Maskcara Contouring System Review

Alright y'all! Here it is! My Maskcara makeup review! Sorry it took me a bit to put it up but I wanted to use it and wear it a few times before writing up what I thought. 

This is my honest opinion of this makeup brand. If you don't like it, too bad 😆. 

To start, I was EXTREMELY excited to try this new foundation/contouring makeup. It looked to cover well and looked quick and relatively easy. Also the price for the makeup was pretty dang good! 

With this you get a basic foundation color, bronzer color, blush color, and a highlight color. Total cost before taxes, $48. That is on point with other higher end foundations ONLY. I also bought a brush, which I will go into more detail on later. 

I have been wanting a full coverage makeup since my old foundation ran out a few months back. I've tried your typical drugstore brands and found one I sort of like and I even tried Younique which I ended up returning the foundation but keeping the contouring pallet (if you want my thoughts on that I'd be happy to share 😊). When I saw Maskcara, I thought, DANG, that looks cool and quick and easy AND it looks like it will give me the coverage I want. 

When I received the package I was so happy! I opened it with a quickness to get it all set up and put together. When I pulled out the compact, I was a little disappointed. From the pictures, the compact looked marbled and like it would be a nice heavy plastic or metal. Upon pulling it out of the box I discover that it was cardboard, very light cardboard. I thought wow, going cheap on the packaging. 

HOWEVER, after thinking about it a little more and seeing all the other compacts I have, I don't think it being a light cardboard is such a bad thing! I'm going to get a little sciencey for a minute (yes I know thats not a word). The cardboard compact is much lighter than a plastic or metal one, therefore it will fall slower when you drop it, and if you're like me, you'll drop it. Also, the cardboard will absorb more of the impact than a plastic or metal one would. Between those two facts, it protects the makeup inside much better from crashing to the ground when it slips out of your hand or you knock it off the counter. Just my random thoughts, but having broken a number of hard plastic and heavy compacts, I think the lighter, cardboard, "cheap" compact might just be better. I'll let you know when I drop it, LOL. 

Now, for the application! The how to video was very easy to follow and made a lot of sense. It took me a little longer to apply the first since I was learning how to do it but I have since gotten it down a little better and it goes faster now. I haven't actually timed it but it is quicker for me. 

This pic is the before and after of just the Maskcara makeup. The main post pic is the before and after with my brows and eyes done as well.

The makeup went on really smooth and blended very nicely! I was really worried about putting on four different colors and not having them blend well and it taking forever. It really didn't. It went pretty quick. I actually stopped and thought, what am I doing wrong, that was too easy and too quick. I was done with my foundation and I was just looking down at the counter wondering what I needed to do next. 

Here is the pic of all the makeup and things I used before to achieve this same look (this doesn't include any eye makeup).

And then a pic of what I used when applying the Maskcara makeup. I was able to eliminate a lot of stuff and a lot of time. (I have since added the Mary Kay mineral powder & brush to this list)

On the first application I used just the one brush as shown in the picture with the Maskcara product which is the 30 Sec HAC brush from Maskcara. I would definitely recommend using another brush as well. The brush is nice and pretty soft but not the softest brush I've ever felt. I paid $31 for this brush. Since I am being honest here, I could find a brush at Walmart that could do that same thing. Yes it is double sided so its like paying $15 per brush which I guess isn't horrible, but I also got a discount on the brush. 

I used the fat end of the brush to apply my bronzer color and the skinny narrow end to apply the foundation color. It seemed somewhat difficult to get the right amount of bronzer color onto the fat end of the brush, it took a few times before I got the desired amount on the brush. The brush didn't blend anything very well at all so I had to use my sponge to blend it all. I ended up grabbing an inexpensive one from Walmart that blends everything together VERY well. I grabbed an e.l.f. Ultimate Blending Brush and I love it. It sheds a bit but for $6, I can't complain. I actually use that blender brush over the pink squishy sponge blender. I only use the pink one when blending my highlight color. 

When applying the blush color I just use my finger and dab a VERY small amount on and blend with my blender brush. And when I say very little, I mean a very little amount. That blush will last me FOREVER! I also apply the highlight color with my finger and lightly blend with the sponge blender. It too, will last forever! 

