FALL IS ON THE HORIZON {07.29.2015}

I seriously cannot even believe that August is this Saturday. Not only does the first and second fall on a Saturday and Sunday, but it is also my mom and dad's birthdays. In some ways, I try to celebrate them, I think about what we would be doing for their birthdays if they were alive. But I am blessed to have them both as guardian angels. So this weekend, I will be prepping my house for Fall. For those who don't know, one thing that I love...is FALL! Although Texas doesn't look like a typical Fall, it's still my favorite time. I especially love the Texas Ren Fest. Sure, to some it's probably dumb, but if you haven't had a chance to stop by, you really are missing out. In addition to the TX Ren Fest, who doesn't love all the fun holidays and birthdays! Here is what our schedule looks like for the Fall holidays and birthdays...

 

August 1&2- My Mom & Dad's Birthdays

September 7- Labor Day

September 9 - My Birthday

September 24- My MIL's Birthday

October 10 through November 29- Texas Renaissance Festival

October 22- Hubby's Birthday

October 30- Little Princess Alli's Birthday

October 31- Halloween

November 21- My FIL's Birthday

November 26- Thanksgiving

December 24- Christmas Eve

December 25- CHRISTmas Day!

 

Fall is busy but I love it and it really is the happiest time of the year!

 

Also, I just love the way the trees have that golden color. Oh and we can't forget the adorable decorations that people put up, specifically pumpkins. They are the cutest things ever. Ladies, get your Pinterest boards ready!!!

 One thing I really want to strive to do this year is make a Fall Bucket List. I think it would be so fun to complete things with the Hubby for Fall. Whose with us? Some of the Bucket List items on my mind are things like: Going to a pumpkin patch, make s'mores outside by a fire, ect. That's all I've got so far, but I will work it and present a really great Fall Bucket List for those that are interested. I think I will even do the Bucket List with a hashtag and add photos to Instagram.

Also, I wanted to chat a little about some of the ladies that I follow on Instagram. So many of them have been receiving their BFPs (Big Fat Positives- on Pregnancy Tests). Babies are such blessing and I love seeing all those positive tests. 2016 will welcome so many little miracles and I just love that each of these special ladies are able to celebrate these Fall holidays with a little miracle baby in their bellies. What a great Christmas gift! Look how wonderful and giving our Lord and Savior is that He would allow so many to enjoy the feeling of their own child growing in their womb on the day that His son, Jesus Christ, was born.

That's all I've got for today, I just felt like writing something short and sweet. Of course I had to give a shout out to the Insta-blessed ladies.

Thank you for reading and God Bless

Texas Renaissance Festival Throughout the Years:

 http://meganrrichards.blogspot.com/2012/10/turkey-legs-cool-sunny-weather-costumes.html
http://meganrrichards.blogspot.com/2014/12/2014-end-of-year-recap-12312014.html

TUESDAY TREASURES {07.28.2015}

Welcome to another addition of Tuesday Treasures! Today, I will be listing some of the amazing shops that I have come across on Instagram. I have been thrilled to share this list with you because some of these shops are just fabulous. These are catered to mamas and their little ones. You'll find a mix of baby clothes, clothes for stylish mamas, and fun baby accessories. Alright, enough chatting, here are my top 20 Instagram shops.

 

1. Little Dovie

   
2. Fancy Free Finery 

   
3. Stevens Baby Boutique 

   
4. Lulla Blue 

   
5. Positively Oakes 

   
6. Pretty Springy
7. 
   Bitty Bums Bowtique 

   
8. Mint and Arrows

   
9. Sass with Class Boutique 

   
10. Lola and Darla 

    
11. Little Banditos
12. 
    Sweet Sprouts

    
13. Shope Loweezy 

    
14. Casual Friday Kids 

    
15. Curly Q's Counter LLC 

    
16. Ciao Co. 

    
17. Trilogy Designs Co., LLC 

    
18. June and January 

    
19. Harper Rose Boutique 
20. 
    GBCreations by Amber 

    

Thanks for checking in for another addition of Tuesday Treasures. Maybe it will help you with your little one's Christmas shopping.

