A Grocery Guide

If there was an award for fastest grocery shopper, it would be my life goal to get that award.

....kidding, but seriously. I just hate grocery shopping! And when I started clean eating, it took longer and it made my normal 20 minute trip almost an hour trying to find things, bagging fresh vegetables, etc. I HATED IT.

I made it a priority to find the best way possible to still eat clean, cut my trip in half, and slash my grocery bill to a low (super low) cost.

I wanted to share a few of my grocery shopping tips - in another blog post I shared my exact grocery list! Here are my tips for keeping your grocery bill low and for getting it done fast!

1. Come Prepared - When I go to the grocery store, I look like I'm prepped to take on the DMV - paperwork galore....but seriously, it works I have my purse that snugly holds my grocery store MVP card and my credit card. I have a small stack of papers in my hand - THIS IS IMPORTANT! Obviously, I always make a grocery list - duh. Who doesn't? My husband and I even have this system where we have a magnetic notepad on the fridge and anytime we run out of something or think of something we need, we write it on the list. This keeps me from wasting 20 minutes of thinking of things I need before I even leave for the grocery store. Anyways, my purse also holds some coupons. I don't go searching for coupons, but if I find them, I keep them. It holds my meal plan too! I plan meals out each week - down to the snacks. I never write anything on the list that I don't need (I'm trying to cut spending here people!)
                                     1a. Meal Plan - I meal plan down to the detail. Snacks, breakfasts, even what we pack in our lunches. Maintaining this organization is what keeps me sane and helps make grocery shopping easier.
                                     1b. Coupons/cards - our store, Food Lion, caters coupons to your latest purchases. And since I buy a lot of the same stuff each week, I have coupons for those things! OR. I try really hard to find good deals by buying the Food Lion brand of things instead of the typical name brand stuff...it still tastes just as good.
                                     1c. Grocery List - We have our grocery list on a magnet list on the fridge. Because we typically need more than just food at the grocery store (aka cleaning supplies, dog food, etc.) we add this stuff to the list as we run out of it, or if Jared has any special food requests he puts i there. Time saver!

2. Go where you need - I avoid the frozen food aisles, the candy, the chips, the soda aisles (and sometimes even the baking aisle if I have all ingredients I need). I go exactly where I need to go (and thanks to my handy dandy grocery list that correlates with my meal plan) I'm good! It took some time for us to figure out how fast we eat cucumbers or how many pounds of ground turkey we go through, but now that we've got it down, I know what I need &
when I need it.

3. Keep it Simple! Keep it fresh, keep it clean and you will be good to go!

Emerald City

A lot of people have asked me about my latest promotion, I am officially an Emerald Coach!!!
People are wondering what this means, how this changes things, etc. I thought I'd explain a little bit :)

First of all, this is the biggest accomplishment I've had with my Beachbody Career besides bettering my own self. I have finally advanced to my first rank EVER! It happened on my birthday but wasn't official until this week's cycle was up (our weeks run Thursday to Thursday) and so therefore, it became official TODAY! GAH. I am beaming from ear to ear. I keep refreshing my page to display my Emerald status (aka my little person's shirt is now green - meaning I'm Emerald!)

The Beachbody coaching ranks look like this. :

An active coach is what I was before - meaning I simply sold products and people bought them, and I ran challenge groups. Emerald status means that I have two wonderful women that have signed up underneath me and they are doing amazing things and starting their own teams!

Financial benefits - I now get $14 each week as a team bonus for simply building my team. 

My team is slowly building. The more coaches I get the more benefits I receive, the more coaches they get the more benefits they receive. And as a team - we all benefit together!!! Our sales literally benefit each other - people under me, people above me, get benefits once they start building their team too.

As for now, what's my next goal??? RUBY!

