Minnesota Staycation for Families with Young Kids

Staycation with Young Kids in Minnesota

Fun things to do close to home

Here are a few of our favorite adventures to do close to home and that don't cost an arm and leg.

1. Berry Picking

We have a few favorites in the area. This year the May frost destroyed any chance at cherry picking but we have been able to get in Strawberries and Blueberries!

We love Little Hill Berry Farm for our blueberries

2. Find an ice cream shop you haven't been to and dig in

We like to find local ice cream shops since they seem to have all kinds of fun flavors. We enjoyed a delicious kid's cone at Cow Interrupted in Farmington.

3. Set up a Tent in the Backyard

We haven't done full on camping yet, but the boys will find tons of entertainment when we set up the tent outside. Daddy and Jackson even spent a night out there together and it went great! Next up...the open woods:)

4. Set up a Slip and Slide and join in

Need I say more? Bring on the giggles! Even better when the PARENTS join in!

5. Fill up a Kiddie Pool

The fun can last for hours. Bring out some squirt guns and it gets better.

6. Go Fishing

There are TONS of lakes around Minnesota. Test your kid's patience but see the pure joy when something bites their line!

7. Find a new trail to take the bike on, catch bugs and critters along the way and have a picnic

We love taking the bike out and discovering new trails in Minnesota! The boys LOVE when we pack a lunch too and set up a picnic in front a park so we can play and then refuel.

8. Discover a new park

We love checking out a new park every Friday and discussing what we liked about that particular park after. Leads to fun adventures and great conversation!

9. Explore a new Splash Pad

There are a TON of fun Splash Pads in Minnesota. One or our favorites is at the Minnesota Zoo!

10. Go Kayaking or Canoeing

We heard that we could rent a canoe for $8 at Lebanon Hills and decided to give it a try. It was AWESOME and so much fun! We'll definitely be doing this again.

What are some of YOUR favorite adventures to do with your kids that is close to home?

For more ideas like these or for healthy recipes and health tips, please be sure to follow my LIKE page at Coach Christie Koester!

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WEEK TWO: DOWN ANOTHER 1.5 POUNDS

Ultimate Reset WEEK TWO

Image a weight being lifted off your chest and being able to sleep rock solid at night. Yeah. That’s what’s going on with me. This whole ultimate reset has done WONDERS for me. Not only do I feel more Zen and at peace with everything, the heavy pressure and anxiety has lifted, and my tight pants from two weeks ago are now LOOSE (total bonus!). I truly feel amazing from the inside out.

Best of all, my confidence has grown. I feel like I have broken out of this shell I’ve been wrapping myself in. It’s hard to explain because it’s not like I’m a super shy person—I enjoy  building relationships and being real with others—but I do swallow my emotions. I honestly didn’t think I was so caged up inside. I honestly think it boils down to control. I like to be in control of things and there were so many things happening this past year that I had no control over and that freaked me out. So I kept internalizing and would get distracted, so there was nowhere for those “emotions”/”feelings” to go.

This Reset has helped me appreciate who I am as a person, has shown me what I’m capable of and has made me see that holding things in is actual a disservice to my body and those around me. I simply need to be me, enjoy life and fuel up my tank with positivity and gratitude as much as I can FIRST before I start giving.

I've been waking up early and I start off by drinking 20 ounces of water and taking supplements at the same time each day and on an empty stomach. There are 6 different kinds of supplements. These supplements consist of ingredients like Pink Himalayan salt, aloe vera, curcumin, milk thistle, and probiotics to name a few. Nothing strange or that I haven’t heard of and all straight from Mother Earth—like all the foods in this program. I still can’t believe I haven’t sneaked a cracker or piece of chocolate or sip of beer this entire time. I am so much stronger than I ever gave myself credit for.

Meal prepping for everyone has been tough though. I'm not going to lie. I have had to stop myself from grabbing a cracker or finishing food off my kid’s plates….or licking a spoon. That part has been tough. Karl brought home pizza and cookies on Saturday night. That was challenging. The whole house smelled incredible but I also reminded myself, if I wanted that cookie SOOO bad, I could have it after the 21 days. And then I was fine.

After I drink my mineralized distilled water upon waking in the morning, I prop my feet up, lie on my back and breathe. I breathe in for 5 seconds, hold for 5, exhale for 5 seconds and then pause for 5 seconds. I do this for 5 minutes. Then I do light yoga stretching. This gets my energy flowing. I get ready in the bathroom and read daily affirmations that I taped to the mirror. This helps remind me WHY I’m doing this and WHAT is important in my life and that I AM enough to everyone around me. It helps me stay focused and grounded.

