good morning world!

I don't have a whole lot to tell you today... except for the FABULOUS deal I found on Urban Decay eyeshadows.  Not that I need any more, but hey, a girl can't turn down a deal this good!  If you're a huge fan of Urban Decay (are you listening Megan??) head over to the Urban Decay website and you'll find TONS of eyeshadows for $6.00!  Yes, that's right... one third of the regular price.  In a panic I asked my lovely makeup geniuses at Sephora why this fabulous deal was going on.  They assured me Urban Decay is not leaving me, but they have changed their formula and are in the process of getting rid of the old.  I don't mind helping them with this quest.  Can I get an amen to that?? 

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Tomorrow is Friday!  Thank goodness!  It also happens to be the first time in MONTHS that the crew and I are hitting up happy hour(s). I'm still on my 24 day challenge, so no adult beverages for this girl.  I'll stick with water thankyouverymuch.  Okay, maybe I'll have one beverage, but no one this girl isn"t getting white girl wasted.  Rockstar status - 1 day.  If you follow me on instagram, be on the lookout for inappropriate pictures tomorrow night.

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Can we take a minute and discuss my current hair length...  I got it trimmed and colored the other day. (Yes, I know I promised a picture of the new hair color.  I haven't gotten to it yet, get over it.)  I love the length when it's down, but when I pull it up I get this weird bit that sticks straight out.  Fingers cross I can deal with it long enough for it to grow and lie down like the rest.  This could end up being dangerous for all parties involved. 







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Okay, that's enough rambling for one morning.
Happy Thursday!!

Big News!

I've got BIG news!  You're looking at the newest Fort Wayne Independent Distributor for AdvoCare!  I am so excited about this opportunity!  I'm telling you...  this is good stuff!  If it can make a believer out of me, it's legit.  I am not one to take supplements of any kind.  I don't even take Advil for a headache unless I have to.  Now, let me tell you how/why that all changed.  

I was approached at school about doing the 24 Day Challenge.  Not knowing what it was I began researching.  After reading about it, and loving the fact that the science was spelled out in the website, I decided to give it a try.  I was the QUEEN of after school naps and hitting the snooze button in the morning.  If given the option of pushing snooze or showering flat ironing my hair, the snooze won... EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.  Not anymore.  When my alarm goes off in the morning, I am awake and alert (I'm sure the people at school are thankful for my increased care in getting ready in the morning).  I have so much more energy.  I no longer take naps after school.  I'm eating better, and sleeping better at night.  By day three, I was sold.  

Jump forward to today, day 11... I am currently down 7 pounds and have lost 3% in body fat.  So, when given the opportunity to become a distributor and help others, I quickly jumped at the chance.  I am thrilled with my decision to join the Fort Wayne team.  If you haven't heard of AdvoCare, check it out!  You can check out my website here.  I'm telling you... IT WORKS!

Big Things Happening

That's right.. big things are about to happen.  Tomorrow is a big day.  I'll update after my 10am meeting!

Finally Friday!

Can I just tell you how glad I am that today is Friday?!?!  This has been one unbelievably long week.  I'm bowling with my students in class, which, unfortunately makes for long days for this teacher.  The students enjoy it, but when we do less strenuous activities, I get antsy. Perhaps it's my self diagnosed ADD... I don't know.  

Plans for tonight are nonexistent.  I am definitely looking forward to a night doing absolutely nothing.  Hope the hubs feels the same way.  Tomorrow is going to be much busier.  I am attending a meeting at 10am to become an Advocare distributor (hello, lifetime discount, it's nice to meet you!), then getting my hair done at 1:15.  I know I promised a picture of the darker hair, and it's coming.... I'm getting it redone tomorrow. I like it, but it's not as dark as I had hoped, so I'm going back for more... that's what she said. I'll post a picture tomorrow.  Tomorrow night R and I are going to a wedding.  Should be a good time.  

What are your weekend plans?

In 24 Day Challenge news.... today is the last day of the cleanse.  No more fiber beverages.  I (hopefully) have broken through my plateau.  I was down another full pound this morning (-7 total) officially making my drivers license a liar (okay, not that it wasn't a liar before)... I now weight LESS than what it says.  

Tomorrow I start the meal replacement shake and other vitamins.  Not sure yet what that routine will be, but I'll figure it out along the way.  

Happy Friday, all!

If You Really Knew Me...

I have been wanting to do a post like this for a while, but thought I would wait until I'm done with my 24 Day Challenge, but to be honest, I'm tired of posting about my challenge... for now.

So, without further adieu, may I present, if you really knew me.....

you would know I laugh at inappropriate things. (Okay, so this isn't really inappropriate, but I thought it was funny!)

you would know I have a strange obsession with mustaches (not on men). 

you would know my hair color is not natural.

you would know I have one tattoo (soon to be two, sorry Mom).  It's on my left wrist.  The heart (my maiden name is Hart) represents my uncle. When I got my tattoo he was the only family member I have that  had passed away.  Since then, my Grandma Hart has passed away, I need another heart.

you would know that I am a very "black and white person".  Something either is, or it isn't.  There isn't much in between with me.

you would know that my nails are always shellaced.

you would know that I have always looked up to my brother.

you would know I am a HUGE Colts fan.

you would know my Mom rocks my world.  I love hanging out with her.















you would know I would be lost without my dog, Fenway.  He became my buddy while R was away for 18 months.














you would know this is what a typical trip to Target looks like with R and me.

you would know photography is my favorite form of self expression.  This happens to be a South Carolina sunrise taken in July.

