.new workout favorites.

So like I said last post, I have been working out.  Today is my 10th straight day and ALSO the last day for Level 1 of my workout.  Tomorrow I start Level 2 and I can't wait.

10 days in and here is where I am currently...

I know.  I still have a lonnnnggg way to go.

Thank God for these new favorite products to get me through.

1.  Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor.

Don't ask me what all this gadget does, because I don't know...

I'm sure it has a plethora of talents, but counting calories/tracking target heart rate is all I need it for.  Those little sensors that you keep sticking your hands on at the gym while you bust your butt on the elliptical are not accurate when it comes to calories and heart rate...not to mention, Lord only knows what kind of funk nastiness is crawling around on there.  

This is the one I bought in case you want.

2.  Not Your Mother's CLEAN FREAK Refreshing Dry Shampoo.

I have enough hair to rival that of a horse and don't have time to wash, dry, curl, tease, etc. every single day, so this stuff is my saving grace.  I love it especially after a workout when my hair is wet.  It creates a matte look on your hair, which I love and smells amazing.

I just take my hair out of my ponytail, spray on my roots and blow-dry...maybe takes me 3 min. tops.  This is my hair post-workout last night after I sprayed and dryed it.  Not the best pic, but you see my waves from the day are still in tact and will be ready for tomorrow.

you can get the dry shampoo from Target.

3.  Under Armour Protegee Sports Bra.

in an attempt to keep things classy (well, mostly in an attempt to not scare you) , I will not be showing you a pic of me in my sports bra, so this chic will have to do.

 So this is borderline sacrilegious I'm sure...but I am going to say it anyways.

I am not a Lululemon fan.

It's not neccessrily that I don't like it, I just don't see a good enough product that warrents being THAT expensive.  I understand that the clothes make you look really good, but I don't want my workout clothes to make me look good, I want to make them look good.  I went into the store the other day for the first time ever because I needed a new sports bra and I heard their "ta-ta tamer" was legit.  Well, it's not.  The only thing legit about it is how un-tame my tata's were while jumping around the dressing room...though Kingsley enjoyed the show.

For the past 3 years, I've been using this UA sports bra and I LOVE IT!  I promise, if God blessed you with plenty up top, then you will love this bra.  

4.  Neuro Sleep.

I am a night time workout kind of gal.  Don't ask me why, just a preference.  And while the workout kicks my butt, it amps me up enough to keep me from falling asleep so that's where Neuro comes in.  This stuff is amazing.  Makes me feel naturally tired, helps me sleep through the night and no grogginess in the morning.  I get mine at a local grocery store, but the website should tell you where to get some.

 That's all I have for now...Hope you ladies have a great Friday.

xoxoxo.

.skinny for summer.

Yes, it has been forever since I last posted.

in my defense, I am a working girl now.

I FINALLY got my Real Estate license and I just love it.  I work for the best company and have the best team supporting me.

but that is not what this post is about...so.

It's May and we're all feeling the time-crunch to unrealistically lose 100 lbs. in 30 days.  I've seen lots of girls talking about what they're doing to achieve that so I thought I would share with you what I've been doing to get bikini-ready by June 1st.

1.  I'm drinking my weight in water.  I may be depleting the water supply in KS single-handedly.  But it works and boosts your metabolism like crazy.

2.  I've been doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.  Don't laugh at me, but I'm on my 8th day in a row and that is HUGE for me.  I have never worked out that many days in a row without giving up.  From the first day to today, I have noticed a giant difference in my endurance.  I'm excited to get to day 11 so I can move on to level 2 of the workout.  Also, I am considering showing you before/after pics at the end of the month.

don't hold your breath on that one.

3.  Eating clean.

most of the time.  the dozen donut holes I had this morning were a fluke accident.  that wasn't me.  that was the other Hannah.  hungry hungry hippo Hannah.

