Weekend Recap V.4

We meet again new week. 

A very busy week at that for me. It's end of the month which means, closing the month out. In English terms, I won't have a life again until next Monday when the end of the month report is finished. Anyone else experience this at any point in the month? 

The weekend was a great weekend spent at home. I literally haven't moved my car since I parked it Friday night. 

Friday: I was up early to finally match my eyebrows. I hate when I get to the point of them growing out so bad that they don't match. Luckily European wax center saved me again. If you've never been to one, I highly suggest it.   

I also found out my top has pockets, what a great Friday! 

Top & Jeans from Ollie Marie 

Later that afternoon a friend of mine invited me to workout with her at Planet Fitness. I was a kid in a candy store to get a second leg day this week.

I was a bit disappointed though when she told me she didn't want lean muscle, that she was more focused on the scale moving. That scale is EVIL! Gimme all the muscles vs scale moving! She also mentioned how all she wanted to do was ab workouts. I tried to explain to her that abs are truly made in the kitchen and almost every movement we did engaged her core. I was also not offered pizza or bagels but there was tootsie rolls on the counter. Planet fitness had way more cardio machines than weights and no squat racks, let's just say I will not be getting a membership to here. Otherwise, I was impressed with how clean it was though. Friday afternoon wasn't too crowded either which I liked. It's truly not a bad gym just not my gym. 

Friday night hubby and I went to chick Fil A for dinner and grocery shopping. 

Saturday: I worked all day. You know the joys of working from home, you get to design your own schedule and or when you have lots to do you do it on weekends. 

The boys dug up the yard to prepare for rain. 

I did mange to write up Friday Letters & wrote my book review if anyone is interested in having it. I will mail it to you for free. 

Sunday: I was up early and got a quick little arm workout in. I also finally opened up my beats. Why didn't I open them sooner? They are amazing! 

I struggle with writing my own workout plans but one day I will get it. I also need to invest in a 35 pound dumbbell sooner than later. 

After my workout it was protein pancakes for the win. 

417 calories // 39 carbs // 8 fat// 47 protein

Than it was typical sunday stuff of laundry, cleaning and watching football. 

Hope ya'll had a great weekend & even better start to the new week! 

Friday Letters On Saturday V.2

Dear Friday Letters, Life got crazy yesterday so I am doing you on Saturday this week. It's always better late than never right? 

Dear Work, Why do I have SO much of you? I am working all day today too to try to catch up before end of the month next week. WHAT IT'S ALREADY END OF JANUARY?? 

Dear Hubby, The countdown is on and it makes me sad but I know we'll survive, won't we? I love you lots even though you like to be all chipper in the morning and try to bug. I suppose that is why I married you, or maybe it wasn't - either way, we're here! 

Dear Workout, I get so excited. I really want to be able to do it more often but I know life happens and it sucks but hey one day I will get better with time management and not having a life that is a mess. #refusetogrowup 

Dear Friend's wedding, You are a NIGHTMARE! I can't believe everything that I must do for you and the amount of money that is being spent for this. Really I rather go on vacation but hey, at least it'll be fun right?   

Dear Food, This week we've been friends and I am so excited we finally made a good relationship. I have been pretty good at sticking to my food and not getting too crazy. 

Dear Google Chrome, I am not sure what I did to you or what in the world happened but you have not been the same since. Please fix yourself because it is really annoying. I am ready to get a new computer too but I don't want to lose all my stuff on this computer! #firstworldproblems 

Dear Instagram, I am loving how much you have grown lately. I am trying really hard to grow you and I couldn't be more thankful for it. Please follow along in the journey of life on there. 

Dear Weekend, Let's do this! 

Blogging For Books: Trim Healthy Mama Plan

I have been on a healthy fitness journey for some time now. I have fallen off probably more times than I have been successful now but all that matters is that you keep trying and keep at it. 

I am so interested in the different ways people change their lifestyles to healthy eating and "dieting." I am not a big fan of the word diet, but for all purposes I will say it. 

I ordered this book from Blogging for Books to expand my views of healthy eating. The first thing I noticed was how big the book actually was. It's 303 pages, now who has time to read ALL that before starting something. 