 

Previous Tuesday Treasures:

http://meganrrichards.blogspot.com/2015/06/tuesday-treasures-06162015.html

http://meganrrichards.blogspot.com/2015/06/tuesdaytreasuresjune30.html

http://meganrrichards.blogspot.com/2015/07/tuesdaytreasuresjuly07.html

http://meganrrichards.blogspot.com/2015/07/tuesdaytreasuresjuly14.html

WEIGHTLOSS UPDATE {07.22.2015}

Last week, E and I started eating My Fit Foods. Although I have had it before, I was worried that E wouldn't like it. To my surprise, he loved it! We got back into the gym and so far things have been going great. In addition to the healthy eating, workouts, and vitamins, I have also been waist training (read tips here). So far, I have seen a great improvement. We have been following the workouts posted on Body Builder. You can see our workout plan here. I've been feeling the burn and can tell that I am pushing myself, which is good, for a while I was stuck in a plateau. No matter how many times I went to the gym in a week, I couldn't get past that weight plateau. Finally I realized, it's not about the weight scale but how my body image is changing. I've been impressed with the changes so far, even after one week.  

I've been mostly eating (2) boiled eggs in the mornings, My Fit Foods in the afternoons and for dinners. For snacks, if needed, I always had some type of fruit or veggie on the side waiting. Waist training really helps with not over eating so I usually do not need a snack. In addition to the eating healthy, I also drink (1) gallon of water a day.

I am currently taking (3) vitamins: Pre-natal, Fish Oil, and B12. The pre-natal is to help balance my hormones, fish oil is great for the heart and body systems, and B12 is used for a natural energy since I did not want to have to take pre-workouts or fat burners. I also decided to purchase some CoQ10 in addition to the other vitamins. CoQ10 has so many wonderful benefits. (read the benefits here)

Results after one week look great! I'm actually not mad about not dropping five pounds because I've noticed a huge difference in my appearance. Eating right and drinking water all day has definitely made great changes for my body.

Also, for my ladies, and gentlemen, with stretch marks the absolute best home-remedy for this is coconut oil. I have been using it day and night and have seen amazing results. I am not a huge fan of using chemicals and try my hardest to self-heal or home-remedy things, so when I started using the coconut oil, I was thankful that it was a natural ingredient. I typically use it with an essential oil mixture so it smells nice, and it's great to use closer to bed time, it's so relaxing and calming.

Looking forward to week two as I bump up my weights. Have you tried My Fit Foods? What did you think? What is your favorite meal, if you currently eat My Fit Foods? Thanks for catching up with me and please let me know if you have any weightloss tips, tricks, ideas, and more.

God Bless and Thank you for reading!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO CONCEIVE {07.15.2015}

Due to the fact that I have an overwhelmingly large number of readers who are in the TTC world, I wanted to put this up. Keep in mind that E and I are no longer in the TTC world, we have basically taken one huge leap away from that world for a while, but for my ladies that do read this blog, waiting for the TTC posts, here is one just for you.

 

It is crucial that you are taking the correct vitamins for you and your future embryo. Those little eggies need all the vitamins and supplemental boosts they can get. Here are 10 of vitamins you need to conceive!

 

#1 Zinc
#2 Folic Acid

#3 Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

#4 Omega 3 Free Fatty Acid

#5 Iron

#6 Calcium

#7 Vitamin B6

#8 Vitamin B12

#9 Fish Oil

#10 Prenatal

 

Take this list to your nearest pharmacy and stock up ladies, you are going to want all you can get to make that healthy miracle baby.

 

I also wanted to share some other tips and tricks for conception.

 

Pinapple

Although I am not a doctor, I have heard some amazing things about pineapple. If you eat this magical fruit, mainly the core, after ovulation has been determined, you will have a better chance of implantation. You can thank Brolemain, an enzyme found in pineapples, for the help. How much do I believe this? Well, to be honest I'm not sure. I did eat pineapple core with our second pregnancy, in January, which was successful in landing a BFP but I'm not sure how much this factored in. Worth a try though!

 

Acupuncture

I'm sure you've heard me talk about this before, and with good reason. In addition to the pineapple back in January, I was also seeing an acupuncturist weekly throughout my cycle. Not just for fertility, but for relaxation, Acupuncture is so important for balancing systems throughout your body. During a TTC journey, it's easy to get caught up in the frustration and stress, Acupuncture allows us to breathe and calm our body and minds. After all, the most important thing you can do for your future pregnancy is ensure that you aren't stressed.

