UPCOMING TTC NEWS {03.31.2015}

Before April arrives, I wanted to post quickly about our current TTC journey. No, we are not completely done. Yes, we do have plans on continuing to try. I am torn! Part of me wants to keep the blog updated on our TTC journey but there is an overwhelming part that says to keep it to ourselves. I want to celebrate each one of my precious miracles, no matter how long they will stay with us but it's devastating to get all the sweet and loving "congratulations" only to find out days later that we lost our baby. We are thankful for all the love and support we receive but sometimes I feel like it would be better if we kept it to ourselves. It's a fine line to walk...

What's coming up? Well, currently I have an OBGYN appointment scheduled for April 8 at 9:20am. Apparently, my OBGYN thinks that it is finally time to listen to me. From what I understand, I will be doing countless bloodwork and ultrasounds followed by Provera to start the period, Clomid, and we will finally be able to take Progesterone, FINALLY ! Of course I will be taking my daily temps, taking daily prenatal pills, and daily OPKs. One thing that I want to do is only do a blood test to find out if we're pregnant. Last time we got pregnant, I told myself that I would not take HPTs, but I gave in and I wish I would have just scheduled the bloodwork instead, maybe then the Doctor would have seen my low HCG levels.

I will admit that we are doing our best to keep a positive outlook, keep God close to our hearts and prayers, and remind ourselves that we are lucky to be parents of two Angel Babies. So, that's all I've got today and I appreciate your support throughout our journey. As always, I will try to update after the appointment to give all the details of our next cycle and what we will need to expect.

Much Love and Many Blessings to You!

FOR THE LOVE OF LILLY {03.16.2015}

If you're anything like me, then just the word "Lilly" brings thoughts of fun, colorful prints, spring time, and being preppy. I think I'm going to use my love of Lilly as a goal for my workout. Here are some of my obsessions, maybe you'll find something you love too!

I have had an obsession with the multi bracelets, but this just makes it so much more fun!

Lilly is most popular for all her fun prints and patterns. These shorts are perfect and can be paired with simple, solid colored tops.

My love of Lilly flows into deeper parts of my life other than just what I wear. I love all things Lilly for college supplies too and am already dreaming about filling my home with Lilly decor. 

Binder covers with monogram and Lilly! Can you say obsessed and perfect? 

I imagine this is what my school supplies will look like. 

What a cute idea to put Lilly monograms on water bottles! 

Don't forget to bring the love of Lilly into your car life. My Jeep is perfect for sporting Lilly patterns. 

I'd drink to that! What a good idea and great as gifts for friends. 

Best news I've gotten this week...Lilly will bring her sweet styles and preppy patterns to Target! I'll be there, first in line. I will definitely do a Lilly P. Target Haul. 

Oh, and lastly...

Who doesn't love Lilly & Bible Verses? 

Enjoy!

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE IT {03.15.2015}

Today marks the end of two whole weeks of 6-day workouts. It's been rough. Surprisingly, the part where we go to the gym is the easiest. It's the part about meal prepping that seems to be dragging us down. Mostly because last Sunday we had absolutely no time to meal prep and so this week we just did whatever we wanted to do, which meant eating Chick-Fil-A one night, and Subway two nights in a row!!! But I guess there are much worst options out there. This week, I have been in love with Chia Seeds. I add them to just about everything now and the benefits of Chia Seeds are fantastic! To be honest, I was terrified that I would hate them, mostly because I had never had them before, but I was shocked when I realized that healthy foods can actually be quite delicious. I plan on going into detail about the benefits of Chia Seeds soon. I also want to share recipes and ideas for incorporating them into your everyday life, so stick around for that.

Another thing about this week that has made it so tough, is the fact that I have been planning both Erik and I's return to College. This has definitely been weighing heavily on our minds and I know we need to get our degrees. We have talked about it for years but were always so afraid to make the move. I think now, we both realize how important it is to have a degree and are fully ready to take that step, leap, jump, whatever you want to call it, we are ready!

I have also discovered that I really need more workout clothes and shoes. I love what I have but I want more! Sure I probably don't need more but I want it, shouldn't that be enough? I would love to have a closet like this... 

Before I head out, let me just show you real quickly what we are proud of this week. Although it's a start, and we really need to grow it more, we love seeing this everyday. It's the best type of motivation for us.

This upcoming week we have quite a few goals...first is going up to the college to discuss enrollment in our classes and second, eating at home every day this week and continuing our streak of 6-day workouts a week. Weigh-in will be next Sunday. My goal is to loose at least 2lbs before weigh-in and Erik's goal is to loose at least 5lbs.

