Who Says...

Who says that a mother of two still can't be sexy? Who says that you can't be in the best shape of your life AFTER having kids? Every single women should know what it feels like to embrace their sexy side and be proud of it. The people that judge only judge because they don't have it themselves.

A week ago, I did a Boudoir photoshoot with my amazingly creative friend Amanda - Blossomland Photography While I have a handful of friends who are outstanding photographers themselves, Amanda's pictures are flawless... perfectly hand edited, creative, and unlike any other style. LOVE! ♥

16 and counting.

I have totally been slacking on my blog and posting about my Advocare 24 Day Challenge... Between my computer crashing, waiting for my new one to be delivered and just being busy with life, nearly 2 weeks have passed!!

I can honestly say that each day that goes by on the challenge, it becomes more and more routine. My body has never felt better. My energy levels are ridiculous, I feel like I am way more level headed and focused not to mention the results I'm seeing physically on my body are amazing.

My body craves workouts more than ever and I'm becoming increasingly comfortable at the gym. I have enlisted my friend Ty, a personal trainer at Golds, to train me and and kick my ass into shape-literally! And have also developed a love for hot yoga... Nothing like sweating out your toxins in a 105 degree room!

I'm even becoming a pretty legit cook... Which for me is a pretty big deal. Baked chicken breast and fresh sautéed veggies are becoming a staple meal in our home.

In all honesty, as I take a step back and look at my life, I'm excited about the direction it has taken. I'm 28 with 2 kids (which I gained nearly a combined 100lbs in my pregnancies with them)... My body has been stretched to the fullest, and even though I lost all my baby weight, I was still a little "soft" in areas as I'm sure any mother can relate to... But, at this moment, I feel as though I am in the best shape of my life.

Thank you Advocare!

Day 4. real steel.

Steel seemed to be the word of the day in my vocabulary today... Buns of steel (or that's the goal anyway!)... steel cut oats... You get the idea :) Oatmeal is part of the "good carbs" that you're allowed in the Advocare diet... but not instant. So... because I couldn't half ass it and buy the packets that you throw in the microwave, I decided to take it a step further and get all healthy and hearty with Steel Cut Oats. I first heard about these on Kourtney Kardashian's mommy blog (yes... it is totally something I follow... say what you want) and it made me curious. These oats take a while longer to prepare (25-30 minutes) but they are amazing - not to mention the fiber that is in them is great! Let these oats simmer for 25 minutes, stir in some ground cinnamon and you have a nice, healthy carb to go with your meal. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this healthy dieting thing... Not to mention it's forcing me to expand my kitchen knowledge. Before Advocare, I didn't spend much time planning meals - let alone preparing them. In fact, I even just recently found a drawer in my kitchen that I didn't know I had! Let's just say it is now the perfect place to store some of my Advocare products. Day 4. Still feeling amazing. For the first time in a long time I have the energy and attitude that I used to have. I feel like myself again. Because of my awesome rediscovered attitude I am offering a

10 PERCENT DISCOUNT ON ALL ADVOCARE PRODUCTS BETWEEN TODAY, FEB. 2nd AND TUESDAY, FEB. 7th

I'm calling it my "6 More Weeks of Winter Special" (Damn groundhog). But hey, on the bright side, at least you get six extra weeks to get ready for summer! So take advantage of this awesome special!! Find me on Facebook or email me at wendymaria8@gmail.com to place your order!

Day 3. on the go.

Day 3 of my challenge: I got my first taste of trying to manage fitting all of my meals/snacks/supplements into a jam packed day of play dates, coaching and dancing. Today was definitely trial and error as I am not used to pre-packing snacks and meals for myself. I am, however, enjoying mixing up some different foods (although I'm definitely sending lots of texts to my amazing mentor Jennifer Blundell trying to get approval for certain foods -- man, I'm really going to miss sushi haha). Lunch today was an amazing salad of tuna, mustard, spinach, tomato and onion with a little vinegar thrown in too. After lunch, the day got pretty busy carpooling and trying to get to different activities... Thank goodness for that one meal of vanilla muscle gain along with a few sticks of celery to substitute that dinner I missed :)

I have encountered a number of people who are hesitant about starting the 24 day challenge due to the difficulty of following a plan... The only thing I can say is that if I can do it, anyone can do it. I was seriously the most undisciplined eater. There were nights that Lucky Charms became dinner, I would get a headache if I didn't have caffeine, and convenient was anything with a drive-thru window. With a little simple planning and dedication, I was able to turn all of that around in just a couple of days, and each day truly does become easier and easier. I cannot even begin to express the energy I have since beginning Advocare products. My mind is clearer, I'm refreshed and energized... Amazing, amazing stuff.

Day 2. mmmm.... peanut butter.

So, like I mentioned yesterday, I have never been the dieter. The past two days have been super easy, it's my cravings that make it super hard ;) I mean, WHY is every other commercial on TV food-related?! One thing I can say though is after all my fruits, veggies and water yesterday for day one, that spoonful of peanut butter that I treated myself to today as my healthy fat portion was AMAZING. Peanut butter and apples... peanut butter and celery... I mean, let's just admit it: Peanut butter is incredible.

Today, being able to add some protein to my meals filled me up and gave me so much energy! I cannot get over how great I feel since starting Advocare. The difference in energy and just attitude is like night and day. It has also helped me to prepare better, balanced meals for my children and become more aware of what is going into their mouths as well.

