Hello, October!

Happy, happy, happy October! My favorite month is here and just knowing that makes me ecstatic! I'm doing a little jig over it ;)

October is when the leaves really start to change. The gold and crimson hues and the crisp air overwhelm me. I tend to feel lighter, perkier, and more optimistic during this time of year.

In addition to the beauty of it all, October holds my birthday, my husband's birthday, one of my best friend's birthday, and mine and my husband's dating anniversary. Lots and lots of good stuff!

I have several goals for October, but first, lets take a peek back at September.

September Goals

1.) Watch Florida football with Taylor
Ehh, kinda. We went to one game at a WAY too crowded bar in downtown Charlotte. We also watched one game at home. He's been working during all of the games, and since I only watch for him, I haven't been watching without him.

2.) Decorate 
Check! I put up my fall decorations about three weeks ago :)
I'd still like to make a fall wreath.

3.) Blog at least four days per week
I did pretty well with this. Twice I blogged 4 times, once 3, and once 2. The only week I wasn't proud of was the week where I only posted twice, simply because I didn't meet my goal.

4.) Get Outside
Yes! My nanny job is awesome because they live fairly close to a park. I take baby E to the park to play and I get a nice walk in.

5.) Plan Another "Get It Together" Challenge
Check and Check! I planned it and we are in the middle of the challenge. I have been so proud of all the ladies who are participating!

Now, let's get to October, shall we?

October Goals:

1.) Read the Bible 2 times per week

I have such a tough time getting myself to read. It's frustrating, and I have been saying for years that I need to get better. Taylor and I read together at night several times a week and I am so thankful for that. But I also need my personal quiet time. For now, my goal is twice a week, with the hope of getting better at consistency.

2.) Meet my Weight Goal

I organized and started my Get it Together group last month. It has been going really well and I enjoy facilitating. My weight-loss goal by the end of the challenge is to have lost 10 lbs. I weighed today and I've lost just under 5 lbs in 15 days. I call that success. And I want to lose the other 5 by the time the challenge is over :)

3.) Cook at least 4 times per week

Taylor and I are really bad about either going out for fast food or doing simple boxed-meals. There's nothing wrong with boxed meals, and they can be yummy, but I am a pretty decent cook, and there is no reason (other than laziness) not to cook more homemade recipes.

And with fall here, there are so many soups, chili's, and pumpkin-thingies to make!

4.) Blog 4 times per week

This was my goal last month, and here it is again. I am happy with blogging 4 times/week. I would like it to eventually be 5, but 4 times/week is a good amount and it is realistic.

September was kind of a tough month for me personally, but I was very proud of myself for accomplishing the goals that I set for myself. Small victories add up!

How about you? How was your September? Is there anything you are excited for in October? Comment below :)

Announcing: The Get it Together Initiative 2

Over the summer, I organized and facilitated the Get it Together Initiative: a health and weight loss challenge. The group was run through Facebook with rules and a point system.

The group seemed to really encourage most who participated actively, and several of the ladies have asked that we have another challenge.

So, I have decided to run another challenge. The challenge will start this Sunday (9/20) and run through October 31st.

The point system will be a little bit different this time around, simply because I learned from the last one :)

Rules and Point System

Daily Participation (Up to 3 points/day)- For every day that you share in the Facebook group (this can be a picture and description of a healthy recipe you made that day, a picture/description of what your workout was that day, a picture/description of your meal plan, etc.) You get 1 point per post and you can earn up to three points per day doing this. The purpose of this is that it encourages others to follow a healthy lifestyle too. If I had been craving a burger, but I log on to our group and see that you posted a picture and recipe for a yummy salad, it will be much easier for me to gather myself and eat healthy :)


Social Media- (1 point per day) There is a Pinterest Board designated for this group to pin healthy recipes, workouts, or motivational sayings to. Also, if you are on Instagram, you can use the hashtag #getittogetherinitiative to tag any workout/food/motivation you post to Instagram :) Since not everyone uses these platforms, this item is only worth one point/day, but I still think it would be a fun way to encourage each other on our journey :)


Weight Loss (up to 100 points)- At the beginning of this challenge, you will need to decide on a weight loss (or health) goal. For example, I hope to lose 10 pounds during this month-long challenge. If I lose all ten pounds (or more), I will get 100 points. If I lose 5 pounds, I would get 50 points.
The same goes with health goals. If your goal is to get 8 hours of sleep each nights and eat three servings of veggies every day for a month, and you do that, then you get 100 points. Just make sure you keep track of how often you accomplish your goals so that you can post them at the end of the challenge. If sleep and veggies was your goal for the month and you slept 8 hours a night 14 days out of the month, and you ate your 3 servings of veggies 25 days out of the month, then you would report that to me and I would convert that into points :) If that confused anyone, ask me questions in the comment section below.


