guest post

overcoming obstacles and building the life you crave

March 29, 2013 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | Leave a Comment

Susan is back this week with an amazing offer for y’all! Hope you have a great weekend!

Hi! I’m Susan from Living Rich on Less and typically each month, Jaima invites me over here to share some of my favorite organizing tips with you. This month, however, I’m excited to share a special gift with you instead. I just finished writing an e-book titled "The Heart Improvement Project: 5 Steps to Overcoming Obstacles and Building the Life you Crave." I thought it would be a great book to offer to Ring Around the Rosies readers, so I’m giving it away to all of you for FREE.

In this book, I write about what actions you should take to meet your goals and get where you want to go in life. Here’s a brief summary of what I cover: Chapter 1: Silence the ticking clock – Find out how to identify setbacks and devise a plan to overcome them to create positive, forward momentum. Chapter 2: Love your kitchen sink – Learn to look past what you can’t change and develop a grateful heart. Chapter 3: Do some dumpster diving – Discover your true calling and look for opportunities to use your skills and desires to do the work you were designed to do. Chapter 4: Become a finish carpenter – Find out what’s holding you back from meeting your goals, and defeat procrastination for good. Chapter 5: Share your blueprints – Learn how to increase your success and broaden your scope of influence by empowering others to achieve greatness. Whether you’re stuck in a rut or just want to take your life to the next level, this book is a must read. And the best part? As I mentioned earlier, it is 100 percent, totally and completely FREE! It’s my gift to you. So grab a cup of coffee (and a cookie if you have a sweet tooth like me

) and dig in. The book is 26 pages long, so it won’t take too much time to get through it. (Trust me; I know how busy you are.) But despite its size, it is jam-packed with information and action items you can use time and again. You can get your free copy by visiting my home page here and entering your email address in the box on the right sidebar. You’ll immediately receive an email confirmation with a copy of the book attached. (Privacy guarantee: I will never share your email address with anyone else.)

Jaima, thanks so much for letting me stop by to share this gift. Happy reading!

Filed Under: guest post, susan

biggest, best, cutest mom syndrome

November 2, 2012 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | 7 Comments

Today we have our 1st official post from one of our new writers! So exciting! I know you will love Angela! Go, girl…

Parenting can be immensely overwhelming at times.

The decisions, oh all the decisions. It starts before we even become parents—which car seats are the safest, which formula is the best, wait formula? aren’t you breastfeeding? That brings me to the judgment. Judgment from other parents and even from ourselves. It seems everything has to be the biggest, the best, cutest, etc.

On and on it goes…

I am a mother of four. My oldest child turns 11 this month. That makes me somewhat of a mother of small children expert, right? Absolutely not. In fact, my friends laugh at me because I forget stages and phases from one kid to the next. Especially the middle two kids, I cannot tell you how old they were when they took their first steps or when they got their first teeth. It’s all kind of a blur.

What I do know, is that the older woman at the grocery store line was right. You know the one. While your toddler was throwing a fit and your baby was sucking on the filthy grocery cart and you thought you were going to lose your mind, she looked at you with this dreamy kind of gaze and said “Oh honey, what precious babies you have. Enjoy these days, they go fast.”

Everybody knows that lady right?

Your first thought goes something like this “Well lady you are crazy, because my days are so long and my kids are going crazy and I’m losing my mind.” But then your second thought is “thank you, thank you for saying my babies are precious and reminding me to be grateful for this moment, even if it’s a little crazy.”

So cliché, but oh so true.

As I watch my gawky, sweet, awkward, smart son enter the tween years I think about how fast it’s all gone. I remind myself of that when my 3-year-old, the baby of the family, is throwing fits and making my days seem long.

I also know that all the pressure we put on ourselves as parents is crap. It doesn’t have to be the biggest, best, cutest anything to be special. Even knowing what I know, I get lost sometimes in the biggest, best, cutest competition.

A couple weeks ago, it wasn’t an old lady at the grocery store with a life lesson, it was my own children. “It’s Fall, are we going to put up the leaves?,” my daughter Lucy asked.

Every year since the oldest kids were very little, we’ve cut out construction paper leaves and written down what we were thankful for that day. Then we tape them on the wall until Thanksgiving.

“Oh, I can’t believe I almost forgot, but let’s do it and I’ve got some great ideas,” I shared excitedly going on and on about how I was going to draw a giant tree and cut it out and put it on the wall. I was going to assign a leaf color to each child and so on and so on. My Gratitude Tree was going to be the biggest, best, cutest damn Gratitude Tree there ever was.