Here is my latest haul from Whole Foods with some of my favorites

a. Organic Girl Super Greens.  no explanation needed.  Super healthy and great for salad.

b.  melon.  so good for you and low in calories.  Whole foods has huge containers that are 2/$10.  I'm sure buying a cantaloupe and melon whole would be cheaper, but I don't have time to prepare them...and well you just can't put a price on convenience. 

c.  squash.  Have you ever cut up a squash and just ate the slices raw?  It's super good!

d.  way better snack chips.  These chips are made from black beans or peppers so they are healthy and extremely low in calories.  I dip them in the green dip you see in front.  It's made from kale, arugula and almonds.  SO GOOD!

e.  fat free balsamic dressing, cherry tomatoes, feta and organic grilled chicken.  I use these items on the Super Greens for the best salad.  The balsamic is only 20 calories per serving and it's so good!  The organic grilled chicken (front middle) come in these super convenient packs (also low in calories and packed with protein) and taste great!

f.  french vanilla coconut milk creamer.  tastes great and only 20 calories per tablespoon.  If you are looking for a low calorie Starbucks drink, get a tall, non-fat iced coffee.  With sweetener, it's only 80 calories.  It's really good and has a ton of caffeine. 

g.  big leafy kale.  for kale chips.  so good.

h.  fago greek yogurt.  This stuff is amazing.  I wish it was organic, but the ingredients don't scare me so I make it work.  Only 140 calories, so it's the perfect midday snack or great for breakfast.  They are super yummy and will satisfy your sweet tooth.

So that's it ladies.  Good luck getting fit!

xoxoxo.

.currently.

Hey ladies!

I am still here...just currently in class to get my real estate license!  I have class the rest of the week, test (and hopefully pass) next Wednesday and then off to Breckinridge to snowboard with friends.

In the meantime...

Please do yourself a gigantic favor and go to the Old Navy website and order yourself a pair of these super cute zip-pocket pants!  Use promo code GAMEDAY to get 15% off your purchase...today only.

I am excited to wear them with my new Roxy tank I bought from Asos today!

This was only £10.  I have no idea how many American dollars that is, but hopefully it's as cheap as £10 sounds...

not sure if I will get post out for tomorrow, but I will on Thursday for sure...it's only about the most magical stuff on earth.  get excited.

xoxoxo.

ps. one more thing. Got this coat today to wear in Colorado with my objective being warm over being cute...but what do you guys think?

Seriously...it's just for warmth.  My desire to be fashionable falls far below my desire to be warm while in Colorado.

well...what do you think?

pss. as always, I used EBATES to get 2% cash back from Old Navy and 3.5% cash back from Asos....and trust me guys, it works.  I have already gotten a check from them!

.birthday boy.

so there is this pretty cool guy in my life.

and he is turning 31 today.

Let me tell you about this guy.

he still, to this day...8 years later...gives me butterflies every single solitary day.

his muscles are impossible not to touch.  though you ladies need to make sure its impossible to you, because my right hook packs a major punch.

I kid. sort of.

his smile is pretty much life-changing.  you can't help but feel happy when he smiles.

we won't talk about how good he kisses.  just know it's good.  real good.  like what I would imagine swimming a pool of champagne with godiva chocolate bubbles would be.  that good.

he has a nice butt.

I'm finding it hard to talk about anything other that his psychical qualities.  you would too.

he let's me buy lots of shoes.

and he does have the best heart.  and he loves his kids more than I love the thought of the aforementioned champagne pool with godiva chocolate bubbles.

yeah, this guy?  this guy is the best thing that ever happened to me.

happy birthday babe.

.baby fancher #4.

y'all were getting excited there for a second, weren't you?

i'm not pregnant.

But.

I really want to be.

no I don't.

I CANNOT DECIDE!

I have major baby bug.  LIKE MAJOR.  I have zero idea what's happening to me.  After having Kingsley and getting through the sleepless nights, nursing and dragging a carseat around with me everywhere I go, I knew it was time for a break.  I have been pregnant, had a child at home with me or both at the same time for the past 8 years.  I have loved almost every moment of being at home with my kids, but I was ready for some free time...and while it hurt my heart for Kings to go to preschool, I couldn't wait for the sweet freedom that came along with it!  

well.

