9.18.2019

Week 2 of Journey Back To Jessica

Say what! I didn't write a single post last week? 
I told yall it would come & go & here we are into a new week & have no idea what even week it is now. 
Want to catch up, read this one & the first week 


Let's back up to the last weigh-in. Honestly, I keep a note on my phone with this so it is very easy to tell. Last time I shared the weigh-in, we left off on September 7 so we will start there. (woah that was 10 days ago) 

September 8: 173.3
September 9: 174.7
September 10: 175.1
September 11: 173.1
September 12: 174.2
September 13: 173.4
September 14: 171.5 

This just shows you how much weight can fluctuate. DO NOT USE the scale as your ONLY form of progress. It will consume you and you will be extremely mad. As you can see I supposely lost 2 pounds between Friday and Saturday, more than likely that was just some extra water weight. 

I honestly have been half-assing all of my stuff. My water hasn't been the best. I do really well with my food until about Thursday/Friday then it's all out the window and I pick it back up on Sunday. It is a struggle. I know that is a HUGE reason why I am not having the best success but even with the little bit I am doing, I am showing improvements that are fantastic now just to buckle down & do it all together. 

So week 2 weigh-ins are behind us. Time to focus on what is ahead of us! Time to get in that water. Make the best food choices & move!! 

Until Next time Friends 





9.10.2019

Checking in for week 2

Here we are again. Just checking in.
Last week went well. The scale moved a bit than the weekend came. 
Read last week's update here

Over the weekend we went to dinner twice. Friday and Saturday night while both nights I didn't eat terribly nor do I think I overate but Monday came and I didn't jump into it again. I kept going like it was the weekend. My biggest downfall is thinking every day is the weekend, well my food choices like it's the weekend.  Not to forget, we blew that goal of eating each dinner at home. Friday night was a pass though because that was for Hubby's work but Saturday night we went out as a family so maybe we could use that as a pass too. I also didn't focus on my water intake like I do during the week. 


So here we are on Tuesday of week 2. We are back in action of drinking our water, eating our nutrition program which has incredible help cut the sweet tooth. We even managed to create a pumpkin protein shake. Recipe to come. 


Today while at the gym this guy was amazing. It really reminded me that even at his age he is seeing the importance of moving your body and taking care of yourself. 

I was doing swings and he kept laughing while watching me. It truly made me feel amazing that he cares. Yes, he is only 5 months but he cares and he loves it. The gym will be a place he can be comfortable in and enjoy moving his body too. I don't want him to think it's a punishment but as a blessing that he is able to work out. 



So here we are just cursing through week 2 of this journey & still moving! While the scale might not be moving I know we are on the right track!! 

Stay tuned for the pumpkin recipe, my week of dinners and another weight update!! Make sure to read about week one, goals for September, and follow along on my journey on instagram where I share so much more! 

Catch ya next time! 



9.07.2019

Week 1 Of Journey Back To Jessica




Guess who has lost some weight already? 
It is so crazy to me when you finally focus on something how rapidly things can change. I am so excited to see what else can happen. I do need to do some progress pictures though because weighing yourself off the scale is probably the worse way to track progress. I would highly recommend pictures and measurements over scale weight. 

Today marks 1 week since I decided to jump all in. It wasn't perfect but I was consistent with my choices. I drank my gallon of water each day, drank my shakes which I absolutely love. The plant-based strawberry is definitely a top favorite. My protein coffee shakes every morning seriously help the sweet tooth. I have also been drinking a cup of bone broth each day and I am starting to think it's truly helping. Dinners were simple yet delicious. 

I am going to share with you my weight. Now please be gentle as it is tough for me but I think it will bring it all full circle if I want to continue sharing my story. It should be noted, I do try to weigh myself first thing in the morning every day so it is semi-consistent.  

September 1: 176
September 2: 175.7
September 3: 174.8
September 4: 173.7
September 5: 174.1
September 6: 172.5
September 7: 174.1

Now I was expected to be up this morning as last night we went out to the Sugar Factory for hubby's work and I ate all the things & tried the drinks. Therefore, I missed some of my usual water, my healthy foods and more. This though shows you that life still happens. We still are human and living. Hubby and I even shared some Mcdonald's fries which is an old favorite of ours from when we were dating. All the extra salt + coffee + lack of water = weight gain according to the scale. Do not let this discourage you!! 