As I skimmed through the book I noticed it was broken down into parts. There are 4 parts and each part has anywhere between 7-10 chapters. It's a lot of information. I felt very overwhelmed with it.  

I did noticed there was some recipes to try and some meal plans in there, but nothing that interested me enough to try it out. Let's just say I stopped reading it because I lost interest in it.   

I would give this book 2/5 stars for the everyday mama who has lots going on. 

If anyone is interested in the book, I will gladly mail it to them. 

**I received this book from Blogging for books for this review** 

Weekend Recap V.3

Happy Monday again Ya'll! Whose lucky enough to have the day off? I am not one of those lucky few but it's ok, it gets me back into my weekly routine. 

Weekend was fun. It was relaxing and got somethings done around the house. 

Friday: Hubby was off work and Cali thought it was ok to throw her toy on the ground and stare at it for me to pick it up.  

 My sister sent me a box of goodies. She got me this great cup! 

While I was working (I work from home 3 days a week) Hubby played in the yard digging things up and getting ready for El Nino since the last storm we got almost flooded our house. 

Friday night consisted of Steak Fajitas and an early bedtime. 

Saturday we were up early. Hubby was back in the yard to play (tree trimming and more digging) and I had a schedule massage. After the massage, I went grocery shopping for the week. (I fail & forgot to take a picture of all the yummy foods -but follow along on instagram as I post my recipes)

Saturday night was date night. We went out to Sushi (yes I tracked it in MFP) & manged to get Cold Stone. We went to the mall after and I finally scored the free pants if you buy a sport bra from Victoria Secret. We also got hubby finger fitted to order him a silicone ring.   

Once we were home, I was determine to start watching Making a Murder on Netflix. So we literally Netflix and chilled. We watched 3 out of 10 episodes. So far it's been very interesting. (yes this is our ghetto setup to get the netflix on the tv) 

Sunday was a busy day. I had to do laundry, clean and get ready for my week.  

I made my first batch of real #skinnymeg protein pancakes and they were delicious. Now I understand why she eats them so often. 

For lunch, I managed to make a zucchini crest pizza. It was delicious too. 

We watched the Panthers barely win the game. Hubby was stressing out over it as he is from NC so we are rooting for Cam and the panthers. 

How was your weekend? You do anything fun for the holiday? 

Friday Letters V. 1

Fridays Letter are back! Hubby always loves these so I thought I would continue them this year. They are a great way to explore the week and build encouragement. Feel free to join along in them and leave a comment to let me know so I can go read. 

 

  Dear Readers, I had every intention this week to blog about my workout plan, my meal plan, my feelings on advocare 24 day cleanse and or lack of feelings, and so much more. As usual though, life showed up in full swing and I just ran out of time. I AM going to do it though. I promise! I want to document this journey I am on. 

ps. If I can reach 500 followers on my facebook page, 200 on my journey back to Jessica page & 1k followers on Instagram - I am going to do a giveaway of a few of my favorite workout items and more. So follow along in my journey through life.  

Dear Hubby, Thank you for being you and doing the little things like clean the kitchen after I make dinner. I love you lots! 

Dear Preschool, Can I quit yet? I love the kiddos but I am really over working there. I honestly get there and immediately think of all the work I have to do at home and follow my dreams.

Dear Dream, I am excited to chase you this year and watch you form and develop. The more I talk to people about it the more everyone is just as excited about it as I am. I am taking notes, jointing down ideas and building this dream even bigger.

Dear 2016, I am excited for you. The hubby and I have lots going on and lots of dreams to accomplish and I cant wait to do it all. I am excited to finally get in shape and learn more about nutrition, workout plans and so much more.  

Dear Iron Mongers Gym, Thank you for the weight therapy. It truly helps so much to be able to spend an hour or two there twice a week to just get it out. If you are in need of an awesome gym, come check it out. If you want to do online training  you can get in touch with Rick and or get in touch with Arkitty - She is such a doll and truly cares about her clients. 

Dear Self, Take some time for yourself, reflect on your 2016 goals and January goals. Write your action plan & follow through. Even if this means, waking up earlier or going to bed earlier. Go do you boo!! 

Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe

Today is day 3 of the challenge, let's just say I am surviving on the 24 day challenge (Barely). I am going to do a post on my thoughts during this cleanse as this is the first time that I am really giving it my all. I sure hope the hard work pays off though. 

Today I want to share with you my lunch recipe. Ya'll this stuff is the best! It is a bit spicy but I love spicy foods.  

Chicken Enchilada Soup 

Ingredients 

• 1 package of chicken Tenderloins (Mine measured out to around 400 grams) 
• Diced Onion (I go super easy & buy pre-chop and used 80grams) 
• Medium Green Chilies (I bought the giant glass jar from Costco and used 30grams) 
• 1 can of Tomatoes from Trader Joes (I used the Fire Roasted flavor)  
• 1 can of Diced Tomatoes (I used a can from the Costco pack)
• 1 can of Black Beans (drain and rinse)
• 4 tsps Minced Garlic (The big jar from Costco again - I used 20grams)
• 2 tablespoons of Ground Cumin
• 2 tablespoons of Chili Powder 
• 1 tablespoon of Oregano 
• Ground Pepper and Salt to taste 

Extras:

• Avocado
• Cilantro  

Directions:

***If you follow macros (make sure to weigh each thing separate)*** 

1. Place all ingredients into a big mixing bowl 
2. Mix together 
3. Place in Crock pot 
4. Cook for 4-8 hours depending how fast yours cooks (Mine cooks super fast so it took about 4 hours to completely cook the chicken)
5. After chicken is cooked, Shred with two forks 
6. Eat with Avocado and cilantro 
7. Enjoy! 

A Letter To Myself

I stole this idea from Ashlee over at Makeup and Modifieds , ever since I read her letter to herself I knew I wanted to write myself a letter as well to read December 31,2016. I am sharing that letter with all of you.

 

Dear Jessica,

I hope you shined brighter than ever this year. 2015 was extremely rough emotionally for you, and I know you were going to focus on making 2016 that much better. This is your year to be FIERCE! 

This year is for YOU! It's ok to be a little selfish and take time to do the things you want to do and best of all, do them the way you want too. You have a big heart and sometime people take advantage of that. I hope you learned to say No when you get overwhelmed and know it is perfectly okay to say no to somethings. I hope your anxiety stays at ease now that you are learning to manage it.   

For the year, you set some goals and I hope you achieved every last one of them. Most importantly I hope you and Hubby focus on your relationship to build it that much stronger. I know this year will be a test of your relationship with his work but keep in mind that you are strong and you can do this! Remember what Dad always says "This too shall pass."

As far as the gym, I hope you kicked ass! You were just starting to love going and finally getting the hang of this macro counting thing. I really want you to love the process and build yourself. Share your love with the world so other women will LOVE the gym as much as you do! Also, you've noticed that more women need to LOVE themselves a lot more. 

Jessica, most of all, I hope you built memories to last a lifetime this year, I pray you laughed so hard it made your stomach hurt and you just enjoyed your life. No matter where you find yourself on December 31,2016 just know you are beautiful, strong and continue to be fierce. 

xoxo

Jess  

January Goals

Hey ya'll! I know I listed my 2016 goals  but I wanted to break my goals down by month too. So here are my January goals even though we are a little over a week into the month. 

Anyone else impressed that I am 4 for 4 so far this week with post? I am even shocking myself! I even know what I am going to post about tomorrow, so I will be 5 for 5! 

Goals for January 

• Start my 24 day cleanse 

I am doing the advocare 24 day cleanse starting Monday (Jan. 11) I want to actually 100% commit to it and see what kind of results I will get from it. I am planning on documenting it, so be prepared to see those post next week.

• Create a workout plan

I want to create a homework out plan. We almost have entire gym in my house and I don't use it. I really need to start to truly get where I want to be in the near future as swimsuit season is almost here.

• Catch up on Work 

I know this was a 2016 goal, but I need to catch up from 2015 to make sure 2016 doesn't start lacking behind too. I am going to make a work schedule like as if I was in an office. I am thinking of making my working hours from 10-4 Tuesday and Wednesdays and Friday will be 9-3 so I will have time to do stuff before the weekend starts.

• Find a book to read

I am taking suggestions for a good book to read. I have an app so I can borrow books from the library and or I am willing to purchase them on my kindle, I just need something interesting to read that I look forward too. I want to read 1 book this month.