Kings has been in school since September and here we are in January and all I can think of is BABY.  There has never been a question that we would have at least 4.  I love the idea of having a big family.  

So the question now, is when?  When do we jump back in?  Not to divulge TMI, but we don't use birth control at all.  Reasons why are for another post, another time.  So we are always prepared that it could happen anytime, but so far, so good.  I know there will never be a perfect time to decide "it's time".  I always consider the age between Kingsley and our next child.  I want them to be close like Beckham and Crew are and I fear the longer we wait, they won't be close to each other.  One thing I definitely want to wait for is a home...rather a house.  Brandon and I are talking about building sometime later this year and I think it would be best to wait until the house is finished.  We live in a town home right now and I am grateful for our home, but I feel like we are constantly on top of each other.  I want my kids to have a back yard and a basement.  

When the time does come, I will handle the process completely differently than before.  I know the older you are and more kids you have under your belt, the less your body "bounces back" after delivery so I'm going to be more cognizant of what I eat and being active.  I have also decided I won't be induced.  I have always been induced because I wanted my family to be there and while I know I take the risk of them missing the birth this time around, I want that moment where you know "it's time" and it's unexpected.  Another thing is, I just want it to be Brandon and I.  I have loved having the support of my family for every birth, but the process becomes so chaotic and busy with so many people and I feel the pressure to somewhat "entertain" everyone while they just sit in my room and stare at me.  I'm not going to lie, it's not my favorite.

One HUGE thing that will be different this time around is that I don't want to find out the sex of the baby.  This is such a departure from the norm.  I may be the most impatient human on the face of the earth.  I want what I want when I want it.

I'm fully aware that made me sound like a brat.  I swear I'm not.  most of the time.

Having to wait 9 months to find out will be hard, but this may be my last chance to experience that moment.  I think it will be really sweet and just add to the whole experience.

Obviously things change.  Who knows what I will be feeling when the time comes.

Have a wonderful day today ladies.

xoxooo.

.glam glow follow up

Just wanted to follow up with you ladies about Glam Glow mask I told you about a few days ago.

So I started out loving it...which you already know if you read my review.  It did exactly what it said it would do.  It literally sucked the oil of of my pores...which ended up being the problem.  My skin turned into a desert and eventually broke out really bad.  This is probably because my skin was working over time to make up for the oil loss.  It's funny, having bad skin for so long, we are taught to get rid of the oil...dry your skin out and then your breakouts will clear up.  And this could not be farther from the truth.   Your skin (even acne prone skin) needs moisture!  I am trying to get my skin back on track from the breakouts the Glam Glow mask caused, but once I do, I am seriously thinking about taking a week and only using coconut oil to cleanse and moisturize my skin.  I have heard some many amazing things about coconut oil!

I will obviously let you know how that turns out.

As far as the Glam Glow goes...I am giving it two thumbs down..for me anyways.  It may work wonders for you all, but for the price tag of $69, I did not see enough benefit to keep it.

on another note.

When I bought the mask, I was also in the market for a good eye primer.  No one likes eyeshadow crease.  I had been using the e.l.f. version, but in this case, you definitely got what you paid for.  The lady at Sephora said, hands down, the Urban Decay Primer Potion was by far the best...and she was right!

One night after dinner, I was feeling super lazy and didn't remove my makeup before bed (bad, I know) and the next morning, my eyeshadow still looked great!  Your shadow won't crease or fade with this product and your liner doesn't smudge or run.  It's awesome.

When I return the mask, I plan on picking up some Benefit Erase Paste.  I have heard nothing but great things about this product.  In the winter when I am not as tan, the dark circles under my eyes are more prevalent and I want coverage that doesn't look "cakey" and I hope this product delivers.  

as always, I will let you know how it goes.

One more thing.  I have an event this weekend and I need your opinion.  Per my husbands preference, I usually go a little shorter and form fitting when it comes to dresses and I always oblige, but most of the time I am incredibly uncomfortable.  For this event I didn't want to spend a ton of money on the dress and I also (for once) wanted to feel somewhat comfortable so I picked this dress from VS.