One thing I noticed after I applied the foundation and started on my brows and eyes was that my brows were WAY easier to do! I was using so much product before and it was getting in my brows and when I would apply the eyebrow pencil, it would clump and gunk and I would have to brush my brows to make sure I got all the clumpy makeup out. Gross, I know. Using this new makeup, it went on SOOOO smooth! It was the fastest I had ever done my brows! I love it! 

Now for the bad part. This makeup does not dry to a powder finish. It stays a tacky sticky consistency on your face. And I mean sticky like my hair seriously stuck to my face. And the brush that I love so much that sheds, its sticks to my face super bad. This makes it hard to apply eye liner when your finger holding the corner of your eye up keeps slipping. Also, the liner seems to smear and smudge MUCH easier after getting any amount of this makeup on your eyes. It also rubs off on your hands very easily if and when you touch your face for any reason with any amount of pressure. It just feels oily and sticky. It comes off and rubs off on everything. I had to treat the shirt I was wearing in the before and after pic because it got makeup all over the white collar. I haven't had that problem before so I didn't like that. 

One plus to the the consistency of the makeup is that its much easier to fix any mistakes while doing your brows or eyes. 

There is a setting spray and or powder you can buy from Maskcara, I have not purchased this. I decided to use the Mary Kay mineral powder that I already have. The first time I used it, it was a very light application. My face still felt sticky and it was still hard to work with my eyeliner. The next couple times I've had to use a thicker application of the powder to keep my face from feeling like the sticky side of a sticky note. Even with this thicker application it still feels slightly tacky but it's manageable and doesn't seem to rub off when the wind blows on my face. 

Overall, the Maskcara brand foundation/contouring system covers very well, it just leaves my face feeling sticky. It's not heavy or thick, just sticky. Thats my one and only complaint. At this point, I like it and won't return it, but I am not sure that I will be buying it again. We'll see if I find a better foundation or a better setting powder or spray. 

That's it folks! I hope that was clear enough and to the point that it gives you a good idea of what this makeup is like. Let me know if you have any questions, thoughts, concerns, or ideas! 

Thanks for reading :) 

Why Do I Do This To Myself?

Today is a rough day for me. My body is crazy sore and tired from pushing through some hard workouts this week. But I'm also feeling bad emotionally. I've just been hating on myself SOOO bad this entire week.


I hate the way I look, I hate who I am as a person, I hate what I've done or I should say what I haven't done with my life, just everything about myself I've been hating. I know it's not typically acceptable to bash yourself on social media but I do have a point.


Deep down I know these things aren't true. I am not ugly, I am not a bad person, I have done important things with my life. I know I'm not the only one that feels like this sometimes and I don't always feel like this anymore. I used to feel like this everyday and it's draining and exhausting to beat yourself up.


Even though I'm having a hard time now, I'm taking comfort in the fact that I know how to pull myself out of this funk now. I know that I won't and don't always have to feel this way.


Over the last year I've really learned to look at the positive, think positively, and know that there is a point to the things that happen in life. God isn't just out to get us and making life as miserable as possible. It's actually the opposite. He is pushing us to be better, to be smarter, more loving, and even more kind, even if it's just to ourselves.


There is a point to all the miserable in life, we just need to stop, take a breath and realize that life isn't out to get us, it's out to make us better and stronger.


So here is some advice that I need to take as well, stop thinking about yourself. Go out and do something, help someone, go be a friend, go be a mom or dad. Do something for or with someone else, lift someone else's day and it will also brighten your day.

Today I am focusing on being a good mom, on loving my kiddos and being there for them. I got to spend some one on one time with my baby while I was at Ethan's soccer game cheering him on and after that game we went and watched and cheered on Pierce at his soccer game. These kiddos are the most important thing I've done with my life and I need to take a minute and realize that they need me, they look up to me, and they are going to copy what I do. That means that I need to live the best life I can and set the best example I can for them.

I noticed that while I was full time mom-ing this morning, (meaning I was not on my phone or distracted with other things) I wasn't thinking about myself or how much I hate myself or my life. I was just thinking about them and doing all I could to be loving and kind and have fun with them. It really helped me feel better.

Another lesson to add to my list, be more selfless and life doesn't seem so hard and daunting.

Bose Soundsport Headphones

I have been running for about a year now and I LOVE having music playing while I run. It relaxes me and gets me out of any funk I seem to be in at the time. When I started running I was really excited because I had a really nice pair of Klipsch headphones that were actually comfortable. I have the hardest time finding ear buds that don't hurt my ear. The sound in the them was amazing too. My only complaint, the wire running down the front or back of me and having to hide it or tuck it or just let it bounce around as I ran. It was time to start researching wireless headphones. 

