I'm done with the scale.

I've been very relieved this week that our scale is far away from us (it's in Alabama and were in Hawaii). Sounds strange I know, but do you know why?

Because I think scales are the meanest piece of equipment ever and no one should own them. My mood can be severely effected with the number that shows up. 

I get tempted by it sitting in the corner of our bathroom., It looks at me longing for me to step on and when I do, I feel like I am a complete and utter failure. 

Do you ever feel this way?

With our fitness program, Revolt, I have had great days and some terrible self loathing days. I've gained 6 pounds of water weight in one day (after our free day of eating whatever we want)  and been at a happy weight a couple days later. And it all has to do with a stupid number looking back at me.  

Well, I'm fed up. I'm not going to let that number control how I feel about myself. The number doesn't accurately reflect how I look or feel about my body. I need to love the person I am despite that larger or smaller number beneath my feet.

I loving that we are eating healthy and exercising. The Revolt workouts are great, eating clean is doing wonders for both the hubs and me, and my jeans are fitting better. I like looking in the mirror. So what if the scale says I haven't lost or up a pound or two? I am starting to see definition in my tummy, I am not craving bread and salt. I am working out without being exhausted and feeling invigorated afterwards. I am becoming a healthier me and I love that. 

Forget the scale. I'm taking a better and smarter approach to getting healthy and it doesn't have anything to do with those bright red numbers screaming at me. My body is happy that I am putting good fats, fruits, veggies, protein into it. Its loving that I'm gaining muscle weight instead of blubber. Im building it up instead of tearing it down. I am finally treating it like the temple God made it to be and Im very excited about it. 

Guest Post from Heather at From Here to There

Hey y'all, I'm Heather and I spend most of my blogging time over at From Here to There.  There's really no point in telling you what I blog about because it's kind of super random and totally just whatever I feel like, but I can tell you what I don't blog about because that's easy: Babies, I don't have any.  Marriage, I'm not in one. So yeah, you'll probably find everything else.

I was super stoked when Clara asked me to guest post for a few reasons:

1. She's practically one of the sweetest people I've been honored to know

2. Flattery, who doesn't love some of that? I was flattered that she thought of me to guest post for her!

3. I love meeting new people and I'm assuming that since Clara likes me and I like Clara and y'all obviously like Clara too, then you'll probably like me and I'll probably like you, so hello new BFFs!

I know Clara is very open about her religion and Christianity on her blog, so I thought I would share something along those lines!

I've recently gotten in a really fabulous routine with my daily quiet times and the amount that God has been showing and revealing to me is unbelievable!  I know that I have been down the path countless times where I feel lost and feel like there is just NO way I could get back into a daily quiet time with God, but all that's a lie that Satan was telling me.  A few years back, I was having a really rough time spiritually, I had a beautiful friend give me a small book with daily devotionals that were about a minute long.  That book has been a life saver for me recently.  At the time, I don't think I took it to heart as much as I should have, but recently it's one of those things in the morning that I just must read!  It gives me inner-peace and helps me get through my days even when I don't have a large amount of time to spend with God.

Here is what my daily quiet time looks like:

1. I read that days Breaking Free devotional.

2. I use the L3 journal to read passages of scripture (which will get me through the bible in 1 year)

*The L3 journal is designed by my home church and it lists passages of scripture to read each day.  If you're interested in getting an L3 journal to help you in your walk with Christ or to have a guide for reading the bible in a year, feel free to e-mail me at heatherblack79@gmail.com*

3. I write out prayers in a prayer journal and spend time praying over prayer requests.

I strongly suggest having a prayer journal, it has already begun to transform my relationship with God and my prayer life!  Get something cute that you'll enjoy writing in.  Dedicate it solely to prayers and begin asking people what you can pray for.  As I read through blogs and stumble over a "tough" post from someone or remember that someone struggled with something before and it's possible they may struggle with it again, I'll add that person in my prayer journal. (For example: If I knew a woman had lost a baby at some point and then later she's pregnant and announces it on the blog, I'll add her to my prayer journal for a safe and healthy pregnancy and peace and comfort through that time because I'm sure it's going to be difficult to go through)

It's been my experience that as you begin to pray more often, God begins to reveal so many things to you.  I have had sins revealed that I never noticed before through prayer and when I realize them, I write them in my prayer journal for myself.

