For some reason St. George has always drawn us in for special family occasions. So we headed out for the long weekend!
Started out like all other road trips, Kids watching a movie & me? Headphones in, listening to personal development audiobooks. (awe!)
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At church a couple of weeks ago we talked about personal revelation. How you can ask God "What can I specifically do to move forward?"
It was quite the coincidence because that very morning during my morning routine I had felt prompted to ask that same question.
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EACH MORNING IS YOURS TO CREATE! MAKE A PLAN FOR GREATNESS! FREE MORNING ROUTINE PRINTABLE.
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WHY I AM CUTTING GLUTEN, SUGAR, MEAT, DAIRY & CAFFEINE FOR A WHILE & GREAT SOURCES TO LEARN THE BENEFITS!
Read MoreOh mommas! The time has come, school is OUT for the SUMMER! If you are like me there is an element of excitement (insert happy dance to celebrate no more homework!!) But... the monkey riding on my back is carrying an unsettling amount of pressure to help keep my kids entertained and engaged in life, learning & loving.
The fact of the matter is I am a stay at home Mom + Entrepreneur running a large network marketing business from home. Truth is- I really really enjoy my work! If I don't set guidelines for myself and for my children this summer, I know we will all be a hot mess! We will spend our days consuming entirely too much screen time! Let's face it- It's the easy road! So when I picture the summer in my mind on fast play - whizzing by before my eyes, because it will - I want to see physical, mental & emotional learning for our family. Summer vacation is just too darn short to be sitting in front of technology, not having structure & missing out on actually living OUR lives.
So, I developed a SUMMER CHALLENGE to help engage my children in good activities and work for their screen time. Check it out!
The kids have the opportunity to earn 90-Minutes of screen time each day. 90 minutes may seem like a lot- but hey, in my eyes if they complete their checklist I am going to be one proud mom & I believe they will too! Quite frankly, I think if they instill these habits, they will actually not desire screen time as much because LIVING LIFE is so much more fulfilling and brings so much more joy & accomplishment- AND that's just a good, good feeling which will become a natural desire.
My hope anyway!
Below is a look at the checklist at full size, 8 1/2 X 11. Easy to print from your home computer each week and hang on your family bulletin board or tape to the kids door.
Guess what the good news of the day is??!!!!
⚡️ You always have a choice! ⚡️
Family, parents, siblings, politics, illness, Mercury retrograde, community or company trends...
They are simply influences!
That's it!
You always have a choice in how you react and thereby what you create. You have a choice in the meaning you give those influences too! You have a choice in your mood, your energy, all of it.
So what's your choice gonna be? What do you want today to be like? How do you want to feel today?
Whatever you want, you get!
See I told you it was good news!!!!!
Let me start by sharing a couple of recent Facebook post...
SATURDAY, MAY 7:
Have you ever heard of a float spa before?
1,000 pounds of Epsom salt in this little clam like pod. So much salt that your body is floating as the salt pulls out all the toxins in your body.
An hour of nothing put floating.
I've never done it before but I'm headed to my first float spa now! Then a hair blow out. Manicure. And massage. Happy Mothers Day to me! Thank you Jayson. Super excited for a relaxing day, especially the float spa. Has anyone tried it out before? What was your experience?
SATURDAY, MAY 14:
Okay I know I'm going to sound like a crazy person, but I need to share what's been going on. I woke up this morning with a strong impression to share so I'm praying someone who reads this can help me!
Last Saturday I went to a float spa. It was amazing and I felt so relaxed and rejuvenated! I stayed in their meditation room for awhile soaking up the good feelings cuz I felt amazing.
I walked out the door and it went downhill, so downhill.
I had a haircut where the lady went way shorter than I wanted. I proceeded after that to have the WORST manicure I've ever had in my LIFE.
That night I had the craziest nightmares and woke up in the worst pain I have felt in a long time. Pain in the middle of my back, a place I've never been sore before. So much pain and tightness to where I couldn't go to church.
Bad dreams all this past week. My body has been in so much pain I haven't been able to do my hard core workouts. I've forced myself to do yoga everyday but even that has been painful! I feel tired, it's been hard for me to focus, brain fog, indigestion issues. And my skin! Grrrrr.
