about me, health, Whole 30

Thoughts on Whole 30

I did it. I finished my third round of Whole 30! After the initial OMG what have I gotten myself into again thoughts on around day three when I would have stabbed someone for a splash of coffee creamer and a hunk of cheese. Or when I had a rough rough rough day at work and I just wanted a damn glass of wine!!!! After those thoughts, I have to admit that this has been my easiest round of Whole 30 to date. The only thing I truly missed was my coffee creamer. Dare I say that I rarely noticed that I wasn’t consuming cheese. I know. Crazy.

Image result for how I feel on day 30 of whole 30

I do Whole 30 because it works for me. It detoxes my system and strips away all the cravings for sugar laden foods and reminds me of how awesome my body feels when I am fueling it properly. Do I think Whole 30 is sustainable past the 30 days? Not really. It is very strict and doesn’t allow for any splurges. To me, life is too short not to enjoy things you love. I have so many people who tell me they could never do it because of the cheese or bread restrictions. I used to say the same thing. It is amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it!

I have to say, I feel absolutely AMAZING!!!! The results are in, I lost a total of 8 pounds. It might not be a big number, and I have done better in the past. But I wasn’t surprised when I got on the scale this morning. The truth is, I only worked out twice the entire month. And that was this past Monday and Tuesday. I just haven’t gotten my mojo back yet, and that is going to be my focus for February. If I would have put forth the effort to work out five days a week, I know I would have seen better results. But I am ok with that. You cant put a price on how much energy I have had the last few weeks. How much clearer I am thinking. How I haven’t had  single stomach ache all month. I managed to only get slightly sick once, despite the fact that Zoe has brought home a new bug at least once every week. There is something to clean eating!!! That is for sure.

I plan to try and stay 90% paleo now that Whole 30 is over. And I am introducing fitness back into my life after all the laziness on my part over the last year. I will adjust as I see the need once I dive in. And most definitely have a delicious lunch tomorrow with no cares about what is in my food.

January 31, 2018 by
weekend shenanigans

Weekend Shenanigans

Hey there day 29 of Whole 30!!! One more day you guys!!! ONE MORE DAY! Honestly, I was thinking that February 1st was the day I could have coffee creamer again, but I was watching Amy’s Instastories yesterday and she said something about Wednesday and I was like ohhhhh that’s right!!!! It is a 30 day challenge. I dont have to follow the rules of the whole month. Haha. It’s the little things, am I right? Even though I do plan to have a delicious lunch with Laura later this week and finally order my most coveted drink of all the Starbucks drinks this week (BUTTERSCOTCH!!!!!!), I plan to continue on with paleo eating 90% of the time. Or at least for now, anyways. I feel amazing right now and I would like to continue to feel this way.

Anyways, this weekend was pretty low key. We didn’t have any plans, and besides grocery shopping yesterday….we didn’t even leave the house all weekend. I did finish a book in two days, rare for me these days! It is the new book, The Beau and The Belle by RS Grey. It was so cute!!! It is on pre-sale now, and comes out February 1st!!!! I will have my full review up for the Show Us Your Books link up.

Chris and I played a few spirited rounds of Mario Kart. He kicked my ass.

Zoe looked like a ballerina all day Saturday in her pink tutu dress. My mom got it for her for Christmas, and it is on major sale at Old Navy right now!!!!

Of course, there was some delicious Whole30 eats too! This is chicken andouille sausage with peppers, potatoes and onions. It is a new favorite for Chris and he wants it to be our Friday thing from now on. I can get on board with that since it is both delicious and healthy!

And that was basically our weekend! I deep cleaned our master bathroom and cleaned the floors. Reorganized our pantry and the cabinet under the sink. I want to reorganize the rest of my kitchen too, but that will have to be another weekend!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Do you have any big plans coming up in February? Linking up with Biana.

January 29, 2018 by
favorites, friday favorites

Friday Favorites

We are heading in to the last weekend of the month! That is crazy, right?? How many of you have already ditched your resolutions for the year? That is why I don’t make them. I am still going strong on Whole 30. There are just a few days left and I am feeling really good. It is amazing how much better I feel when I am not eating processed shit, dairy and gluten. Makes me really think about how much I am going to bring back in to my life when it is over.

Favorite Moments: I really enjoyed some Asian inspired dishes this week! Egg roll bowl on the left and chicken lo mein (using carrot noodles) on the right. Delicious!!!

This week, Laura and I went to lunch at Urban Cookhouse. They moved their location in Homewood and we loved their new space!!! I am obsessed with their Berry Good Salad and I get it about 90% of the time that I eat there.

I worked from home Monday and Tuesday with a sick Zoe. We haven’t had a full week of school this year yet. Maybe next week will be our week!

