Starting Anew.

   I've been sitting here for an hour now willing the keyboard to type something worth reading, lame right? I feel so out of place and out of focus on restarting this blog. Yet, if I'm honest (Which on here is always), I also spent a bit of time yesterday rereading it from the very beginning and felt very proud of it.


I took it for granted as an outlet and fun way of keeping myself accountable!




Re-reading all the milestones, the fails and victory's. Reading about the things I finally accepted about myself and to see the transition of me FINALLY letting go of needless insecurities and feeling like I could conquer any challenge, it's empowering and humbling to read my thoughts from then.




So I've decided to keep with the old themes. I like them, they fit. Not to mention I'm pretty sure they will keep me motivated as life enters a new routine and chapter in my household next week. You can read all about my ideas Here .




Also, be sure to check out my pages above. I've added a few including information about Young Living Essential Oils. They are a huge part of our home and I love them so much and believe in the products as well that I'm now a distributor. Ask me for my testimony anytime, I love sharing with people what they have done for me and my family!




Also, be sure to check out my HLC FB Page for updates, random thoughts and special things.




Okay, I'm officially rambling now. Some things never change sadly.....




In closing, THANK YOU for being here. For taking the time to read my blog means more than you know to this average joe-schmoe .




Enjoy your Sunday,
Britt The HLC

Closure and Reality

After reading the update from her amazing blog I had to take a few minutes to let my emotions out.

They finally found Sherry. She gets to go home, her family gets to restart the grieving process and they get what we all get, her family, her town and running community, friends, students.

Closure.

Although I doubt any of us truly figure out the whys of this senseless and tragic murder of a woman simply doing what so many of us do everyday by random strangers consumed by drugs. It truly saddens me to know that we are not safe anywhere. Sherry was in the comfort of her run, surrounded by the country she loved and grew up with, I doubt she had any inkling to what would happen to her a few miles from her home just minutes after getting out of bed beside her husband and  setting out as she did every morning.

I simply can not understand any of this.

I hope her family rests now with her being home finally at peace, I hope they  get justice with Sherry's murders going to trial soon and I hope they know how, even though it's not under the greatest of circumstances, far from it actually, just how much of an impact Sherry has made on SO many people across the globe.

During the virtual run I ran the Hot Chocolate 5k and saw so many others wearing their Sherry bibs in her honor and I knew then it was worth it. To pay tribute to another fellow runner when it's clear to me how much of a community it truly is.

Be safe, fellow runners. Be passionate, be free and always remember why we run and often who we run for.

-Britt The HLC

Getting to know you Revealed.

Alright, Alright, I've slacked off wayyy too long on getting these pictures out to the masses. I urge you to do this on your own blog. It's just a simple, and fun way of sharing more of yourself to your readers.

Picture #1 "What's ON your fridge"-

Yeah, it's a creative toddlers oasis. Although, I just cleaned the fridge out last week and took down a lot of older artwork. ;)

Picture #2 "What do the bottom of your running shoes look like?"

You know, they don't look that bad for having over 200miles on them. They will be replaced soon though and I am soooo excited!

Picture #3 "What's your closet look like?"

A hot mess is what it looks like.

Picture #4 "What's your bedroom look like?"

I'm not brave enough to show the entire room since we have several boxes still left to sort through, you know, even thought we've lived here a year now...*sigh* Paris actually does claim the bottom of the bed 20hours a day

Picture #5 "What does your backseat look like"

Yeah, surprised?

Picture #6 "Where do you go to relax?"

My backyard patio is pretty awesome. I love grilling on the patio with family or just sitting out with a book and watching Avery play.

I forgot to grab a picture of my fave movie and didn't want to steal a pic off the inter webs. However, my favorite movie(s) are: Pride & Prejudice, Ever After, Sweet land, Spirited Away, All the HP movies and The Princess Bride. :)

Happy St. Patricks Day Tomorrow!

Nom Nom Nom

If you are anything like me, you kinda have this obsession with food. Not so much food in general because hey, we all need it and love it obviously, but I mean certain foods that just make your world go round or lift you up when your sad, sick or tired.

