Stitch Fix - Box #1

I GAVE IN! I decided to try out Stitch Fix and I have to say, it's pretty amazing! You sign up, fill out the pretty detailed survey on your likes and dislikes, your sizes and all that fun stuff. You schedule when you want your box to arrive (can make it a reoccurring monthly thing or you can choose one time) then you can also leave a note to your stylist. 

I chose to do this because I have two toddlers and even when their daddy is with us to shop, I never feel like I can leisurely shop to find items I like and buying online means I am risking it not fitting and then having to return it and so on. Stitch Fix is really risk free in my opinion. There is an initial $20 styling fee that is charged when you schedule your box. That's the only charge until you receive your box, are allowed 3 business days to try the items on and decide what you would like to keep and what you will be returning in the postage paid envelope that is provided to you.

It's very exciting when you box arrives. I mean who doesn't enjoy when someone looks through your Pinterest board (you provide a link to them when you do your initial survey) and provides you items that are already on your board or that are similar to the style. The above picture is my box when I opened it. 

You get 5 items in your box. That includes if you have an accessory, such as a scarf or a piece of jewelry. In my first box I received a pair of jeans, a very cute top, a cardigan, a scarf and a tie waist dress. My stylist (Katie) gave me items that could be put together to make an outfit which was pretty awesome. I have plans to wear it when we are out this weekend. So let's get into what I received. 

The scarf I received is the Octavia Jalisa Floral Embroidered Infinity Scarf. It's not anything that I would have picked up on my own but I am SUPER excited that my stylist sent this to me. No picture does it justice. It's such a beautiful piece and very versatile. I decided to keep this item of course!

Henry & Belle Billy Skinny Jeans are AMAZING! They fit great, are stretchy and make your butt look awesome LOL. They are not cheap by any means but I have always been a girl that prefers to pay for good quality jeans that last as oppose to spending money on cheaper jeans that have to be replaced every year. Another item I kept!

The Fun2Fun Justice Lace Detail Blouse is very pretty. It has lace section across the shoulder area. I loved it from the minute I saw it. The downfall was when I put it on. The length was great and the sizing was perfect but the cut of it is pretty weird so it was pulling in the shoulder and breast area. I had to send it back because there was no way I could wear it with 2 little girls to take care of. 

Laila Jayde Swansea Drape Cardigan is such a great piece. I received it in a cream color that means I can pair it with pretty much anything. It's not heavy so it will work nicely in Spring or even during Summer while out to dinner. the length of it is pretty good especially since I have a long torso and often can't find long enough cardigans. I definitely kept this item. 

My last item was the Market & Spruce O'hara Animal Print Faux-Wrap Tie Waist Dress. This was another item that I definitely wouldn't have picked out for myself but loved it when I saw it. It's a light-weight material that would look great with riding boots or even some thong sandals depending on the day. I planned on keeping it until I put it on. It was NOT flattering to my physic at all. In my opinion it made me look a bit frumpy. I did not keep it. 

Once you decide what you are keeping and what you aren't then you sign back into your Stitch Fix account and complete the checkout process. When you checkout you can leave notes on why you like the item or why you don't like the item. It asks you about sizing, cut, and so forth. 

As for the prices, you give the price range in your initial survey and my items pretty much stuck within those limits. If you keep one item from the box then your $20 styling fee is credited towards the purchase. If you keep all 5 items then you receive a 25% discount. Your box will contain an invoice with all that information on it. I haven't had to deal with sizing issues but from what I have learned, you can simply email customer service and they can work with you on exchanging. 

Overall I believe Stitch Fix is absolutely worth it! I have already scheduled my next one to arrive next month. I don't believe I will get one every month but they have this AMAZING handbag that I hope they send me! I left a note to my stylist asking for it so here's to it being in my next box (hopefully) LOL. If you are interested in trying it out then head over to Stitch Fix and enjoy it! I thought it was pretty fun and a whole lot less stressful than heading to the mall with two kids in tow!

It's an adventure...make it a good one!

