Picture perfect vs reality-The struggle to love your body in a world full of perfectionism

The goal of my blog is to share ideas about healthy food, fitness, and adventure! But I also want to be vulnerable and honest. I'd like to try to remove the illusion that I'm always happy, always sticking to a perfect fitness routine, and always having the time of my life in some new exotic place. With that in mind, I'd like to share some of the struggles and victories I've had over the past two years here in Japan. 

Let's start with one of my (along with many other women's) biggest struggles...social media and body image.

Gosh, social media can be the devil, like, for real. Social media has been the root of SO many of my struggles, from workout obsession, healthy eating obsession, perfect body obsession, perfect adventurous life obsession, and comparison comparison, comparison. In today's world you wake up, and boom, your phone is there in front of your face, and youre smacked with instagram and facebook. You immediatly begin comparing your life to those on the internet, whether you realize it or not. Whether thats picking apart your body and comparing it to all the athletes/models on insta, or comparing how many countries and mountains someone has climbed and how perfect their yoga pose is in front of that unbelievable sunset #spiritual #fitagram #girlswithabs. Social media can be an ultra perfect looking... unreality. Its so frustrating. And so easy to get caught up in...and on top of it, YOU can even try to make your life look how you want it to, and if you're lucky, you'll come out InstaFamous. Therefore, I want to be real honest and raw with you all about my life. I want to share the struggles and the pain that lead to me discovering what life looks like when you trust in God and shake off those awful chains of comparison and self doubt!

   Lets begin with Body image.

Dear sisters, we need to live a full rounded healthy life style. Not one that is only full of sprints and apples, but one thats full of finding your self worth in Christ, loving your bodies during every phase of life, and not comparing yourself to others. This means not tearing your body apart, not letting the scale, bloated belly, and days when the abs don't shine, ruin your thirst for life. 

   

   Many of you know my "fitstagram" Manders1289 (its now more my "lifestyle" gram), which I had to move away from for a while for many reasons. The pressure to look perfect is REAL and you begin obsessing and worrying about what others are thinking. "I gotta keep my abs to look good on insta. Its inspirational to others..."

    I wish I could stand in front of you, look you in the eye, and say I never obsessed about my abs, never obsessed about what I ate, never worried about what people thought of me, and just shook the chains off and lived 120% freely for Christ. Unfortunately, that would be a lie. I struggle, and I struggled hard. It wasn't until I moved to Japan that the struggles that I was trying to deny were brought to the surface. My number one struggle being, body image. I realized I was not just "leading a healthy lifestyle", but instead worshiping exercise and clean eating... truly obsessing about it. I would begin my day by scrolling through endlesss fitness accounts and compare my body to others, feel competitive, honestly without even realizing it. Then, I would let missing a single workout, eating a cookie, and watery undefined abs ruin my day. I would feel upset and anxious about it. I would many a time feel pretty guilty about eating a slice of cake, indulging in ice cream, or sharing laughs over a glass or two of wine. Without wanting to admit it, I found my self worth in how I looked, how hard I exercised, and how perfect I ate, rather than in Christ alone.  People liked me and the attention felt really good. I preached freedom and enjoying life...but, I wasn't free. I wanted more than anything to shake the chains off. But in the end I would kid myself and tell myself I was okay. I was healthy, I was thin, people seem to like me, life is okay, this obsession isn't bad. However, it was time to be HONEST with myself and stop believing what the world was telling me was good.