Thanks for catching up with us!

FAV SUPERFOOD {03.17.2015}

Let's chat about my new favorite superfood. I briefly mentioned it in Sunday's blog titled "There's nothing like it." However, I didn't go into detail because I knew I wanted to make a full post about the benefits of Chia Seeds. Stay tuned below for some delicious recipes too!!!

Let's start with the benefits...

Anything that fights belly fat, count me in!!! I'll be honest, just adding (2) 1/2 teaspoons to your water bottle (16 fl. oz.) will fill you up fast! Need a quick pre/post-workout energy and refresher? Get a shot-glass {keep your mind focused here}, fill with water and add (2) 1/2 teaspoons of chia seeds. Talk about a real refreshing shot and bonus you get to drink it out of a shot-glass!

Now for some people I'm sure the idea of drinking "cha-cha-cha-Chia" seeds, {oh yah! these are the same seeds that were used for the Chia pets!}, is gross but let me tell you there is no flavor at all! To be honest, it's like drinking the little strawberry seeds. You know than things on the outside of the strawberries? Imagine drinking those. Only difference is, you need to let the seeds sit in the water for at least 10 minutes so they form a jelly-like outter ring. Trust me, it takes a little bit to get used to the slimmy feeling but after you do, it's amazing!

Let's start simply with water. Add fun fruits for a kick of flavor. 

Don't be afraid to add it to smoothies or oatmeal. Get creative and don't forget to show me your ideas!!!

FIVE FRIDAY FITNESS FAVS {03.06.2015}

Here are five things that I loved this week!

First on my list: Victoria's Secret Fresh & Clean Lotion & Body Spray

I cannot express how important it is to keep lotion on your hands and feet. Soft skin is amazing but the major benefit of lotion besides soft skin, is moisture. Moisture does incredible things for your body so pick up your favorite lotion and get to work. My favorite thing to do is use it after my morning workout and before I go to bed. Don't forget to spray a few spritz of your favorite body spray/perfume, nobody wants to smell you at the gym - be a lady and keep smelling amazing!

Number two on my list - HOT LEMON WATER! Every morning, upon waking up, I make myself a nice warm cup of lemon water. Besides all the incredible benefits, which I talk about here, this is a great way to wake up. My house is always freezing in the mornings, and this allows me to get ready for the gym and feel nice and cozy, at least until I have to drink the freezing cold pre-workout mix...

Next up, my Nike pink chevron shoes. So, it doesn't really matter what type of Nike's you wear or what color, just make sure that the shoes you are choosing to wear to workout in are 3 things: 1) comfortable, 2) safe, and 3) light. You don't want to be stuck in the midst of a workout and your feet start killing you, you also don't want to try and go into a wet sauna if your shoes do not have good traction, and lastly, make sure they do not weigh your feet down. If you need to, stop by your nearest Foot Locker and let the experts help you choose the best fit for the best workout.

Fourth on my list is PINEAPPLE! This has been my nightly "treat." I wanted to eat at least 6 meals a day and one of those meals/snacks was supposed to be after dinner. I had trouble thinking of healthy options that were both good and good for me. When I realized that fruit can be just as much of a treat as an ice cream bar, I ran with it. So for my nightly snack, I choose pineapple. It's sweet, delicious, filling, and healthy!

Last, but definitely not least, my VSX Sports Bra. You'll probably see me make tons of posts about Victoria's Secret, but does that really surprise you? The VSX Sports Bra is incredible! Not only do I wear it to work out, I wear it to work, around the house, pretty much anytime I can. The support is amazing! Keeps the "girls" up and my posture is so much better due to the "racer-back" style. This sports bra is definitely worth every dollar. One of the best things is, it was fitted for me. Too many times women head to Target or Wally-World to get sports bras and they end up not fitting, are uncomfortable or the support is not there so their posture is horrendous. Make sure you choose a sports bra that is comfortable, you don't want to go through a 30-minute,45-minute,or even 1-hour workout and have to deal with back pain due to your breasts not being supported, so spend the extra money for the extra benefits.

As always...

Thanks for reading and Enjoy!

THE PLAN ~ COLLEGE EDITION {03.05.2015}

There is only one reason that I am posting this...for my future self to look back at and either a) laugh because I made my plans a reality or b) to pout to myself and whine because I failed to accomplish my plans. Although any time option "b" goes into affect, it's typically because a better option has come to the surface and we took it and ran. However, that does not mean in any shape or form that I want, or will even allow, option "b" to take place, so let's go ahead and move right along to the topic and ignore option "b" was even there....

