Getting Fit With My Fitbit

Well.... getting healthy is always such a battle. My biggest struggle is that I don't want to just "diet" or "lose weight," I want to change my lifestyle. Last year, I actually was on the way to doing this. I was working towards more of a real food diet. I kept at those steps for a while, but slowly went back to many of my bad habits. One habit that we have kept is that I buy better meat (grass fed and no added hormones), but the rest of them I no longer do.

This year I set a goal to lose weight and change my lifestyle to be healthier. I actually started the year off really well. I worked out consistently and I counted my calories. I lost 5 pounds in about 2 weeks.

Then, life got CRAZY. We moved to a new apartment. Several of my coworkers were out for a week at a time with family emergencies or sickness. We had 8 snow days that threw off our routine. Plus, some other stuff that I'm not ready to share about yet. I got lazy with my health. I stopped working out and I started eating whatever I felt like. I gained back all my weight, but luckily no extra.

I'm tracked out for a few weeks and I'm DETERMINED to get back on track with healthier eating, counting calories, and working out. Of course, I want to lose weight, but more than that I want to be healthier. I want a healthier lifestyle.

{I'm ready for this to be the "before" picture in a before/after collage.}

I'm wanting to share more about this journey on my blog so that I'm more accountable to it. I'd love to do a weekly or bi-weekly healthy lifestyle update. Plus, I'm currently reading Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food by Lysa TerKeurst. I plan to share more thoughts about that book this week and in the coming weeks until I finish it.

Getting healthy starts today. A few weeks ago, my husband got a Fitbit for himself and last week he got me one. It counts your steps, miles walked, calories burned, and active minutes. It will also track your sleep. You can use the app to set goals and you can put in the food you eat so that it can help you count calories. I'm going to use my Fitbit, the Fitbit app, and the My Fitness Pal app to help me with my goals.

  
How do you motivate yourself to be healthy? Do you use any gadgets, apps, etc. to help you with your goals?

Save Money with Makeup Saving Tips

I hate paying a lot of money for stuff. I know there are some things worth splurging on, but for the most part I'm a cheapo. When I buy things, I want to get the most out of it. I'm the person who will continue to use foundation long after it's stopped pumping out. I try to use the stuff at the bottom by turning the bottle upside down or by scraping it with the part of the pump that goes down in the bottle.

I was contacted by someone with the Home Shopping Network about sharing this post on tips for saving money by making your makeup last longer. There are some really great tips in there, but one especially caught my attention:

4. Scrape the Bottom

I recently discovered these little spatulas that you can use to actually scrape the bottom of your makeup bottles to get to the very end of them. I’ve also been known to use them after cutting open tubes of concealer and lip gloss to collect one final application. Brilliant!

from Lara Ramos at HSN

I know about "the little spatula" that she mentions. I was at a baby shower and one of the presents was The Spatty and Spatty Daddy. They are tiny spatulas that you can use to make sure you don't throw away and waste the product at the bottom of your shampoo, conditioner, lotion, makeup, food etc. bottles. Throwing away a bottle with product still in it is like throwing money away. This is one of those ideas where I go "why didn't I think of that?!"

 image via PRWeb

I don't own one yet, but ever since the baby shower I've been wanting to buy one. I think they're a great idea for me to have as well as a great gift idea for both wedding and baby showers. I'll be sure to update you once I get one and let you know how I like it. 

One of the coolest things about this product to me is that it was featured on Shark Tank and even though she didn't get a deal on the show, it didn't stop her and I believe she has a successful product on her hands.  

Be sure to check out the rest of the ideas over on HSN's page.  

Do you have any money saving tips for your beauty products?

Meet Bishop Place Handmade AND a Discount

Happy Hump Day!

Anyway, I hope you guys know that I'm a big fan of supporting handmade and small businesses. This past Christmas, I tried really hard to only buy gifts from a handmade shop or a small business. As someone who made a poor attempt at having my own online shop, I know how hard it is. 

The blogging community can be a great place where people who don't know each other in real life can come together and support one another. However, the blogging community can also be very fickle. One minute, your blog is getting a lot of traffic and comments. Then, hardly anyone is reading and engaging. I recently shared a post trying to sort out my thoughts on paid sponsorship and sharing. Shortly after, Megan shared one that was very similar.