My skin was doing so good for the last couple months, increasingly better and better! Nothing done differently - and I'm breaking out like crazy! My skin does NOT look good right now. And I had been doing okay with my lash extensions and my lashes are totally falling out too! The whole lash, not just the extension.
I can't count how many times I have cried this last week, my energy and vibe is just off. Some days I have barely any appetite and rarely eat. And other days I want to eat candy and chocolate all day long.
The pain, the skin breakouts, the bad dreams...... Something is not right! I'm not PMS'ing. And it's just this past week, ever since the float spa. I don't feel like myself!
I know there's so much going on in my life right now that is GOOD and I'm so so grateful. I'm not sharing this with the intent to complain and focus on the bad. So I sincerely apologize if this post brings you down. I probably sound like a crazy person. 🙈
I just want to feel better. I've done everything I know of to pull out of this funk. I know I have a lot of friends who know more about energy than me, and it seemed a couple of you had done float spas before so perhaps someone has some insight?
Please send me a private message if you have an ideas on what happened and what I can do. Suggestions, ideas.
I was in such a good place, doing so good. I want that back.
Can I just take a moment to say how amazing the online community is? So many lessons the last 36 hours since my post Saturday morning. Last night and this morning there have been a WAVE of AHA moments and breakthroughs. I can't wait to share some insights and respond to the heartfelt messages I received. In the meantime check out the amazingly helpful comments I received.
So helpful!
I took Sunday to unplug, As I often do. It's been really really nice to be unplugged on the weekends.
TAKE TIME TO UNPLUG
Everyone is different. For ME, over the last four years of sharing my life online and building a business through social media I've learned it's good for my sanity to have time offline each weekend. It keeps me balanced. Keeps things in perspective.
Don't get me wrong, I love social media. I've built a business through social media, and met some of my best friends online!
I even dare to say we have an obligation to share what we are learning and experiencing with others. Our experiences don't have to JUST be for OUR benefit, but for others benefit as well; if we allow it. Social media is a powerful way to do just that.
But it's good to be in the moment. Mentally present.
It's good for me to create space to free my mind from thinking "What's a good way to share this moment online?"
Because I spend minimal time plugged in on the weekends, I've been able to show up STRONG for my team and customers week after week, year after year. I stay EXCITED to share my life the rest of the week.
Social media connections can be pretty cool. Connecting to LIFE in the moment can be pretty cool too. Win Win!
Papers signed.
Money transferred.
Keys in hand.
IT REALLY REALLY WENT THROUGH. We bought a house!!!!
I gotta be honest and share what’s been going through my mind lately.
At the beginning of the year when I was praying about my goals for the year and what God had in store for me I just KNEW it was time to buy a home. But the last time we had a mortgage we lost our home in a foreclosure. That was six years ago and since then we haven’t had a bank loan! Renting has felt safe and I was fine to continue renting. But I felt God telling me “This isn’t where you’re suppose to be long term.” So we started looking around.
We even stayed back from the Beachbody Success Club trip in March knowing we needed to be in a contract SOON if we were to close in time when our lease was up. I was STRESSING. We walked through SO MANY houses, so much back and forth on buying a modest home in cash, or buying our dream home with plans to pay it off in a few years. Lots of prayers on the matter.
And bless our realtor’s heart. lol. Ashley Schmidt was the BEST realtor we have ever worked with. That’s a post for another day, but if you need someone I would 100% recommend her.
But I wasn’t finding the ONE. I walked through a lot of nice houses, but I wasn’t getting the spiritual confirmation to move forward with any of them.
Finally, we found this house. And I just KNEW - this is where my kids are suppose to grow up.
I knew God approved and it was GOOD. I was so relieved, excited, at peace. And that lasted for about 24 hours. Then I was ridden with fear and guilt. Clearly I’m a female mess of emotions. lol.
I had NO IDEA I had so many issues and limiting beliefs surrounding money. Many of my thoughts included….. “We lost our previous forever dream home, what if we lose this one too?” “What will people think of me when they see the new house? Will people judge me? Think I’m a bad person? AM I bad person for making this purchase?”
