Sweeping out the cobwebs....

Believe it or not, I'm still alive.

Sorry for being MIA but life has been beyond busy.

6 months preggo and gearing up for the holiday season. I think it's time to get back to the blog-life. I've missed it.

Things are still going great pregnancy wise. I'm having a GIRL ! My niche this pregnancy has been cooking, much to my hubby's pleasure and expanding waistline. I'm still unable to gain weight no matter how much I eat or do. I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes and that has made me have to modify my usual diet which honestly, I find to be pretty neat. I refuse to let it get me down or limit my love of food. :)

I'm sure I'll be adding more recipes than usual in the next couple of posts.

I'm doing a lot of walking and taking advantage of the non Fall weather, although I wish it would get colder. Texas is just not season friendly and has a mind fo it's own. Halloween isn't a huge event in our household, we carve pumpkins and go to our Church's Trunk or Treat but Avery is still too little to go trick or treating and in my opinion, doesn't need all that candy!

Is there anything you are looking forward to during Halloween and November? Do you celebrate Halloween? Decorate? Have traditions? Share them here.

XOXO,
Britt The HLC

Just an update....

I would say being pregnant puts a bit of a damper on the whole being healthy format but honestly, I've only gained a pound so far. (sure that's going change at my next appointment)

I've been on bed rest for over a week now due to braxton hicks and I must say I don't understand how they can consider it rest when your twice as tired as normal and boredom drives you crazy. Evan took me on a drive the other night with Avery just so I could not stare at the same four walls. It was a nice change for an hour!

So now with my BH being a huge bummer in my pregnancy I can no longer work out or go for my daily walks. So I went through some of my favorite sites and blogs and looked into a lot of low impact exercises regimes for pregnancy I also went to the Mecca known as pinterest for healthy recipes and other helpful ideas.

Any of you fellow healthy minded bloggers ever have to change a regime due to pregnancy or illness? What worked for you?

 I'm starting yoga on Monday as well as doing more toning excercises for my upper back and arms not with a goal or anything in mind but just to say active during my pregnancy. As far as healthy eating, this baby craves good stuff so far (Pie is healthy right!?). Seriously though, I can't get enough fresh fruit and veggies which was exactly how it was with Avery and water is the only thing I drink besides unsweet tea on  occassion. Which as a Texas girl is just crazy to me but I can't stand sweet tea when I'm pregnant. I tease Evan that it's a form of paternity since his family is all about UNsweet tea and only when I'm pregnant do I like it as well as a few things his mom makes different from me.

I'll close with my latest baby bump pic. We find out Tuesday what the baby is, is it weird that I'm nervous? I was totally wrong with Avery and this baby has me clueless, I have no clue what's in there. No inklings, no feelings or hunches.

XOXO,

Britt The HLC

Update & Such...

I realize I am failing at blogging lately, trust me it's not intentional. Life has been busy this summer and I just haven't had much free time. Which will be changing soon. :)

So whats been going on lately?

• I went super Blondie and chopped off my hair. (Loving it!)





•  Due to my volunteer gig at the shelter I am now fostering kittens, I currently have 5 little guys and a litter of 2week olds with the momma still taking care of them, my poor hands and legs look like I've been running through bushes.





• Wedding season of course.



• Plus staying busy with the baby bump. I'm 16wks today and we find out if we are team Pink or Blue on the 21st!!!!!

Baby bump @ 14wks

• Throw in a camping trip, Ranger game, pool time and family time, it's just been a fun and busy summer.

How about you?!

JULY Foodie Pen Pal Reveal!!!

Soooo so much for updating the blog more. Last update was Junes reveal, YIKES. I'll try harder this month since life is getting slower again. :)

So what is a Foodie Pen Pal?
The oh-so amazing Lindsay  over at The Lean Green Bean created this last year.
-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.

For more information Click on Lindsays name above!


This month was pretty neat although, due to the heat and a mishap with my daughter getting into the goodies I bought as I was packing them up to go...it wasn't the best box I've sent. *NOTE* somethings are not good to send in the heat no matter where you are sending your box. I got to send my box to Sarah over at Zoes Lunch Box it was her first month to participate which is always exciting. Check out her awesome creativity with her daughters lunches!

I was sent a amazing box of snacks from Brittany . I must say, this Pregnant person was ubber happy when she opened her box! Just look....

I'm a snack addict and these were all new to me!