DOING THINGS FOR THE RIGHT REASONS

      Have you ever sat quietly and listened to God? I try, I try really hard. Sometimes its super hard for me 1. because I have ADHD and my brain moves a million miles per hour and 2. because God brings up things I don't always want to hear. Recently, I read a quote from the book Uninvited, by Lysa TerKeurst. She states, "Honesty isn't trying to hurt me. Its trying to heal me." How true is this?! And how often don't we try to ignore the truth and just suffice with what we got because its comfortable, easy, seems right, or seems like the world gives us a stamp of approval. Yay Gold Star! We all love gold stars. But, when we're quiet, and being honest with ourselves...are we really doing what Christ created us to do? Are we actually living fully and freely?! Or, are we just giving in to what the world demands or expects of us. Anyways, after a while of putting up a fight with God, I finally was honest with myself and what God wanted of me, and moved away from the world of "Fitstagram". However, healthy eating and working out are ingrained in my soul. I love it!! But! I needed to make sure I was doing it for the right reasons. First, God created your body to be a temple. One that YOU LOVE, take care of, nuture, and  use to its fullest! I felt like the only reason I was posting was to please my viewers and "hold my self accountable" so I wouldn't lose my abs. Ugh, it pains me to type that!! But its true! Instead of feeling overall great and satisfied, I felt the stress building everyday.  How many blessings are we missing in this life that God is freely giving to us because we are feeding into the lies the devil is dishing out. Its hard. We all have our weak spots. But we MUST be honest, recognize them, and seek healing.

   My real intent for my instagram was to "uplift" and "be a light" in this crazy world, but instead, unfortunately it was still holding me back from true healing. Doing the right thing, many times isn't easy. Listening to God (especially if your stubborn like me, thanks Dad ;) is hard. I didn't want to give up my "fitstagram" and everything I had poured into it...but the freedom, joy, and satisfaction listening to God produces is un-earthly. 

Its been two years since I haven't posted about fitness regularly on my instagram. I have come so so far since then, however, I'm still SO imperfect. I'm human. I have my good days and my bad days. Somedays, I accidently over eat and I beat myself up about it because I feel bloated. Other days I feel mad for missing a few days in the gym. I think to myself, how can I call myself a true athlete when Im not giving 120%...I feel like a failure. But now, I try to capture those negative lies, those are awful harmful lies fed to you by demons (seriously!), and battle them with prayer. God is so awesome, and he will love you and hold you and nourish your soul when you cry out to Him. I am not a complete failure, and dear sister, who ever is reading this, you aren't either.  You're loved, you're beautiful, and your body is amazing. 

I had a break through on the way to the gym the other day. Quite a victorious moment, actually. I had spent this past weekend snowboarding, eating more chocolate, and noodles than usual to help power me through my day! Hahahah not my average diet for sure. I felt BLOOOOOATED. Dude, I bloat so easily, its crazy. Anyways, I was on my way to the gym, thinking about how I could intensify my workout because of the extra food I had eaten. I felt nervous, My legs tend to be the first place my body stores fat and I didn't want any of that awful F word so my goal was to BURN CALORIES, rather than become stronger. I started feeling lethargic and overwhelmed and thought,"maybe I should just skip the gym and go home...its not even worth it."

 But then, I caught myself. I knew this wasn't the right attitude at all. I was finding self worth in my body rather than in Christ.  I looked down at my little leggies and thanked God for them.  And the awesome weekend I got to have snowboarding because of them. I then looked at my stringy arms and thanked God that I could do 10 pullups and 30 push ups with them, when just a couple years ago, I could barely manage one of each! I started looking at my body and thanking God for the gifts he has given to me, rather than tear them apart. I felt SO energized, and I went to the gym, and killed a workout, not worrying about the calories being burned or the way I looked. I just enjoyed, and did me, actually I "did" who God wanted me to be.

So now, I encourage you to seriously sit down and have some honest time with God. Be HONEST. Be raw and unfiltered. See what He he brings to the surface. Where are you finding your self worth? Giving even just a little bit of time can make all the difference in your day. If you struggle with body image and feel the pressures of society, maybe even flip through your instagram feed and ask yourself how each person you follow makes you feel? After you view a post do you feel anxious, insufficient, discouraged, OR do you feel inspired, happy, joyful, encouraged? If someone on insta makes you feel discouraged, please, unfollow them IMMEDIATELY. Life is too short to have your brain be poisoned.

