Happy Easter & A Little Housekeeping

First things first, I hope you are having a wonderful Easter Sunday! Our morning started off with a very excited almost-three-year-old hunting down colorful plastic eggs all over our house. He's much better at it than we imagined he'd be and that activity took all of ten minutes. 

Easter is a wonderful day for allowing candy before--or maybe even as--breakfast and letting your living room floor look like a bag of that fake grass exploded on it.

But we'd be mistaken if we pretended that's all it was. So I wanted to take a second to say, if you ever wondered what all the hoopla was all about, look no further than Matthew 28:6. "He is not here; He is Risen, just as He said!"

 

 

We love the bunny. No doubt about it. We praise the King that died so that we may live with Him for all eternity.

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Tomorrow is technically the last day of the No Junk Food Challenge. And if you'd like to stop there, you're welcome to do so.  Rachel and I have decided to continue on for another week.  You know, because we have no interest is foods made from sugary goodness or fried to crispy perfection.  The Krispy Kreme Hot Now sign has no affect on us; no, Ma'am.  We're so into health and fitness that this no junk stuff is like a freaking cake walk (See what I did there?).  Why not add more days?! 

 

Lies.  All lies.  We simply felt it would do us some good to add another week to even things out and give us a full month of the challenge. Plus, it really does make you feel better to not consume so much junk.  Your body loves you more.  And that is not a lie.  Promise. 

 

I do have to confess that I cheated yesterday and ate the world's best coconut doughnut.  But it was at church while I was serving for our Saturday Easter service.  I kind of felt like it was God giving His blessing since it was offered at church.  Who am I to tell the Big Guy no? 

 

And, to offset that little slip-up I did this workout today:

 

 

Believe me, I do not feel guilty about that doughnut anymore!  This one will definitely work your tail out!  No matter how fluffy. 

 

And get used to seeing these two ladies on our blog; we're going to do their Bikini Challenge starting April 28th.  We'll take you along for the ride.  And, please, don't let the title scare you.  The last time I wore a bikini I think I was three.  I don't expect to slip back into that little red, ruffled number when this is done.  But we have seen some of the Before & After stories from the Tone It Up website and they're pretty impressive. 

 

These two gals are quite the motivators and we think you'll like them.  If you want to sign up for the challenge (it's FREE!), head on over to their website (www.toneitup.com) and go to the page for Bikini Series 2014.  They'll send you a starter pack of information with a few recipes and some tips. 

 

Have a wonderful week! 

 

--Jessica

 

 

On a Positive Note

I am not the most naturally positive person.  I mean, I'm looking at that glass like everyone else.  And honestly, I'm thinking it needs more sweet tea.  But that's just me.

Don't get me wrong, I can find the silver linings in clouds and I can smile when things aren't so wonderful.  Just because positivity doesn't come automatically for me, doesn't me that it fails to come at all.  I just have to work at it.  Because I want it.  Because I need it.  I believe we all do. 

As I've gotten older I've tried to make a conscious decision to be more positive, to say nicer things and, the hardest of all, to think better things.  After all, that's where it starts.  In your own mind.  The people around you that are saying negative things about others, or even themselves, are only repeating the things rolling around in their minds. 

But then they say them. 

And now you've heard them. 

And the positivity that you're holding onto takes a beating. 

For people like me, a girl who is sometimes hanging on by her fingernails to keep her positive thoughts, that's a big deal. 

This world we live in has no shortage of ugliness and meanness and sadness.  There's enough hate and greed and anger to go around this planet more times than we can count.  And it's easy to get caught up in that.  Maybe too easy. 

Things will not always go your way.  People will cut you off on the highway.  Some may not say thank you when you hold the door for them.  People you love will hurt you.  People you don't like will hurt you.  Fairness is not a given; it is going to rain right after you wash your car; no one will show up for your party; someone you love is going to pass away far sooner than you wanted them to and work is always going to be work. 

Our instinct is to say things like, "well, it's just my luck..." It is not your luck.  It is your life.  And it is the only one you're going to get. And in the midst of all that crappy stuff, there is so much wonderful stuff.  I bet if you look back, even on your worst day, there was still an amazing show of love.  Someone loved you enough to listen to you complain without interrupting.  Loved you enough to care that you were upset.  Loved you enough to just sit by your side or make you smile when you didn't think you could.  Or maybe even loved you enough to tell you shut up and deal with it.  Love comes in lots of forms, you know.

That's the positive.  It's there.  Look for it.  Make it a point to seek it out. 

Make it your mission to surround yourself with people who build you up and point out the good
stuff.  We need the good stuff.  And we need to pass it along.    

So pick up your glass, be it half-full or half-empty, and drink it down with a smile on your face.  No matter what it looks like now, it can always be filled again. 

--Jessica

Bare Minerals eye shadow- a review of Queen Tiffany

I have to start this post out by saying that I am not usually a fan of loose powder for foundation, eye shadows or blush. They are just too messy for me and I don’t have time for mess or cleaning up in the morning!