Dried fruit, my ultimate fave snack other than trail mix. These are bigger than most dried fruits I've tried and are super juicy! They lasted a day between Avery and I. :)

Roasted Chickpeas. I love slightly salted chickpeas but have never tried them with any other flavor. Sadly, the baby was not a fan when I tried these :( I spread the love though and passed them along to my Father-in-love who really liked them!

HANDS DOWN one of the BEST Granolas I have ever had!! Britt said in her notes that this is a locally made fave and I can easily see why, it was so tasty and I still have some stashed away to enjoy with some greek yogurt, if you can, get some of this and try it out!!

And finally, a limited edition Clif Bar that I can not/ have not found here in my town. I have been very frugal with this bar, it's so good and a mix of my favorite things. I have half a bar left. :)

June Foodie PenPal Reveal Day!!

WHOO HOO!!!

It's Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day!!!! I swear I still get giddy on the 5th and last weekend of every month because of this. It's just too fun to pass up!

For those of you unaware yet to what Foodie Penpal is all about, the awesome Lindsey created this last year and it has since spread to both Canada and England.  It's pretty simple.....

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.

If you’re interested in participating for July, please check out Linseys blog for all the information and sign up!
You must submit your information by July 4th as pairings will be emailed on July 5th!
*If you’re from somewhere besides the US, Canada or Europe and want to participate, send me an email and I’ll see if we get enough interest this month!


I got the pleasure of sending my box to a really amazing person who I must say is making me miss running. She is very passionate about what she blogs and I've enjoyed it this month. You can check out  Miss Mackenzie's Blog here to see what I sent her way.

Megan over at I Run For Wine SPOILED me rotten this month, I must say she is the first match I have had who actually emailed me other than getting the basics, it was refreshing getting to connect with her and I simple adore her outlook on running and wine. :) Obviously more so since I can't enjoy either at the moment. HA!

Just check out my goodies!!!

How she got everything wrapped up neatly in such a small box is beyond me. :)

See, SPOILED.

Her theme for me was fruit since she knew I was a fruit lover. I made the cute mistake of opening the box with Avery beside me and I will admit, we had ZERO self control with these goodies and about 80% was eaten within the first hour of it arriving. (Shameless, I know) The popchips lasted 5min. I also mentioned to her how I've never been to Whole Foods since the nearest one to me is 45minutes away. She sent me a cute "I <3 Veggies" reusable bag from there. I am now determined to make the drive and check it out with my bag in hand. :)

As a Texan, I love me some Salsa and my all time fave is from Fredricksburg, TX and it's peach salsa so when I unwrapped this I was giddy! My main craving with this pregnancy is mexican food so I was so happy to have a jar of salsa I knew Evan wouldn't touch. Yes it's fruity but it also has a kick to it.

Avery saw this and grabbed it from the box saying "Can I eat bunnies?!" I literally had to grab them and take a picture in the bedroom before I gave them to her, she was determined to have them and just like the popchips, they didn't last long at all. (Thanks Megan, she now wants these instead of welch's and I'm okay with that!)

                                Fruit Leathers, doesn't matter how old you are, you love em'.

Dried Strawberries, so good as a snack alone or as a added treat to greek yogurt or granola in the morning.

Besides being the cutest Tea package I have seen, I enjoyed this tea immensley! I added a touch of honey and a wedge of orange one evening. So good! I'm saving my other packet for a stressful day. :)

Not going to lie, I felt dumb when I read this package front to back and still had no idea what it really was or how to eat it. I waited a few days before opening it and they turn out to be tasty nut clusters with fruit and seaseme seeds covering them. I snacked on these in the car on the way to visit a friend and was suprised how good they were and how much they didn't dry out my mouth like most nuts. I still have a small bit left for our vacation this week, they are really good and an easy on hand snack.

And last but not least......

CHOCOLATE. I have allowed myself 4 pieces so far and Evan hasn't dared touch the bar in the fridge. Godiva is so good and I've never tried this flavor but the strawberry isn't tart, it's sweet.

Thanks again Megan for taking the time to put together such a fun and vastly new experience in a box for me. I loved it!!

Be sure to head over to these 3 blogs and be sure to join Foodie Penpal!

Happy Snacking,
Britt The HLC

Did You Hear The News?!

So I've been away, busy with life. I am so excited to get back to blogging and sharing some things I've come to love and realize on my Healthy Living journey. Things around here are going to be a bit busy(er)....

