Returning to Center, Developing Clarity

Oh my gosh, this blog is sooooo sorely out of date and neglected and downright pitiful. Eeek! I have to admit, after spending years writing non-stop product reviews and writing as a job, plus the ease of Facebook status updates, personal blogging took a backseat to sanity. I just couldn't handle writing one more thing.

Could. Not.

Thankfully that heavy fog has been lifting steadily over the past year (yay!), and now I feel muchhhh more relaxed and eager to return to blogging.

As a bit of an update, I thought I'd share a bit about what's been happening since I last posted in 2013 #aLOT

For starters -- the kids! My goodness, they're all so stinkin' old now it's not even funny.

Sierra moved out and started working as a tech for a veterinary laboratory. Ethan is working as a construction laborer on Bainbridge Island so I only see him on weekends now because commuting back 'n forth on the ferry is kind of a pain. He has a girlfriend in Colorado (kill me) and is planning on moving out w/ a buddy of his later this year. (I'm dying.) And Abby - well that girl's still dancing away. She's attended several out of state intensives each summer including Los Angeles, Boston and Houston. She still has her sights set on becoming a professional ballerina so this year's like "do or die". We're talking major stress here, peeps. Gah!

We also adopted a lovely young lady by the name of Mercedes. She's our forth child and she, her hubby Nathan and their daughter, Ava are just too stinkin' awesome for words. Speaking of Ava -- since I'm "mama" I'm officially a GRANDMA now. Woohoo! Ava was born in February of this year and this family is so soooo smitten with her. You have no idea. It's borderline insane, y'all. Just sayin'.

Our pitbull, Cassie passed away on August 1st at the age of 15. (So much sadness...) Granted she held on for 15 years and lived a very full, happy life. But as anyone who's lost a pet knows, they take a piece of your heart with them. In fact, the very "heartbeat" of our house seemed to stop without her presence. It was downright hard to be home sometimes. After 15 years, it just felt WEIRD.

Dean mentioned several times wanting a puppy, but I was adamantly against it. Puppies are WORK, y'all. And lots of it. Besides that, I ain't go no time for no silly puppy. I'm a workin' mama, for Pete's sake.

...So an October 8th, we adopted a new puppy from a rescue facility in Houston, TX. (Ahem)

Her name is Pibble Louise (say "pitbull" fast -- get it? Pibble) and she's a total love. Fernando's not 100% convinced she should be taking up precious space in his kingdom but they're slowly getting used to each other. I think my spouse flat out FORGOT just how much work a puppy actually is. The kids of course had a basic idea and would always nod their heads like "Oh yes, we get it. Of course we'll help, yadda yadda." But they didn't get it-get it either.

Let's just say - they do now. :) :) :)

I'm still working at the hospital, fitness coaching, and working as a virtual assistant for the owner/CEO of a nifty fitness company here in Seattle. In short -- life is still busy and I still love it.

I've recently started to rebuild my VA business and focus on my writing skills and social media management versus being a "VA of all trades". Nothing good comes from trying to do it all, there just isn't. I gave myself a severe case of burnout when I tried to do everything and be everything for everyone,which in the end, profited NO one.

Now that I'm armed with a growing sense of clarity and purpose, I'm excited to see where the good Lord takes me and my business. I know deep down I was always meant to be a writer. The thing I have to always keep in the back of my mind is: I don't HAVE to write for everyone. From now on, I'm going to be working with select clients who are a great match for me - personality and business wise.

My ideal client is a busy mama, wife and possibly a grammy - just like me. A lady who's got a lot on her plate and a big ol' fire in her gut to make a difference. She's a lady of faith, strength and courage; someone who's eager to leave her mark in the world and willing to do whatever it takes to make life awesome for herself and her kids. #boomshakalaka

There's something downright empowering about ditching everyone else's ideas about what or who you should be (or work with), and just setting your sights on what truly matters to YOU.

I'm feelin' PUMPED, y'all. Can you tell? ;)

So what's everyone been up to these past 4-ish years? Did Facebook kill your blog too? Who is your ideal client and has that changed over the years?

I Miss This Little Man So Much!

Waiting to board his flight!

Okay, okay...so he's not so "little". But, as any momma will tell you, no matter HOW big her children get - they'll always be her "little ones"! 

Anyway...Ethan left for CA yesterday to see his grandparents, Aunt and Uncle on Dean's side. Then tomorrow morning they're all flying out at the crack of dawn for NY and Washington DC.

It promises to be a very exciting trip for my little boy (oops! There's that word again!) filled with all sorts of sight seeing and adventures. But in the meantime...I miss him like crazy! :(

A Trip to the Kangaroo Farm

What? Kangaroos in WA? Somebody pinch me!!

Last Sunday, we decided to take a trip up to Arlington to visit The Outback Kangaroo Farm. This little excursion was decided due to the fact that my one and only SON would be GONE for Mother’s Day {he’s off visiting his CA grandparents and Aunt for the next 2.5 weeks}, so I wanted to get my celebratin’ time in early. *Humph*

We saw so many adorable animals including donkeys, llamas, alpacas (no, I don’t know the difference), miniature horses, peacocks, and of course – wallabies and kangaroos!

At the very end of our little tour, we were SO excited to get to hold a baby wallaby! He was only 7 months old and absolutely breathtaking.