• Make sure the Christmas Stuff gets put away 

If I don't put this on the to do list, the Christmas stuff will sit around until next year. It's all sitting in a room currently we rarely use so it's not really in the way to the point of making sure we do it. So, this will be happening, I just need to put the tree skirt away than it's all ready to go away.

• Meal Plan for the Month 

I want to write down my meals for this month so I can start creating meal plans. I stopped stressing about EVERY day and started doing 4 days a week of planning (I plan just dinners). I am ready to increase to maybe 5-6 nights a week and include a night of left overs. Any tips for meal planning?

There are my goals for this month. I am going to keep it simple so I can complete each goal. Did you make January goals along with your 2016 goals? Let's hear them!

2016 Goals

It's been awhile since I have really thought about some goals. What I want 2016 to look like for me? I guess now is better than never to share them and hold myself accountable. I am hoping to do monthly check in's with the goals as well so I stay on track unlike last year. 

//Motivation: I want to stay motivated to continue working out and eating healthy. Last year was a lot more failures than successes so I want the opposite this year. {I will do a post on my fitness goals} 

//Read: I have a goal to read about 7 books this year. To some it might not seem a lot but currently I have been reading the same book for over a year, so I really need to get back into it. I miss it.  

//Stay caught up on work: I know somethings are out of my control but I really need to buckle down and do the work so I am not so stressed out by the end of the month each month. This will also help to stay motivated. 

//Grow Wifesticated/Social Media: I would love to interact more with my readers and grow all my little spaces. instagram 

//Dates with the Hubby: I miss the little things with the hubby. Life has been so crazy for us the last 6-7 months so I want to get back to it. 

//Pay off debt/Save money: Sounds so cliche right? We want to pay off some debt,I have been researching the best ways, and the snowball is what I was leaning towards to do it.Step one: I stopped using credit cards. Than I want to save a big chunk of money into our savings. 

//Vacation: Go on at least one vacation with the hubby. We really enjoyed Cancun just the two of us, so this year we are going to look for a great place that is semi affordable to not break the bank!  

What are your goals for 2016?

Hey 2016 Weekend Recap V. 1

Hey 2016! What a whirlwind this past week has been, let alone the last few months. I know I let you go but I am back. I said in my previous post I am hoping to blog more this year, and this is a great start.

Get ready for picture overload of the last few months. 

our ornament & got one for the animals this year

Every year since the year we got married (2012) I have gotten personalized ornaments. I am hoping by the time we are 50 and have grand kids we will have a tree full of just our ornaments.  

cute & comfy always calls for a picture 

top // leggings 

Cali always wants to make an appearance 

Finally got my haircut & colored since my amazing hair lady is out on maternity leave now for 6-8weeks. Ready to meet her baby though. 

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Hubby got some time off work for the holidays, so of course you found us at the gym together. 

Christmas was good. Sister made me this awesome mug for me. Don't worry I already put an order in for a few more. She is also taking orders if you want your own. 

I got these adorable bracelets in my stocking. 

We manged to figure out how to use the selfie stick this year. 

The new years was spent at home and in bed by 10:30. I know we're super lame but hey at least we're lame together! 

I got this awesome new planner & so far this is my favorite planner I have ever had. I have had the simplified planner, the Erin Condren planner for a few years, the typical target ones, but this is my favorite. 

I just need some fitness stickers and should be good to go with it. I am hoping to use it for the blog and personal life. 

On New Years Eve, Hubby and I went shopping to get some last minute stuff and I scored these awesome new nikes. I love the colors and can't wait to break them in for the new year. Getting serious about my fitness is on the top of my list.  

Hubby went off to the desert New Years day, and I secretly enjoyed staying home and putting Christmas away. I can't believe I have 5 bins of Christmas. 

Saturday they returned home and we continued our tradition of going to Benihana for dinner on New Years. 

Lastly, I am starting my new years off right. I am wanting to grow this year, grow my hair is a big one! I took the plunge and order it, I am giving it 3 months to see how it works. Tonight is day 1. 

How was your holidays? Are you ready to get back to life or are you still on vacation from the Holidays?