So when I found Queen Tiffany by Bare Minerals (a loose shadow), I was so surprised that I liked it! It’s a gorgeous neutral color! It’s not too bronze (orange) or too brown- it’s just a couple of shades darker than my skin tone. PERFECT COLOR FOR SUMMER!!!! It is a shimmery color so if you don’t like to shimmer- you probably won’t like this color.

I have tried applying it 3 different ways (with my finger sans primer, with a brush sans primer and with a brush with primer). Here are my results:

·        I felt like it wasn’t even when I applied it with my finger, almost like it clumped and was darker in one spot.

·        It did ok applying it with a brush without any primer and actually stayed on most of the day.

·        I prefer to apply it with a brush after primer is applied- It just looked better and lasted longer!

·        I did get some shadow to fall on my cheeks- this is called “fall out” in the cosmetic world and is an artist’s nightmare! The two solutions for this problem is to:

o    Place a tissue under your eye (before you apply the shadow) to catch the powder -my preferred method.

o   Do your eye makeup first and then apply your foundation, powder and blush.

Bare Minerals shadows can be found at Ulta or Sephora and are around $14 each. It’s a pretty big pot of powder but I’m not sure how long it will last since I feel like I do waste more than with  a pressed shadow so, I will keep you posted on that and hopefully I will get better at using it and start to waste less!

 

 

HIIT me!

I feel like I need to start this post with a bit of a disclaimer.  I am in no way, shape or form any kind of fitness expert.  Those of you that know me personally are probably giggling a little right now at the mere thought that I felt compelled to even make that statement.  However, I am going to be writing about getting your workout on, so I thought it might be best to let you know that my "expertise" is purely, well, not.

Rachel and I both want you to do what is best for you and your overall health.  So don't do anything we say to do simply because we think it's a good idea.  None of these things are my ideas anyway.  I'm totally stealing them from people that actually know what they are talking about.  The real experts, if you will.

Ok, now that we've gotten that out of the way...

I've been working pretty hard to lose some weight for the past, I don't know, 25 years?  I'm 32 now so I'm going to go ahead and add "weight issues" to the list of things that I've just kind of been dealing with as long as I can remember.  And if I look back on my life as a whole, there was not one time period that I can pinpoint as my "I'd like to be that size again" era.  I've just always been heavier than I wanted to be.

But I wasn't terribly willing to do anything about it.  I mean, I love a cookie.  And if being smaller meant no cookies, well, what kind of life was that?

Until the day that hit my lowest point.  I remember it pretty vividly.  I was getting ready for my sweet friend Jaime's bridal shower.  I was getting increasingly agitated as I stood in my closet among piles of clothes that didn't fit me.  Funny, they fit me just a few months, maybe even a few weeks, ago.  I looked at myself in the mirror and at the size I had let myself become and got so upset that I just started crying.  And I cried so hard that I got sick.  And that was my rock bottom.  That was the day that I decided I would not live like that any more.

And over the next six months, I lost 40 pounds.

Then I got pregnant.

And I gained 39.  But I didn't gain back the whole 40!

After I had Jack (Almost three years ago this May.  Let's not talk about it.  My baby is most definitely not a baby anymore.) it took me a while to get back on the weight loss bandwagon.  I lost about 30 of the 39 that I put on.  And then I gained 15, then I lost 10, then I gained...

Well, you see where this was headed.  Nowhere.  Circles.  Fat Circles.  sigh*

But then one day I got angry again. Oddly enough it was when I was trying to find something to wear.  Clothes must be a real motivator for me.  Hey, whatever works.  Between that and the thought of raising a child that didn't know how to be healthy (one of my biggest fears in this life) I snapped out of my "phone it in"  approach to my health and fitness.

I got up off my rear end and started moving.  I started looking for ways to eat better.  I read up on the right way to work out.  And how to work out more efficiently.  More often.  I don't have a lot of time.  If you are like me, you don't either.  But, so what?  I bet you have ten minutes.  And in those ten minutes you can do this little number:

This is a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout that I found on Pinterest.  And it will kick your booty.

You do each exercise as hard as you can for 45 seconds, resting for 15 seconds between each. Let me tell you, 45 seconds is a lot longer than you think.  And 15 seconds is a hell of a lot shorter.  Funny how that works out.

The first time I did this, I spent longer on You Tube watching videos of how to properly do Mountain Climbers and Burpees than I actually did doing the exercises.  When you don't know how to do something, Google it!  Just make sure you're doing it right!  It's very easy to hurt yourself and that defeats the whole purpose.

Also, I don't do lunges.  I have terrible knees and just about every list of "Exercises You Should Not Do If You Have Bad Knees" will include lunges.  They are wonderful and really work.  So if you can do them, go for it!

Why HIIT?  Look, I don't know all the science behind it, and I won't even try to repeat to you all the stuff I've read from the people that actually went to school to learn it.  But this is the most effective form of exercise for burning fat.

Drink your water (lots of it), eat your veggies/fruits and lean proteins (in healthy portions), and do High Intensity Interval Training.

