Summer Slimdown - One Week Check-in | Fitness Friday

This first week has been awesome! I feel better and I look better (in my opinion). I am excited to see what kind of changes happen in the next 10 weeks. The changes aren't extremely apparent in these pictures but my stomach feels so much less bloated and swollen than it did a week ago! Plus my measurements are already starting to change.

Weight - 155.2 lbs (-1.2 lbs)

Height - 5'4"

BMI - 26.6 (overweight)

Bust - 38 1/2" (no change)

Waist - 32" (-1")

Hips - 38 1/2" (-1/2")

Butt - 40 1/4" (-3/4)

Thighs - 24 1/4" (-1/4")

Bicep - 10 3/4" (-1")

Updates on what I'm doing:

Diet:
I have not had ONE SINGLE SODA POP and I am so proud of myself. Like I said last week in my starting point post (https://tinyurl.com/y9o2zuhv) I have a soda addiction. It was hard to kick it in the butt but I think I did a pretty decent job. I definitely noticed that I am less bloated now that I'm not consuming 1-3 cans of carbonated sugar a day! I also have been really good about drinking my coffee unsweetened. Sunday is my cheat day so I will let myself have creamer in my coffee on Sunday's but that's it. I also did not deprive myself this week which was really important to me. I didn't have time to pack a lunch a couple of mornings and I had to order something but what I did was just try to order the healthiest option and STOP EATING WHEN I WAS FULL! The main thing I focused on with diet was being conscious of what I was eating and just making the healthiest choices I could without burning out. No one wants to eat nothing but grilled chicken and broccoli, you know?

Exercise:
OK, I know I said I wasn't going to do any kind of workouts but I sort of did. I just did fun things like play basketball for an hour (which burns a lot of calories actually) and walked places instead of driving. I just felt so good that I wanted to jumpstart it even more. Then towards the end of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Today) I went to the gym and it felt so good to be working out again. I feel like I forgot that I don't actually hate working out. I just need motivation sometimes.

I think when I reach 140 pounds I might reward myself by buying either some cute workout clothes or some 1Up Nutrition products! You gotta give yourself something to work towards. :)

How I Budget | Whatever Wednesday

Budgeting is never a fun task. No one says, "Sorry, I'd rather be home working on my budget." However, budgeting is a CRUCIAL part of adulthood. Not fun, crucial. I have seen a lot of budget plans and videos out there and none of them have worked for me. I finally just sat down with a legal pad and wrote out my expenses versus income and tried to figure it out from there. I'm going to walk you through the steps I take to figure out my monthly budget so that maybe you can do it too.

(DISCLAIMER): I split all of my expenses with my boyfriend whom I live with so this is just kind of my share of things.

The first thing I do is figure out how much I am actually taking home. I multiply by 0.75 to figure that out because it gives me a smaller number than I will realistically bring home which I prefer rather than thinking I have more money and then not having it. I currently am only working thirty hours a week because I am in college and have a hefty work load as it is.

Next I write up all of my expenses for the month and the amounts (rounded up) of how much each of them cost me. This gives me a ballpark of where I'll be sitting after all the payments have been made. As you can see my current expenses are running me about $760.

That will leave me with approximately $50 after all of those payments. Again, I want to point out that I am working with approximations here. I work in a place that I get tips, usually upwards of $30-$50 dollars a week. Those tips I don't budget in because that's what I like to call "Fun Money". Fun money can be for anything from going out to lunch to going to get my hair cut. I also save A LOT so this is just a bare minimum income budget. 

I hope this helped you in some way to see how I budget and maybe use some of my techniques to incorporate into your own budget which I hope will help you manage your money better.

$160 Worth Of Makeup For $87.91?! | Makeup Monday

I love makeup! I would spend my entire paycheck on makeup if I could. Of course, I have a budget, just like most of you probably do. So I am always looking for ways to save money and still get amazing, high-end makeup. One way that I do that is with a Boxycharm subscription (posts to come showing the April box). However, one place that I LOVE to shop for makeup is discount shops. Marshall's and T.J. Maxx are the best place that I have found that sell awesome Sephora brands but sometimes Ross even has some! Here are some of the cool things that I found at this most recent shopping spree in Marshall's.

Ardell Eyelashes - Regular Price $10.00 / Marshall's Price $7.99

These are a neat find but they weren't overly exciting for me because you can usually find inexpensive lashes at Marshall's. $2 off MSRP isn't a huge markdown but when you enjoy wearing lashes a lot, it's good to save some money in the process. I bought a natural and glamour pack for $7.99 each. 

Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Foundation - Regular Price $11.99 / Marshall's Price $2.99

Usually when I find super discounted foundations, they are not my shade or even close to it. So I was super excited to find this specific foundation in a shade that works on me. I have been wanting to try this foundation out for a long time because  I have seen it circulating the beauty community on YouTube but I have a ton of foundations that I haven't used up yet so I couldn't justify spending money on another one. That is until I saw it for $3 at Marshall's. I couldn't pass up that kind of deal.

