On and on and on

One thing I have truly come to love about this journey I've been on for the past six months is the way it helps others! Just by doing simple things each day that make ME stronger, I am also helping other people become stronger. It is INCREDIBLE!  And to think, the reaching out to others was the part that scared me about coaching! Now it's my FAVORITE part! I LOVE helping people start to regain their financial freedom! I love encouraging others to get healthy and believe in themselves! There is just SO much room for good in this business. 

Because someone reached out to me to share the positive, supportive, uplifting community that is Beachbody, my whole life has begun to change. For the better! My family is striving towards goals! Before I would set a goal and that would be the end of it. Lol I had ZERO follow through! But since joining Beachbody I have finally learned that ANYTHING, truly ANYTHING is possible. For me, for my family, for my friends, for complete strangers! And I want to share it with EVERYONE! 

The team spirit, true friendships, and belief in one anther has completely changed the way I look at health, work, family, money, it's crazy. It's wonderful . 

If you want to get healthy, if you want to earn an income by helping others, or if you simply want group support and a discount on amazing products and programs that will help you get healthy. Reach out! I never thought this whole coaching thing could be for me, but boy am I so glad I jumped in!

I'm here when you're ready to chat! Ask me ANYTHING. 

XOXO,

M 

excuse me while i go eat my feelings now...

You might be an emotional eater if....

*You ever  feel INTENSELY SUDDENLY hungry. Not like the kinda hunger that gradually intensifies as your tummy naturally digests and is emptied. Emotional hunger is an "I NEED A FREAKING BIG MAC IN MY FACE HOLE NOW!" type of deal. (me when my boys act up)

*You CRAVE junk foods instead of balanced, well portioned meals. Hello Ben and Jerry's, get in my belly! (so very very me) Hint: If an apple or a handful of baby carrots doesn't sound good, you are probably not really hungry.

*The urge to eat happens right after something that causes you stress, discomfort, or delight. (me again)

*The urge to eat accompanies guilt, sadness or BOREDOM (yep, me, me me...)

*You often feel GUILTY after giving in to the craving. (me some more)

(It's so out of control I dressed my freaking BABY as a taco for last Halloween)

What about YOU? Are you an emotional eater? I have never been more certain that I am ABSOLUTELY an emotional eater, and drinker! When I am stressed, overwhelmed, giddy with glee, I want SUGAR, BREAD and SODA. 

But I have good news! We CAN take back control of our emotions and the way we feed them.

Here are a few tips on how to smack that soda/candy/cheeseburger in the fatty, greasy, delicious face and send it packin:

-Exercise for 30 minutes a day EVERYDAY. Uggghhh I know, I know. But it doesn't have to be a huge, Herculean effort. Take a walk with the kids, dance around the living room. Exercise releases chemicals in the brain that fight off stress, depression and anxiety (all triggers for emotional eating). So, get movin and forget about that Frosty!

-BREATHE. Relax. Meditate twice a day. No "Ohms" needed (unless that's your jam. If so by all means "Ohm" the day away). Just close your eyes when you feel that stress craving starting to build. Close those gorgeous eyes and take 5 deep, slow breaths. As you exhale, think of something you are grateful for. Picture someone that makes you happy. Let your mind wander to a quiet, peaceful beach or mountainside. Go ahead, try it now.  Finding simple ways to decompress throughout the day will help us avoid getting to the point where we feel like the only thing that can calm us is inhaling an entire cheesecake. .

-Reach out! Find an accountability partner. Or a coach! When you feel like you're going to free fall face first into a bag of cheeze doodles, text them. Wave the distress flag and get some outside perspective! We really are stronger than our cravings but sometimes we just need to hear it from someone else.

Now that we are armed with knowledge and techniques for how to recognize and battle emotional eating let's commit TODAY to take back control. I am IN. How about you?

xoxo, 
M

clean that mess up.

