New Years Fix

I am looking for a few ladies who need help getting back on track with their health and fitness!

We are going to start the 21 day fix program together on Monday January 26th! 

30 minute workouts, portion control simple meal guide and no counting calories!

Don’t wait to make your plan! Plan ahead as this program will be the perfect got to get you back on track in January!

Don’t you want to look AND feel great after all of those holiday gatherings?

I love this program because it's simple, and it works!  There is nothing fake or quick about it, just real food and exercise. 

My challenge groups are fun, interactive and motivating.  Being in a group of like minded women working towards their goals and supporting each other along the way really does make the difference in helping you achieve your own goals.  The support is incredible and yet you never have to leave your house to get the same vibes that you get from a group fitness class you have been attending for months!  It's awesome!

Sound interesting? Comment below “Interested” or Email me and I’ll message you the details.

Goals for the New Year

Well…it’s that time of year.  

Christmas is over and we all start looking toward January 1.  I think most people see the New Year  as a time to reflect on what changes they want to make that year and how they will do things differently.  I also think for most people “lose weight” or "Get Healthier" comes to mind in some form or fashion.

As you are beginning to start thinking of making “New Years Resolutions” or “Goals for the New Year“, I want you to sit down and make a list of WHY you want to lose weight or get healthier.

This “list” can be as simple as 1,2,3 or as elaborate as a storyboard.  If you are super crafty.  I just think there is something about listing reasons, in whatever form or fashion, that really solidify WHY we want to lose weight. 

This list of WHY's will help motivate you when you start to loose sight of your goal.  

MY LIST:

1. Tighten my stomach/abs
2. Do an entire home fitness program start to finish (Insanity Max:30)
3. Grow my business to 2 Star Diamond 
4. Make more time for Family

WHYs

1. Feel more confident and healthy
2. I know that Goal #2 will help with #1 and I want to be able to share my experience of a more intense program like Insanity Max:30.  
3. I want to be able to help my team grow so that they can make their goals a reality. 
4. Achieving goal #3 will take a lot of work and dedication which can take away from family time, but my aim is to find a balance and know that achieving goal #3 will allow for more family time in the long run.  

What are your goals?  

Comment below or Email me, I would love to hear from you too!

Peppermint Patties Recipe

These Peppermint Patties are a new favourite at our Christmas Eve gathering every year.  Last year I found this recipe somewhere and jotted it down in my recipe book to make.  I made up a batch last year for gifts and for the party and they were a real hit!  

So of course this year I had to make some more and I figured I would share the recipe after I posted a photo on Facebook and had several requests for the recipe.  

Peppermint Patties Recipe

4 + Cups Icing Sugar
2 Egg Whites
5-8 Drops Peppermint Oil
1 TBSP water
2 blocks Semi-Sweet Bakers Chocolate

Directions

Combine Icing sugar, egg whites, peppermint oil and water.  Mix with a hand mixer until a thick dough comes together adding more icing sugar or water to thicken or combine as needed.  It should be a nice thick dough. 

On a clean dry surface, roll out chunks of the dough using more icing sugar to reduce sticking to the rolling pin or surface. Use a small circle cookie cutter to cut out the shapes of the patties and place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  

**Note: If you don't have a circle cookie cutter you can alternatively just pull off small chunks of the dough, roll them into a ball and flatten.  

Let the patties dry out on the baking sheet over night. 

Once dried out, melt bakers chocolate in a double boiler and let cool slightly.  You don't want to dip the patties right into super hot chocolate or else they will start to melt a little themselves. Once slightly cooled, dip each patty into the chocolate, using a fork tap off the extra chocolate.  Place each patty back onto the parchment paper and place the tray into the fridge to help the chocolate set. 

 

Once set they can be put into packaging and placed into gifts with out needing refrigeration which is always nice!

Enjoy!  

And as always find me on Facebook or comment below to let me know how you liked the recipe and how it worked for you!

12 Months of No Matter What

I'm doing a Happy Dance today!!

December is my 12th Month as a Beachbody coach, I started in January 2014 and have strived to achieve success club every month.  It has been my 'No Matter What'.  

I talk to my coaches about the importance of making success club every month because you get customer leads and Success Club leads from Beachbody which grows your business.... but it's also important because over time it is the compound effect of those small things that has an impact.  If you are achieving 5 SC points each month that means you are helping at least 3 people every single month.  And over time those 3 people compound into 6 then 9 then 12 then 15.... but also you will typically receive 2 customer leads each of those months and at least 1-2 success club leads also.  