We *rarely* do stuff like this, so I can honestly say that our little trip was the most fun I’ve had in a LONG time! If you’re in WA state, I highly recommend you pay the ‘roos a visit! You won't be disappointed. :)

Coconut Oil as a Face Wash?

A few years ago, I learned about some of the amazing benefits of coconut oil. (Lots of good-for-you medium chain fatty acids, stable at high temps, etc.) I used it for several months then for some reason, I just kinda stopped buying it. {I can’t even tell you why.}

Well, then a few weeks ago I noticed a friend/co-worker’s skin was looking particularly awesome. Being the generous gal that she is, she told me how she’d started using coconut oil on her face. She said she sprayed it on like a tropical mist each night and in the morning, her skin was a happy camper! “Coconut oil? Seriously?!” Hmmm….

Then the following week (can you sense a pattern here?), my friend/boss, Karrie over at Happy Money Saver posted about how she used coconut oil as a moisturizer for a full 30 days in an effort to save a little moolah. Guess what? She too had great results!

So of course, that got me to thinking: Why don’t I give the ol’ coconut oil thing another try? This time…for facial purposes, not just cooking!  

After researching things a bit further (Search: “coconut oil” + “skin care” + holy cow), I decided to dive in and take the plunge! I went to Trader Joe’s and picked up a jar of their Organic Coconut Oil for $5.99. (Name brand varieties found at organic grocery/health food stores ranged in price from $9.99-$15.99, so I saved a nice little chunk there.)

I  told my daughters about it who (I admit) looked at me with more than a touch of skepticism, but they were up for anything that promised to make their (teenage hormone-driven) skin look better.  

Each morning and every night before bed, we’d simply wet our faces with warm water, ‘wash’ with a little “scoop” of coconut oil, then rinse. A little bit of oil stays on your skin but it does absorb rather quickly. (It won’t leave greasy marks on your pillow cases or anything like that…Hee hee!)

And so far…? We LOVE it! Our faces are surprisingly NOT greasy in the morning, we didn’t wake up with pimples the size of Mt. Everest – in fact, the little tiny blemishes we did get were just that – tiny! And they were totally GONE within 24 hrs without using extra “stuff”. (Yayyyy!!) Even more interesting? We use it to shave our legs and – tadahhhhh! – no need for lotion afterwards!  

So! What do you think? Have YOU washed with coconut oil before? What were your results?

Jammies to Work!

So in honor of “Wear Your Pajamas to Work” Day (which is actually *tomorrow*…) I thought I’d share this pic of me and my ADORABLE co-worker and “boss”, Fernando. Isn’t he precious?

{And yes, those are Stomp-Eez on my feet. They’re cute, too! But not as cute as Fernando! Hee hee!}

Do YOU work in your jammies?? I don’t normally, but for a fun little “photo shoot”, I figured…why not?!

Fit Mommy Returns!

Check it out, peeps! For those of you who’ve been ever so kind enough to read my blog since “back in the day”, Fit Mommy is back! Hooray! {Insert showers of confetti here}

My sweetie pie friend, Heidi asked if I’d like to be a contributing writer over at her new site, Homeschool Mosaics and well…let me tell you, I was touched. Touched I say!

So with that, I signed up and I’ve been back in the writing saddle ever since. My monthly column is designed to help, motivate and inspire other busy moms to get back in shape, once and for all!

This month’s column focuses specifically on weight training and why it’s so important for ladies to engage in. Check it out and let me know what you think!

**JOIN THE FIT MOMMY DISCUSSION GROUP**

If you’re looking for additional motivation, encouragement and support, feel free to join the Fit Mommy Discussion Group on Facebook. It’s fun, free and – most of all – private! No matter what your fitness level is, you’re more than welcome to join us! Request to join the group here. 

Are *YOU* Up to the Challenge?

 

When I first signed up as a Beachbody coach, I had NO idea where it would go or how far it would take me.

My initial thought was to get a discount on Shakeology since both Sierra and I were drinking it like water. Then I thought how nice it would be to make a little extra cash on the side. No big, right?

So to kick things off, I formed my first-ever Challenge group back in March with a total of 6 Challengers. These ladies had watched my progress in real life and decided they wanted a shed pounds, lose inches and get healthier, too. So that’s what we did. We made a commitment to work together for 90 days straight – checking in and holding each other accountable – DAILY.

And you know what? Our efforts are paying OFF! Challenger #1 lost 6 pounds in her first 3 weeks; Challenger #2 has 3 pairs of work pants that no longer fit right (lost inches, baby!!) and Challenger #3 has whittled herself down to a svelte size ONE from a size 2-3….Amazing, right??

These ladies are blowing me AWAY with not only their progress, but their dedication, their passion and level of commitment to their – and their fellow Challengers’ – success. Their truly is strength in numbers, folks. And I’m loving it!

And while all this weight loss is completely cool, what’s really struck me is how I’m changing – as a person. The further along I get along this path, the more I realize: It’s SOOOO not about me! Everything I do with my Challenge groups or friends or customers is all designed to help THEM succeed – in whatever capacity they choose.

Whether it’s weight loss or gaining confidence or simply eating healthier, I love the “rush” I get from seeing other people happy, healthy and fulfilled. It’s incredible!

So…Are YOU up to the Challenge???