It is time to reset.
My nutrition has taken a drastic turn downward lately and I need to clean up my act!

TODAY I am cleaning out our pantry and fridge of all yucky, sugary, processed JUNK. I am going to make these healthy changes STICK.

I have been taking the easy way out when it comes to snacks and meals for the kids and for myself. Hello, can we say popcorn, grilled cheese and popsicles? Yes yes we can... like every meal every day. And don't even get me started on what we ate on our trip this weekend. Whoa.

NOT GOOD.

They deserve better. My kids are developing lifelong habits NOW and I want them to know how to fuel their bodies and to be FREE from sugar addiction. I want them to eat a balanced diet of wholesome foods and not grow up on sugary, processed non-foods. Their brains and bodies are still developing for crying out loud! They need proper nutrition as much if not MORE than I do! And they need to see Drew and I modeling healthy choices. :)

I am going to document our journey here and I invite you to join us! Let's share recipes, ideas and support as we grow our families in health.

What do you need to remove from YOUR house this week to clean up your families act? What will you replace it with?

xoxo,
M

if you're going my way.

This hot mess is on the road for the weekend! Off to see family in central Florida. It's a special weekend for our niece and a great chance to catch up with some awesome family and friends!

These three boys are ready to get crazy with their cousins! I am really hoping Henry turns on the charm this weekend because his Granny and Pop Pop haven't seen it in real life. Henry is great about hamming it up for the camera but clams up in person. 

Drew and I plan to get our Insanity on while we are out of town and TRY to remain somewhere in the realm of clean eating. Lol we shall see. 

Have a great one!

Xoxo,

M

never say never.

I NEVER saw myself as a coach. I definitely NEVER saw myself jumping into network marketing. But it turns out, if you're willing to put in the work, reach out to help others, and believe... It is an unbelievable opportunity! 

I was skeptical. I researched looking for reasons NOT to sign-up to coach. I doubted anyone would want to join my team. I doubted anyone needed or wanted me as their coach. I wasn't sure I could do it. I didn't want to "sell" stuff. I was afraid of what people would think. I didn't want to drink Shakes for one meal a day. Blah blah blah. I had a million reasons not to do this. I also had a lot of FALSE ideas of why it wouldn't work.........

WRONG!

But what I found was that I needed to CHANGE my family's life MORE than I needed things to stay the SAME. 

Change isn't comfortable. Putting myself out there is hard and not my favorite thing to do. But staying where we were... in debt, trapped in a job I wasn't growing in, unable to be in charge of my own future... That was MORE uncomfortable than taking the leap to try something new.

I jumped in. And things immediately started to look better. I had hope again. My body started to change and my eating habits improved.  I didn't see financial success right away, but slowly and steadily, as I put in the daily effort, my business started to grow. And it continues to grow as I reach out and help others. People I never knew before becoming a coach. Friends who are ready to make a real, lasting change, family members in need of someone to cheer for them as they make hard changes. I NEVER feel like I'm just trying to "make a sale." Because I know that the products and programs I help connect people to ACTUALLY CHANGE LIVES. Especially the coaching opportunity. Coaching is a triple win because not only do we get healthy; we also help others get healthy and work on becoming unstoppable forces for POSITIVITY in this world. All while becoming more financially free. Ahh! So exciting!

This opportunity is INCREDIBLE. I LOVE that there is no limit on how far I can take this. No limit on how many people I can help. The only way I can fail is if I STOP trying. And that is powerful.

So, since I get asked this question on a very regular basis....Why did I choose to become a Beachbody coach?

- I wanted to earn an income from home so I could be with the kids and homeschool them. I have been running an at home daycare for 6 plus years and as the boys get older and need more focused attention I will need to be able to replace my daycare income with another work from home job.

- I needed accountability for eating healthy and daily exercise. I have NEVER been able to be consistent with my working out and eating right UNTIL NOW. I absolutely still cheat (a lot) and have days when I miss my work outs but the underlying HEALTHY LIFESTYLE is actually happening in my home and I am so thankful!

