April 2018 Favorites

Wow. Where did April go? I work in the tax world and I kind of lost month. I did workout during March/April and meal plan. However, I have not done any blogging or reading. So... May goals!

This month my favorites show the ease I was looking for in still getting what I could do done and ease.  Here are my April favorites:

1. Flavor God - Flavor God seasonings are amazing. I have multiple; however, I haven't tried all of the ones I have yet. The two I am currently loving are the Spicy Everything & the Chocolate Donut. I have already ordered more of both of these. I love the Chocolate Donut in coffee, on fruit, and in my protein shakes. I may have ordered two so I can have one at home and one at work. I am looking forward to trying the Pizza seasoning next. 

2. Eating Evolved Keto Cups - These are an amazing sweet treat that I have been getting them from Thrive Market. I have tried and like both the Classic and the Carmel Sea Salt (my fave).

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3. YouVersion Bible App - I love this application for multiple reasons. I have a daily verse sent to me every morning at 8am. I also love, love, love the multitude of devotion plans, the highlight features, the image creations, & all of the Bible versions at your fingertips. 

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4. Music - I have been listening to "Good Morning" by Mandisa just about every morning. I listen to it while I drink my pre-workout drink and get ready for my workout in the morning. It also reminds me that it is a brand new day. 💗

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What were your favorite things in May?!

~Stephanie~

March 2018 Favorites

Here are some of my favorites for March 2018:

1. Hits Deep Tour - I have become a concert junkie. I love them and have especially enjoyed Christian concerts. At the beginning of March A friend and I went to the Hits Deep Tour. It was great to see all of these artists. I love Toby Mac, but all of the artists were fantastic! Each of them have had a song that has had an impact on me.

Finding Favour

Mandisa

Danny Gokey

Ryan Stevenson

Toby Mac

2. Portable Speaker - I bought this portable speaker at the end of 2017. I love to take it with me in the basement for my workouts. It is reasonably priced and it is nice that it moves with me. I listen to music while working out and podcasts when I am getting ready in the morning. 

3. Clementines - I love clementines! This has been my favorite sweet treat. Even my co-worker leaves them for me once in a while on my desk.

4. John B. Crist - These past couple weeks have been a little stressful so when I was happy to come across comedian John Crist. I have watched his videos and have been a little obsessed. Sometimes you just need a good laugh. His videos are relatable to me. Check him out on YouTube and watch his parking lot road rage video.

5. Music - I have been listening to "I Just Need You" by TobyMac and "Get Down" by Finding Favour on repeat. This month has had it's ups and downs and these songs have been great reminders that no matter what I need him and to keep praying.

  

25 Get To Know Me Q&A

1. When was the last time you cried? Monday (3/19/18) 
2. Do you have kids? No
3. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself? Yes.
4. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Uhhhh... NO! :)
5. What's the first thing you notice about people? Their eyes and/or smile.
6. What is your eye color? Hazel.
7. Scary movie or happy endings? Happy endings. I am definitely a romantic comedy girl. 
8. Favorite smells? Certain colognes. Roses (I know.) Citrus or earthy smells.
9. What's the furthest you've been away from home? I studied abroad in Spain for three weeks.
10. Do you have any special talents? Mmmm... I talk a lot. 
11. Do you have any pets? No.
12. Do you have any siblings? Yes. 3 brothers, 1 sister, and 2 step-sisters.
13. What do you want to be when you grow up? Young at heart. Happy & healthy.
14. How tall are you? 5'2"
15. How many countries have you visited? 4 - Spain, Portugal, Mexico, & Jamaica
16. What was your favorite/worst subject in high school? Favorite - English/Literature & Worst - Math
17. How would you describe your fashion sense? I try, but seek help from my friends. 
18. How many boyfriends have you had? Ummm... three. These are all high school and after. One I was engaged to, one I married/divorced, and one I was talking with about marriage.  
19. Favorite memory from childhood? How do you choose just one? Weird. Overall I would say camping the 4th of July week with my family. We'd play board games, swim, see fireworks, ride our bikes, and more. 
20. What is one of your bad habits? I watch too much TV. I drink Diet Coke and not enough water. I order pizza way too much. 

 Answer one of the questions above in the comments so I can know something about you! 

~Stephanie~

Negative Thoughts to Gratitude Thoughts

As my work day ended, the comparison and negative thoughts began. No one should do the comparison game or think negatively about themselves. We should be full of the good things. We should be full of love, encouragement, gratitude, and beauty. 

So as I sat down to relax and watch This Is Us I shifted my focus from the negative to feelings of gratitude. I may have cried. Between This Is Us and feeling so full of gratitude it couldn't be helped.  

As I began to switch my negative thoughts to gratitude thoughts, my friends A and C came to mind. We've been friends for years, but these past three through it all. They've loved me. Encouraged me. Cried with me. Listened to me. Laughed with me. Called me out when I needed it and so much more. 

My eyes may be leaking now as I write this and think about them. I am grateful that C works with me a few months out of the year. Even if she scares me sometimes as she pokes her head over the cubicle wall or gives me "the look" to check my attitude. I am grateful for our laughs, dancing, tears, long conversations, fears, and having each others back. 

