I’m Back!

Well, long time no see everyone!

I feel like I made a similar post this time last year….my apologies friends! But it seems like sometimes life just…gets in the way! So here’s what has been going on since I’ve been away…

I joined Color Street as an Independent Nail Stylist and I could not be more excited about it! If you have NO idea what Color Street is….first of all what are you doing living under a rock?!? I kid…kind of! haha But in all seriousness I will be creating a post that talks ALL about Color Street, what it is, the opportunity and what it has done for me and all that wonderful information! So keep your eyes peeled for that!

I also have been taking a lot of online college classes in order to add a 4-9 ELA and Science license to my teaching degree! This summer I have been taking 3 courses…1 English course and two History courses. Anyone who knows me, knows that History is NOT my thing…sorry to any history guru’s out there but Science and Language Arts has always been my go-to and my strongest subjects! But I’m rocking these classes and will only have one more class left once the summer semester is over! I could not be more excited!

In other news, I feel like this year has just flown by.

I saw this on Instagram and had to re-create it! It had me cracking up! Hopefully it gives someone else a little laugh too!

I feel like yesterday was literally January first and now it’s already July 5th?!? I mean seriously, time needs to slow down just a little bit. I would like to relax and enjoy the last month of summer! Don’t get me wrong I miss my kiddos and I miss the hustle and bustle of the school year, BUT I am not ready to go back….not yet anyways! I know, let’s rewind and start summer over! Anyone else think that sounds like a great idea?!?

My Second Guest Blogger!

I am SO excited to announce my second guest Blogger!!!

Brittany is a hard working mom with an amazing story and I am so beyond excited to be able to share it with you all! Her story is a powerful one, one that brought me to tears at times. You’ll know what I mean when you read it.

With that being said, I want to thank Brittany for sharing this story with me, and with the world! It takes a lot of bravery to share your life, especially when there are rocky parts….those are the pieces that no one likes to talk about. But those are also the pieces that mold and shape you into the person that you are meant to be.

My First Guest Blogger!

Happy Thursday!

Last week when I announced that I was re-launching my blog after taking some time off that I was going to try some new things on the blog! One of those new things is having guest bloggers! I am super excited to announce my first guest blogger!

Maryann Morehouse! Maryann is an “author who loves to find the beauty that surrounds us” (I took that straight from her Instagram bio! You should give her a follow: @marmorehouse ) This next part I am summarizing from her amazon profile!

Maryann was born and raised in Connecticut and grew up surrounded by the love and chaos of her five siblings and two adoring parents. In college she would often write short stories for her college roommate and a select audience, a tradition she carried on for many years. When life’s bump’s and potholes tried to detour her from her path (illness of one of her children, divorce, and an unexpected career change) her college roommate, her two kids, and her current husband were there to put her back on the right track. Finding solace and strength from escaping the real world for a little while and creating a world of her own, Maryann often found that a cup of coffee or tea, some headphones and her laptop were much cheaper than therapy and just as rewarding.

After years of encouragement she took a leap of faith and made her books available to the public. She continues to spend her free time writing stories from her various “coffee shop offices” located wherever and whenever possible, the only difference is; now her audience is larger, yet just as supportive.

Her two novels (currently available for kindle on amazon.com), Nobody Would Believe; and A Promise on A Star have made it on my “to read list” and I think that they will make it on yours too after reading this amazing piece that she so graciously allowed me to share with all of you. Also according to herAmazon profile, keep an eye out for her third book Watch for Gracie, which is coming to Amazon soon!

Her writing is amazing, absolutely breathtaking to be completely honest. As I read through this piece I got goosebumps and she had me sobbing by the end. I do not know this woman personally, in face we have only had a very brief conversation. One where she said she was willing to send me something for my blog, she did, I read it and I told her how her writing impacted me. Nothing more.

So Maryann, I will say it again. Thank you for being brave, brave enough to share this with me and my readers. I am honored to have you as my first guest blogger and I look forward to having you on here again in the future!

Okay I will be done blabbering now so you can read her amazing work!

Long Time No Chat…

Hello to all of my fellow blog friends!!

