{23 miles}

So I've been doing this...

23 miles in three weeks friends! This is a tad monumental for me.

First of all, because I've stuck with working out for three straight weeks.

And the fact that the more workouts I do, the more I actually want to push myself.

I started out doing 1 - 1.5 miles on a 2.0 incline which would burn about 150 calories. Last night I did 35 minutes at a 3.0 incline and 2.25 miles. That burned about 250 calories.

I'm walking at a speed between 3.7 and 4.0 if you're curious. I'm SO not a runner. Speed walking is more my thing.

I find it crazy that my stamina is increasing, and even crazier that I'm slightly enjoying these workouts.

I've also been eating better...cutting out the soda and fast food. The other day we took the boys to Chipotle and I left the cheese off of my burrito bowl {just chicken, rice, beans and veggies} and I drank water. I have this automatic response to always order a soda when we eat out, so getting water was a big thing for me. I had some pepsi a few days ago and it tasted so sweet to me...I actually looked at the bottle to make sure it wasn't diet because it didn't taste right. AND I'm actually not craving candy like I usually do...I'm eating tangerines like crazy instead. Still indulging in my dark coffee and chocolate...those are two friends I'm not going to say goodbye to. :)

I'm not weighing myself just yet but feeling better mentally about my body is keeping me motivated for now. I'll probably wait a few more weeks before stepping on the scale.

Just wanted to share my progress with you, and maybe encourage others that aren't naturally motivated to exercise like I am. I'm so thankful for this shift in my mindset...it is making a huge difference!

Do you have any exercise or eating tips for me? I'd love to hear them!

XO,

{hello friday}

This week has been one for the record books.

The temps have dipped down under zero most days. Not typical for around here. We're used to cold winters but this is taking it to a whole other, very cold, level.

And on Tuesday I got some mail that I had been waiting for that could be a game changer for me...

You know its a big deal when my hubby doesn't even complain about taking my picture. :)

I wish I could share more details right now, but all I can say is that FedEx envelope held something so exciting for me that I keep going back and forth between ridiculous excitement, grateful tears, and the usual human response of "this is too good to be true". 

I'm sharing this with you all because you have been some of my biggest cheerleaders. You've been with me for years...through my early scrapbooking days, the birth of my boys, my random DIY adventures, and most recently my transformation into an artist. 

And I promise I'll share more fun details when I can..so hang in there with me, OK? :) 

Until then, here are a few more photos from my week...

Working on a custom order "one little word" doodle...

You can order your own here.

Watching the boys cook with their Gigi...

Documenting the every day stuff....like laundry...

Playing legos while enjoying the sunset view from our front window...

Finding some treasures at Goodwill and TJ Maxx...

You can see how I wore the pants here.

Keeping up with workouts...

Working on some new pieces with a dreamcatcher theme...

Working on homework...

Landon isn't asleep, I promise. :)

Getting some inspiration from this book...

And trying to stay warm...

What did your week look like?

XO,

{playing dress up}

Happy Wednesday friends!

I have an outfit to share with you today, but first I want to share a little bit about the past week and how I'm doing so far with living into my "one little word" for 2014, which is...

{You can read more about why I chose that word here.}

I'm determined for this year to be the 365 days that I become more "me" in every sense of the word. I've been spending a lot of time on my art over the past few months, which of course I love, but some other things have taken a back seat. My health being one of the most important ones.

Over the past 6 months or so I've put on probably 10 pounds through stress eating and just not exercising. I blame a lot of this on the boys starting kindergarten and our family finding a new normal. It takes me a long time to adjust to big changes and when I'm stressed I turn to food, mostly sweets and snacks, and a lot of the time late at night. I've also been drinking more soda than I would care to admit. And I've been getting a TON of tension headaches. I've just felt like crap if I'm being totally honest. 

So since the new year has started I've been treating my body better. Lots more water. Healthy snacks. Lower calorie meals. {for the most part...let's just ignore last night's pizza and wine, shall we?}

And for the past week I've started using our treadmill again.

If you follow me on Instagram this is not news to you. :) 

I've used it for five different sessions in the past week for a total of about 11 miles and I feel SO good. I'm not big on using a scale...it doesn't motivate me...but I can tell a bit of a difference in my stomach and that makes me happy and is keeping me going. 

I typically get VERY motivated for a week or so with working out and then feel so good that I take a day off which turns to a few days, then a few weeks and then....well, you get the idea. So I'm trying to keep my momentum going and right now I feel like I can do it. 

I've also been practicing my doodling, finding inspiration through books, Pinterest and other artists. And I'm reading a lot more. I recently finished two books that fueled my desire to keep working on my art...

This great quote is from The War of Art...

I love that my word for the year is in there...I might have to doodle this one and frame it. :)

So with all of those things blended together, plus trying to be more present with the boys during our time together, I feel like I'm becoming more whole and living more fully into the person I'm meant to be. 

OK...are you still with me? You'll probably notice a few more outfit postings now that I'm feeling better in my clothes too and I have one to share today. This one is my typical mix of TJ Maxx and Target with a handmade accessory thrown in...

I love this new cozy sweater I picked up at TJ Maxx before Christmas, and this Target top is the perfect tunic length to wear with skinny jeans. 

The boots are from Ebay, earrings from Starburst Studio and the ring was a gift from my sister. 

Did you choose a word for 2014? 

I would love to hear about it and how you are living into it in the comments!

XO,

{proud}

So I've officially completed 1/3 of the 30 day shred! (11 days to be exact) and I feel so great!!! I don't know what my current weight is...I'm not big on measuring my success by pounds...but the last time I weighed myself I was down to 166 from 170. Technically, I'm supposed to move on to level 2 now, but I think I'm going to stick with 1 for a few more workouts. I'm just now to the point that I can keep up with the entire thing, and that is a good feeling.

I gathered up all my courage last night and tried on my "skinny" capris that I wore before I got pregnant. They were a bit snug on me back then so I figured I wouldn't even be able to get them over my hips. Well....not only did they fit over my hips, but I was able to button them!!! Woot!!! Now, there was a bit of a muffin top involved, so I'm not quite ready to wear them, but I'm hoping after 19 more days of the shred I will be able to sport those suckers again.

Color me proud. :)