So your helping 3 then the next month maybe 10, next month 17, next month 24, next month 31... you get the picture. Your list grows, your helping more and more people every week and every month and those people share with their friends and family and your list grows a little more.  

In the last 12 months I have helped 160 people, plus I have helped so so many with clean eating groups that I have no way to track.  

With that said I'm really happy to say that I have also been able to earn an income doing something that I LOVE!  Helping people.  

And today, after I struggled this month to make it to Success club all month and was a 2 points until yesterday, I am excited to say that I am now a Success Club ALL STAR! It wont be official until next week but now that I have made success club this month I know so I'm excited!!

What is a Success Club All Star?

Success Club All Stars are Coaches who know no bounds. They show up to work every single day. And they wield the power of the 3 Vital Behaviors to achieve Success Club each and every month. But what makes the following Coaches so special is they've qualified for Success Club for a minimum of 12 consecutive months.

How can a Coach become an All Star?
- Success Club 5 All Stars: Meet the Success Club 5 (or combination of 5 and 10) monthly qualifications for any 12 consecutive months.
- Success Club 10 All Stars: Meet the Success Club 10 monthly qualifications for any 12 consecutive months.

What does being an All Star mean?
- A permanent spot in the Success Club Hall of Fame
- Immeasurable business growth
- Recognition in the Coach Online Office, social media, and newsletters
- Onstage recognition at the annual Coach Summit

I am going to be on Stage at Summit this year!  

I set that goal at summit last year and I made it!  But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop.  I KNOW this business can change my family's financial future and give us more time together.  

FREEDOM.  

FREE Grinch Colouring Page

To get your FREE Printable Grinch Colouring page click here.

Asher asked this morning for me to print some colouring sheets for him.  So I did a quick Pinterest search and found this cute image..... But nothing is more frustrating that finding a great colouring image on Pinterest and having it lead back to an error site.  

So I saved the image and added it to a word document to print and then was able to print it out for him that way! Easy enough to do but I thought I would share it here too!

Enjoy

Frozen Gingerbread House

Maybe this blog is turning into a Christmas/Kids activities Blog over the Holidays.... BUT this is my life so my goal here is to share what is relevant to me and what would be helpful to me as a mom out there!

Asher missed school on Tuesday and therefore missed making ginger bread houses with his class too.  So last night when I came home he asked me to PLEASE get him stuff to make a gingerbread house.  So I headed out to the Bulk Barn in town today to find a gingerbread kit.  I was lucky enough to get the last pre-made kit in the store.... which means the job I hate most (building gingerbread house) is done!  YES!

BUT I was feeling pretty uninspired by the candy selection I could get for the house as I walked the isles.  And then suddenly it came to me.... BUILD A FROZEN HOUSE!

So with a new mission (I always do better with a theme), I searched the candy bins for all blue, white and silver candy!  Way more fun that little green trees and gum balls!

I also grabbed a bottle of Sugar cookie icing hoping it would be thick enough to hold the candy (it wasn't) .

Asher was so excited to get started when I got home tonight after I showed him everything I had picked out.

Here is what I got:

Here is our little pre-made gingerbread house

And here is what we turned that little pre-made gingerbread house into!  A Frozen Ginger bread house!  Or as Asher calls it Olaf's Gingerbread house.  

I do have to say, Christmas is really taking over this week.  I haven't been working out as regularly but I have been sticking to my 21 Day Fix meal plan pretty well this week!  So I'm happy with that.  After Christmas I'll be back at it!!

Now I better get back to filling out cards and Wrapping!!!

Magic Reindeer Food

After many plans and bouncing ideas off my husband about what to make for Asher's Kindergarten class gifts this year. We decided on Magic Reindeer Food.  

As much as all those cute candy filled baggies with jelly beans or malt balls with one red one for Ruldolphs nose are cute and would be fun to make... I just don't think the kids need any more candy at this time of year... or ever really.  

But I wanted to make something fun and special for each of them.  So Magic Reindeer Food won out!  

Here is the Recipe for Magic Reindeer Food:

8 Cups Quick Oats
Two Bottles of Sprinkles
18 Zip baggies
18 6" x 2" scrapbook paper pieces cut
18 Cut out Magic Reindeer Poems

I had Asher do quite a lot of this project which is always a good thing in my book.  I like it when the project is kid friendly so they actually feel like they made it too!

Asher mixed the Reindeer Food in the bowl and Scooped some into each baggie for me.  

I then cut out all the poems and measured the scrapbook paper to go behind the poem.  I gave him a 2-way glue pen to glue the backs of each poem while I stuck them onto the scrapbook paper.  