Here is what it boils down to. Every day the time you spend feeding into the world's lies, you're WASTING the beautiful life God has created uniquely for you. Think about how much time you spend scrolling through Instagram/Facebook mindlessly comparing your life, your body to someone else's and walk away feeling defeated. How many minutes or hours do you spend in front of the mirror picking yourself apart because your upset about the way your body looks and regretting that yummy icecream sundae, or even that perfectly measured tablespoon of almond butter you just ate?  Dear friends, this is WASTED time. We were created for so so much more. Get outside! Travel! Live, breathe, move! Practice everyday, capturing negative thoughts as the deciever whispers them into your ear. Instead of giving into the negativity, turn to Christ, and battle them with positive thoughts. You must practice this though, it wont come easily or naturally. 

Don't feed into the world of social media. A lot of it is fabricated and a lot of people only post what they want you to see. I mean, I do the same sometimes too!! Point is my life isn't perfect, and neither is yours. But we can learn through Christ, honesty, and being vulnerable, how to capture comparison and negativity and throw them away and be excited about our unique bodies and lives! Once you start practicing this, I think you'll will be amazed at how your life turns around! You will feel more joy, more confidence, more encouragement, more laughter and more energy :)

 Go out and let yourself shine! The world needs so much more of who you are truly created to be!

My life in Japan

So I havent written so a really really long time, and Im kind of disappointed about it!
I always get all these superb ideas or have a really funny story, that i realllllly want to share with the world, but then, I always find excuses to not to just sit my happy self down and start typing. (ADHD probs)
I have so much to share that I feel overwhelmed and don't know HOW to actually share it all. Then i make up excuses like "people wouldnt read it anyways and my writing skills are just kind of bland." I realized this is all silly nonsense, that I just need to get over concerns of being imperfectand have fun with it!
SO, here I am now and Im really excited to share some stories and point of views of mine.
I just want to share with you and the rest of the world my stories of adventure, life in japan, and health and fitness! Just a dash of everything!  Anywhoooo on to the good stuff!

SO as most of you know, I am currently living in the land of the rising sun, JAPAN! Ive already been living here for a year and a half and gone through some of the most amazing times along with some of the hardest trials I have EVER faced. Seriously, somedays feel like I have aged 40 years, and other days I feel as free and happy as a little Dandelion.
Out of all the kagillion stories and experiences, I decided to share with you THE CAR STORY first!

Driving in japan is not for the weary of heart. The roads are the size of sidewalks and somehow you're supposed to fit two cars on them, at the same time, driving quickly, towards each other, on the left side of the road . It can be a little horrifying to say the least, and a healthy dash of adrenaline rush too. WOOOO
As American military in Japan to get your licenses all you have to do is take a one hour course, a 20 question exam and score above 80%(I got 80% on the dot!) and shizam! you're handed your licenses with a smile. And away you go! "Have fun driving in Japan...and don't kill yourself!"

For the first couple months I opted to take the trains because I was so nervous to drive. However, Caleb was getting ready to head out on his first detachment, and  I took on a couple english jobs. It was time for me to suck it up, put on my big girl leggings (who wears pants anymore?) and DRIVE.