I thought long and hard about it. Prayed. Meditated. Talked to my therapist about it, my life coach, my husband, close friends, journaled about it, read The Legacy Journey by Dave Ramsey
which is SUCH A GOOD book if you’re a Christian and have concerns about money! I think a lot of Christians think it’s bad to have money and this book helped me a TON to learn about money from a biblical standpoint. Those things really helped me work through the guilt of having something nice.
And the fear dissipated as I prayed, a lot. But also just doing the math. When we lost our previous home, the mortgage on that house was nearly 40% of our monthly income. We were living month to month basically, saving very little. The mortgage on this home is 7% of our monthly income. We can continue saving more than we spend each month and work to pay it off quickly.
I didn’t share the news of our move until I could share the news without including an apology. Yet I was BRACING myself for hate messages when I posted photos of the new place. I didn’t get any, everyone was so positive. But I don’t know the thoughts that went unsaid.
All I can do is pray people know my heart. And stay focused on my standing with God and what HE thinks of me.
LONG STORY huh. lol. But I am SO GRATEFUL for everything I’ve been working through mentally the last few months so COME CLOSING DAY, there’s no fear, there’s no guilt or shame, I can just be EXCITED.
It’s proof to me of many things…..
- God restores all.
- Beachbody has been a God given BLESSING for us.
- DREAM BIG! Even if you have doubt in your own dreams, keep moving forward. You might just surprise yourself and actually live that dream board life.
WE ARE ALL SO EXCITED AND SO GRATEFUL!! Six more weeks and we are moving in!!!!
Do you ever wake up in the morning and crave a sweet chewy chocolatey ooey gooey breakfast? Or how about a 3 pm sweet chewy chocolatey ooey gooey pick-me-up? Anything to not be tempted to raid the pantry shelves, right!
These do the trick and are a huge hit at our house!
This simple recipe calls for ingredients I'm sure you'll have on hand so start whipping it up now! You can substitute Shakeology with your favorite protein powder or you can purchase Shakeology HERE.
Start by adding all the dry ingredients into a bowl. Then add the banana & milk. Mix & mix until well blended.
Once you've mixed the ingredients well, line a dish with parchment paper for easy removal once ready to cut. The size of the dish is your choice - the smaller the pan the thicker the bars will be.
Once you have spread the mixture out evenly into the pan, refrigerate for 3 hours.
When your mixture has chilled for 3 hours, remove from pan by grabbing opposite ends of the parchment paper, lift out of pan and set on solid surface to prepare for cutting into square. Cut into desired size. General serving size is 12 bars per recipe.
For added sweetness you could use a pinch of honey or dash of stevia.
Enjoy!
Spent the morning going through applications and connecting with coaches for my new coach mentorship!
Gosh it has me excited for everyone that is stepping into ACTION on their dreams! Best Job Ever!
Speaking of dreams... this afternoon we headed to the new house!
Have you ever seen those little iPads installed in the wall of homes? It controls security cameras, surround sound, lights, stuff like that?
Well the house we are buying has one of those little suckers! Three throughout the house. And I have no clue how they work or what all they control. 😂 We met with the sellers to have them show us how it all works.
Goal---- be smarter than the smart home. 😉😂
AHHHHH, walking through the new house again and hearing the sellers talk about the neighborhood and what it's like has us EVEN MORE excited to move in!
I love the way they decorated, but I am pretty exited to make it our own.
For all my decorating friends, I have a question for you about this space...
I'm thinking of putting two identical couches facing one another on either side of the fireplace. With two chairs in between, and a bench in front of the fireplace. THAT, or, doing a small sectional like this with two chairs.
I've been pinning a lot of photos on Pinterest for decorating inspiration, of course!
All the other rooms I know exactly what I want to do except for this one. Input welcomed!
Pinching myself that this is reality.
Closing on this beauty in five more days!!!!!!
She's officially in business! Andi's Africa Fund has begun. 💰
Last fall Jayson Linford went on a service trip to Ghana and helped build a home and volunteered at a school there. I know the kids all want to go back and see in person what Jayson experienced. But we told them it would be awhile before that happened.