This coming week I am going to focus on my water again, moving my body for 30 minutes a day + my dinners. Be more mindful of my portion sizes. 

Week 1 is over. Onto week 2. Cheers! 

Follow along on instagram  

9.03.2019

Goals for September

Well, I made it back on this blog before the end of the month. *insert clapping hands*

I decided to dedicate the month of September to my fitness journey. I am 13 lbs away from pre-pregnancy weight! My goal is to lose this weight and some. I had the idea by my 30th birthday next month but because I decided to screw around the last two weeks of August - I am not going to push to lose 13 lbs in September. Instead, I want to focus on healthy choices + moving my body & see how much I can lose before that big day. 

Today was really day 1 for me.  


My goals for this month:

-close all my rings on my apple watch each day. (the excersize ring is extra difficult for me on days I am not at the gym but I am going to hopefully get in at least a 30-minute walk each day) 
- Drink a gallon of water 
-Make dinner each night at home. This should help with spending money too. 
- Really focus on Isagenix nutrition system to give it a fair shot. -- while I started this back in July I lost about 10 lbs already so I know this works! 

I know the last 10 lbs of pregnancy weight is the hardest to lose. 

So here it goes, the month of Septemeber and the Journey back to Jessica.   Hope to see you stick around & follow along on this journey! 



9.01.2019

Cheers To September

WOAH! Can you believe I actually opened this little corner again & started typing? 

I can't believe it either, but here I am. 

Don't expect too much from me or this space. It won't be anything fancy! 


I just figured September is
 the month I am going to dig deep! After all, 34 days until my big 30th birthday! 

I want to share my journey of weight loss, running three businesses and having a newborn. Well, Cash is already (almost) 5 months! Where is the time going? 



September 1 - I am getting back into drinking a gallon of water a day. I also weighed myself this morning eeek. I will also be taking some pictures probably tonight to be able to share in 30 days at the end of the month of how much progress I have made. Feel free to follow along on instagram  or I will try to update here often. 

Cheers to September! New month. New Goals. Same me trying something new. 





6.25.2018

SUMMER BUCKET LIST

Hold on everyone, I am blogging again this month! Say What! 3 times in a month, I might have to hold on to the rest of my posts for July. I am slowly getting back into the swing of things between work, life and everything else.

                
Summer is finally here. Anyone else wondering where in the world did the time go and how are we already half way through 2018? I can't complain though, over all it's been a good year and I am thankful its moving fast. I would love though for it to slow down a bit to enjoy these summer months. 
Shirt // GI Jane 
How perfect is this shirt for any occasion this summer? I always love a good camo shirt but that American Flag pocket totally makes it. Gives me all the heart eyes!  


With Summer here, I am ready to make a summer bucket list to really make the best of it! 

Summer Bucket List:

Go to a country concert
Go to the the fair
Go on a three dates with the hubby
Spend a full day swimming
Take a full day off from work 
Go on a date downtown (Old town or Seaport Village) 
Take more pictures 
Go on more dates with my girlfriends
Continue to grow Rustic Pineapple Boutique 
Go on one vacation
Plan our fall vacation 
Save some money 
Go to a Padre Game  
Be Spontaneous 
Go to the movies (preferably the luxury theater) 
Enjoy Summertime 






I honestly have the best friend. We spontaneously went to Kenny Chesney concert last week just the two of us & loved it! Kenny was ok but Old Dominion totally rocked it. I would love to see them again. I cant wait to see what memories we will make this summer! 

What is on your summer bucket list? 

6.12.2018

HAPPY TWO MONTHS!

It was 2013 and I started thinking about what I wanted to do with my life. At some point I suppose we all have this idea. Right? Like when exactly are we going to feel grown up? It had been six years since I graduated highschool and two years since I graduated college. I thought we were suppose to have it all figured out when we graduate college, but the truth is, I had no idea what I wanted to do. Yes I had a degree in something that I thought I might want to do. I still sometimes think that I would be a good person for HR work. 