I got it last night and love it.  It is sexy enough for the husband and comfortable enough for me.  My question for you is, the shoes.  I just ordered these Brian Atwood shoes (which come tonight...yay) and I wanted your opinion on whether or not you think they would look good with the dress?

what do you think?

Have a wonderful day!

xoxoxo.

.just a horse

I contemplated whether or not I would write about this.  Mostly because I'm assuming that 99.9% of you are going to think I am completely ridiculous...

but that's ok with me.

So this past week, Brandon and I took our friends to Saddle and Sirloin to show them the club and ride for a bit.  To be honest, I get so excited to take people riding...mostly because it's a chance to show off the love of my life.  Not in a bragging sort of way (though I personally think he is definitely worth a brag or two), but more in a "he is so incredibly precious and I want you to see how precious he is" sort of way.

In case you're out of the loop, I am talking about the sweetest, most handsome, loving horse in the world...my Mikey.

He is the love of my life.  I never knew it was possible to love an animal as much as I love him.

We are bff.  Soul mates.  He is my man on the side and his is super sweet.

Suffice it to say...I care for him a lot.

So back to the point...I am always excited to take friends to ride because I love riding and who doesn't love to share what makes you happy?

One of my favorite parts of riding him is getting to go out to pasture to get him.  That moment when he sees me and starts walking toward me, is the best.  In some weird way, it makes me feel like he actually WANTS to be with me and that means so much.  Well, this last time around, that did not happen.  He is in the pasture with two other very sweet horses, but one of them is a little too playful with Mike and sometimes (a lot of times) it makes it very difficult for me to get him because he's trying to run away from the other horse.  It's not an unusual occurrence, but I think on this day, Mikey had just had his fill and he sort of lost it.  Now I consider myself to be a semi-courageous individual...sure I have my fears, but very rarely will you ever see me not try to conquer them...but having a very large and very muscular Belgian horse "having a moment" in your general direction would make anyone feel a tad uneasy.  I know this kind of situation happens all the time with horses, but it never happened with mine, so it was really hard to watch.  I won't get into too many details, but lets just say that it involved someone getting dragged to the ground and me having to leave because I just couldn't watch anymore.  Mostly because I didn't want Mikey to associate his stress with me.

This is where you will probably think I'm ridiculous.  The few minutes I saw Mikey going crazy, killed me.  I felt so helpless and rightly so, there was literally nothing I could do.  I just kept watching him run around the pasture knowing he was upset and the feeling of not being able to calm him, hurt my heart.  See, from the moment I met him, I have wanted him to love me as much as I love him.  I want him to feel comfortable with me and loved like crazy.  Sometimes I forget that it's only been like 6 months since I started riding him and I have to be patient with him and give him time.  I'm always over-analyzing his behavior and wondering if a misstep is because he hates me being on him.  

how lame do you think I am right now.

I wouldn't blame you if you do.

I went to ride him today and he wanted nothing to do with me.  My trainer and a bucket of grain is what got his attention.  Not me.  It killed me.  I was happy to be able to ride him, but broken hearted that he didn't want to come to me.

Who gets this messed up over a horse???

I know it will all be ok and I am 100% making a bigger deal out of it than it is.  Truly it's not even worth mentioning, but I figured I'd share anyways.

Ignoring the incredibly awkward and poorly situated thing on his back, look at that beautiful boy!  His eyes melt my heart and his face!  His face is the best thing ever.  He can turn any bad day instantly better.  

Someone out there, please tell me I'm not crazy and you share these over the top, borderline obsessive feelings for any animal in your life...

This was way too long and very unnecessary, but have a wonderful day nonetheless.

xoxoxoo.

.dying for SPRING.

I need warm weather pronto.  I'm dying.  Do you know that it is 7 degrees here this morning?  7 DEGREES!  What in the heck is that?  The Weather Channel says it feels like -5.  That is just unnatural.