I want to sign 3 more coaches and get two of my coaches to my Emerald status that I have now! When do I want to reach this goal?? I set my goal date for May 16. I'm going to work hard to get this. This means pouring in more hours, more research, more blogs, more YouTube videos, more challenge groups, more contacts. I'm pouring my heart and soul into this business because I believe in it SO MUCH. I'm Emerald - I'm so ecstatic!!!

Just a Starfish

I was trying really hard to find my "thing." Like...I really wanted a symbol, an emblem, something that when people looked at it, they thought of me. I wanted something that stood for everything I was for. But I wanted something that also was creative, ingenious, unique, and applied to me. I might even get a tattoo of it now...but don't tell my Mom!

People, let's be real, I've been on the hunt for something to represent me since I became a coach last August. I've been trying hard to be out there and branding my business, but I wanted an insignia, I wanted something that was mine!

After months of searching, I texted Jared and said, "Yeah, so I'm really into starfish now." (completely out of the blue of course...) and he responds with..."Okay?..". I love how he just accepts the things I say, without really questioning me..hah.

Y'all are going to think this is so cheesy and that I'm lame, because really...a starfish? Seriously?
But after so many late night pinterest fests, a ton of googling, and even some starfish quote searches...I really do think that the starfish symbol is the one for me! I bought a starfish ring and I sent my two new coaches starfish necklaces, so there is no going back! :) This is it. I know it is!

I've been reading lots of articles on the representation of certain animals and symbols, I've read researchers explanations, and I've read blogs about little girls who love finding starfish on the beach. You name it, I've read it. But I really want you all to understand how much deeper this runs for me than just a symbol.

First, I LOVE the ocean. I think it is one of the most magical places that God has created. And I love this verse from a hymn we sing in church (I've posted it before..but who cares!) "If we with ink, the ocean fill or were the skies of parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill and everyone a scribe by trade. To write the love of God above, would drain the ocean dry." I'm a beach girl at heart and I'm in awe of the creation that lies in the ocean itself.

Second, check out these meanings of a starfish! (I gave my own little explanation after each one - AKA why I like the meanings :) )

• Strong  - this one is an obvious amazing one! Starfish have a harder outer body, so physically they are strong. In my fitness journey, I need to be strong.
• Patient  - Starfish aren't necessarily the movers and shakers of the world. They kinda just hang out. I need to be patient - with myself. In waiting for results to happen, in changing my habits, in my bad days.
• Ancient - I just love the idea of antique and archaic, long-standing. They've been around a while, they can get old, and they last!
• Magical - they are just interesting and cool creatures! 
• Healing - Did you know if a starfish loses a limb, it can regenerate and grow it back? can we actually grow back our limbs? No. But we can heal. Our hearts heal, our minds heal, and our bodies can heal. With time. A great reminder of necessary healing.
• Sensitive - We have emotions! and sometimes emotions can control us. I love the fact that they represent sensitivity because this emotion can be taken in a negative way. It's okay to be sensitive, it's okay to let that sensitivity show!
• Longevity - see ancient. They live for a LONG time! 
• Renewing - I love this word. Renew. I want to be renewed, spiritually, physically, mentally. Starfish renew their limbs when they lose one. We can renew ourselves!
• Perceptive - I have always prided myself on perceiving emotions. I tend to notice facial expressions, glances, eyes, and notice when things are going down that might not be on the surface. When we as humans become more perceptive to others, we become kinder, more understanding, patient....#mygoals
• Resourceful - they take what they are given and use it. And they are innovative in finding other ways to make things work. They are intricate creatures that God created - their body system so interesting and intriguing. AH. I love starfish!

Third, I found this awesome passage about an article on Starfish. You can go to the article Symbolic Stafish, here. But, I have posted a small snippet of the article because I think it's awesome.

"So, in my way of thinking, the starfish is a great representative for this concept. They are the stars below, mimicking the stars above. Their remarkable ability to sense, move, regenerate - all that good stuff is available to us humans on earth.