I am so so so proud of my oldest nephew. This week, his basketball team won the championship game and today he is being awarded for placing in the academic Top 10 based on his grades over the last few years. He is such an amazing kid. Every time I see him, I feel like he looks older and older. He hovers a good few inches over me already, and he is only in the 7th grade! I hope my sister feels like she is receiving an award today along with him, for raising such a fantastic kid!

Favorite Recipe: How amazing does this tomato soup with meatballs look?? I am going to have to try it soon. Whole 30 approved!

This dairy free and Whole30 compliant tomato basil bisque with Italian meatballs is an easy winter soup with simple ingredients! The perfect paleo dinner the whole family will love.

Favorite Sales Finds: Ann Taylor was having an extra 60% off their clearance last week and I scooped up this cross back sweater and this super pretty pleated tank with some left over Christmas money. They are perfect together or mixed with other pieces. I scored both for under $50 total. Um, yes please!

Favorite Words to Chew On:

That's right !!!!

Favorite Funny:

I am either going out for ice cream, or to commit a heinous crime. I'll decide in the car.

Linking up with Amanda. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

January 26, 2018 by
about me, three things

Three Things

Stealing Jana’s Three Things post because I absolutely LOVE these posts.

Three foods I hate and refuse to eat

1.Okra – stop trying to tell me I just haven’t had good okra. It is the nastiest texture ever and I have tried it fried and baked and every just way and just no. No no no no no. You can have your loogie balls.

2.Grits – See above. I have tried it sweet and savory and every which way and it is still gross.

3.Oysters – bleh

Image result for chips and salsa meme

Three foods I love and eat more of than I should

1.chips and salsa

2.cookies

3. M&Ms

Three things chores I avoid until absolutely necessary

1.Ironing

2.Cleaning the shower

3.Cleaning the sink -Why does it get so gross so quickly? I freaking HATE cleaning out food particles and shit that collects in the drain catcher.

Three chores I always do

1.Laundry

2.Dishes -I cant freaking stand to see dishes in the sink or on the counter. It makes my skin itch.

3.Cleaning the floors

Three wardrobe staples

1.Leggings

2.Cardigans

3.Black -At least half my wardrobe is black.

Three things I don’t spend money on

1.Manicures

2.Expensive kid’s clothes (Have you met a kid? They are messy messy messy and I go through a stain spray bottle about once a week.)

3. Paying people to do my grocery shopping. I am picky and want to choose my own produce and check dates on things.

Three things I do spend money on

1. Skincare

2.Purses

3.Shampoo

Three TV shows I frequently watch in reruns

1.Big Bang Theory

2.How I Met Your Mother

3.Rules of Engagement

Three genres I generally don’t read

1.Horror

2.Sci-Fi

3.Most history

Three things I’m looking forward to this year

1.Seeing all the milestones Zoe will hit this year.

2.Our annual trips to the Beach and Gatlinburg.

3.All the new restaurants I will try.

January 24, 2018 by
beauty, empties

Shower Empties

My empties bag is overflowing! I thought it would be fun to grab all of the ones that are shower related and save the makeup and other skincare for a separate post. All but one of these are found at Target or your favorite drug store, so they are definitely affordable!

Dove Purely Pampering

I used to buy all Bath and Body Works shower gels back in the day. I am not really sure why, I guess for the scent and because it was fun to shop there? The ingredients of their stuff leaves lots to be desired though, so I would rather just grab something at Target and not have to buy six bottles at once to get a better deal. I have used a few bottles of this Purely Pampering line from Dove and I love the scent!!! It does a decent job of not stripping away too much moisture.

Yes to Tomatoes Charcoal Cleanser

This is more like a scrub to me. I love love love the scent and use it once or twice a week at night after I wash my face. You can find it at Target or the drugstore for $10 or less and is a solid choice. Not all the Yes to products are a win for me, but this one is!

OGX Orchid Oil Conditioner

This is marketed for colored hair. I love the smell and packaging. It is a decent drugstore find that I buy regularly, but interchangeably with other similar options. I like to have one drugstore brand set and one higher end set in my shower that I switch use with.

Purity

I have my daily morning holy grail face wash, Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser. I use that ever single day no matter what. At night, after I remove my makeup, I like to use something different. I will use up any free samples or perhaps a drugstore cleanser. I got this one as a gift with purchase and have had it before. It is a decent cleanser, but honestly, there is nothing special about it. I dont even really like the lemony smell that it has. I use it when I get them for free, but I would never seek out to purchase it.

Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Cream

I used Skintimate shave cream for years. I am not really sure why I was ever so loyal to it? It really never did me any favors, that is for sure. Maybe I liked the colorful bottles? Anyways, I picked this up out of desperation to make my shaving experience better. My legs were literally peeling, they were so dry. This is my second or third bottle of the stuff now. I love how smooth it makes my legs feel, and the scent is pleasant and would compliment any body wash/lotion products you plan to use. I have a new go to and will never buy Skintimate again.

So, what shower products are you loving lately? Anything new out there I need to try?

January 23, 2018 by