Let's breathe some life into this blog, shall we?
This song is perfect for how I feel right now....
I don't like life.....I love it....
Let's all grab an ice cream cone,
sit back,
relax,
and enjoy the moment! :)
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
New Release Tuesday
Did any of you watch the show "Empire"?
I didn't but had been hearing about how great the
music from the show was.
I liked what I heard so much that I
ended up buying the soundtrack!
Right now, this is my favorite song and
it's currently on repeat.
Let me know what you think!
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
New Release Tuesday
This isn't a new release but in case you forgot about it,
let me reintroduce you!
This song came on last week during one of my
workouts and I almost lost my mind. #realtalk
Yes, I stopped what I was doing so I could
do a booty shake.
To my fellow gym members that witnessed it....you're welcome.
To those of you who missed it....sucks to be you.... ;)
Enjoy!!
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Cuz I'm Happy...
Cue the Pharrell Williams song!
*actually please don't because that song grates on my nerves now - thanks local radio stations for overplaying it!
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| photo credit |
Did y'all know that last Friday was International Day of Happiness? There was a Do Happy Today event on the plaza that is front of the library that I work at. The coordinator of the event asked for volunteers to help "sprinkle happiness" before and during the event. What is "sprinkling happiness"? It was as simple as this!
I have to be honest when I say there have been times in my life recently where I may not have been consciously taking the time to be happy, be present in the moment, be calm, etc. I have been on auto-pilot and that is not good!
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| photo credit |
I am going to diligently work on having more moments like these.
Here's to being carefree - present - grateful - happy!
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
New Release Tuesday
Shaggy is back!
Wait...was he ever really gone?
I don't know the answer to that question but
I do know that when this song came on iTunes Radio,
(yes, I'm obsessed with iTunes Radio!)
I started shaking my ass...
After hearing that song, I wanted
to go to the reggae bar that's here in town,
dance, drink, and eat some jerk chicken in the parking lot.
*sigh*
Enjoy the song and as always,
if you have any recommendations please send them to me!
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
New Release Tuesday
I decided that I would research
the artist I was introducing y'all to today
but guess what?
There is pretty much no information
about "Fancy"!
Apparently, that's his thing.
Remaining anonymous, that is.
Doesn't matter....
The song is still great!
Monday, March 9, 2015
Be Nice!!
A couple of weeks ago I stumbled upon a blog post that, for lack of a better description, punched me in the face.
I feel like the post was waiting for me and when I clicked the title, it did this......
The post is from Crop Tops and Kale (ummm...best name ever!) and is entitled "On Calling Ourselves Ugly". I'm not going to give a book report on the post because you NEED (see what I did there? I used capitalization and the bold option. That means it's very very very important) to read it for yourself. The title pretty much sums it up.
I am very careful about saying that I'm fat or that I need to lose weight in front of The Princess. I have made a conscious effort, especially these last few years, to limit the amount of self negative talk that I engage in when she is around. I want her to love her body and be proud of the skin she is in but how can she do that if her mother doesn't teach her how to?
Want to know what I'm not careful about? In the words of D-Money, the post's author, talking shit about my looks. I am guilty of saying not so nice things about the way I look.Why? I don't really know. I've always done it. Truthfully, I always felt like I was the ugly duckling in the family. I mean...I think any female would have a complex growing up with a sister and mom who look like this!
There's a joke in my family about a time when a boy I liked said to me "I think your sister's pretty" and with that line, he crushed my dreams of calling him my boyfriend. And while I can chuckle about it now, it still stings a little bit. This was not the first, nor would it be the last, time someone made a comment about my sister, co-worker, friend, being more attractive than me.
I have a five, not fore, head. I constantly scrutinize my pictures. I don't like the way I look when I laugh. My nose looks like a bell pepper. I have chipmunk cheeks. I look like a boy. I need more eyebrows. My lips could be plumper. My face is shaped weird. What's up with the bags under my eyes? Why isn't my face "softer"? I wish I had that good hair. Damn, I look like a dude.
I should have put quotation marks before and after each of those sentences because those are things that I say to or about myself. How nice of me, right?
Now, let me be clear on something. I'm not writing this post so people will feel sorry for me or tell me how pretty they think I am. I'm writing this post because I'm a grown ass woman who needs to let those ridiculous comments go and focus on learning to love myself.
D-Money wrote "When we continuously think and say mean things to ourselves, we eventually start to believe them." and it makes no sense to be so mean and cruel to ourselves.