It works.  This, along with the No Junk Food challenge that we've been doing has helped me take off an additional four pounds in the last week.  That's a big deal for the girl that used to be able to put that much ON in a weekend.  I told you, cookies are my kryptonite.

To date, I've lost 72 pounds.  And I'm not done yet.  My ultimate goal is to lose a total of 100. For the first time ever I feel like that is a real possibility.

And let's get something straight.  I still eat cookies.  But I eat them far less regularly.  And I savor every little bite.  

-Jessica 
And one more thing--we're on Pinterest now!!  Come follow Caffeine & Concealer! 

Learning to take a compliment

Why is it so hard to take a compliment?????  This is something that has become my self-peeve and I am truly working on accepting compliments with grace and (here’s the hard part) believing the person that gave me the compliment!

Typical conversation between ladies:

Lady A: Oh Lady B, I just love your shoes!
Lady B: These old things, you've seen these before!

I’m not a professional compliment receiver yet but I think the proper response to a compliment is just a simple “Thank you!" And since Lady A might have seen them before does that mean she can't like them when she sees them again??? Ok, that was probably far fetched but you get the point!

Jessica and I both confessed that we struggle the most when it comes to our husbands. I mean these are the guys that fell in love with us knowing all of our flaws* and still desired to marry us- they still think we are pretty and we should be thankful for that and just give them a kiss when they tell us instead of telling them they need to get their eyesight checked!!! 

 

<3 Rachel

 

On a side note... it's day 4 of the No Junk Challenge!!!!!!!!

 

*I am a bad horrible driver, I sometimes put the toilet paper roll on the holder backwards and I am the least organized person you know (Yes- I know the middle one could have been a deal breaker but he married me anyways! Thank God- Have you seen our kid, he is the cutest thing ever!!!!!)

 

 

April's No Junk Challenge!

Rachel and I have really been enjoying the monthly challenges that we've been posting.  Well, that might be a bit of a lie.  If I have to do one more tricep dip I might cry.  Big girl tears.  However, despite the pain, they've all been worth it. 

For the most part we've been all about working different areas of the body or, like last month, getting your body moving in general.  And that's a great habit to stay in.  If the warm weather would ever actually stick around (and the rain would ever stop!) it would be a great time of year to head outside and get those bodies in motion.  Really, whatever motions you like will do. 

But for April we thought it might be good to focus on what we're eating and not just on how to work it off.  So we're going to give this little beauty a shot:

Now don't freak out on us.  We know this is not an easy one to tackle.  But, you will notice, it's only for 21 days.  That's just three weeks.  And we believe that you can do it for three weeks.  And we have to believe that because we are trying deperately to believe that we can do it for three weeks.   You feel me?

I'd also like to clarify a few of the rules.  So, here we go:

• No Fast Food 
• Look, we understand that fast food is part of life.  There is no way that many of you (or we) are going to be able to go three weeks without heading into a Chick-fil-a or a McDonald's.  If you're like me and my family a lot of that has to do with living on a fixed income and that dreaded B-word: Budget.  If we go out to eat, it ain't gonna be somewhere that they pour my tea and bring me complimentary rolls.  We're living on the cheap right now, so fast food happens. 
• Instead of NO fast food, we are asking that you choose better fast food.  If you get a chicken sandwich, make sure it's grilled.  If salads or wraps are an option, go for those.  Oh, and hold up on the Ranch dressing.  Yes, I did just say that.  Please don't send hate emails. 
• No Carbonated Beverages
• Ok, the name of the game is Caffeine & Concealer.  If you get your buzz from a Diet Coke in the morning, don't let us stop you.  Sometimes coffee just won't do and we know that not all of you love it like, well, I do.  So try your best to limit the fizzy stuff to once a day during this challenge. 

I think we all know that a cheat may happen here or there.  For instance, my sister's baby shower is April 12th.  I'm just saying that there will be sweet treats.  And I'm also saying that I didn't plan this thing to not partake.  But do the best you can.  Really, really try this one on for size.  And see what comes of it. 

We're starting April 1st so you've got a few days to plan and adjust your grocery shopping if you need to.  We'll be checking in on Facebook as we go and would love to hear from you! 

And just think, this will finish up right after Easter.  Read: discount Easter candy at every store in the country.  Come Day 22, let the sugar rush begin!  Or maybe, you'll find yourself smack dab in the middle of a new healthy habit.  Let's see in 21 days...
 

Shape Up Downtown - Free group fitness classes from O2 Fitness!

Shape Up Downtown is FREE outdoor group fitness classes that are held "on the lawn" every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in April at 6pm on the turf in City Plaza in downtown Raleigh! They are covering everything from bootcamp, yoga, Insanity and ballet barre!

Bring your friends, your coworkers, your family - it's free for everyone!

Jessica and I are going to try to attend at least one together and we will give ya'll the scoop! However, in case we don't get to make it till later in the month we wanted to at least give ya'll a heads up!

Check out the schedule and learn more about Shape Up Downtown here.

 

 

<3 Rachel