We are all at different stages of our Christianity or walk with God, but if I was going to give one piece of advice, it would be to start off with a solid communication of prayer with God.  He will transform your life through that.  Spend quality time with him and you'll be greatly rewarded, even when times are tough!

I have really enjoyed spending time with you lovely people and I hope that each of you were able to take something away from my post today.  Also, if you have a prayer request, feel free to e-mail me and I'd be happy to add you in!

Clara, thanks for having me girl!!  It was a pleasure as always! 

Cara Box {March} and guest posting

Awesome things in the mail + Meeting new women + Encouragement = Cara Box

Kaitlyn at Wifessionals started this monthly box swap. Each month there will be a different theme. Anything from a season, to a color, to a topic (like fashion or childhood).

Everyone is paired up with another blogger and she with another. That way, you get to know 2 new bloggers. Cute huh?!?  

Towards the middle of the month you will create a box or package, specifically for the woman you were paired with, and ship it off to her. You will then get a Cara Box from the girl who was paired to get you. 

You can read more about it here if you want to join.

This months theme was......your initial. Your partner gets to know you and sends gifts with the initial of your first name. I got paired with Beth this month and you can see what I sent her here. 

This month, adorable Hallie over at Life: Oceanside sent me my Carabox. I was so excited to be paired with this adorable girl! I am a major fan of Hallie and have been bloggy friends with her for a couple months now. She is getting married this month, so stop on by her blog and wish her well! I am also guest posting for Hallie TODAY on her blog so go check out me here. 

The first item was an adorable green water bottle - green is my favorite Color. Perfect timing because I am using this bad boy in Maui!

The next was a Candle - to enjoy and relax with - and the scent is amazing!

Some delicious Chocolate - oh how I do love me some Dove chocolate. I was nice and shared it with my hubs. :)

Tools to Care for my feet - I love pampering myself and this is wonderful - and I am in LOVE with the blue nail polish!!

Hallie also sent the cutest Cheetah Coasters - I mean how cute are these??!

Hallie also sent some delicious recipes for Campfire Apples and Cabana Banana Bread. These are going to be gooooood.

Thanks so much Hallie for the incredible Carabox this month! It was a wonderful treat to come home to!

Taziki's Friday Special Recip {Guest Post}

Hi bloggy friends! Today I have something special for you! Since I am on vacation this week, my sweet friend Lauren is gracious enough to be sharing one of my all time favorite meal recipe on the blog! So come read, stop by her blog and show her some love!

Hey! I'm Lauren and I blog over at Simply Free. I'm a southern newlywed trying to live out this life as simply & creatively as I can while serving Christ, loving others, and finding an abundance of joy & laughter along the way! I write about life & love, as well as recipes & other crafts I've really enjoyed creating. I am so excited to guest post over here with the lovely miss Clara. I have known Clara for - wow - eight years now! We met in Auburn through our campus ministry and the world of blogging and both being the same city again has brought us back together. She is quite wonderful (as I know y'all already know!) so I was delighted when she asked if I wanted to do a guest post :)

As cooking is something both of our little families enjoy, I wanted to share with y'all one of my favorite simple recipes which is one of Clara's favorites as well! The Taziki's Friday's Special. Now if you've never heard of this - it's AMAZING!  ANd very simple to make which is great especially if you don't live near one. It's actually really good without the chicken as well, so it's a good vegetarian option too - just add more tomatoes at the end!

