EEEWWWW what is that?? Is that my skin?

Skin!

Yeah so obviously jo-jo dieting didn’t help, but neither did giving birth to the 22 inch, 9.2 Pound baby that was the size of a three month old, and whose head circumference was 15 inches (thus she never dropped).  So, I am working on fixing this issue while I am losing weight. There are three things I am doing to help with my obsession of getting myself back in primo shape before we even think about having another one. (Also, I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY MOM THAT FEELS THIS WAY) 

ONE is Dry Brushing

This is something my German Oma always swore by! “Jennifer you should be doing this because it helps with tightening skin and circulation and cellulite” Obviously she was speaking German and it really did not resonate to a 12 year old. However the retired nurse was 100% right!

Get yourself a dry brush and start doing this IMMEDIATELY! I looked online and they ran for around 8-19 dollars, until I had the genius idea to check ROSS! They have everything random! Sure as shit, they had one left for 2.99$!!! AWESOME!

The way you dry brush is also important. You are gonna want to start at your ankles and in round circular motions work your way up. Be warned, it does not feel good, nor should it. You are rubbing off dead skin and circulating blood in your body. When has beauty every = no pain??  I hope this goes unsaid, but just in case, YOU HAVE TO BE DRY, the brush does not get wet!

Do this 2-3 times a day if you like….. shower afterwards.

Then do number TWO

Body scrub!

I made my own last night and I must tell you it was fantastic! My skin is super smooth and feels so much better. The Dry brushing helped for sure.

I made my scrub out of Coconut Oil because of its amazing benefits (to see them and its uses check out Gigi’s Beauty blog HERE) and EPSOM Salt.  Underneath is the link, but there are so many besides for health.

USE A SEPERATE DRY BRUSH!!

EPSOM SALT USES: BEAUTY

Exfoliate dead skin - In the shower or bath, mix a handful of Epsom salt with a tablespoon of bath or olive oil and rub all over your wet skin to exfoliate and soften. Rinse thoroughly.

Exfoliating face cleanser - To clean your face and exfoliate skin at the same time, mix a half-teaspoon of Epsom salt with your regular cleansing cream. Gently massage into skin and rinse with cold water.

Dislodge blackheads - Add a teaspoon of Epsom salt and 3 drops iodine into a half cup of boiling water. Apply this mixture to the blackheads with a cotton ball.

Remove foot odor - Mix a half cup of Epsom salt in warm water and soak your feet for 10 minutes to remove bad odor, sooth achy feet, and soften rough skin.

Remove hairspray - Combine 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of lemon juice, and 1 cup Epsom salt. Cover the mixture and let set for 24 hours. The next day, pour the mixture into your dry hair and leave on for 20 minutes before shampooing as normal.

Hair volumizer - Combine equal parts deep conditioner and Epsom salt and warm in a pan. Work the warm mixture through your hair and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

Helps muscles and nerves function properly

Studies show that Epsom salt can help regulate electrolytes in your body, ensuring proper functioning of the muscles, nerves and enzymes. Magnesium is also known to be critical in the proper use of calcium, which serves as a main conductor of the electric impulses in your body.

Eliminates toxins from the body

The sulfates in Epsom salt help flush toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances. Your skin is a highly porous membrane and adding the right minerals to your bathwater triggers a process called reverse osmosis, which actually pulls salt out of your body, and harmful toxins along with it. For a detoxifying bath, at least once weekly add two cups of our Ultra Epsom Salt to the water in a bathtub and soak for 10 minutes.

More Info…..

How to make it?

Get an airtight container that you can keep in the shower, and that way its handy.

Take your Course Sea Salt and mix your Oil in at a 2:1 ratio.  For example I mixed 2 cups Salt with 1 cup of Coconut Oil. You can add some essential oils if you want to add a fragrance to it, but I just left mine plane. Good ones would be lavender, peppermint or even coconut if you like the beachy tan smell.

Scoop a little out and start massaging it into your skin like you did with the dry brush, be careful because the floor of your shower is going to be oily and you could slip! Which would not be pretty….. no! No one want to see that!

Then rinse in the shower! It is so moisturizing! You will  LOVE it!

Ok the THIRD is sure CHEESY!

But super awesome! It was also a ROSS find and a last minute idea! You have all been awake at like 2 A.M and seen the stupid adds for THESE:

Well I used it at the gym and HOLY CRAP! I was sweating like crazy and it seemed to do the trick! I know its all water and stuff, but why not heat up that zone while I am on the machines right?? I am going to keep using this bad boy! Hey for 6.99$ that’s 10$ less than spanks lol!

x.o.x.o jenn

Jenn's Favorite Things......

 Oprah has a "Favorite Things" list, so I figured I could as well! No you are not getting a car or a Humpback Whale..........

So I told myself I would give it a month of taking my thyroid pills and getting used to them first before trying anything crazy to help me loose weight. The month is up and I have some exciting things that I have been doing. 

First, I want to thank Instagram (even though my husband might say otherwise since I have been on there so much) for letting me stalk, follow and “research” some awesome ideas during that month hiatus. I have found so much inspiration through that site, along with Pinterest! (if you want to follow me   and the people I follow click on the links on the side)  She might not know it, but my friend Gigi’s advice all those years ago still resonates with me today and when I do my meal planning I think of her, because she gave me great food advise and told me that planning was the best thing to keep me in check. She also have me YUNS of work out advice that I will be implementing as well. The best part about her is that she is also a beauty blogger (besides the best hair/makeup/clothes stylist in the world) ! Read her Beauty blog HERE and her professional website HERE!

Secondly, here are some of the staple items I am using right now to help me lose weight, get in shape and stay on track!

•        I got myself one of these bad boys!

