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Friday, February 12, 2016
AMAZING 3 Day Refresh Results
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Thursday, February 11, 2016
Weight Loss Victories
Do you have a little itty bitty accomplishment? Even the smallest of accomplishments are actually HUGE! How many times have we overlooked the smallest moments of our lives because we haven't made it to the final goal yet? I know it can seem silly, but somedays I celebrate the fact that I got my workout in, because my day was so hectic or crazy. Or a few months ago I celebrated the fact that I could fit in a sports bra I got that ended up originally being too small. Don't lose sight of the little accomplishments that you make in life. In anything. Because before you know it, that time will be past and there will be something else to celebrate!
~New pant size- celebrate it
~New outfit fits-celebrate it
~lost 2 pounds- celebrate it
~been stuck at a plateau and finally moved past it? CELEBRATE IT!
Losing weight is hard to do. So celebrate your accomplishments. Not with sweets and treats or a big slice of cake. But make it known to your friends. Post about it on Facebook. BRAG ABOUT IT! You deserve to brag about it and don't let anyone bring you down.
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Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Saying Good-bye To A Family Pet
(Archer's last picture before we left to forever say goodbye)
Yesterday was such a hard day for the Allen household. Our dog of over 13 years took a turn for the worse this past weekend. We took him to the vet on Monday to have him checked out and blood work done. We received the results yesterday morning. Archer, our Puggle, was suffering from 3 different very bad diseases, only one of them were were aware of in November, with slightly elevated liver levels. But the other two were very aggressive. With him fighting 3 diseases out vet advised that he was just too sick to help him out. We knew he was in pain and suffering and less than an hour later we said our final goodbye. The vet said that he is a fighter because of what was wrong with him. He wanted to be with us even though it was really hard and painful for him.
It was bittersweet to be with him as he passed knowing that he will feel so much better and without pain but also knowing how quiet our house and lives will be without him and how sad we all will be. He was apart of our marriage since the beginning. We will never forget him. The vet gave us a clay paw print to remember him by. Which was a nice gift.
First of all, these pregnancy hormones are HORRIBLE! I cried almost all day long. And any little thing just sent me off. But he was my best bud. He was always my shadow. Hanging around me. He even knew I was pregnant before I did and made sure to protect me more (he became an even bigger shadow when I was pregnant.) He was a sweet dog. Very good with kids (unless Mason pestered him too much, then he would pitch a fit.) He was a snuggle bug, spending most winter as my personal furnace in my bed. He had a long life and I am pretty sure he was happy, always knew he was loved. It is a hard thing to say goodbye to your household pet that is a family member.
We got Archer from a pet shop just 3 months after our marriage. When we had decided on him, he was the runt of the litter and the most submissive, were almost done with the paperwork, I asked what his birthday was. We found out that it was our wedding day. It was fate! Also, we were originally going to name him Porthos, after the Beagle on Enterprise, but it didn't fit him at all. So we went with the Captain of the Enterprise, Archer and his middle name, Malcolm, is from the armory officer on the same ship. Archer Malcolm Allen became part of our family. We had so many years with him.
Here are some tips that we used to help Mason cope with the loss of his dog:
So Mason doesn't quite understand what is happening. But we decided that we need to be upfront with him. The "going to sleep" thing wasn't working and honestly I didn't want Mason to think that when he goes to sleep he won't wake up either. So we have been very up front telling Mason that Archer is very sick and that the doctor can't help him anymore. That we have to help him by letting him to go sleep and dying. Mason is now telling us that Archer died today. He is sad, but he isn't confused. Or at least he understands a little bit about it. He does keep asking when can we go back and get Archer. Which we remind him that Archer died. Then he says that Archer is with Jesus eating, and getting strong. One comment he made that just shattered my heart was, "Can Jesus send him back for a little bit to play with me?" Oh so sad, but it is what it is. So be upfront with your kids. Help them understand as much as they can, and think about how much you want them to know. but the biggest thing for them is to just be upfront.