On my way in to work and on my way home, I have been listing to Outperform the Norm, which has been such a good read for me. The author (from Minnesota) hits home on ALL areas of health. From nutrition to fitness to mindset and applying all of this into your daily life. If you're not feeling your best, how can you DO your best? 

I have been following the guide to a T! This is crazy to me since I never used to miss a day eating dark chocolate and I usually go a bit crazy on the weekends with naughty foods. I try to follow the 80/20 rule when it comes to eating, but we had a couple stressful months and I was eating more 60/40 and my body was screaming at me.

Entering the second week (called the Release phase), we eliminated meat, eggs and dairy. I’m not going to lie. I was scared. In the guide we have our meals planned out for us – we just need to get to the store, prep the food and enjoy! All the recipes are in the back. I share them on my Like Page (follow me there!). 

I have tried so many new types of foods and have prepared food in different ways, which helps me because I was getting burned out with meal planning for the entire family before I started. This has just helped put that extra bounce in my step and I appreciate food SO much more and realize how lucky we are that we GET all the options we do. What we put in our bodies really determine a lot!

During the final week we focus on plant based nutrition. So we eliminate grains and legumes. It’s simply fruits and vegetables. Will I be able to do it?

I’m entering the third week 6.5 pounds lighter and feeling so great! I can’t wait to see what’s in store that third week.

What would be the hardest food for you to eliminate from your diet right now if you had to? 

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Week One on the Ultimate Reset

Five Pounds...GONE!

One week down of the Ultimate Reset and I have lost 5 pounds. Say what? I can’t even believe it. But at the same time I can ...with the amount of healthy foods I have been consuming.

My goal starting this detox wasn’t to lose a bunch of weight, though I’ll be OK with a few pounds gone. I have a stack of pants in my closet that just don’t want to fit right.

Truthfully, the main reason I did this was to FEEL good on the inside. Karl reminded me several times that I already eat healthy and my insides are fine, did I really have to do this detox? 

Starting Weight: 157
Day 7 Weight: 152

My answer: YES.

In the pictures you can’t tell much of a difference. Or at least I can’t tell. However, the scale doesn't define us. But I can see why people would give up if they CAN'T SEE a difference in themselves when they put so much work and time into making a change. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Healthy changes take days upon days of hard work and dedication. And let me tell you, one week in and I feel amazing. I’m going with that!

I had been feeling so much brain fog, I was jumpy at times and anxious a lot, full of worry and I’d wake at night almost in a panic with all the thoughts racing through my brain. I would toss and turn and dwell on things I didn’t need to be worrying about but I could not release them. I’d work out, but I still felt tired though I had energy. I’m not sure that makes sense but it was a different sort of exhaustion. More like a “burned out” feeling. I felt stuck. Almost frozen because there was so much going on that I didn’t even know where to begin. And it kept coming. But by doing nothing, I created a huge amount of pressure on my chest. And I constantly had to remind myself to breathe.

Starting Weight: 157
Day 7 Weight: 152

With the Ultimate Reset, you get a sweet booklet that has everything in it. Grocery lists, your meal plan for the week and recipes. It’s THE best guide EVER. You head off to the health food stores and fill up your cart with a ton of great organic healthy eats. You learn about WHY you are doing this and what it will do for you, what you can expect and why these foods are the chosen ones. There are three phases. Week One - Reclaim. Week Two - Release. Week Three - Restore. 

What I like best is in the booklet, there is a section on “This is Me Now”. It’s a place to journal the day you start and on day 21.

DAY ONE ENTRIES: 

HOW WOULD YOU RATE OR DESCRIBE YOUR OVERALL HEALTH?

I’d give myself an 8. I get up early to workout. I pretty much follow the 80/20 rule when it comes to nutrition, but I don’t get the greatest sleep and stress seems to be a constant thing in my life right now. And I let it eat at me. Why? 

DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS?

No. I'm pretty good!

HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE A BOWEL MOVEMENT?

Daily.

ARE YOU AWARE OF THE HABITS and PATTERNS YOU HAVE FORMED AROUND EATING?

Eating has been stressful for me. Kids are usual screaming or crying and I find myself dreading it. I love preparing the food for everyone but when it gets flung across the room and Nathan screams his brains out and Jackson cries and tells me it’s “yucky”, that causes stress. It's not a fun time. So I find myself forcing food down my throat at a crazy fast speed. 