Here's where the story begins, my first time driving by myself was to my first day of teaching! It was supposed to be a fairly simple drive through the county side. I kept repeating to myself, "you got this, you got this, just follow google maps, drive slow...and you wont die." Piece of cake, no worries, all is good, right?
I started off the first 4minutes my journey STRONG
and then...
*boop*(Does your google maps boop at you too??)
I missed my first turn.
"OH haha no worries, Ill just let google maps reroute me and all will be good. Im a good driver, I got this."
Little did I know, in fact, all was not good.
Google Maps decided to redirect me over a bridge the exact width of my car. I remembered Caleb had driven over the same bridge one time before from the opposite direction, and made over safely, so I could probably make it too. There was someone behind me as well, an dthe pressure was on. So, i just took a deep breath and went for it.
New lesson learned, sometimes just goin for it...isn't always a brilliant idea.
I get to the other side of the bridge no probs but, the street perpendicular the  bridge that I needed to turn on to, was equally as narrow as the bridge, and had a retaining wall rising up right beside it with houses built on top....and I just couldn't fit my car around the turn.
"OH FUUUUUUDGE"
I tried to 20 point turn a couple of times to get the car off the bridge, however, I was literally jammed in. By this time, about 8mins later, a little japanese lady going for a walk had found my struggle pretty humorous and decided to watch and chuckle, also a couple other cars started backing up on the road.
I literally didn't know what to do.
I tried a few more times to wiggle the car out without scarpping the sides, and finally decided the car needed to take one for the team. SO i just went full on gung ho and tried to make the turn and heard the bridge walls screech down the side of the car. It sounded dreadful, but was even more dreadful was I still couldn't make the turn!
In my mirror I saw a nice looking business man walking down the street. He looked pretty nice and  at this point I had given up all hope so I jumped out of my car and yelled "tasukute!!!" Which pretty much translates to "help I'm dying" Fairly accurate, right?!
The nice man rushed over and immediatly realized what the problem was. He tried to help by directing  me for about another 10mins and realized my Subie Impreza just want going to make the turn. He seemed frustrated by the puzzle as well!
He came over to my car and told me "Watashi wa Unten shimasu." Which translates to "I will drive"
"hai hai dozo (yes yes please)" I said and quickly scrambled into the passenger seat, happily offering him the wheel.
   The man asked the other cars that had piled up behind me to back up off the bridge, then got in my car, and backed it up...a .simple task, but i couldnt have done it without him! I was SO thankful to be off that bridge! But this random mans generosity didn't stop there. He asked me where i was going and I showed him on Google maps. It was going to be about another twenty minutes away. He said he knew the area and a train station close by to my destination, so he told me he would drive me there! At first I felt really awkward and thought to myself, Oh my gosh, this is how I disappear forever. But, praise God, we made it safely to a train station just outside of town and he bowed politely telling me the rest of the drive would be easy. I wish I had something to give to this man to thank him for saving me, but, I had nothing. I just got out of the car and bowed a million times. Repeating how thankful I was. I wonder what he told his family that night when he got home late. hahaha I like to think about it and laugh.
Anyways, everyday, I am blown away by the Japanese peoples kindness and eagerness to help people, even if it means driving them 15 minutes out of the way and taking a different train home. Its pretty mind blowing and I try to learn from it on the daily. To have patience, slow down, and help those in need.
OKay! thats it for now, hope everyone has a blessed day!! :)

Letting go of comparison

Hey guys,

So between moving shenanigans (the navy loves shenanigans), anxiety about where we are going to move( we find out in 4 days!! EeeeK) and competition prep (2 weeks out…all favorite foods are GONE) my life has just been pretty crazy. But! I wanted to take the time to talk to y’all about something really important today.  

It’s that time of year where people give up things they love, aka LENT. Originally I wasn’t planning on doing lent because I already gave up some of my favorites for this show like Peanut butter and cereal…I flippin LOVE cereal.  But then I realized I could give something so much more important than food up.

I went over the the gym today to practice some posing and work my abs. I usually bring my phone with me to watch professional athletes pose so that I can mimic them. As I was standing in the mirror contorting my body around (Posing is actually really uncomfortable) I started noticing how different my body looked from some of the pros. Yes, they have been doing it for a while but, I started to think about how perfect they looked compared to me. I felt super discouraged…I thought to myself “whats even the point of working out…” I hate admitting this.

People may look at me and my Instagram and believe that I am 120% in love with my body all day every day. But, quite honestly Im not. I get out of the shower almost every day stare at myself in the mirror. Some days I get out of the shower and think Hot bananas! I got Abs! I got Muscle! Whoop whoop! time to listen to techno go to the gym and get swooooooole. Yea, that’s pretty much what goes through my head. However, there are other days that I look in the mirror and stare…and stare…and turn…and stare and think wow. I am so imperfect. I dream of getting sponsored and becoming a fitness model however, its these days that I just don’t believe it’s possible. I don’t have a long torso, Im short, and someday’s I don’t feel lean enough blah blah blah.  It’s funny…because if we had nothing to compare ourselves to, we would wake up every day thinking we are the most beautiful woman in the world.