I love them and so grateful to have them for friends. And the point of all of this is to say as I thought over my gratitude for having these two amazing, beautiful women in my life the negative and lonely thoughts went away. It changed my attitude and I may have sent them a love you snap. 

If you have these negative thoughts stop, look around and think about the things you are grateful for in life. There are so many things. 

~Stephanie~

Rolling Downhill

My food the past week and a half was not good. The last week of February, I had prepped salads for lunch all week and a couple for dinner. However, Monday after my first few bites I felt nauseas and threw my salad away. Unfortunately after that I couldn't stomach the thought of eating a salad. On top of this I woke up with a cold on Tuesday morning. I ended up ordering in most of the week, which was not a good thing.

It was also a busy week and I did not get to bed at a decent time. I woke up late and exhausted almost every morning. So on top of not eating nutritiously, I was not getting my workouts in for the week. This combination of not eating well and not working out is equivalent to a baby who is tired and fighting a nap.  I may have been cranky and craving carbs and sweets. 

It ends up being a vicious cycle. On my way home last week I was thinking about how I needed a workout, but I was so tired. I was exhausted and not eating nutritiously, which continues the cycle of not feeling well and being tired. I was headed downhill and needed to slow my roll. Thankfully I had prepared my favorite chili for the week and I had a workout with Lyndsey on Wednesday night. 

While my food and workouts were not great this week I was able to slow my roll. I may have rolled downhill a little bit, but I am picking myself back up. This week I have my second favorite meal prepared for lunches and a bagged salad for dinner. I am more prepared this week and beginning to climb back up the hill. Again! It isn't easy, but it is worth it.

Monday - 30 minute walk/run

Tuesday - 60 minute strength (Tuesday)

Wednesday - Rest

Thursday - 30-40 minute Tabata

Friday - 30 minute walk/run

Saturday - 90 minute strength 

Sunday - Rest

I won't lie. I am a little uneasy putting this out there for everyone to see, but it gives me some accountability. Plus my goal is 4 or more workouts a week. This week at work will be crazy, but hopefully having a plan will help. Time to get 'er done!

~Stephanie~

No Shame in Counseling

The other day I mentioned something about my counselor to someone and they were a little shocked that I still see him. I started seeing him a few months after my ex-husband walked out. In the beginning it was a weekly occurrence, but I currently go every two to three weeks.  It just depends on what is going on in my life. People have different views on counseling. I have been to a couple different ones, but I do think you need to find the right one. 

The counselor I see now was recommended to me by my sister-in-law shortly after my ex left. He was previously her professor. He is a Christian counselor is less than 6 miles from me. Thank God for name came to her while I was visiting my brother and her. 

He has helped me work through so many things. He isn't there to tell me what to do, but to counsel me. I have learned how to communicate better with my Mom (this is still a work in progress), understand my self doubt, find my love in music, figure out reoccurring nightmares, and so much more. He has prayed for me, answered my questions, helped me understand my reason for being open, and more. 

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There is and should be no shame in counseling. No matter what you are going through in life I would recommend it. However, if you are trying to get through a difficult time in life I think it is a must. It was so nice to have someone to talk to who didn't know my ex, our friends or family, or me. He didn't take sides, which I needed during that time. It was one of the best decisions I made to help heal my broken heart at the time. 

Honestly, I believe it is smart to find a counselor. They help you to better understand the things you are going through and yourself. As time goes on I may start seeing my counselor less or more, but I don't see a time where I will quit seeing a therapist. I want to continue to grow and be a better me. By doing this I love myself more, which in turn allows me to give more love to those around me. 


~Stephanie~

Food Prep

A few weeks ago I decided to start get prepping individual meals so meals would be easier. One reason I thought to do this was my Mom ruptured her disc right before Christmas and was in extreme pain. She wasn't able to get around well so I for a couple weeks I prepped individual meals for her so it would be as easy as possible. Thankfully she is doing better, but I realized how nice it would be to have my own meals ready to go. 

I have been really trying to prep on Sunday nights these past couple of weeks. My week nights have been pretty busy. If I don't have food ready and have to think about what to do I end up ordering in Jimmy John's for lunch and pizza for dinner. After a really bad week almost a month ago I decided to do individual meals like I did for my Mom.

For Christmas I got these awesome containers from my friend & trainer, Lyndsey. I am not sure if these are the exact ones, but they look like it. I prepped salads in these containers and loved it. It was easy to measure all of the ingredients and keep my veggies, spinach, and chicken separate. 

The first week I did the salads for lunch and something random for dinner. Dinner was prepped, but individually. Last week I measured it all out individually for lunches and dinners. It took some time, but it was so nice! I didn't have to think about it during the week and was able to stay on track. 

There is still have a long ways to go, but this has been working for me. I definitely will need to think of ways to change it up, but I am really enjoying the salads for lunch right now. The nutrition is the hardest part for me. 

What are your favorite healthy meals? 

~Stephanie~