Am I saying we can re-grow an arm if we lose one like the starfish can? Well..that's a stretch. But I will say we can regenerate our attitudes, our beliefs, our mind-sets. We can grow knew limbs of thought that take us to higher levels of experience. We can lop off parts of our belief systems that no longer serve us. We can replace these phantom limbs with higher-minded ideals. We can cut off our bad habits, and regenerate good ones. You get my point.

The starfish's ability to re-grow their bits and pieces is also symbolic of healing and renewal. This also ties in with water symbolism. Water is symbolic of healing, purification, cleansing. Water is also symbolic of emotion and intuition which ties in with the starfish meaning of sensory perception.

In terms of healing, the starfish can be a grand ally in your journey of renewal. If you're struggling with emotional or health challenges...consider the power of the starfish. Consider Hermes' statement: "As above, so below" (and vice versa). If the starfish can heal and re-grow...so can we as humans. Our regeneration might look a little different. But, through neuro-network patterns (retraining pathways in the brain) we can certainly regenerate new avenues thought that facilitate healing."

Fourth, some of you have probably read the starfish story.
However, I'll post it here for you as well.

Fifth reason...check out this call to Authenticity! Doesn't it just make you want to cry with Happiness!!!!! YES: 

This health and fitness journey is no where near over, and it's going to continue for the rest of my life! However, I'm so excited to have a symbol of renewal, healing, and a symbol of infinite divine love. :)

No matter how badly I want to help the entire world..I remember that each and every person I'm already working with has been touched. And I see that and feel that! (Thank you for your messages!)I will leave you with this question..no matter what field you work in, what state you live in, what life you lead...

The 21 Day Fix: Round 2: Week 2 Results

Okay, real talk: My birthday made me go crazy and insane and my nutrition has been off for Friday and Saturday. I brought it back on track on Sunday and I feel better and have lost the weight I gained over my birthday celebration times, but it definitely messed up my results from the 21 day fix, week 2.

I want to be real with you guys, I want to be honest with ya'll. Because I am human, we do "mess up" and we do have cheat days and celebrations! Which means that this weeks results aren't what I wanted them to be because I took two days to celebrate and eat whatever I wanted.

However - I am back on track and excited to continue to lose weight! Despite what the scale is saying - I'm not gaining, but I'm not losing a lot either - my clothes are freaking huge! And loose! and kinda baggy! and it's evident that I'm losing weight - even when the scale doesn't move.

I was cleaning out my closet earlier this weekend and I found 3 pairs of shorts with tags on. Long story short, I bought these shorts last summer without trying them on, I got them a size bigger than I normally wore (last summer), and I just bought them and left. When I got home, I couldn't even get them above my thighs...it was devastating. These were bigger than normal (this just shows you how much weight I had gained and how bloated I was!)

Anyway, fast forward to my closet clean-out a few days ago. I pulled them on, they went over my butt, and fit around my waist. But I can't button them. I've still got some more to lose to get those suckers buttoned, but gosh darn it, I'm seeing progress and that keeps me pushing forward! Rather than put those shorts in my donation clothing pile, I folded them back up and put them in my closet, knowing they will be right there for me when I reach my goal. I AM SO EXCITED for this coming week, for the future ahead, and the extra time I'll have this summer to buckle down and whip myself into shape.

I can't wait for sunny days filled with clean eating ideas, meal prepping, grocery shopping, exercise, being outside with Daisy, and simply taking care of me! Right now, things are crazy - aren't they always? But I'm still making time for exercise!

Some people think it's selfish to take time to better yourself out of the day. But if you can't be the best version of yourself, how are you able to help anyone else?? (thoughts to think about :) )

I don't know about you...I'm feelin' 22

Hah! I'm 22, today. It's my birthday and I love birthdays. I thought all my fun birthdays were out of the way, you know...turning 5 - kindergarten! turning 10 - double digits! turning 13 - I'm teenager! turning 16 - I can drive! turning 18 - legally an adult! turning 20 - no longer a teenager! turning 21 - I can drink!