Well, the other day Andi was in the car with me as I was listening to an audiobook- Jack Canfield's Success Principles. He happened to mention how many have the excuse of being too old to go after their dreams. Andi commented to me "I can see how that is true. I don't use the excuse I'm too old, but I do think I'm too young to do certain things."
Well what do you know, a couple minutes later the author starts giving examples of people using the excuse of being too YOUNG to go after their dreams and goals.
Andi's eyes were wide open as she heard example after example of young kids who have built businesses and started foundations. I could SEE the wheels turning in Andi's head.
A few days later she came to me and asked.....
"Mom, if I earn enough money to buy my own plane ticket to Ghana, can I go there for a service trip?"
I thought about it, talked to Jayson, and said YES.
She went into a creative business brainstorm, coming up with lots of ideas on how to earn the money. We told her we are not giving her money from household chores. Chores are just part of being in this family so she would have to earn the money elsewhere. Well after seeing someone selling water bottles from a cart at the park over the weekend, she has decided she can do the same thing.
Andi bought her own water bottles to sell. She bought some jumbo rainbow suckers from Amazon. Made her own signs. And she's officially in business.
Africa, you'll be seeing this blonde hair little GIRL BOSS one day, mark my words!
There are a few memories that have been BURNED in my mind.
>> I remember WAITING for paychecks that never came. We went without income for a loooooong time due to a failed business.
>> I remember looking for jobs and comparing what my income would be after paying for daycare. My potential profit?? 3 dollars an hour.
>> I remember living off food storage, credit cards, and whatever money I could bring in from selling random household items on craigslist.
>> I remember the PIT in my stomach when our car was repossessed.
>> I remember how SHAMEFUL I felt sitting in the lawyer's office as we sat down to talk about the big "B" word - bankruptcy.
>> I remember returning unopened batteries to Walmart so I could buy a gallon of milk.
>> I remember going without food so I had SOMETHING to feed my kids.
>> I remember filling up the gas tank with five dollars because that's all the money I had .... paid in change.
One may hear about memories like that and think they are painful memories. But for me? I am GRATEFUL.
I don't think I would have HUSTLED like I did with this Beachbody coaching opportunity if I hadn't have lived SO MANY YEARS with my back up against the wall.
I saw this opportunity to make a difference in the world and earn an income while doing so and RAN with it. Opportunities like this don't come by everyday. So when the door was opened with the opportunity I just KNEW - THIS IS MY CHANCE!!
It is INCREDIBLE to see how this business has grown! I know I don't have to ‘push’ anymore. I've hit the highest rank you can achieve in the Beachbody network - 15 Star. We earn more in a month than my husband was earning in a year working two jobs. I could just sit by the pool everyday and do not much of anything! But..... that's just not my style. I know there are SEVERAL people living life like I was. People who are JUST LIKE ME. And I have to show them that THERE'S A BETTER WAY!!! You don't have to live life like that!!
So LET ME SHOW YOU HOW!!!!!
I’m starting a new coach training group on Monday. If you are ready to UPGRADE your life, DO something different, make fitness your business, and you’re willing to invest in other people - let me share what I’ve learned through trial and error over the last 4 years!
I only take on a few new coaches every month so I can really invest in each person. If you're interested in one of those spots fill out this application! I'd love to give you more info!
https://forwardfitness.wufoo.com/forms/join-my-team/
And to make the legal department happy....
😉
Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach's income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill.
Some days I want to wake up early to the sound of an alarm clock. I want to work out in my home gym, and work at my desk, powering thru my to-do list. Some days that makes me really happy and fulfilled.
-and-
Some days I want the sun to wake me up. With the sound of kids laughing in the kitchen as my alarm clock. I want to be able to exercise outside under the shade of the trees, and work from my laptop laying in the grass. Be productive, but not because something is on a to-do LIST, because it's what my heart wants to do in that very moment.
I've always been that way. I love structure. To do lists. Order. I also love spontaneity. Adventure. Freedom.
I never thought I could find a job that allows me to have it BOTH ways. Lo and behold, it does it exist.
I get to choose.
And I choose BOTH. ✌🏼️
~~~~~~> PS, you get to choose too.
This is your life! Create it to be what you want! #yourenotavictim #wantsomethingdifferent #thenDOsomethingdifferent
Feeling SO ON FIRE!!!!