Well to say that I sucked at blogging in 2018 would be an understatement….sorry about that! BUT all that really matters is that I’m back and I’m ready to conquer 2019!

So I know some of you are probably wondering where I’ve been since the last time I posted….back in what was it July? Well let me tell you! (I promise I’ll keep this short! No need for a whole life recap!)

I can’t remember if I told you or not but I decided to go back to school! I’m getting my ELA and Science Liceseure for grades 4-9! So to be completely honest that and work has taken up the majority of my time the past few months! Over the summer I only took one course, but when fall semester came around, something in my head said “yes Shelby, working a full time job, teaching at the gym part time, having a boyfriend, having a social life, spending time with family AND taking 3 online classes (one graduate level English course might I add) sounds like a FABULOUS idea! Please, do it!” (Please note the sarcasm in my voice!) To be completely honest I have NO idea what I was thinking! BUT I made it out alive with two A’s and a B+! I would call that a win! Spring semester is right around the corner and I can tell you that I did NOT make the same mistake this time! I’m taking ONE class this semester, mostly so I can get back into my part time coaching business! I missed it so much! (That was something else that had to be put on hold so I didn’t lose my mind!)

Anyways, I also quit teaching at the gym. It was stressing me out and to be completely honest I found no joy in going to the gym….ever. Not even to do my own workouts. But to be honest that’s a whole separate blog topic! Maybe I’ll bring that to you soon!

So, what are my plans for 2019 with this blog? I’m not going to have a set schedule for myself….as much as that scares me, I want these posts to be authentic and genuine and from the heart. So if I’m fishing for content…that’s not the case. So I’m going to post as often as I can (at minimum once a month!) and I’m going to do my best to bring you a wider variety of content as well! Fitness, Teaching, Books, Makeup, Family, Dating…hey maybe I’ll even have some guests create some posts as well! We’ll see!

Before I go…let’s do something fun! A little year end review and look forward! (Disclaimer: I have no idea where these questions came from originally. I googled year end review and looked at different images that had questions, this particular one did not have a link to where it came from, if anyone has any idea as to who I can give credit to please let me know!)

1. One word to describe your year: Busy
2. Best thing you did for someone else this year: That’s a good question…I mean I know I do things for other people but it’s not like I keep a running tab of what I do for who and when….so I’m not sure how to answer that one actually
3. Favorite movie of the year: I would have to say A Star is Born
4. Favorite show of the year: My favorite shows are always Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and Chicago PD
5. Most Embarrassing Moment of the year: I don’t think I had one…at least not that I can think of….
6. Time you laughed the hardest this year: Honestly anytime I’m with my boyfriend and his family especially if his sister is there because we just laugh constantly
7. Something you learned to do/had never done before: Umm…I don’t think I learned to do anything new….I’m starting to think that 2018 was an uneventful year for me haha
8. Most newsworthy event: In my life personally…nothing. In the world…..there was a lot. I would have to say that the most newsworthy event that is worth mentioning would have been the March for Our Lives Event.
9. Biggest lesson learned:
10. Favorite place you visited this year: The Lake
11. An Achievement You are Proud of : Finishing one round of 80 Day Obsession!
12. What or Whom are you most thankful for: My parents and my boyfriend and his family. They are all my greatest supporters and my biggest fans and without them I wouldn’t be who I am today or accomplishing the things that I am.

Well loves that’s all I have for now! I promise my posts will be more exciting from here on out!

Time

Every day it’s a race against the clock. There are 24 hours in a day and about a billion things to do.

😴— People tend to sleep for at least 6-8 hours every day.

👩🏻‍🏫— most people work a 9-5 so there’s another 8 hours gone.

🚘— most people probably spend about 2 hours (me being generous) in their cars traveling from work to home and other places

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦— if you have kids you KNOW they have sports stuff and school activities so there’s more time away from thing

💪🏻— most people want to workout so let’s say that’s another hour (at minimum) each day

🍎🥦— ya gotta way right? Which means shopping for groceries and cooking as well

So I can guarantee if I asked you if you thought you had time for an online business you would tell me NO!!!