-I wanted an opportunity to be my own boss, set my own hours and create a source of residual income that builds into a fortune over time.

- I am DETERMINED to be better. For my husband, for my kids, for the world. And Beachbody is helping me become better.

What are YOUR dreams? How can I help YOU start building a future you can look forward to? Let's chat goals friend.

xoxo, 

M

Balsamic Honey Grilled Steak Salad

I don't know about yall but in the summer time, a crisp, fresh salad overflowing with scrumptiously ripe veggies really hits the spot for our family. And as you know, I live with four growing men so adding a pile of beef atop only serves to deepen their adoration for me. 

Ahhh... It's good to be the queen. 

And it's good to get in so many greens and proteins and colors in one meal! 

And just cuz I think yall are pretty awesome, here is an adorable baby eating popcorn. Cuz let's face it, he is freaking cute. 

Xoxo,

M

what.the.heck.

(Riding horses in the ocean in Jamacia. THAT was a good day.)

                                                                 
Ever wake up and realize that the year is OVER in just 4.5 months!?!?!?! What goals did you set for this year? I have already failed at several of my New Years Resolutions (Give Drew a back massage once a month.. sad) And I can't even remember many of them. lol SO that is probably not a good sign!

So let's call a do-over and spend the rest of this year charging forward towards our Big Scary Goals! I am going to write mine here AND print them out to hang up in my kitchen!

You should do the same! Let's make the rest of this year work FOR us!


Big Scary Goals

1. Have a wildly successful homeschool year with the boys incorporating field trips and LOTS of messy, active playful hands on learning! (Giddy)

2. Do something NEW and EXCITING with Boo once a quarter. It's time to mix up our date night routine a bit. (Though we do LOVE a good dinner and a movie night!)

3. Run a half-marathon by years end. (I know right? SCARY!)

4. Have a coaching team 50 strong working hard to help END THE TREND of preventable disease that is crushing our nations children's dreams!

5. Read 3 good books (Started a needed one last night called Parent Effectiveness Training)

6. Blog 3 times a week (you're welcome ;) )

7. Help 100 more people begin their fitness and health journey. Helping others feels SO good!

8. Grow my Zumba crew to a steady 10 people per class (anyone wanna come Zumba tonight!? First class is free!)

9. Drink a gallon of water EVERY DAY.

10. Make more time to connect with important people in my life!

What are some of YOUR big scary goals!???

xoxo,
M

change it all.

As much as I am proud of the physical transformation Beachnody coaching has enabled me to have, I am even more excited for the emotional and financial transformations happening in my life and my family's life. 

As a coach I get paid every Thursday and yesterday's check was well over enough to pay our family's electric bill from last month. One WEEKS pay! I knew there was income potential with this opportunity but I didn't realize just how fast I could make it happen if I put my mind to it. 

What's more exciting is that ANYONE can do this. I'm not special. Just a mom with a full time job who is drowning in debt. I just want to make my family's burden lighter. And I LOVE that I am able to do that all by helping  people achieve their health, emotional and financial goals. 

I love knowing that the future doesn't depend on a raise or on how well Drew or I fit into someone else's mold. WE have big dreams, and we don't have to wish for them anymore. We just have to work. 

It's a pretty good feeling. 

Xoxo, 

M

Oh no... I'm part of a PYRAMID SCHEME!

Human Pyramid

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

I NEVER realized how much much traditional employment resembles a da da daaaaaa (whispers...pyramid scheme...)

Don't be a human stair step! You don't have to work for ANYONE. That is one utterly wonderful thing about network marketing! No one has to use anyone else as their stepping stone. With Beachbody, the ONLY way to succeed is through helping OTHERS reach their goals. And I LOVE that.