But then between homework, practices and other life stuff there wasn’t enough time. Day after day I kept saying I would get to it, but I didn’t. Until finally I scrapped the biggest, best, cutest idea. We cut out some leaves from a free printable pattern courtesy of a Google search and reached for the Sharpies. And we had a blast.

My kids wrote down what they were grateful for which included: “today’s technologies” written in cursive by my oldest; “animals/puppys and my mom (she told me to write that)” from my witty little girl; “holedaes” (holidays) from my son in first grade; and scribble from my baby Wade. As I watched them, I could hear the old lady from the grocery store in my head like a movie voiceover saying “Oh honey, what precious babies you have. Enjoy these days, they go fast.”

Told ya you would love her! It is so easy, especially with social media today, to feel the pressure to have the best, cleanest, cutest everything… especially I would say as a blogger, because so many show you their magnificent homes, gourmet dinners, and well-dressed (clean) children… but honestly, they don’t show you the whole picture. They choose to show you those sniplets out of all the dirty laundry and muddy dogs just like you have at your house… Let go of “the perfect mom” and just choose to be a GOOD one! Can I get an amen?!?

Tell me, do you suffer from this “cutest, biggest, best” syndrome too?

Filed Under: angela, fall, guest post, parenting

make your own mood spray

October 26, 2012 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | Leave a Comment

Today I am so excited to have my friend Alex guest posting! She has a fabulous blog over at Elven Eleven. Take it away girl!

Lift your spirits all day long with a simple and easy aromatherapy spray made with just water and essential oils. It is super easy and it really works! Spritz your surroundings when you need a mood-lift, lightly mist your linens to promote restful sleep, or spray a cloth a few times and toss into your dryer for day-long mood enhancement!

Certain essential oils have known effects on our mood – and many (including my favorites: lavender, peppermint, chamomile and sandalwood) promote a calming state. I am constantly seeking stress-busting and mood-enhancing strategies (aren’t all moms??), and I have found this to be an easy and effective way to immediately feel calm and less frazzled.

The recipe is beyond simple: water + essential oils. That’s it!

I use travel sized (2 oz.) spray bottles and fill them with distilled water (so they would last a while without mold or bacteria) and add 25+ drops of my favorite oils. Mix and match to your liking, and enjoy!!

Thank you so much, Alex! Absolutely amazing! I use lavender oil in water for a lot of things! I will have to try the others!

Do you use essential oils at home?

Filed Under: guest post, health, Home Making, natural remedies

preparing for the holidays–are you dreading it?

October 25, 2012 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | Leave a Comment

Are you secretly dreading this time of year because you know you will be running around like a crazed woman trying to fit it all in? Do you wish you could just sit back and enjoy the holidays with your family instead of trying to coordinate 25 different events? Are you afraid that work is going to have to take a back seat until the holidays are over so that you can somehow make everyone happy?

Here is the deal, there just isn’t enough time in the day to get everything accomplished this time of year and ACTUALLY have time to enjoy the season without a bit of help.
Thankfully, I’ve called in reinforcements. My good friend Sarah Finks.
Sarah believes that when women get a handle on what their priorities are, it allows amazing things to happen in their lives, especially this time of year.
She says that time isn’t the enemy; it’s literally a creative tool. To create the kind of holiday experience that you and your family will remember forever. It’s not about extravagant gifts and pleasing everyone. It’s about focusing on what is important to you and then simply enjoying it.
Sarah teaches women how to get a handle on their time, so that they can use it like the powerful tool that it is.
And if this sounds like something you can use, she’s offering a live training call:
“Art of Juggling Holiday Edition- How to Find 90 Extra Minutes In Each Day So You Can Chill Out And Actually Enjoy The Holidays” on October 30th.
Register now for this no-cost training
Find out:
• Why we take on too much in order to please everyone and how to get clear on your own priorities and take action.
• A simple strategy that will help you determine when to accept an invitation and how to gracefully decline without the guilt.
• How to navigate challenging relationships with friends and family and begin to turn the tides on family struggles.
• How to get through the holidays at the same weight or even continue your weight loss. No, really it CAN be done. I’ve got you covered.
• How to enjoy the holiday season like you did when you were young and find the magic again.
Click here to register now for the Art of Juggling (it’s FREE!)
What I love about Sarah is that she’s clear and to the point. She’s a lovely person who shares all kinds of great content. But she’s really nuts and bolts about strategizing your life. Starting with your time & sanity.
So, I highly recommend that you check her out. Especially if you want to actually enjoy the holidays this year.
Sarah teaches simple tools that help busy women get a handle on their time, you can really begin to relish your family, and enjoy this time of year. Sign up now for the Art of Juggling (there’s no cost).