...but since T Swizzle's song "22" topped the charts, I've been looking forward to this birthday for such a long time. I even forewarned my students that the song will be on repeat all day...and it definitely was (still not tired of it!). and that I'll be making a video montage of my entire day! I'm celebrating another year of life! I'm celebrating my spunky, fire-cracker, self! I'm celebrating turning 22!

A whole heck of a lot has happened in the past 22 years, and I often find myself reflecting, remembering, and looking back on my life when my birthday rolls around. It's like it's that one day out of the year meant to celebrate you but also to remind you that life goes by SO FAST and that each year gets faster and faster. Getting older never really phased me, I've always treasured every single aspect of age and the different milestones

My 22nd year of life has completely flown by and been filled with some of the most important memories of my life: the majority of my engagement, wedding plans, student teaching, college graduation, my wedding, moving into our first home, my first big girl job, becoming a Beachbody coach, starting a health and fitness journey, the majority of my first year of marriage with my best friend, getting a kitten AND a puppy, and so many more seemingly insignificant things that make this year so significant it's indescribable. I'm so thankful for 22 years of an amazing, God-filled, blessed life that will surely only get sweeter with time. What a year it has been!

So this blog is going to be a party combo of so many things celebrating! Hopefully you'll get to see lots of pictures too! I'm going to include my you tube video montage, my new updated lyrics to Taylor Swift's.

My "new" version of Taylor Swift's lyrics, 22...to perfectly fit my lifestyle at this point. Haha, I wrote these to fit my 22 year old lifestyle at this point...

It feels like a perfect night, to put on my jammies
and go to bed early, uh huh..uh huh
It feels like a perfect night, to watch some TV,
and plan some lessons, uh huh..uh huh
YEAHHHHH, I'm tired of doing laundry all the dang time
It's never ever ending 
oh YEAHHHHH, 
Tonight's the night I'll try to stay up past 9
it's my bedtime
Oh OH!
I don't know about you, I'm feeling 22
I have a puppy who just loves to chew
You don't know about me, but I bet you want too
Supper will be alright, if I don't burn it 
cause I'm 22, oh oh! 22, oh, oh 
It seems like one of those days
My students won't listen, too many snapchats
oh oh, oh oh 
It's going to be one of those days
where I'm so busy
that I just give up
and turn to Pinterest
YEAHHHH, my life is pretty boring, kinda normal
The closest mall is miles away, so YEAHHHH
Tonight's the night that my shows are on anyway
It's time, they're on!
Oh, Oh, I don't know about you
I'm feeling 22
I've got a big old house with a pretty view
You know about me, even if you don't want too
This is a small town so I'm related to you
so now I'm 22, oh oh
22 oh oh
it feels like one of those nights, where we watch the TV
it feels like one of those nights, where I'll be sleeping
It feels like one of those nights, I'll take a selfie, and then I'll post it
and avoid the dishes.

I don't know about you, I'm feelin 22. :)


TODAY WAS AWESOME!
So..I went to school, had amazing fiestas all day, was blown away by cards and well wishes when I returned home, enjoyed a great vanilla coke (my secret love!), went out to dinner with my love for a delicious steak and topped it off with my first ice cream cone of the season! It was a truly fabulous day - the love I felt was palpable!

Here's a video montage of my day :)
Enjoy!!

Thank you all for making this day wonderful! :) You are all great!

The 3 Day Refresh

I decided to complete the three day refresh during Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week. I just needed a kickstart (even though I'm in the midst of the 21 day fix again) after Easter in order to fully cleanse myself out! PLUS. I have a super huge goal of losing 10 MORE pounds by my birthday, which is Friday, April 10...I'm almost there!!

