I'm doing the Whole 30 Challenge!

You may have noticed that I haven't wrote a post in about two months so you may be wondering where the heck I have been.

First things first.

Do you remember THIS post?

How about THIS one?

Well I think it is safe to say the I have officially drank the Crossfit Kool-Aid. I go at least 5 times a week and I think about it all the time. If you have no idea what Crossfit is you should YouTube some videos.

But really.... What good is working out if you are not eating right? After some research on Crossfit I found the Paleo Diet. Though Its not really a "diet" but more of a "lifestyle" I decided to give it a go and try to make most of the food or drinks that go into my body Paleo approved. Since I started Crossfit and Paleo I have lost 10 pounds and have muscles in places I have never had any before. I feel great.

But then I came across a 30 day challenge based around the Paleo Diet that I wanted to do and see how much can change in a month. A great friend of mine is joining me on this journey and we will use our blogs to share how it is going.

It starts today!

I eat real food – fresh, natural food like meat, vegetables and fruit.  I choose foods that are nutrient-dense, with lots of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, over foods that have more calories but less nutrition.  And food quality is important – I’m careful about where my meat, seafood and eggs come from, and buy organic local produce as often as possible.

This is not a “diet” – I eat as much as I need to maintain strength, energy, activity levels and a healthy body weight.  I aim for well-balanced nutrition, so I eat both animals and a significant amount of plants.  I’m not lacking carbohydrates – I just get them from vegetables and fruits instead of bread, cereal or pasta.  And my meals are probably higher in fat than you’d imagine, but fat is a healthy source of energy when it comes from high-quality foods like avocado, coconut and grass-fed beef.

Eating like this is ideal for maintaining a healthy metabolism and reducing inflammation within the body.  It’s good for body composition, energy levels, sleep quality, mental attitude and quality of life.  It helps eliminate sugar cravings and reestablishes a healthy relationship with food.  It also works to minimize your risk for a whole host of lifestyle diseases and conditions, like diabetes, heart attack, stroke and autoimmune.

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I hope you get a chance to go to The Whole30 Program and read more about how my next month will be. Maybe you are ready for a change, more energy, more weight loss?! I would love to hear what you think about it!

It's time to set some goals.

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I have never been good at reaching my goals and the reason for that is plain and simple.

YOU ACTUALLY NEED SOME!

That's right. I have been happy my whole life just rollin' with the flow.

Keeping it simple.

Since starting my whole "Get Healthy" thing, there are times where I'm so damn sore I really do NOT want to go to CrossFit. I want to eat a piece of cheese followed by a milkshake but that's not allowed on a Paleo Diet.

So I think to myself why am I actually doing this to myself? Why won't I just give in? 

This is why.

Because I have a few goals set now!

-My kids. I want to live forever and see them grow.

-I want to be happy when I look in the mirror. For 3 seasons out of the year I live in a bikini. I'm only 27 I will not put myself in a one piece! I have never thought I looked good in a two piece but I still wear one. I'm not getting any younger and I want to look GOOOOOOOD!

-I want to run a 5k. Seriously, running has always looked fun to me. To actually go out and run.... ummm... not so much. After finding out about The Color Run, I am all over that like a fat kid eating cake!

Watch this video and tell me how amazingly fun it looks.

It doesn't take much, just a few simple goals to keep your self motivated!

Getting motivated (work out addition)

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I have to admit I am super lazy... or was super lazy.... buuuuut

Now that I am finally getting into a work out routine, I find that music is my biggest "pick me up". I can hear a song and want to get up and go for a run or to the gym.

{Ha!} I can hardly believe that I even just said that!! But it's true I actually want to run or get to CrossFit. 

Some people want to hear some dancy sorta pop music, me? I want hard rock. I find that something a little hard core makes me act hard core and with that my friends, I push myself a lot harder! A little Three Days Grace or Rise Against is perfect.

What type of music is on your workout playlist?

Working out and how I am doing it

Last week I got on a health kick. But this time I'm staying on it!

I found a gym 10 minutes from my house that does Cross Fit. I wasn't sure what that was really but after youtube{ing} some videos I knew it was my kinda work out. No sissy classes, just full on boot camp style workouts. Tonight was my 2nd class and I'm lovin' it! The work outs are very basic. You do squats, sit ups, run, climb ropes, lift stuff... that sorta thing. But they are hard when you put them all together and don't stop. Everyone pushes each other to keep going and not to give up. Each of your work outs are timed, you may be done working out in 10 minutes or it may be a hour. It's up to you and how hard your willing to push your self.

After reading more about this Cross Fit stuff I noticed how a lot of the people doing it are also on the Paleo diet. I am not one to "diet" but this one makes so much sense. It's basically, You eat what a cave man would have been able to eat. So meat, veggies, fruit, nuts, ect. No processed foods like crackers, milk, cheese, rice or bread. And not to mention eat it all organic. I started this diet last week and it's really not that hard to do. I can't always buy organic but I am trying. 

I really excited to get though this first week of basic classes and sign up for the long term. 

I saw this girls picture on Pinterest to and thought I would share it with you.