Over the weekend my family and I took a trip with some of our friends to Heidelberg, Germany. It was seriously the most amazing place. There is a castle there that takes your breath away. Once you go inside the castle you can see for miles! This picture was taken from a "balcony" type area inside the castle. It really is breath taking! This trip got me to thinking though. 

So many military members and spouses ask, "What's the best base?" or "What are the bad bases?" and that is kind of frustrating to me. In my opinion there are no bad bases. It's all relative to your attitude. I'm not saying that I am jumping to get stationed in Minot or something like that but I am saying that every base has it's good and it's bad. If you choose to focus on the good then it will be a "good" base rather than a bad one. Some might consider the base we are at as a bad assignment. It's a small base and the closest regular sized base is about 2 hours away. In order to get to the commissary or a small BX we have to drive 30 minutes. Sounds horrible right? It's not! It IS an adjustment but because of this we get to really experience the Belgian traditions and way of life. We have learned to appreciate those trips to "big" bases. What's probably the most frustrating for me though, when we are at those bigger bases I hear people constantly complaining about them. My initial thoughts are "what do you  have to complain about?" I guess I am just a different kind of spouse. I know that the base we are at is not permanent. In a few years we will be heading somewhere else, experiencing something else. Why not make the best out of the place we are at and learn some new things, see some new things and build memories with my family. 

Before being stationed in Belgium we were stationed in South Georgia. Over half the people there complain about what a horrible base it is and how they can't wait to get out of there. I will admit that I was a bit apprehensive about moving there because it really is such a small place (little did I know that our next base would be even smaller LOL). We chose to make the best of it and we ended up driving to Tallahassee quite a bit which was only a little over an hour away, we would go to all the farms and do the you pick them, an added bonus was that Savannah was only a few hours away. Never did I think I would miss that place. I took it as an experience and had fun while we were there. Now, I find myself MISSING it!  Had I not taken the right mindset when we arrived there then we wouldn't have found all the wonderful things that we did. All the festivals, the farm days, the farms, the friends, the list is endless really! 

You can choose to be bitter about the base you are at or you can choose to enjoy it and find the adventure in it! Get in your car and explore on the weekends. I will be the first to tell you that I don't get out during the week typically. I have the kids on a schedule and we stick to it during the week. That helps them and it helps me, plus I want to enjoy new things while my husband is with us. On the weekends, we try to experience something new, even if that means just driving to a big city around us, parking the car and just walking around. We have less than 4 years to experience Europe and I plan on taking advantage of that, even if that means we have to drive a few hours or go outside our comfort zone.

I think another thing that spouses/military members complain about is their children aren't adjusting. In a sense I get that but I also know from experience that your children will feed off of your energy. If you are bitter and complaining constantly about where you are stationed then your kids will not be happy there either. They will take their clues from you and follow your lead. My oldest was old enough to understand that we were leaving the place she was born and she watched as they packed our house and her toys. When I was stressed and freaking out about it, then she was a wreak. Once I settled into the idea and "let Jesus take the wheel" then she calmed into it and we told her we were going to a new home. It became a cool adventure to her and she has great ever since.

I guess what I am trying to say is that nothing is permanent. Enjoy where you are and find the positive in everything. It will make you a better wife, mother and person. I will admit that I wasn't always that person. I have had to work at it and learn to find the positive. You could have asked me a year ago and I would have said there are good bases and bad bases....now I think they are all good because there is ALWAYS a good aspect or two for each one. The base we are at now allows us to travel Europe, it's a small tight knit community with great leadership, and we are showing our kids that there is a whole big world out there! As Joel Osteen says, "Enjoy the season you are in!" 

Enjoy the adventure and know that in a few short years you will be on the road of another great adventure. :)

Honest Confessions of a Mother

 

I absolutely LOVE my kids! They are everything to me. I feel so very lucky to have been chosen to be their mother and wouldn't want it any other way!

With that said, motherhood is HARD! I spent 8 years in the Army and my childhood wasn't all roses but NOTHING prepared me to be a mother. Of course the multiple wake ups at night and the sicknesses and childbirth are all things that pass and seem to become more of a vague memory at best...what I think is the hardest part is once they start to talk! 