What if I told you that you would be WRONG! What if I told you that you could build a successful online business helping women get healthy, feel better about themselves, and reach their goals all from your phone 📱 and for MAYBE an hour a day.

What if I told you that the ONE thing that we are encouraged to do each day to GROW our business only took us 1️⃣5️⃣ MINUTES on our team call on Tuesday night ‼️‼️

I know you all have 15 minutes of free time. So. If you’ve ever thought about doing what I do (or even if you haven’t) and your only EXCUSE was that you didn’t have enough time. Now you know you do.

Interested in more information??? Drop your email address belowand we can chat!! 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

YOURE INVITED!!

Ladies!!! (Sorry guys but this is a girl thing!!)

Have you ever wanted a place to feel SAFE talking about your body, fitness, emotions and just life in general??? Well I have the place for you!!!

👊🏻We are OFFICIALLY a GANG!!!👊🏻

A GANG for ANY & ALL women to hang out (online) and support each other as we each focus on becoming THE BEST version of ourselves!

The POWERFUL GIRL GANG symbol has meaning:

~Fingers interlocked creating a chain link (we are stronger when we link arms and go forward together) and also the infinity sign (supporting each other forever!)

~Lowercase G’s to represent Girl Gang

~Looks similar to the Yin & Yang symbol:

“In Chinese philosophy, yin yang can be thought of as complementary (rather than opposing) forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts.”

There is NO LIMIT to what women can achieve when they come together and support one another!

YOU are welcome to join the GANG!!! –> https://www.facebook.com/groups/powerfulgirlgang/

***if you plan to join the group PLEASE drop your name in the comments below so I can also send you a friend request on Facebook so we can chat!

WARNING: you may be inspired, enjoy creating new friendships, find yourself happier, and get healthier if you join!

There are fun challenges within the group.

There will be experts sharing tips on how to improve in various aspects that affect women.

There will be TONS of support, encouragement, and inspiration!

***There will also be local meetups for GIRL GANG members around the world!!!!!***

Also please feel free to invite other women to this group! The more the better!!

TREAT yourself…don’t CHEAT yourself…

Hello friends!

 

I know it’s been a minute since I’ve posted anything and for that I apologize. Sometimes life just gets crazy and well…life happens but that’s okay! I’m back now and I’m doing my best to stock up on some posts so that this doesn’t happen again! But that’s not what this post is about so let’s get back on track!

 

Raise your hand if you have ever heard of the term “cheat meal“….I’m sure every single one of you reading this raised your hand (or maybe you thought to yourself well yeah of course I’ve heard of a cheat meal). I know the term “cheat meal” is a very popular term and I used to use it all the time….until I met my good friend Danielle (I swear I’ve probably dedicated over half of my fitness related posts to this girl because she’s just got some amazing ideas!). Danielle taught me to stop using the term “cheat meal” and to start using the term “treat meal“. You’re probably thinking to yourself “what’s the difference and why does it matter? Either way I’m eating what I want!” Well let me tell you that I thought the same thing, but now that I’ve been doing this whole fitness thing for a while and actually taking it seriously….I see the difference and I recognize the difference and I’m here to share with you those differences!

Let me just start by asking you this question, when you are having a “cheat meal” are you not making a conscience choice to put that food into your body? The correct answer is yes, yes you are! If you’re making the conscience choice to only do that once a month or once every so many weeks then guess what you’re not cheating on yourself, you’re not cheating on your fitness and nutrition plan, you are deciding that you have been working hard and that your body deserves a TREAT and guess what that is okay!!

After I finished my 6 week shift shop program I am not going to lie I had a treat meal. Did I turn it into a treat week? Nope. Did I have a treat day? Maybe….okay I’m not going to lie to you I’m going to keep it 100% with you…I did have one treat day! But I felt that I had earned that treat day and I had been following the meal plan and the workouts strongly for 6 weeks, I had great results, I felt that my body was ready for a treat. There’s nothing wrong with that but I made sure that I went back to my meal plan after my treat day.