We work as a TEAM to help one another build volume and create residual income. With coaching, there is no scarcity mentality. We aren't afraid of running out of people to help or people that want to become coaches. There are MILLIONS of people out there that are ready for change; be it physical change or financial change. Heck, there is an entire generation of people growing up already battling the diseases we, as coaches are fighting to end. Trust me when I say, there is an ABUNDANCE of people to help physically. And I am sure you can agree that, in this era of student loan debt, credit card debt, inflation and just overall financial crises, there are MILLIONS of people out there LOOKING for a way to bring in an extra income to help ease the burden.

With network marketing (especially Beachbody IMO) the risk is basically non-existent. It costs $15 a month  to coach. $15! My initial sign up was $140 (I chose to purchase a fitness program and bag of Shakeology at sign up so I could have a knowledge of and experience with the products). What do I have to lose if I fail? A few inches from my waistline? Don't mind if I do! But guess what... I'm not going to fail. Because with Network marketing, all it takes to be a success is consistent effort and time. It doesn't matter who you know or where you went to school. No degree needed. No experience required. Just a teachable mind and a willingness to put yourself out there to help others.

Can you tell I'm a little passionate about it? Network marketing used to scare me too. I get it. But now I ACTUALLY GET IT! LOL And there is NOTHING to be scared of and EVERYTHING to be EXCITED about! Limitless potential.

Network Marketing isn't perfect. It's just better.

It's better than a blue collar job that beats on your body.

It's better than a sales job that makes you start over every single day.

It's better than working for someone else helping them reach their dream.

It's better than starting a traditional business with the massive risk.

Network Marketing certainly isn't for everyone, but if you have an entrepreneurial bone in your body, it's a better way.

So, what's holding you back?

Ask me ANYTHING.

xoxo,

M

my kid is pickier than your kid.

Oh how I love his tiny face! He is sweet, adorable and HILARIOUS.

But he (like my other two kids) is kiiiind of picky when it comes to food. Could it be because I always have my boob in his face? Maybe. But I know that's not what's up with the older two...they lost the boob a long time ago.

Any who, I've been doing some research on "picky" eaters and you'll be happy to know there is HOPE! 

Now, don't get all weird on me when I bring up the French and how they "don't get fat" because I really do think they're on to something here!

“The French believe that teaching a kid to eat is just as important as, and just as time consuming as, teaching them to read. When you teach a kid to read, you teach the alphabet, then words, sit with them, read with them. The French feel that way about eating. They have a long-term view. They also don’t get frustrated when there are bumps in the road. Some kids take longer to read than others, but they don’t give up and say “This kid is a picky eater, she just doesn’t like broccoli.” You don’t treat fear of foods as a personality trait, you treat it as a phase.” –Bon Appetit/Karen LeBillon

With that in mind, I found some easy kids meals we can try with our tiny food critics.

Find the full post here

Now go get em mama's and papa's! Let's train those tiny taste buds to enjoy more than just McNuggets!

xoxo, 

M

ex-hausted.

Drew and I are tired like whoa. 

We wake up every morning at 5am. Him to bust his butt with Insanity. Me to work my coaching business. Waking up early is a bummer for sure but I kinda love it too because feels like it is the only time we are alone together these days. 

Parenting young kids is hard. They need so much. And they don't give a whole lot back. Cuteness for sure. Sweet, slobbery kisses definitely! But they are messy, loud, violent, and completely self-absorbed. At Least my kids. I may be doing this whole mom thing completely wrong. But that's another post for another day. 

Anyway what I do know is I Love them and I love Drew. We have a LOT going on  and some seriously BIG dreams. Waking up at the butt crack of dawn is a sacrifice we're more than willing to make to reach our goals. 

Xoxo,

M

where wendy lives.

Yesterday Ollie looked at me, starry eyed and hopeful...

"Mom, when will we go to Wendy's?"

"Who's Wendy?" I asked.

"The girl with the Baconater. When can we go to her house?"

Yep. It's time for some  changes.