I am really excited about the second round of this challenge. There is something wonderful about the community this creates. If this is something you might be interested in, comment below. You can (and will need to) also join the Facebook group if you wish to participate.

And also, you are welcome to follow the Pinterest Board, even if you don't want to be part of the challenge, but still would like the inspiration. If you do want to participate in the challenge, I can add you to the board so that you can pin to it.

I hope this group can encourage us all to take better care of our bodies and reach the goals we've been setting. Please join us in the journey.

Choosing Healthy Snacks That Are Right For You

When I try to eat well, some healthy, protein-packed snacks are imperative.

When I sit down to have a snack, my initial reaction is to reach for the potato chips or brownies. Why? Because they are delicious. Most people go for what they want, not what is best for them.

So how do we train ourselves so that what we want is also what is best for us?

Personally, I think the best way to do this is to experiment. If you've rarely tried healthy foods, you aren't going to know what you like. Try something new until you find what you like.

Don't force yourself to eat "the most healthy" thing. You don't have to be eating a super-food to be healthy. If you hate kale and acacia berries, then don't eat them. Find something that you do like, and stick with it.

Personally, I love lightly salted (or not salted) nuts. My favorites are cashews, sunflower seeds, and honey roasted peanuts. However, I try not to buy honey roasted peanuts because there is more sugar.

Recently, I discovered an absolutely perfect snack. It consists of pumpkin seeds, cashews, honey roasted sunflower seeds (I caved), a serving of sharp cheddar cheese, a half serving of baby carrots, and a serving of dried mango. 

Now, this is a huge snack, but it is healthy (filled with protein, good fats, calcium, and vitamins) and it will keep you full. This would be a great post-workout snack, or even a good breakfast. There was something about this combination that really hit the spot.

The thing is, you don't have to do exactly what I did. You need to find what you like, because if you don't, you will never stick to eating healthy. If you just force down what someone tells you is best, you will not last long. There are thousands of healthy options out there, and you are bound to like some of them!

On your next grocery trip, explore somewhere like Whole Foods, Earth Fare, or better yet, your local farmer's market. If none of those are an option, I actually think that Food Lion has some great options. All the nuts, seeds and cheese pictured above are from Food Lion, and they also have good produce.

What is your favorite healthy snack?

Get It Together Initiative (update and a grateful heart)

Last Month, I started The Get it Together Initiative- a health and fitness goal Facebook group. It's a month-long challenge (June 15th-July 15th) that encourages accountability, shared goals, and community. As the challenge is winding down, I thought I'd share about how it's going.

I have been pretty pleased with how the challenge has turned out. Some people started out strong and then stopped posting, which is to be expected. But for the most part, I have a solid group of ladies that have actively participated in both the Facebook group and our Pinterest Board.

The thing I love most about this, is that it is so diverse. The group is comprised of some of my closest friends, my mother-in-law, my mom, some acquaintances, and some wonderful people from the blogging world who joined in too! And what's been cool to see is how well everyone jumped right in and got to know each other.

On the 15th of July, all of us will weigh-in and share if we lost weight and met our goals. Points will be awarded based on goals met, as well as activity in the Facebook group. My friend, Grace, has offered one of her pottery items as a prize, which is an awesome treat!

And though the challenge ends on the 15th, my hope is that we will still use the group to encourage each other. Just because the challenge is over doesn't mean our health and wellness journeys are!

If you would like to be a part of this community, feel free to join. You won't be able to participate in this challenge, but we would still love to have you. And who knows, maybe we can do another challenge soon!


I am very thankful for this group and all the wonderful women who are participating. I am also thankful that I got to be the one to set it up and lead. I've never done something quite like this before and I have enjoyed it :)

Also, I am posting links below to the blogs of those who are in our group. Show them some love!

Trine Hansen: Creative Pink Butterfly

Destiny Barker: The Journey

Hannah Johnson: Hannah Says