Lorac TANtalizer Baked Bronzer - Regular Price $12 / Marshall's Price $7.99

I'm not gonna lie, anytime I'm at Marshall's I have my eye out for name brand makeup. It's not like I don't love drugstore makeup but that's already something that I buy a lot whereas name brand (or high-end, if you prefer) is kind of a treat for me. I was pumped when I found this bronzer, even though I'm pretty sure it's been discontinued because I couldn't find it on Lorac's website, Sephora, or Ulta. 

Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipsticks - Regular Price $19 / Marshall's Price $7.99

I cannot even begin to explain how excited I was to find these lipsticks! I have always wanted to try Kat Von D's lipsticks but I couldn't justify spending $19 on one. I got the colors Motorhead and Vampira which are both very vampy, dark colors which are right up my alley. Plus, over half off MSRP is a huge steal!

 Left is Motorhead
 Right is Vampira

GlamGlow Lip Balm Treatment - Regular Price $19 / Marshall's Price $9.99

Glamglow is another one of those brands that I have always wanted to try and have heard a lot about. But, again, the products are so pricey that it would be a big treat for me to splurge on something like that. $10 is still kind of a lot for me to spend on a lip balm but I have heard such great things about this brand that I couldn't help myself. I got the colors Kiss And Tell and Sugar Plum.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Aurora - Regular Price $40 / Marshall's Price $24.99

OK, this was definitely the highlight of my trip (pun intended). I was done my shopping and had decided that I had spent enough money when I see this beauty behind the cash register. Of course I had to ask to see it and after I did there was no going back. I bought, not only one, but two of these glow kits. One for me and one for my sister. Not quite half off, but close enough to make it more than worth it!

The Verdict:

Overall, I bought $159 worth of makeup for $87.91 and, to me, that is a good day. If you are someone who loves a good deal I would highly recommend checking out your local Marshall's or T.J. Maxx!

A couple other goodies I found 

Regular Price $5-$10 each / Marshall's Price $3.99 each

Regular Price $5.99 each / Marshall's Price $3.99 each

Regular Price $7 / Marshall's Price $4.99

My Summer Slimdown - Friday, April 6th, 2018 | Fitness Friday

I don't know about you but I am in the mood to be super hot this summer. One of my goals is to get rid of this mom belly that I have been carrying around for two and a half years now and feel comfortable in a bikini. I wanted to share this journey with all of you so that maybe you can get some inspiration and join in with me and it will also keep me accountable... I think. I am going to be very raw with you guys here which will include pictures. This is something that makes me nervous simply because I am not super happy with where my body is at but I hope that you will all respect me and realize that this is just where I am with my journey right now.

Weight - 156.4

Height - 5'4"

BMI - 26.8 (overweight)

Bust - 38"

Waist - 33"

Hips - 39"

Butt - 41"

Thighs - 24 1/2"

Bicep - 11 3/4"

What I'm Doing

Diet:
For this first week I want to just ease in and make sure I don't overwhelm myself too much so as far as diet went, one of the main things I watched was my added sugar intake. I started drinking my coffee breve and with no syrup (I work in a coffee shop). I also cut soda out completely which is a challenge for me because I have a slight soda addiction. One other thing that I am doing but I'm not going to be too cautious of is cutting down on carbs slightly. I am still eating pasta, just not as often and smaller servings. I am also trying to drink 80 ounces of water a day at the very minimum!

Exercise:
I am going to be straight up honest with you guys and tell you that I don't like to work out. I don't have a lot of time in my day and I spend most of the day being active anyways. I might start integrating workouts as I go but as far as the first week goes I am going to just make sure I am up walking and not sitting on my butt as much as possible as well as doing softball practice since it's warming up outside. Easing in, remember?

My Goals:
So I am thinking that I will keep these posts up until at least the 22nd of June which is the Friday after the first day of summer. That being said, I don't expect to look like a Victoria's Secret model in three months but I would like to see some visible changes. I do want to lose some weight but I don't have a set number and I want to see some change with my stomach. I think I would like to lose three inches minimum on my waist!

I am so excited to change my body and my life and I hope you guys will join me on this journey!

Guess Who's Back...

I'll give you a hint... It's not Shady. Okay, that was pretty lame, I'm not gonna lie. But yes, I am back at it again trying to successfully run a cool, interesting, and popular blog. I've given up so many times before when I saw that some of my posts were getting only three or four views. But this time I have decided that I am doing this just for me as a sort of creative outlet and to share my love for beauty, organization, motherhood, and everything in between. I plan to stick with it this time but I am a mom and I am in college so it might not be as consistent as I would like. Anyways, hopefully you guys will stick around with me and allow me to show you some cool stuff. I have some neat ideas to share with you guys in the next couple of moths so stay tuned!