I just got off a series of calls and MAN I'm so excited. The last call in particular really fueled me up and lit a fire in my belly!
I had the chance to uplift a colleague who is having a hard time and I got to share a few things I have learned as I've been in the same place.
Just hearing the SHIFT of energy in her voice as we talked, knowing she's on a path to GREATNESS, being very aware that this is ALL part of the God's plan and I am lucky to be a part of it...... It's so incredibly humbling.
To think, the experiences I have been thru that I previously labeled as hard/painful/tough have not only in reality benefited MY life, but I can now share the lessons from those experiences with others. Who would have thought MY experiences and life lessons could be a blessing for OTHERS too?!!
God is so good. 🙏🏼
Life is pretty magical. 💫
I'm humbled to see how God works, and how everything comes together.
I'm so so incredibly grateful for this opportunity to be a Beachbody coach. It's been an avenue to SERVE in ways I never realized possible. And being able to serve fuels ME. What a blessing.
I am so grateful.
Life is pretty amazing!!!!!!
#serveothers #beaLIGHT #bestjobEVER
I think there was a time I was so proud of the 'CHANGES' I have made in my life, the changes God has made in my life.
Even still, I catch myself using that phrase. "I've changed." Did I even use that phrase this morning? Perhaps.
But is it really "change"? Changing who you ARE, into a whole new person? Is that even possible?
Or is it simply remembering who you always have been, but have forgotten
I believe it's the later.
I think the process of "change" is really a process of AWARENESS.
Being brought to an awareness of who you ALWAYS have been, and what you ALWAYS have been capable of.
Just like these feathers.
Feathers are a reminder to me that angels are near and guiding me. Everyday I'm finding more and more feathers.
But just like I'm coming into an awareness of who I REALLY am, I think I've just been brought to an awareness of the feathers; but the Angels have ALWAYS been there.
Awareness. I like that.
So much potential. So much ability. In all of us.
Let's be more AWARE.
"What seems hard now will some day be your warm up."
So freaking true right?!
In working out. In business. In relationships. In controlling my emotions and thoughts. In flying. I can see how this is true in all aspects of my life!
I feel like I've come a long way. Five years ago if you had told me the next day I would need to run a business leading over 11k people, support my family financially, workout everyday and eat clean, maintain the house and be a wife & mom to three kids, fulfill church callings, and take a plane flying I would have said "NO WAY!!! There's no way I can handle all that!"
I couldn't even handle working out and eating clean on a consistent basis. 🙈
Little by little, I've been changing. Learning how to do new things, & pushing my limits, developing new skills. But nothing happened overnight. It's been a process! A journey!
And it started with me making a commitment to myself & to God to just move FORWARD every single day, do my best each day to progress SOMEHOW.
Years later it's pretty amazing to see what has happened since I made that commitment.
Baby steps, small and simple things---- it ALL adds up.
Time to blow your own mind friends. Time to move FORWARD. ➡️
So excited about my new books.
I don't know what clicked for me this year, but I've already read more books in 2016 then I have any other year.
I dunno, maybe it was my mental breakdown during Phoebe's accident at Christmas time that spurred it all. That was such a hard experience for me to wrap my mind around, enough so that I saw the need to r e a l l y immerse in personal development in a way never done before.
Or maybe I just caught the vision of audible; cuz DANG that thing makes it super easy to fly thru books!
Whatever caused the shift, I'm grateful. Cuz I've been on a HIGH with everything I've been reading.
One of the books I listed to this year was Spirit Junkie by Gabrielle Bernstein. I really loved that book and seeing how her life transformed as she read and studied a book called 'A Course In Miracles'. Gabrielle talked a lot about Marianne Williamson as well. You may know Marianne from her famous quote....
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that others people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; its in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
How I love that quote. It connects for me in a deep way. I have played small for years. And even being on this journey I caught myself self-sabotaging a lot last year. Cuz heaven forbid I'm TOO successful or TOO happy and make others uncomfortable. Dare I say I was fearful of abandoning the depression and all those I connected to in sadness? Such a silly belief. I'm letting it all go though. I'm letting my light shine and I know that's OK.
