Our First Snow.

When we moved to our new homestead in the middle of April we started talking about our first snow. What would it be like? Will we get a lot of snow? These are questions of this born and raised sunny San Diego family, who moved up to the mountains where there are seasons. 

And when it was crazy hot this summer, we'd often bring up what we wondered winter would be like and the excitement of snow. 

A few days before Christmas weekend the weather report said we would be getting snow! What? A white Christmas? The kids had been praying for our first snow and I was getting my hopes high for it.  Poor Lily woke up super sick the day before Christmas Eve. High fever, horrible cough, bad aches and you could just tell our very busy high spirited toddler was not feeling well. It lasted for about 5 days (through Christmas) but thankfully she is better now with just a lingering cough.

It was 4:30 am on Christmas eve morning and my husband woke me up, "Jenny, it's snowing outside!" I jumped out of bed, and he shined the flash light out on the porch...

SNOW!!

I went up stairs and gently whispered to Carson, "Buddy, it's snowing outside. Come see!" He sleepily got up, came down stairs and looked out the window.

His eyes opened up wide "WHOA MOM IT'S SNOWING!" he said with a big smile on his face. 

I can still see the look of wonder on their sweet little faces. It's something I hope to remember all my life. 

Yep I went out there in my jammies to snap chat. Because, why not? haha

Poor Lily girl was super sick with a fever bad cough and all that not so fun stuff that  comes with it. But we couldn't tell her she couldn't experience her first snow! So we let her go out with us for about 10 minutes and bundled her up like Ralphie's brother in the Christmas Story.

I wish I was better at expressing in words how amazing it was. But it was such an awesome experience. 

Our first white Christmas. 

The entire ranch and mountains were covered in snow. 

It was so quiet. I've heard people say snow makes everything seem so still, so quiet. It's true. It was like being in the middle of a snow globe!

It also happened to be our dogs Bear and Lilo's first snow too.. One was happier than the other. Can you guess which one liked it and which one didn't? (warning, this may be tough one to answer)

Bear?

Or Lilo?

You most likely guessed it right... and let me tell you she LOVED it. She would have stayed out there all day if we had let her.

Carson taking a break from throwing snow balls at Grandma and Grandpa.

My snow angels.

Carson's favorite part was throwing snow balls at us.

This is the first year ever I didn't send out Christmas cards. I wanted too, but it just didn't happen. If I would send one now, this would be the pictures I'd use. No make up, bundled up, sick, sleep deprived but oh so very happy. Christmas eve on our Ranch with our first snow. 

Thank you Jesus!

This first year on our homestead has been harder than I imaged it would be.  We're stronger for it though and have bonded as a family more than ever. Waking up to a white Christmas eve, a warm fire, a sparkle in my kids eyes as they looked out in wonder and getting to take it all in with my best friend/hubby with a cup of coffee in hand. Priceless. We are so humbled and thankful for our Savior  who had this plan for us all along. God is good!

Merry belated Christmas and Happy New Year, friends! Thank you for reading this, and for all our family and friends that have encouraged us and supported us on this journey. I plan to update more frequently  on here about our homestead, how it's growing and more about our home school journey as well. 

Have a blessed day,

Want to see more about our ranch, some more of my recipes and fitness journey? You can reach out to me by going to my Facebook page by clicking the picture below....

The Good Grinch Shakeology Recipe

Admit it, you read the post title and started singing "You're a mean one. Mr. Grinch" in your head right? I know I did.

So I'm kinda on a big Vanilla Shakeology kick right now. Which is very unlike me because I am a Vegan Chocolate girl all the way. This holiday season though Vanilla has been the perfect blend for me to drink Healthy Nogs, Candy Cane Shakes, Orange Julius Inspired Shakes and more. 

Then I saw an idea to add Green Tea to my Shakeology and I went from there. Yes the secret ingredient in this recipe is chilled green tea. 

Why thank you Grinch! (Sorry I couldn't help it).

Ok so here is the recipe!

Good Grinch Shakeology Recipe:

1 Scoop Vanilla Shakeology

1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

1 Cup Ice

1/2 cup chilled Great Tea

1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground Nutmeg

1 dash of ground cloves

1 scoop of Shakeology Boost "Power Greens" OR 1 cup of fresh spinach

Add all the ingredients into the blender, blend well and serve! Want to make it extra festive? Put a few sprinkles on top to make you smile as you are drinking literally, the healthiest meal of a day with a boost of natural energy (green tea) AND a serving of veggies! #winwinwin

Portion Fix Container Equivalent: 1 Red, 1/2 Yellow and 1 Green

Looking for more recipes like this or to get a daily dose of motivation and encouragement? 

I'm looking for women who want to skip the over crowded gym this New Year, transform their bodies and reach their goals!

