Product Reviews – Page 4 – Butterbees and Bumbleflies

I. Fit. Well.

In 2010, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. In late 2011, I got pregnant with our first child. I weighed a bit more than I wanted to, but hadn’t really been interested in doing anything about it. At that first check in for Becca’s pregnancy, I weighed 170lbs. Due to my RA and a large flair about midway thru my pregnancy, I got put on prednisone… And gained a LOT of weight. When I went in to deliver her at 38 weeks, I had gained over 75 pounds.

Due to other health issues (gallbladder removal the week after she was born and not being able to eat for almost 8 weeks), I lost that 75 pounds relatively easy (though not in a manner I would recommend!), and when I went in the fall of 2013 for my first appointment with Gray’s pregnancy, I weighed in at 172.

I only gained about 40 pounds with his pregnancy, but found myself in the fall of 2015 18 months from delivery, with no plans for more kids… And weighing around 180-185. I was not happy, and not feeling healthy. I had started going to the gym occasionally- mainly for the playcare room to give me a little reprieve from the kids. (Guilty mama admission there!) But I often made excuses and it definitely wasn’t a regular thing.

Part of our family Christmas photo shoot - I wasn't huge, but was not happy with my body, and certainly wasn't feeling good carrying around extra weight... plus a kid or two. — Part of our family Christmas photo shoot – I wasn’t huge by any means, but was not happy with my body, and certainly wasn’t feeling good carrying around extra weight… plus a kid or two.

Then December rolled around and I was determined to start the gym habit before the January new years crap. At some point, though I don’t remember what date specifically, I walked into the dietician’s office bc my best friend was sitting and chatting with her. I butted into the conversation when she said she was going to do the 52 day Best Body Countdown and said “oh sure I’ll do that with you.” I didn’t even know what it was or what I was signing up for. I was just doing it to support Johannah.

Best friends... not really knowing what we were getting into or how awesome we'd feel 52 days later! — Best friends… not really knowing what we were getting into or how awesome we’d feel 52 days later!

What I didn’t know was how it was going to change my life. Drastically. I’ve been told by several doctors that regular exercise would help my RA- and ease the pressure on my joints. And now? Now I’m seeing that. I have an amazing trainer who in one quick session was able to teach me some really awesome ways to modify exercise to allow for joint pain, and to still push my muscles to build strength. I have learned so much about my body and my own autoimmune hindrances, and I’m learning ways around them. I’m learning how to listen to my body, and stretches, strength training, and cardio routines that are making me not only lose weight, but become a stronger person.

The other piece to the best body pie that I didn’t really think about when I dove in was just that – pie. I have always (esp when pregnant) had a sweet tooth. I find it really hard to pass up baked goods- brownies being top on that list. A good brownie is pretty darn close to Heaven, in my books. So hearing the words “only 5 grams of added sugar a day,” sorta felt like a death sentence. But I was determined. I had paid my money and I was going to do this for Johannah, if not for me. But somewhere around day 45 (about 8 days into the countdown), it became less and less about doing the program just to support her, and more and more about building a healthier me… While supporting her.

A meal sample - with the log from MyFitnessPal with the nutrition info. — A meal sample – with the log from MyFitnessPal with the nutrition info.

Now? I’m proud to say that having a salad with kale, spinach, and swiss chard is my typical lunch. Every day. Instead of being obsessed with ice cream and/or brownies, I pop cherry tomatoes like they are going out of style. I eat peanut butter I’ve fresh ground myself at the store with local honey on a high fiber English muffin as a decadent treat for breakfast every couple days. Breakfast? Oh yeah, I eat breakfast every single day. Three solid meals and a strong snack every day. My water intake wasn’t a problem before, but now I make sure I maintain my regular intake before I consume any other beverages. Pop and tea are a thing of the past. Coffee and wine? They are here to stay, but with the rest of the way I’m living my life, I can easily consume my one or two glasses wine once every or every other week with no worries of the calories or sugar.

Yup, yup I’m on fire. And there’s no stopping me now!

I truly have learned how to control my portion sizes and make smarter, healthier choices for not only my meals, but also my activities and daily routines. I have made fabulous progress, and this is no where near the end! I plan to continue these habits the rest of my life! I’m so thankful to my support system- my best friend/accountability partner (who pushed me to be my best every step of the way!!), the staff at the gym, and to my wonderful hubby who encouraged me and pointed out my visible progress milestones along the way!