Ingredients:

1 handful fresh basil (chopped)     1 tablespoon shallot (minced)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar                 Juice from one lemon

1 teaspoon sugar                            1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (we omitted this)

1 1/2 cups blended olive oil            Salt and pepper to taste

6 cups mixed lettuces                    1 1/2 pounds penne pasta (cooked)

2 cups feta cheese crumbled          3 tomatoes (seeded and diced)

3 tablespoons fresh thyme (chopped)

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (grilled and cubed)

Directions:

• To make vinaigrette:
• Mix thyme, shallots, balsamic vinegar, lemon, and sugar (and Dijon mustard if desired).
• Slowly whisk in oil.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Place about 1 cup mixed lettuces on each plate.
• Toss cooked pasta with about 12 ounces (or to taste - we used a tad less) vinaigrette.
• Toss grilled chicken with about 6 ounces (or to taste) vinaigrette.
• Spoon about 3 cups pasta onto lettuce
• Top with chicken, then diced tomato, feta cheese and fresh basil as you like

And there you have a copycat of Taziki's Friday Special! I actually think ours looks even better than original :) Enjoy!

I would love to connect with you so come on over to my blog & say hello, follow via GFC, or connect via the other buttons below  :)

  

  

Coffee & Conversation {link up}

What would you regret not fully doing, being or having in your life?

 This week's question for Coffee & Conversation really intrigued me. I knew right away what I would regret not fully being...or the two things I would regret not being. First, a wife. The Lord has fulfilled this desire and blessed me abundantly with the most amazing husband. I wouldn't trade him for anything. I'm not going to paint our lives as perfect because there are definitely tough days, but each day with him is a gift. 

The second desire to be is a mother. In college, my friends used to call me Momma Clara - I certainly acted like the mother of our group of friends. I have always desired to be a Mom and pray one day I will be one.
I love everything about babies. I love little hands, little feet, tiny hair bows, spit bubbles, snotty noses and scraped knees. I could hold babies all day and snuggle them all night long. I am excited about teaching children right from wrong, helping them in school, encouraging them to dream. I am excited about sharing Christ to them and I cant wait to see Stephen as a Dad. 

Whether the Lord blesses us with children by normal means or adoption, I know each child will be an incredible blessing. I am incredibly luck to babysit several wonderful children and taking care of them makes me desire my own little ones even more! Baby FEVER!!

Seriously though. Nothing is more special than the gift of children, and I hope and pray that one day I will get to love on some of my own. 

Happy Monday darlings!

Revolting (diet and exercise)

Sup peeps?

Today starts the weekend, yay! Tomorrow we leave for Maui and I.CAN'T. WAIT. :) Sunshine, hot weather, beach, here I come. 

Anywho, 

I'm going to give you a recap of my second full week on Revolt, the healthy eating and fitness program Stephen and I started following. We started this program to be healthier all around, not just lose weight, but gain muscle and stop eating foods that are bad for our bodies. You can check out the start of the program here and our first week here. 

The second week eating plan was WAY better than the detox week. We actually got to diversity our food. We added fish (which we both love), more veggies and fruit! 

The workouts got more intense too, which I actually really enjoyed. I felt like I was starting to push my muscle to start shaping up and that made me feel good. I like a good workout where I sweat and walk away hurting. (muscles here I come)

On Wednesday, I headed out of town to visit my sister in law and nieces' while my brother was out of town for work. I really didn't want to fall off the wagon, so I precooked all my meals and took them with me. Thankfully, my sister in law was so supportive on helping me stay on track. I didn't get to do 2 days of the exercise plan, but we did walk a couple of miles one of the days and she ate the same stuff I ate (because lets be honest, seeing different foods makes me want something sweet). I only cheated a tiny bit with bagel chips and a little cream cheese. 

Saturday we didn't do the workout for the day, BUT we helped move friends from their apartment to a new house, so we got fresh air and worked our muscles! 