I may not be a Beyonce or Gabrielle Union but you know what?
I'm me...gloriously ridiculous, goofy, awkward, smartass, klutzy, intelligent, nerdy, slightly attractive (hey...it's the best I can do right now...don't judge me...I'm working on it...lol) me.
I can live with that!
I feel like the post was waiting for me and when I clicked the title, it did this......
The post is from Crop Tops and Kale (ummm...best name ever!) and is entitled "On Calling Ourselves Ugly". I'm not going to give a book report on the post because you NEED (see what I did there? I used capitalization and the bold option. That means it's very very very important) to read it for yourself. The title pretty much sums it up.
I am very careful about saying that I'm fat or that I need to lose weight in front of The Princess. I have made a conscious effort, especially these last few years, to limit the amount of self negative talk that I engage in when she is around. I want her to love her body and be proud of the skin she is in but how can she do that if her mother doesn't teach her how to?
 |
| The Princess and I! |
Want to know what I'm not careful about? In the words of D-Money, the post's author, talking shit about my looks. I am guilty of saying not so nice things about the way I look.Why? I don't really know. I've always done it. Truthfully, I always felt like I was the ugly duckling in the family. I mean...I think any female would have a complex growing up with a sister and mom who look like this!
There's a joke in my family about a time when a boy I liked said to me "I think your sister's pretty" and with that line, he crushed my dreams of calling him my boyfriend. And while I can chuckle about it now, it still stings a little bit. This was not the first, nor would it be the last, time someone made a comment about my sister, co-worker, friend, being more attractive than me.
I have a five, not fore, head. I constantly scrutinize my pictures. I don't like the way I look when I laugh. My nose looks like a bell pepper. I have chipmunk cheeks. I look like a boy. I need more eyebrows. My lips could be plumper. My face is shaped weird. What's up with the bags under my eyes? Why isn't my face "softer"? I wish I had that good hair. Damn, I look like a dude.
I should have put quotation marks before and after each of those sentences because those are things that I say to or about myself. How nice of me, right?
Now, let me be clear on something. I'm not writing this post so people will feel sorry for me or tell me how pretty they think I am. I'm writing this post because I'm a grown ass woman who needs to let those ridiculous comments go and focus on learning to love myself.
 |
| photo credit |
I may not be a Beyonce or Gabrielle Union but you know what?
I'm me...gloriously ridiculous, goofy, awkward, smartass, klutzy, intelligent, nerdy, slightly attractive (hey...it's the best I can do right now...don't judge me...I'm working on it...lol) me.
I can live with that!
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
New Release Tuesday
Here's a "poppy" feel-good song to add
to your music library.
And how cute is Olly Murs?
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
It's Officially #FlatoutLove
Y'all know that I love food and that I am basically a fat kid at heart, right??
#LaOffseasonLoca has been really awesome in that I have been able to try different foods and work at being more creative with my meals. This is why I was incredibly excited to have the opportunity to review a new Flatout product that hasn't even hit shelves yet!*
*keep reading for a coupon to purchase Flatouts wraps and pizza crust!
Right before I headed to L.A. for TheFitExpo, a package of goodies arrived at my door from Flatout. I was so excited to see what they had sent, I took the box with me to work so I could open it there :) What I had received was packages of Flatout's new line of high protein, low carb flatbread wraps. They generously sent me two packages of each of three new flavors they will be launching. The three flavors are:
I left early Thursday morning and since I knew I had a long day of driving ahead of me, I wanted to make sure that I ate something tasty & filling. Perfect time to try out the Sea Salt & Crushed Black Pepper wrap!
I do not love eggs or egg whites but I am adding them to the "meal rotation" about 2-3 times a week. For this particular wrap, I used 4 medium egg whites. Combining the egg whites with a chicken sausage, a handful of spinach, some goat cheese, and Sriracha made me a do my happy wiggle!
Sunday morning before heading back to the expo, several FitFluential Ambassadors and I were invited to a "First Taste Breakfast" with the amazing folks of Flatout. We were able to see the packaging ideas, try out recipes using the wraps, in addition to learning more about the product we were sent.
Interesting pieces of information that I took away from the breakfast:
When I got back from L.A. and saw The Mister, he asked me about the "tortilla things" on the counter. I explained to him that they were not tortillas but were flatbread wraps and told him I wanted him to try them.