I found two that interested me, the Beats and the Bose headphones. After reading other reviews I decided to try out the Bose headphones. I went down to the outlet mall in Smithfield and went to the Bose store and tried out the headphones. I am sure I looked RIDICULOUS while I was in there. I wanted to see if they could really stay in my ears while I ran 3-6 miles. 

First off it took me a minute to figure out how to put them on, LOL. It took me forever to find the little L and R on the buds to figure out which way to turn them. And then I had to figure out how exactly they were supposed to situate in the ear with that little elf ear thing sticking out. By the way the sales lady just stood there the entire time and watched from a distance, she didn't say one word! And then there was the cord connecting the two ear buds and my first thought was I thought these were wireless..... After about 2-3 minutes trying to figure out how the heck to get these things on, I was skeptical that they would actually stay in my ears.

Before I tested that part out I played some music on them to make sure they even sounded good. They sounded great! So let the jumping begin! I started shaking my head around like a crazy person, the ear buds didn't budge. Then I started jumping around and running back and forth in the corner of the store. I am sure I was very entertaining, LOL. But dang it, if I am going to spend that much on headphones, I want to make sure they are what I want. They passed the test though, they did not fall our or even start to. They stayed tightly in place even through all my crazy spazzy-ness. 

I had decided that I liked them and that I did for sure want these ones. Now I just had to overcome the price. Eek!! I will share with you that these headphones are $149.99. I wasn't quite sure how willing I was to pay for them. I knew that I liked my current ones and they worked fine for the moment but the cord has a short and it is starting to get worse. I was going to need a new pair soon and I knew that I wanted to get wireless ones so I just went a head and bought them. If I really hated them, I could just take them back. 

Now, finally to the actual review, haha, sorry y'all, I'm long winded.

You have the choice of three colors, this teal/blue color that I picked, black or a gray/white color with lime green accents. The package was very easy to open and the medium buds were already in place and it comes with a smaller and larger set as well. There is also a case to store the headphone and additional earbuds in. It also came charged which I LOVE. I didn't have to charge it first before I could use it. It paired very easily with my phone, my Apple Watch however, thats another story but it wasn't the headphones fault, that was all the Apple Watch. 

Again, I love the sound. It's clear and crisp and plays the highs and lows like I like. If you know the brand name Klipsch, you know that I really care about sound quality. Klipsch has great sound and I really loved my old headphones but it was time for an upgrade, I was just afraid I wouldn't find the sound quality I was looking for. These Bose ones sound really good, I am very impressed. 

Once I finally got them paired with my Apple Watch, I went out for a run. It had just started raining and the wind was picking up so it was only about a 10 minute run but it was enough to test them out. Now that I know how to put them on, they are very easy to put on. They are very light. They actually feel, to me, a little lose or unsure, like they will fall out or come loose but they never did. Durning the 10 minutes I didn't need to push them back in or adjust them at all. I did out of habit because I always had to with my old headphones but after I got my hand up there I wasn't even sure what I was trying to do or adjust, they were just fine. 

The volume up and down button is on the cord that wraps around the back of your neck on the right hand side. It's very easy to find while running and use. I hate the tiny volume controls where you accidentally hit the wrong one or its so easy hit opposite of what you want. This one is big enough that you know which one you are hitting but not so big that it's annoying, heavy or in the way. 

These wear very easy and they are super light, I forget I have them on. And they are comfortable, I can wear them for an hour without them hurting my ear. Ear buds very easily hurt my ears so that is huge for me. The sound is great and they don't fall out while running. So far I have no complaints about the Bose Soundsport headphones. And the fact that they have a cord or wire connecting the two earbuds, I actually really love as mom who has toddlers because if one of my kids decides to sneak off with them, I will only have to look for one thing and not both pieces. That's just my mom opinion though LOL. 

That is my review! If I missed anything or you have anymore questions for me, let me know!!

If you like these and want to check them out or buy them the link is below!

Meanest Mom Award Goes To.....

Meanest mom award goes to......ME!!!

Yup, I get the mean mom award. I canceled Ethan's birthday party. I did it last year to Kiersten and I threatened Ethan with it this year and I don't think he really thought I would do it again. But I did.