- Transformation Challenge with incentives (yep prizes, weekly)

- 24/7 Access to your own person Virtual Gym

- 30 Day Nutrition Plan and Shakeology

- LIVE Meal Prep Training in our Private Group

- Daily Challenges, Accountability, Fun and Motivation! 

Drop your email here to get more information and find out how you can secure your spot. These spots are already filling up, so if you want in let me know soon!

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Have a Blessed Day!

Core De Force Week 3 Review and Progress Pics

I'm already half way through week 4 and I'm just now getting to share with you how week 3 went! Better late than never right?

So to start off with week 3 I was up against a few challenges. THREE (yes 3) Thanksgiving Dinners spread out throughout the week.

Challenge accepted!

Guess what? I enjoyed a slice of pumpkin cheesecake. Had my all time favorite stuffing my Mother-in Law makes, and a few other things that I look forward to this time of year. Oh and a glass of wine! 

I pushed play EVERY SINGLE DAY and for the first time in my life I worked out on Thanksgiving morning. Got my workout in first thing, showered, snuggled up with my kids and watched the parade and then cooked before we headed to our dinner. It wasn't something I dreaded, I actually wanted to workout that morning.

What were a few things I did to stay on track with all these tempting yummers around me? I didn't skip a workout, drank my Shakeology daily, and saved my yellow and blue containers on the days I knew we had a Thanksgiving meal. 

Come Monday on day 22 I stepped on the scale to see I was up 1.6 lbs from what I had lost and had lost zero inches in week 3. Honestly, I knew those 1.6 lbs were mostly water weight from the 3rd and final Thanksgiving I had the night before and moved on. I wasn't going to beat myself up over it, we are learning life long balance skills in our challenge group. It's ok to enjoy those special meals in moderation.

I'll give you a little sneak peak into week 4 since I'm already half way through... Those 1.6 lbs? They are gone now putting me at a total of 8 pounds lost and down 1 dress size in 24 days.

With less than we week to go before I can call myself a Core De Force Graduate I gotta tell you... I'm excited! This program came at the exact right time for me. I was in a place mentally where I needed this fight. I needed something to take me out of my comfort zone, to challenge me daily to make the choice to better my health. 

Want to hear the rest of my week 3 testimony? You can check it out here!

Now I want to ask you something. Are you ready to see what you can accomplish BEFORE the end of the year? Are you ready for something new, inspiring and challenge that will get you out of your comfort  zone?

It's always been a battle of YOU vs YOU.

Who will win? Your mind or your body?

It's my mission this Holiday season to help YOU get some rocking results before the end of the year and set the tone for 2017. 

If you have a goal of losing five, ten or more pounds by the end of the year, then I want YOU. I'm looking for someone who is focused and ready to do the work (and still enjoy the holidays)!

My challengers (and myself) are getting amazing results in our launch group of this awesome total transformation program.

So ask yourself, do you have what it takes? Are you ready to dig deep and make that change?

Save your spot here because we begin 12/7 and are ready to fight for our health together! http://bit.ly/YouvsYou

Have a blessed day!

Thanksgiving Survival Tips - Enjoy your meal AND stay on track with your goals - 21 Day Fix and Core De Force Approved!

Let's set the stage.. you are in the middle of a round of a program right now... 21 day Fix, Core De Force (like me), or maybe Piyo or Cize, etc. and you're wondering. "How am I going to stay on track and not lose my hard work over Thanksgiving week?"

I have a blog post for that! 

Here are 6 tips I personally will be using this week to stay on track with my health and fitness goals. I hope you find them helpful! 

1. Tracking Portion Control Containers? Save your yellow and blue containers for your Thanksgiving meal. That will go a long way, trust me!

2. Drink your Shakeology 1-2 hours before your meal. You'll get your super foods, daily vitamins, probiotics and and all it's delicious goodness. PLUS it will fill you up and help you not over eat during the meal itself. 

(want the recipe? Check it out HERE)

3. Fill your plate with mostly veggies! Enjoy that turkey, have a little of your favorites to get your fix. But make sure you eat lots of veggies.

4. Have a special dish that is only made once a year? Enjoy it! For me it's my Mother-in-laws stuffing. I look forward to it all year long! Or my Mom's mashed potatoes.. MMMmmmm I can taste them already. The point is, enjoy those special dishes. Just keep them in smaller portions.

5. Workout in the Morning: Yep, you heard me! Get that workout in first thing. You'll thank yourself! Burn off some calories before the big meal, and not miss a workout during the round of your program. Win win!

6. Listen to your body when you're full: Your body will tell you when it's had enough. Don't feel like you have to keep eating for the sake of it being Thanksgiving. You'll save yourself some bloat and a stomach ache later. 

When Thanksgiving is over what's next? Keep going with your program! Haven't started a program yet or looking to switch it up? Join my Core De Force Challenge Group that begins 12/7 :)

Zero Equipment. MMA Style Workouts that will ignited that fire inside you to fight for your health. Don't wait tell Jan 1st. to start on those goals. We'll be ENDING our 30 days just after the New Year. How's that for starting off 2017? Already shedding weight and inches and knocking out goals?