Coping with loss of dog for adults:
Apparently males and females process this different. I have been crying and sad all day long, and Matt has been more internal. I know he is sad, but he isn't showing it. I suspect to be strong for me. Take time to accept what happened. Take time to be sad. To grieve. It's ok. Don't be quick to get another dog to replace your previous one. Honestly, we have said for many years that we wouldn't get another dog. I don't think we will. But only time will tell. Probably not until the kids are much older is what I am thinking. But be sad. Take time. It is not shameful.
Dogs are only with us for so long. Take the time to enjoy your 4 legged family member as long as you can. Remember the good memories! To Archer, I miss you already puppy. I hope you are enjoying your time pain-free in puppy heaven, and playing with your best buddy, Bubba. Love you Archer.
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Tuesday, February 9, 2016
New runDisney Race Costume Guidelines
RunDisney is getting more "strict" about costumes, because they have to. People are getting more and more creative and some things they are doing are just becoming a safety hazard for the runner themselves or those around them. Check them out!
NEW runDisney Race Costume Guidelines:
- Costumes must be family-friendly and may not be obstructive, offensive, objectionable or violent.
- Guests who dress like Characters may not pose for pictures or sign autographs for other Guests.
- Costumes may not contain any weapons that resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon.
- Costumes may not contain sharp objects, pointed objects or materials that may accidentally strike another Guest.
- For runDisney participants ages 13 and under:
- Costumes and some masks may be worn, as long the mask does not cover the entire face and eyes are visible.
- For runDisney participants ages 14 and older:
- Layered costumes, that could conceal prohibited items, are not permitted (e.g. Jedi robes).
- Costume props, including those that surround the entire body (e.g. Death Star, UP House) are not permitted.
- Costumes may not reach or drag on the ground. (e.g. full-length Princess dresses)
- Capes may be worn if the length does not go below the waist.
- Themed T-shirts, blouses, sweatshirts, and hats are acceptable.
- Acceptable accessories include: transparent wings, plastic light sabers, toy swords, and tutus. Headwear may be worn as long as it does not cover the face.
- Guests may not wear masks of any kind.
Please note that while costumed attire may be worn during runDisney events, Guests 14 and older are not permitted to wear costumed attire in the theme parks. As a result, Guests may need to change their attire prior to visiting the parks after participating in a runDisney race.
Guests who do not adhere to these guidelines may be refused entry into, and/or removed from, a race or any race related event/activity unless his or her costume can be modified to meet the above standards.
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Make sure as you prepare your costume that you adhere to these rules. At the WDW Marathon Weekend in January, there were check points monitoring costumes. And to be honest, I saw women wearing full length tulle skirts which made no sense to me at all! Look at what you are making and does it create a small bubble of space around you. I wouldn't do anything more than 12 inches out from my body. (avg tulle skirts are 9-12 inches long, which do give you that personal space bubble when running in very large crowds.) I hope everyone is having fun putting the final touches on their costumes. And I can not wait to see what they look like!
Want to read more about my Princess Half Marathon Experience? Check out the whole series here:
Princess Half Marathon: The Race
Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!
Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!
Monday, February 8, 2016
22 Minute Hard Corps #BOD Exclusive Sneak Peek
A little background history on how this program came into play. After Tony's dad passed away the family found out that he was a huge support of the Wounded Warrior project, making donations every single month. Tony himself has been a huge support of the military, traveling to bases to train the soldiers, and visit with them with the USO tours. He wanted to show his support and even include the military in his newest military style workout.
What makes this workout so unique is that every workout features REAL VETS doing the workout with you. It is not set to a fun upbeat style of music. It is set to military drum corps cadence. And they count each rep just like in military PT (physical training). The workouts are only 22 minutes long. There isn't a whole lot of time explaining what the exercise looks like, because it is basically the typical workout moves you are already pretty familiar with. The goal, or your mission directive, is to keep up as much as you can. It is a fast paced 22 minutes. No time for breaks ( you get 22 seconds 3 times), and if you have to take a break he asks that you at least march in place.
