So fresh and so clean!

This summer has been crazy!! I am a teacher so my summers are go-go-go since I don't get that luxury August through May.  I have been to 4 different vacation spots all in the month of June.

I started in Edisto Island to Charleston.  Then, I came home for a few days.  After some resting and working, I headed for Vegas to a conference.  It was my first visit there and it was a whirlwind.  I took a red-eye home and left later that day to meet my parents in Cosby, TN at a campground.  Needless to say, I haven't had the best eating habits lately.  That is why I'm so excited to start this 3 day refresh. 

I going to be eating a vegan diet with a few supplements for the next couple of days to get rid of all the toxins and junk.  I'm feeling fluffy and I'm ready for it to be gone.  I'm ready to clean out my system.  I made a sample meal plan HERE.

For some reason, I can't get my google doc to publish as an image, even though I downloaded it as a PDF. If any techies out there could help me, I'd be grateful!

Anyway, I'm excited to feel fresh and clean after these three days are up.  I've done a 10 day detox before but it had a little bit more leeway (as in, I could eat meat).  This should be interesting, eating a purely vegan diet for these few days.  I love my cheese!  If you want to join me, let me know!  The more, the merrier!

P.S. Here is the overview of what is required on the plan.  (For Snack 2, one can have a vegetable and healthy fat OR raw juice)

Have you ever done a refresh, detox, or cleanse?

How did it go?

PiYo Sweat

My Story - Part I

I wasn't always this fun-loving, fitness fanatic I am today.  It took a long time and a lot of soul-searching to get here but, alas, here I am.  Praise God that He led me here!  So, I would like to share my story with you....

When I was 24, seven years ago, I was working as a bank teller after working in public accounting for 6 months after graduation and decided that cubicle life was not for me.

I was also in a long-term relationship and had been for over 2 years.  I was determined to marry this boy.  We had a very tumultuous and toxic relationship.

You're probably wondering why I stayed.  I ask myself that so often.  Truth is, I was afraid of being alone. He had broken me and I didn't think that I could put the pieces back together to make it on my own.  My confidence was gone and I thought that no one else would possibly ever want me, so I begged him to marry me.  When he refused and told me that he was never getting married, I cried out to God, asking him what was so wrong with me.  I didn't understand why I wasn't good enough, but it turns out, he was the one who wasn't good enough, and God knew that all along.

So about Christmas time that year, I saw a photo of myself and I was horrified at how I looked.  See, I had been a very active child playing sports growing up.  I was even a cheerleader in college until I was 21, therefore I had never struggled with my weight because I was always on the go.

But, now.  Now, I had forgotten to take care of myself, either that, or I just didn't care.  I wasn't working out.  I was eating what ever he was eating, which was rarely, if ever, healthy.  Honestly, when I don't feel great about myself, I don't work out or take care of myself.  I didn't feel like I was worth it or deserved to feel good and happy, but luckily, I was working with a girl at the time in a bank.  She was on her own journey to getting fit and she helped get me motivated.

Because I was on the very tight budget of being a bank teller and couldn't afford a gym membership, I started working out at home with various DVDs.  Then, I got brave and decided I wanted to start running.  I began setting my alarm for 5:45 two mornings a week, so that I could run the 1.5 mile route around our house.

This soon became a habit of mine but the runs got longer and longer, until I decided to finally run a 5K.  That 5K nearly killed me.  I couldn't believe it had been that hard.  I thought I could just go out there and wing it.  Wrong.  But almost exactly 2 years later I ran a full marathon.  That's 26.2 miles for anyone out there who doesn't know.

But, before I even ran that 5K, I knew that there was something I must do first, and that was leave that nightmare that I had been living.  It was one of the hardest things I have ever done...but I did it with the help of a few friends and lot of courage.  After I had started feeling my heart really beat in my chest, I knew what it was to really live and I wasn't ready to let that slip away.  I realized that I was worth something.  I had a lot to offer to myself and ...possibly to others.

I was in school.  I was getting my masters degree to teach elementary school.  Soon, I would be certified to teach any grade from Kindergarten to sixth grade.  I was so excited and thought, what a great job that would be!  I would get to hang out with kids every day.  Lead their little hearts to live lives they could never have imagined before entering my classroom.  (Little did I know back then...but I digress.  More on that later.)

To be continued...

How Do I Pack All My Stuff in a Carry-On??

So it seems, recently, I have become somewhat of a frequent flyer and so I decided (after purchasing my plane ticket and seeing the extra charge to check baggage) to make all my stuff for 5 days in Vegas fit into one carry-on!  Here was the method to my madness:

First, I laid all my clothes out on my bed.  I stacked items to roll.  I'm sure you have all heard of rolling your clothes to fit more.  Well, I had too, so that's what I did...burrito style!  