Today, I'd like to introduce you to Megan and her new venture into an online shop. Megan blogs over at The Mrs. Megan isn't just someone I met through blogging. She's someone I know in real life. We went to the same college. We were both in our college's marching band and we lived in the same dorm a couple of years. Now that I know her better through her blogging, I wish we'd gotten to know each other better in college.

Isn't this picture pretty? Her sister is a talented photographer.

Megan's shop is called Bishop Place Handmade. She taught herself to sew and now sells some of her creations. Her products are inspired by her love of all things vintage and rustic. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest in addition to her shop and blog.

Her shop is currently 1 month old, so to celebrate she's offering 30% off all products until this Friday night.

I hope you'll check out her shop and her other social media links. If you can't buy anything right now, would you consider following along with her to keep up with future products and promotions? Would you also consider sharing her shop with others in your network?

I don't always wash my hair...

I decided about a year ago that I needed to work on helping my hair become healthier. This past June, I stopped straightening my hair. It's only been straightened twice since then. A few months after that, I decided to start washing my hair every other day.

Not washing my hair every day was hard for me because my hair is SO oily and greasy. Some people can go days without washing their hair and it looks fine. That is not me! So, every other day my hair is pulled up in a pony tail, messy bun, side braid, or something similar. I do use dry shampoo, but it doesn't seem to help that much.

Here's one of my favorite solutions for those "no-wash" days.

A headband, particularly a wide one, is the perfect solution for hiding oily hair. This particular headband was in my bag of goodies from the NC Blogger Buzz Spring Meet-up. 

You can get your own lace headband from Gertie & Baxter.

I also recently bought 2 double strand headband from Raydiant Apparel.

Thanks to Gertie & Baxter and Raydiant Apparel for sponsoring our blogger meet up!

What's your favorite hairstyle on a bad hair day or a no wash day?

Baby Got Camelbak

*Note: This post is not being endorsed by anyone. It is my unsolicited opinion.*

I have seen these personalized Camelbaks floating around the internet for a while now. 

I actually considered buying one, but then I remembered my motto- "Don't buy it if you can make it yourself."

I take water with me to work every day in the various bottles and cups that I have.

I decided to get rid of most of those and buy myself two Camelbak bottles.

I'm already in love with these bottles for a couple of reasons. Reason #1-They're not easily broken. I drop my bottles and cups all the time because when I carry them to and from work my hands are so full. I've broken a few that way. I've dropped these bottles a few times and so far so good. Reason #2- The water doesn't spill. Along with dropping my cups and bottles, I also had a tendency to bend over or tip my cup and spill water all over myself. These bottles are spill proof. They're also BPA free and can be either insulated or not. I got one of each and honestly prefer the non-insulated one. 

The only down side was getting used to having to bite on the mouthpiece while drinking water. Now that I'm used to it, though, it's not a problem.

I bought mine from Dick's Sporting Goods, but I recently saw where Target also carries them.

They were boring and plain before. I used my Cricut Expressions and my Lyrical Letters Cartridge to change that.

I used the Loop Dee Loo font. I cut my name out at 2 inches. When I did my monogram, I cut the H out at 4 inches and the M and D at 2 inches.

Now I have my own personalized Camelbak bottles.

Do You Smell What I Smell? #PalmoliveFreshInfusions

I like for my house (apartment to be exact) to be clean, but there are certain chores I hate doing. My least favorite is cleaning the bathroom, but that's not what I'm here to talk about today.

Today, I'm here to talk about my 2nd least favorite chore-washing dishes. Lee and I used to live in a house with no dishwasher and I hated it! Now, luckily we have a dishwasher, but there are still those pesky things that need to be washed by hand.

Enter Palmolive Fresh Infusions.

I am not a brand snob when it comes to dishwashing soap. I usually buy what's on sale or what I have a coupon for. I actually had a nice little stockpile that is slowly dwindling down. I was happy when Influenster chose me as one of the testers for this product. I like cleaning products that smell nice. I even spray my house with an air freshener after I clean to give it that "clean smell."

I was sent 3 different scents: lime basil, lemon thyme, and ginger white tea. You can tell from the picture which 2 I like the best. I am not a fan of lemon scent in the first place, so I don't want to use that one. The ginger white tea has a more subtle scent while the lime basil is stronger. Both of those scents were pleasant in my opinion.