I have been trying to get Ethan to clean his room for two months, yes I typed that correctly, TWO MONTHS! Y'all might have judgements for that one alone, but oh well! Story for another time.

ANYWAY..........

He has refused to clean it. He will pick up dirty clothes and thats about it. He just sits in there and plays Lego's or he reads. I LOVE that he loves to read but his room desperately needs cleaning! When you can't get into the bedroom, or can hardly open the door, you know its bad! Him and Pierce share a room so I have Pierce go in and pick his toys and for a four year old (as of today), he does a pretty good job. Ethan just won't do it, he will not clean up any of his stuff.

I try making games of it, I try helping him, I will ask him to only do small sections each day rather than the entire room. I bribe him! I offer computer time, friends, ice cream, even toys and money when I am desperate and still nothing.

I told him Friday evening that he had an hour to get his room clean or I was going to cancel his party. That freaked him out and he actually really started cleaning. He didn't finish but he had made good progress so I was willing to let him continue on Saturday. Come Saturday morning he was refusing to clean his room again and every time I went to check on him he was playing or reading or just laying on his bed. I sat down and had a serious talk with him about canceling his party and cake if he didn't get his room cleaned up. He was upset and mad at me after this talk but he went, crying, back to his room to clean.

Right after he walks into his room I hear this "smack" and Pierce starts screaming. Pierce was just sitting on his bed minding his own business playing with his Mickey Mouse stuffed animal and Ethan walked in and thought it was a good idea to slap him in the head for NO reason.

Party canceled! I can deal and compromise with a messy room, but smacking your baby brother for no reason at all not cool dude!

I understand that kids, especially siblings, fight and will hit, I am not ignorant to that, I have four brothers, I know how to throw a punch myself. I am all for defending yourself IF NEED BE, but I always advocate using and exhausting non violent methods to resolve problems and issues first. I try very hard to teach my kids that hitting is bad and that you just don't do it. I have given many a time out and grounding for hitting, even if they were provoked. I am understanding that siblings can really get under your skin and make you want to punch them in the face, trust me, I know! Sometimes you lose it, I get it. But this time, there was NO reason what so ever for him to do it. I was so shocked that he would just walk in there and slap him. I didn't even know what to say except party canceled. That was it and I walked out of the bedroom.

I can handle messes and a dirty house and I am usually very forgiving on my threats when it comes to those things, (I know, I am weak). However, when it comes to disrespect of me, their dad, or their siblings, I have no tolerance. Thats why Kiersten lost her birthday party last summer. She threw a fit about the "boring" party I was going to throw her because I wouldn't do one thing she wanted. That was it, I chucked the invitations I was filling out on the floor and said you're done, party canceled.

Messes is kind of a mom thing, we clean up most of them and we need to teach our kids how to be responsible for their messes and help them learn the best way for them to get their chores and messes taken care of. The threats I throw out are usually out of desperation because I am trying to do and juggle eight million other things at the time and I don't have the time right then to stop and help them (that's right, I am not a perfect mom!). Most of the time I come around and realize it was a bit much to ask of them and they need a little help or guidance in getting the job done. Once I take the time to give them that, things go a little smoother.

When it comes to disrespect, I have a zero tolerance policy on that. One strike, you're out! That is also my job, to teach my children to respect and be tolerant of others, even if they think someone doesn't deserve it. I usually feel guilty when I say you can't have this until this chore is done, but as soon as the disrespect comes into play, all that guilt is gone and this momma says oh heck no!

So yes, I am the meanest mom for teaching my kid a lesson, unfortunately a hard one, and canceling his birthday party. I know moms all have their different opinions and ideas on how to teach and raise their children and one of my opinions is that I am their mom, their teacher, a guide, help, and comfort, not their friend. I am not there to look the other way, laugh it off, or just say thats just who they are, they will grow out of it. I am here to teach these little ones how to survive in the real world being the best person they can be. Once they are adults, we can be friends. Until then, what I say goes, it may suck, but that's how its gonna work in this house.

Is my opinion always right, is how I parent always the right way, are all the choices I make always right? Nope, I am 100% sure of that. You know what though, I am doing the best I know how. I am teaching and loving my children the very best way I know how and I try to follow my gut and go with those instincts and they seem to lead me in a pretty good direction. I pray for my children everyday, and I pray even harder for myself, to know how to raise my children and do and say what will help each child learn and grow and help them become the best adults they can be under my guidance.

