Y'all, I'm exhausted! Not sure what is about this week, but I'm worn out. I've been crashing hard after getting the kids to bed. I like to catch up on my favorite TV shows after the kids go to bed, but this week it hasn't happened. Like I'm talking it has taken me three times to get all the way through Jane the Virgin because I can't stay awake...Side note- anyone else watch Jane? I'm really bitter that they killed Michael off of the show. I could rant on, but it's Friday, so I'll move right along.

O N E
Patience, Commitment, And Progress
I'd say the past four months, I've really committed myself to getting back on a routine workout schedule and increased my workouts to five to six times a week. I'm definitely starting to to see and feel the results. My arms, thighs, and abdominals are toner and stronger. I'm paying more attention to my posture. I feel better...Pilates will do that to you. I've been combining Yoga into my routine as well...this past week I've made it to three Yoga classes. Yoga has really helped with my flexibility (which has helped with my Pilates practice). I'm feeling a difference when I do exercises such as Tree in Pilates (pictured below). I think the key here is I've noticed so much progress lately from being patient with myself and committing to prioritizing my workouts. Just in case you missed it, I blogged earlier this week about being patient both in fitness and life- read it here and here.

T W O
Spring Fever
We've had a lot of warm weather the past few weeks with highs in the 60s and 70s for part of the week. I feel like it has been a few days of spring mixed with really mild winter weather. Next week, the weather forecast looks just about the same. I'm not really complaining and we did get to enjoy one snow this year.

T H R E E 
bareMinerals Foundation Primer
F O U R 
Essential Oils of the Bible
A few months a go, a friend recommended this book to me- Essential Oils of the Bible. I use essential oils regularly, especially to fight sickness (read here and here), but I'm interested in learning more in general about essential oils and ways to incorporate oils. I just picked this book up from the library, so I really haven't had a chance to read it yet, but I'm looking forward to flipping through it. I thought I'd check it out from the library before I decided to buy it.

F I V E
Valentine's Day Dinner and Treats
I did a lot of cooking and baking for Valentine's Day. I really enjoy baking from scratch, knowing and controlling what goes in our food, and using Organic ingredients as much as possible.

Hubby loves and requested Apple Cinnamon muffins, so I made those- loosely following this recipe. The main difference is I used Organic Unsalted Butter instead of Coconut Oil (his request) and I dipped the muffins in melted butter and cinnamon after pulling them out of the oven.
For Valentine's Dinner, we had: Grilled Chicken, Roasted Broccoli, Brown Rice, and Heart-shaped Biscuits with Honey. Here's the recipe for the biscuits.

 
For dessert, I made Sugar Cookies with Strawberry Glazed Icing with my little assistant. Yes, we did use Sugar, but we used Organic ingredients and no food coloring. Side note- I just really hate the thought of adding food coloring into what I cook. The icing was delicious and the strawberries gave it the perfect color and flavor. I found the recipe for the icing here. The recipe calls for fresh strawberries and lemon zest, but we used frozen strawberries and lime zest (since that's what I had on hand). The cookies are just about gone- if that tells you anything!

Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday! I'm ready for a busy weekend, including starting two new Pilates class series this weekend.

We've had lots of sickness floating around our house the past few weeks, including the dreaded stomach bug. BUT I'm happy to report everyone has been healthy the past week and a half. So today I'm going to be sharing a lot about what I did to stay healthy and get over sickness faster.

O N E 
Vitamins
I'm a big fan of Probiotics and take them daily- they are so good for you and perfect for digestive health. Read here why. I take the Standard Process Probiotics 3 times a day, but when the stomach bug started, I increased to 4-5 times a day for an extra boost.

Once everyone started getting sick in my house, I also started taking my Immuplex vitamin again (also made by Standard Process.) I took this vitamin throughout my pregnancy (2 capsules, 3 times a day,) but hadn't been taking them lately. When sick or exposed to sickness, I take a total of 9 capsules a day (usually I would take 6 a day.) I swear by Immuplex- I avoided getting the Flu last year when everyone else in my house had it and I credit that to these vitamins.
I get both of these vitamins from my chiropractor, so you won't find them in store- check with a chiropractor or other wellness provider. But they are good quality vitamins and are made from whole foods, which is why you have to take more of them. (Side note- I shared yesterday about why I started going to the chiropractor. Click here. You should definitely check that out if you are pregnant!)

T W O
Lemon Water
I love drinking lemon water. But when sick or exposed to sickness, I drink it at least once a day. Lemons are a great boost for your immune system because they are high in Vitamin C. We did not have any lemons at home, so I used my Young Living Lemon Vitality essential oil instead. I put 1-2 drops in my water using my Yeti cup to keep it cold and refreshing.

T H R E E
DiGize Essential Oil 
That being said, I did end up getting the stomach bug. Like a week and a half later after everyone else was healthy. I'm not sure what happened, but I will say I had stopped drinking lemon water and had stopped taking my Immuplex vitamins two days before I got sick (bad move on my part.)

So anyways, this gave me the perfect opportunity to try my new essential oil DiGize. This is an essential oil blend made from Young Living- read more about it here. I had heard great things about this oil and ordered it after my house came down with the stomach bug.
Once I started feeling sick, I rubbed a mixture of coconut oil and one drop of the oil on my stomach in a circular motion. As soon as I did this, I would feel relief from my nausea. I did this several times the day I was sick. I only got sick on my stomach one time and just felt flu-like for the rest of the day. I credit that to my vitamins, the lemon water, and DiGize oil because everyone else was a thousand times sicker and for much longer than I ever was with the bug.

F O U R 
Lululemon- Align Crop Leggings
What better way than to celebrate surviving the stomach bug than a new pair of workout leggings! I picked these crop leggings up last week. I'm obsessed. Like if I'm honest- I've almost worn them almost every day the past week except when I've washed them ha.

F I V E
New Mat
I also scored this new mat from Lululemon last Saturday. Note for locals to Huntersville and Lake Norman Area- Lululemon at Birkdale Village is starting back up their free Saturday Morning classes. They are having another class tomorrow at 8:30 AM. Anyways, I went last Saturday and they gifted those that attended a new mat. Who doesn't love a new mat?! I love it! It is the perfect amount of cushion, so I can use it for both Yoga and Pilates.

Happy Friday!

ONE
I'm really excited to be starting my blogging adventure. I have read blogs for years, love sharing Pilates with others, and talking about overall wellness, but never had the courage to actually start blogging. The start of a new year seemed like just the right time to open up to the blogging world about the things I love most! I've loved reading April's from a Smidge of This Five on Friday posts, so I'm going to start linking up with her and joining the Five on Friday fun. So here it goes- 

TWO
I've been loving adding the Pilates Magic Circle into my mat practice this week. It's a great tool to use to switch up your mat practice and of course is an added challenge to your workout. The Magic Circle helps me activate my inner thighs for exercises such as The 100. I especially love using the Magic Circle for a finishing stretch following Single Leg Circles. 

That's all for now! Have a great weekend!