Obviously, the fact that they smell good is nice and all, but the most important part is how they clean your dishes. I have used them a couple of times now and they are effective. I honestly didn't notice that they cleaned better than anything I'd ever used before, but they do the job they're created to do. 

The pleasant smell is an added bonus to me. I would definitely buy this product and I would recommend it-especially if you like that "clean smell." This product is available at Walmart and Influenster was kind enough to send me some coupons for my purchase as well as some to share for a friend to purchase as well. 

*I received this product complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster. However, my review is based on my honest opinion.*

Made Divine

One day while browsing around Etsy, I came across a shop that caught my eye. This shop was brand new, so I reached out to the owner about receiving a month of free advertisement on my blog. I am so happy to have Made Divine as one of my business sponsors. 

I love these scripture prints and would love to have one hanging in my house.

I'm also a fan of these beautiful note cards. There's just something special about sending and receiving a handwritten note.

My husband and I did not write our own vows, but I know many people do. What do you do with them afterwards? You could buy a beautiful vow holder to forever keep them in a safe place.

 

If these pieces don't speak for themselves, I'm going to let Crystal tell you more about Made Divine.

 

1. Why did you start Made Divine?
I am deeply in love with design. Since I was very little, I always loved creating things with my hands and the freedom that it gave me. I have been a professional graphic designer now for over 10 years. The work that I have created has been tailor made to suit my clients needs and vision. As an artist you always have this strong desire to create things that are unedited and uninfluenced by anyone. Made Divine was the answer for me. It's my way of having total control of my art. Everything I create for Made Divine is me and it showcases all the parts of who I am and what I believe in. When someone purchases my product, I hope that they see the heart that was put into creating that product. My passion has always been designing and I love creating things that uplifts and inspires people.

2. What kind of merchandise do you offer?
Made Divine offers wedding gifts and paper good products. I currently sell handmade wedding vow holders keepsakes, silk wrapped wedding invitation suites, motivational prints and greeting cards.

3. What inspires your designs?
My designs are faith-based and I am constantly inspired by the Bible. I love tying the Word of God into a lot of what I create. Scriptures resonate with me a lot so you will see them in my work. Second, nature inspires me. I'm originally from the island of Haiti and so I grew up being outdoors constantly. I love the beauty of nature and so I incorporate a lot of those elements into my product designs. Lastly, I'm inspired by artists. Whether the craft is painting, illustrating, music, fashion, filmmaking, photography - all artists inspire me. I love to listen to and look at art a lot. It's a reflection of who that artist is now and who they aspire to be in the future. Those artists are an inspiration to me. They keep me challenging myself, take more risks and be fearless with my work.

4. What are some things you want to work on doing better in 2013?
There's so much to do in 2013! My shop is still very young - we've only been open less than 3 months. I look forward to creating more products and connecting with others in the marketplace to help reach more people.

You can find Made Divine on Etsy, Facebook, and Twitter.

The last thing I would like to share with you is this video I found on Made Divine's website. I think this is such a great idea. You get to see the artist behind the designs at work. 

 I hope you'll go visit Crystal and look around her shop.

I Love College

 I'm not going to lie, there are days that I really miss being in college. You only go to class a couple of hours a day. You get to live with your friends, in my case-my best friend. You can take naps every day. You can work out for free. In my case, you can eat for free thanks to a scholarship. I made some amazing memories during my college years. I had independence, yet very little responsibility. Those were the days.

For many of you, this is not your college experience. I applaud those of you who work full time and go to school or have a family and go to school or maybe you do all three.

Now, there are some cons to being in college and I think the first one people think of is the cost. Even with scholarships, college is costly especially those pesky textbooks.

That's where Campus Book Rentals comes in. Why buy your textbooks that you will never touch again after the class is finished when you can rent them? I wish I'd known about this when I was in college.

So, why rent your college textbooks from Campus Book Rentals?
- You can save 40-90% off of bookstore prices.
-Shipping is free both ways.
-They have a 30 day risk free period for returns.
-They have the largest selection of textbooks in the nation.
- You are still free to highlight in the textbooks if you wish.
- The renting periods are flexible.
-They donate to Operation Smile with each textbook rented! (This is my favorite part.)

I got my degree in Elementary Education, so I decided to look around their website for textbooks related to things I studied. The prices are incredible. Don't believe me? Check out this classroom management textbook for only $14.90!