Meanwhile, it seemed everyone around me was starting their own business. I was 24, newlish married, trying to survive deployments, and so much more. I had no idea about starting my own business or anything along those lines. SCARY! So, I began throwing the idea around to everyone I knew about opening my own boutique. Everyone was so encouraging and willing to help. So many said to follow my dreams and pushed me to continue to do it. I than pushed it to the back of my mind and thought maybe one day. Meanwhile, people were asking me where I got my clothes from and instead of saying oh this boutique, or from here, why not just say from my own boutique. I thought I could put my good shopping skills to good use. 



Fast forward, 2017 I really began researching the start of my own business. I started watching youtube videos, googling everything, saving good information and so much more. I even made a list of things I liked and disliked from other boutiques to make sure I included it in my own such as free shipping and excellent customer service. I even started to think of names for my store. This was the hardest part. I brought it up to a friend and she thought I wanted to change my blog name again. Oh no! That is staying and I am even trying to bring it more back to life.

Example of names we thought:
Blushing Pineapple
Ten Thirteen 
Dirt Road Boutique 
Blue Pineapple 
Purple Pineapple
Crazy Coconut  

Ultimately she said Rustic Pineapple was more me, fits my personality and I really like the way it sounds. 





Now to February 2018, I was sitting around one night working thinking to myself this cant be all there is to life. Working and more working. I sometimes enjoy my job but sometimes I am so over it. So I decided to take the leap of faith and apply for my tax ID, my resell permit, buy the domain, and the website. After that, it was no turning back. I needed to find what I want to carry and narrowing down my customers wants and needs. I worked more from February - April than I had in a long time. 

Than came, April 12, 2018 I finally decided to announce it to the world. First day went great! I honestly could not have asked for better support from family and friends. Thank you to everyone who supported me. 

Of course than there is the hype of a new store and everything else, reality sets in! Is this really the best idea? Was this the best move for my family? I suffer from chronic anxiety. Some days are great and I think I can do this. I can make this work. Some days I really question it all. Is all this hard work really going to pay off? I lay in bed at night tossing and turning thinking about it all. 


Today marks two months since I announced it to the world and I can honestly say I am so blessed with the success I have had even with my anxiety. So many things have sold out, are almost sold out and so much positive feed back. I also just added a sale collection. Use code SALE at checkout for additional 15% off the already reduce price. I could not ask for better two months of starting a business so many people dream about. 

The point of this post is to say, if you have a dream, Follow it! It won't come easy, you will have days of doubts and discouragement but know you are doing what you love and if you truly believe in it and put in the work, great things will come! I still have super bad anxiety about it all but I am hoping soon it will all fade away. 

Happy Two Months Rustic Pineapple Boutique

Meanwhile, I would love to put more pineapple packages in the mail to you! I promise you'll love it. Everything comes with extra treats. Provide the best possible customer service and always free shipping to you within the United States and military Po Boxes! (If you ever have any questions, please email me or message me on fb) 

Use code SWEETLIFE at check too for 15% off the entire site! 








4.24.2018

BALANCING MY LIFE


Hi ya'll! I can't believe we're already in the last week of April. These months are just flying by. San Diego is warming up and summer is around the corner. Did I really just say summer is coming already? We didn't get much of a fall/winter so I feel like we've been in summer all year long though.

I want to be honest, as usually I am, this blog has take a backseat in my everyday life. I used to blog regularly back in 2011-2013 or so. Matter of fact, I never shared my wedding photos, the details or anything like that. Fast forward to now, I want to bring it back. I want to share all my wedding info, recipes I have found and created, my love of fashion,opening my own boutique , how I mange to work 3 jobs, be a mom, wife, and friend. There's so much to blog about when I used to think there was nothing. 


I want my blog to come back alive and for it to be a place I can come and express myself to matter the issue, feelings or anything. I really do need to update it though. 

This leads me to, for the last month or so I have been extremely overwhelmed, anxious, nervous, discouraged and everything else. I am learning I am spreading myself way too thin and I really need to reel it back in and take a seat to focus on what matters to me. This is how I was feeling when I went on my hiatus of blogging a few years back and never really come back around. 

In the last month, I have learned a lot of things about myself. I work a ton. I do not take time for self care. I worry about everyone else first. My social life is struggle busing. Plus so much more. Yesterday, I decided I am going to just take the day off. Yes, I did some work but not nearly what I normally do and I felt so much better. 

