FASTer Way To Fat Loss -- My Experience

I'm sure you've all seen it. #FWTFL #FASTerWay... It's a movement. And I can't say enough good things about it. It combines intermittent fasting (don't be scared!), carb cycling, macro tracking, and workouts programmed according to how you are eating each day. When I first started back in July, I was SO CONFUSED....that lasted all of like 2-3 days. Really! The program is a total of 7 weeks with the first week being "prep week." This first week helps you to learn the ins and outs of the program, how to track, how to use My Fitness Pal, and test out the workouts. Consider it a grace period.

When I started FWTFL, I was a momma who was just shoving whatever quick food I could find into my mouth. Yes, we had dinners every night but as far as a healthy lunch or healthy snacks...it was bad. I was eating the most random things just to get by. I hadn't really started working out because I wasn't sure how I was going to fit it in. I was not in a rush to get this post partum body back to what it was pre-Luke but knew I needed to do something. Little did I know when I started this program what crazy visible and non-visible changes I would see.

I went through the first 7 weeks and was blown. away. I had more energy. My clothes were very loose. And I was eating so much healthier. One huge takeaway that I had from the first round was becoming so aware of what I was eating. That might sound dumb. But actually looking at labels (and UNDERSTANDING them) & learning all about whole food nutrition AMAZED me. We are what we eat. And I want to be the best version of myself because I have 2 people depending on me. Being a wife and mom means a lot to me.

On to the fasting. Scary? No, not really. It's all about timing folks. I eat. We do not skimp on meals. I eat all the protein, all the healthy fats, and the best...all the healthy CARBS. I am the SMALLEST I have ever been, and I eat a little over 2000 calories every day. When you start this program, you will actually find out that it is hard to hit those macros...but with time, GAME ON! Also, this program is not about calorie deficits. A deficit in your caloric intake is not something that will work long term. I could go on and on about this. The intermittent fasting has also taught me to value my food. SAY WHAT!? Yes, VALUE my food. When I break my fast each day, it's like the most delicious meal ever. Trust me, I get giddy over a sweet potato. It's all I ever want to eat. HA! Before #FWTFL, food was comfort. Now, food is fuel.

Another huge aspect that I loved about the program was my coach and the accountability. My coach, Loren, is probably one of the sweetest people I have ever "met." She is understanding. She is encouraging. And she is a great cheerleader. I wish we lived closer because she really is amazing & I want to be her BFF. All of this to say...that's why she is at the TOP of coach's board almost every month. She has a way of driving home how to fix things but does it without making you feel like a failure when you do slip. #ProgressOverPerfection

Speaking of slipping....life happens. We have a trip, Fall Break, a birthday party, the HOLIDAYS whatever. We eat all the (bad) carbs, drink all the wine, and let's not forget dessert. Let me tell you something, that is LIFE. You cannot and should not expect to be "perfect" all the time. One of the biggest things about this program is should you fall off one day, you can jump RIGHT back on the next day. This is a sustainable way of life. Yo-yoing all over the place with crazy diets isn't going to cut it. This way of life may sound difficult but it's not. Whole food nutrition is a game changer. Tracking your macros...it's EASY. Promise. Meals don't have to be complex. When you put your mind to something and really want the change, the sky is the limit.

Let's get to the good stuff. I know what you want. The before and afters. All the details. So here we go.

First Round (July)

Starting Weight 155.4 lbs

Ending Weight ~140 lbs (I was on a work trip at the end of my first round & wasn't able to weigh in so this is probably most accurate.)

Inches Lost ~11.25 inches (Again, forgot to measure after my work trip so I know it was around here.)

Second Round (September)

Starting Weight 142.8lbs 

Ending Weight 135.8lbs 

Inches Lost 6.75 inches

{...in two rounds (14 weeks total), I have lost 20 lbs & 18 inches...}

Now for pictures....as I take a big deep breath. YIKES!

 The picture on the left is the start of round 1 while the picture on the right is the start of round 2. 

Here is the final before and after. Again first, picture was taken back in July. Second picture taken at the start of my second round in September. And the last, taken this week. 

I hope you guys can read my excitement for this program. I truly LOVE IT. If you are interested, please reach out! I would love to talk to you more about my experience. If you have questions, bring them. If you have concerns, bring them. I want to hear what you think. I know it can be intimidating, but what do you have to lose (no pun intended)? I am so passionate about this since becoming a mom because a lot is expected of us. I want every mom/wife/sister/aunt/grandmother/niece to feel as good as I feel. It is attainable. I promise. You will do GREAT! And let me back up, you don't have to be a woman to do this program. This program is for EVERYONE -- MEN included. Everyone deserves to feel good. Everyone deserves to have their health in their control. What is your health worth to you? Health is wealth, y'all!

If you are still reading, BLESS YOU! HA! I wanted to share my thoughts and excitement about this. It would be amiss if I didn't. I have a link (click HERE) direct to my coach. It is an affiliate link, but let me tell you, that is NOT my main take-away here. This program will change your life. The community within #FWTFL is AMAZING. We all "get" it. We all love it. We all SUPPORT each other. And I mean that 100%. This has CHANGED. MY. LIFE. And if you do decide to join, I want LOREN as your coach. She's the best. I wouldn't have anyone else but her leading & cheering me on through this.

It's personal!

One thing I have always loved is stationery. There is something so classic about a monogrammed or personalized piece. The norm today has become emailing or texting, but I still find myself taking the time to sit down, put pen to paper and let people know I'm thankful for their generosity or even that I was just thinking of them.