So there you have it.  My nosey side likes reading other people's "if you really knew me" posts, so I hope you're nosey side enjoyed mine.  

Weight loss update:  stalled - no loss for two days.  

More to come - my dash isn't complete.

24 Day Challenge - Day 7

First of all, welcome Whitney!  It's great to have you here!  I look forward to reading more of your rants wise words!  

Yesterday was day 7 of my 24 day challenge.  I'm noticing my weight loss slowing down.  Hopefully I have not hit the plateau and expelled all the waste out of my body already.  There are still three days left of my cleanse (don't know how clean you can get a colon, but I'm willing to put money on mine currently being spotless) and 17 days until the end of my challenge.  Like I said yesterday, if I can ditch 7 more pounds, I'll be one happy gal.

Yesterday's food log:

7:30 - SPARK and probiotic vitamins

8:15 - breakfast (apple slices) and omega 3's

12:10 - lunch (spinach salad with goat cheese, strawberries, sunflower seeds, and light raspberry vinaigrette) with apple slices and pb, and omega 3's

5:45 (yes, I ate a senior citizen hour last night)- grilled carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms

11:00 - herbal cleanse vitamins 

Can you tell I'm really into my spinach salads right now?!?! I should probably switch it up so I don't get burned out.

Weight: -.5 (Holla for being down to below my weight at our wedding! Haven't seen these numbers for over 6 years!)

BMI: didn't track this morning (get over it.)

In unrelated news, R is gone this week - military duty calls.  Thankfully, we have been able to talk at night.  My best friend and her husband came over last night - Hurray for having a social life with someone older than my students (7-10)! R should be home Thursday night.  Maybe I'll surprise him with a nice steak dinner.  Who knows what he eats while he's gone!

And since I haven't posted any pictures in a long time... here's what I've been up to.

Guess who had a bath the other day?  

This happened to be a night when R was sitting on the couch eating some popcorn.  Fenway knows not to beg, but he will remind you that he's still there and fully willing to take any offerings of popcorn.

My mom, sister-in-law, me, and my Grandma at my sister-in-law's bridal shower. 

I want!

 R and me at my brother's wedding. 

I have a hair appointment today at 4:45.... I'm thinking I'll go dark.  It's time for a change.  Picture to come.

More to come - my dash isn't complete.......

24 Day Challenge - Day 6

Yesterday was day 6.  I am LOVING this!!  For the first time in MONTHS, I was not worried about going to WW and getting on the scale for my weigh in.  In my typical "I must be prepared fashion," I weighed myself at home before leaving.  I know, weird considering I knew I had lost.  I guess I wanted to know roughly how much I had lost.  

Once arriving at WW, I took my shoes off (what, you think I'm crazy enough to add unnecessary ounces to my weight -- I don't think so!) and stepped in the scale.  The number I saw shocked me!  It read 1.8 pounds BELOW what my scale at home read.  The gal at the computer doing the weigh-ins looked at the scale, looked at my log book, looked back at the scale, then looked at me.  I smiled and told her what she was seeing is probably correct.  She admitted that she needed to double check because a weight loss like I had just recorded was rare.  Thanks to my cleanse, my WW log recorded a 4.8 pound LOSS last week!!  WOOT!  I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.  

During the meeting I announced my loss during the celebration time.  The leader asked me what I had done differently.  I said a little about this challenge, being careful not to name the company my supplements are through.  I did admit that I had not been tracking my foods -- oops!  After we left my mom told me I probably should not have admitted that.  Basically what I had done was admit at a WW meeting that I am using a system that is not theirs and lost 4.8 pounds in a week.  I guess hind-sight is 20/20 after all (or if you're my former carpool buddy it's 50/50).  

Yesterday's food log:

7:35 - SPARK and pro-biotoc vitimans

8:00 - breakfast - raspberries and omega 3's

12:10 - lunch - salad of spinach, goat cheese, strawberries, sunfolwer seeds, and light raspberry vinaigrette; apple with organic pb, and omega 3's

6:45 - dinner - Pizza Hut salad bar w/ lo cal dressing.

10:30 - Herbal cleanse vitamins

I did manage to get to the gym after dinner and cranked out a good three mile run.  Unfortunately, the gal running next to me had a rather large and not well supported/covered bosom and had several nip slips.  EEK!  

Weight loss:  -1 (-6 total)

BMI: -.1% (-.5% total)

Stay tuned.... my dash isn't complete.

24 Day Challenge - Day 4 & 5

Again, my apologies for not posting yesterday. Also, my apologies for getting off track on my posting of days; I know Saturday's food log and such is missing.  I'm no doctor, but I think you'll survive without it.  Life is crazy right now.  Stay with me, I promise we'll get through this together......