Meanwhile, I brainstormed some ideas on how to balance my life and I want to share them with you. 

  • Go to the gym 
  • Take a walk with a friend 
  • Quit working for the day
  • Order takeout 
  • Binge watch your favorite show 
  • Read a good book 
  • Be lazy for a day 
  • Put your phone down 
  • Shut your computer off 
  • Go get a manicure and pedicure 
  • Get your hair done
  • Buy a new outfit 
  • Drink a glass of wine 
  • Make a lunch date with a friend 
  • Clean your house
  • Drink lots of water
  • Write your goals down 

Don't feel overwhelmed with summer coming. Take it one step at a time. 

What do you do when you feel anxious, nervous, overwhelmed? 



Let's connect




4.19.2018

ONE CRAZY WEEK + DISCOUNT CODE


Wow! What a crazy week it sure has been. Exactly one week ago I announced Rustic Pineapple Boutique. I am over joyed and humbled with all the positive feed back and encouragement from each of you. Thank you so much. It truly means way more than I could ever put into words for all the support and love. 




I kept everything really quiet for the two months or so it took to build everything together. I couldn't be more excited with how things are growing. The instagram account continues to get lots of love and shares, the facebook page is growing everyday and I am getting ready to launch the VIP group for all my Pineapple loves with special discounts and giveaways just for the group. I am so excited to share this brand I am building with each and everyone of you. I want to create a space where all women will want to shop to feel beautiful and confident no matter their shape.   


Our best selling Spring Time Dress is almost sold out. It is so exciting to have something so close to selling out. Get yours before it does sell out. My next favorite dress is the San Diego Dress. It is going to be the perfect closet staple this summer for all the swimsuit cover ups and looking adorable while out running errands. Just for today, all orders placed, I am giving away starbucks gift cards and use code thursday at checkout for 15% off your entire order. Always remember it's free shipping to you. 

Thank you everyone once again for all the love & support of my small business. 

update: join the VIP group on facebook to receive a code for 15% off, starbucks gift card & always free shipping to you!  



Enough of the Rustic Pineapple Boutique Talk. Friday was my favorite day of the month, the 13th. Just wouldn't be Friday the 13th unless something crazy happened right? Well, we ended up in the emergency vet with our baby boy Trigger. If you follow me on instagram you might of saw that his eye was all torn. Trigger and our other dog Jack got in a fight and once again Trigger lost. They had to do surgery and he's been in a cone since. I am waiting until possible Friday or longer to take the cone off just to make sure everything is healing appropriately.  

Than just wouldn't be a blog post unless I mentioned Hubby is off again on another adventure. This means I must go back to my eating healthy and workouts. I will get better about documenting it all. It will definitely help with the work load and self care that I have been slacking on too. 

Happy Thursday ya'll!   


4.12.2018

THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

In the beginning of January I wrote a post about my word of the year, Brave. I told myself I was going to be brave enough this year to set my soul on fire and follow my dreams. It's nerve wrecking putting that out into the world and not really knowing how I was going to do those things. I had no idea what steps I would have to take or even where to start with following my dreams. I just knew it was something I needed to do to build my tribe

Fast forward, February. After a lot of research and some chatting with friends, I decided to jump right into it. I decided I wasn't going to let the fear of failure keep me from chasing my dreams. Thankfully it didn't & I have such supportive family and friends because...

This leads me to, Today! I am officially announcing, 



Yes you read that right! I opened up an online boutique for woman of all sizes at affordable prices and always free shipping to you within the US. I want to provide every clothing style for all woman to feel beautiful and confident. 




I carry a variety of clothes for all at affordable prices plus for this weekend use code welcome15 for 15% off your entire order





Coral Reef  $28 




That is just a little preview of some items we carry. They are lots more on the site. We will add new items daily so always check back. 

Follow along on instagram and facebook for any special discounts, announcements and even sneak peeks as to what is to come to the site. 