HEALTHY LIVING CHICK IS PREGNANT!

I feel like a broken record since Evan announced it on FB after a sweet reveal to our family and then of course on twitter and the family blog but I am just now getting around to announcing it here. (Never had to worry about that with Avery since it was before all the social media stuff) So yes, after 6 months of trying we finally got what we have been praying for! Come late Dec/early Jan our family will welcome Baby #2 or "gummy bear" as Avery calls him/her.

I'm finally getting over the worst of the symptoms and I've only lost 5.5lbs but I am feeling great and baby is doing amazingly. We are just so excited!!

I will say the one thing I love about being pregnant is how much I crave fruits and veggies. It's insane. With Avery I ate salads and fuji apples nonstop and so far with this pregnancy it's mexican food and honeycrisp apples (and yes it has to be honeycrisp, not any other kind). My running is on hold for now which saddens me but with the Texas heat it's a small blessing and I get my morning walks in and by the time I'm home, I'm just as sweaty as if I had run 3miles. :)

Good things are coming!

-Britt The HLC

*Rant and foot stomp*

I have been MIA for far too long!

I hate how I seem to let this blog put such a panic in me sometimes. I started this blog just as a venting pool to share my journey and then I got sucked into all these other AMAZING blogs and felt like my blog was majorly lacking. Then I felt like I HAD to post everyday or come up with things to blog about that would grab people's attention and keep viewers and gain followers.....

So not what I started this for.

This is the second slump I have caught myself in and it's just dumb. Pardon me while I learn the hard way yet again that this is MY BLOG. I blog about what I WANT, WHEN I want and if people like it or learn from it, cool. If not, WHO CARES!

*End Rant*
Moving on.....

-Britt

Foodie Penpal Reveal Day!- May

YIKES!!!

Life has been so busy that I nearly forgot to post my favorite post of every month....

FOODIE PEN PAL REVEAL DAY!!!

Not sure what foodie Pen pal is all about? It's easy...

Lindsey created it last year.

Now, don’t you wanna join in the fun?! Here are the Foodie Penpals details:


-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.

-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!

-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!

-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)

-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.

-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.

So this month I had Julie as my match, while Emily had me as hers. I loved getting to know these inspiring women and enjoy their blogs, be sure to check them out!!!

So as usual, when the doorbell rang and our mailman handed me my package I got super giddy, I mean who doesn't like getting packages in the mail!? I was in such a rush to rip open my box that I did a poor job of taking pictures this round. (forgive me)

So many yummy things in a little box!

Emily truly spoiled me with things I can't find here in Texas and several of the items are homemade and sold at a area farmers market in Iowa, so stinking cute.

First up was the Almond & Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate bar, so good and super rich. I'm not a huge dark chocolate fan and with some recent health issue I can't really eat too much of it. Enter the hubby who fell in love with it and has searched for it only to not find anything close.

Lara Bars, I must confess here and now...I've NEVER had a Lara Bar until this box arrived. My verdict; super moist and chewy and not really for me...I guess it's the texture? I loved the flavor but it just wasn't for me. I didn't let the other one go to waste though, I sent it to my match and she loved it!!

Beer Bread Mix. I LOVED this. it was so simple to make and my house smelled wonderful, just in time for a family cook out and everyone loved this bread and thought I had become this baking genius. :) Again, super easy and oh so yummy.

I also got some cute Italian pasta which I am saving for a rainy day when I have a craving for pesto sauce.

Bacon Ranch dip mix is going to be made this weekend as we head to the lake to visit with friends, I'm excited to see how it tastes.

So many unique goodies. Thanks Emily for putting so much thought and Love into my box!!

Don't forget to check out Lindseys blog and sign up for Foodie Pen Pals. It's so much fun and a great way to connect with other bloggers!

Happy Friday,
Britt The HLC

Life's not getting any longer.

It's currently pouring down rain and lightening up a storm and I am loving it.


So many little things God gives us to soak in and most of us ignore it because we are too busy being human.

Something I learned on my weekend trip to Georgia is just how much I miss by being "too busy" or caught up with life. Sitting outside, taking in the atmosphere, actually watching birds and chipmunks scurry around and NOT being bogged down with lists in my head of things I need to get done, errands I need to attend, etc. Just relaxing. It seems so rare for us to just take a time out and open our eyes.

By living free it means to unclutter your mind and lifestyle of unnecessary time wasters. Relaxing. Enjoying the most out of life and not letting it pass by due to mundane things we think are important when in reality, they are not!