 

Weightloss

Now, don't hate me for saying this, but weight plays a very vital roll in fertility. If you are even five pounds over your "normal" body weight, your fertility will be negatively affected. Just like the round in January, I was doing all three of these things. I managed to lose about 30 pounds and, although it wasn't easy, we sure managed to get pregnant first cycle after a whole year break. I'm not saying that it's impossible to get pregnant if you are five pounds overweight, but the healthier you are, the better your chances.

 

SMEP Plan

Just go back and look at anyone of my posts from the last cycle in April or the one in January, and you will see that I am an avid believer in the SMEP Plan. I found this little gem searching the web and it has worked wonders for us. Again, we were successful while using this in January. This plan is crucial and can help you and hubby stay on track. Best part is, this plan keeps the man and woman accountable during the TTC journey. It's important that men build up their swimmers, so waiting at least one day for that to build up is so important. Another thing is, it helps remind us to pay attention to dates and timing so as to not miss our small window of opportunity. Find out more about the SMEP Plan here.

 

 

TUESDAY TREASURES {07.14.2015}

Everyone has heard about the new subscription boxes, but what about for the ladies? Sure, BirchBox has been the number one pick for many, but what other sub boxes are out that you're missing out on? No worries, if you've been thinking about getting a sub box and not sure which one to chose, check out the top six sub boxes below.

 

 

#1 : Beauty Box Five

First off, I love that this box is very similar, in color, to the Tiffany's boxes. Beauty Box Five gives subscribers four to five cosmetic samples to help introduce new and best products for your lifestyle. $12 (source)

 

 #2 Blissmo

This box is for all the ladies that what to find safer, healthier personal care and food products. Usually, each monthly box comes with one food, one beauty/personal care , and one seasonal product. $19.95 (source)

 

#3 Glossybox

This adorable little pink and black box includes five or six deluxe samples or full-sized products. Become a beauty expert while receiving the newest beauty products available. $21 (source)

 

#4 Beauty Fix

Talk about product heaven! Each box carries over $100 worth of beauty products and is put together by an elite team of beauty experts. $24.95 (source)

 

#5 Beauty Army

I really enjoy the look of this box and haven't seen a box that I wouldn't love to have at home. You'll get six samples from amazing, hard-to-find brands. $12 (source)

 

#6 Ispy

For my ladies looking for cosmetic, hair, and skincare products in a reusable make-up bag, Ispy might be for perfect for you. This clutch comes with four or five products. $10 (source)

 

Now I know there are plenty of other boxes out there, but these are some of my favorites. Have you tried a sub box, if so, which one do you prefer?

 

Bonus Box: Mantry

Don't you love food? Everyone does! Well, Mantry is for the food-eaters of the world. Although some say this box is for "man" only but I disagree, I have seen some delicious things that women would love! Mantry offers six full sized artisan food products in a handmade wooden crate, which can later be used for some fun DIY décor project. $75 (source)

 

WEEK 1 = HELL WEEK {07.12.2015}

Tomorrow it starts! Hell Week!!! Here is the eating and workout plan. Keep in mind, this plan is to help you eat similar to Paleo. Let's start with the "what you CAN eat." Keep in mind that we are only talking about week 1. So you will only follow this for one week and then you will be done. Seven days, you can do it!!!



(source)

 What you CAN'T eat: No Sugar (including fruit), No Dairy, Legumes, Alcohol, Artifical Sweeteners (stevia, honey, agave, ect.), No FRUIT!!!

 

In addition to the eating, be sure that you are drinking (1) gallon of water a day.

 

Here's a sample on my menu for the week:

Breakfast: Eggs & Spinach

Snack 1: Celery or Carrots (alternate) & Sunflower Seeds

Lunch: Chicken w/ Broccoli & Almonds

Snack 2: Celery Carrots (alternate from snack 1) & Pumpkin Seeds

Dinner: Beef, Chicken, or Tilapia w/ Spinach & Broccoli & (2) tbsp. of Almonds

Snack 3: Almonds

 

 

I know, sounds so basic right? But that's the point of Paleo and I love it. Very simple.

Now, let's talk workout plan. Did I mention High Intensity? Well, that's what the goal of this plan is. Work hard, earn your body. Push yourself even further than you thought possible.