For me it's snacking. Oh yes, I can eat my 3 squares just fine but when it comes to the time in between those meal times...I'm snacking. Before I started running and actually taking care of myself it was all the bad things...candy, chips, soda, etc. We're all guilty of this, we're human. I can remember standing in front of the fridge at 2am plenty of times thinking to myself "Why are we here doing this? you're not hungry, go to bed!" and still reaching for the ice cream or some other thing I didn't need. Don't get me wrong, every once in awhile I find it necessary to just eat something not on your typical food list anymore. Splurge on that candy, drink that soda....but there has to be a balance.

You have to find your balance.

For me, my balance came when I was pregnant with Avery. I suddenly couldn't stand the sugary treats, or soda. I no longer craved the chips and fast food. Oddly, my biggest cravings were for salads, green tea and sour skittles. After Avery arrived and I was breast feeding I had to limit certain foods for both our benefits and that opened my eyes to a whole new kind of healthy eating, I never thought I'd fall in love with things like yogurt, dried fruits, granola, omegas, protein shakes and smoothies. Let alone stick with them after I stopped breast feeding. My current must haves are Greek yogurt, almonds and granola bars.

How about you? I want to know what your favorite snacks are and what you do for that balance we all need, so share away.

Here are a few of my current must haves....

dried cherries are so hard to find so when I do I get a little giddy. I dare you to add these to a baked good recipe and NOT fall in love.

As you can tell from the bag, I love me some pistachios....

My two fave flavors from my two fave bars.

These are amazing and have replaced my Klondike bars.

So good and easy to carry in your purse or gym bag.

Veggies, veggies, veggies.

Now, I'm hungry. :)

-Britt The HLC

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

Today, it was 80*.

80*... in Feb. Thanks Texas, for staying weird as usual. Come hell or high water I will be running tomorrow after my 2 doctor appointments and if my foot doctor won't allow me to run, I may glare him down in a battle of wills.....in my head anyways.

I'm so tired of not being able to do ANYTHING. I can tell how much not being active is effecting my mood and energy. This week has just been emotionally draining and I feel tired and cranky. Even after having a picnic lunch at the park today with Evan and Avery and soaking up the sunshine it just made me sad that I couldn't put on my running gear and just take off.

Soon....very, very soon.


Running makes me happy, it truly does. Never thought I would say that. HA.

Another thing that makes me happy is this team right here.....

Oh yeah, Spring Training started today and I am so excited!!!! This seasons going to be amazing and I am ready to hit the ball park and cheer on my guys.

Coming soon

Update tonight!!

I'll share a bunch of pictures from Saturdays fun race and how I did.

For now, I'm dealing with an injury from the race and am off my feet (literally) for a few days.

Ohhhh the many ups and down of running.

Happy Monday,
Britt The HLC

Patience is Key

I know I said earlier how I would keep Evan and I's TTC stuff mainly in the Family Blog but tonight I just feel that it's more fitting on the HLC.

Many of you lovolies know Evan and I have been going for baby #2 for a few months now. We're in no rush by any means and we're okay if it doesn't happen as easily as it did with our other two pregnancies. I have my fears, Evan has his. I have my stress days of thinking this whole process is just for the birds while Evan has no complaints on the whole process so to speak. :)

2 weeks ago I went in for my annual "HOORAY I'M FEMALE" visit as I like to call it. It was with a new OB/GYN since we can't go to our amazing Dr. Emmet since we moved. I went to this person based on how many of my friends suggested her and how much they like her and I found out why. Dr. Dooley was super sweet and we had a nice talk before I had to strip down to that oh so trendy paper sack they call a gown. I had my exam which had a few jokes told and laughter in the room (I can't stand the quiet during those type of routine exams and usually make jokes to make it more relaxed, she was all for it) and then after I dressed we went back to more serious conversation.

I have had two miscarriages before having Avery and I never opted to have them tested or anything to see why they happened. The first one I had, I didn't even know I was pregnant until I was having the miscarriage (around 6wks). I was also young and not with Evan and in a dumb phase of life as I refer to it. With our first pregnancy, we had no issues whatsoever and it was during my second sonogram that they told us there was no heartbeat (10wks3days) I pretty much went into this numb daze and remember going home and waiting for Evan to come in the bedroom before losing it, not because I lost the baby, I was in complete denial throughout that horrible 5 days of letting nature take it's course, but because I felt that I had failed him. Not just Evan, my whole family, my friends. I refused to accept that we had lost the baby and opted out of a DNC. To this day I regret that decision due to what it put Evan and I through.