Today I was also able to get back in the gym (day 1 of the cleanse it is recommended to not work out). To make up for slacking at the gym, I really pushed myself on legs and then headed straight to coach gymnastics afterwards. My legs feel like jello and - even though it sounds weird - I can't wait to feel the burn of working those muscles tomorrow!

Remember: Change has to start from within. Set a goal for yourself and set your mind to reach it. If you believe you can do something... you can. Sometimes it just takes a little self control -- like me and not grabbing a handful of the xtra cheddar goldfish crackers that my children have so conveniently left out ;) **If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about beginning the Advocare products or in the business opportunity Advocare has to offer please feel free to contact me wendymaria8@gmail.com or https://www.advocare.com/120117326**

hitting the restart button.

AdvoCare. One word that was not in my vocabulary a month ago but is all I can seem to think about these past couple of weeks. For the past couple of years, I have tried to find where I belong... what I'm meant to do... and nothing has ever felt right. I would either find things that didn't interest me long enough or things that interested me but wouldn't pay the bills. And then a friend told me about Advocare. Advocare is a health and wellness company that offers energy, weight-loss, nutrition, and sports performance products. Not just that but it also offers a business opportunity. The more I looked into the company the more interested I became - I mean, I could help people feel great about themselves and their bodies, stay home with my kids, AND make money?! Perfect!
My first couple of weeks of selling were pretty successful but I felt as though the only way I could successfully sell a product was if I believed in it myself and the only way I could believe in it was to jump right in and take the products myself...
My entire life, I have always been the "skinny" one. I couldn't gain weight no matter how hard I tried (I know what you're thinking - "That bitch")... After both of my pregnancies, I shed the weight naturally within a couple days of giving birth (I gained between 40-50 lbs both times). I know this isn't "normal" but this is the way I'm built. I always believed diets were for those that needed/wanted to lose weight. For the past 28 years I have eaten whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted (and anyone who knows me knows how much I love to eat). I never thought about junk food or fast food and would devour a snickers whenever I felt like it. I mean, it wasn't causing me to gain weight... it wasn't sticking to my hips or a pooch on my belly, I was active so why did I need to worry about my diet?
I have quickly realized in the past few weeks that just because I may be naturally "skinny" doesn't necessarily mean I am healthy. Which, I believe, is scarier than if I were to be someone who is overweight and needing to lose weight. When you're thin, you don't usually worry about weight or eating right... all the garbage you are putting into your body becomes a hidden, silent danger... With starting Advocare products, I'm (obviously) not looking to lose weight but the first 10 days is a cleanse which will rid your body of toxins. It's like hitting a restart button on your habits and metabolism. In addition, I will be using the challenge to gain some lean muscle. Which brings me to today....

Today marks DAY #1 of my

Advocare 24 Day Challenge

I am pretty sure this challenge may be the most difficult thing I have ever done. I have never had to "quit" a bad habit before. I have never been a smoker or a heavy drinker. I stopped biting my nails years ago. But now, all of a sudden, I am having to "quit" my comfort foods. At first I didn't think it would be this difficult. I mean, what's a couple weeks of no soda or chips or a cookie whenever I felt like it... but you know the saying "when you can't have it you want it"? Yeah... That's me ALL DAY TODAY. But, I've survived day #1 and am looking forward to day #2 and getting to eat some protein and peanut butter!
Day #1: I have survived a full day on Fruits and Veggies along with some amazing Advocare products such as omegaplex, a meal replacement shake and my savior: SPARK.
Nine more days left of the 10 day cleanse (part 1 of the 24 day challenge). I know I can do this and to be quite honest, I have some amazing energy today -- even IF my children are teasing me with their cookie dough ice cream at this very moment :)
If you, or someone you know is interested in learning more about Advocare (the products or the business opportunity) please feel free to contact me! https://www.advocare.com/120117326

Reflection. Rewind on 2011.

Goodbye 2011. Hello 2012.
I, for one, am excited to see what the New Year brings. It's a fresh start. A new beginning.
This past year was filled with a lot of growing... both emotionally and physically. First of all, my baby turned ONE in February. I couldn't believe how quickly the first year had flown by and throughout 2011 he grew even more. By the end of this year, his vocabulary had expanded along with his personality which is bigger than life itself. Then there's Cohen. Cohen had a pretty big year too... He spent his last summer as a little kid before entering Kindergarten! Is it really time for Cohen to be a kindergartener?! I just couldn't believe it. He rocked it in baseball and soccer this year and I can't wait to see what this next year brings for him! And then there's me... Well let's just say I had a lot of fun this year... 2011 was filled with new (and old) flames, amazing friendships and even a spontaneous girls weekend in Las Vegas.
Emotionally, I found myself in a much more stable and peaceful place. It sounds funny, but when Rachell and I chose to go to Vegas that particular weekend in August, I also chose to leave the past behind there. I figured, what better place to leave some extra emotional baggage than Vegas!
2011 flew by so quickly that a lot of it seems like a blur. But just to share a little bit... here are my top 10 moments of 2011:

1. Celebrating my 27th birthday with some of my closest and best friends. 2. Watching my baby turn 1. I can't imagine missing a single experience of his beautiful life. 3. Watching Cohen play a whole season of T-ball without using the Tee! 4. Spending sunny summer days out lounging on the river with friends. 5. Ethan's first trip to the waterslides. Did I mention this kid is CRAZY!? ;) 6. CRAZY girls nights with Lindsey (I swear I need a liver transplant after each one) 7. VEGAS 8/13/11. Need I say more? 8. Him. 9. Learning photography. My camera has been like therapy. 10. Hearing Ethan say "I love you" for the first time.
Cheers to another year! ♥