The Rustic Pineapple Promise

I started this business committed to providing the best possible customer service, affordable pricing, and great quality for women of all sizes, to feel beautiful and confident. My goal is for every woman to feel unique, gorgeous, and confident and eager to wake up each day and ready to chase their dreams. This business started as a dream of mine many years ago and today it is flourishing into more than I could ever imagine. With all that, my photography team works very hard to photograph everything in real life and with real women, to show the best possible image of each item we provide. Thank you for supporting my dream and I hope to do the same for you. If you ever feel you need to reach me for anything, please do so at shoprusticpineapple@gmail.com

you can find the shipping and return policy on the site. 

_________________________________________________

Grab your coffee and or glass of favorite beverage & come shopping. Check it out. Let me know what you think. Don't forget to use code welcome15 for 15% off your entire order. 

I cant wait to continue sharing this journey with ya'll and I can not say thank you enough for all the support and love. 

Cheers. Love. Pineapples. 







4.10.2018

UPDATE ON YOUR VIBE ATTRACTS YOUR TRIBE

Good Morning ya'll! 

I was cleaning up the good ol' blog and ran across this post where I talk about attracting my tribe. It's been almost two years since I wrote that post and I still find so much truth in it.  


Now that I am close to turning, dare I say it, thirty. Somethings still ring so true that I wrote about on my original post but I wanted to say it again. I have taken a hard look at the relationships in my life over the years and which ones I truly want to keep. Let me say, it's okay for friendships to end. It just means those people were in your life for that season and your season changed.Find comfort in knowing and believing it's okay to move on and move past.  

I still believe whole heartily that the energy and vibe you put out is what you will attract to your circle. If you are doing things that you feel are not you, stop! Change what you want to and keep doing what you believe in. Do not follow the crowd. Be the one person to stand out when everyone else is just moving along. With that said, quit your job if you hate it, yes you will find a new one. Move to a different town/city/state if you feel you're being pulled in a different direction or just want to get out there and explore. Get out of that relationship that you feel is tearing you down and just going from day to day. Find comfort in being alone and yourself. Follow your dreams!  

With my dreams becoming a reality and working hard towards them, I only want to surround myself with uplifting, inspiring people who work hard towards their goals and dreams as well. I want my circle to be motivating, encouraging, supportive and positive. Do you know what you want in your circle? 

I want to encourage you all today, take a hard look at your circle and really decide what people are bring you and what you need daily in your life. Cut out the negative people who are bringing you down and not supportive of what you are doing or your dreams. This could be hard at first, but remember you're doing this to help move closer to your dreams and goals. 

Lastly always remember, bring out all your positive vibes and you will attract a positive tribe. 

Happy Tuesday ya'll! 

Follow along

4.05.2018

WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR MORNING

Hey Ya'll! I am sticking to my blog posting this month so far plus I am working on updating the blog. I am in need of someone who can help with that? Anyone out there want to help or know someone who can help? Send them my way please or leave their information so I can get in contact with them. 

I am working hard on a few things currently which sometimes leaves me feeling in a funk in the morning. Mostly the mornings the to do list is over flowing and it seems as I cross one thing off the list, than two more things are added. When I wake up in the morning in that funk, here are somethings I do to shake it and make the most of each day. 


1. Having a Cup of coffee or Your favorite beverage //

Something as simple as a yummy cup of coffee can truly change my mode. I love being able to sit down and enjoy it. My favorite days are the ones I work from home where I am not in a rush to get out the door and can enjoy it while it's still warm/hot. It is rare though to actually finish a warm cup of coffee before getting super busy. 

2. Read //
Lately, I have been getting up in the morning to read a few pages out of my book. I am addicted to reading from a real book and not just on my iPad. This also includes my daily devotional I am trying to finish. Anyone else like to read from a real book? 

3. Put on a cute outfit  // 
Sometimes all it takes is for me to put on a cute outfit and or workout gear and my mode instantly changes. It's like my mind knows something is about to go down. Also, changing from pjs to clothes help sets the tone for the work day.  

4. Light a candle //
I will light one of my favorite candles in the morning while I am doing my reading & enjoying my coffee. 

5. Do a quick workout // 
Sometimes I don't need to do a full hour or so but something as small as 10 minutes truly helps . It gets my day going and my heart rate up. Than I am ready and I know I can always go back to my workout once I get my to do list started. 

What do you do to improve your mornings?


Follow along in my journey



2.23.2018

Next Adventure


This quote is everything right now for me. I love when I go looking for a quote and one just pops out at me and speaks great inspiration. 