As a mom I try very hard to teach my kiddos and help them learn, I don't do things just to be mean and I certainly didn't cancel his party just to be mean, I actually feel kind of bad that he doesn't get a party, but I don't feel guilty for it. I love my children with all my heart and would do anything I could to help them. In this case I thought he needed to learn a lesson in actions and consequences so poor dude doesn't get his Star Wars party. Maybe next year bud!

I Quit My Cleanse

A little over a week ago I posted about starting the 21 Day Ultimate Reset cleanse from BeachBody. I was really excited and very hopeful that this would kickstart my weight loss again since I've hit a bit of a plateau the last few months. I read through all the information and the recipes and shopping list and got all set to go and I started last Thursday. Day one wasn't too bad. The power greens you have to drink everyday weren't even horrible. Day two was harder, and by day three, I was almost throwing up every time I drank the power greens.

I had heard from others and read others stories about how amazing the reset is and how good you feel afterwards and you can lose a lot of weight and that overall the three weeks was hard, but manageable. You don't starve yourself, which was a huge concern of mine. You eat three full meals and a snack durning the day. You just cut out all sugar and go vegan which sucked for me, but I wasn't going to starve.

The first day of food wasn't too bad. Was it amazing, no but it was okay. Dinner was pretty good. My husband made me salmon and I really loved it! I have tried salmon SOOOO many times in my life and always hated it. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, of course I've had salmon! It was good that night though, and I actually want to eat it again. The second day was harder, I just didn't want the food. It wasn't that it was bad or tasted nasty, I just didn't want it. It wasn't what I felt like eating. That made sticking to the meal plan very difficult.

By day four (sorry for the TMI), I was realizing that I was feeling really sick, like having to stay close to the bathroom sick all day, everyday. I had stomach cramps and felt bloated and gross all day and night. I had no energy and felt tired and lazy all day. It was actually kind of depressing waking up and having no energy.

At day six, I was HATING this cleanse and I was so over it and couldn't believe that I had two more weeks of this. I still tried pushing through and doing my best to finish it out. I finished day seven and started on day eight where they add in the detox supplement. The flavor wasn't bad, very lemony, but the texture was AWFUL! And after drinking the second one for the day and choking down my power greens yet again, I was just angry and wanted to punch someone. If I had to choke down anymore crap, I was going to lose my freaking mind! By the end of day 8, I had decided that I was quitting the 21 Day Ultimate Reset and I was going to send it back and get my money back.

Some, or all of you, may be thinking, what a loser, she just quit! She wouldn't even stick it out to see if it was worth it in the end. Before you stop reading, let me explain myself a little.

Yep, I did quit and I will tell you why. Reason number one, it made me feel sick! I was in the bathroom all day long! It said it wasn't supposed to do that, yet there I was. I had stomach cramps all day which is very uncomfortable. Also, it completely drained me of all my energy, all my get up and go. It did say you would have less energy and feel tired, okay, got it. But I couldn't even think, I didn't want to do anything but lay around. I am a mom of four kids! I don't have that luxury! I have heard so many times to listen to your body, it will tell you what you need, or in the this case what I didn't need. I for sure didn't need to feel sick all day for three weeks just so I could try and drop 15-20 lbs. My weight is important to me, but not that important.

I was tired of feeling gross and not being able to leave the house for more than 20 minutes because I would need a bathroom. I was tired of being bloated all day, everyday and my clothes not fitting me right. I was sick of being in pain, knowing that I was going to drink or take a supplement and it was going to cause me pain and discomfort, I wasn't down for that anymore.

Reason number two. I like to exercise, I like to workout and get a good sweat on and get my heart rate up. I like to go run three to four times a week for at least a half hour. Or I like to kick-butt with Core De Force which is anywhere from 30 minutes to 47 minutes of intense work that gets your heart rate up and makes you sweat like crazy! Well you aren't supposed to workout while doing this cleanse. I take that back, you can do yoga, or something very calm and mild, but nothing hard and intense. I like working out now, I enjoy it, for the most part. Some days I don't want to, but overall, I like it, I like getting my heart rate up and sweating. It makes me feel really good afterwards and it usually makes my day better. And here I was being told that I shouldn't do this thing that helps me feel better. That wasn't sitting right with me. If I want to workout, I should be able to workout as much or as little and as intense as I want. By day three I couldn't sit around anymore so I started working out which I was told wasn't good. How is working out a bad thing???