But. I am ready to get these lies out of my head. This year for Lent I plan on giving up comparison. I have talked about many times how it steals so much joy and happiness. And that is so true. God has blessed us with such beautiful bodies and lives…why listen to the lies?? So from here on out whenever I catch myself thinking about how much better I could look, or how I don’t look like some chick on Instagram, I am going to refocus my thoughts on God and what he has blessed ME with. For example, the fact that I can even go to the gym and work out is a blessing…and I LOVE it. Also, God made each of our bodies unique and different. That should be celebrated not hated. I mean, I love the fact that Im small. I’m a 5’3 lil munchkin, with monkey toes, and strangely happy and joyful24/7 ;). And quite honestly I DO love my body and think it IS beautiful. And I don’t want anyone else’s body, but my own. Why?! because mine was designed specifically for me. By God. And how awesome is that. And HE did NOT make a mistake.You were designed the way you are for a purpose! So good bye comparison. You’re going in the freezer where my peanut butter currently is. But…my peanut butter is coming back out after two weeks( THANK GOODNESS), comparison is NOT ;)

Just like giving cookies up for lent, this too is going to be hard…and I’m sure I will fail at times. But these next few months I am going to make a conscious effort to not let negative thoughts creep up on me ruin my day. I hope soon this will become a habit. I encourage YOU to also to give up some sort of negativity in your life for lent. Let’s see how we can grow and change.

Love you all!

Mandy :)

New Horizons

Hello friends!

Again, its been a while. haha Actually I am making it a goal to write at least once a week! I have gotten a lot of requests to blog lately so...here we go! Just a fair warning, I tend to be totally scattered brained and random when I write, so get ready for a roller coaster ride!

Right now my life is in a transition period. Its kind of like a plateau and I can see the mountains in the distance. And they look beautiful and amazing, but still far off. As most of you know I have been jobless the past 8 months ( I was an elementary art teacher.) Caleb and I made this decision together and it was definitely the best. I perused my passion for fitness and living a healthy life style. I am now planning to become a personal trainer in the near future depending on where we get stationed! woo hoo! Hence, I feel like I'm on a plateau. I see amazing opportunities in the distance, but they still feel almost out of reach. That brings me to those mountains.

Caleb and I will find out where we will be getting stationed for the next 3 years on March 11(same day that our families will be coming into town!! yay!) I am about to pop with excitement!  We are hoping to get stationed West Coast or even abroad! We both feel the need for adventure and a challenge. But well see what God has in store for us. The only thing that gives me peace is knowing that God will place us where we NEED to be...and I have no control over that. But, goodness, March 11 seems so far off! And I know Caleb and I will be happy where ever in this world we go. The three possibilities for the rag (Caleb's next part of training) are Cali, Norfolk VA, or Jacksonville FL, and they all have their perks! After Caleb finishes the rag (about one yea training) we could go abroad. The future is definitely a mystery right now, but I'm kind of loving it! I will definitely be keeping you all posted when we find out!

Its funny, I feel totally prepared and ready for this next move. Im excited to start a new stage in life. If you asked me if i was excited for change about 5 years ago, I would have laughed.Caleb and I have been in Pensacola for about 2 and half years...way longer than pilots usually are. This past year was a year of struggle and growth and I know Caleb and I are both ready for a change. We have made some of the most amazing friends (especially recently!) and had awesome opportunities to travel while we have been here. Also, the beach is nice....really nice. ;)

Exercise wise, things are going amazing! haha one of the big reasons I am going to be sad to leave Pensacola is because of the amazing gym family that I have. Maybe I can just bring them with me ;) Ill start posting some exercise routines and recipes on here soon! :) :) ....and if I don't, harass me till i do!