I did a breakdown of each day, what I had as part of the cleanse, and how I was feeling. This is definitely new for me. Something else to consider is this...this is the second time I've attempted the cleanse! The first time, I gave up at the end of Day 2 because I was so cranky and irritable. I'm hoping that now, since I've been clean eating for awhile, my body will be able to handle this cleanse ALOT easier.

What's the 3 day Refresh, you ask??
The 3 day refresh description, taken directly from my beachbody website : "If you're looking for a way to lose weight, feel lighter and more energized, and jump-start a new healthy-eating lifestyle, then the 3-Day Refresh is for you. This 3-day program of specially formulated shakes, easy-to-prepare clean meals, and healthy snacks has been scientifically designed to help you break the cycle of bad eating habits, lose weight, detoxify your body, and dramatically improve the way you feel—without starving."

What do you get with it?

There are two kits you can get. The complete kit - which comes with Shakeology packets for those customers that don't drink Shakeology daily. Orrrrrrr, you can purchase the kit without Shakeology for those of us that already have Shakeology on hand. Each kit comes with a fiber sweep shake, 2 vanilla fresh shakes, and a recipe guide for each day.

How much?
For the average customer, The 3 Day Refresh is $70. If you become a coach, simply for the discount, it's around $40! Totally worth it! I plan on doing one of these once a month. Even if I hate them. Because I'll clean out my system and lose 3 pounds :) In one year - I could lose 36 pounds!

Daily Eating Plan Schedule
Morning: 1 glass of water, Shakeology, Fruit
AM Snack: Herbal Tea
Mid-Morning: Fiber Sweep
Lunch: 1 veggie option, 1 fruit option, 1 healthy fat option
PM Snack: Herbal Tea, 1 veggie option, 1 healthy fat option
Supper: A supper meal from the recipe book
Nighttime Snack: Herbal Tea

(Because I am working out along with this cleanse (you are allowed to but it's supposed to be low impact since the diet isn't proteiny, I added a protein at night with my supper because my workouts are high impact. So I follow the entire cleanse during the day, and add a meat/carb. So for example, tonight I had spaghetti - with a recipe from the book.)

MONDAY/DAY #1:
Dear Diary, oh my dear lordy, I kinda want to die. I've been fine all morning, but this fiber sweep thing might make me gag. I'm not really good with chugging weird textured liquids that taste like orange medicine. ...okay, I'm being slightly dramatic. It's not that bad, but honestly this is probably the worst part of the day. I think this is what made me quit it the last time! But I'm pushing through. All day has been a breeze - it helps that I've been busy! I specifically picked to put this on week days because I'm busy throughout the week and I knew it'd help to keep my mind off of food and I wouldn't crave much of anything. I had Spaghetti at dinner (healthy!) as an added carb/protein simply because I am working out along with this cleanse! You technically aren't supposed too, but I'm making sure to add the right stuff in so I can still work along with my 21 day fix group. Right now, it's 7:30 pm and I'm getting ready to clean up the dishes, close the kitchen, and get my workout onnnnnn. Cause this girl has a goal to reach by Friday! HERE WE GO! As far as feelings go, I'm not hungry, I have no headaches, and I feel like I have energy. I can't fall asleep!! 
TUESDAY/DAY #2:
Dear Diary, I snuck a weigh in this morning. I'm down 2.2 pounds! WHOHOO. Even though it's not all about the number on the scale, it's good to know that I'm cleaning out my system. I hardly pooped at all yesterday...which is really weird for me. But that fiber sweep must do it's magic overnight because dear Lordy, this morning, I POOPED. Which probably contributes to my weightloss so far! haha! AND I woke up a half hour early this morning ready(ish) to start the day. I think I know why you aren't supposed to workout during the refresh (because you'll get tired faster with less calories in your diet) but I'm also glad I added in a carb/protein and plan on doing that tonight as well so I can keep up my workouts with my 21 day fix group. I still can't stand the Fiber Sweep...gah. It's the most dreaded part of my day. But I gulped that sucker down today because I know it'll go by fast! My stomach has been gurgly all day today though, and I have a weird taste in my mouth too. It's like metallicy. My stomach keeps making weird noises and I just keep pretending that I don't hear them ;) That's how it works, right? I've been so gassy and bloated - all day today. My tummy kinda aches and I just want to crawl into bed. But I'm not hungry...so maybe I just have to take a poop. Update: no poops...awkward diarrhea cloud poops. If you know what I mean. I feel bloated and sick in my stomach, but I worked out anyways! Hoping for good results tomorrow!
WEDNESDAY/DAY #3:
Dear Diary, I weighed myself again this morning - especially after I woke up not feeling bloated or sick in the stomach. I'm down another 1.3 pounds! Making the total so far 3.5 pounds and I'm not even done with Day 3 yet. This is definitely cleansing and refreshing! Even when I'm adding a protein at dinner time! I LOVE drinking my Shakeology and eating fresh strawberries every morning. I think I might keep up some of the habits of this cleanse! Peeing lots and lots has me cleaned out for the week. Today went SO MUCH BETTER than the past two days. It felt normal to just go through the routine - and it was honestly annoying to me because I knew it was the last day! hah! I'm looking forward to seeing my results tomorrow and hoping the scale really shows the changes (especially since I didn't take measurements!) My tummy wasn't grumbly or gassy at all and it felt great. I definitely took a HUGE poop (sorry, TMI) today, but I'd been waiting forever to take that poop and it was awesome.