My stats:
Increased plank time by 1:44 (from 1:00 to 2:44)
11.8 pounds lost
3 1/4″ lost around the waist
Lost 1/2″ fat at the halfway point, Gained 1/2″ muscle back by the end- around my left thigh

I can’t say thank you enough to the whole Fitwell team.

Come to find out, not only did I complete the program, I lost the most weight of anyone participating from our gym! They rewarded me with a new Fitbit Flex and a free membership to the next TRIBECore workout group ($150 value)! WOW. It’s so amazing to not only feel good about myself and be proud of my progress, but to see these people who believe in me… Enough to literally INVEST in me… Wow. Just wow. I have never felt so encouraged! To know that they believe in me is just amazing. I never doubted Johannah or Cody’s support of me because they are truly my best friends, but to see the support from the gym staff is just incredible to me. I’ve found not just a gym close to home with excellent playcare for the kids while I work out, but I’ve found a FAMILY that is an incredible support system!

Want more information about the program? Check out Sohailla Digsby’s website here to join in the next round of the program and countdown to YOUR best body!!

Setting Priorities

How often do we find that our priorities need to be reevaluated? For me, it’s quite frequently. And I have recently decided that taking care of my physical well being needs quite a raise in priority level. It’s not a “New Year’s Resolution” fad that will have already failed. Nope. I decided that I was going to take care of myself. From now… on. Does it mean changing some of my favorite activities? Yes. Does it mean changing some of my favorite foods and restaurants? Of course. Are those changes easy? Nope. But here are a few things that I’ve found to be helpful in this strive for a healthier me.

Accountability. I have an accountability partner that is always ready to make sure I’m doing what I need to be doing to reach my full potential – even if it means telling me NO – DON’T EAT THAT!
Encouragement. I have a husband who is constantly telling me he is proud of me, and is noticing progress. That makes a huge difference in my outlook. And my kids encourage me too… because they love going to the gym playcare area, and are always asking when it’s time to go to the gym!
A fabulous program. I’m participating in the 52-day Countdown to your Best Body from Sohailla Digsby. You can find out more information here. But any program that is going to combine diet WITH exercise to help you get to your healthiest self is the most important. It’s not about just eliminating certain things from your diet. It’s about toning your body AND feeding it healthy foods (including liquids!).
Strong foods. I knew I would need some diet changes… one of which was eating breakfast. I know the research says it’s not healthy for me to skip breakfast… which is what I was doing most days. But how to find a low sugar, high protein solution that was also low calorie?
Right around the same time, I was approached by Chobani again (see my previous Chobani post here.) to see if I’d try a new product and give it a review. Note: I received three free coupons to try the product, and have been promised a reusable tote bag for this blog post, but this is solely my opinion.

So, I tried the Simply 100 yogurt, and it’s wonderful! I added 1/4 cup of my favorite granola to it for that extra crunch I’m used to in their Flips! and I absolutely love it. It’s a great way to start my day, or works fabulous for a strong snack in the afternoon. I have also tried and love their strawberry flavor. You can view more information about the nutrients included, etc, on their website. I’m excited to try their Simply 100 Crunch options soon – if my store will start carrying them!!

Have you recently decided that taking care of yourself needs to be a high priority? I know it can be a challenge to start. There are some days that I really don’t want to go to the gym. There are moments that I really just want to eat junk food. There are times sitting on the bike that I really just want to quit. But then I remember – it’s only myself that I hurt if I do. And I have decided that I have worth. I have meaning. If I ‘m going to continue to be proud of myself, I need to keep going. It’s only today. It’s only tomorrow. It’s only pain. It’s only a food craving. If it means that I will be here and be healthy to watch my kids (and God willing, grandkids) grow up, then that’s all that matters. As someone who lives with an autoimmune disease, I have started to realize that every day is a precious gift and I need to treasure it and treat my body as God’s temple. I need to keep it clean and healthy so that I can reside in it as long as need be!