To RSVP and save your spot for our group you can do so here:

Fill out my online form.

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@FaithFarmFit www.Facebook.com/LifeLightUp

Have a blessed day!

                            

21 Reason to do 21 Day Fix - Holiday Edition

Earlier this year I wrote a blog post titled "21 Day Reasons to do 21 Day Fix" and it's the most read post on this blog! I'm currently on day 7 of this round with our Holiday Fit Club group and thought this would be the perfect time to do a updated list, Holiday style!  

21 Reasons Why You Should do 21 Day Fix during the Holidays:

1. Only 30 minutes of exercise a day: You don't have to spend hours at the gym to reach the goals you have. 30 short minutes a day, with a different workout for each day of the week to keep it fresh, interesting and help you get fit! (Total Body Fix, Upper Fix, Lower Fix, Pilates Fix, Cardio Fix, Dirty 30, and Yoga Fix). Perfect for this time of year when we have lots of parties, events, and other things scheduled. 30 minutes is only 2% of our day, we spend more time on social media then that! 
2. You can still enjoy your favorite Holiday treats in small portions. I know how much you probably love spaghetti with chocolate sauce and sprinkles (I kid, I kid). The easy to follow, simple, clean eating guide and nutrition plan will teach you how to eat in moderation.
   
3. Easy to use Color coded portion control containers. Takes all the guess work out of it! And they are dish washer safe/bpa free. Score! 
4. No Calorie Counting!: Why add stress to your busy holiday season? Theses containers make it so easy to track what you are eating and you don't feel hungry!
5. You will lose weight! Why wait tell the New Year to lose those 5-10 pounds. I've had some challengers lose 15+ lbs in their first round of 21 Day Fix. Amazing!
   
6. Company Christmas Party? No worries! Want to feel great in your favorite Holiday dress? Or maybe you just want more energy to be present for those fun events? By getting your 30 minutes of exercise a day and eating clean you will not only look great but feel great too!
7. It's only 21 Days. 3 weeks that's it! You could already be well on your way to a healthier you before that ball drops on New Years Eve!
8. Fun in the Kitchen: Let's face it this time of year invoices cooking lots of potluck dishes, holiday meals and baking cookies and treats! Freshen up your kitchen with fresh produce and get inspired creating healthy dishes that taste delicious for you and your loved ones!
   
9. Your clothes will fit better: Hello Holiday Party Dress or favorite skinny jeans with boots!
10. Support: You get me as your free coach! I will help you stay accountable through the Holiday season and be here for you every step of the way.
    
    
11. No Choreography: Even those that have 2 left feet (like myself) can follow the moves in the workouts! Autumn gives clear, instruction and the workouts go by fast!
12. Modifier: Whether you are recovering from an injury (and with Dr permission working out) or just need to go at a easier pace to start, the modifier in all 8 workouts is incredible! She's very easy to follow.
13. Winter Weather doesn't have to hinder your workouts! Got snow? Or maybe it's just too cold outside? I've got a solution to that! You can do all your workouts that are effective, quick and fun in the comfort of your own home. (Saving gas and keeping you warm) Double win!
    
14. More Energy! You will have more energy to be present for your loved ones, get your holiday shopping done and making memories! Double boost if you drink your shakeology daily too!
15. Multiple Rounds: The beauty of this program is you can do as many 3 week rounds as you want! By starting this Holiday season you already have your effective program of choice lined up to do another round come Jan 1st! 
16. Accountability Groups: Our Challenge Groups are filled with amazing, inspiring and all around wonderful people! Join us for daily accountability, recipes and fellowship!
17. Share with others: Have your family join in the fun! Its a great opportunity to have family time while everyone improves their health.
    
18. There's an app for that! There is a free 21 Day Fix app in the itunes store you can download to keep it simple while you're on the go. Perfect for this busy time of year!
19. You won't be sorry, I promise. At the end of your 21 Day Fix round you won't be sorry. You will be happy that you did this 
20. Customize your plan based on your goals. This program is so versatile for everyone's goals!
21. You have a choice: You get to make the choice to change your eating habits, improve your strength/mode, lose weight and inspire others to do the same! Why wait tell the new year? Today is a great day to start!
    

I've seen first hand that this program does work! To date I've lost over 30 pounds and 5 pant sizes since beginning my 21 Day Fix journey!

This is just a small bit of the amazing testimonies we've had come out of our 21 Day Fix challenge groups! So proud of all the challengers who I get to do this health and fitness journey with every single day.

So are you ready to take the 21 Day Fix Challenge? Fill out the quick application below and together we will get started on this healthier you!

Have a blessed day!

Fill out my online form.