Thoughts on 2016

Here we are. Starting another new year. Whether you want to call them resolutions, goals or intentions, I've been having a lot of thoughts looking ahead to 2016. 2015 was a pretty good year overall. It definitely had its ups and downs, but in the end, we are all healthy and happy. And I think that's what matters most.

Looking ahead to this new year, I have some thoughts (of course) on how I would like my year to go and what I'm going to do to make that happen. I want to improve both my mind and my body.

My major focus is just going to be living a more positive life. There seems to be so much negativity surrounding us these days. I'm determined not to let it get me down. Now, this will take a bit of work, too. I'm going to really analyze the people in my life and make the conscious decision about whether or not they all need to remain. That may seem pretty rude, but some people are honestly just downright exhausting! They seem to suck all of my energy!

Just look through your FB news feed. They're easy to spot, constantly complaining about things. The time I spend with and on these people will greatly be minimized in this new year. I realize that some of these people will have to remain for "political" reasons :-) but I can still minimize their impact on my thoughts and life.

Of course, I'm starting the new year off with the 24 Day Challenge. This is exactly what I need to finally shed these last few pounds and get ready to tone up throughout the year. I'd love to be able to run another half marathon, but the training takes up a good bit of time. So, we will have to see what all we have going on before I decide whether or not I can do it.

I want to spend more time with those people that mean the most to me. I have made some new friendships this past year and I would love for them to grow. One of my mom's favorite sayings is, "Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver, the other gold." This perfectly sums up how I feel. I want to make time for both old and new friends!

Finally, I want to spend more time on my blog. I have been pretty inconsistent with my posts this past year and I would like to change that. I love interacting with all of you. So, please give me suggestions. What would you like to see this coming year? More recipes? Workouts? Day in the life? General life lately updates? Tell me what interests you!!

I hope you all have a happy and healthy new year. And I hope that you will all stick around!

So long for today...

How Will You Reach Your 2016 Goals?

Happy Hump day everyone!! I hope your week is going by quick and painlessly. I'm fortunate to be on vacation from work this week and spending time with my two littles.

We've been staying busy running here and there and trying to de-Christmas the house and clean it at the same time. It's always so much more fun to decorate for a holiday than to in decorate it.

I got a notification just a few minutes ago that my Advocare All In Challenge shipped out yesterday, so I decided it was time to share it all with you. I would LOVE for you all to join us for the first 24 Day Challenge of the year!

This challenge is the perfect was to get rid of that bloat and also drop your holiday weight. I've been eating way too many sweets and treats the last couple of weeks and I'm feeling so sluggish from it. I'm so ready for a fresh start to lose these last few pounds and to look and feel my best! Honestly, since I've started using AdvoCare, I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. 

You can customize your challenge to meet you personal needs. Some people are just looking to lose a few pounds, tone up and gain some energy.

Some people are looking for that life changer that will start them on a path to a healthy lifestyle so they can set good examples for their children.

Maybe you are looking to lose a considerable amount of weight. The 24 Day Challenge is a great way to start your journey towards a healthier you!

I love seeing all of the people that have started with AdvoCare and made a change in their lives.

This challenge is great for men and women. I've seen great results for both.

So, what is the challenge? It starts with a 10 Day (gentle) Cleanse that rids your body of the toxins that have built up.

The second part is the Max Phase where you will fuel your body with the right foods and see amazing results. You eat real food during both phases and never fast or deprive yourself. A lot of people say that they're not used to eating so much food! The average person loses about 8-12 pounds and 10-12 inches. But what is GAINED is even better. The energy you get is incredible. You also get so much motivation and support not only from me, but the entire AdvoCare community. Our goal for this challenge is to get 100,000 people to go ALL IN. We are well on our way to that goal, too!! I've ever know of anyone that regretted doing a challenge, but I do know of some people that have regretted NOT joining one. 

So, how are you going to reach your goals this year? I'd love for you to join myself and thousands of others that are taking this step towards a healthier version of ourselves! You can email me at southliveyankee@gmail.com to get signed up or to find out how you can get discounts or you can go ahead and sign up here! I'm also offering my personal meal plan along with recipes to anyone that signs up for the challenge with me. I want to do everything I can to help my challengers to be successful! AND there is a cash prize available to the top challenger in our group. The pot is currently at $85 and increases by $5 for every person that signs up!!