Just hang in there with me for a minute. 

It's always such an awesome thing to hear your kid say their first words! You wait and wait to see what that first word will be and most mommies hope that it will be "mama" or something along those lines. Typically, for me at least, our kids said "dada" first. No big deal...I just carried you in my belly for 9 months, couldn't have my glass of wine on Friday nights, suffered through morning sickness, gained 60 pounds, and birthed you without the epidural taking effect....but go ahead and say "dada" first. He earned it LOL.

Never mind the fist word....what happens when they start with the full sentences and they turn 2?! It's like someone takes over your kids body and the sweet and loving child you had before disappears. Well not fully disappears....that sweet side resurfaces on occasions. The temper tantrums, the refusal to do anything and they tell you so, then teaching their younger and sweet sibling to say the word "NO" every time mommy says something. 

That's what has happened in my household at least. Out of no where, well actually just this week, my 1 year old has decided to tell me "no" anytime I tell her to do something. I tell her to sit down and she says "no". I tell her to stop doing something and of course she says "no". She has only recently learned this from her 2 year old (almost 3) sister. I get terrible two's....well not really but at least it's an explanation....but I do not know nor enjoy why on earth my 1 year old has turned into a "no" machine?! It's literally driving me NUTS! I sit her in timeout for telling me "no" and she gets up, tries to run away from timeout while yelling "no". I sit her back down and we do this for about 20 minutes. My oldest likes to tell me "no" as well but since she is a bit older I have had a lot of discussions with her about why it's not nice to say that and why mommy asks her to help and so forth. I don't think it really gets through to her but only because she is one of the most stubborn kids I know....she's only second to her sister who has since taken the reigns on that one! 

So let's say I get passed the "no" issue...everything is perfect right? Umm NO (oh look, my favorite word LOL)! My oldest throws some of the most extreme temper tantrums! I mean we have to leave where we are, take her right away to the car and put her in her seat as we stand outside and listen to her SCREAM at the top of her lungs. She can do this for a good hour at least. Typically after about 10 minutes we get in the car, insert ear plugs and drive home. I used to get all worked up about it but as crazy as it sounds...I am learning to ignore it! Well ignore it as much as you can when they are screaming LOL. What bothers me most is the fact that she typically chooses to throw these fits while we are out in public and here in Belgium we get starred at by EVERY person with a look of "how can you not control your kid?" Well if you are a mom then you know that "controlling" a two year old's temper is as easy as nailing jello to the wall! It's NOT going to happen and I am not going to try! I am going to get her to a neutral place and allow her to get it all out. Eventually she will realize that mommy isn't going to give in and get her candy so it's not worth the tantrum....or at least that's my hope because typically her tantrums are about something very minor. When she has them at home then I take her up to her room, sit her on the bed and I sit on the floor and let her get it out. Again, it's about a 45 minutes thing and once she's done she will say she's sorry, gives me a hug and tells me she loves me. Sounds fun right?! 

Hmm what else is so much fun with kids? I personally LOVE when the kids are fighting over one particular toy (that we probably have 2 of but they don't want to look for the other one) and they don't yell at each other....the scream at the top of their lungs! It's a very high pitched, blood curdling scream that severs my nerves the second it starts. Oh, or the refusal to eat because even though they said they wanted chicken for dinner what they really meant was they wanted spaghetti. 

Motherhood is down right hard! I wouldn't trade it for the world but that doesn't mean that at the end of each day my brain, nerves and body are maxed out. When the kids go to bed and the house is quiet...that's the best feeling in the world. Again, I absolutely LOVE my kids and love my life but as a stay at home mom....peace and quiet are a rare thing so I enjoy every second that I get! This doesn't make me a bad mom either...it makes me a better mom because I take what quiet time I can get because I have started to expect these things from the kids. I know that typically I will get one tantrum a day from the oldest and now I get a "no" from my youngest about every 5 minutes. The kids are exploring their own thoughts, opinions and emotions. I won't stop them from exploring them but it does take it's toll on me! Eventually (not to long from now) they will be older and I will have teenagers to deal with. I think I will take now over teenage girls LOL!

