Hey 30, I see you, let’s do this!

The time is now 12:09am and that means that I am officially 30 and some change. I have to tell you, I had not been looking forward to this birthday. I know how most of you will react to me saying this, but 30 sounded old to me. It seemed so far off for so long and now here I am!

But truth be told, I also wasn’t looking forward to a new decade because I couldn’t imagine how it could possibly live up to the last. I LOVED my 20’s. I spent a quarter of them living in Manhattan– transforming from a sheltered Grosse Pointe girl, to a fast-moving, I-can-handle-anything kind of woman. I made great friends and had an absolute blast. My 20’s brought me love; the kind of love I dreamt of all my life. They brought me a little family, with 4 sweet furbarbies, and eventually a beautiful son. How could things possibly get any better from here?

And then my birthday actually came and you guys, I was blown away. I’ve always had lots of well-wishes on this day, but today, on this birthday, that number had multiplied by 100. And I’m not going to sit here and say that the number of Facebook messages you receive equates to the relationships you have. But I know for a fact that I spoke to so many more people today because I have finally come to a point in my life where I am one hundred percent comfortable with putting who I am out there, completely unapologetically. Sure, some people may not like what I have to say or what I represent, but the fact that I’ve taken this step has brought the most positive, supportive people into my life and today was a big reminder of that.

Sitting here tonight, I am also more confident than ever in my purpose. I know that a lot of people struggle at this point with, what they call, the quarter life crisis, but not me. Not today. I am a mother and wife first. Spending this day doing ordinary things for and with them suddenly felt so special. I love my role in this family. But outside of that, I am called to help people change their lives. I was put here, with these characteristics, this knowledge, and the capability to help people improve themselves from the inside out. I don’t question what the future holds for me because I can see it quite clearly. I was given the opportunity to share my passion and pay my complete self transformation forward and I will do that as many times over as I possibly can. That makes this next chapter incredibly exciting!

Yes, my 30’s certainly have some big shoes to fill, but I am absolutely confident that they will. In fact, I might need to get some bigger shoes for these goals! Here’s to everything that was, but more importantly, everything that will be. Tonight, I stepped out of the shower and saw something amazing. I looked 30 right in the face and thought, “let’s do this!”

Showing Myself Some Love

It’s hard to believe that the day of love is upon us again. Last year at this time, I had just found out that I was going to be a mom.  This year, this little munchkin is my husband and my sweet Valentine.  Does it get any better?  I mean, look at that silly face.  What’s not to love?

But this post is not about our newly acquired love.  It’s about rediscovering a once great love that I had for myself.  You see, before I got pregnant, I was in the best shape of my life.  I was active every single day and intentional with my eating. I was down to six percent body fat and felt like a rock star.  Then all of a sudden, pregnancy took over.  My body started holding onto fat like it was its job (it may have been,) the exhaustion had me on the couch whenever possible, and I made two new friends named Ben and Jerry. I remember being asked repeatedly by a family member how much weight I had gained as my pregnancy progressed.  I told them over and over that I didn’t know, but the truth was that I did.  I was steadily gaining weight and developing new stretch marks. At my last appointment before delivery, I was up a total of fifty pounds.  Yes, five zero.

Fast forward almost four months and I’ve got about fifteen left to lose. It doesn’t sound like much, but it feels like a ton. Up until this point, the weight loss could be attributed to breast-feeding and generally decent eating. For the most part, my days and nights have been consumed by baby. This was to be expected. But now, as I’ve become more comfortable with the demands and unpredictable schedule that being a mom requires, I am ready to recommit myself to well, myself.

And so, I’ve joined a group of women on Facebook in what we call an “accountability group.” Each of us has committed to spending the next twenty-one days following a fitness program, eating healthy, and encouraging each other’s journey. It has only been one day, but I can already tell that success lies ahead.

Please don’t misunderstand. This isn’t about the percent body fat or the six pack abs. This is about the way I feel mentally and emotionally when I feel good physically. This is about not having to rotate the same three outfits because they’re all I feel confident in. I want to take my son to the lake this summer and not waste a single moment wondering what my thighs look like in my bathing suit. But most of all, this is about showing myself the same amount of love that I show everyone else in my life. I deserve that much.

In the coming weeks, I will be sharing updates on my journey with you. I hope to connect with other people who have gone through this before or are in the midst of it now.

Until next time… Happy Valentine’s Day!

Shifting Your Thinking for a Better Life

We’re one week into 2017 and boy, has it not been what I expected. New Year’s Day, I woke up to a sick baby, who was congested and uncomfortable. When his symptoms worsened, we ended up at the doctor. He …

Two Thousand Seventeen

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A Celebration of Life and Love

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When Things Are Not What They Seem (They’re Way Better!)

I kicked off 2016 with some pretty big goals. Between growing my blog and our business, I was giving 200% during the day and totally kicking butt! My husband was incredibly proud, but also a bit concerned. I’ve always been …

Rockstar Hair, Housewife Budget

 

You know that time you were checking out at a store and learned that the item you were buying was far more expensive than you’d anticipated and bought it anyway because you were too embarrassed to do otherwise? Yup, me too. My hairstylist must have thought she’d hit the jackpot when I agreed to purchase the shampoo and conditioner she’d recommended. I think my jaw nearly hit the floor when I found out the Kerastase product was $40… Per bottle! (Sorry hubby 😳) Besides the obvious financial reasons, this was an enormous mistake on my part because as it turned out, the stuff made my slightly processed hair feel like silk. I was smitten. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make this a habit, so I alternated use between it and my regular, Brilliant Brunette shampoo.

Before I knew it, I was all out. I’d had a great love affair with the product and now I was left to resume my boring, old routine. I had a connection with a stylist who got products at a discounted price, so I tried a few different $20 shampoos, but neither seemed to be an improvement from my drug store regular.

One day, while reminiscing about my luxurious lifestyle, I had an idea. A few times in my life, I’d used a deep conditioning treatment when I felt my hair needed some TLC. I was willing to bet that if I did those often enough, I’d notice a difference! I ran to Rite Aid and perused the shampoo aisle. I landed on L’Oreal’s Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm, simply because it was $7 and claimed to undo a year’s worth of damage with each treatment. I threw it into my routine, using it just once a week. It lasted me 8 weeks and worked like a rockstar for all of them.  

If you’re using an expensive shampoo and conditioner now, or you’d like the results of said products without the price, I highly recommend giving this routine a try. I can’t believe how much of a difference the extra three bucks per month has made on my hair AND my attitude. I’m back to living the luxurious lifestyle, or at least that’s what my hair believes.  

Monday Mischief

Just as I was trying to get out the door this morning, Berndt-pup hopped out the dog door with my pants in tow.  It can be difficult at times, but I encourage you to find the humor in frustrating situations.  I mean, how could I not smile? Apparently he wanted me to go to work this morning about as badly as I did. Happy Monday followers!!

**Be sure to check this photo and all things Snickled Pink on Instagram!

  

2016: The Year You Achieve

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