 

Monday: Back and Abs

-Cable Row - 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (5 sets total)

-Barbell Row - 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (4 sets total)

-Wide Grip Lat Pull Down - 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (4 sets total)

-Back Extensions - 15, 12, 10, 8 reps (4 sets total)

-Stability Ball Crunch - 15-20 reps (3 sets total)

-One Legged V Sit - 30 reps (3 sets total)

-Lying Leg Raises - 15 reps (3 sets total)

 

Tuesday: Legs and Calves

-Alternating Reverse Lunges - 15, 12, 10, 10 reps (4 sets total)

-Smith Wide Squat - 20, 15, 10, 10 reps (4 sets total)

-Step Ups - 15, 12, 10 reps (3 sets total)

-Lying Leg Curl - 20, 15, 10 reps (3 sets total)

- Standing Calf Raise - 20, 15, 10, 8, 15 reps (5 sets total)

 

Wednesday: Rest

-45 minute cardio in the morning

 

Thursday: Chest, Biceps, and Abs

-Incline Smith Bench Press - 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (5 sets total)

-Pushup With Feet on Stability Ball - 10-15 reps (3 sets total)

-Incline Flye - 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (4 sets total)

-Incline DB Alternating Curl - 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (4 sets total)

-EZ Bar Curl - 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (4 sets total)

-Reverse Crunch - 20 reps (3 sets total)

-Hanging Straight Leg Raise - 15 reps (3 sets total)

-Scissor Kicks - 35-40 reps (3 sets total)

 

Friday: Rest

-45 minute cardio in the morning

 

Saturday: Should and Triceps

-Arnold Press - 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (5 sets total)

-Standing Bent Over DB Lateral Raise - 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (4 sets total)

-One Arm Cable Lateral Raise - 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (4 sets total)

-Rope Press Downs - 15, 12, 10, 8 reps (4 sets total)

-Dips - 10-15 reps (3 sets total)

-Bicycle - 30 reps (3 sets total)

-Straight Leg Crunch - 25 reps (3 sets total)

-Lying Leg Raise - 15 reps (3 sets total)

 

Sunday: Total Rest

-tune back in to prepare for week 2 and get the information for your week 2 eating/workout plan

 

So there is week one for you. Just think, it's only seven days. I will be doing daily weigh-ins as well as daily measurements. Good luck and remember in seven days, you'll feel better, look better, and you'll be ready to push for another week. One week and one pound at a time to get to the goal!!!

 

 

WEIGHT, REALLY?! {07.10.2015}

Over the past few months E and I have been working very hard to loose weight. We successfully managed to lose 35 pounds each! It took hard, hard, HARD, work! We busted our bums and managed to get down to a manageable weight. I was so shocked when I started looking back at old photos from 2013. I was shocked that I let myself get to that point, but more shocking and horribly, I let the man that I love get that way. I know there are a lot of people who say "just be happy in the skin your in, fat or skinny," but when E and I were naturally toned people and you let your loved one get fat, it's a sad scenario. We are supposed to encourage each other. I was mad at myself for letting him get that unhealthy because it could have been very dangerous. He has diabetes in his family so to think that us gaining weight was just "ok," really breaks my heart. I could never imagine life without E and to think that I didn't encourage him to be the best he could be for himself, well let's just say it hit me.

 

Now, we are just 7 weeks away from our vacation and I want us to be in the best shape possible. Not to look good for photos. Not to wear bikinis and show off. But to be able to truly enjoy ourselves. When we went on our cruise, back in 2014, E was about 300 pounds and I was almost at 200 pounds. It was hard to do some things because we kept getting out of breath, we were lazy, and exhausted. Sure, we would probably be just fine now that we are at a much better body-state, but we aren't physically where we want to be. 

 

We haven't been able to get back to the gym due to the craziness that has been our life, but I am ready to start and Monday will be the day. No more nice guy/gal, we are hitting that gym hard and work our bums off again. The crazy thing is, we are both only 10 to 15 pounds away from our goal/ideal weight range. These next 7 weeks will probably be hell but it's about time. Taking a few weeks off from the gym is so hard and it's actually not fun. I miss the gym like crazy. I miss the workouts and the sweat. Time to get back!!!

 

I am really excited to share with you our new eating and workout plan. I will be posting all about it on Sunday to prep for the start on Monday.

 

Join us and together, we will get these bodies toned and tightened!