I loved The Spirit Junkie, so I'm assuming I will love these two books too. I do most everything thru audible but I figured these would be good ones to actually read thru.
Has anyone read either one?
Any of Marianne Williamson's books? Or A Course In Miracles?
I'm super excited to dive in!
Ooooo baby baby!!!! So freaking excited about my team's up and coming leaders!!
I just finished a zoom chat with some coaches super close to diamond. GOSH I'm so inspired by my team.
These ladies are driven, committed, working on themselves first and foremost to be a SHINING LIGHT to others, leaders committed to SERVICE. These coaches are leaders I respect and admire.
And we got to have a video chat from my laptop in the car! Ha! Cuz that's what happens when the house you're renting is being shown all day. Working from my car people.... So glamorous. Lol.
But no matter, I freaking LOVE this. Chatting with my friends all day, showing people how they can reach their goals and dreams and SEEING people transform their life. This is the BEST BUSINESS EVER!!!!
I just love my team and this business and the awesome people that somehow {magically} become a part of my life.
I got to meet up with one of my new coaches for lunch today and GOSH I already love her (even though this was the first time I've ever met her in real life. Ha!)
I'm leaving that lunch with so much amazement for this business and how I can meet someone online and have it all just CLICK and find people who are such a perfect fit for my team.
Social media is pretty amazing huh?!!!
I'm not a top recruiter. I don't sign up hundreds of new coaches every year. But the people I do add to my team are pretty special.
High quality individuals who are DRIVEN and determined to be their BEST and authentically share their journey thus inspiring others to be THEIR best as well.
I have the best coaches ever, the best team ever, and I'm just PINCHING myself that this is my BUSINESS. I get to love on people simply share what has worked for me, and then watch them succeed and I get PAID for that?!!!
Gosh, best business ever!!!!
If you've been thinking about this we should talk to see if it's a good fit for you! I'm starting some pretty awesome coaches right now so if you feel that pull to join us now is a good time! I don't want just anyone though.
Only super awesome positive people who want to make a difference in the world are allowed on my team.
<< Hmmmmm.... Maybe that's why I'm not a top recruiter numbers wise??? Lol. >>
But I'm not slowing down!!! I feel like this team is JUST getting started!!!!
Yay for awesome new coaches!!
If you drive by our house right now THIS is what you'll see. Cuz YEP- we are moving!
We are buying a house!!!!!
I've been waiting for this for SIX long years.
It was six years ago that we filed bankruptcy.
-- Six years of renting.
-- Six years working to rebuild our credit.
But I thought we would have to wait a couple more years before buying a home. I don't have a typical traditional job, and our credit is barely getting up there, so I really didn't think we would get pre-approved for a home loan, but we did! It's really actually happening!!!
We found our dream home, put in an offer, and ..... it was accepted. We are moving this summer!!!!
The last little while I've been trying to process it all. Not gonna lie, it's been a whirlwind of emotions.
One moment I'm deliriously excited. We found a Pinterest worthy house, it's gorgeous guys. I never thought I'd get to live in such a beautiful house.
Then my excitement moves to fear. The last time we had a mortgage we lost our home.
And then, {don't laugh at me} but there's also been some self induced guilt/shame. I've been working thru a whole bunch of false beliefs I didn't even REALIZE I had about money. Who knew I actually believed to be a good humble Christian I couldn't have nice things and have money without being at risk of God's condemnation?? I was misinterpreting a bunch of scriptures and it took this whole experience of buying a home for those false beliefs to surface.
I've been doing a lot of processing, spending a lot of time in prayer seeking truth & clarity, and releasing a lot of false beliefs.
Now...... I'm ready to share the good news cuz I'm just plain excited and grateful.
We have moved every 2-3 years, but this is our forever home. No more moving!!! My kids deserve that stability and I'm so happy I can finally give that to them.
All those long nights and early mornings building this business were worth it. I was NOT a natural at coaching, I had no idea how to use social media, a small network of people, and so many doubts and fears. Plus I had my share of naysayers! People who didn't think this business would amount to anything, people who didn't support me.
But I'm having a hard time hearing their voices now.
Anything is possible guys!!!
Dreams do come true!!