 

Want to know more? Check out this video:

 ***This post was sponsored by Campus Book Rentals**

I Wish I Was That Cool....

In case you haven't noticed, the nerd look is in. I'm not that into fashion, but even I know that everyone is sporting big, nerdy glasses. 

Now unless I fake it, I can't rock this look. I don't wear eyeglasses, but some really cool people in my life do- like my mom, my husband, and Harry Potter.

I'm also sure that plenty of my readers wear glasses. So, if you need a new place to order glasses from, look no further. Today, I'm going to share a great site and deal with you. 

GlassesUSA.com has all the latest trends made with high quality frames and lenses. They also offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Today, they're also offering my readers a great discount. You can take 15% off your entire order plus free shipping of orders over $50 with code FS15. You can also get 10% off any order of prescription glasses with code Blog10.

Now, maybe you think the same way I would and you're nervous about purchasing eye glasses without trying them on. Never fear! With the new Virtual Mirror feature, you don't have to worry about that!

It's VERY easy to use. All you have to do is upload a close up picture of yourself. Then, you pick the glasses you want to "try on."

I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you. If I were this cool....

Which look do you like best?

Now, go ahead and try some on for yourself. Do a little shopping while you're there. You can also keep up with all the latest news and offers with GlassesUSA's Twitter and Facebook. 

***This post was sponsored by GlassesUSA**

Will you sing Soft Kitty?

Soft kitty,

Warm kitty,

Little ball of fur.

Happy kitty,

Sleepy kitty,

purr, purr, purr.

{Ok, sorry for the randomness.}

Unfortunately, I have a cold. :(

I HATE colds!

I guess it's due to the changing of the weather because none of my students are sick and that's usually where I get colds from {germy children!}.

But.....I'm hoping to stop this cold fast with ZICAM. If you've never used Zicam, I HIGHLY recommend it. It's the best medicine for getting rid of a cold fast. 


 I had never heard of it until my senior year of high school, when my then boyfriend's mother recommended it. My life was changed. You are supposed to start using it as soon as you have signs of a cold, you have to use it every 3 hours, and you use it up to 2 days after your symptoms go away. I promise if you follow the directions, your cold will go away pretty fast. {At least faster than with any other medicine.} I've since introduced it to Lee and he loves it too. Lee gets a lot of colds.So, I hope you're having a great and healthy Friday. I will be busy this weekend making my newest batch of ornaments. Have you checked out Ornaments for Adoption? Have you ordered your ornament to help the Brock family? If not, you should. :) 

Say Hello to my Little Friend

This little thing has been a life saver while getting my classroom ready for the new year.

If you're a teacher, you probably know the feeling of going up to the office or workroom with a stack of papers, posters, cards, etc. only to find that the laminator is not working. You want your stuff to be protected from the destruction that comes with children. You have 2 options: take it to a store and pay to have it laminated or use it without lamination. Neither option is appealing. I had many things in my classroom last year that I wanted laminated, but it never happened.

This year, I went to Walmart after my first work day to gather up some supplies for the new year. While walking up and down the aisles trying to only fill my cart with necessary items-this stuff adds up-I ran across these laminators. I stood there a while and debated on whether or not I should buy it. It's kind of small. It's only going to laminate small items. It's a lot of money. Will you use it enough? Can you laminate smaller items? Can you cut something after it's been laminated?

These were just some of the thoughts going through my mind. My husband may disagree, but I was really trying not to spend TOO much money. In case you didn't know, teachers spend a lot of their personal money in order to educate children. Schools don't give us all the supplies we need and what we ask the kids to bring in at the beginning of the year is never enough.

After a lot of thought and debating with myself, I decided to get it. I am SO glad I did. I laminated so many things this past week. It was also so easy and convenient to have it in my classroom and at home.

 It only takes a few minutes to heat up. 

You arrange your items into the laminate sheets (sold separately).

You feed it through the machine. If there has to be a down side, it would be the fact that it is sometimes hard to get it in the right spot in order to feed it through the machine. Be sure you have your machine on a flat, hard surface.

Your item runs through the machine and comes out laminated. You can cut the laminate to trim it down afterwards. You can also cut the item itself after it has been laminated. 

It was definitely worth the $30! One of these may even be a worthwhile investment for nonteachers. I can see this being useful for anything you want to protect: certificates, child's work, newspaper articles, pictures, etc.