When Basic Invite reached out to me, I jumped at the chance to work with them. They offer everything from invitations to wedding websites. One thing I really loved was that I could customize my paper goods and see what it would look like instantly. The possibilities are ENDLESS...even down to the envelope color...over 40 colors to choose from! I went with a classic card of different colored pink brush strokes and my name at the bottom. I plan on using these as Thank You notes. I'm obsessed.

Right now, most people are getting their family pictures taken and getting ready to start choosing their online holiday cards. Basic Invite has over 500 different designs.You can get as fancy as you want with foil choices or keep it clean and classic with simple Christmas cards. Having a Christmas party? They've got your Christmas party invitations covered too and they. are. gorgeous. I live for a party and picking the right invite totally sets the theme and gets your guests so excited. If you are ahead of schedule (unlike me), you've already gotten your pictures taken and are ready to start designing your Christmas card. If so, you can use code 'holi30' to get 30% off your order. We send out a good bit each year so these codes are always so appreciated.

Now let me go get our photo shoot SCHEDULED so I can get my order in for our card this year.

Thank you to Basic Invite for sponsoring this post. 

Life Update!

Hi Friends! Hope everyone is doing well. I'm not even apologizing for the radio silence. It is what it is. HA! Thought I would share a little life update & just check in.

I traveled back to South Carolina for our National Sales Conference. It was awesome to see everyone and get back in the groove of work related stuff. You can start to feel like an island some days when you work from home and everyone else is in the office. I wouldn't trade it for anything but I LOVE to get to see my teammates, sales managers, and actually dress up in work clothes for a couple days.

I turned 31 a week later and my parents came to visit. I managed ZERO pictures of my birthday and ONE of my parents with Luke. We also kicked off college football that weekend too! I have GOT to get better about snapping. I take plenty of Luke...and that's it. HA! Oops.

Luke turned 6 months. I cannot believe it. We have started thinking about his first birthday because if the first six months went that quick, the second half is going to FLY. He is such a joy to be around and is the HAPPIEST baby. He can be a little high maintenance when it comes to feedings but overall, he is EASY. He also graduated physical therapy on September 14th so we are moving and shaking with getting this boy 100%. He gets his second DocBand this week. He grew out of his first super quick. Cranial Technologies has been nothing short of amazing with scheduling to helping with insurance. They are AWESOME.

I became a Beautycounter consultant this month. I had been pretty strict about what we were putting on Luke and what we were eating. Well, guess what, I wasn't thinking of myself or Brian. Beautycounter offers safer skincare, beauty, and kids' line. We love the baby wash, oil & balm. I am also loving the dew skin, this palette, & this lippy in 'Twig'...the PERFECT everyday neutral!

I am training for my third half marathon & still doing FASTer Way To Fat Loss. I seriously love it and have seen TREMENDOUS results. I feel better and am overall eating 1000x better. My coach Loren Mattingly is amazing too. If you are interested in joining, the next round starts 1 week from today! I promise, you can do it.

That about wraps it up for me. If you're still reading, bless you! HA. I'm off to Vegas tomorrow for customer visits. It's my first time there so I know I'm in for a fun {quick} trip. Happy Monday, y'all!

Loving & Hating

It's Hump Day! It's been a week already and Friday can't come soon enough. We're over here just trying to survive Luke finding his way to the corner of his crib every night and getting STUCK. So. Tired. This too shall pass. Just as quickly as he learns something new or we have a tough couple days, it turns around!

I haven't shared anything recently that I am loving so I thought I'd share some today & then on a funny/lighter note some things that are just not at the top of my list.

LOVING

Beauty

Urban Decay Liner + Lipstick in 'Gubby'. It has a metallicized look & I just love it. I have been pairing both with this Buxom lip cream. It tingles a little bit which I like. This combo looks so pretty with a tan...high shine but still a nude lip.

Becca Soft Light Blur Powder. This is so light and perfect to put over your CC cream or foundation just to smooth everything right on out.

Benefit Roller Lash. I have sworn up and down how I hate those little spikey mascara wands. But, Benefit proved me wrong. I bought a small version of this just to try. It is SO good. It curls, lifts, lengthens and doesn't flake! Makes these tired momma eyes look a little bit more awake.

Shows

Is anyone watching "Very Cavallari?" I remember watching The Hills & Laguna Beach in college and thinking how much I disliked Kristin. Anyone else? She was the mean party girl and she just wasn't cutting it for me. I now follow her on Insta and love her cooking stories. Everything she makes looks SO good. She also has her jewelry line, Uncommon James and she has a shoe line?! Girl is killing it. 

Netflix -- "Anne with an E." I so love this show. It is based off Anne of Green Gables. She is the sweetest and her vocabulary kills me. If you watch, you know. I have also half watched "Better Call Saul." B LOVES it and has been binging it when Luke goes down at night. It's pretty good and ties right back into Breaking Bad. If you haven't watched Breaking Bad...GO! It was so good and so intense and we were obsessed. 

Upcoming Trips

I have a work trip coming up at the end of August. I am super excited to get back to the office for a few days and see my teammates along with my sales guys. 

Also, we have a girls' trip booked for the first weekend of November for Siesta Key! Who's been? Any good rec's on restaurants, bars, things we must do? We are all excited to escape and lay on the beach!

source

Miscellaneous

COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!! We have a projector room in the new house so I know all the games will be going down there. With all the treats and beverages! Go Gamecocks!