I long for platform sandals, shorts and open windows.  And to add insult to injury, Victoria's Secret sent me a nice little email this morning telling me all about the cute little spring items that they have.  CRAP.  So now I am tempted to shop and won't be able to wear any of it until April....at the earliest.

I need.

I swear VS should start paying me for all that I buy from them.

anyways.

Now onto more important things.  I need your help.  I have two boys are happen to be the pickiest eaters on the planet.  We're talking PB & J three times a day, seven days a week.  PLEASE share with me your kid friendly recipes!  I die a little every single time I smear jelly on white bread.  Currently in my cupboard resides Kashi fruit bars, Cheddar Bunnies and Cheerios.  Help me broaden their very limited palate.  GO.

and please refrain from any and all recipes that require sneaking pureed spinach into brownies.

a.  yuck

b.  ain't no one got time for all that pureeing stuff.

xoxoxoo.

btw.  I started sponsoring From Mrs. to Mama last night and seriously, it may be the best decision I have ever made as a blogger.

.etiquette marketplace.

I am having one of those days where you barely have time to breath because you're being pulled in 1,000 different directions, so no time for a big post, but....

I did want to quickly tell you about this new little online accessory shop called Etiquette Marketplace.  They have the cutest accessories and the prices are unbeatable.  Their sales are every Monday and Wednesday evening starting at 8pm/CT.  Head over to their Facebook page and LIKE them so you can stay up to date on the sales! 

the owners just so happen to be my family so your support would mean the WORLD to me!  And a big thank you to Becky, Raven and Allie for the shout-outs on Facebook this past Monday.  It really meant more than you know.  Your gifts are in the mail!

Here are some of the items they sold at Monday's sale

cute, right?

Make sure you keep a look out for the sale starting this evening at 8pm/CT and thank you in advance for supporting my family!

xooxoo.

ps. on a less important note, I have had my eye on a pair of Brian Atwood heels that are exclusively sold at Nordstrom for some time, but did not want to spend $350 for them (I very rarely pay full price for anything.  EVERYTHING goes on sale at one point or another)...so I waited until they went on sale and when they did, of course they didn't have my size.  Well for whatever reason, I checked today and they had my size!  

these beauties are on their way to my house as we speak and for 50% off!

have a good rest of the day girls.

xooxoo.

.glam glow review.

hello ladies.

So a couple of days ago during a mid-morning Pinterest session, I came across this photo.

yum.

My interest was piqued.  I clicked the photo link to find out that this is the result of a new "it" product called Glam Glow Supermud Clearing Treatment.  Apparently big in Hollywood, blah, blah blah.  Usually that's a deterrent for me, but I have to admit the pic really got me so I did some research and discovers that the product had amazing reviews all over the board.  I have dealt with less than favorable skin since high school.  I have tried ev-er-y-th-in-g in creation to clear my skin up and not until recently have a I found products that made a significant difference.

but that's a post for another time.

I am always looking for new things to introduce to my skin regimen so I thought, why not.  It's a bit lot pricey at $69, but for me, my skin has been such an insecurity that I would pay just about anything to fix it.  

Off to Sephora I went and could not get home fast enough.  Washed my face, applied an even layer, waited.  It started to get hard and turn a greenish color and soon after, you could start seeing the mask pulling the oil from each and every one of my pores.

beautiful sight.  another one of the many reasons my husband never sees the things I do for beauty.

 I am trying my hardest to smile at you in the pic.

this was taken about 2 min after I applied the mask as it was drying.  I was going to post a picture of it after the oil starting coming to the surface, but some things are better left to the imagination and quite frankly, I'm not that brave...just know, it looked exactly like the picture above.  Maybe worse.

I left the mask on for 20 minutes.  After washing off (I used warm water and a soft washcloth) my skin was SO SOFT, had a nice glow to it and my pores were the smallest I've ever seen them.

So far, I'm extremely happy with the product, but will use it a few more times before I decide if it's a keeper.  It can also be used as a spot treatment, so I will keep you updated on how that works as well.

Have a good afternoon!