We then folded the bags over once and stapled the poem cards to the baggies.  And DONE!  

This whole job only took us about 30-40 minutes!

Pretty easy and you might even have all the supplies on hand!

Plus I made up the template for the Magic Reindeer Food poem and added it to my google docs so I can share it with you too!  

You can get the template here: Magic Reindeer Food Poem.

You can get the Template here: Magic Reindeer Food Poem

Easy Caramel Popcorn

Yes this is totally a treat and off the diet for sure!  But I'm busy doing my Christmas baking for gifts today and I had to share this recipe because it's easy, tasty and makes a great Christmas gift!

I made two batches today and only ate a few kernels, packaged up the rest and saved a small amount for later..... only because I didn't have another container for it to give the rest away!

So here it is, my Easy Caramel Popcorn Recipe.

1/2 cup water

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup buter

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

Method:

Add water and sugar into a large pot.  Stir just to combine and then don't stir again until I say. 

On medium high heat, wait until the water boils out and sugar starts to brown.  This takes a long time, but keep an eye on it and have you butter ready as well as your vanilla and baking soda for when it starts to brown. 

Once the sugar starts to really brown... try to wait a few more seconds before you add the butter.  You don't want to jump too soon and not have a nice brown caramel.  But you also don't want to burn it.... so be ready but also be patient! 

Almost ready here...

While this is bubbling, pop your popcorn.  I like to use a brown paper bag and about a 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels in the microwave for about 2 1/2 minutes.  Works like a charm!

Once the sugar starts to brown, stir butter into the sugar mixture. Once melted add in the vanilla and baking soda to puff it up.  Now add your caramel to the popcorn.

Ok add that butter!

I did mine in two batches and then gave them a good stir to mix the caramel as evenly as possible.  Next you will place popcorn on a parchment lined baking sheet to cool and harden.  

YUM!  Stir that caramel into the popcorn

It won't take long before you can test it and even package it up!  

I found this awesome packaging at Target this year!
Packaging can be hard to find and pricey too, so I
was pretty happy to find these at Target this year. 

*Tip: to clean your spoon, pot and bowl I like to boil water in my pot after use and add my spoon too.  This loosens all the caramel that has hardened on it.  Then I dump the hot water into my bowl to soak for a while.  Then wash!  No scrubbing off hardened caramel!  

Elfish fun

Asher has been highly amused by Alfies fun and games this year and I'm happy to report no touching instances like we had last year! 

Asher Caught our little Elf having quite a bit of fun this week! 

After Asher watched Elf the Movie one night, the next morning Alfie showed Asher how he liked his spaghetti. 

One morning I woke up to find Alfie had gone fishing in our bath tub. Asher quite liked that Alfie was fishing for Goldfish and that his squid was in the tub too!

Then one morning Alfie was found on the kitchen table with the bananas, he had drawn minion faces on each of the bananas! 

What a funny Elf! 

Alfie is trying to Catch a Big Fish

Our Little Elf was busy fishing this morning when I woke up for work! What a character.

Asher Sure got a kick out of him fishing for Goldfish Crackers and the fact that his squid was in the tub too.  He commented that he had put that squid away last night... funny kid!

Now.... what will Alfie do next?

Chicken Enchilada 21 Day Fix Style

Satisfying meals are so important when you are trying to stick to a meal plan so my Lunch yesterday was this tasty Chicken Enchilada. 

I prepped my lunch the night before and then just topped it with cheese and baked it in the glass dish at work! Easy.

I've decided to share the different recipes from my 21 Day fix meal plans instead of my daily meal plans.... because well, many of my meal plans are the same as the day before.  I try to keep it quite simple because I know that taking the guess work out of meal planning helps to stick to it.  When you have to think about what the meals for each day are going to be it can take so much more time. So I find that if I keep the majority of my breakfasts and lunches the same it makes packing and making my meals so much easier.  

At the beginning of this week I had prepped 3 Salmon Spinach Salads and had all my lunches ready to go for a few days.  So for Thursday's lunch I decided to make something a little less salad like and a little more cheesy!  

Here is the Recipe...

Chicken Enchilada 21 Day Fix Style

1 Yellow Container: Whole Wheat Tortilla

1 Red Container: Chicken

1 Blue Container: Cheese

1 Green Container: Peppers and tomatoes 

1 Tsp Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 TBSP Greek Yogurt

Directions

• Cut chicken into cubes and cook in frying pan with a little bit of olive oil.  
• Once cooked mix in 1 tsp of Homemade Taco seasoning and mix until chicken is coated lightly. 
• Remove Chicken from the pan and add in Peppers and Tomatoes chopped.  Saute Veg lightly and remove from pan. 
• Onto whole wheat wrap, spread greek yogurt and add half of the Chicken and Veg and then top with half the cheese. 
  
