Don't You. Forget About Me...

Hey y'all!! I hope you guys are having a fantastic week so far. I've been a little M.I.A. from the blog for almost two weeks. As much as I miss blogging, life happens. Hubby and I are gearing up to purchase a home!! It's a very exciting time for our family! It's also nerve wracking at the same damn time. There's just so much to do and it can be emotionally draining.

But in the words of Jada Kiss, We. Gone. Make it. Thanks to everyone who has wished me well in the Twitter-verse and on IG. It really means a lot.

One of the homes we've seen so far. Nice, right?

This is my "so over the process" face. 

Through it all, I've still been making time for the gym at least four days a week and going strong with changing most of my eating habits. I'm hanging in there! I know some of you have fitness goals and are working towards them. How's it going??

Bathroom photo shoots are the norm (as if you didn't know). I love this dress though! It's so comfy!

And don't get me started on this necklace! 

This one is just for fun. Hubby "made my face" with the iMadeFace app. I tried to make my own, and when I did, he told me I had no idea what I look like. This is what he came up with. LOL! What do you think? Is it me?

Until next time…

PS. Don't forget to check out my YouTube Channel! My next video regarding my workout routine will be posted soon!! Thanks for watching! ;)

All Compliments Are Not Created Equal...

Hey peeps!! I've been MIA for a lil bit on the blog, but I have good reason. Hubby and I are searching for a home!! It's exciting, nerve wrecking and scary all at the same time. It's keeping us busy though. Please hang out/connect with me on Twitter & Instagram. I'm there on a regular basis with my antics and random pics. With that said… Blog Family, I have something on my mind.

The few faces of yours truly ;)

Attention: This is a small rant. It'll be over soon, I promise.

I may be a part of a small percentage of plus or straight sized women who feel this way, and you might not agree with me. But if I can't let it all out here, then where, right??!!

Whenever I see articles or blogs about body types, our shapes are compared to the rectangle, the hourglass, the pear and the apple.

All of the advice for dressing said shapes is geared towards making us appear to look like the hourglass. Everything from the A-line skirts/dresses to cinched waisted tops, belts and a host of other items. God forbid an "apple" actually be alright with her wonderfully made round top portion. Would it be so bad if the "rectangle" loved her straight muscular build? And what about the "pear"? Would the world end if she was fine with the fact that her bottom half is larger than her top half and didn't try to "trick the eye" into thinking there was balance?

As I continue on my health/fitness journey, I've found that I'm not concerned about what patterns or pieces of clothing make me look slim. I joked on FB that I'm an "hour JUG", cause ain't no glass over here!! LOL! I'm here, in all of my glory. Bumps, curves, lumps and all. Granted, I'm doing things these days to decrease said bumps, curves and lumps, but I'm more concerned about what I feel good in. That's what works for me. I wear belts over shirts and things like that to accentuate certain parts of my body, but I'm never trying to pass my frame off as something it's not. Here's one of the comments that I don't like, "That pattern is really slimming on you." Not my concern. And contrary to what some people think, feeling and looking good does not equal looking or feeling thin... for me anyways.

Yes, my hair looks a mess, but hey. It's not a beauty contest. That elliptical don't play! 

I said all of that to say this. Wear what you wear because YOU want to wear it. Not because someone said this is how you should present yourself. If you are into A-Line or pencil skirts because you love the look, then by all means, do you. But if you're an "apple" shape and damn near passing out because you have a tight belt around your waist because someone told you it's needed... Please re-evaluate. Or if you're a "pear", and you're running around in a hot blazer with shoulder pads in the summertime because someone told you that you need to create balance... Please re-evaluate. In the words of Sweet Brown, ain't nobody got time for that!!

My outfit on Valentines Day. I loved the J's with the skirt.

Last but certainly not least, I am your link-up host for this weeks #BLMgetFit Challenge. The IG and TwitPic challenge is #LBSGone. Find some way to show us how many pounds you've lost throughout the week through pictures. Be sure to use the hashtags #BLMGetFit and #LBSGone so your pic will be counted!! LINK UP with your fitness/motivational inspired posts!!