July Recap 2017

OK guys, so I am going to try out a new kind of blog post at the end of every month which is kind of like a recap of the month and everything that happened. I feel like this will be a nice way to let you guys in to a more personal side of me and show you something other than recipes and things like that.

So July... July was pretty standard but also a very exciting month for me. I started work on the last day of July at a hospital that I have dreamed of working at since I had my son there in 2015. I am going to be working on the surgical unit as a CNA which means that I will mostly be cleaning out bedpans, doing ADL's, and making sure that pre-op and post-op patients are really well taken care of. I am really excited about this and will definitely be making more posts about this job and my career in general in the future.

Another exciting thing that happened in July is that I lost 10 lbs!! If you guys want to see a post on how I did that please let me know and I will get that up some time this month. It was a frustrating process but it was so worth it because just from the month that I have been doing this I feel so much better and I have noticed a difference in the way I look.

Other than those things there is not a whole lot to report until next month's recap. Thank you for reading and taking an interest in my personal life. I hope you guys will join me next Monday for my next post!

Ciao

My Honest Morning Routine As a SAHM To a Toddler

One thing that I have learned since becoming a toddler-mom is that routine is really everything. Children, especially young children, thrive on routine. When things are chaotic and they don't know what to expect next, they are going to tend to react to that unsteadiness and stress badly. This is why I find it so important to have a solid morning routine that both me and my son can depend on day after day.

Now, I'd like to sit here and tell you all that I wake up at 5 am and make my family an organic breakfast and we don't watch TV all day, blah blah blah... Yeah right. This is going to be my honest-to-God actual morning routine. I'm a mess just like everyone else!

DISCLAIMER: This is an average day Monday through Friday meaning that my boyfriend would be at work. If you'd like me to talk about my weekend morning routine which includes him let me know in the comments.

Waking Up - 6 am (sometimes)
I'd love to say that I wake up early every single morning to see my boyfriend off to work and then spend some time with my coffee and devotions everyday but honestly that's rarely how it goes. I will wake up anywhere from 6 am to 9 am (sometimes even 10 if Benjamin lets me get away with it.) and most of the time my boyfriend ends up kissing me on the cheek while I'm barely awake enough to say "I love you." However, on a good day I will get up at 6 and spend at least a couple of moments with him before he heads off to work for the day.

Mommy Time - 6:30 am to 8 am
If I get up before 7:30 I can usually squeeze in a little time for myself. I try not to fall into the trap of laying on the couch and turning the TV on but sometimes that does happen. What I aim for instead is to start my coffee (a necessity) and do some bullet journaling! Bullet journaling has become one of my favorite projects in the past month because it gives me a creative way to plan and it has definitely kept me more organized. I can usually get away with a half an hour to an hour and a half of mommy time before my little man wakes up.

Time To Start My Day - 8 am
Benjamin is generally up at around 7:30 to 8 am every day and, if I'm up first, it's really adorable to watch him run through the hallway to me with a huge smile and outstretched arms. We will usually cuddle on the couch for about a half an hour or so before he starts asking for "Num-Nums" and that's when I know it's time for me to get my butt up and make him some breakfast.

Breakfast - 8:30 am to 9 am
We like to switch things up when it comes to breakfast a lot in our house so it kind of depends on the day what we might be eating. Usually it is either eggs with cheese, oatmeal, or cold cereal unless I'm feeling a little extra that day! I usually try to add some fruit in with our breakfast as well and that also changes due to whatever we feel like eating. Breakfast usually takes about a half an hour and Benjamin really doesn't eat a lot at this meal.

Tidy-Up Time - 9 am to 10 am
Although I should be using this time to get the both of us ready for the day I usually use it to tidy up the kitchen and dining room from the breakfast mess (and sometimes the mess from dinner the night before... Shh). At this point Benjamin is probably watching Little Baby Bum or Strawberry Shortcake so that I can get all of the mess cleaned up in under an hour. In this time I can usually put all the food away, unload and load the dishwasher, clean the counters and floors, and put all the food away.

Time To Get Ready - 10 am to 12 pm
Getting us ready can take a long time so I am going to say a good two hours just for the sake of total transparency. Our getting ready depends on the day and what we are doing but generally we will shower or bathe, get dressed, and do hair and makeup (mostly me but, you know, Ben can be adventurous). Unless we are going somewhere this isn't rushed and it is a nice, relaxing way for us to start our day off right!

This is honestly how our mornings go most days while my boyfriend is at work. It isn't as relaxed as the mornings on the weekends but it is also not as structured as when I was in school or as it will be when I go to work at the end of this month. Right now it's what works for us.

Please leave me a comment down below letting me know what you do for your morning routine that I may have forgotten so that I can maybe add it in to mine and make my mornings a little more productive! Thanks for reading if you made it this far and I will talk to you guys next time!
Bye!