 I LOVE my 6 Pack Bag!! Do you see how much stuff fits in there??? I am trying to figure out how I can use this as a purse as well lol, so I am not lugging so much around to work. You can get your very own HERE! Look for coupon codes like on Retailmenot.com, because I found one there for 15% off, which saves you pretty much the shipping. 

•      Yes I take all of these pills a day!

   The breakdown will be from top left to bottom right….

•     Folic Acid –So many beniefits some are Muscular degeneration, helps prevent cervical cancer         and heart disease, helps with anemia, muscle pain, sleep problems etc.
•     Spirulina - (which is in a bag because it smells like fish pond water)- too many to list, google it lol 
•     CLA- some benefits are reduction of body fat, stomach fat loss, cancer, obesity, Increase                metabolic rate, especially helps people who are HypoThyroid
•     Calcium - I was low so I am taking more
•     More CLA
•     Gum….. for hunger lol
•     5000 iu’s of Vitamin D- so important for everything

•      Here is a sample of my meal planning!

 Its pretty simple for now, because I am working on the basics of eating clean.  Lean protein,  veggies and a carb 3 times a day. I also eat a QuestBar for breakfast! This is something else Gigi advised me on. I HATE breakfast and need to eat something to start my day, so I eat half of one in the morning and then have been eating the other half after working out. Seems to be doing pretty well! They are so good, especially in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.

• Joined the GYM!
•       So I have a new JOB!!!! Yay! I am going to be so much happier now, because not only is it 5 min from work, but the people are nice and the employee benefits are awesome.  They give you a stipend of 60$ a month on a gym membership! Awesome, Right? So Rob and I signed up at MountainSide Fitness and really the only out of pocket we will have is the kids drop off, which is peanuts. It has been so nice going to the gym and having ZERO excuse to workout. I forgot how good it feels just to at least do 30 min or cardio without a two year old running around like crazy!

• WATER!

      I HATE water, or having to drink it I should say. However, I have decided I have no other choice since it is part of losing weight and flushing out your system. I have a water retention problem that is pretty bad, and I know that ironically drinking more water helps get rid of the excess bloat. Yuck! But I will do it! That’s all I have to say about that! In the picture are two of my favorite things: Jillian Michaels and an electric Espresso Machine! I mean who DOESN’t have one!

       That is it for now! I am working on another post that has to do with skin care (the moms might like this one.... or anyone that is losing a lot of weight)

       x.o.x.o jenn

Mulligan ….. for the last 30 days

I feel like these last t30 days have been a total disaster, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I was sick the whole month of February, Lena was getting all of her 2 year molars in at once, and to really top it off, we thought we had to put Lexi (one of our amazing dogs) down yesterday. It has been a roller-caster of emotions and so many times I just wanted this nightmare to just stop. A lot of other things just kept pilling up and adding to the stress, but those were the sprinkles on the Sunday.  So many times I just wanted to throw in the Towel and say “eff it” and wanted to just run away. I know everyone gets those moments, especially when you are sleep deprived and are not happy the way your life is going.

It started a few days before my birthday, when Lexi just started looking down and stopped eating. At first it was just the dry food and cookies, but then it became the wet food and eventually chicken breast. It has been like this the last 3 weeks. My dog lost 11 pounds in 5 days one week. We had been taking her to the vet twice a week to figure out what was wrong, and she got diagnosed with a Thyroid issue, low grade Valley Fever and some bacterial thing. Well the eating did not come back. Yesterday I took her to the vet because she didn’t even want to walk and was so weak, I was fully thinking we would have to put her down. The doctor toyed with the Idea as well, but first wanted to do an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed what could either be a bleeding ulcer or stomach cancer. Right now we are hoping for the Ulcer and are treating her for it. The thing that gets me is that if she has stomach cancer it would be the EXACT same my dad had, and died from. I just want my little big Lexi to get better and be happy again, she is after all our “muffin”.

With all the sickness, stress, sleepless nights (thanks Lena ;)) I have found ZERO motivation to workout or lose weight. Actually I gained like 2 pounds, and I know it is all stress and water related. This week I will get back on the bandwagon and work out, especially since I just signed Rob and myself up for Pat’s Run!

The next 30 days, I promise to make them better and not get so down and really work on the life we deserve and not create. 

What a long week it's been!

I am not going to lie, I have been so freaking bummed! (There has been so much going on at work, but I don't want to jinx it) I have been working out so hard, and watching what I was eating and nothing moved on the scale! And I mean NOTHING! Actually I gained weight, and it was so depressing. I noticed that I felt swollen and felt puffy and it was getting worse and worse. I could not even bend my fingers, that's how swollen I was. So I was thinking that I must be retaining so much water (even though I have not eaten salty foods), I still have these pills that are for my head (which is a whole other story) which are strong diuretics. So I took a full days worth, and seriously I dropped 6 pounds of water in one day! 6 freaking pounds!!!! That is just ridiculous ! I know it was that because I have kept it off, and I know I have problems with water retention. It's so frustrating.
I am so lucky to have friends in my life that seem to really care about what I am doing and are keeping me motivated. They are telling me that I am inspiring them to work out and eat better. I had a great conversation with a mom last night about how I feed Lena and that I am pretty strict about her sugar habits, and it was so refreshing to have someone totally get it! She even gave me a great alternative with potty training "treats" that I can use instead of jelly beans! She said to use chocolate covered sunflower seeds, which is a great alternative! I am totally going to get those for Lena!
I have had this post about child obesity that I have been contemplating if I should post it or not, and I think I will. I mean I care about what kids are eating, and honestly to each their own, but the post is just how I feel about how I currently and will continue to feed Lena.

In closing, thanks to all the people who read this and with whom I have talked over the last week, that have supported me!

We made Blueberry Muffins from scratch!