What's My Motivation…?

Hi everyone!! I'm a day late on my weekly posts that I'm trying to keep up with, but I'm here now. Wishing you all a wonderful rest of the week ahead!!

Unless you haven't been checking in on me lately (shame on you), you already know about the #BLMgetFit Challenge that I'm a part of. Since starting the challenge, I've been discussing things that are going on with me along the way of this challenge.

This week, I want to talk motivation. Motivation is essentially the reason to act a certain way or do a particular thing. What makes you do the things you do. Good or bad, right or wrong. In the words of the ever so eloquent 2 Chainz, "They ask me what I do and who I do it fah!"

One of my workout jams. Feel free to judge. It gets worse, believe me. Ha! ;)

The initial reason for my interest in starting and maintaining a healthier, more active lifestyle was the number on the scale. I swear, if you guys could have seen my face back in June when I stepped on the scale at a health fair I attended, you would have thought I'd seen a ghost. Everyone always says, stuff like, "Don't worry about the number on the scale", or "You're more than just a number when it comes to beauty", which is all true… But it was daunting to me.

As I've started to decrease that number, my reasons have started to shift a little bit.  I'm now more concerned with my overall health as far as blood pressure, diabetes and heart health. Certain things run deep within my family on both my mother and fathers sides, and I want to be on the preventative end of these conditions as I get older. I want to make sure that I can move freely without feeling tired. I want to continue to keep up with my soon to be 8 year old son, who runs me raggedy every chance he gets.

As you can see, Oatmeal & fruit is my go-to breakfast. It keeps me full throughout the morning.

And last, but certainly not least, I want to make sure that I'm keeping it right and tight for that man of mine. Don't get me wrong, I've always thought that I was/am the sexiest thing on God's green earth to him, and he's never made me feel any different. I just want to ensure that those wonderfully handsome eyes of his remain fixated on this here. POW!!

Messing around in the Old Navy dressing room this past weekend. I got the camel one, and the purple wrap dress.

Bathroom shots are as good as it gets these days :(

The above may not be motivation for some people to get going with fitness and health, but they are MY reasons, and that's good enough for me.

Until next time…

Tell me, what's your motivation?

**Don't forget!! The weekly challenge information, as well as the link up for this week is over at Brittons spot My Big, Beautiful Life, so head on over and LINK UP!!! **

Look Good, Feel Great...

Happy Monday!! I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend, because whether we like it or not, the work week is upon us (for those of us who don't work weekends, of course). My weekend was good. Didn't do much. The weather here in Minnesota didn't allow for much anyway. It was bitter cold, and the snow came down all day Sunday. Every year, I say I won't complain, but here I am once again… complaining. *sigh* Anyhoo…

If you didn't know, I am the winner of last weeks #BLMgetFit weekly challenge (#BLMMoves). The challenge was to get moving as much as possible throughout the week. I won by submitting the below pic via Instagram of my interpretation of the challenge:

I'm loving everything about the challenges. It's inspiring to see all of the other ladies who submit pictures, and also provide encouragement along the way.

This week, I want to talk about workout clothes. If you haven't noticed from my pics, my go-to "uniform" is a tee (usually v-neck), tank top (to help catch the sweat and protect me from possible plumbers butt), sports-bra, a pair of yoga pants or leggings, socks and my gym shoes. I need to step my game up.

I want to feel good about myself, even while I'm busting my butt and sweatin it up at the gym. I know that some people just throw on an old baggy t-shirt, and basketball shorts or sweatpants and keep it moving. That's all well and good because you get the same workout regardless, right? Sure… Maybe. For me, when I can see what I'm working one, I work harder. When I feel like I look good, I feel great!