Stop, Breathe and take a look around you.

Not Amused.

Don't you love it when you write an entire post (with pics too) and you press that publish button feeling so good that you may have just written the BEST post of your blog and then.....

Your computer crashes and it didn't save your post on either format.

Happy Mother's Day!

I have been Blessed with 2 amazing women in my life. My Grandmother (adopted mother) and my Mother in Love. Not too mention being a mom to a a sweet girl who makes me feel like a rock star.

Love you ladies!!

                                                               Me and my momma. (2008)

                                                        Nan & I being our goofy selves (2010)

                                           Cuppycake & I @Great Wolf Lodge (Sept. 2011)

Happy Mother's Day to all you Awesome Moms.

XoXo,

Britt the HLC

Living Life.

Ever since I started HLC I set out on a serious mission. To actually practice what I was preaching! Living Healthy, Living Life, Living Free. Three very easy (or seemingly easy) rules to live by to live a full, happy, healthy and regret free life. Right? Add in a blog for accountability purposes and Ta-Da!

In the 9 months of my transition I have hit several high and low points (I am human after all) but the biggest thing was that I am sticking to it! Do I blog all the time? No. Do I benge eat or do crazy diets? No. Do I exercises every day? Not close. However. Do I eat healthier and make better food choices? Yes. Do I guilt myself for having dessert? No. Do I exercise regularly? Yes.

It's all about your perspective and your ambition. Setting realistic goals and reminding yourself that it's okay to go at it on your rules and at your pace. It doesn't matter if your blog doesn't look as cool as others you read, it's not about how many followers you have, how often you post, if you don't count calories, join a gym, follow a workout routine or if you only run 3 days a week.

Do it for YOU. Do what makes YOU happy.

Alright well, enough beating around the bush...

In the part of living free and figuring out a way to help my goals for this chapter of living a healthy lifestyle I made a bucket list...yes, a bucket list. I made one years back in an old journal and every once in awhile when I stumble upon it I have been able to add the dates to the events after I cross it off the list and that feeling, as quick and seemingly nonimportant makes me so happy and feel accomplished.

A bucket list doesn't have to necessarily be these HUGE events, they can be small goals or dreams that you set out to obtain. It can be a vision board you visually see everyday, a small checklist you check often, anything you wish to make it.

Mine is simply an updated list from my old list I made in 2003. Once I accomplish something from the list, I take a photo (if applicable) and write an entry about it. Like my latest accomplishment on my bucket list.

I wanna know: If YOU had a bucket list, what would be on it?

Britt The HLC

May Running Mix

I am determined to get out of this funk/fog I have been in regarding exercising and blogging so with that in mind, my playlist this month is a little heavier and shorter than I normally post, I'm also starting to not listen to music during every walk/run I do but using the time to meditate and focus on my breathing and just enjoy the solitude my runs bring me.

Enjoy!


Running Mix for May!

Eyes Wide Open- Gotye
Tongue Tied -Grouplove
The Wave -Miike Snow
My Love - Sia
My Heart Is Broken - Evanescence
Paddling Out - Miike Snow
Carry Me to the Cross - Kutless
Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye
Snow (Hey Oh) - Red Hot Chili Peppers 
I Belong In Your Arms - Chairlift
Do You Want It All? - Two Door Cinema Club
Can't Stop Now -Keane
This Too Shall Pass - OK Go O

Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day!!!! (Belated)

I'm so sad I didn't get this post out sooner but vacation hit right in the middle of my favorite part of every month and I am just now getting to post about my yummy goodies for the month of April.



Here’s a detailed explanation of the program:
-On the 5th of the month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.

-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!

-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!

-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)

-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you can choose to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.

- Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian residents & UK residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!
***If you’re in the UK, please contact Carol Anne from This Is Rock Salt at rocksalt@thisisrocksalt.com to get involved!

Still have questions? Check out the creator of Foodie Pen Pals blog at http://www.theleangreenbean.com/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
This month I was paired up with 2 awesome ladies. I was matched with Kelly over at http://www.browniesandzucchini.com/ . I will admit, I got a little carried away with her box but I had so much fun filling it with my fave snacks for her to try. She recently did her first 5k too and I have loved getting to know her this month!

My box came from another awesome lady, Arielle or Elle her blog is so cute and bright just like her smile. www.collegegirlsguidetolife.blogspot.com/ I swear, she must have known that I wouldn't be able to open my box until after vacation because it sure had some of my old comfort snacks in it. Check out my loot!!!