Reason number three. I hate being told what to do, or not to do. That seems selfish and petty, I know! I will fully admit how lame of an excuse that is. However, everyone's minds work in a different way because of how they were born or the experiences they have gone through in their lives. My brain gets pissed when I have very strict rules to follow and it makes me want to do the opposite, or nothing at all. So in this case, it was telling me to eat these certain recipes. Sounds fine, right? Nope, not for me. It wasn't food I would normally eat, not that it was bad or tasted bad, I just didn't want it. It was not what I was feeling in the moment. Maybe that is a lack of discipline, I don't know, but it was making me want to not only not eat the food, but it was making me want to only eat ice cream, cookies, cake, and candy. The funny part about that was that I wasn't craving any of that stuff before I started the diet! Yes, I wanted to sometimes, but I could deal with not having it or I could find a healthy alternative. With this diet/cleanse, there was no alternative. You just don't get anything and you have to deal with it. I hated that feeling!

I felt like I wasn't in control of anything. I went from being out of control with my diet and getting fat, to managing my diet pretty well, then down to you can ONLY eat these certain extremely healthy and vegan (I am not, and never can or will be vegan, I just don't get it and I don't care to!) meals. I had once again lost control over what I was supposed to be eating, except someone else was in charge of telling me what to and not to eat. It felt very counter productive to me. I want to be able to feel like I am in charge of my food, my diet. This meal plan wasn't what I wanted or would normally eat. I want to be able to eat the food I want and adjust or modify it to a healthy option or portion.

Those are my three main reasons for stopping this cleanse. I don't think cleanses or strict drop weight quick diets are for me! If you love them and use them and they work for you, GREAT!!! More power to you! I don't judge you or think anything less of you, in fact I may be a little jealous that I can't wrap my mind around doing one for a short period of time.

I very much hated the way I felt while using the product, both physically, and mentally. It wasn't helping me lose weight, it was hindering me from losing weight and getting healthy. I did a lot of thinking over the last week about my weight loss journey. I have lost 41lbs in the last year and two months. Could I have done it faster, SURE! Do I still have more weight to lose? Yep, probably another 30lbs or so. Do I want it to come off quickly, heck yes! Am I willing to sacrifice how I feel and live my life to do it, yes, but not to extremes. I have worked very hard the last year to figure out what works best for me, how I can best incorporate healthy habits into my life to make it an overall lifestyle change, not just a drop weight super fast so I can look hot by summer thing.

I want to be fit and I want to be healthy and I am and have been doing it, and I was happy, and didn't mind what I was doing for the most part. Making changes in your life, especially like losing weight is hard and will take sacrifices and determination and hard work. Obviously I am doing something right if I have managed to lose 40lbs. I got it into my head that because others are doing it faster, that I was doing it wrong and that if I could just drop 15-20lbs in three weeks, that I would almost be at my goal weight.

I started getting impatient, and greedy, and jealous. I wasn't thinking about all the changes and hard work that I had already put in to get to where I am now. No, the weight isn't just falling off. But guess what, I am not gaining any weight either! If anything I should be thinking how amazing that is that I can lose such a large amount of weight AND keep it off!

I already have the tools, I have already learned how to lose weight and get healthy. I worked for a year to get to where I am, I have what I need, I just need to tap back into what is already inside of me and get back to work!

This morning I woke up with energy, and my stomach doesn't hurt today and I don't have to use the bathroom every 20 minutes! I feel great today! My eating has been on point and I haven't been craving junk food! I am eating what I want, which has been healthy food and snacks. I know what I need to lose weight and be healthy and I have a renewed sense of power which feels amazing!

Even though I quit the ultimate reset, it still managed to kick start my weight loss and I am not quitting that! Just because I gave up a cleanse doesn't mean I am giving up on over a years worth of hard work. Yes, I totally had a quarter pounder with cheese and French fries last night from McDonalds. That was my cheat meal after eating power greens and vegan food for a week. I am still going to drink my Shakeology every day because Shakeology has truly helped me with my weight loss and my overall health. I love my shakeo and I will never give that up. I will also not give up my treats once in a while and that fact that I love to bake all the time. Those things are me and I have found a way to be and stay healthy, lose weight, and have all those things still in my life.

I did not fail because I quit the cleanse, I simply found a way that works better for me and works better with my life. I feel really good about my choice and I feel REALLY good that I have found that kick in the butt to get me back to losing the rest of this weight.