HATING

#PPHL aka POST PARTUM HAIR LOSS. Y'all, it's EVERYWHERE. When does it stop?! MAKE IT STOP. I have to vacuum so dang much. Brushing my hair, washing my hair, blowdrying....it's flying everywhere. LOL.

There is not enough time in the day... really! Working, Momming, Cleaning, Cooking, phew! I'm grateful for the life I have but man, I just can't get it all done. Once one thing is done, I move on to the next the next day. Some days there's piles of laundry, other days piles of my hair. What can I say? REAL TALK. 

100 degree temperatures....all week. Along with my first electric bill for the new house. YIKES!

I hope everyone has a great Wednesday. Leave me some of your recent loves or things that are just irritating to no end. HA! 

Life Update - Home Buying, Luke, & the #NSALE

Hi friends! It's been a bit since I've written here. Life has been quite the whirlwind. I figured I'd update y'all on everything happening these days. We have been busy busy busy and had our both sets of parents in town in town one time or another.

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!
That's right. No more apartment life. We moved about 30-40 minutes north of Austin to a cute little suburb. We love it because there is a lot less traffic, more ROOM to spread out, and just a change of scenery. It's so funny. When people found out we bought a house, they all said "So it's permanent huh?" Not really. Brian's job is here right now; but we both agreed, if they called him tomorrow to come back east, we would put the house on the market in a skinny minute. Nothing is ever really permanent. We love the house, but we definitely would love being closer to home more.

LUKE
He is growing like a weed y'all. He turned 4 months this past Monday. He is so happy and smiley. I can't get enough of him. He learned to roll to his belly 2 days before he turned 4 months old. Cue the freak out when I woke up and saw him on the monitor. But, it's just great because it means he is growing and learning to do all the things. We have also spent a lot of our Saturdays at the pool. He is so calm there and naps like a champ (AT THE POOL) when it's time. It gives Mom & Daddy a bit of downtime to enjoy adult talk....and beverages.

Bathing Suit, Amazon | Sunglasses, Quay Australia (ON SALE for HALF OFF!!) | Hat, Local Find

Luke's Rash Guard, Target | Luke's Swim Shorts, Target | 

Luke's Hat, i Play | Sunglasses, Target (similar)

We have also been in PT since a little bit past his 2 month birthday/doctor's appointment. He was diagnosed with Torticollis at his 2 month appointment. That was causing Plagiocephaly. He is doing GREAT with fixing his torticollis, and he will be getting a DocBand next week to help round out his head shape. And can we all say AMEN that insurance is taking care of it 100%?!

EXERCISE
I totally understand since having Luke just how tough it is to get back into the swing of things when it comes to exercising regularly. Between work schedules/feedings/all the things, it is TOUGH. When we moved, it became even tougher. My beloved CG (Camp Gladiator) was not really working out anymore as far as times of classes. I cancelled that, MUCH to my dismay. I really needed a 4:30am class to swing it. I didn't want to take time away from Brian and I in the evenings by going to a class. I started FASTer Way to Fat Loss which has been so eye opening. It pairs exercising with eating WHOLE foods, carb cycling, and the most important FASTING. Let me tell you something, nothing tastes as good as healthy food AFTER you have been fasting. And, you get to eat {healthy} carbs so there ya go. I will post more on that as I am only in the first official week. My main reasoning behind this was to get me eating better. As a mom, I found myself scrounging. Eating crackers here. Grabbing a cookie there. Not really focusing on what I was eating -- just putting something in my mouth because I was hungry. It has really helped me plan out my meals to hit those good macros.

WORK
Back to work has been good. I have a sales conference at the end of August. I am looking forward to it because it's always nice to really interact with other people when you work from home. It can definitely get lonely. I am thankful I can work from home, but it's always nice to get back to see my colleagues and be in an office setting.

Lastly, here are a few items I picked up from the #NSale. I didn't blow it out of the water but picked up some staples. What did you find? Are you shopping it?

It's good to be back. I really really really am going to try and do my very best to start being more consistent here. Y'all hold me accountable! What do you want to hear?!

Birth Story: Luke Ezra Marozas Part II

I left you all with Luke's delivery and how amazing my medical team was. I still can't get over their support. So picking up where we left off, we delivered and got right to skin to skin time. To be totally honest, the thought of skin to skin time right after delivering grossed me out. All the stuff....but it went out the window after so much pushing. He was FINALLY here. WOO! He cried and cried which to me was good because he was getting all that extra stuff in his lungs out and getting all the oxygen and turning PINK. :) I got my time with him and then B. He REALLY loved his skin to skin time with B. He was quiet and sweet, and B was totally in love.

After some time, B ran to P. Terrys and got me a DOUBLE CHEESEBURGER AND FRIES. I didn't even hesitate to ask for the double. I don't usually order a double but Momma needed it after so long without anything to eat. He got back and the nursery was there to start taking all his stats. They went to take his blood sugar levels since I had high blood pressure the last stint of my pregnancy. First reading....zero. Um ok? Second reading... 12. On top of super low blood sugars, he was breathing too fast. They called down to NICU and asked what they would like to do. They wanted him down there immediately. He headed to the NICU, and Brian followed. I stayed back because I was getting moved to post partum. In my naive mind, I thought "Oh Luke will stay a night in NICU and then he'll be done there. Or maybe not even a night." Wrong. So very wrong.