Matt is my Army Officer. I had him do the workouts with me. He has been so excited for this program since it was announced last summer at the annual Beachbody convention. After yesterdays workout, he is convinced that the workout will be part of many military bases daily PT exercises. And the fact that it is only 22 minutes makes it that much more enticing to the military. Start and get done fast! So for a military stand point this is going to be a very popular workout series for military personal! (If you are military, contact me to learn how to get your military discount on all Beachbody products!) And the fact that Matt enjoyed it so much, yeah, he can't wait till March 1st to get his hands on this workout!
Check out the official Promo Video here!
I applaud Tony on bringing this program in fruition! It is an amazing concept and a great way to support our military. Want to get your hands on a copy of 22 Minute Hard Corps? Sign up here to get on the list to be notified the moment it is out and to be entered in for a chance to win a FREE copy of 22 Minutes Hard Corps!
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Friday, February 5, 2016
Active Maternity on Beachbody On Demand
Last summer at Beachbody's annual conference, Summit, they announced that they were releasing a pregnancy workout. I was so excited. Hoping it would be similar to 21 Day fix, but it is just a little tease in a way. They released it on the online streaming through Beachbody, which is great, because I can just take my laptop and workout anywhere. And they gave us a workout for each of the different trimesters. YEA! how awesome! I am going to be trying it out this week. I am really excited to see what they have. And it is with my favorite, lover her and hate her trainer, Autumn Calabrese! Check out these little snippets of each workout! Oh and if you are interested in signing up to get Beachbody On Demand to get these workouts or TONS MORE! Click here or just send me an email and we can chat!
1st Trimester workout: Get Stable
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Wednesday, February 3, 2016
February Book Club
Book club! Love doing these because, I LOVE READING! Each day I start my day with reading and end it too! It is one of my must do things during my day.
Ok two awesome books as usual going on here!
So for book 1:
Fearless & Fabulous: 10 Powerful Strategies for Getting Anything You Want in Life by Cara Alwill Leyba ---- Bonus! It is FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
What would you do if you weren't afraid? Imagine waking up every day knowing the world is literally at your perfectly manicured fingertips? Imagine living in a reality dripping with glittering opportunity and lush experiences at every turn? Imagine having the intuition to know how to handle every situation with total grace and discernment? I'm going to let you in on a secret: that life exists right at the edge of your comfort zone. And it's available to you once you learn to become fearless. Fear can be responsible for changing your life – for better or for worse. If fear persists, you run the risk of missing out on some of the greatest experiences life has to offer. If you can overcome your fears, you open yourself up to a world beyond your wildest imagination. A fearless and fabulous woman is someone who recognizes her desires, has the confidence to chase her dreams, and believes that everything is possible. She does not believe in the word “failure.” She redefines it. To the fearless and fabulous woman, a “failure” is just a signal that she needs to change her course and try a new way of doing something. She thinks positively, takes consistent action toward her goals, and never gives up. This book will help you cultivate the qualities that every fearless and fabulous woman possesses. It will arm you with ten powerful strategies that will help you overcome your fears and live the extraordinary life you’re meant to live. It will encourage you to challenge old ways of thinking and kick the status quo to the curb (in your most gorgeous pair of Jimmy Choos, of course!) So put your worries aside and dust off those dreams, sister. You are about to become fearless and fabulous!
Book 2:
66 PERCENT OF SMALL BUSINESSES FAIL--AND IT'S NOT FOR THE REASONS YOU THINK.
WHY DO THEY FAIL?
That is what SUCCESS Publisher Darren Hardy set out on a mission to discover.
What he found was startling. All the previously reported reasons and assumptions for the failure rate (capital, location, credit, inventory management, and competition) were wrong.
Failure was not due to outside factors--they were internal. They weren't economic--they were emotional. The unexpected and terrifying emotional roller coaster an entrepreneur experiences is the greatest factor in why most quit and ultimately fail.
BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY.