ARE YOU ABLE TO HAVE A COMPLETE AND SATISFYING ELIMINATION?

YES.

ARE YOUR BOWEL OFTEN CONSTIPATED? HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON?

NO.

DO YOU HAVE A HISTORY OF DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS?

NO.

HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR OVERALL ENERGY LEVELS?

8. I have a LOT of energy, but I think I’m hovering around the “burnt” out energy levels now. I never shut off. I keep going and I want to find the part of me that can relax.

DO YOU RELY ON STIMULANTS, SUCH AS CAFFEINE OR SUGARS TO GET YOUR THROUGH YOUR DAY?

YES. I will have coffee in the morning on my drive in. Do I ever finish my coffee? No. Is it usually hot? No. Do I spill it? Yes. 

DO YOU SLEEP WELL?

I can fall asleep in a second. But I wake up often. I toss and turn. I worry. I feel anxious. I have lots of thoughts going on in my head. Ideas. Stories. Memories. Crazy dreams.

DO YOU WAKE FEELING RESTED?

If I get over 6 hours and 45 minutes of good sleep, yes. Anything less and the answer is NO.

HOW IS YOUR COMPLEXION?

I have this strange rash on my right cheek. And hard zits like I used to get my freshman year in college.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE HEADACHES?

Not too often.

DOES YOUR BREATHING FEEL SHALLOW OR CONSTRICTED?

All the time.

DO YOU FEEL MENTALLY CLEAR AND ALERT?

No. This makes me feel panicky because I honestly can’t focus for a second.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO DO THIS ULTIMATE RESET AT THIS TIME?

My focus is so wonky right now. I am way too anxious. I have never done a detox for the fear of starving myself. I need a change. I want to feel awesome. I want to prove to myself I can do this. I want to see if this will help my optic neuritis. If this will help my stress levels. Just want to be the best mom and wife.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO GAIN FROM THE ULTIMATE RESET?

I want to feel like me again. Not sweat the small stuff.  I want to feel refreshed, healthy from the inside out, determined to take on the day and laugh throughout the day. ENJOY every day. Feel rested and calm but still have that fire in my belly to knock the socks off my dreams.  Not feel like I need to take on other’s problems and just simply focus on how grateful I am for this life I have been blessed with. Be more mindful and simply just love! I want to express my emotions better too. When something is on my mind, I just want to get it out rather than holding it in. I have this thing of keeping in any sadness/frustration I feel. Like when my grandparents died, I felt like life just kept going and I had to be done feeling sad. 

WHAT HABITS DO YOU FEEL ARE CAUSING YOUR CURRENT DECLINE?

Not asking for help enough. Putting on my oxygen mask last, not first. Not taking enough time for me to breathe. Not saying affirmations enough. Complicating everything rather than simplifying. Spreading myself too thin. Need to be better at communicating how I’m feeling with others rather than holding it in until I'm ready to blow. 

THE FOOD

The food has been incredible!! I thought it'd be tasteless. I'd be starving. My whole life would revolve around what I was eating and when. It hasn't been that way. I'm not going to lie and say there isn't prep work involved. I had to do that in pockets of time on the weekends but just like anything, you start to get the hang of it. You just need to give it a TRY! I will post more food in the recap of WEEK TWO! 

THE CRAZIEST PART FOR ME

Drinking distilled water. I never really knew that was the most purest form of water. I have cooked and baked with and only drank distilled water! Nuts, huh? But perhaps this is why my skin is so great right now? 

THE MOST CHALLENGING PART

The fruit for breakfast. I LOVE fruit but I feel like I need protein. I'm super hungry right after breakfast until lunch time. I'm trusting the process though. After all, it's only 21 Days and I probably will be adding more protein back into my breakfast and another protein filled snack before lunch once this is done. For now, I can get my mind right and breathe through it. And I drink a LOT of water!! Distilled water, that is.

HOW I FEEL AFTER ONE WEEK
AMAZING!!! I haven't slept this hard and good in years. I feel incredibly rested. My rash on my face has cleared up. I have little anxiety. The brain fog is gone. I had a couple rough days with detox headaches but for the most part I feel STRONG. Love feeling like this! I wake up and drink 12 ounces of water right away and I sit and breathe for 5 minutes. I do words of affirmations and I stretch. Doing this has been so great for me!