So if you’re just starting to take care of yourself, I hope that you’ll find yourself an accountability partner who will truly hold your feet to the fire and tell you NO DON’T EAT THAT! I hope that you will find yourself an encourager who will continuously praise you for the progress you are making. I hope that you will find a program that combines diet and exercise into an accomplishable goal. If you’re not sure where to start on this, check and see if a gym near you has a dietician on staff who can work with you to set up a plan to match up your diet AND your exercise! And I hope that you will find smart, healthy foods like the Chobani Simply 100 yogurt to give you a good foundation of health each and every day.

Have questions? Comments? Need encouragement or tips? Please know that I’m not an expert on diet or exercise. I’m just learning. But I’m happy to be an encourager for you in this process, and I can definitely point you toward sources that have been a help to me! I’d love to hear from you, either here on the comments, or over on my Facebook page.

Finding the JOY in Everyday Moments

This year I have resolved to do one thing – find the JOY in everyday moments. Part of how I do that is by reducing stress in my life, and calming my heart and mind. I have found that my favorite way to do that is to color. Adult coloring has become my favorite pastime – and it’s easy to do while interacting with my kids, doing chores, etc… it’s quick to set a 5 or 10 minute timer and sit down and color a small portion of a picture, and then move back to whatever I was doing. It’s fun to color when my kids color in their books, and it’s fabulous when they are watching tv and playing independently – because I can watch them play while keeping my hands busy… and relaxing all at the same time!

Shown above – my work in progress on the January page of the Secret Garden 2016 Calendar.

I’ve had several friends ask me recently about getting started coloring themselves, so as I sat down to put together a list of affiliate links for one particular friend, I decided I’d just put them out there for anyone and everyone! If you follow me on Instagram, it’s no surprise to you that I’m OBSESSED with Johanna Basford’s work – she is incredible. So if you’re interested in purchasing any of her products, here are the links for you! And if you’re looking for a good set of pencils, pens, and/or sharpener, I’ve got those linked here for you as well. Obviously, there are lots of other options out there – this is just what I use!

-Prismacolor Scholar Sharpener – http://amzn.to/1Or7V3w

-Top Quality Gel Pens 60 pack – http://amzn.to/1JQ1OAm

-Crayola Colored Pencils 50 count – http://amzn.to/1Or7Z36

Johanna Basford Products:

-Secret Garden Coloring Book – http://amzn.to/1Or86vP

-Secret Garden 2016 Calendar – http://amzn.to/1MMYyFH

-Secret Garden 20 Post Cards – http://amzn.to/1MMYDJM

-Secret Garden 12 Note Cards with Envelopes – http://amzn.to/1MMYENR

-Secret Garden 3 Mini Journals – http://amzn.to/1Or8lac

-Secret Garden Journal (Hardback) – http://amzn.to/1MMYTbu

-Secret Garden Artist’s Edition – 20 Drawings to Color and Frame – http://amzn.to/1MMYUMB

-Lost Ocean Coloring Book – http://amzn.to/1MMYwOg

-Enchanted Forest Coloring Book – http://amzn.to/1Or8n1K

-Enchanted Forest 20 Post Cards – http://amzn.to/1Or8dY7

Thank you so much for using these affiliate links – every tiny tad I make goes to help keep this blog online! 🙂 If you try out any of these products, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Deep Breaths… of Hope

Hey ya’ll. So you know those ~~days~~ ~~weeks~~ months when you have great intentions but everything is just so insanely busy that you don’t know which end is your head or your tail? Yeah. The old analogy of running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off… Here we are sitting in November, and I’ve been holding out on you. Because I have a secret… it’s this amazing book that I read that I want you to know about! But it’s more than that. It’s a deep breath of hope. Because if you’re like me, you have so much on your plate, and so many good intentions, but homeschooling gets shoved into a corner… and so do you. You might feel distraught or like you’ve let down your kids. If you have a gifted child and you’ve ~~chosen~~ been forced to homeschool because there just isn’t another option right now for your child, I definitely know how daunting it can be to approach every new day with confidence. Heck, it can be daunting to approach every new day. PERIOD. What is confidence???