The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster: Why Now Is The Time To #JoinTheRide, will prepare you for the wild ride of entrepreneurship. It will warn you (of forthcoming fears, doubts, and the self-defeating conditioning of your upbringing and past), inoculate you (from the naysayers, dream-stealers, and pains of rejection and failure), and guide you (as you build those under-developed skills of independence, self-motivation, and self-accountability) safely past the land mines that blow up and cause the failure of 66 percent of all new businesses.
You will learn the best strategies Darren has ever collected from the most successful people on the planet, covering the four essential skills necessary for entrepreneurial success: Sales, Recruiting, Leadership, and Productivity.
This book is for you if:
You've dreamed of having your own business but have a fear of the unknown.You've stayed on the sidelines of entrepreneurship, not knowing what to expect or what to do.
You're already on board as an entrepreneur, but you want to ensure you re a success and not a statistic.
BUY THIS BOOK... AND ENJOY THE MOST THRILLING RIDE OF YOUR LIFE!
Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!
Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
February 28 Day Push-Up Challenge
Say bye-bye to that arm jiggle! Seriously! Wanna try a 28 day push up challenge for February? Great way to help build up your upper body strength! This is still my most popular monthly workout so, let's do it again! Who's with me? Check out the calendar below!
Want more workouts ideas? Click HERE!
Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!
Monday, February 1, 2016
Pregnancy After Miscarriage or Loss
These feelings are real. They are true. And I can almost guarantee that any woman who has gone through a miscarriage (and knew about it) or a loss has felt these feelings one time or another when they found out they were expecting again. It is so hard to get excited for something that can easily just disappear. It is so hard to want to open yourself back up for the possibility to be broken hearted again. I literally had a cry fest and lost it when I was in my docs office. Because I told him I was so scared for the same thing to happen to me again. I didn't and don't want to go through that again, nor do I want to almost lose my life again.
If you have friends who have gone through a miscarriage or loss, they might not tell you until they are much further along about the fact that they are expecting. I only did, because of what I do. And honestly, I hate having to cover up how my workouts have been suffering because I am exhausted, or I am so sick to my stomach. So for me it was only natural to let everyone know so early. Plus, we really feel it is important to honor every pregnancy no matter how long because it took us so long to get pregnant. It truly is a blessing that I can get pregnant naturally now.
If you have friends who are pregnant again, support them. Be excited for them. Because they are scared. They need someone strong for them, to believe that everything is going to be ok, even though they don't believe it themselves. Talk with them. Encourage them to get out, exercise, eat healthy. Not to stay in. Because that can cause them to reflect on their pregnancy and former loss. Oh and yes, encourage them to go on a walk with you, or ask about exercise. Because they are not going to want to for fear that they are going to cause another miscarriage. The best thing they can do for themselves and baby, is to be as healthy as possible. I honestly believe, since this is now my 6th pregnancy, that if it is meant to happen, it will happen. There is nothing that I can do to stop a miscarriage.
For me I am just trying to take each day as it goes. Praying that I make it one more day and that the little soul inside of me is developing perfectly. That all will go well, and that we will get to meet our new baby in about 8 months from now.
Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!
Friday, January 29, 2016
Fit and Healthy Pregnancy #3
BABY #3 IS On Its Way, Again!!!! And with the same due date as my last pregnancy. Weird huh!
To be honest with you, we thought I was broken. My cycles have been so off since the miscarriage. Never regular and all over the place. We didn't think I could get pregnant again. Matt even scheduled a deployment so that we could save some $$ to pay for fertility treatment again, just to get pregnant. Apparently we don't need to do that anymore!
I have been in major denial, sad, angry, confused. I haven't let myself really be happy yet. And that is ok, considering what I went through last year. I didn't even want to share the news this quickly either. What if it happens again? But you know what? Every pregnancy is a miracle. Every pregnancy is a blessing. And I should know as it took us 8 years to get our first positive test after years of trying! So regardless of what happens. I still want to celebrate and honor this and every pregnancy. The main thing I am doing right now is trying to be as healthy as possible for me and the baby. So here we go again! Another fit and healthy pregnancy to share with all of you! Hope you enjoy the journey!
Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!
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