I'm SO glad I'm giving this Reset a try. I can't wait to see my results after Week 2!! I'm super grateful that I am a Beachbody coach so I hold myself accountable to my own health and fitness and I get to try out all these amazing programs and products AND get the amazing discount too!! Just knowing that we get to EAT normal foods and not have to do all this crazy wonky stuff you see how there (wraps, pills, patches, double shakes for days), makes me feel proud. If I wasn't a coach, I probably would have kept going like I was and would have forgotten how good it feels to be healthy from the inside out!!

Have you done a detox before? Were you happy with the results? If you're interested in learning more about the Ultimate Reset or Coaching, please click here.  

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Week Two: Hammer and Chisel

Done with Week Two!

WooHoo! I have completed two solid weeks of Hammer and Chisel and I'm so in love with this program! It's just the right amount of tough. Why do I love it?

It challenges me
Some of the moves are very different than what I've done before working with a trainer and even as a volleyball player in college. The workouts definitely challenge me and I like that. My muscles feel like they get a real great workout every time! And it's different muscles too, which I love. Below is a quick video of some of the workout sets from Week One. Workouts range from 30-40 minutes. Wham bam and feeling great!

I feel stronger 
I still haven't mastered a full pull up, but I totally feel stronger. I have always struggled with normal push ups my whole life and I feel like I'm starting to get them down. I'm trusting the trainers, the different moves and my body and it's responding back! It's a great feeling to watch yourself accomplish things you used to struggle with. Keep on believing in yourself and the magic will happen!

It's giving me more confidence and energy
I've been getting up at 5 a.m. to make sure I squeeze in these workouts before work. #noexcuses. Sure, I look forward to Thursdays because those are my "rest" days where I get an extra hour of sleep, but I like my routine. This past Thursday, I was tempted by bad foods because my schedule was off. However, instead of beating myself up, I reminded myself I'm doing something really great for myself! That next day I hit it harder. We should never deprive ourselves of the foods we love or the life we want to live. We all make mistakes. I just call it failing forward!

I'm obsessed with chocolate and look forward to my sweet chocolate snack every afternoon. 

I enjoy the foods
I am trying to follow the meal plan the best I can but like I mentioned above, there have been some slip ups. However, I try and make up for it the next day. I go by the 80/20 rule. Eat cleaner 80 percent of the time and maybe not so perfect 20 percent of the other time. This has been the reason I have been able to maintain. I will probably have to step it up soon though if I want that booty lifted even higher! Feel free to check out my Week Two Meal Plan.

My next online bootcamp starts on February 1! Would love to see you in there. If you're interested, fill out the application.

WEEK TWO PROGRESS:
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 155 (same)
Inches: TBD
Energy: AWESOME!

What workout are you doing?

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Day One - Hammer and Chisel - Chisel Balance

Today starts the first day of another monthly health and fitness challenge group! 

I get so inspired by all the individuals in these groups. Without their support and encouragement, it would be harder to press play every day! We have people in this group doing 21-Day Fix, 21-Day Fix Extreme, PiYo, Cize and Hammer and Chisel.

I’m doing Hammer and Chisel for the first time since it was launched in December 2015. Hammer and Chisel is based off SSP (Stabilization, Strength and Power) training so you don't have to spend HOURS in the gym. You can truly get results in 40 minutes or less. 

To be honest, I’m feeling really good after today’s workout (already sore!!)! I SO NEEDED to get back into my routine after the crazy holidays and all that food, alcohol and slacking. I know right now the gym (as much as I love it) doesn’t work for me with my schedule and where we live. It would take me an extra 20 minutes to get to the gym and on a machine or in a class, and another 20 to get home. This doesn’t even include shower/getting ready time. I’d have to get up at 3:00 to make this work!! Sleep plays a HUGE role in weight loss and muscle recovery. As a mom of two boys, I need all the sleep I can get.

Getting up at 5:00 a.m. wasn’t as bad as I expected being off our routine for ten days. Both our boys ended up getting colds and fevers right before Christmas and didn’t sleep so well and then gave their little bug to me. Thanks guys (but they are soo cute!)! I was up coughing most of the night for a solid week. Then our oldest started to fight nightmares and was up quite often. I was way too exhausted to work out. Plus, Christmas snuck up on me and I needed all the energy I could get to tackle everything – still haven’t sent out all our Christmas cards. Oops! On a positive note, it seems like we’re all doing much better and I’m very thankful for that! I have a really hard time being sick and realize I take my health for granted. We are so very lucky to feel well most of the time!!