I saw somewhere to fold in the sleeves so that the roll is more uniform.  After this, I folded the shirts in half lengthwise and made my shirt burrito.

This dress is going to be tricky, as it is chiffon material (from Forever 21) and not the most sturdy of fabrics.

I staggered the waistbands of my pants so that there wouldn't be a big bunch in the pant burrito.

Here I snapped a pic of folding the tanks lengthwise.  I'm a visual learner so I like to see, not just read.

 Here is the first layer.  

On top of my burritos, I stacked the sports bras and swimsuits and stuffed a couple of small purses in the side.

Saw this nifty idea on Pinterest!  Put your necklace through a straw to keep it from getting tangled in your bag.

I'm keeping my quart bag of liquids in the front pocket of my luggage to keep it easily accessible for security.

I'm also packing food for my trip.  So, I have 10 Shakeology packets, 2 blender bottles, 5 Quest bars, and 5 Kind bars.

First, I had all the bars in quart baggies.  Then, I thought, why not utilize this space inside the bottle.  They fit perfectly. Yay!

Here is a visual of the rest of my progression in packing the carry-on.

Clothes-wise, here is what all I packed, in addition to the food and personal items:

• 8 tanks
• 3 tees
• 3 pairs of pants
• 4 dresses
• 6 sports bras
• 6 pairs of shorts
• 3 swimsuits and 1 extra top
• undies and socks in inside zipper 

I should mention that I am going to a fitness conference with Beachbody, if you're wondering what's up with all the workout apparel.  I, sincerely, hope this helps you pack your bag to go on your next adventure!

What is your secret to packing?

Are you an over-packer?

Enter to WIN a FREE PiYo workout!!!

I am so excited for this giveaway!!!!  PiYo is my absolute favorite class ever and now, Chalene Johnson went and made a whole series of DVDs for it!!  What What!!

Just in case you don't know what this is.  I've included the video and a few info cards for you to see!

How would you like to WIN a FREE PiYo Workout??  See rules below!

Here are the rules:
1)Share this post on facebook or twitter!
2)Comment here, telling me you shared and why
3)Fill out the form below 
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18Js-uwZTxGpJzVzqTZFwPSJUTQhFH2k0sgVTidaWQHo/viewform?usp=send_form

Must do ALL 3 to be entered!!! Good luck!!

How I Stay Healthy as a First Grade Teacher

Drinks like a dessert, nourishes like a salad!

Shakeology really is the most nutritious meal of the day!

Ok, let's just be honest here.  I did NOT want to pay for Shakeology when I first heard about it.  It was way too expensive for me (or so I thought).  I didn't need a supplement to lose weight.  I have never been "overweight" but just needed a little toning up.

I didn't see how a shake could do that for me.  This was for other people, who had a lot of weight to lose.

I can't begin to tell you how WRONG I was.  I started Shakeology when I started coaching.  I figured I would have to try it for myself before I would even think of suggesting it to someone else.  I wasn't going to share a product that I did not 100% believe in.  So I did.  And here's my story:

I started Shakeo November 2013 along with T25 program.  I didn't really change anything about my eating habits (even though, I should have).  Here's what happened:  my hair started growing like crazy, I became... ahem.."regular", I dropped belly fat that needed to be gone, and I was healthy as a horse...until my supply ran out.

See, I am a first-grade teacher.  Therefore, I am perpetually sick.  Colds, sniffles, strep, you name it.  I have had it in the past two years.  I ran out of my supply in January.  So I quickly, ordered some more but in the 5 days it took for me to get it, yep, you guessed it.  I got sick.  Sinus infection.  Gross.  All of a sudden, it became clear to me, that the shakes have been keeping my immune system boosted with all of those vitamins, antioxidants, and superfoods.  FINALLY!!!  Something to keep me from the ever apparent snotty nose of a six-year-old.  (Sorry to be so graphic but it's true.)

I was always that kid.  You know, the token sick kid on movies and kid's TV shows, who talked funny because of a constant stuffed up nose.  As I got older, I think it got better but I was still always sick.  Seriously, just ask my sister.  She used to make fun of me.  She thought I was making it up or being dramatic when I didn't join them for dinner because of some illness or another.

In short, even if none of the other reasons were there, I would still drink Shakeology for it's health benefits.  In my 31 years, I have yet to find something all-natural that would keep me in peak health all year.

If you would like more information on Shakeology, you can click here.