 I participated in a kickball tournament for work (my team placed 3 out of 16 teams) and it was a BLAST!  Usually, when I play kickball it's with a bunch of 7-10 year olds at work, but playing with adults was so fun!  I'm not going to lie, my legs are a little sore today from sprinting from base to base.  After the tournament I had some time before attending a birthday celebration for my best mate's husband, so I decided to hit the gym and crank out a couple miles.  

Yesterday marked the halfway point of the 10 days cleanse portion of this challenge.  I'm feeling great!  I don't know yet if I can SEE a difference in myself, but I am beginning to FEEL a difference.  I know I am my own biggest critic, so the fact that I'm not seeing anything yet is not surprising to me.  Hopefully before this is all said and done I will see some progress.  I did take some before pictures to, hopefully, help me see the progress I have made.  

Yesterday's food log:

9:00ish - SPARK with ProBiotic Restore vitamins

9:35 - Raspberries with omega 3 vitamins

1:15 - snack consisting of natural trail mix

4:20 - lunch (I know, really late, but remember I was kickballin'): spinach salad with strawberries, goat cheese, sunflower seeds, and light raspberry vinaigrette, omega 3 vitamins

7:00 - dinner out: club salad (minus the bacon and sub bacon dressing for raspberry vinaigrette) -- MAJOR success being out to eat with friends and not cheating!

10:30 - Herbal cleanse vitamins

In between meals I started taking a Catalyst supplement.  This is a vitamin that blocks my body from burning my muscle while on a reduce calorie diet.  I'm really not wanting to lose the unusually large muscle I have.

Weight progress:  -.5 (-4 total on my scale, -6.2 on official weigh in scale)

BMI: -.4% (I just started tracking this.)

Today is day 6, and also WW weigh in night.  For the first time in WEEKS, I am not dreading the weigh in with fingers crossed that the number has gone down.  I KNOW it has gone down!  Usually, I would be out-of-this-world pumped with the number I saw on the scale this morning - I haven't been this low since BEFORE my wedding (over 6 years ago).  Don't get me wrong, I was happy, but I know this journey isn't done for me.  I have so much motivation now and cannot wait to reach my ultimate goal!  If When I get these last 6 pounds off I will be out-of-this-world PUMPED! 

Stay tuned - my dash isn't complete......

24 Day Challege - Day 3

For starters, sorry about my lack of post yesterday.  TGI(was)F is all I have to say!  Yesterday was one crazy day! I completed my day 3 cleanse and feel great!  I was exhausted last night, but I think that was more because my day was, literally, non stop. 

Yesterday's food log:

7:40 - SPARK (grape)

8:20ish - breakfast: fiber drink, omega 3, strawberries, raspberries, and pineapple

12:05 - lunch: omega 3, spinach salad w/ cucumber, mushrooms, tomato, hb egg, and raspberry vinaigrette, and an apple with organic pb

7:20ish - dinner: spinach salad w/ strawberries, goat cheese, sunflower seeds, and raspberry vinaigrette 

before bed - herbal cleanse vitamins

Weight progress: -1 (-2 total)

Mini victory: Walking in the homecoming parade with my colleagues and students from school without craving eating any of the candy we tossed out to the crowd.

So there you have it.  Today is Day 4.

Weight progress: -1.5 (-3.5 total)

  I SPARKed as I began writing this, now it's time for some breakfast.  I'm thinking an apple with organic peanut butter.  I'm telling you, if you haven't gotten on board with organic pb, hop on the train!  This is some good stuff!  High in protein and low in sugar.  

Lunch will probably be a giant spinach salad with strawberries, goat cheese, sunflower seeds, and raspberry vinaigrette ('cause it rocked my eyelash tubes off last night).  I'm playing in a coed dodgeball tournament this afternoon with people from work (yea, my job rocks) so I'll pack a few hard boiled eggs for snack.  I'm not sure yet what dinner will be.  Perhaps a new recipe.  

Stay tuned... My dash isn't complete.

24 Day Challenge - Day 2

Day two is almost in the books....  Results from day one = -1 pound  WOOT!

I'll post more about today, tomorrow.  I'm off to bed.  Night, all!

24 Day Challenge - Day 1

A couple friends and I are beginning a 24 day challenge to get healthy.  We are on the quest to slim down, and get our beach babe bodies (yes, we are aware that winter is on it's way).  I'll document my journey along the way in hopes that I see some progress in my long task of shedding some lbs's. 

So far today has gone well.  I drank my energy drink this morning, which surprisingly was delicious!  Had my fiber drink and vitamins with my breakfast of raspberries and just finished taking my vitamins with my lunch consisting of a spinach salad with raspberry vinaigrette and apple slices with peanut butter.  YUM!  

I haven't decided what we'll have for dinner tonight, but you can bet your sweet tush it will be something packed with protein with a giant side of grilled carrots (for me) and grilled asparagas (for the hubs).   

Lastly, before bed, I'll down my herbal cleanse vitamins.  Here's to getting healthy and eating clean!

If I'm brave, I'll post before and after pictures at the end of this 24 day challenge.  Be on the lookout......