January 4, 2016

Up and at em at 5:00 a.m.! I had my workout shorts set out and my alarm set for 5 and was already wearing my t-shirt and sports bra (slept in them) so I would be forced to get my workout in! #noexcuses

The night before I prepped our lunches and had all the sippy cups ready for the boys and set out a pot to boil eggs. I had set up my laptop in the basement and had my workout calendar on my bench so I knew exactly what workout I would be doing. All I had to do was walk downstairs, add Beachbody’s Performance Hydrate to water in my Shakeology shaker cup, put on my shoes….gray socks and all (hey, I went to church on Sunday and our laundry is already big enough) and press play!!!  Seemed easy enough and there was no room for excuses!

The Masters Hammer and Chisel – Chisel Balance

Today was Chisel Balance and a 40 minute workout. It goes FAST. All that was needed was a few different set of weights (I used 5-10 pound weights) and my workout bench. The workouts weren’t as bad as I thought they would be (at times I would get frustrated with my feet), but they were also moves I have never ever done before and can already feel them in my legs (especially hamstrings)! Like..whoa. That says a lot considering I spent all of my college days lifting weights as an athlete on a volleyball scholarship!

After my workout I enjoyed Chocolate Recover, which is supposed to help with muscle soreness and jump-start recovery. I tried these supplements while doing my 21 days of Extreme because I was skeptical to start, as I am with most things! Well...I totally noticed a difference in muscle soreness. Of course with any workout, you're going to be sore but I wasn't as sore as I know I should have been. I didn’t want to believe so I went without for a few days. VERY SORE! There’s an incredible science behind this line! The other cool thing is they don’t count as ANY color containers and the ingredients are plant-based. No artificial weird stuff at all!!!  SCORE!

Nutrition

I didn’t make it to the grocery store on Sunday like I normally do. Nathan (our 14 month old) is extremely clingy right now and I couldn’t find the time to sit down and meal plan and write out a grocery list. This only reminded me WHY I get up so early. I NEED that 1.5 hours to myself every morning to be the best mom I can be…or else I get so lost in the day and in everything else going on around me and get hung up on things that I shouldn’t and just don’t like how I feel or how I am! I became a coach for this very reason!!! For my own sanity and health and wellness. I needed to find a way to force myself to work on myself! I know what happens when I do and when I don’t!

I did find time to meal plan this morning and will be picking up fresh groceries today after work. Here is our Meal Plan for Week One and follows the Hammer and Chisel Eating Plan – it’s so nice to have this as a guiding tool. After going through all the materials from my challenge pack, I know I’m doing Plan A which is 1,200 – 1,499 calories a day for the goals I have by the end of the 60 days.

PERSONAL FITNESS GOALS for next 60 days

• 1Lose 5 lbs
• 2Get a 6 pack (my lower abs need work!)
• 3Lift booty
• 4Be able to do ONE pull up without help

My Before Photo

Day One Height – 5’10

Day One Weight – 156 pounds

Day One Total Inches – TBD (will be adding these numbers in)

What workout are you doing now? There’s still room for you to participate in my monthly health and fitness online bootcamp! Register here.

Check back often to read more about my journey and results!

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If We Were Having Coffee Together...

So let’s say we are sitting by a fire with coffee in our hands, talking. 

I would have black coffee with either heavy whipping cream (most natural state, of course!) Or topped with whipped coconut milk in the BPA free cans. You know, the kind you have to scrape the hard stuff off the top and then whip that up with cinnamon and a little vanilla extract! (Yum!!!).

Coffee Break

Of course I’d be so happy to see you and ask you a million questions and then I’d listen to you. But when it comes to my turn, this is what I’d share…

I’d tell you that I have been enjoying my parents visit this past week. That I was counting down the minutes for my mom to walk through the door on Christmas so I could see her and hug her. I've been praying so hard for her and am so thankful that her results came back fairly decent. But now I am extra observant with both my parents. I see how they are getting older. That they are a little slower, they tire faster and easier, and my sweet energetic boys wear them out. And part of me starts to feel sad because I know things won’t always be this way forever, so I try my hardest to be forgiving, more mindful and remind myself to enjoy every minute. I’m not ready for these times to change just yet…

Shopping fun! Maybe someday I'll start finding time to get make up on! 

I’d tell you that Jackson has been waking with nightmares for two weeks. He wakes sobbing and it breaks my heart. When I ask what’s going on, he tells me, “nofin”. I’m not sure what’s going on. The boys have both survived an awful week of horrible colds and coughing through the night (and then gave it to me! I can't wait to get a full night's sleep), but these nightmares are killer. Karl has been crawling in bed with Jackson to keep him calm.  I’m grateful we decided to go with the full bed versus the twin. I find myself thanking God for bringing Karl into my life a lot lately. He sure was worth the wait.  