Anyone know a good spa in Belgium?! ;-)

Defining Your Identity

This morning I was reading just as I do every morning and I saw something that really made me stop in my tracks and think. 

 (Pic found on Pinterest)

How do we see/identify ourselves? Do you identify yourself by your circumstances? When you look in the mirror, do you see a girl from a broken home? A girl that was rejected by her father? A girl that lost her best friend way to early in life? A girl that messed up A LOT in her younger years? A girl that refused God at the time she should have turned to him?

So many of us see ourselves as our circumstances but that's not what God wants us to see. God created us and he created us in his perfect image. That doesn't mean we are going to be perfect but it does mean that he will forgive us for our sins. That no matter what, he loves us and sees us as the perfect beings that we are. All you have to do is accept him, love him and do right by him. 

To me that is a HUGE comfort! I was not Ms. Perfect by any means and I am still not. I mess up, I make mistakes....the difference is now when I do, I turn to prayer. I turn to God, ask for his forgiveness and then pray for strength to not only move on but to do better next time. I ask that he provides his strength in me and helps to guide me in the right direction. 

I went through a very difficult situation almost 8 years ago. At that moment in my life I was young, I had lost and I was hurting very badly. Instead of turning to God for his strength to get through it, I was MAD at him! I wanted nothing to do with him because I couldn't understand how something such as this could happen. He didn't turn his back on me though. He sent me peace, love and waited for me to accept that there are greater plans than the ones we have. That God's plan triumphs every other plan. 

Just as God's plan triumphs, so does his LOVE! He doesn't care if your parents divorced or if they have been married 50 years. You dad walking out of your life doesn't reflect on you as a person but rather on your father in God's eyes. He doesn't disown you if you have a wild couple of  years. His love triumphs that and he accepts you back the second you ask for forgiveness. Now that gives me so much inspiration. That means I should not be judging myself on those things either! I should accept myself for who I was and take each day to better myself. Each day is a gift and I should (and do) use that day to get closer to God, my family and to become the best version of myself that I can be. My past is forgiven. My future is bright! 

In the book  I am currently reading, the author talks about how she once identified herself by her circumstances (broken home, rejected by her father, etc.). She found hope by changing how she identified herself with her circumstances and instead identified herself by who God says she is.

Christina, the forgiven child of God. (Romans 3:24)

Christina, the set-free child of God. (Romans 8:1-2)

Christina, the accepted child of God. (1 Corinthians 1:2)

Christina, the holy child of God. (1 Corinthians 1:30)

Christina, the made-new child of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Christina, the loved child of God. (Ephesians 1:4)

Christina, the close child of God. (Ephesians 2:13)

Christina, the confident child of God. (Ephesians 3:12)

Christina, the victorious child of God. (Romans 8:37)

(Feel free to put your name in place of mine, as I replaced the author's name with my own.)

I think it's SOOO important that you identify yourself as something other than your circumstances! We are each made for more! We deserve more and we ARE more! 

If you are interested, the book I am reading is Made To Crave by Lysa Terkeurst. It's actually a book based on her weight loss journey and how she fought her cravings by seeking God and how we were made to crave but the intention was to crave God and not food. It's a great read and I definitely recommend it! :)

This Beachbody Coaching thing....

There is a skeptic in every one of us. We see something awesome or someone that's excelling and we say "That's too good to be true." I've said it and I've heard people say it when it comes to Beachbody coaching. 

"You are telling me that within a year I could quit my full time job and make enough money to work from home as a Beachbody coach? Yeah right!"

"There is no way people even make money off of that!"

"It's just a pyramid scheme!"

"I'm not a salesperson so there is no way I could do it!"

"I'm not at my goal yet. I haven't even completed a program. I'm not eligible to coach someone!"

If you think those things then I have an opportunity for you. You can get a glimpse into Beachbody coaching and decide if it's for you or not! No obligation, no fee, just a REAL inside glimpse into what it's all about and it will help to answer your questions and objections. 