I got moved over to post partum and immediately told my nurse that I wanted to go down there. She pushed me down in my wheelchair. I remember rounding the corner and seeing isolette after isolette of all these tiny babies. I was shocked. I had huge tears in my eyes. WHAT? Why was I here? Why are there so many babies here? They shouldn't be here either. We got to Luke's room and respiratory was there along with his nurse. He was SCREAMING and I lost it. He had an IV and all these wires attached to him. It wasn't fair. B was as usual calm cool and collected. He was very happy with Luke's nurse and knew everything that was going on.

Luke was started on a glucose drip to bring his sugars up. They told us..."Oh maybe 2 days and then he can go." That wasn't the case. He had to get his sugars up, eat well, and then tolerate weaning off the drip. It took him about 3.5 days to get off the drip and maintain. He was eating GREAT. And then guess what? JAUNDICE reared its ugly head with a vengeance. The whites of his little eyes turned yellow which is the last bit to turn and is bad. He was on photo-therapy for about a day. After he was turned off the BILI light, he then had to maintain those levels. But he did it. He was released on a Wednesday night to come home with us. We were ecstatic and at the same time nervous.

We had amazing nurses. They loved him and loved us so well. I remember we were walking down the LONG hallway with our Luke and all the nurses at the stations lit up because they knew he was finally going home. I had a huge lump in my throat. I wanted to take them all home with me. They always answered our many calls, our questions, gave us guidance, and assured us he was doing great during his stay.

Five days in the NICU. For us, it was FOREVER. For others, that's a walk in the park. All the mommas and daddies we saw who have their babies there for months....I cannot even begin to imagine; some even had their weights posted on their little incubators....1 pound... oh my word. What is crazy to me is that I have TWO friends who both had their babies born VERY early. One in the same hospital as us, and just a day before Luke arrived. They are still there getting him better and ready to go home. I don't wish the NICU on any parent. It's stressful and not where you want to be. But the people that work there are like no other. They are educators, friends, cheerleaders, and become your closest confidant. I am thankful for the many nurses we met and the neo-natologists who were AWESOME.

We kept our pictures of Luke in the NICU to ourselves. I will leave you with one as it was a private experience for our family and don't want to put Luke out there in his vulnerable state. Besides, nobody wants to see a sweet baby with all kinds of leads coming off of them. I know it makes me so sad. 

Looking at this picture, he has changed SO much. I can't believe he is already a month old!! We love him so much and can't imagine our lives without him. I hope you have enjoyed our story. I know we will have lots of stories for you to come as he grows older. He is a chubby boy and more than we could ask for.

A Birth Story: Luke Ezra Marozas

It's been a minute since I last posted. And there have definitely been some updates in our life. I love reading birth stories and hearing peoples' experiences. I hope you'll enjoy ours. I'll start from the very beginning.

I had a doctor's appointment on Monday, February 26th. It was a routine visit, and I was feeling pretty good that day at 36 weeks and 4 days. I went in and my blood pressure was high. They made me lie down on my left and rest and re-took it later. Baby looked great, but they didn't like my blood pressure. They were worried that I was on my way to pre-eclampsia. They allowed me to go home but not first without a trip to the lab to have blood drawn and do a 24 hour urine collection. They told me to monitor my BP the rest of the day. I don't know about you but if someone tells you that your blood pressure is high and that you just need to relax....it's not all that easy. Well my blood pressure continued to go up. I called the office twice and left 2 messages with my readings. They finally called me back and told me to head in to labor and delivery. I was freaked out. I had to stay 24 hours overnight and be monitored. My blood pressure did go down and was put on mild bed rest. I followed up with my doctor that Friday, March 2nd.

At that appointment, my doctor went over everything with me and asked me how I felt about an induction. At this point, I was 37 weeks and 1 day. She wanted it scheduled for the following Thursday night which is when I turned 38 weeks. It was all getting super real. I called my parents and let them know when they needed to start heading our way. We got confirmation the following Tuesday to come in Thursday night to start the induction process with Cervidil. They ended up being super backed up with lots of deliveries so instead of getting there at 6:30pm like planned. We didn't get in until about 10pm.

Our last picture as just us.

Some of the goodies for everyone who helped us. We also had gift bags for those nurses assigned to us. Don't forget your nurses, ladies!!

We got all checked in, and they started the Cervidil. Not sure if any of you have had this placed but ouch. I was thinking it was some type of suppository gel insert or something...no! It's essentially plastic. My nurse placed it. My body took to it right away and my contractions started. I took some mild pain medicine to rest because my contractions were on top of each other. At 2:30am on Friday morning, I heard a slight pop. My water broke. Um OK!? Brian was freaked out. I was laughing because they said that it (Cervidil) could send me into labor but it was unlikely.

Once my water broke, my contractions were super intense & on top of each other. I could not rest and had a long ways ahead of me. I called for my epidural and thank you Jesus for that. Fast forward to around lunch time...I was almost complete. It got really real and we were ready. Well...we had to wait a bit longer and started to push around 2ish. I pushed for about 3 hours. I hadn't had anything to eat and I was really exhausted. I remember looking at Brian and crying. My epidural wasn't working all that well; I was so exhausted and had zero energy. I wanted to waive the white flag and have them roll me to the OR for a C-Section.