Love this kid!!!

I’d tell you that I’m a little worried about how Jackson is handling being a big brother. He’s amazing and caring and sweet, but he sure misses all the attention. And he has this obsession with Nathan’s hands and poking them, pinching them, or shoving Nathan’s fingers in his mouth and trying to bite them with his lips. “It’s not biting if I use my lips, mom,” he tells me. He has no problem throwing big pillows at Nathan when I turn away or ripping every single toy out of Nathan’s hand or plowing him over with toys or his own body. When Nathan crawls in my lap, Jackson has to. When I play with Nathan, Jackson has to come over and jump all over me.  When I spend too much time with Nathan, Jackson becomes whiny and clingy. Hoping this is just a phase and I’m giving equal amounts of attention to both. Praying a lot about this one and giving this one to God. 

Loves his brother's hands

I’d tell you that I still have about 30-some Christmas cards in my bag that I never sent out. I just can’t seem to get to them. And I lost my drive and desire to send them out. This year I was able to address a few cards at a time every couple days and Nathan would take them and drool on them and Jackson would scribble on them. As soon as I’d get busy sealing, the boys would need me for something and the pile would just sit. So I apologize if you’re still waiting on your card.

I'd tell you that Christmas was really great but it came and went so fast that it almost felt like any other day. Of course the morning of was magical and so much fun, but last year I was on maternity leave with Nathan and I felt like I was listening to Christmas music from the day he was born in October to the day I went back to work in January. There were lots of fires in the fireplace, snuggles and hot chocolate with Rumchata. This year it felt like we were running all over the place and I was catching my breath half the time or trying to fight off whatever bug the boys caught. Time sure goes FAST! We hosted Christmas this year and let me tell you...that is WORK! But I love family!

Just a few extra steps on Christmas!

I’d tell you that I went shopping with my mom on Sunday and it felt AMAZING. It’s been a long time since we have gone “fun” shopping. It’s either been Costco or the grocery store for us when we get together. It felt like I came alive walking around and trying on clothes. I remembered how much fun it is and better yet when I actually get to try on something and it fits! I felt like I started to get some of my style back! I'm getting there. Soon I'll introduce jewelry back into my life again.

I’d tell you that my online Health and Fitness business is doing really well. That my heart and soul is in this business and I have HUGE visions and dreams for myself and for my team, and I know deep down I will go far with this business because I have belief and passion for what it’s about – helping others on their journey. I hit two star diamond last week and have opened a second Business Center! I also have been invited to Leadership Training in California. I WANT to go. I NEED to go... AND here begins the guilt of leaving my boys. I feel it growing. I feel like I’m putting people out because I need childcare. Will my boys miss me? Will Karl be annoyed by me? I HAVE to be strong. I NEED to do this FOR ME.

I DID IT!!!!!!!!! I set a goal and DID IT and now I know I can do so much more!

I’d tell you that my entire world has changed because of coaching and the time I’ve spent working on myself. I always considered myself a pretty happy, bubbly person and that I didn’t need to work on myself. But I do! I am worth that much! I am worthy of feeling and being healthy and happy and setting HUGE SCARY goals and going after them. I have a tendency of putting my needs last or catering to everyone else, so you can imagine how AWESOME it felt to set a goal of doing two workout programs from start to finish and then completing them with great results!!! I felt like a new woman! I have always struggled with saying “no” to others or worrying what others might think of me, but I’m REALLY starting to see a big change in my confidence and how I carry myself. I have grown more in this year than a lot of years combined. I have read and listened to a LOT of personal development too. I just went through my list earlier today and I have read over 30 books this year alone. Before that, I had read one book in 2 years. One.

Just some of the books I've read this year!

21-day Fix and 21-Day Fix Extreme changed my body!

I’d tell you that I haven’t even started Nathan’s First Year baby book and haven’t touched Jackson’s age 2-3 photo book. I’m so behind in this stuff and at the same time, I’m OK with this because at least I’m getting the photos in somewhat organized folders, so that has to count for something. I figure that I can keep myself busy with this when the boys are in college and I’m struggling with empty nesters syndrome.

And after all that, I’d take a sip of coffee and sink back in my chair and feel the fire on my face and dream of heading to the beachJ

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