Now you’re probably thinking to yourself “why in the world is someone who is so into health and fitness encouraging me to have a treat meal?” Well according to some studies there is a psychological component to having a treat meal. Without rewards, it can become difficult to keep up with a healthy lifestyle day in and day out. Occasionally allowing yourself that treat meal can help you to get through those tough times in your health and fitness lifestyle. Like I said earlier, it’s better if you allow yourself a treat meal not a treat day. There’s a difference! Allowing yourself a whole treat day can take a toll on your body and all of the hard work you have put in for the week. Just be mindful of what you’re deciding to treat yourself with, how often you are deciding to treat yourself and how much of that treat you are indulging in. You will be a lot happier when it comes to sticking to that healthy eating lifestyle you have committed to!

What’s your favorite treat meal?? Leave it in the comments below!

Xoxo Shelby

 

How much water is ENOUGH water???

I’m sure you’ve heard this about 1,000 times but let’s just talk about it some more, shall we??

Water is something that is very important! The cells inside of your body need water to function properly. Those cells contain water and are even surrounded by water and when the body becomes dehydrated the cell membranes become less permeable, hindering the flow of hormones and nutrients into the cell. This also prevents waste products that can potentially cause damage to those cells from flowing out of the cells. When this occurs, your energy is depleted and fatigue can take over your body. That’s not all it does either!

Here’s a list of other things that water can do to help your body:

• Help with headaches
• Improve your mood
• Flush toxins out of the body
• Improve Digestion
• Promote weight loss (hey who doesn’t want help with that?!?)
• Boost your immune system
• Improve your complexion
• Prevent hangovers
• Regulate body temperature

See why water is so important???

 

So how much exactly is enough?? Well take your body weight, divide it by 2 and that will give you the amount of water you should be drinking in ounces. For example if you weigh 150, divide that number by 2 and you get 75; that’s how many ounces of water you need a day. Now, if you are more active then you need to drink a little bit more to compensate for the loss of water during exercise. The recommended amount of water for those who exercise daily, is 100 oz.

Now you’re probably thinking “100 oz is a lot of water!!” and I totally agree with that! But there are ways to make drinking it easier! Here’s a few…

1. Use a straw: You can drink more at a faster rate if you do! It seems simple but it makes a difference I promise!
2. Buy a pretty water bottle: Yes…I said to buy a pretty water bottle. When I purchased my Bubba Cup it made it so much easier for me to drink more water! It also helps that It holds about 48 oz. of water! Fill it up twice during the day and I’m just a little shy of that 100 oz. goal!!
3. Add flavor to your water: I know sometimes water can be…boring! But you can always spice it up with different fruits and stuff like that! Pinterest has a lot of great ideas for flavored water!!
4. Make it a game: This might sound silly at first but it helps! I make it a game with myself. I tell myself that I have to fill my Bubba Cup up one time and drink it all before lunch (which is around 11:15 sometimes 12:00 depending on the day!). Then I fill it up again and I have to finish it before I leave work. Sometimes it is definitely a lot harder than others, but it makes it easier to get my water in when I know I have a challenge!

 

Do you have a fun way that you make sure you get your water in each day?? If so be sure to share it in the comments below! I would love to hear them!! Happy guzzling!!

Xo’s Shelby

How 1 Shake Changed My Life!

What if I told you that you could wake up every single day and have a chocolate shake for 1 of your meals (or a snack) and that it was healthy!!!

Now you probably think I’m crazy don’t you? But I promise I’m not lying to you!

Shakeology® is the name of this amazing shake! My favorite of course is the chocolate but that’s not the only flavor (just in case chocolate isn’t you’re thing!). Keep reading and I’ll tell you all about it!