So far, it hasn't been too tough to eat well, but on our "free" day, we might have gone a little overboard - eating out for lunch (pizza) and a wedding shower (lemonade, tea, cheese, pork, dips, banana pudding).

Thankfully, I didn't gain as much water weight as last week and it seemed to come off a lot quicker too. Before free day, I weighted myself and I was sitting at 133.8! That's a total weight loss of 2.2 pounds in 2 weeks. I tried to weight myself this morning again, but sadly our batteries in the scale are dead. Maybe sometimes its better not to know anyway. 

Next week will be difficult though as we will be on vacation. We plan to do a lot of physical activities - hiking, swimming, zip lining, etc. so we wont follow our workout chips, but we will be getting plenty of exercise - I just wont be doing push ups. :) We will try to eat smart for the most part, but we plan on having a nice meal out once a day, soooooo I'm hoping I just maintain. 

Here's to continued progress and healthy living!

Campus Book Rentals {Review}

Anyone out there still in college or looking to go back and tired of paying a boat load for your books? Well, you need read this post! :)

I think I spent well $500.00+ a semester for my books and it was putting a major dent in my bank account. I seriously wish I had known about Campus Book Rentals when I was in undergrad. I would have been able to get rent my books for cheaper than buying - because who really needs to keep that Biology book when your major is Human Resources!

  My hubs is looking at going back to school and I am going to take advantage of this program (every penny counts, right?!)

Campus Book Rentals has some incredible perks:

-save 40-90% off of bookstore prices

-free shipping both ways

-can highlight in the textbooks

-flexible renting periods

And not only that, they donate to Operation Smile, a children's charity that provides free surgeries to repair cleft lips, cleft palate and other deformities for kids around the globe, with each textbook rented! How amazing is that?!

Also, Campus Rental Books just started a new program, called RentBack that allows students to rent their own books to other students...which is amazing because it makes them 2-4 times more money compared to what they would make through other buyback options. 

Want to see more and see how it works? Check out the video to see more!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out Campus Book Rentals!

Influenster Valentine's Vox Box

A couple month's ago, I kept seeing on people's blogs this thing called Influenster and got curious. 

It's a company that pairs up with bloggers, asking their opinions on products and services. You complete a ton of tasks (unlocking buttons) in hopes of being considered for more programs, like a VoxBox!
In February, I got the Valentine's Vox Box. I must admit, I was pretty pumped about this box!

The first was Not Your Mother's Volumizing hairspray. This product was my favorite! I have naturally curly hair and leave it wet to air dry during the day. I always use hair spray to keep the frizzy fly away down. This stuff wasn't crunchy or sticky. It has a good smell and soft to touch!

Next was the Secret Clinical Strength deodorant. I don't sweat a ton so I didn't notice anything different between my normal deodorant and this one. 

I got the Skinnygirl on the go bar. It was really good. I got the Banana Oatmeal dark chocolate bar and it was a good blend of flavors and perfect for someone on the go. For a 180 calories, I want to buy more!

Finally, I got the Olay Shine Minimizing cleanser and massager. I think my husband liked it better on his face than I did! I mentioned I don't sweat much and don't get oily. I liked the feel of it and my face felt fresh afterwards. 

Overall, I really enjoyed all these products and will probably buy the larger version of the hair spray and skinny girl.  Influenster is a great way to try new products and see what you like before going out to purchase. 

How to pack when traveling

Stephen and I are heading out on our 1 year anniversary trip and I am dreading packing us. I always over pack and get disorganized. I end up bringing more stuff than I need and feel silly lugging 30 extra pounds when I don't need it all.

I decided I would outline everything I need to do and share it with you...in case you're like me and need all the help you can get. 

First, create a packing list

Instead of trying to figure out at one in the morning what you need to pack, create a list of items that needed on a trip. A packing list not only ensures that you won’t forget anything important, it also prevents you from over packing. And bonus! This will help cut down on making your suitcase weighting 50+ pounds and getting charged extra fees.