He wasn't feeling extra adventurous that morning so he just used the wrap for one of his favorites, runny icky eggs :) The Sea Salt & Crushed Black Pepper was not his favorite so I told him he had to try the Red Pepper Hummus (which is my personal favorite!).
The Mister opted for carne asada, goat cheese, and Sriracha while The Princess and I had a shrimp-lentil-brown rice-olive oil concoction I threw together. Y'all know I'm not one for b.s. so when I say that my family is a big fan of these wraps, it's the truth!
Here are some recipe ideas for you to keep in mind when you buy your first set of wraps ;) and while ProteinUp won't hit the shelves for another few weeks, you can still experiment with the Flatout wraps and pizza crusts. Here's a coupon to use when you go shopping! https://www.hopster.com/offeres/flatout/13072852/1
I still have more wraps to use so....here's my question for you....what recipes should I try next??
This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Flatout.
#LaOffseasonLoca has been really awesome in that I have been able to try different foods and work at being more creative with my meals. This is why I was incredibly excited to have the opportunity to review a new Flatout product that hasn't even hit shelves yet!*
*keep reading for a coupon to purchase Flatouts wraps and pizza crust!
 |
| Goodies! |
Right before I headed to L.A. for TheFitExpo, a package of goodies arrived at my door from Flatout. I was so excited to see what they had sent, I took the box with me to work so I could open it there :) What I had received was packages of Flatout's new line of high protein, low carb flatbread wraps. They generously sent me two packages of each of three new flavors they will be launching. The three flavors are:
- Core 12 - this is their original wrap recipe made with chickpeas
- Red Pepper Hummus - also powered by chickpeas
- Sea Salt & Crushed Black Pepper - brought to you by navy beans
I left early Thursday morning and since I knew I had a long day of driving ahead of me, I wanted to make sure that I ate something tasty & filling. Perfect time to try out the Sea Salt & Crushed Black Pepper wrap!
 |
| Don't bother me - I'm eating :) |
Sunday morning before heading back to the expo, several FitFluential Ambassadors and I were invited to a "First Taste Breakfast" with the amazing folks of Flatout. We were able to see the packaging ideas, try out recipes using the wraps, in addition to learning more about the product we were sent.
Interesting pieces of information that I took away from the breakfast:
- Beans are high in protein and complex carbs so they can provide you with long-lasting energy.
- Beans have more antioxidant potential than blueberries.
- Eating beans has been shown to reduce hunger and overall calorie intake throughout the day.
 |
| The Flatout table at the #LAFitExpo |
When I got back from L.A. and saw The Mister, he asked me about the "tortilla things" on the counter. I explained to him that they were not tortillas but were flatbread wraps and told him I wanted him to try them.
He wasn't feeling extra adventurous that morning so he just used the wrap for one of his favorites, runny icky eggs :) The Sea Salt & Crushed Black Pepper was not his favorite so I told him he had to try the Red Pepper Hummus (which is my personal favorite!).
The Mister opted for carne asada, goat cheese, and Sriracha while The Princess and I had a shrimp-lentil-brown rice-olive oil concoction I threw together. Y'all know I'm not one for b.s. so when I say that my family is a big fan of these wraps, it's the truth!
Here are some recipe ideas for you to keep in mind when you buy your first set of wraps ;) and while ProteinUp won't hit the shelves for another few weeks, you can still experiment with the Flatout wraps and pizza crusts. Here's a coupon to use when you go shopping! https://www.hopster.com/offeres/flatout/13072852/1
I still have more wraps to use so....here's my question for you....what recipes should I try next??
This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Flatout.
New Release Tuesday
I have no idea who Tori Kelly is
but I am totally diggin' this song and her voice!
I have some research to do because I want
to learn more about her & her music!
but I am totally diggin' this song and her voice!
I have some research to do because I want
to learn more about her & her music!
Friday, February 13, 2015
Sights & Sounds - Day 1
Y'all.....Los Angeles was frickin' A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! What an amazing city!! I had so much fun and I can't wait to tell you all about it! I'll save my adventures with my brother for its own blog post so let's start with Day 1 of TheFitExpo!
TheFitExpo was being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center and lucky for me, this was about a 10-15 minute walk from my brother's apartment. Friday night, Jonathan showed me where the Convention Center was in proximity to the restaurant we ate at and his apartment. It was an easy route and I wasn't worried about finding my way the next morning. Umm....ya....except we didn't know they were going to close that particular route because the Grammy's were going to be taking place on Sunday. So, I had to take the "long" route and after a lenghtier power walk than I anticipated, I made it to the Convention Center and headed upstairs to meet the rest of the group.