You’re probably wondering what this Shakeology® thing is right? (I mean other than an amazingly tasty and healthy shake of course!). I promise that I will get to that but first I feel like there are a few things that I need to tell you about Shakeology®. As I was doing my research on this product (so that I could give you nothing but the facts) I found some “myths” about Shakeology® and the truth behind them! So here they are…

1. It’s just a protein shake…..no!!! Here’s why: Not all shakes are created equally (people aren’t so why should shakes be?!?). Shakeology® has a ton of awesome superfoods in it. It is a whole food nutrient-dense shake that can replace any meal! The majority of people in the world are more nutrient deficient, not protein deficient!
2. It’s all about carbs, proteins, and fats….. If you are eating clean, shouldn’t the supplements or shakes that you’re putting into your body be clean too?? I mean think about it. If you’re doing all this hard work why ruin it with a protein shake filled with artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, artificial stimulants, artificial flavors and soy products?? Well if you drink Shakeology® you don’t have to worry about that because it doesn’t have any of that in it!
3. Shakes are just fillers and extracts…. It is very difficult to use whole, plant-based ingredients and be able to maintain all of the nutritional value. However, Shakeology has an amazing team of scientists whose mission is to maximize the nutrition in every single ingredient that goes into the shake! How awesome is that?!?
4. Shakeology is expensive….. I’m not gonna lie, it is expensive BUT hear me out on this one! Let’s do a little math (yes I know I hate math too but bear with me!) A healthy meal costs anywhere between $3 and $7 (keep in mind fast food meals are also that much!). Shakeology comes to you in a single bag that has 30 servings in it, and if you divide the price of one bag by 30 you get $4.33 per shake. So technically it comes in on the low end of the average price for meals. On top of that it will provide you with a solid base of whole-food nutrients and replaces your vitamins and probiotics. If you tried to duplicate the quality of the ingredients and nutrients in one serving of this amazing shake…it would be so much more expensive!
5. It’s only for weight loss….. NOO!!! This is about your health! When you put the right nutrients in your body that it needs then you are going to see certain results. Weight-loss is just a by-product of all the amazing nutrition that you’re putting in your body!

 

Okay now that we’ve gotten that out of the way let me tell you more about this amazing shake that I love so much!

Not only will it transform your health with ease but according to clinical studies and customer reported benefits include (everyone loves statistics right!!!) after 90 days Shakeology® will…

• help with continuous weight loss (remember because of all of those amazing nutrients that it’s putting into your body!! That’s your bodies way of saying thank you!!)
• help lower cholesterol
• help lower blood sugar
• help to reduce your hunger and cravings
• noticeable healthier hair skin and nails
• increased energy and stamina (again those amazing nutrients!!)
• boosted immune system (nutrients….seeing a pattern yet?!?)
• improved digestion

 

Just in case I haven’t thrown enough information at you about this amazing shake, let me tell you why it’s different than most shakes…

• All Natural and Whole Foods
• It’s a Natural Meal Replacement
• It’s One Daily Serving of Veggies!
• Great source of Protein
• It comes in 6 different flavors and has Vegan options!!

 

Okay enough fun facts about the shake!! Let me share with you which flavor I’ve been drinking and how I like to make my shake!

I chose the Vegan Chocolate flavor for my first round. (I just received my second shipment and this time I changed it to the “Barista” pack which comes with Vegan Chocolate, Vegan Vanilla and Vegan Mocha I believe — so an updated recipe blog will be coming soon!!).

This first recipe has been my go-to recipe since day 1…

• Water
• Ice
• 1 scoop of Vegan Chocolate Shake-O
• Peanut Butter
• 1/2 of a banana

 

This second recipe I’ve been doing more recently because one day I ran out of banana’s and this is what I had in the fridge….

• Water
• Ice
• 1 scoop of Vegan Chocolate Shake-O
• 1 cup of fresh fruit (either strawberries or blackberries)

 

This third one I tried the other day and it was so good….

• WaterWater
• Ice
• 1 Scoop of Vegan Chocolate Shake-O
• 1/2 of a container of banana flavored Greek Yogurt

 

Honestly the options are endless with these shakes! If you go to Pinterest you can find just about any recipe for any of the 6 flavors which is amazing!!!

This shake has honestly changed my life. I can definitely say that Shakeology® has done all of these things for me and I am so glad that I have it in my life!

Do you drink Shakeology®? If so what flavor and what’s your favorite way to make it?? Leave it in the comments below please!

Xo’s Shelby