They called my doctor and she came in about 6:30 or so. She checked me and said that she was going to stay and coach/push with me. I had had about an hour in between my initial pushing with my nurses and the time that Dr. Wang had gotten there. I must have gotten a second wind. We think his head was turned to the side instead of being tucked chin down so it was A LOT to get him out.

Luke Ezra was born at 7:49pm on Friday, March 9th. It was a crazy delivery and one that I, Brian, nor my doctor said they would ever forget. As soon as he was out, I was a sobbing mess. During his delivery was shift change so I got a whole new set of nurses. But everyone stayed and cheered me on and congratulated us. I remember grabbing their hands and thanking them because they were SO sweet and didn't have to stay. I have big tears in my eyes typing this because I just LOVED them.

Marozas Party of 3 + my SAINT of a doctor, Dr. Wang! To say we love her is an understatement.

Stay tuned for part 2 to come. As long as it took Luke to get out....he wanted to extend his stay at the hospital just a bit longer.

This and That: Life Update

Hi friends! I thought I'd just chit chat with y'all today and give a little bit of life updates. I feel like we have so much going on but at the same time, not much at all. Do you ever feel like that?

Moving on, it's LOVE WEEK! I know that Valentine's is a made up holiday, but I really do love it so much. Nothing makes me happier than seeing all the pink and red candies, flowers, balloons, and cards. But please...leave the stuffed teddy bears alone. HA! You don't have to have a significant other to celebrate...honest. There's always galentines! Last year, B and I hit up In&Out for our Valentine's dinner. Yes, you read that right. We went and got cheeseburgers and fries. It couldn't have been more us if you tried. And guess what, we are going to keep this 'tradition' and do it again this year. Ain't no shame in our game! I don't need steak and lobster (ew!!). And I really don't care to be dressing up at this point in my pregnancy. Sooooo cheeseburgers and fries are our choice. Do y'all do anything low key? Or is Valentine's an over the top holiday for you? BTW, did you see my Valentine's dessert post?

This past weekend (Friday) to be exact...I think I temporarily lost my mind. I for some reason freaked myself out (for no good reason at all) that this baby was coming any day. Y'all, I'll be 35 weeks on Thursday. He could very well come at any time (but let's be real, we have a few weeks), but I had myself in a straight up panic and started throwing everything into a suitcase. I wasn't even happy with it because it wasn't organized, and I didn't have time to plan everything out. And GOD FORBID, I didn't have my own going home outfit -- don't worry, I ordered it, and it will be here Thursday. I can't even begin to tell you how crazy my mind works. Of course, B set me straight once he got home and told me to take a chill pill. We made lists of what we have left to do and pack. I have him packed as well as baby. I just have a few last minute things coming in/things I need to put together (nurse gifts!).

I guess the fact that my next appointment starts my series of weekly visits. How did I get here so fast? I have constantly gone over things in my head...do we have everything? Am I ready? Is B ready? What about Gopher? Is he going to even like the baby? Will we know what to do? Is B going to pass out in the delivery room? It's hard to anticipate the unexpected...truly. Especially for quite a monumental event in one's life. I think we are as 'ready' as we'll ever be.

Does anyone else like the new snapchat? I think it's AWFUL. I hardly get on it anymore and mainly just watch InstaStories. I feel like everyone is migrating there and away from snapchat. Now, if Instagram would just go back to the regular scheduled programming and not this STUPID algorithm, we'd be in business. If you aren't following me on Insta, be sure to find me! I post there mostly.

This Wednesday starts Lent. Is anyone out there giving up anything or taking on anything? B always does a better job at this than me. He is giving up quite a bit this year (alcohol in general being one). A podcast he listens to suggested doing an almsgiving which we already do with our snack packs. I think giving back to those in need is so important. Why not incorporate both almsgiving and volunteering to your Lenten season? Junior League of Austin and helping those we pass on Austin street corners has been eye opening. I highly suggest getting out of your comfort zone and helping. I promise you have the time...sacrificing that show or sleeping in, you can be helping. You just don't really know, until you know. I know that we will so encourage this once baby is old enough. Just a challenge. :)

And I can't leave y'all on too much of a serious note so here are some recent purchases of mine. Some aren't here yet so I'm patiently waiting stalking the delivery man. Anybody else this way? I'm also refusing to buy any real Spring clothes (even though it's about to kill me) because I want to see just how much weight is left over after baby and where I stand on sizing.

Happy Fat Tuesday!!

 

Battle of Beauty: Drugstore Foundations

We all know the wide range of beauty products out there -- some good, some not so good. Some people spend a lot on their make up, and some choose not to. And that's okay. I get it. Especially if you aren't someone who wears a lot to begin with or doesn't wear it on a daily basis (work from homers --- raising my hand). This is going to be the first part of my beauty series: drugstore foundations!

A couple weeks ago, I hit Ulta and headed straight over to the drugstore area. Literally, I had no method to picking up the foundations that I did other than choosing more well known brands that could be found no matter where you go, CVS, Walgreens, Target, Walmart, etc etc. I was actually pretty surprised with my findings...honest. To be totally transparent, I did no prior research to buying these, and I applied these all the SAME way. I used my Beauty Blender and the same primer (I got this as a sample and I am OBSESSED!).

Here are the four that I chose to test.