Ninja Babies!

Does anyone else have ninja babies? You know, the kind that do things you should have been able to hear, see, smell, or whatever else but you totally didn't catch it and now UH-OH! Well I have a few of those. It can be rather frustrating at times, don't you think?

This happened yesterday. I was working at my desk and I needed to go to the bathroom so I got up and went. Then I decided I would check on the laundry while I was up. I was gone MAYBE five minutes.

When I came back to my desk, I found this underneath. If you can't tell, thats paint on my floor. And my biggest question, how the crap did they get those little things open???!!!! I can't EVER get those things open! I end up breaking them half the time! And these little boogers can get them open and color popsicle sticks and my floor in under five minutes. NINJA!!!!

However, there was no child under my desk when I found this. I went downstairs and both kiddos were sitting like little angels on the couch with their blankets looking like they were going to fall asleep. Neither of them had paint on them......

I don't even know which one did it! They both just looked at me like I was crazy! I am pretty sure it was Pierce because Whitney was already half asleep but still! So I just told them both not to touch or play with paint unless mommy was with them.

Today we used dot paint to make some pictures and I think that helped get their creative side flowing and to get wanting to paint out of their little heads. At least I hope thats what it did, LOL.

When I see stuff like this, I just tell myself that I love my kids and it won't last forever! It won't last forever, right??!!

Living A Kick-A Life!

     

At the end of June in 2016, I started my journey as a health and fitness coach. One of the things they HIGHLY recommend when starting your own business AND starting on your health journey is to read some sort of personal development every single day. When I heard that, I laughed, I really did. I am pretty sure I rolled my eyes too and just thought, oh that's something I don't really need and I can just cross that right off my to-do list for my business. After all, its my biz and I can work it how I want!

I made NO effort what so ever to start reading PD. I actually just told myself I would read my scriptures everyday and that would be my PD, that was all the personal and spiritual development I would need each day. Haha! I was SO wrong! 

For reasons still unknown to me, I really hated self help books or books claiming to be able to help you be better, or teach you to raise a perfect child, or make a million dollars. It was all a joke. Why do you need a stupid book to tell you that? Use your brain and go with your gut. I think I don't like being told what to do, I think that's why I hate them, I'll go with that one!

Giving in, I started reading, or listening to a book on Audible, just so I could say I was doing it when people asked if I was making that a daily priority. After a couple days, the weirdest thing happened! I started looking forward to listening to this book. I loved the quotes and points and opinions that were being said. I was actually enjoying listening to this book! I was shocked! It was really helping me, it was motivating me, and it was making me want to work harder and try new things.

Maybe there is something to these self help books after all........

Finishing the first book, I started a second, and third and then kept going from there. I was really enjoying these books! I enjoyed learning from them and the great feeling of hope that they left with me. My reading slowed down but I never gave it up. In October I bought a bunch of books from Barnes & Noble (I LOVE that store!) and I just stashed them away so I could grab one when I needed it.

One of the books I purchased was 52 Ways To Live A Kick-Ass Life By Andrea Owen. I didn't start this one right away but I eventually picked it up and started reading. I was hooked from the start! She has a way of writing that draws me in and she is hilarious and blunt and honest which I LOVE! Also the chapters were pretty short and being a stay at home mom, I don't have time to sit and read for hours at a time. Being able to grab the book and spend even just five minutes reading one chapter, (I read really slow) was perfect for me.

A lot of what she writes about in her book seems so basic and like common sense when you really think about it. After I would read a chapter, I was like, duh Eryn! And this book came at a perfect time in my life. When I started the book, back in November or December, I was going through a really rough time in my life, and honestly, its still rough, better but still hard. And yes, it took me that long to read the book. I didn't read it every day and like I said, I am a slow reader.

This book, I feel, was a God send! Like I said, I didn't read it everyday but there were certain days where I would just feel like I needed to pick up that book and read. When I did, I would open to the current chapter and just the title of the chapter would floor me because it was something I was struggling with that day. Some days I would only need to read one chapter and other days I would read a few. But I always came away from reading this book feeling better, hopeful, and like God had answered my questions, concerns, and dilemmas.

This will definitely be a book that I will read over and over again and keep close. It is easy to reference and she expresses and explains things in a quick way so you aren't having to read forever.

If you are looking for a good book to kick you in the butt and help you make some changes in your life, I HIGHLY recommend this book!