It's simply an online, Facebook group lead by my Diamond Coach. You join the group, see what it's all about and if it's for you then AWESOME but if not then that's okay. You really have nothing to lose. 

I honestly couldn't tell you where I would be if I didn't have this opportunity. I absolutely love being a stay at home mom but I noticed only a couple of months in that my focus was solely on my kids and I felt a part of myself slipping away. I felt I should be doing more, helping others and giving my life a purpose. I needed something to focus on other than my daily routine with the kids. Again, I LOVE my kids and I am SOOO grateful to be at home with them. That's the best part, I am at home with my kids. I am watching them and helping them grow while still having my OWN purpose. Not everyone can be a stay at home mom because they need the income. The good news is you can turn coaching into your possibility to stay home with the kiddos! I have a personal friend that is now leaving the Air Force after 3 years to be a stay at home mom to her wonderful son thanks to Beachbody coaching. It's possible!!!

This sneak peek group is an amazing opportunity to see if coaching is for you! There are no special requirements to get into the group. NO purchase, no age limit, no gender restrictions....just email me and let me know you want to join the group and we can get you there.

I forgive you.

I forgive you! Those are words that I should have spoken to my father a long time ago. 

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I was only 18 years old, what some might consider an adult, and I made the decision that I thought would best suit me. I decided to move back to mom’s house because you weren’t around.  I decided to spend the remainder of my senior year as just that, a senior and not as a working adult. Yes, I made an adult decision and as you said, I must deal with the repercussions of my decision. Never in my mind did I think that one of those repercussions would be you leaving my life for good. I had no idea that you needed and wanted so much control over my life that by me opposing YOUR desires I would lose my father.

Over ten years later I am now a mother to two beautiful but stubborn and opinionated little girls that test me daily. What I can say though is that even at their most stubborn moments, I would NEVER walk away from them for “disobeying my order”. They are my children, my BLOOD! AND I LOVE THEM!!!! They will make mistakes and do things that I won’t approve of because that is how they grow into their own person. I can provide them guidance and love but I cannot force them to do as I say simply because that is my desire. I did come to a realization though….you simply acted the way that was shown to you as you grew up. You learned to parent from your parents who were the old school “do as I say, not as I do” type. You learned to hold your love and attention hostage when you didn’t agree with what your child was doing. I vow to BREAK THE CYCLE! I won’t allow my kids to feel that. My love is not something I can turn on and off or hold hostage from my kids. It’s unconditional and they DESERVE to feel it each and every day regardless of their actions.

I can’t blame you for that anymore. I forgive you! I was hurt, and I still am, that you could simply walk away. However, I know now that you didn’t know how to break the cycle. You didn’t fully grasp the consequences of YOUR actions. By holding your love hostage and walking away from my life, you have lost out on being a grandfather to my two amazing daughters and to my two amazing nephews. You have lost not just one but TWO daughters. You missed my graduation from high school, my graduation for Army basic training, my homecoming from my deployment, my wedding day…. the list goes on and on. Those are the consequences you now have to live with as you once said to me.

Through it all, I am not mad at you…. at least not anymore. I was for a long time but that anger and hurt does nothing to you but it does hinder me. It causes me to keep a wall up and to keep people at bay that don’t deserve it. They aren’t the ones that hurt me…you are.

Joel Osteen says it best in these passages from his book Your Best Life Now:

“When we hold on to unforgiveness and we live with grudges in our hearts, all we’re doing is building walls of separation.”

“You must tear down the walls. You must forgive the people who hurt you so you can get out of prison. You’ll never be free until you do. Let go of those wrongs they’ve done to you. Get that bitterness out of your life. That’s the only way you’re going to truly be free. You will be amazed at what can happen in your life when you release all that poison.”

“Forgiveness is a choice, but it is not an option. Jesus put it this way: ‘If you don’t forgive other people, then your Father in heaven is not going to forgive you’.”