Filed Under: guest post, Holidays, organizing, sarah

purging before a move!

August 30, 2012 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | 4 Comments

Happy Friday, y’all! Today I have a brand new blogger to share with you! She has wonderful things to bring to blogland, so without further ado, now introducing: my beautiful friend Kelly!

Hello friends! This is a first for me! My name is Kelly and as a brand new blogger, I have a lot to learn; but I am excited, it’s so much fun sharing my life with others!

I am honored to share with even more people here at Ring Around the Rosies! Thanks so much, Jaima! A little about me…I am a homeschooling mom of three boys. I love getting outside with my family and exploring nature! We love to travel, to learn new things everyday and just enjoy God’s many blessings and gifts to us! For more cleaning tips, yummy recipes and projects for the kids, follow my family’s adventures at Eyes on the Source and you can also keep up with me on Facebook! I look forward to meeting you all!

Are you preparing for a big event or moving to a new home? Feeling overwhelmed? Needing to kick out some clutter? I’ve been there, no, wait…who am I kidding, I am there! My family and I currently reside in Illinois, but we are planning a big move to Florida, come December. Excited and panicked, I think that sums it all up for me! So let’s get into gear and kick this clutter out of here!

Hmm..where do we start? Well, every big job has to start small. Choose a focus and make daily goals! Start sooner rather than later, before complete panic has a chance to settle in!

I like to choose one or two areas per day. In the area to be "de-cluttered," I set up four boxes. I label them with these names: Keep, Paper to Keep, Give Away and Garbage. You can add or change these categories to work for you, but I find that these four usually cover it for me.

My latest project involved our downstairs storage closet. We use it for storing suitcases, clothing, bedding and anything else not currently being used. As you can see, it was literally piled to the ceiling! There had to be something in there to throw or give away. This is NOT all going on the moving truck!

Now, usually, when I encounter a job this big, I tend to freeze or to flutter. Freezing involves staring at the mess and deciding it’s too big, thinking "I’ll never accomplish it!" So I freeze and quit before the job even begins. Fluttering involves a lot of busy-ness without any accomplishment. Fluttering from one task to the next until I am exhausted! Nothing gets done with either of these reactions!

So that is how I began my box system. With my boxes ready and waiting, I tackled the closet, bin by bin and shelf by shelf. Do I REALLY need this item? Or am I keeping it for sentimental value? One step at a time, throwing each item into the appropriate box and moving on to the next thing. Every once in a while I had to stop and bag up boxes that had become too full. But other than that, I never had to stop and figure out where to put something. Amazing how much unneeded stuff was in that one closet, just taking up valuable space!

Now it is all bagged up ready to go to the local thrift shop, baby clothes to my sister, and garbage…lots of garbage! Kicked out! What is lurking behind your closet doors that you need to kick out? Don’t get overwhelmed, make a plan and start small, you’ll get there every time!

Thank you so much, Kelly! Great post! I too have a very hard time letting things go, but this past year we have gotten rid of TONS of stuff! It is so “freeing” to not be burdened by stuff. Less really is more for me! In my house, if it doesn’t serve a good purpose, or if I don’t just really love it, it doesn’t stay!

What about you? Do you have a hard time letting things go? You have a long weekend ahead! I challenge you to collect just 1 garbage bag full of extra stuff and let it go!

Filed Under: guest post, organizing

life coach

August 28, 2012 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | Leave a Comment

I talked briefly on Monday about some of the accomplishments I made in my 1st year with blogging and Shaklee, and honestly, some days I can’t even believe it’s happened/is happening! Everything happened so quickly! But I wouldn’t be where I was had it not been for my amazing life coach, and forever friend, Sarah Finks! You’ve heard me talk about her several times, and she has guest posted here a time or two also! And now she’s here to share with you another amazing and fun opportunity for you to take control of your life! If she helps you like she’s helped me, you will be set for life!

I don’t share this to toot my own horn, but I’m sharing because a) I’m proud and b) it’s proof that Sarah’s strategies work! It was pure coincidence that these records all landed on my 1st anniversary! It was kind of the icing on the cake!

I will be sharing much more about how my life has been transformed (in real life – my heart, health, and entire life) later this week! But for now, take it away, girl!