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It says this is her before and after of 6 weeks of Cross Fit and the Paleo Diet. Amazing right? 

Self Portrait Saturday

Today I am joining The Wonder Forest for Self Portrait Saturday. 

A few days ago Heather from Just Lovely Things wrote on Instagram about one of the apps she uses for taking pretty pictures called "Photo360"

After downloading, it I realized how super awesome it is! This app makes your skin look amazing.

I just did my hair and make up the same way I always do, straight and not to much. Then I sat on the back of my couch where I would have a blank wall behind me so the pictures would not have anything crazy in the background and I would have the light from my front window. A few of the other ones I did on my front porch while the boys played and used my siding for a background.

I'm pretty happy with the way they came out.

So there ya have it. The best cell phone pictures of my self I have ever taken! Now it's your turn to go link up with Dana.

Lessons learned

I have always has issues with my 8 year old son Bradley brushing his teeth. I have told him over and over again that some things in life you just need to do, even if they are not fun. This boy even tries to tell me that he has in fact brushed them, when all he has really done is wet his tooth brush. 

My family does not have dental insurance so taking him to the dentist to have work done is very pricey. My children are on Medicaid and that will pay for dentist visits but up till a few weeks ago the dentists that we could go to have always been regular adult dentists that do not have "The Gas" to ease their patients. 

I have taken him to at least 8 different offices, only for them to bring him out crying and them telling me "We can't work on him because he is to scared". I ended up needing to pay 450.00$ out of pocket to have a molar fixed a while back and about 200.00$ to have his two front teeth pulled out.  Finally, a new dental office opened in town that will take our Medicaid and is for children aaaaaand has the gas to knock him out!

 So he went today and had two of his his teeth pulled, also had a bunch of silver fillings put in, not to mention he will be back Monday because they only took care of the left side today.

He came out with a look on his face that looked so sad and miserable and all I could say was

 "I told ya so"

Tough love 

If you entered last weeks giveaway and your name is Lena B. Congrats because you won! Email me 

Kboatright {at} Gmail {dot} com

Tuesday 10

Welcome to my rendition on Tuesday 10. 

With the prompt of "Beauty Products" It's kinda hard not to link up with my sweet friend Lena this week. If you guys knew me in person or even took a peek on my dresser you would see so many types of beauty products you would think I was some sorta product hoarder!

Over the years of buying random items on my trips to the drug stores and having my own Beauty product line, I have found some things I just can't live with out. So I'm going to share 10 of my fav's

Lets starts with Dry Shampoo

I have so much hair its not even funny. I HATE to wash it. So when I heard of dry shampoo you must believe me when I did a little "EEKKK" {okay that was a big eekkkk } and when straight for the store to hunt some down. 

I bought this stuff. 

It's super cheep and smells so good and really does that job so I haven't ever tested any other kind. It's a must to have in my bathroom now.

Being from Florida I live in shorts so lotion is also a product that must go on me every morning. After taking over Arabella's Beauty From Nature I started testing all of my products to make sure they are perfect for YOU and one of my fav's is the Body Butter.

I have never been huge on floral lotions but this stuff is very light in perfume. It's also very rich and creamy and will make your skin moisturized all day! You can buy some HERE!

Over the weekend I took a leap and purchased a Bare Mineral Starter Kit. 

I have always bought all my make up from drug stores thinking that paying a lot for makeup is crazy.

Now that I have used this stuff for two days I'm in love. It was worth every penny!

About once or twice a week I flat iron my hair. I put this Chi Iron protector on first to save my hair from frying. 

I'm not sure if it works but my hair hasn't singed off yet so I guess it does.

Back to where I told you guys that I always buy cheep make up. I have tried mascara that is supposed to make your lashes curl, grow, do a dance and everything in between.

...I always fall back on this stuff. 

I decided that while I am still young and fairly wrinkle free I would start using eye cream. 

Yes. I use my own product because I love it. {I really do!} I like the feel of it. It wears well under make up and doesn't  feel greasy. You can check it out HERE

You may think I'm trying to sell my self here but when I have my own line of beauty products, it's kinda hard not to use your own stuff! So here is something that I use at least once a week.

Its a clay facial mask that you mix up with water and paint on. It smells really good and leaves my skin soft and clean. If you want to read more about it go HERE!

Here is another one of my products that I use ever other day.

a good scrub takes of all the dead skin from your body or face so it's sorta a must. Well this scrub is awesome. Check it out HERE 

For the past few months I have been trying to grow my finger nails. For 27 years I have had the worst habit of biting them. I bought a bottle of Essie nail polish to see what all the hype was about, and from the moment I painted them with the Turquoise and Caicos I have kicked that ugly habbit!




I swear by it now. It's the only nail polish I have ever used that doesn't chip. It's amazing. Period.


and while I am on the subject of nails. My cuticles have always been pretty dry and ugly. After using this stuff also from Essie it has made them 100% better.



Now every time I paint my nails I use this first.


So there ya have it. My top 10 beauty products. I would love to know if you use any of these items and what you think about them.

Don't miss out on this weeks Giveaway HERE!

Be sure to link up your Tuesday 10 over at Mom2MemphisandRuby