After going over some of the logistics of the day, we were able to introduce ourselves to one another and chat it up. The first person I HAD to meet was Jody from Truth2BeingFit. I'm not quite sure how I "discovered" her blog but from the moment I started reading, I was a fan! Jody is 57 and still throwin' around heavy weight almost every day (she has been lifting weights for over 30 years!). I love that her blog is a mix of workouts, reviews, glimpses into her personal life, and lessons about learning the lesson that "I Am Enough". The second she & I saw each other. there was squealing and hugging (which you know is a big deal because I don't hug...lol). Then we spotted Melissa from Melissa Running It. Cue more squealing and hugging! The funny thing is, it felt like we had met before and had known each other for years. FitFluential is not only about blogging or having a presence on social media. It is about connecting with others, finding inspiration from others, and forming bonds and friendships.
I and the other Ambassadors were then escorted downstairs to where the expo would be taking place and told that we could walk the floor. I'm not saying it was like telling a group of small children that they had Disneyland all to themselves....bbbbuuutttt......it could have been :)
There were certain brands/companies I was looking for including RSP Nutrition, 6 Pack Bags, Smart Shake, and of course, Nubreed Nutrition. I found almost all of them (except RSP) but Nubreed is the only booth whose table I jumped on for a picture :)
Before we knew it, it was time for the doors to open to the public. There was a rush, literally, of bodies through the doors. I could hear people talking about who they wanted to see, what workouts they wanted to do, what they wanted to buy, and more. There was this excitement in the air that I can't quite describe. It almost felt as electric as the Olympia Expo.
As I made my way over to the stage where the Ironman Naturally competition was being held, I walked past the Met-Rx booth. I glanced at the booth, glanced away, and then glanced back again. It took me a minute but my brain finally processed that I was staring directly at the current Ms. Figure Olympia Nicole Wilkins! I pulled out my phone and tried to be as sneaky as possible while lifting it up to take her picture. She looked right at me, laughed a little bit, then asked "Do you want to take a selfie??" DO I WANT TO TAKE A SELFIE?!?!?! While I wanted to jump up and down like a crazed fan, I calmly told her that I would love to take a selfie. Priceless moment!
Over the course of the day, I watched the prejuding and finals portions of the Ironman Naturally competition. I also had the opportunity to watch the Bodybuilding.com Bodyspace Spokesmodel finals. Both competitions made me itch for the stage. The music, the Pro-Tan, the glaze, the posing. I missed it all as I sat in the crowd.
In between competitions, I did a few more laps around the expo. I made my way back to the Nubreed booth because I needed to stock up and guess what?? As I'm walking by, I hear a voice yell "MrsFitLibrarian!" I turned and recognized one of the Nubreed guys that I met at Europa. We started chatted and while I was paying attention to what he was saying, I could see that Krissy Chin was working the booth! I made a comment about Nubreed being smart to make her one of their sponsored athletes and next thing I know, I'm standing next to Krissy Chin - chatting with her - and posing for a picture!
The expo also had a "Healthy Living Pavilion" where various presenters had food demonstrations. I've never taken the time to attend a food demo so I decided that I would definitely do it this time around. Jody and I attended a demo by Dymatize and they started the demo by asking who wanted to be in a "flex off". Jody walked up with no fear, busted out her guns, and walked away with a box of Supreme Protein Bars! #winning
By 6:00 pm, I was still very excited but exhausted! I decided that it was probably a great time to head out. I knew that Sunday would also be a full day and I wanted to make sure I had enough energy to make it through it. :)
I'm pretty sure that as I walked back to Jonathan's apartment, I had a giant grin on my face. I would have never imagined that I would be doing this. This being driving to L.A. by myself....attending an expo on behalf of a large influential company...meeting people that I look up to and admire...exploring downtown L.A. on my own....
What an adventure.
And this was only day 1!