Hi guys! Today I’m here to tell you about my 6 Month Group Program! It’s an open, caring, place for you to get one-on-one feedback and support from me and learn from other women at the same time.

We will cover everything from time management, priorities, goals, relationships, career, home, children, money, and struggles.

Each call will have a lesson attached but the lesson may change based on what is going on with the group.

All calls will be over the phone or computer so you can participate anywhere from a cell phone or computer. All calls will be recorded for your reference if you happen to miss one or want to hear something again.

Class size is limited to 6 women in order to maximize the time each person has to share and receive individualized coaching.

If you are ready to move your life to the next level with clear direction and guidance this is a great place to start. Because if you don’t reach out and get out of your own way nothing will change on it’s own. I am here to help.

Start today and sign up for a complimentary coaching call with me!

www.tungle.me/sarahfinks

We will discuss what is going on in your life now and where you want to go. Thy sky is the limit.

www.tungle.me/sarahfinks

Trust me when I say you won’t be sorry! Who knows, you might just get both of us on 1 call together!

Filed Under: guest post, sarah

How To Store Your Dish Towels

August 10, 2012 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | 5 Comments

Today’s post is brought to you from one of my favorite bloggers, turned best friends! I’m sure you already know Sarah, but if you don’t she’s fabulous! I found her at Three Boys where she shares incredible furniture restorations and other great household tips! She recently founded her own Sarah Finks domain where she shares her passion for transforming women’s lives! And as my life coach, she has definitely transformed mine! You can find her in one spot on facebook to keep up with all she has going on!

I am a huge advocate of using cloth dish towels as much as possible. Paper towels are wasteful, expensive, and terrible for our environment. Paper is however VERY convenient. We do have a roll of paper towels in our kitchen but we go through about 1 roll every 2 months, maybe less. How does this happen with 3 small boys? CLOTH DISH TOWELS!!! I store them in the cabinet right next to the sink in a basket. This way I always have one on hand. I use about 3 a day when all is said and done. Then in the evening after I have cleaned up the kitchen I just throw them into the laundry.

20 Clean Dish Towels: Can you spot them?

Do you need a closer look? Did you find them?

Tada! Clean Dish Towels!

The other thing I LOVE about this system is I don’t have to spend much time folding or arranging the towels so that they look nice. PERFECT for a busy household! All of my requirements are met. Its organized, easy on the environment, and easy on me!

If you use a lot of paper towels try the recycled brands! Seventh Generation is great and available at most grocery stores and Amazon.

Filed Under: guest post, Home Making, organizing

Quitting soda

August 2, 2012 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | 19 Comments

Hope you’ve all had a great week! Another Friday has arrived very quickly and today I have a great guest post for you!

First, thank you, Jaima, for letting me guest post today! I am thrilled! You are the reason I am where I am today! Thank you! For those of you who do not know me yet, my name is Aimee and I am a new blogger. Today I’m going to share with you WHY I’m quitting soda!

To start, I have to tell you about my husband. I guess it was about a month into dating, he told me that he used chewing tobacco. While I was thoroughly disgusted, I had already fallen in love with him. I told him that it was fine, but once we had kids, it had to stop. I knew in all honesty, that he’d likely never quit, especially if he really didn’t want to. I am so proud to say that 4 years later, with a two year old at home, my husband finally quit! I have never been so proud! I had been nagging at him since my mom was diagnosed with cancer, and even more after she passed away. I understood the addiction side—I’m addicted to sodas. I always thought that it wasn’t nearly as bad of an addiction, but since my husband quit, I decided to do some research to help convince myself to stop drinking soda.

Now, I LOVE cokes. It’s often one of the first things on my mind when I wake up– I need a fix. Terrible isn’t it? Especially when I claim to be living this healthy life and using all the organic products, all the while I sucking down this awful stuff. Confession: I have been drinking primarily soda. Maybe 1 glass of water a day. That’s how bad my addiction has become. I don’t know if it’s the sugar, the bubbles, the caffeine, or a combination of those things that has me addicted, but all I know is I need help! LOL. If my husband could kick tobacco, surely I can kick cokes!

So, I have been soda free since Thursday, August 02, 2012. Wow. It’s in print, and all you people are reading this, so I better stick to it! I decided to get a coke can and look at the ingredients and do a little Wikipedia research. Here is what I found.