1. COVERGIRL Clean Liquid Foundation  This was my least favorite. First thing being is that it doesn't have any type of dispenser. You twist of the cap and then what? Carefully pour it on the back of your hand? Pour it on your beauty blender? No thanks. Also, it had a weird smell. Coverage was eh. Color range was about 12 different ones. Not bad but not great. It was also the cheapest of all 4 foundations. {$}

2. NYX Total Control Drop Foundation  This was in my top 2. You use a dropper to dispense which I liked. It also is very liquid-y but goes on great. The finish is powdery/matte. Coverage was wonderful, and I likened this to my not so cost friendly Laura Mercier foundation that I LOVE. One thing I will say about the NYX....do NOT use a mattifying primer. First time I tried to apply it, I used this primer (which I love ESP for the summertime). While it is a great primer, it does not match well with this foundation. Use something a bit more hydrating (like this one), and it will go on flawlessly. Shade range is phenomenal on this one with a total of 29 colors. {$$}

3. L'OREAL True Match Lumi Foundation This foundation is very nice. It does give a luminescent finish if that's what you are looking for. I would say this may not be the best foundation for someone who has super oily skin (especially during the summer); however, it is great for winter/spring in my personal opinion. I tend to run on the oily side so while I still liked this, it wasn't at the top of my list because I know it would be sliding off my face once this Texas heat hits. The shade range is decent with a total of 15 colors. It also has a pump for dispensing which I really like. Also contains a broad spectrum SPF of 20. {$$}

4. REVLON PhotoReady Airbrush Effect Foundation  This was a great foundation. It is described as medium to full coverage which I completely agree with. It, too, is a pump dispenser like the L'Oreal foundation. The consistency is thicker on this one however on the skin, it does not feel heavy/cakey. It also has a broad spectrum SPF of 20. It gives a bit of a luminescent finish but nothing like the L'Oreal. The one drawback to this one is that the overall shade range is less to be desired with only 6 colors (WHAT?!). Luckily, they had a shade that worked for me. {$$}

Overall, the Revlon and NYX foundations were my favorites. They stayed on. They covered well. And the price points were not bad at all. Neither of these 2 products caused any breakouts when wearing them. And I have worn both multiple times because I do like them so much. Be sure to let me know if you have tried or currently use these or are going to try. Are there any others out there that are off the charts? Send me your recs!!

Friday Treat -- Valentine's Cookies!

Two recipes in one week....I know. I know. I'm practically a food blogger. What can I say? These cookies are so easy, so fun, and so yummy. I originally found them on Facebook. I made them at Christmas time but with Christmas themed sprinkles. Brian was super skeptical. He told me the other night that he initially underrated them. Imagine that!? I'm the one with the sweet tooth...I know better. Let's get on with the recipe shall we?

Ingredients

• 48 Ritz crackers
• 1/2 cup Marshmallow Fluff
• 1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1lb Melting Chocolate (Milk, Dark, or White)
• Sprinkles

Directions
Lay out 24 Ritz crackers on a baking sheet. Mix together your marshmallow fluff & creamy peanut butter in a bowl. After thoroughly mixed, put a little bit on each of the Ritz crackers....just enough to cover the cracker. Once complete, top each with the remaining crackers. Now the fun part, melt the chocolate according to the package directions. I used dark chocolate on this time, and they turned out really good! Coat each "sandwich" entirely in chocolate and lay back on your baking sheet. Once all have been coated in chocolate, add your sprinkles. This might be fun if you have little ones who want to help. Once the sprinkles have been added, just pop the baking sheet into the fridge for 30 mins-1 hour so the chocolate can really harden. And you're done!

These are really tasty, and we ended up putting ours in the freezer when it was all said and done. Makes for a good crunch in my opinion. You can do these for ANY holiday or even for birthday parties. They would also be fun to give away as homemade gifts for the holidays. It's up to you. I hope you enjoyed this & let me know if you make them!

Bump Date: 32 Weeks

Sweater: Old Navy (old) Similar | Shirt: Nordstrom | Leggings: Spanx Maternity | 

Boots: Rack Room/Franco Fortini (old) | Necklace: Laura Cox Designs 

How far along: 32 weeks today 

Due Date: March 22, 2018

Baby is the size of: Squash. He was 84th percentile in weight at the beginning of January...oh boy. Today he was measuring 4.11oz per the sonogram & was in the 74th percentile. He has some long legs per the nurse.

Gender: Boy

Name: Baby boy has a name! Praise the Lord! It's not a secret to friends and family, but I will keep it to myself until he makes his arrival.

Symptoms: Still moving around fairly well....except rolling in and out of the bed 2-3 times a night. Oh, and I can't breathe. Like it takes me 2 big deep breaths to help me satisfy my lungs or feel like I got enough oxygen. It makes for a fun time trying to get to sleep at night.

Movement: All the time!

Cravings/Aversions: Nothing crazy. I REALLY wanted a sub with sprouts and ham/turkey, mayo and WHITE bread the other day. I didn't get it...but that doesn't mean I still don't want it.

Missing anything: Still wine...and poke poke/sushi.

Maternity Clothes: Still rocking the maternity jeans & some maternity leggings. Not much of anything else. 

Nursery: Nada! At least until we get a house early/late spring. 

Brian's Thoughts: Still super excited & ready to meet him. Wonders what he will look like. I am hoping for a head of dark hair, blue eyes and long eyelashes like his Daddy. 

Looking forward to: Baby boy's arrival!! 
 
My Thoughts: I am really in utter shock that we are in single digit countdown and that all the rest of my appointments have been booked. We have our classes this week on infant care and childbirth as well as a tour of L&D. 