TheFitExpo was being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center and lucky for me, this was about a 10-15 minute walk from my brother's apartment. Friday night, Jonathan showed me where the Convention Center was in proximity to the restaurant we ate at and his apartment. It was an easy route and I wasn't worried about finding my way the next morning. Umm....ya....except we didn't know they were going to close that particular route because the Grammy's were going to be taking place on Sunday. So, I had to take the "long" route and after a lenghtier power walk than I anticipated, I made it to the Convention Center and headed upstairs to meet the rest of the group.
 |
| Made it! |
 |
| 7:45 am and even though the expo didn't open until 10, people were already in line and waiting to buy tickets! |
 |
| Our room for the weekend - this was where we could refuel, charge our phones, blog, tweet, etc in "peace &quiet" :) |
 |
| I finally met Jody!!! From my Instagram |
 |
| Jody, Melissa, and I! photo courtesy of Melissa Running It |
 |
| From my Twitter |
After going over some of the logistics of the day, we were able to introduce ourselves to one another and chat it up. The first person I HAD to meet was Jody from Truth2BeingFit. I'm not quite sure how I "discovered" her blog but from the moment I started reading, I was a fan! Jody is 57 and still throwin' around heavy weight almost every day (she has been lifting weights for over 30 years!). I love that her blog is a mix of workouts, reviews, glimpses into her personal life, and lessons about learning the lesson that "I Am Enough". The second she & I saw each other. there was squealing and hugging (which you know is a big deal because I don't hug...lol). Then we spotted Melissa from Melissa Running It. Cue more squealing and hugging! The funny thing is, it felt like we had met before and had known each other for years. FitFluential is not only about blogging or having a presence on social media. It is about connecting with others, finding inspiration from others, and forming bonds and friendships.
 |
| The calm before the storm :) |
I and the other Ambassadors were then escorted downstairs to where the expo would be taking place and told that we could walk the floor. I'm not saying it was like telling a group of small children that they had Disneyland all to themselves....bbbbuuutttt......it could have been :)
 |
| Spotted these leggings from J Fitness Wear! Went back and bought them once their booth was officially opened! |
 |
| From my Instagram |
There were certain brands/companies I was looking for including RSP Nutrition, 6 Pack Bags, Smart Shake, and of course, Nubreed Nutrition. I found almost all of them (except RSP) but Nubreed is the only booth whose table I jumped on for a picture :)
Before we knew it, it was time for the doors to open to the public. There was a rush, literally, of bodies through the doors. I could hear people talking about who they wanted to see, what workouts they wanted to do, what they wanted to buy, and more. There was this excitement in the air that I can't quite describe. It almost felt as electric as the Olympia Expo.
 |
| From my Instagram |
As I made my way over to the stage where the Ironman Naturally competition was being held, I walked past the Met-Rx booth. I glanced at the booth, glanced away, and then glanced back again. It took me a minute but my brain finally processed that I was staring directly at the current Ms. Figure Olympia Nicole Wilkins! I pulled out my phone and tried to be as sneaky as possible while lifting it up to take her picture. She looked right at me, laughed a little bit, then asked "Do you want to take a selfie??" DO I WANT TO TAKE A SELFIE?!?!?! While I wanted to jump up and down like a crazed fan, I calmly told her that I would love to take a selfie. Priceless moment!
 |
| Pro-Tan was right behind the seating area for the competition - perfect location :) |
 |
| The competition color/tanner I use. Yes...I use tanner....lol... |
 |
| When you get up to walk the expo, you lose your seat in the front for the Bodyspace Spokesmodel finals :( |
 |
| Winners of the Bodybuilding.com Bodyspace Spokesmodel Search photo credit |
 |
| I have no idea what I was saying.... but I'm obviously I'm excited...lol |
 |
| OMG! Krissy Chin! |
 |
| From my Twitter |
 |
| Jody showing them what a beast looks like! |
 |
| Tasty samples! |
The expo also had a "Healthy Living Pavilion" where various presenters had food demonstrations. I've never taken the time to attend a food demo so I decided that I would definitely do it this time around. Jody and I attended a demo by Dymatize and they started the demo by asking who wanted to be in a "flex off". Jody walked up with no fear, busted out her guns, and walked away with a box of Supreme Protein Bars! #winning
 |
| The expo in full swing! |
 |
| Ms. Bikini Olympia Ashley Kaltwasser *she told me to make sure to use flash for all of my pics! :) |
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| CT Fletcher!! ISYMFS! |
By 6:00 pm, I was still very excited but exhausted! I decided that it was probably a great time to head out. I knew that Sunday would also be a full day and I wanted to make sure I had enough energy to make it through it. :)
 |
| Walking home... |
What an adventure.
And this was only day 1!
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