  
  
• Place into glass or oven safe container and top with remaining Chicken and Vegetables. 
• You can either add the remaining cheese on top now or right before you bake it. 
  
• When you are ready to eat.  Bake in toaster oven at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or until hot through and starting to brown.  

*Option to top with a Tablespoon of Greek Yogurt and salsa

I used to be a Gym Rat

• I could never do what you do
• I don't have the energy
• I don't have the Time
• It's easy for her
• She has probably always been fit
• She has probably always worked out
• I could never eat like her
• I don't have time to prep food
• It's in my genes to be overweight
• I'm not a runner
• I'm too busy
• I've tried before and failed so why should I try again
• She is different than me
• I don't like "healthy" food
• It's just so different from what I normally eat
• My parents never taught me to eat healthy
• I don't know where to start
• I'll start next week
• I "need" my sweets/soda/wine/whatever
• I'm not motivated enough
• My body doesn't like exercise

How many times have you told yourself one, or all, of the sentences above? So many times that you're starting to believe them? Do you know that YOU have 100% CONTROL over ALL of them, and until you realize that you're believing your own EXCUSES?

I have definitely been guilty of saying many of these things to myself in the past, and now these are things I hear from others DAILY. Have you ever looked at me and said to yourself, "I wish it were easy for me like it is for her?" If you have, then I'm glad you're reading this! I'm going to tell you a little secret.... It most definitely was NOT easy for me at first, and I STILL struggle now! It's easy to look at someone and see them as they are NOW... and totally overlook the JOURNEY they took to get them there! So here's a little glimpse into my journey.  

Me in 2010

I have struggled with my weight and body image since I can remember.  Always feeling uncomfortable in my own skin and comparing myself to other girls in school.  Hiding behind over-sized hoodies all through junior highschool just trying to feel comfortable.  

I wasn't the pretty girl with all the nice clothes and nice hair.  I was plain, I still am pretty plain.  

What has changed is that my confidence has grown and I know how to eat well and what exercise works for me.  I have figured it out, but it took me a long time.

The first time I ever lost weight and started to feel good about myself was in the summer of 2006 when Gord and I tried and South Beach Diet.  It worked for us, but the weight came back on... OF COURSE!  Cutting out whole food groups only works while your doing it.  It's not a long term solution.
  

I started going the the Gym after that and I went religiously every single day right after work.  Spin Classes, zumba, step, elliptical, circuit training, running etc.  I spent at least an hour at the gym every night, usually more. And I actually loved it! And ya I lost weight and looked great for my Wedding.  I felt great about myself at that time too but unfortunately spending that amount of time at the gym just wasn't sustainable long term for me.  

Me in 2007 after working out
every day for months.

We purchased our first home, got a puppy and started Reno's.  That was my excuse.  I needed to get home to let the dog out and work on the house stuff.  So I couldn't find the time to get the the Gym every night. Then we got pregnant and my weight ballooned!  I was eating processed junk, ice cream, frozen pizzas you name it!  All I could see when I looked at my Maternity photos were my huge arms, I tried to crop half my arm out of one photo just so I could share it.  I hardly looked at a scale at that time because it was too painful but I'm pretty sure I had at least 60 pounds to lose after we had Asher.  I felt horrible.  

I had an even harder time getting to the gym because I now had a baby, so what I knew had worked for me in the past wasn't going to work this time.  I couldn't spend hours each day in the gym sweating off all the junk I was eating.  And because I was home all day I snacked ALL the time!  

At 18 weeks with Asher

A few weeks after Asher was born

27 weeks with Asher...
I was not eating well and gained
a lot of weight in my arms and legs
in just 9 weeks.

I tried the Wii Fit board and I lost a few pounds repeating the same step program over and over again while Asher slept in the swing next to me.  But that quickly became boring and he only napped for about 15 minutes at a time. Walking was out of the question during the day because he seemed to hate the stroller and every time I went out I'd end up turning around half way through and walking/running home with a screaming baby.  

It wasn't easy.  

But if you have been following me you will know that during that time my Dad had Cancer and we lost him when Asher was 10 months old. 

A few months after he passed I stumbled across the book In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan.  And I'm sure you have heard me say this before... But I'll say it again.  It Changed my life.  

As I read the pages of this book I felt like my Dad was reading it to me.  Whispering in my ear and the words resonated with me.  