So I’ve got a book that I want you to sit down and read over the holidays. It’s going to give you a jump start for a fabulous new 2016 with renewed HOPE for your homeschool experience!! It’s a book written by my friend, Alicia Michelle, whom I found through a mutual friend. You might remember me mentioning taking her Bloom class this summer before the school year started. This book, her “Back to School Survival Manual,” was a PHENOMENAL encouragement to me, and really set us off on the right foot. It also gave me the HOPE to know that seriously, ya’ll, there are gonna be months like October. Where no blog posts get written. Where good intentions fall by the wayside. Where homeschool becomes unschool becomes no school at all… where mommy’s health and kids’ health becomes an issue that sends everyone to the couch for one more episode of Zaboomafu and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. But by reading this book, I’ve been encouraged… and I have found HOPE!

Perhaps my favorite line of the whole book is in the last chapter, but seriously, ya’ll, it sums up the last month of my life. When I got to page 70, I was in the middle of feeling pretty useless as a homeschooler. I was feeling down. I was feeling like a failure. And then I read this.

“Bottom line: We will fail, in some way, shape, or other. We will mess up. Our kids will mess up. And our homeschool year won’t turn out like we expected.”

She goes on to give me hope that I CAN restart. I CAN apply pillars of time to organize a daily rhythm (like in Part 3). I CAN go back any time I want to Chapter 1 and revisit why I’m doing this. Homeschooling is NOT something we plan to do forever. But in the season we are in, it’s where we are. So, I need to carefully evaluate how I’m letting others’ opinions of homeschooling affect my own attitude toward what is a necessity at this point. I love her title on Chapter 1: “Mama This Is Your School (And Noone Else’s)!” I have to remind myself of that regularly.

I love that she provides printable charts and questions to answer to keep me focused and on the right path. I can print them out and write on them over and over again, or I can answer them in my head – whatever works better at the time. I also like that with a digital copy I can pull it up on my phone or my computer – meaning I have it with me anywhere I go to encourage me when I need a little pick me up. Since she sent me the book back on September 1, I’ve flipped through it various times when I’m feeling like I just can’t do this anymore, and the encouragement and deep breaths of HOPE I get every time I read it are so wonderful. (Yes, ya’ll, I’ve been keeping this secret HOPE from you since September… I’m so sorry! But better late than never, right??)

Truly, if you are a homeschooler who is new, or a homeschooler who has been around the ~~blog~~ block a bazillion years, this book it going to give you a deep breath of fresh air and HOPE to start your 2016. If you buy yourself anything for Christmas this year, make it be this book.

Here’s a quick glance at what she has included:

And now… wondering where you can get your own copy? I’d sure appreciate you using my affiliate links here: Back to School Survival Manual

Also looking for help with planning and flexibility? You might be more interested in her Back to School Bundle, where you’ll get the Back to School Survival Manual AND her book, Plan to Be Flexible!

Painting – With a Twist!

I love art. Which is a relatively new thing, all thanks to Becca… and stepping outside of my boxes and pre-conceived notions about what I’m able to do, and what I’m good at… Art used to be crafts for me. But now, I’m able to enjoy the creative PROCESS that goes into true art, and another way I’ve really gotten to enjoy that is by stepping outside of my box with my best friend. One day she said, “We should go do that Painting with a Twist thing where you drink wine while you paint.” Well, of course I could paint if I was drinking wine and laughing with her, right? And thus my real love affair with painting began.

That first night, the teacher said we could make it our own … we could use different colors… and there was no right or wrong. At that moment, something clicked. And I became a rogue painter. Now, at this time I’ll pause to say, I’m not one of those rogue painters you might have seen online… When I say I’m rogue, I just mean that my artwork never looks like the teacher’s. Either I change the color, or the design, or whatever. I just have to do my own thing. I have to feel it. And if I don’t feel it, I go out on a limb. It’s more fun to live on the limb. And we’ve had several girls’ nights and painted several really awesome paintings since that first night. It’s safe to say we are hooked.