Okay so now that you know whats shakin in my life here are what my goals are from now till when I leave Pensacola.
1. Caleb and I are trying to take full advantage of the area! I definitely believe in that fact that you dont know what you got till its gone. Open your eyes and take in the amazing things you have been blessed with. From here on out, each weekend is our adventure weekend. 3 weeks ago we went camping, 2 weeks ago we went to New Orleans and visited Caleb's amazing cousin and celebrated Mardi Gras, and last weekend we went kayaking with our good friends. Always remember to live ;) Also, during these excursions we put ALL social media away...Its amazing how much more you ge out of a trip when you aren't distracted ;)
2. Gym goals: I started lifting lighter with higher reps to get "shredded" for an upcoming show that I may or may not participate in depending on when we are moving! I have really enjoyed the change. I am definitely feeling more of a burn when working out than I did when I was lifting heavy! I think its important to change things up now and then in the gym. It keeps workouts exciting and new! :)
3. Stay on top of house chores...because I'm still 5 and it takes me a week to fold laundry. hahaha

Home For Christmas

Hello friends!! How I found the time to blog while I am home...I don't quite know, but here I am! :)

In my last blog post I wrote about my Christmas goals. So far, I have been pretty successful in following all of them...except for one. Exercising. But, I'm honestly 120% okay with that because I have gotten in some of the best family time and I'm the happiest girl in the world right now! Family time>>>>exercising.


The first night I got in I got to go see The Hobbit with my cousins and good friends. I was an avid LOTR fan when those movies came out, sooo it was only right to go see The Hobbit...and be that Nerd that goes at Midnight to see the premier.

This is my cousin Maureen. She is pretty much amazing. She also was the first person in line for The Hobbit Premiere. 7:55pm, thats amazing.(oh and did I mention she's single;) ;) )

Reunited at last!!!A whole year is way too long to be away from any person you love.  (Btw, thats my cousin Molly in the middle :) )

The Hobbit was really good and by some miracle I stayed awake during the whole entire 3 hour movie! Honestly, I was more excited about being with my cousins than the movie itself. So, I kept talking to them during the movie...yeah, I was THAT person ;)

Friday I got to spend the morning with Maureen and the evening with my Grammy (My mom's mom). Maureen and I hit up Panera for breakfast, a tradition of ours. However, we dilly dallied, got a late start, and missed breakfast....but it was all good because I got some pretty delicious kick awesome coffee ;)

Oh! and did I mention how THRILLED I am to finally be able to wear my winter clothes! Nothing says Christmas like a cozy scarf and sweater!! ;)

Yesterday has been one of my fav days so far! I went over to my Nanny's house (My dad's mom) and baked Christmas cookies and chocolates with the whole Grierson family. My dad is from a close knit family of nine, so you can imagine the crowd we had. Oh, and did I mention we dont believe in indoor voices ;) We literally baked, decorated, and dipped delicious things in chocolate ALL DAY. The result was magical.

 I wish I got more pics of everyone!...but I was too busy eating Chocolate. And making some serious messes. Literally. When I stepped away from the table there was chocolate on the walls, the floor, myself, and if there was chocolate on other people it was probably somehow from me. But being clean and tidy is boring anyway, right? ;)

So, like I mentioned at the top I haven't really worked out since I was home. Before I came home I had mentioned I was planning on working out in the mornings. Just a real quick one hour session. I'm hoping to possibly do another competition and I want to try to stay in shape! However, this hasn't happened. Instead, I've dedicated 100% of my time to family and its been amazing. Last night I tried to do a leg workout with my mom. That lasted about 30 minutes and I was exhauuuusted. (I don't think I ate enough cookies to help me power through it! I mean hey, food is fuel!;) )So instead, mom and I popped a bottle of wine, snuggled up together and watched some TV and decorated the Christmas tree (thats cardio, right?!) It was literally a perfect day.:) I really don't think there is anything better in life than spending time with the people you love. 

BUT! Tomorrow morning I think I'm going to go for a run...anyone want to join ? ;)

I hope you all are having a wonderful Holiday so far. Don't forget to slow down and just ENJOY. I believe it's in those moments that you will really find true joy ;) Alright! I'm off to go cause some trouble!

Tis the Season!!!