You're meant for greater things.


I blinked and it's Friday again. 

Time is just flying by. This week has been absolutely crazy & it is not settling down anytime soon, but I am very thankful and blessed for all the crazy. 

The whole reason I opened up this little space today was to tell you a secret. All these times I have been saying "chase your dreams", the reality was I was not chasing my own dreams. I have/had this deep fear of failure, and I still do.  But that all changed this week. I have no idea what sparked inside of me to do it, but I officially took the steps to chase my dreams and be brave


I told myself I have no option but to be successful so I am going to pour my whole heart and soul into this next adventure and make the best of it. Why would I sit back and watch everyone else chase their dreams yet I was not doing it myself? So I changed that! 

Cheers to the next adventure and chapter in my life. I am excited to share it with you all soon. I am trying to put the finishing touches and everything together. In the meantime, I have been making notes in my phone of blog topics I want.One I have been brainstorming on is how I meal plan - I do not meal prep-  and what a week in my life looks like for grocery shopping and planning. Plus I have some recipes I have been eating a ton of I want to share and so much more. 

What do you all want to see on the blog? 

1.29.2018

The Beginning To My Journey

I told myself I was going to use this space to document my weight loss journey because I always forget to update my facebook page . (I promise to get better with that too). Since I am taking leaps this year to be brave, I decided I should start with exactly what I wanted to do with this space, the big reason I decided to come back to my corner. I want to share my journey, the fun, the ugly and the all in between even if it just helps one person.  

Many of you know, if you follow me on instagram, if not we should be friends on there, that I go to the gym on average twice a week to meet with my coach to weight lift. I love it because I don't have to think about the workout, I dont have to do much thinking matter of fact besides making sure I have proper form and he controls the amount weight. Also, it's great to be around people who are on a fitness journey too. It's a non commercial gym which makes things 1000000% better. I have put on a decent amount of muscle in the last few years of going, so now it's time to show it off. 


Look at them hips. (insert biggest eye roll) 

In order to show off those muscles, I need to shed some of the fat. So I am going full force into IIFYM. I did it in 2016 when hubby was deployed before too and had great success. 

If you don't know about IIFYM - it stands for if it fits your macros. You weigh your food, log/track your food, and you eat within a certain amount of carbs, fat and protein.  The goal is to be within +/- 5 of your daily intake goals each day. The macros make up you calorie intake, so you focus on the macros and not the calories. Carbs and Protein are 4 calories/ gram and fat is 9 calories / gram. You could eat a 100 calorie snack and it could be 25g of carbs but if that is all you ate, you would be hungry ALL day long and eat a ton of carbs with no protein/fat. 

There is so much information out there to learn how to do it, the formula to determine your macros and so much more but it truly is the only "diet" that has worked for me and I have done ALOT of different diets. I have noticed I tend to eat lower carb naturally and I always over eat my protein goal even when I try not too.

I use the app My Fitness Pal and it seems to be the best one for me. I love that I can scan my food and it remembers foods I eat often. Which I tend to eat the same foods every day.  


Currently those are my goals. I will have to adjust them eventually. I have been eating at these numbers for about a solid week. I started January 1 but than my house had some serious issues that it totally derailed everything. So I had to refocus once it was all settled and was fixed. So I am actually going to count February 1 as my starting point with my weight and measurements. 

My goal is to lose about 10 pounds before end of March when hubby and I go visit my sister. I am putting that out into the world so it can hold me accountable. 




Why you weigh your food? This is the assorted macaroons from Trader Joes (which are delicious by the way) but the package says 3 macaroons (30g) per serving. I weigh it out, and actually 2 macaroons are 27g so no way that 3 = 30g. Therefore if you ate that 3rd macaroon it would be extra calories that you didn't count and eventually those extra calories start to equal extra pounds/ not losing weight to reach your goals. It's so important to weigh your food vs. eating off serving size   

I get it can be fore frustrating at first and time consuming but I promise you the more you do it the more it just becomes natural. You can build recipes, you can eat whatever you want basically as long as it fits, and sometimes it's even good to just have that "cheat" meal not day! 

So here we go, February 1! You can do it too!!! 

I will share a day of eating soon. 

Have you done IIFYM?