Such a cute box. I know, I'm weird.

Jackpot!

                                        

I'm so in love with these single serving sized cereals and was already a fan of the blueberry but that hazelnut biscotti never had a chance! So delicious.

I'm so excited to try these out, I saw several other foodie pen pal post last month that got these in their boxes. Perfect when I'm at the shelter in the morning.

 

Confession: I have given these in earlier boxes but have yet to try them for myself. I dug into the peanut butter as I was looking through the box and found it more dense and thicker in texture but I liked it. I'm saving the Hazelnut Butter for a rainy day. :)

 

 

YUM! I recently found the starbucks refresher 2 weekends ago and loved the Strawberry Lemonade. Does anyone remember the Tab energy that came out a few years back that tasted like a watermelon jolly rancher? This is the closest in taste and sweetness I have found to compare to it. (I was slightly obsessed with them when I was a waitress) the other two I have yet to try and again, I never knew Target had their own brand of energy drinks!!

Thanks again Arielle for sending me so many yummy goodies. I appreciate it so much and it came at just the right time too. ;)

Back to reality.

Pardon the off balanced look of the blog, it's a current and frustrating work in progress.

The more I fiddle with this outline the more I'm convinced I'm ready to let a pro take over for me.

*sigh*

I-O-N: I am back from vacation and slowly getting back to reality, I have several post awaiting to be posted and viewed and hopefully, I can get my mojo back. :)

XOXO,
Britt The HLC

HLC goes Blonde.

Literally.

After years and years (well, okay 9) of asking or offering to let me try going blonde, I took Evan up almost as a dare or "yeah, that'd be fun for summer" thing and I have to say....I'm totally liking this.  I've always thought of trying to go drastic from my dark hair, I mean I was blonde the first 3 years of my life and was pretty cute. I can rock an auburn do with burgundy highlights like no other especially with short hair.

This time around though I put complete faith in a long time friend who also happens to be my stylist and for once (she told me last time to lose some weight before I chop my hair so short, ha) she said "Let's try it out" so off I went after Megans wedding to get my hair chopped off and to lighten my hair a shade or two (since I have no desire to go full blonde in one day). When I got to the salon though we decided to do all over highlights and low lights and test it out for a month. Again, I love it. I'm super excited to go back and get more blonde put in and test it out for the summer. The old me would never take such a bold risk, let alone feel so confident simply over a hair cut.

So far I've gotten positive feedback and only my mothers semi "ohh, well, that's new". I even ran into an ex at the grocery store and he didn't know who I was!!! (which was awesome)

What do YOU think?

Here we go!

Rockin' the foil...

Goodbye 6 inches!!!

TA Da!

Hmmmm

Oh Yeah!

Have you ever taken a risk with your appearance to make yourself feel good?

Living Free,
Britt the HLC

8 months later....

8 months ago I made a choice.

I made myself a priority. I put my health, my happiness, my self esteem and my well being into prospective. I started making different and new types of sacrifices, I got educated, got focused, got involved with activities that helped motivate me. I let go of unhealthy friendships and relationships and in the process have met some amazing new friends and connections.

I still have a way to go to reach some personal goals but after 8 months...



I am HAPPY. I am HEALTHY. I am FREE.

1st time I have EVER felt good in a dress in almost 6 years!

My amazing Husband, so supportive and inspiring with his own journey to living healthy.(42lbs down)

This is what HLC is all about.

I was in a friends wedding this weekend and during the whole process of helping her plan and make this wedding happen I noticed a lot of differences in the old me verses the new me. The old me would never have agreed to wear a dress like these. I would have requested being covered head to toe and in something not flesh colored. The shoes were also foreign to me with towering heels, bright glitter and a lot of sex appeal. (pain, oh they were painful to wear). The old me would have cried over how insecure I felt and would have been miserable the entire day. Not happy, smiling and feeling amazing in front of a church full of people. The old me would have headed for the wine and cake at the reception and sat in the far corner of the room with a plate full of food; not skip them both and just enjoy being with friends. Oh the old me would have been miserable and left early and felt guilty days later.

Little changes, results from little choices have truly made me who I am today and I am so amazed that I have let 8 months go by and I'm still sticking with this! I'm happy. I'm truly happy and I'm learning that the old me was focused and dwelt on the wrong priorities and used every excuse to not look at herself in the mirror and face the music on how bad she was treating herself.