Hello friends!
     Once again I have failed keeping up with my blog on a weekly basis... This blog may just be a monthly thing. I get all these great ideas and I'm like "oh hey, I'm going to blog about this great idea today!!!"...and then, it never happens (I blame this on my ADHD. The struggle is real!). but! here I am! today! blogging! woo!

   So, the hustle and bustle of Christmas has officially begun! I absolutely LOVE this time of year! I love it so much that Caleb and I actually started decorating a week and a half before Thanksgiving! (yea, we're those people. no shame) But hey! it only comes once a year so, you got to enjoy it while its here!

So, quick life update!
   The past few weeks have been pretty hectic in the Stevens household with Caleb's work. He flies helicopters all day and studies all night.  He is so determined and I couldn't be more proud of him! However, this past week he had a short class on Thurs, then Friday-Sunday off! It was AMAZING! Thursday evening his squadron had a Christmas party which was a blast AND I got to dress up for it! (I'm a little girl at heart, I seize any opportunity I can to go out, buy a dress, and get glitzy for the evening ;) ) Then Friday we Christmas shopped, saw the Hunger Games (SO GOOD), and spent the evening drinking wine, telling ridiculous stories, and laughing with our great friends Dan and Kim! Yesterday (Saturday) we got to spend the whole day finishing up Christmas shopping and eating at Tijuana Flats (They have amazing Burritos and Taco Salads!!!) So, needless to say I have gotten in some much needed husband time! And its been wonderful! One thing Navy life has taught me is take full advantage of the time you get with your significant other.

Getting ready to head to the Christmas partyyy. But, first I insisted on taking some sappy pics ;)

Tijuana Flats! We devoured our food before I could get a proper pic...it was THAT good! 

Our little christmas tree! I believe the more ornaments...the better!!! Oh, and did I mention that Caleb's dad sent it all the way from their family owned Christmas tree farm in West Virginia to Florida! Coolest Father in law EVER!

DECEMBER GOALS! 
    So, in 4 days I'll be heading home for Christmas!!! I actually haven't been home for an entire YEAR! This year was a little different for Caleb and I and a bit hectic, so between randomly cancelled flights (yes the airlines cancelled my ticket...or something crazy like that) and life happenings going home just didn't happen. But that's okay because sticking by my husband's side through tough times is SO important AND what a better time to be reunited with family and friends than Christmas! (Insert confetti emoji here!) I'll be going home for 2 and a half WEEKS! YAY! So I set some goals:
                     1. Going home can always get so hectic. I over-plan my week and promise too many people that I'll do too many things. Sometimes, I think I'm super woman and I can do everything! However, this causes me to get stressed out and I end up either disappointing people or not giving people my full time and attention. This leaves me feeling drained... SO! this year I plan on slowing down, spending as much time with loved ones, and truly enjoying every little moment!
                 
                   2. Keeping up with my fitness goals. MMM yea. This is always a tough one for me!  Every year when I go home I say I'm going to work out 5 times a week, eat healthy, and not lose any of my gainzzz. However, this never happens. haha! So this year I am going to make some reasonable goals. Going home this year my main focus is spending time with family and friends. Yes, I am a fitness addict and working out and eating healthy is high on my priority list, but, my family is higher. Therefore, I am still aiming to work out 5 times a week. This year I have no excuses! My dad recently set up a workout area in our basement so all I have to do is wake up and get my little toosh downstairs and knock out a good hard one hour workout! I know I can do this and I encourage any readers to try to do this too! The hardest part is just getting to the gym...and for me the first 10 minutes. But! Once you conquer this and are nice and warmed up, just stay focused and determined! Don't let the workout beat you, beat the workout! ;)