I also, want to talk support. That's right ladies!! Bra's and shoes!! Please be sure to wear the proper support to the gym. Having the "girls" bounce all over the place can be pretty uncomfortable, and cause you to not work as hard. Also, it's very unsightly and can cause creepy stares from some of the fellas (to no fault of their own) =D. And remember to care for your bras properly, as replacement can get expensive. Because you don't want to break down the spandex, here are two important rules of care.

• Wash in cold water. No bleach.
• Dry it flat, or line dry.

Shoes are very (if not more) important. If you're a runner/jogger, please do yourself a favor and head to your local running specialty shop to get assessed. They can be pretty expensive, so even if you don't end up purchasing from there, at least get the assessment. You will leave more informed than when you walked in. We don't want anyone hurting themselves out here. As for the rest of us, like myself who do light work, a good trainer shoe is all we need.

So lets ditch the baggy/saggy gym wear ladies and get cute in the gym!! I've found that Kohl's has some really cute gear! I ordered a few things myself. Here are a few of my favorites, and it doesn't hurt that they're on sale (you can also use coupon code TENFORBLOG at checkout for through March 9th for an extra 10% off!):

Tek Gear Basic Tee

Tek Gear Yoga Leggings

Tek Gear Racerback Sportsbra

Lets keep up the great work and continue to encourage each other! This weeks challenge is (one bad apple) #SpoilstheBunch. Get inspired to eat (or drink) the recommended two servings of fruit per day and don't forget to share those pics via Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag!! 

This weeks health/wellness/inspiration link up is hosted by Beatrice over at Inspired by Beatrice Clay. Make sure you head over to her spot and link up! Thanks for reading to the end, because I know my last few posts have been wordy.

Until next time…

Have you seen my hair all picked out lately?!?! Holy hair Batman!! lol!

Put Me In Coach (Link-Up)...

Happy Monday!! No different than any other Monday posting, I hope you guys had a nice weekend. I enjoyed hanging at home for the majority of it. Nothing special. Just rest & relaxation. I should say that I should have done laundry, and cleaned a little, but hey… Nobody's perfect, right?? I have one more day to get some things done since I don't have work today. OH YEA!! And Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!!!

I know it's a day off, for most of us, but it can also be a day of reflection and/or service. I'm headed to an MLK celebration breakfast this morning. The breakfast will also include a panel of influential Black Leaders of Minnesota, as well as a host of young people who will present and discuss things that they are doing in our communities to make them better for everyone. Their will also be opportunities to volunteer and donate to the respective causes. In the words of our beloved OutKast, "Get up, get out and get sumthin".

And btw, I love this song!! If you've never heard the MLK, Jr tribute song, click below. You're welcome! =D Siiiiiinnnngggg Celebrate!! Sing, sing celebrate!!

In other Spoon Full of Sugar news, I lost another 2lbs!! That's five pounds total in two weeks!! The #BLMgetFit challenge is really giving me the boost that I need to continue with my health/fitness journey! Last weeks #NoSweetsWeek challenge had me thinking about some of the junk food that I consume, and it re-assured me that I can abstain from it IF I want to ;)

This weeks challenge is #BLMMoves. The winner of this challenge will have exercised the most collective minutes in a week. This will challenge me to make my workouts longer to achieve maximum results. I'm excited per usual. 

**To all of my BLMGirls, WE CAN DO THIS!!! Let's continue to make lifestyle changes that will continue to keep up healthy and strong.**

I'm the link-up host this week for all of your inspirational/motivation posts. Please share with us! The post doesn't have to be exercise or fitness related, just positivity and inspiring in some way =D And don't hesitate to visit the blogs of those who participate!! 

Until next time...

Progress is Success...

Happy Monday y'all!! My weekend was great! It was filled with mostly a whole lot of nothing, which is exactly how I like it. I don't really like scheduling things to do on my weekend time, you know? I feel like it's for doing things that I want to do, when I want to do them. I was able to do just that, and I was happy. How do you like to spend your weekends? Scheduled, or free??