RESULTS: I lost 3.8 pounds (and even more in inches...silly me didn't measure...but if this helps, even my underwear is baggy!)


REVIEW: I definitely want to do this every month from now on! I want to clean out my system and good news is - this cleanse can be shipped home direct every month without ever thinking about it! (Done AND Done!) I lost a total of 3.8 pounds! WHAT A DEAL! It was mostly delicious - minus the fiber sweep! (gag) but I think I could drink it down three times a month to get these results. I'm getting closer and closer to my goal. Was I hungry? No! I felt fine all three days! Side affects? A gassy and bloated tummy on day 2. IT WAS SO ANNOYING. mainly, because I hadn't felt bloated in so long. But working out helped and then when I woke up on Day 3 it was fine! I'm tempted to continue the eating habits, lightening my lunch, downing liquids, etc. Watching how many carbs I am consuming - but also still allowing carbs to be a part of my diet. I'm really excited for the results this has brought me and I'm really hoping to have a challenge group start soon where we do this again! YIPPEE! Would I have lost more if I hadn't added a protein in at supper time? Probably! But I still wanted to be able to stick with my 21 day fix workouts :)

The 21 Day Fix: Round 2: Week 1 Results

GUYS GUYS GUYS. I'm starting Round 2 of the 21 day fix! We have maintained our weight from the first round, and now we have more goals set and we are ready to meet them! Last time I blogged about our 21 day fix experience, I divided it up into sections for each day...instead..
I thought I'd just post one huge blog about my experience throughout the week and my total results!

This week was ROUGH. Not only was it a holiday week but I didn't realize how much I had let myself have small cheats here or there on a normal week, so sticking to the routine this week was hard. I even had a roadtrip to VA for a job interview but I packed my stuff!

I always enjoy clean eating & making it creative so my food-loving husband enjoys them too  :) and then he doesn't feel like he is "chewing water" or so he says. Anyways, if you are ever, ever, EVER, in need of ideas, please check out my Pinterest page, It's So Yum board. :) MOST recipes are clean eating, except for the ones near the bottom of the page...that was when I wasn't cooking healthy. Everything that is clean eating should say clean eating.

Easter happened through this week and for the first holiday in a LONG time, I'm not stuffed, I'm not sleepy, I'm not tired or bloated or disgusting. I don't need to break out my sweatpants. I ate a plate full and that was it. AND I WASN'T HUNGRY! I will consider this an extremely huge success Day 7/21. :) And going strong!