Savory Monday: Crack Potatoes

Good Monday morning friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Ours was mostly gray and overcast. We did a whole lot of nothing which I was totally fine with. We have been spending our days just soaking up the last 2 months of just us before baby boy arrives.

Let's get right down to it, shall we? I found this recipe from vlogger, Mallory Ervin/Dimeola. If you aren't following her on Insta, do yourself a favor, and GO. FOLLOW. HER. She is hilarious as his her husband. They keep me in stitches, and I wish she was my BFF in real life. HA! So this is a side that I have cooked probably 4 times in the last, let's say week and a half to two weeks. We call them crack potatoes because that's what they are. They are easy, and there probably won't be leftovers. #Truth

Ingredients

• One bag of small golden round potatoes
• One whole bulb of garlic
• 2-3 TBS butter
• EVOO
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. While your oven is preheating, boil potatoes WHOLE for about 10 minutes until they are tender (you can stick a fork in them easily). Once done boiling, drain and cut them in half and place on lined cooking sheet. You can use a baking liner like this one or just some parchment paper will do as well. Take your whole bulb of garlic & cut off just the top so the cloves inside are exposed. I usually will also peel off some of the extra skin too. Place that on the baking pan as well. I then drizzle about 2 TBS of EVOO over the pan, sprinkle in some sea salt & pepper and make sure all the potatoes are evenly coated. It doesn't hurt to get a little EVOO on your garlic bulb either. Then put those bad boys into the oven for approximately 35 minutes. Once they are done baking, put your bulb of garlic in the fridge so it can cool. I usually let it sit in there for about 5 minutes or so. Put your 2-3 TBS of butter in a small bowl and melt in the microwave. Once melted, pull that garlic bulb out of the fridge and squeeze the garlic cloves into the melted butter. You will take a fork and mix that butter/garlic combo together and mash the cloves even more. Pour over your potatoes, coat evenly and VOILA! You can thank me later. It may sound like a lot, but I PROMISE it's not

Let me know what y'all think about this when you try it. It was an INSTANT favorite in our house and I am sure it will be in yours too. Enjoy!

Monday: This & That

How was everyone's weekend? We were super lazy this weekend since coming off the holidays & a visit from friends last week. Doing not a whole lot was just what we needed...especially when we are almost to single digit countdown until baby. I'm asking myself how did we get here so quickly?!

Friday was pizza date night at one of our favorite places. We picked up our stroller after dinner along with a couple other things. I may or may not have practiced strolling it through the apartment. Just a tad excited! #firsttimemom Saturday & Sunday were easy going & ended with church, lunch, and Sunday grocery shopping. I'm curious, when do y'all grocery shop? B and I always go together. It's just tradition I guess? We have always done it this way, and I right enjoy it. I am seriously contemplating pick up groceries though once the babe gets here.

I did a poll on Instagram recently asking what y'all would like to see. Overall, the conclusion was more lifestyle and a definite yes to RECIPES. I've got two coming your way...one this week and probably another next week. Another request I had was some of the best drug store hauls: foundation, mascara, contours, and lipstick were requested. If you're not following me on Insta, please do! And if there is anything you'd like to see, leave me a comment and let me know.

I'll leave y'all with some good sales going on today! Be sure to check them out. I am holding off on buying all the spring clothes until baby arrives. It. is. killing. me. I want all the pastel pinks and blues. Oh and ruffles...never enough ruffles in my life.

S A L E S

Loft 

50% off with code FRESH

 

Old Navy

Up to 50% off storewide

 

Gap 

40%  off with code BIGWKND

Banana Republic

40% off  No code needed!

2018 Goals

Well, we're ten days in to the New Year, and I am officially writing out my goals. That doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about them for the last two weeks. 2018 is a BIG year for us and I want it to be the most successful. Without further adieu...

source

{1}

Run my 3rd half marathon post baby. This is high on my list because I just haven't been able to run like I used to. Mainly because I can barely catch my breath due to being pregnant. I also think this will be a good goal to sign up for, train, and help me lose this baby weight.

{2}

Be a good mom. Everyone wants to be a good mom right? OF COURSE. I just want to try and not stress or freak out and be that #firsttimemom. I want baby to be happy as well as Momma & Daddy. There are some things, that to be quite honest, have really freaked me out. We are on the homestretch, and I just want everything to go as smoothly as possible.

{3}

Become active in church. Our church has decided that they will start having real flower arrangements on the altar each Sunday instead of silk flowers. I really love flowers and arranging so I am thinking of volunteering to be on this ministry. I'm not the best at arranging, but I think it would be a lot of fun.

{4}

Keeping up with my daily devotional. I have done everyday so far this year. Last year I started and fell off the wagon. I am determined to keep up with it for 365 days!

{5}

Buy a house! We are looking to make moves right after baby is born. We are over the apartment life and expect to be in Texas for the foreseeable future. I cannot wait for more SPACE!

What do you want to accomplish this new year? By writing this list down, I want it to help hold me accountable!

Patience: Journey to Baby.

This post has been a long time coming. It has been something I kept quiet on for a long time. I think most people who go through this would say they feel the same way. They keep quiet or only tell a select few. I won't beat around the bush.

You know how it goes....you date, you get engaged and then married, you have your fun with just you and your spouse for a year or two and then babies come along...at least in the South. So easy right? Not for some & definitely not us.