Currently, I have plans in motion to finish enrolling in a few classes at my current community college where I had previously taken classes. Right now I have about 8-10 classes left that I can take at the com. college, the remainder must be taken at the university. Below is my timeline version of my plan...

Mini-Mester (05.2015-06.2015) ~ Math 1314
Summer Semester 1 (07.2015-08.2015) ~ English 1302
Summer Semester 2 (07.2015-08.2015) ~ History 1302
Fall 2015-2016 ~ Up to three 3- or 4-credit hour transferrable classes
Spring 2016-2017 ~ Up to three 3- or 4-credit hour transferrable classes
Mini-Mester (May 2017) ~ One 3-credit hour transferrable classes

• transferrable classes must be chosen from University degree plan

Fall 2016~ Transfer to University!!!

I would like to major in Education. Basically, I would like to get the Bachelors of Science for Math Teaching grades 4-8.

Currently, I have two colleges that I would like to apply to...

***drumroll please***

First up on my list...TAMU: Texas A&M University ~ Go Aggies!
Although it pains me, born in NOLA and raised a Tigers fan, I feel like this is really the best option for me for a number of reasons, so that is why TAMU is the school of my choice, number 1.

Second...UH: University of Houston ~ Go Coogs!
So originally, this was my go-to school, but after realizing that the better option would be for me to attend TAMU, I decided to keep this one on my list as a "backup." (After all, a girl's always got to have a back up plan)

So there you have it! That is my plan and I'm sticking to it. I am sooo ready to go back to school. Especially seeing my husband in his school for his job, it makes me realize that I need to better myself and do what I love...TEACHING! It's going to be a long couple of years, but in the end it will all be worth it. And every time I get discouraged, I will remind myself about the 80 year old woman here in Houston that went back to school and got her degree! If sweet granny can do it, so can I!!!!

LET'S GO AGGIES! ***fingers crossed*** I've only got until January 2016 to get where I need to be to apply for my Fall 2016 transfer to TAMU.

Stay fit, preppy, smart, and blessed!

MEAL PREP PLAN {03.02.2015}

I know I am a day late in posting this, but here is the meal prep plan that I follow every Sunday! Join me this Sunday - prepare yourself now.

Rise and Shine
Hot water and half squeezed lemon

Breakfast
1 banana
2 boiled eggs
1 whole wheat toast

Snack 1
1 cup strawberries
1 cup blueberries

Lunch
1 grilled chicken breast (4oz)
1/2 cup noodles
1/2 cup green beans
1/2 cup grapes

Snack 2
1 apple
1 TBSP peanut butter

Dinner
1 grilled chicken breast
1 cup mushrooms
1 cup green beans

Snack 3
1 cup pineapple

Stay tuned for my workout plan. Will you take the 12-week challenge with us?

Let's get our fit and sexy summer bodies {WE CAN DO IT}

Much love,

NEW E & ME=BLOG FACELIFT {03.02.2015}

First of all, HAPPY MARCH beauties! Hard to believe we are flying through this year and not looking back for a second.

So recently, E and I suffered a miscarriage, you can read all about here. We made some decisions about what we wanted moving forward and part of that decision was moving on from our TTC Journey. 

In 2014, E and I went on a brand new journey called "lifestyle change." I will admit that once you get used to working out daily, it becomes a "need" and you want to workout. So by the title of our blog now (My Preppy Fitness Blog), one can come to the conclusion that we are back! We are back to the workout and fitness world. We started this morning actually. Day 1 was a thrill! Here's how it went...

3:45a - Alarm goes off

4:00a - Head to the gym

4:10a - Start workout: today was leg day for both of us

4:45a - E goes to the showers and I head for the sauna

5:00a - E heads to work and I head home to get ready for my day

So we ended up only doing about a 35 minute workout but we both managed to complete our leg day exercise routines. 

We feel really good! Confident! And ready to take on this workout journey. One of the things that I love is that we have a Costco within minutes of our home so it made Sunday Meal Prep so much easier. Speaking of meal prep, I will be posting more about that for those interested. I will also be posting our workout plan.

If you are wondering, E and I have set a so called "deadline" for ourselves. I needed to know my goal  date so I could see the goal and reach out. This goal date is June 1.

Throughout the next 12 weeks, we will push ourselves to be better, to make a huge lifestyle change, and even completely change our eating habits. Our blog will be dedicated to our journey throughout day-to-day life and fitness/workout/lifestyle change. 

I'm really looking forward to our first weigh-in which will be this Sunday, March 8! 

Want to join us on our 12 week challenge of intensity workouts and healthy meal planning? Check out our post tonight which will feature workout plans and meal prep plans. 

Enjoy!