While I absolutely LOVE the holidays, I don't love all of the temptations that come with them. I'm ready to get back on track to eating well and feeling my best. I'd love to help you to do the same!

So long for today...

Weekly Menu Plan & Fitness Recap {12/27}

Hey there!! How was your Christmas? We had such a great day celebrating with so many people! I love everything that I got!! I'm so lucky! 

I tested out my new Garmin Forerunner with a run this morning. I can't wait to learn more about this fun new fit gear. I also got a pressure cooker, which I have no experience with.

 

I've already started a Pinterest board, but I'd love to know of any recipes that you like. 

I'm also pretty excited that I'm on vacation from work this next week. I've always been the one to work around the holidays and decided that it was my turn to stay at home with the kiddos. I'm sure we will find plenty to keep us busy and I can't wait!!

Here's what I have planned for this week:

Weekly Menu Plan:

Sunday - Chicken Alfredo

Monday - Grilled Hamburgers

Tuesday - Bisquick Chicken

Wednesday - Beef Stew

Thursday - New Year's Finger Foods

Friday - Pork & Sauerkraut

Saturday - Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Fitness Recap:

Sunday - Chalean Extreme Get Lean Intervals

Monday - Chalean Extreme Burn Circuit 1

Tuesday - T25 - Speed 3.0

Wednesday - 21DF Extreme Power Strength Extreme 

Thursday - 3.05 mile run

Friday - Rest! 

Saturday - 5.08 mile run

I'm still trying to figure out which workout program I'm going to start after the first of the year and especially when I start the 24 Day Challenge on the 11th.  I'm thinking about the full Chelan Extreme, but I like a higher calorie burn for my workouts. So, if you have an opinions on this program or any other recommendations, I'd love to hear them! I'm also looking for as many people as possible to join the challenge! Let me know if you want more information. It's a great way to hit the reset button after all of the holiday indulgences and get a good head start on those new year's resolutions.

I hope you all have a great week!!

So long for today...

Merry Christmas 2015

We had a late night last night and the kids are still nestled all snug in their beds. So I wanted to take a moment to wish all of my Southern Living Yankee friends a very Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday!

So long for today...

Weekly Menu Plan & Fitness Recap {12/20}

Hey there!! Its been a busy weekend for us and I'm just now getting time to post my menu plan for this coming week. I went to my first cookie swap last night and had so much fun!! 

Today was spent around the house trying to clean up a little bit and our typical Sunday events: laundry, grocery shopping and food prep for the week. TC had to work today, so it was just me and these two cuties for most of the day.

We had the Broccoli Cheddar and Chicken Casserole for dinner tonight and it was so good!! Addison kept saying how good it was! I'm going to have to make it again to post on here for all of you. 

Here's what I have planned for the week:

Menu Plan:

Sunday - Broccoli Cheddar and Chicken Casserole

Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - Italian Crescent Bake

Wednesday - Jambalaya Pasta

Thursday - Cocktail Meatballs

Friday - Christmas Dinner

Saturday - Leftovers

Fitness Recap:

Sunday - 7.11 mile run

Monday - 21 DF Upper Fix

Tuesday - 21 DF Lower Fix

Wednesday - Jillian Michaels Body Revolution - Cardio 2

Thursday - Jillian Michaels - Ripped in 30 - Level 1

Friday - 21 DF ABC Extreme

Saturday - Chalene Extreme Burn Intervals

I think I'm going to start the Chalene Extreme program. I love the 21 DF, but feel like I'm a little burned out on it. I've done CE workouts the last 2 days and have really liked them. So, I'm looking forward to trying the whole program out.

I hope you all have a great week! I have 1.5 days of work and then I'm off until after the New Year! Not sure yet what all we will be doing. You never know whose doorstep we might show up on!!

So long for today...

Weekly Menu Plan & Fitness Recap {12/13}

Hey there!! I started a Five for Friday post for you all yesterday, but then got busy and never finished it. So, I guess I'll have to change things up for it or wait until next Friday to get it up. 

We've had a super busy weekend so far. It's been a lot of fun, but on-the-go. We started with a visit to see Santa and the lights here in town last night. Today, we went to a birthday party, then to Lowes to pick up some wood for TC's latest project (can't wait to show you the finished product!) Addison and I hit up Walmart after we got back and then we decided to get Mexican for dinner. 