Because of getting “hooked,” I became friends with the owner’s daughter, and enjoyed learning about a different aspect of the business. You see, it’s not just about adults going and drinking wine and painting. It’s also about getting the whole family involved. Every Saturday (and lots of other times, too!) they have “all ages” painting. No alcohol involved – just lots of fun and laughter and some serious young artists! I loved taking Becca to paint one Saturday morning, and look forward to taking her again sometime soon. The teacher was fabulous with her. Kat had the snail already drawn on the canvas in pencil, and when Becca went rogue (like mother, like daughter) and finger painted her entire canvas… then freaked out because her snail was gone, Kat happily came over and painted the shape of the snail back onto her canvas for us. Totally a kid friendly and fun atmosphere, Becca was one of four kids that morning – two elementary aged girls and another preschooler joined us. I love that they also have family painting evenings (with pizza often involved), and I’m hoping that sometime before too long we can get a babysitter for Gray and Cody and I can take Boo for a fun evening just the three of us.

Another amazing aspect to all that PWAT offers is the ability to do private groups – they do team building events for companies and even do surprise birthday parties! Because Johannah is my permanent painting buddy, and I knew she had several friends from work that she would love to paint with, I coordinated a surprise party for her 40th birthday. Katie (my friend who is the owner, Melissa’s, daughter) helped me plan everything with Nik, who would be our teacher. I was able to take food, flowers, and a balloon over earlier in the day, and Nik had it all out on the table along with a butcher paper “card” that all the guests signed. Everything went off without a hitch, and she was totally surprised.

I also loved that in setting up the group, I was able to select the painting based on what I knew Johannah would want. We set it up as a public event, so while others could have joined (which would have been fine), it truly was a surprise – it looked to Johannah just like any other regular class we would attend. It ended up that our group didn’t have anyone else join us, and we really thoroughly enjoyed each other, and hanging out with Nik, who truly is a superstar teacher.

In building a friendship with Katie, and spending a LOT of time at the Painting With A Twist Alon Studio, she told me recently that they’d like to gift Cody and me with a date night sometime soon! We’re excited to select something that would be awesome in our bedroom over our bed – which has always been a blank spot on the wall that seems to need something “his and hers”. (When she sent me that, she didn’t know I was going to do this blog post, but I did want to disclose that gift they are giving us, lest anyone think anything was going on under the table here.)

I’m simply a huge PWAT fan. I love that they are encouraging friends to get out and enjoy art. Not just painting for adults, not just painting for kids, but encouraging families to collaborate and make art TOGETHER. I love it. And I am so glad to be a part of what will hopefully sweep our city with a new found love and appreciation for art – and painting in particular.

Are you curious to learn more about PWAT? Here’s a little bit from my friend Katie, about how they got started:
Painting with a Twist started in Louisiana in 2007. Melissa Smiley is a born and raised New Orleans girl. When she heard about this fun new “paint & sip” concept, she loved it so much that she bought a franchise before she took her first class! Melissa was so excited to open San Antonio’s original Painting with a Twist in 2009 in a sweet little village of shops in Artisans’ Alley on Bitters Rd.
Melissa has always loved art, especially painting, and realized that this business was the answer to her dream job of using her creative talents. In the beginning, she taught most of the classes with her son as her assistant. Business grew and so did the PWAT family! Fast forward to today, we now have a second location and a great team of over a dozen local artists keeping the dream alive! (You can still find Melissa instructing classes too!). Our artists work at both locations and truly know how to deliver a great evening – making sure you leave with not only a painting, but an incredible PWAT experience. Individuality and uniqueness are encouraged – there is no right or wrong in these step-by-step painting classes!
Some of our artists have been with us since we opened our doors and some are new to the studio – you will definitely see their wonderfully different “paint personalities.” You may even realize that you paint best with instruction delivered by a certain artist so make sure to request your favorite when you sign up for your next class!
Check out our painting choices by viewing our events calendar online and by following us on Facebook (we are known for our random fun freebie/prize posts!)

Contact and location info:
Painting with a Twist – San Antonio (Artisans’ Alley)
555 W. Bitters Rd.
San Antonio, TX 78216
210-495-7928
Located in The Alley on Bitters
www.PaintingwithaTwist.com/SanAntonio
www.Facebook.com/PWAT.SanAntonio

Painting with a Twist – San Antonio ALON

10003 NW Military HWY #1126

San Antonio, TX 78231

Located in the Alon Town Centre

www.PaintingwithaTwist.com/San-Antonio-ALON

www.Facebook.com/pwatALONtx

Have you tried PWAT? Share your favorite memories in the comments, please!!

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