HAPPY EASTER! Daisy says "Hi!" too!

Tomorrow morning I will weigh in to get my most accurate weight results for all of y'all. It's going to be a great next two weeks. My birthday is this coming Friday and my goal is to be 10 pounds down from my starting weight of this Round. So far, (not counting the weigh in for tomorrow) I'm down around 4 pounds. I'm hoping to reach 10 pounds by Friday for my birthday!!! HERE WE GO.

Tomorrow morning - I'm also starting a 3 day refresh program! Beachbody sells these and gives you everything you need. It's three days, cleans out your system, and gets you pumped! 3 pounds of weightloss a month - do this for a year and you'll be down 36 pounds! :) I'm doing one a month from here on out! I'll make a blog about that too!

I'm starting to see numbers on the scale that I've never seen before...and that, in and of itself, is amazing.


Monday AM Weigh In:
So...yesterday, the scale said amazing things...but today...this said that I had actually only lost like 1 pound. I'm going to go with...I didn't poop yet. and that scales are stupid. However, my clothes are saying otherwise. It looks like I might need all new pants really soon. I heard back from one of my challenge group participants and she's down 5 pounds already, another lady was down 6 pounds on Friday! :) WHAT AN AMAZING PROGRAM.

Humbling...

The Easter season always brings about a renewed sense of humbleness for me. Knowing that Jesus died FOR ME and I was on His mind as he hung on the cross - just blows my mind. My heart immediately humbles just thinking about it. For me? Me?? The wannabe elementary teacher who moonlights as a Spanish teacher, just married, working on weightloss, trying to find a new job, attempting clean eating recipes. Who spends her free time watching Keeping up with the Kardashians, home improvement shows, and Teen Mom. Who avoids cleaning at all costs until it needs to be done. Who has a rust bucket of a car. Who is a normal regular 21 year old girl with an explosive (mostly annoying) over the top personality.  I mean, I'm not that great for someone to die for me. It's not that big of a deal. and I'm also not the greatest Christian.

Sometimes swear words leave my lips in times of anger. Sometimes I talk about people when I'm annoyed by them. I don't serve others with a selfless heart like I should. On days when my job is the most frustrating thing in the world and my students don't listen, I don't go to them to figure out where to make it better for them, I just shut down and give them homework.

Jesus died for this! ^^ he died for ME. he died for YOU. He died for every single person in this crazy messed up world because he LOVES us!

I've never understood the intense kind of love that makes you die for someone. People talked about it alot at times, especially when 9/11 happened and a lot of people went to war. Not only were there people dying for our country, but they were dying for their partners over there. Taking bombs and bullets daily for their friends. I didn't get it. I didn't think I could ever feel THAT MUCH for a person to die for them. Until I got married - there's some sort of thing that happens when you decide to spend the rest of your life with someone. It becomes less about the lovey dovey kissy hand holdy life and more about the permanent best friend that you get to live with every day. I would die for Jared in a heart beat if I had too, because I love him that much.

Jesus has this intense love for EACH AND EVERY person in this world! He feels the way I feel for Jared for everyone. My mind is blown - and I get goosebumps just thinking about the intense amount of love that He has for us.

There's an amazing hymn in our hymn book about God's love, titled, "The Love of God". The verses are simply beautifully written and the words are beyond comparison. One line says this, "Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the sky of parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill and everyone a scribe by trade. To write the love of God above, would drain the ocean dry nor could the scroll, contain the whole that stretched from sky to sky." If we fill the ocean with ink, pretend the sky was parchment, use every stalk on earth as our pen and everyone began writing about God's love, we'd drain oceans, and we wouldn't even have enough room in the sky to write about it :) HOW AMAZING.

But back to Jesus, because he is what this entire weekend is about. He died and came back to us on Easter Sunday so we could have a new life! For this, I am eternally grateful and plan on telling Him so when I get to heaven. I often think of God's amazing grace in an old hymn..and if you know us Mennonites, you can definitely hear the 4 part harmony.

"Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin...how can my tongue describe it? Where can this grace begin? Taking away my burdens, setting my spirit free, oh the wonderful grace of Jesus, reaches me.

Wonderful the matchless grace, the matchless grace of Jesus, deeper than the mighty rolling sea, the rolling sea. Wonderful grace all sufficient for me, for even me. Broader than the scope of my transgressions, sing it, greater far than all my sin and shame. Oh magnify the precious grace of Jesus, praise his name!"

AH. Thank you God for sending your son, thank you Jesus for your amazing sacrifice.

A day in the life: My typical clean eating day!

ALOT of people ask me about clean eating, what it is, and how it works! I wanted to give you a sneak peek into my life - what my typical clean eating day looks like!

--I've taken the time to take pictures of everything I eat each and every day. I even documented the times! So this is my schedule of life! :)

6:15 AM - Wake up, scroll phone to wake up, hit snooze four times...
6:30 to 7 - Get ready - I'm pretty low maintenance
7 to 7:30 - pack lunch, prep lunch and AM snack (this doesn't take long at all!!), clean up kitchen, pack up teacher bags, get ready to go!
7:30 - DRINK SHAKEOLOGY!
 7:40-10 - get to school, Teach!

10:00 AM SNACK - typically cottage cheese, and a vegetable like baby carrots or a fruit like raspberries/blueberries
10:15-12:30 Teach
12:30 - LUNCH - Everyday I eat a wheat tortilla, 6 slices of low sodium turkey lunch meat, lettuce, and sprinkle of shredded cheese with an orange
1:00-3:30 - Teach and head home
3:45 - PM SNACK - my favorite snack to make when I get home from school is baked tortilla chips. I put a tortilla on a cookie sheet, sprinkle cinnamon on it, and then bake it at 350 degrees for 7 minutes! Delicious!
4:00-6:00 - check emails, prepare dinner, play with Daisy, watch Friends Reruns on TBS, relaxxxx
6:00 - DINNER - my dinner always consists of some fresh vegetable, some grain (baked potato, cup of quinoa, cup of rice), and some meat - I love my burger recipe I posted earlier, but I also make tacos, chicken enchiladas, baked chicken, etc.
6:30-9 - Workout, shower, do some Beachbody messaging, facebooking, instagramming
9:00 PM SNACK - I love having a cup of fresh fruit before I go to bed! My favorite is strawberries!

"Wait, but Alyssa...you eat 6 times a day??" Yes, why yes I do :) I never go hungry, I'm always full, and I'm boosting my metabolism by keeping it working hard.

I can't stress enough the importance of eating 6 small meals a day, even if you have to hide in the bathroom at work to nibble it down ;) Kidding! Don't rush your food! I don't get a planning period in my morning schedule, I teach straight through from 8:15 to 12:30, however, my students know I'm on track for healthy eating and I can usually take a bite, help a student, take a bite, teach, take a bite, continue on. Do I get to sit down and enjoy my snack? No! haha, but sometimes I have to eat and keep busy!

It's so easy to eat clean! It literally takes one hour, one day to plan everything, decide your schedule, and then from then on, for the rest of your life, it's easy peasy lemon squeezy!! :) If I don't cheat and eat clean, it's easy for me to lose 5 pounds in a week. and Keep.It.Off. Because losing weight is 80% food and 20% exercise. Exercise helps to burn fat and build muscle!

I also can't stress enough the importance of Shakeology and how it's changed my life amazingly! I haven't worked out since the 21 day fix in February (I know..I'm not proud of that...) I just started working out again this week. It's Wednesday - and this morning, I was down two pounds since Monday! BUT! I haven't gained a pound because of Shakeology, if anything I've lost weight! It's true, I really can't believe it how much Shakeology curbs my appetite, and keeps my metabolism going!!