Ingredients

Carbonated water: Nothing so much wrong with that.
Sugar (high-fructose corn syrup): Contributes to obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Okay, pause here. My argument has always been that I’m not overweight. I never really have been. So I can’t say that cokes cause obesity in everyone. But I bet if I’m not careful, it will catch up to me. As for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and liver disease, I don’t want to mess with those. My dad was just diagnosed with diabetes, and I take after him quite a bit. He cut the sodas and the diabetes symptoms went away!
Caffeine: Let me preface this by saying I am not giving up all forms of caffeine. I still am drinking tea and the occasional cup of coffee. There are some benefits out there for low to moderate consumption of caffeine which is 130 mg-300 mg per day. But for those who want to know, here are the risks: may cause heart disease and bone density loss, and of course high levels of caffeine have been noted to increase the risk of miscarriage in pregnancy.
Phosphoric acid: Here’s the big one! Did you know coke can be used to remove rust, clean toilet bowls, ruin car engines, and all sorts of stuff? Well, this is the culprit. This ingredient lowers bone density and affects kidney health.
Caramel color (E150d): This is what discolors your teeth!
Natural flavorings: So they don’t release what all is in this, so there’s not much to say here! But that’s scary—I don’t know what else is in this drink I am consuming!

A can of Coke (12 fl ounces/355 ml) has:

· 39 grams of carbohydrates (all from sugar, approximately 10 teaspoons): Umm, hello belly fat!! And did you know sugar is addicting? You just keep needing more and more! Seriously, try a sugar detox! It’s really tough because sugar is in so many things we eat, especially if you eat anything processed! Which I fully recommend eating REAL food!

· 50 mg of sodium: Did you know sodium affects your blood pressure, heart health, and besides that can make you look bloated! I work hard to keep in shape! I don’t need the sodium in coke to make me look fatter than I am!

· 140 calories: Empty calories. You could definitely lose weight by cutting the cokes. I have found I am hungrier when I am not drinking them, so that’s a battle for me. I want to eat more.

Okay, here’s what I am doing to help myself in this journey. The title did say QUITTING because it is a daily, consistent choice I have to make. I have to choose to quit every time I want a soda. I am drinking Cinch energy tea to help battle my cravings and it is really helping. I am drinking a ton of water to help flush everything out. I am eating Cinch snack bars and drinking Cinch shakes to help me fight my need for those extra calories. And of course, I am exercising! It is the BEST form of stress relief! I hope this information is helpful to you. Basically, I found that there are way too many bad things in soda for me to continue drinking them. I know this will be a long road, and I’m pretty sure that I won’t be able to taste one for a while or I’ll be hooked again!

I’d love to hear your stories of beating addictions, soda related or otherwise!

Filed Under: guest post, health

8 FREE ways to relax!

July 19, 2012 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | 1 Comment

I hope you’ve had a great week! It sure flew by around here!!! Whatever you have planned for this weekend, I hope you can use some of these great tips from Nikki and spend some time on YOU! I’m sure your are way past due!

Hi everyone! I’m Nikki and I blog over at Mommy and the Monsters, where I discuss everyday life while learning to be a work at home Mom. Thank you so much Jaima for allowing me to guest post today!

Today I want to talk to all you Mom’s out there who are just plain exhausted and need a break! Do you find that your days all fall into the next and you have no time to just relax? If so, listen up! We need time to relax too!

I’m going to share with you a few easy relaxation tips that will clear your mind and get you back on track. I just started doing many of these on the list and I have to say, I’m already feeling less frazzled!

• Meditate

o This is probably one of the thriftiest ways to relax since it is free. Just find a quiet place, close your eyes and inhale slowly through your nose and exhaling out through your mouth for about 5-10 minutes. Tip: Add some aromatherapy or light music to make it even better!

• Read

o This is probably one of my most favorite ways to relax. When I’m having a rough day and I just need some peace and quiet, I leave the kids to my hubby and I hide away in the bedroom reading for a while. It’s a really nice way to wind down.

• Pick up a hobby

o Do you have a hobby you love? Whether its scrapbooking, sewing, knitting, painting – whatever it is, pull it out of the closet, dust it off and try it! I know what you are thinking, I have no time! All I can say is just do it. You deserve it just as much as the next person. Even if it’s for a few minutes a day. If it’s a hobby it’s something you love.

• Take a hot bubble bath

o If there is one thing that we as Moms do is forget about ourselves! We are always going to great lengths to make sure our husbands and children have their favorite foods on hand, their clothes washed, their dinner cooked, but often times we are neglecting to treat ourselves. I have one of those racks that sit in the tub that hold a book and a wine glass and I’m set to go! Putting a little lavender oil in the tub too will make for a nice treat!