I stripped our cupboards of all processed foods and started reading labels.  Anything I didn't recognize on the list of ingredients meant I didn't buy it.  

I stopped buying pop completely and stopped ordering it when I went out for a meal too.  Where previously I had been addicted to diet pop and bought it in flats at Super Store. 

I started enjoying food more.  I wasn't scared of full fat anymore and I could finally just enjoy cheese and cream and all that good stuff that I had been taught was fattening.  Low fat, fake sugar was what I now feared and rejected.  And it felt good.  It clicked with me as a lifestyle change and not just a diet to be on for a few months. 

As a result both Gord and I lost weight and maintained a healthy weight for several years.  But exercise didn't really become part of the equation until a year ago.  

I had had another Baby and I was ready to feel "Fit" again.  I had seen my friend posting about a new home fitness program that you could do in 25 minutes per day!  So I decided to contact her about it and see how much it was.  

Me a few weeks after having Fraser (my 2nd baby)!
What a difference from after having Asher. 

I was the typical customer, more concerned with how much and didn't really ask about what exactly I would get for the price.  Focus T25 is one of the more expensive programs but I had no idea that you get 12 workouts, nutrition plans, recipes, workout calendar, exercise bands and much more.  NO CLUE.  I just saw the price and thought... wow that's a lot for a fitness program.  

I was comparing it to what I knew of home fitness programs that I had purchased at Walmart.  Typically when you get a fitness DVD from the store you get one workout that you play over and over again for about $25.  So $119 for 12 workouts PLUS PLUS PLUS..... had I seen the value in the PROGRAM (not just a workout) I think it would have clicked with me sooner. 

It took me a few months to jump in with both feet, but once I did I was hooked.  I LOVED my workouts.  I loved feeling like I was getting stronger every day and I was learning so much at the same time.  

It took me a long time to really figure this whole thing out.  And I still struggle every day to resist temptations.  There are days that I don't want to workout too.  

And my weight still fluctuates by about 5 pounds here and there.  But I know how to keep myself on track or get back on track and I have learned overtime.  

What worked for me once just doesn't work for me now.  We change, life changes and so do our fitness routines.  I wish I had known then what I know now because losing that weight after having Asher was a long journey and I really struggled.  Had there been a 21 Day fix or T25 then I think I would have been able to feel like I had a plan, and felt better about myself. 

The program that speaks to me and I find myself recommending to most of my customers is the 21 Day Fix.  WHY?  Because I feel like it's the program that would have worked for me then. It teaches people the basics of clean eating, which is where my journey all started.  AND it provides 30 minute workouts that are easy to follow and include an awesome modifier so anyone can start.  

So before you look at me or anyone else and compare yourself or assume that you can't do what they are doing STOP and ask a few questions first.  Everyone started somewhere.  I didn't just wake up one day knowing how to eat unprocessed Real food and know how to fit fitness into my life.  It has taken time, mistakes and lots of learning to get here.  

That is why I am sharing what I have learned with others.  That is why I get so much joy out of hearing other peoples success stories, helping them through their struggles and teaching them what I have discovered.  I am in no way an expert or nutritionist.  But I am an expert in what has worked for me, and what I know is working for a lot of people.  

What excuse are you willing to banish today?

Busy Elf

Alfie our little Elf on the Shelf has been a busy little elf lately.  

He has been keeping an eye on the Boys and reporting back to Santa each night.  This year Asher wakes up every morning excited to find Alfie, which has made it really fun for us.  However we darn not forget to move that Elf because sure thing he will notice!

There was one night where we did in fact forget, luckily we came up with a theory about why he hadn't moved right quick which did the trick! Asher had been up sick in the night and Gord ended up sleeping on the couch while Asher took his spot in the bed with me.  So our theory was that Alfie couldn't fly to the North Pole because Daddy might have seen him move since he was out in the living room.  It worked!  Phew.

Our little Elf has hidden in the Christmas Tree, the Christmas Village, on top of our Clock and has been busy playing with Asher's toys at night time.  One morning we woke up to Find Alfie on the back of Jake's Dune buggy racing Lightening McQueen around my bedroom! And yesterday morning we found Asher's Ninja Turtle playing Tic Tac Toe with Alfie on our kitchen table!

I have a few ideas for Alfie this week including a boat ride (when I know no one is showering or bathing the next day), Drawing on our bananas and maybe an elf breakfast too!

Comment below with your ideas for your Elf on the Shelf this week!  Or come by my Elf on the Shelf Ideas Pinterest board and share your ideas there!  You can request to be added to the group board which is so fun!