Tomorrow will (hopefully) be a little more low-key, but I still need to get some meal prep done, laundry, grocery shopping and a long(ish) run in. Like I said, "low-key! Lol! 

Here's what I have planned for the week:

Weekly Menu Plan:

Sunday - Shepherd's Pie

Monday - Grilled Honey Lime Chicken

Tuesday - Skillet Burrito 

Wednesday - Grilled Hamburgers

Thursday - Leftovers/Contingency Day

Friday - Lasagna Soup

Saturday - Cookie Swap!!

Fitness Recap:

Sunday - 5.25 mile run

Monday - 21 DF - Upper Fix

Tuesday - 21 DF - Lower Fix

Wednesday - 21 DF - Plyo Fix

Thursday - Rest!!

Friday - 21 DF - Dirty 30

Saturday - 5 mile run

I hope you all have a great week! It's hard to believe Christmas is less than 2 weeks away!!

So long for today...

Thankful Thursday {12/10}

Good morning everyone and Happy Thursday!  These last few days have been pretty stressful for this mama.  BUT after a great night’s sleep last night and a visit to my daughter’s school, I think I’ve gotten things resolved and I’m ready to have an amazing day!  I had a training class for work yesterday and went overboard on the catered lunch and that carried into the rest of the day.  The scale was up a couple of pounds this morning, which frustrates me, but I’m ready to do what I need to to get it back down.  I’m feeling very thankful today, so I thought I would share that with you all…

1.  I’m thankful for these two little rascals.  They make my heart smile so much.  Sure, they can also stress me out, but they are such sweet children and I feel so blessed that I get to be their mother.  The Christmas excitement is at an all time high in our house and I’m counting down the days just as much as they are!

2.  I’m thankful for my husband.  He was gone for a week on a hunting trip last week and I truly missed him.  He’s my confidant and partner in crime and things just weren’t right while he was gone.

3.  I’m thankful for my sister. She is also my partner in crime.  She’s such a huge supporter of me, especially lately with my advocare endeavor.  I’m so thankful to have her by my side for so amny things.  She’s really one of my biggest cheerleaders and always has been!

4.  While I may not appreciate it as much as I should, I am thankful to have a good job.  There is a local company that is closing at the end of the year and will have a pretty substantial impact on our local community.  It’s so sad when something like this happens, especially during this time of year.

5.  Finally, I’m thankful to have been introduced to Advocare.  There are so many things that can be gained from this company.  I have been mentioning it a little bit lately and I plan to devote an entire post to it very soon to fill you all in and see if there are ways that your lives could be impacted by this amazing company and they’re products.

Well, the sun is shining here and the temps are supposed to be near 70 degrees here.  I have a positive attitude today and I’m planning to have a fantastic day.  I hope you all do as well!

So long for today…

Weekly Menu Plan & Fitness Recap {12/6}

Hey there!! I'm pretty happy tonight as all is right in my world again. TC has been up in PA hunting all week, so this week was pretty trying at times. Addison and Camden are usually pretty good...

...but they are kids and do keep me on my toes!

Thankfully, my mom came down each evening to help out and even did "sleepovers" each night at Addison's request. That definitely helped to make the mornings go smoother, especially since she dropped Addison off at school each day to save me some time. So a HUGE thank you to her and a Welcome Home to TC!! 

Here's what I have planned for the week:

Menu Plan:

Sunday - Teriyaki Chicken & Rice Casserole

Monday - Grilled Pork Chops

Tuesday - Grilled Hamburgers

Wednesday - Grilled Turkey Brats

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Breakfast for Dinner

Saturday - Shepherds Pie

Fitness Recap:

Since TC was gone all week, I haven't gotten a run in since last Friday. My mom offered to watch the kids while I went for a run, but I felt like she was already doing so much, I hated to take that much time and run. But I'm definitely hoping to get a run in tomorrow!!

Sunday - 21DF Plyo Fix

Monday - 21DF Upper Fix

Tuesday - 21DF Lower Fix

Wednesday - 21DF Total Body Cardio

Thursday - Hammer & Chisel - Total Body Chisel

Friday - 21DFX Lower Fix

Saturday - 21DF Cardio Fix

I hope you all have a fantastic week!

So long for today...