Dr. Dooley went over my medical history, my pregnancy issues with Avery and the notes on our first pregnancy and sent me to get a very thorough and detailed lab diagnostic done on me as well as a sonogram to make sure nothing was amiss. It was a 4 hour process. I gave 11 vials of blood and had the not so friendly sonogram done and have been patiently waiting for our follow up appointment on the 23rd in which she asked that Evan be at as she will go over the results. She pretty much told me there won't be anything she wont know about my body when the results come in. Even with that being done I was in the process of ovulating and she said to "Go for it now". So we will also be tested to see if this is our month to get a Positive test. If we are not PG, we will put it on hold until May.

So many things have changed for us since we had Avery. It's been 3 years of positive changes BECAUSE of her. The way we slept, ate, drove, and lived did a crazy 180 because we suddenly had this amazing baby girl and we wanted her to have the best and that included her way of viewing the world. After all the complications we had during her pregnancy and the hours I spent on bed rest. it made me seriously figure things out for myself on the type of changes I needed to make.

I eat healthier now, I sleep when I can, I drink more water, I work out and run a lot, I'm very active.
Which is where I think some of my nerves in getting pregnant come from.  The risk of miscarrying is of course there, the medical issues that will surely happen again are as well but more so in my head is the thoughts that becoming pregnant will mean no more gym, no more running and eating nonstop. I know I can do classes and light training but overall, this healthy lifestyle I have adapted to is about to change a lot!
Dumb of me to fret over, I'm sure.

With that said and swirling in my head, I also can't help but get giddy at the thought of looking like this again.

Can you see me with a belly like that doing a 5k? I can. May be one of the last to cross that finish line but if I was healthy and had the go ahead from my Dr. I'd so do it.

Guess we'll just wait and see what 2012 bring us.

XOXO-

Britt The HLC

Sharing is Caring

                                                So it's no secret I love finding new things to try and when I like something I usually like to spread the word about it so others may enjoy my awesome finds. Lately my search has gotten bigger as I am more determined to stick to my goals for this year of cooking more (healthier and quick ideas too), finding healthier alternatives to the things I love and exercising more.

Here are a few of my recent finds....

Kraft has these new dinner meal packs that I found in the cheese section last week. All you do is add the meat, shake in the already given bags of breading and cheese mix and bake. So easy and so Delicious!!! Also, only 100 calories! So far we've tried Italian Parmesan Chicken and Chile Lime pork chops and they only cost $2.08 can't beat that.

While buying stocking stuffer last minute I found this little jewel. Oh yeah, mini travel sized Nutella. BLISS. I'm so addicted to this stuff and yet it's just not good for you. So this way I can still get a very small dose of my favorite hazelnut spread and not feel guilty about a huge jar staring at me in the pantry at 2am just begging to be devoured.

Actual size*

Since Evans parents bought me a Kurig for Christmas, I have been LOVING my mornings with a nice cup of coffee (no more Starbucks!). While in Denver his aunt let me try this creamer and Evan even liked it! I know, sounds weird to have coconut flavoring in your coffee or hot chocolate but try it sometime. I really like it but I also don't use it in every cup. I'm sure this huge bottle (times sure have changed in that product line, I literally stood in front of the creamer case for 15minutes trying to find a non fancy flavor!) will last me a few months. Yum-O. 

And for a nice announcement...
You can now check out The Healthy Living Chick on Facebook! Very new project for me but it's up and slowly going so feel free to like it and spread the news to other people.
Check it out! just search for The Healthy Living Chick


Hope your Monday is off to a good start. We're potty training this week and today has been a very cold and rainy day so it's been a netflix kind of day. :)

-Brittnye The HLC



Let's Get Personal....

So while on vacation I received a sweet e-mail from a reader that really got me to thinking about a subject I kinda don't go into on my blog. It's not that I hide it completely because there's just NO WAY I can have my blog and not involve this topic.

My Family.

As many of you know I have a personal family blog HERE that I update more than I do my HLC blog. It's not that I do it on purpose but I post more there simply because...it's easier to talk about when it consumes so much of my life and time. Anyway, one of the questions the email asked me was simply "Why do you never call your family by their names? Why do you refer to them by letters?"