• Give yourself an at home spa treatment

o Along the pampering lines, giving yourself a pedicure or a manicure or even a facial is another way to relax and wind down. I try very hard to at least twice a month to give myself a facial or a pedicure. It feels so nice when it’s all done and it’s very soothing! I LOVE this all natural body scrub – especially as an exfoliator on my tired feet!

• Go for a walk or run with a friend

o Sometimes just getting out of the house, getting some fresh air, and spending it with a friend is the best way to relax. I know any time I spend with my friends is comforting.

• Do absolutely nothing!

o That’s right! NOTHING! Just sit down, relax, and do nothing. Go outside, sit on your porch if it’s a nice day/night if you want to, but don’t do anything. Simply doing nothing can really be amazingly relaxing and satisfying!

• Unplug from everything

o Noise. Whether it is the phone ringing, the TV, the kid’s video games, the “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy”, the ring of a text message or an email, whatever it is that’s stressful! Turn it all off. Walk away from the computer, the phone, the kids, everything, and just unplug. Even if it’s for 10 minutes it will be the most tranquil 10 minutes of your day!

I hope these tips today will help and inspire you to take time for yourself and enjoy it! Please stop over to my blog and say Hello! I’d love to hear if any of you incorporated some of these ideas into your daily/weekly routine!

Thank you again Jaima for allowing me the opportunity to talk to your readers!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Filed Under: guest post, health

baby steps to a better YOU

May 17, 2012 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | 9 Comments

I am pretty excited to introduce you all to my new and first ever Blog Contributor. Chrissy is a work at home mom and military wife who lives a very healthy lifestyle and likes to help others do the same. She grew up in a gym and has learned from the best, along with the hard way as to what works best for her. As part of my current weightloss/better health journey, I asked Chrissy to join me in help sharing her tricks for you.

So without further ado: Here’s the first edition of:

Hi all.

I’m so excited to introduce this new series that Jaima and I are teaming up on! As I’m sure you have seen Jaima is taking a big step in her life to become the best version of herself, by way of creating a healthier lifestyle for her and her family. I will be a contributor here twice a month with fitness tips, tricks, and motivation to help get your body exactly where you want it!

Let me introduce myself. My name is Chrissy. I am a work from home Mom with two of the silliest little guys I know. My husband is in the Coast Guard and we currently live just outside of Seattle, WA. I write at Parlo and Logi.

I never considered myself to be “out of shape” I cheered from the time I was 8 until I graduated High School, which meant for me 90 minutes a day of weight training followed by 3 hours of cheer practice every day. After that I worked as a distributor/ marketer for Dewalt where I was up and down ladders every day lugging combo kits. Fast forward to us moving to Maryland where I wasn’t working and it was cold for this Florida girl, so not too much moving around. I quickly gained 10 lbs. A few short months later I became pregnant with my first son not only did I gain an amazing little boy, I also gained 57 pounds, and that doesn’t include the 10 I lost with morning sickness and the insane ravenous hungry that comes with breastfeeding. I stopped stepping on the scale for almost a year after having this little guy.

Now I have two little guys and am working my way to the BEST me. I have learned how to treat my body the right way; how to stick to an exercise routine without having to constantly start over again. And I’m down 2 pounds and 2 pants sizes smaller than my “goal” weight, all from hard work and persistence. I want to share my success with you. Every one of you!

I know what it’s like to wake up one morning and look in the mirror and think, where did this body come from? I know the mindset that comes with those thoughts.

Now I look in the mirror and I’m PROUD! I’m not just proud of how my body looks, I’m proud of what my body has accomplished. I brought two amazing little humans into this world. I am stronger and more confident than ever with enough stamina for two.

Will you join me? Let’s get those muscles moving, and your confidence soaring!

For the next two weeks I want you thinking about “Why?”. Why do you want to lose weight? What is your goal?

See you in a couple weeks!

Thanks, Chrissy! I just have to say that MY WHY is what keeps me going. And not just the “because I want to lose 50lb”. It’s the, “I NEED to lose 50lb to better my health and ensure I can always be an active part in my daughter’s life”!

So are you up for the challenge? What are your goals and WHY? Leave a comment below or Join our discussion on Blog Frog and tell us!

Filed Under: baby steps / better you, guest post, health

overcoming obstacles and building the life you crave

biggest, best, cutest mom syndrome

make your own mood spray

preparing for the holidays–are you dreading it?

purging before a move!

life coach

How To Store Your Dish Towels

Quitting soda

8 FREE ways to relax!

baby steps to a better YOU

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