Check the weather

Some people don’t check what the weather is going to be like where they’re headed and therefore stuff their bag with items they never end up using. Before you pack, check the weather report for a semi-accurate prediction of what Mother Nature has in store for you on your trip. Forecasts these days go hour by hour, so you can see what you’ll need to be comfortable morning, noon, and night. Weather.com is a great resource.

Packing clothes

Everyone wants to pack as lightly as possible (I know I do) but sometimes when I am  faced with my closet and that empty suitcase I stressed about what to bring. An easy way to pack is simply pack one pair of shorts or jeans for every 2-3 days of your trip, and a shirt and pair of underwear for every single morning.  Add one extra shirt, pair of underwear, and an outfit, in case something happens that will require it. When you’ve packed the basics, think about what additional items you might need. A formal outfit? A bathing suit? Also, don’t forget a pair of pajamas.

Finally, pack an empty garbage bag in your suitcase. That way you can keep your dirty clothes separate from your clean ones while on your trip.

Packing to Avoid Wrinkling

The bane of any traveler’s existence is the wrinkles and creases that end up in your clothes after you pull them out of your suitcase. Try these techniques to keep your clothes neat and crisp while they’re en route to your destination.

Alternate Folding

One way to avoid creases in clothing is by placing one garment between the folds of another garment. By placing another garment between the fold it prevents a crease from forming. I bring lots o f dresses on trips and don't take a hanging bag, so this is a good way to keep those ironed clothes looking perfect.

Add or take away from it depending on the type of trip you’re going on. For example, you ‘re going on a ski trip, remember to pack your ski gear or for us, were going to the beach, so bathing suits are a necessity!

The point of the list is to 1) make sure you remember to bring stuff and 2) make sure you don’t over pack. If it’s not on your list, don’t pack it.

 

Clothes

• Underwear
• Pajamas
• Socks
• T-shirts
• Dresses
• Jeans/Khakis
• Dress shoes (not every pair you own either)
• Tennis shoes

Toiletries

• Place the following items in your bathroom bag.
• Toothbrush and toothpaste/tooth powder
• Floss
• Mouthwash
• Brush
• Shampoo (or a shampoo bar if you want to avoid the hassle of airport security)
• Soap
• Deodorant
• Feminine stuff (just in case)
• Makeup (you don't need every lip gloss you own either)

Things you don’t think about, but that you need

• Plane tickets
• Driver’s license
• Passport
• Camera
• Sunglasses
• Prescription medicine
• MONEY (cash)

I think I am ready. Are you going anywhere soon? How do you pack?

Vacation is a coming and its to....

MAUI!!

What? Maui? YES!!! For our one year anniversary. 

Thanks to some family member's of S, our hotel is gifted to us and were heading out at the end of this month for a week. 

We originally talked about going to Hawaii for our honeymoon, but it didn't work out and went to Jamaica instead which was perfect. It was relaxing, a short flight and in the same time zone. With the wedding, lots of firsts and the stress of it all, it was great to go and not feel like we had to do stuff. 

This time though, were planning on doing it all - surfing, climbing a volcano, scuba diving, luau's - you name it, we plan on doing it! 

We cant wait and I've been planning like crazy to get ready. If anyone has suggestion, please email me! 

I will be having two wonderful ladies guest posting when I am away, so make sure to check back in and get to know them:)

Happy blogging and love you all!

Don't lose me!!

Hi friends!

Google Reader (Google Friend Connect) is going away come July, so if you don't want to lose me, click over on right hand side, and add me on Bloglovin'. 

I used Google Reader for the longest time until a blogger friend directed me to Bloglovin'. If you haven't tried it, please add it! It's amazing - you can sort your blogs into categories like Daily Reads, marriage blogs, mommy blogs, etc. 

It's easy to search and I am addicted to it!!!

So don't lose me and Follow Me On Bloglovin'. :)