When I started this blog it was more of a focus on starting a healthy living lifestyle for my family with the 3 key things being the focus:  living healthy, living life and living free. It was also more for myself to find the motivation I needed to lose weight I have gained and confidence I have lost in myself. However...it wasn't just for me, it was for my family and I think I semi lost that train of thought when I started going number crazy with weigh-ins and watching every little thing I put in my mouth. Which in truth may be why the last month or so I have felt no push or zest to update the blog because I just felt like...if I'm not actually doing the work, what is there to post and reflect on and to pass on to other people who actually read my blog?

I've been so caught up in the glamour of getting my blog out there and noticed and trying to get more readers so it can be what I see it being in my head that I lost the focus of what it really is about!

I also had this weird privacy set in mind about my family. Yes, dumb since I have a family blog out there for the world to see but I guess I kinda liked the idea of HLC being all about ME! I just can't do that though without them being in it because they are both on the journey with me everyday!

So without further blabbering delay I give you an intro to...E & A.

Meet "E" aka- Evan:
My sweet and amazing husband of 6 years and best friend of 11 years! I jokingly refer to him as my idiot in tin foil sometimes but he truly is amazing in so many ways and he has been my number 1 cheerleader in my weight loss goal and all around "healthy kick". He gained 43lbs while I was pregnant and I gained ZERO. Soon after we became parents though I started gaining and he lost close to 40lbs!!!!  He is one awesome gamer guy who is obsessed with his daughter and works really hard to make his girls happy. I'm just a very blessed woman to have him as my hubby and "baby daddy". :)



Meet "A" aka- Avery or Avery Claire or A.C or "The CuppyCake":
She just turned 3 and is going on 6!! Potty training is being attempted (Lord, have mercy) and she is one amazing little miss. Being her mom I can (and have repeatedly) gushed for hours on end about her. She truly is my everything. She is the most rewarding thing in my life and she keeps me on my toes and laughing non-stop. Evan and I are still trying to figure out how we managed before she came along....

SO there's my happy little family......We're just trying to live healthier lives and this blog isn't just about things I do on that journey but also things we do as a family or a couple or as a picky eating toddler. :)

XOXO-

Brittnye "The HLC"

10 Things Thursday!

Thursdays Top Ten List.

1. I've lost 2 more pounds! Yes, drinking lots of water and portion control officially work for me....Doing at least an hour of exercises helps too....

2. I'm all about sharing things I find. So for all you iPhone owners, check out these apps to help motivate, educate and documate (yeah, I tried) your progress.

• 
  
  RunKeeper- Tracks your runs, time, duration, peaks and lows and even maps out your route using a easy GPS as well as playing any play list you create through your iTunes.


• 
  
  MyFitnessPal- Watching calories, tracking weight loss? Use this app to keep you up to date on what your eating how how many calories are in so many meals you don't make at home.


• 
  
  BodyFitness- Not sure how to do a certain workout? Don't have the luxury of a gym membership? This app shows you each body area you can work on, the workout routine and step by step instructions to show you how to do it correctly.

3. I'm doing the Tone It Up Challenge. Check out their youtube or twitter, these gals are awesome and it's so easy to do and stay true to.

4. I'm ready for a 5k! I'm currently looking for one in my area around November. Not looking to make any goals or set a certain time, I just want to do one to say "I Did It!".

5. Jogging stroller will be purchased next week, I'm so excited about this, it's a little on the obsessive side.

6. New Band obsession. Two Door Cinema Club. Check them out and fall for these guys like I did. I am so loving them getting me groovy on my runs.

7. I'm new to running as much as I am and Fall is officially starting. What do you wear to run when it's cooler outside? What are some of your fave brands and where do you shop for your workout gear? I'm curious.

8.Check out this months Real Simple magazine and snag the 30 yummy and easy recipes they have along with tear out grocery lists for everything you need to make them. I'm so excited about some of these meals....getting A to actually try one...well, that would be a Christmas Miracle.

9. This has been my verse of scripture for my week so I wanna share it.: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6, 7).

10. I'll be away from the blog-world until Tuesday as I go on a mini-vacay with my family. Enjoy this wonderful fall weather, go outside, be active and then repeat the next day. Be good to yourself.

-HLC