Our journey to have a baby started back in early summer 2014. I remember exactly where B & I were....we were eating Mexican (I can still picture the booth in the restaurant.) and were talking about it. You've heard it before, "Oh, let's just see what happens." We hadn't been married a year, but I was antsy. B was hesitant but knew how badly I wanted a little one. He agreed and in my mind I was thinking....oh this is going to happen so quick!!! I was so excited.

Fast forward 10 months (January 2015)...still no baby. I was deflated & irritated. I made an appointment with my doctor to talk about it. She decided to do some blood work and see what was going on. On the outside...everything was "normal" for me. No issues. My levels looked slightly off and she told me she thought I wasn't ovulating. She prescribed me Femara, 2.5mg. I would take it on certain days and then have my blood drawn on cycle day 21 to see if it helped me ovulate. Still nothing. She upped my dosage, 5mg. Nothing. This went on for about 9 months or so.

In September of 2015, we announced we were moving to Austin, TX. Still no baby. All I could think of was, "Great. I get to start this process all over again with a new doctor." I did some research and found an OBGYN/Fertility clinic combo with great reviews for one of the doctors. I made the initial appointment before we even left South Carolina. I made sure all my records were sent over so they would have everything. We moved in late October and the week after I arrived, I met with Dr. Wang. She was amazing. She was kind, read my records, did some baseline blood work and kept me on my prescribed regimen.

She would have me come in to check my follicles, give me a trigger shot, and then wish us luck if you catch my drift. This didn't help at all. She suggested IUI. I remember talking to B about it. He was very against it. To this day, I think he hates the thought of it. He is a very religious person and had/has his own thoughts about it...which I have come to respect. We talked about it extensively and finally came to an understanding and decided we would do max of 3 rounds and then go from there. Guess what? Nothing. We did 3 IUIs (January, February, & March 2017), paying out of pocket $$$$, and not a one of them worked. Like no positive, at all.

After the third, Dr. Wang suggested surgery. She wanted to go in and see if there was anything that might be causing a problem. She didn't want to move any further with any type of fertility treatments until she was able to take a look around. On May 19, 2017 I went in for outpatient surgery. Not knowing what was going to happen or be found. I honestly remember thinking to myself, I hope she finds something so we have an answer. If everything looked good, I was really going to be upset. B was there with me & was as cool as a cucumber. At least, that's the way he appeared to me. My nurses were wonderful. Dr. Wang came in and gave me a quick run down of what she'd be doing. Next thing I knew, I was being rolled to the OR.

I remember waking up coughing from the intubation tube being taken out. Then, B was right there by my side. He had a handful of paperwork/pictures. I remember him saying "Babe, you had a bad fallopian tube and that was the problem. Dr Wang took it out." All I could hear was, I was minus one fallopian tube. I freaked out and started sobbing. Looking back, B says it wasn't probably the best thing to say to me coming right out of anesthesia. But I think he was excited that they found the problem. My tube had twisted multiple times on itself and then had little cysts around each twist. My doctor said she had never seen anything like it in her years as a doctor. The craziest thing about all of it was that I had ZERO symptoms. I had no pain. All cycles were regular. From the outside, we were all scratching our heads.

We found out in July 2017 that we were pregnant. We had no assistance as far as IUI goes. June 2017 would have marked 3 years of trying. To me, it's all so crazy. B is just ecstatic. And my doctor uses my case and tells other couples who are struggling with infertility our story (confidential of course). She always comes in with a smile on her face and talks about our miracle baby. And at 29 weeks pregnant, it is still so SURREAL to me that we are here...waiting on baby.

{Excuse the quality of this picture, the dirty mirror, and me....the hot mess express! But life isn't always perfect is it?} 

Our journey was long, not as long as others, but still 3 years long. It pales in comparison to others who have been waiting longer or who have been told "No" or have more extensive treatments like IVF or worse, even lost a baby. It is an ugly road. I was not a nice person. I was bitter. I was mean to my husband. I said things I didn't mean. We fought about it. I cried...a lot. I remember keeping face for others. I tried to appear strong. Some days I was strong. And other days, I wasn't.

I can't tell you enough that if you are going through this...you. are. not. alone. Find yourself a good great doctor. Do your research. Ask questions. Reach out to people you feel comfortable with. For me, none of my girlfriends had any extensive problems getting pregnant. They would pray for me/us and ask me questions about what was going on, but they couldn't really help me when it came to infertility questions. And that was OK. I don't wish it on anyone. To know the answers to these questions, isn't the most fun. But if you are going through it or are just curious, I am an open book.

Life isn't perfect, and I never ever want to portray that everything is roses. I think people have much more respect for those that are real & show the somewhat messy side of their lives. What you see on Instagram or SnapChat... it's pretty. But there's always something. This isn't reaching for sympathy but just real talk is all. I never in a million years would have thought that we would have to deal with infertility. Or that I'd be blogging about it...but here I am.

And as cliche and as easy as it is to say, try not to stress. Find things that make you happy. Distract yourself. Infertility is certainly the devil's work. He sneaks in and wrecks you. And he'll try to wreck everything else too. But be patient. Easier said than done, I know. Trust me. God gave us what we wanted...but it took 3 years. He never said no....just "not yet." Infertility made us stronger as a married couple. Living 1800 miles away from any family and having a new baby (in ~3 months) just us two....that's really going to make us strong. But we are ready and are more thankful than EVER. Do I wish I and B had to go through all of it? No. But are we better people for it? Absolutely.