                  3.  FOOD FOOD FOOD. There is OH so much wonderful food involved with Christmas! These past few months I have been sticking to a fairly strict clean eating plan that my trainer gave me and quite honestly I enjoy following! (I'm a weirdo like that) However, I am a firm believer that anything is okay to eat in moderation and not being a complete psycho about dieting.  So, will I be eating ice cream, YES! Cake, oh, I'm sure! Going out to eat , DEFINITELY! However, do I think its a good idea to go ahead, go crazy and eat 20 cookies...errrmm probably not, but hey, if it happens, it happens. But, seriously, my goal for myself is to relax, make good food choices (Eat about 80% clean...and if that doesn't happen, no worries!), and just enjoy and take in the time with friends and family! Anyways, I never can turn down a good frozen yogurt date!! The last thing I or anyone else, wants to stress about when I go home is what they are eating. A little splurging never hurt anyone!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!!!
                                     <3    Mandy

P.S. I have had multiple people ask me about my meal plan. The main reason I don't really share it is because my trainer made it specifically for me and my needs. Every body is different and needs different amounts of protein, carbs, ect. depending on how much you are exercising and whether you're trying to loose weight, bulk up, or just keep your weight! However, I will be doing a post about clean eating, hopefully this month!! :)


             

Life Update

Hello friends! Its been a while...actually, a real long while, about 3 months to be exact! Between life happenings and ADHD, I have not found the time to sit down and blog! But! here I am, back, and in action! ;)

So life lately has been pretty wonderful, stressful, crazy, but overall really great! This week Caleb's Dad and little sis came to visit! We had such a good time catching up. Caleb and I don't believe in the whole "dreaded in-laws" stereotype. We really click with each other's families and call each of the other's parents mom and dad. We believe this is so important in our relationship. When we got married we became a family as a whole and adopted each other's families as our own family.  Being adopted myself, I think this was a real easy concept to grasp, understand, and love. I know in some cases it's really hard for families to click, especially when you come from complete opposite backgrounds. But always look for the positive and try not to complain about those "crazy in-laws", it will make such a difference ;)

Alright, time to bombard you with pics from our week!!!

Hands down our favorite place to eat on the beach!!! If you ever visit P-cola this place is a MUST!

 We visited New Orleans for the day! This is Papa Stevens, Libby and I attempting to get a pic taken by the Mississippi River ;)

 Watching Street Performers

And Lets not forget eating world famous Beignets and coffee at Cafe Du Monde! 

Oh, and can I jut say I was super proud of my extra poofy braided bun this day ;)

We did go swimming, however, I thought the water was pretty chilly...Thus I didn't last long and ended wrapped up in a towel!

 Overall it was such an amazing week!

Hold on! I'm almost done with my life update! haha ;)

So other than an amazing family visit, I have been subbing, working out,(I LOVE working with my trainer Amanda and Caleb and I finally became members of the gym! yay!) and brushing up on my wifey skills. As most of you may know, because of where Caleb is in training, we will probably be moving out of Pensacola in March. So bitter sweet! Because of this, I ended up not going back to my full time job of teaching at WNPS. So, I am pretty much doing the house wife thing on days that I'm not doing a crazy whirlwind-of-a-day subbing job. But, I love it :)

Alright, we'll end this with a recipe! 

So I never thought I was a big oatmeal person because growing up I never ate it. However, my breakfast has been changed FOREVER. I LOVE oatmeal, however, just not any oatmeal. I like the old fashioned good stuff. Also, I like to eat clean so I just buy the plain stuff and add my own ingredients to it :) Here's my favorite!

Maple Cinnamon Oats

1/2 or 3/4 cup of oat meal

1 cup of water 

*Make Oats as directed on box* (I use the microwave because its easiest) 

After it is finished cooking add:

2 packets of stevia (or sweetner of choice)

LOTS of cinnamon. (I dont measure it out, the more, the better!)

Dash of maple Syrup (I use sugar free Maple syrup, its amazing! you can also buy agave favored Maple syrup which is equally as good!)

Crushed almonds...For crunch!

**If you feel like being really fancy you can also add fruit (Bananas are GREAT in it!) and a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt (the yogurt will add a really creamy texture, sounds weird, but trust me, its delicious!)**

looks sketchy...but taste great ;)

Hope you enjoy! Have a Blessed Tuesday friends!