It's not about the weight, in fact, the less I dwell on it, the easier it is to lose (14lbs down). The less I worry about all the non important keys of losing weight and gaining confidence the more happy I am in my own skin. The more confidence I have and the more I realize how truly blessed I am.

Have you ever had an "aha!" moment about yourself?

Happy Easter!!

From my family to yours. :)

Readers Choice.

What would YOU like to read about on my blog for the month of April?

April Running Mix

I'm excited about this months running mix, lots of new music and stuff I am currently loving. Yes, a lot is from the Hunger Games soundtrack. :)


Aprils Running Mix:

1. Abrahams Daughter- Arcade Fire
2. Paddling Out- Mike Snow
3. Free- Ben Kweller
4. I run to you- Lady Antebellum
5. Let the waters rise- Mikeschair
6. I Believe in a thing called love- The Darkness
7. We are young- FUN
8. Cough Syrup- Glee Cast
9. Just a game- Birdy (I'm currently obsessing with her)
10. Rules- Jayme Dee
11. Wild Ones- Flo Rida (featuring Sia)
12. Carry me to the cross- Kutless

Tell me, who are you listening to these days?

Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day!!!!! (March)

It's already that time of the month again!!!! REVEAL DAY!!!!

Are you a Foodie Pen Pal? You SHOULD be. It's super easy to do.

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. 
-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. So, I'm going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!

If you’re interested in participating for April, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. 

You must submit your information by April 4th as pairings will be emailed on April 5th!


Lindsay is such an awesome person who came up with this idea, check out her blog and sign up to do this.

Feb. was my first month to partake in the Foodie Penpal program and it was so much fun to put the box together and await the arrival of my own box. This month was no different. I was paired up with Amy from Ohio. A super sweet girl who is also an RN, her blog is Pretty Neat . I had fun packing her box FULL of some of my favorite snacks.

I was picked for Tara over at ChipChipHooray . Tara lives in NY and we both love to run and have a slight obsession with Downton Abbey :). I received her box super fast and was so excited to open it up and devour everything.

How can you not get excited about something like this coming to your door?!

First thing to open and share with Evan and Avery were the HOMEMADE Choc. Chip Cookies. It's like she knew my husband has a certain weakness for these things. I had two out of the eight and I'm sure if I hadn't mentioned that I needed to be able to tell everyone what they tasted like that I would have even gotten those! Needless to say this was the only picture of them I got before they were gone so let me assure you, they were delicious!!!

Everyone knows I love my tea as much as I love my coffee. Thanks to my K-cup attachment on my Kuerig I can have coffee grinds and not just k-cups which allows me to try flavors like these two. I was a little iffy on the Cinnamon Vanilla nut but wow! It is super good!!!!

GRANOLA, my latest find and quickly becoming a daily thing I eat. I haven't tried the Pecan Sticky Bun yet, probably tomorrow morning for breakfast. I've had the French Vanilla Almond Crunch once from my foodie pen pal last month, I had it with Greek yogurt, chia seeds and dried cherries with a drizzle of honey as a late night snack. This time around I just had it with milk and a sliced up banana and it was just as delicious!

HEATH TOFFEE!!! Tara had e-mailed me and asked for my likes/dislikes and must haves so I mentioned how lately, I am loving toffee. So when I found this HUGE bag of Heath English Toffee Bits, I wanted to be in NY to hug her neck!!!! I have stashed this bag in the freezer and I assure you when I have a free weekend, baking will happen with these being a main ingredient and a blog post to share it. (I may send Tara a thank you gift from them as well)

And of course, a new and AWESOME find....

Butternut Squash pasta!!! YUM YUM YUM! I had this as dinner one night with just a grilled chicken breast cut up in it with a little butter. The flavor is beyond good, seriously, you must try this out. It smelled so good too!!! I can't find it at my Target though which makes me sad...

Such an awesome box that kept me smiling and happily fed the last 2 weeks. Thank you so much Tara for your thoughtfulness in preparing my Foodie Box!!!

If you want to get involved with Foodie Pen Pals for the month of April, shoot Lindsay an email at theleangreenbean@gmail.com and let her know:
-Your full name
-Your email address
-Your blog name/address (if you have one)
-Your twitter handle (if applicable)
-Whether you are a U.S. or Canadian resident

Happy Eating,
Britt The HLC