This weeks post isn't about weekends or freedom. Again (and for a while to come), it will be about my fitness journey. A while ago, I said that I wouldn't turn this blog into a fitness blog, but that's all I'm up to lately!! No, really. It's true. Please hang in there with me as I go through this. I promise OOTD posts will be back. Soon.

As I explained in my previous post, myself as well as #BLMGirls Britton of My Big, Beautiful Life, Dee Dee of Miss Foodie Fab (this weeks link-up host) and Beatrice of Inspired by Beatrice Clay have teamed up to bring the #BLMgetFit challenge!! Week 1 went great for me! I lost 3lbs, and I rocked out on our #WaterWasted challenge!! I was able to get in at least 96oz of water for five out of the seven days! While that may not be much for some, it was a grip for me. I was a very close friend of the bathroom… And still am because even though the weekly challenge is over I haven't stopped.

This weeks challenge is #NoSweetsWeek. This means NO sweets all week long. No candy, no cakes, no cookies, NADDA!! Not even if it's low fat. None. Day one went well, as I have been cutting back on these types of things already, so I'm confident I can make it through. For all of my #BLMGetFit participants, you can start submitting pics on Instagram as well as Twitter with your interpretation of this challenge (be sure to use hashtag #NoSweetsWeek).

***As I mentioned above, Dee Dee over at Miss Foodie Fab is hosting our weekly link up for health inspired posts! Please head over and link yourself!! NOTE: You do not have to be part of the challenge to share your health and/or motivational posts. This is open to all of my readers.***

And without further ado, I share my Insta-life…

Check the socks yo!! =D

All (mostly) black with a pop of color

I don't like the bikes because they hurt my butt… All pain, no gain!

I felt so sassy in this cream blazer from Dots & my Old Navy trouser pants!

Old Navy dressing room fun. I like it, and I bought it!! pssst… It's a size large =D

One of my #WaterWasted pic submissions

A little #throwbackThursday action. Don't ask me why I was 15 on Santa's lap :P

This was dinner last night. Shrimp Stir-Fry. YUM!!!

Hanging In There...

Hey peeps!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!! I know I did. Sharing time with family and friends is always a wonderful thing! Add in presents, and you've got yourself a party!! lol! 

Being that it's been almost a month since the last time I've blogged, I'm ashamed to call myself a blogger. With no camera, no no natural light, and the freezing temps, I been strugglin y'all! 

I've still been going strong with my workouts (with the exception of the past week or so). Now that the holidays are over, I'm back on my grind though. I'm still smitten with my hair. The growth over the past few months has been nothing short of awesome. And lastly, I have recently taken a liking to scarves... As you'll see below.

I'm including a few basic snapshots of my goings on via Instagram (again). I'm hooked! I truly love it over there =D. Won't you join me?!?!?

Now I'm off to visit all of your blogs. Until next time...

I love me some bathroom photo-shoots!

You can always catch me at the gym. That sweat is real folks!!

OOTD= Old Navy Blazer, Old NavyStriped skirt, Steve Madden heels

This was a Curves and Confidence inspired look. I'm so upset that I couldn't get pics of the entire outfit =(

I'm sure people think I'm crazy taking pics in the gym all the time, Ha! (never mind the crazy hair)

OOTD = Rue 21 Top, Target Scarf, Old Navy Skinnies & Target boots. That's been my "go to" lately

Again?? Yup!

I just wanted to toss in a throwback pic for kicks and giggles (that's me in the yellow, ha!)

Todays OOTD = Gifted Jean jacket, Forever 21 Skinnies, Sears Scarf & Target Boots

Me and my babygirl on Christmas Eve. I'm trying to get to her hair level!

OOTD = Herbergers Dress, Target Leggings, Old Navy Scarf and Target Boots (BTW, I love my puff in this pic)

It's true what they say… Black is slimming! =D

OOTD = Old Navy Striped Skirt, Rue 21 Jean Jacket, Market Scarf & Target boots

I'm back behind the wheel of my car!! I was using public transportation for a while there. It's good to be rolling again!

Hubby copped me another pair of J's for Christmas!! I was sooooo excited!