I can’t and won’t hold on to that anymore.  So let me say it again…

I FORGIVE YOU. With all my heart, I forgive you. I wish you all the best that God has to give and I pray many blessings over you and your family.

It's time to go EXTREME!

I am SOO excited you guys! We are only 5 days out from the release of 21-Day Fix Extreme!!! It probably sounds weird to say that but I purchased the 21-Day Fix original program back in May 2014 and that program is amazing! The 21-Day Fix taught me proper portion sizes, how many servings of veggies, fruits and everything else, PLUS the workouts were great. On Monday, February 2nd, the 21-Day Fix goes to the EXTREME! I have gotten some questions about the 21-Day Fix Extreme and how it compares to the original 21-Day Fix so I want to answer your questions.

Is the intensity different from 21-Day Fix?

Yes, the 21-Day Fix is a more intense program both nutrition wise and workout wise. There is higher intensity workouts that are meant to take you to a whole new level.

Can anyone do the 21-Day Fix Extreme?

No, it is recommended that if you are just starting your fitness and health journey then you should stick to the original 21-Day Fix. If you have completed any other workout program such as T25, Insanity, Body Beast, P90X or even original 21-Day Fix then you are prepared for the Extreme.

Who is the 21-Day Fix Extreme geared towards?

The 21-Day Fix Extreme is not for beginners. It's for those people that don't have a lot of weight to lose but want to tone or as we like to say, get shredded!

Is there a modifier and what equipment will I need?

There is a modifier but that does not take away from the intensity of the program. There are weights in every workout and resistance bands are used as well.

Is there a difference in the nutrition plan with the 21-Day Fix Extreme?

Yes! The containers are still the same; however, there are 2 nutrition plans provided with the Extreme. The 21-Day Fix Extreme Eating Plan is similar to the original eating plan but there are added items and other items were taken away. (Yes, it's true, no wine or chocolate for 21 Days but you CAN DO IT!) The second nutrition plan that is provided is the Countdown to Competition Plan. This plan is a strict plan to take your results to a whole new level. The Countdown to Competition Plan is not mandatory but can be used at specific times, such as when you have a big event coming up and want to look your absolute best. There is also a calendar provided that helps you navigate combining the two eating plans.

Is the 21-Day Fix Extreme a high impact program?

Extreme can be a high impact program; however, there is a modifier. Not every workout is high impact either.


So here is the low down for those of you that already have the 21-Day Fix and are trying to decide if you should get Extreme. Autumn changed things up with the Extreme. There are new recipes with the nutrition plan and she says they are fun (new taco mix recipe so I am excited!). The food lists are different for each container as well. Things were taken out and things were added. We all know that the stuff at the bottom of the list were not always the best of choices so I am guessing it's some of that stuff but I can't wait to see what items were added! There is NO WINE and NO CHOCOLATE allowed with the Extreme. I know that sounds impossible but it's only 21 days! You can do anything for 21 days! Autumn's reason behind taking some things out (including the wine and chocolate) is that everything comes at a price! Those that choose to do this program are looking to see their abs again and even though you don't think it makes that big of a deal, that one glass of wine a night makes a difference. You will see that once you go 21 days without it and your abs are loving you for it. Another big thing with the Extreme is food prep day. That's always been my big deal though....food prepping is setting yourself up for success for the week.

Put the wine down for 3 weeks and BRING YOUR "A" GAME! It's time to get EXTREME!!!

My next group starts February 9th so that gives you plenty of time to purchase the 21-Day Fix Extreme and receive it. If you want to join my group then I must be your assigned coach, so if you DO NOT yet have an account, click this link and create a FREE ONE! If you DO have an assigned coach, you have TWO options:

#1 - Reach out to your current coach and see if they run their own challenges (MANY do!)

or 

#2 - If you are not working with your assigned coach and would like to switch, you can do so by writing coachrelations@beachbody.com and requesting to have your coach changed to Christina Youngblood #406944. (Doing so takes approx. 48-72 hours)

There is no extra fee for me to be your coach.

Once you have signed up for your account or you have switched over to me as your coach then shoot me an email and let me know so I can put you on my list for February's group. :)