Motivation Shaker, Ashley Tabb

My baby turned 4 last week and I wanted her to get items she could use during the summer and not just toys because we have so many already.  So I went to my Facebook friends for ideas and got a great response!! Several of the ideas were items my daughter received and others will be ideas for other holidays and future gifts!! Rather than keeping the information to myself, I decided to post about it here on my blog for other parents of toddlers to use as a reference.  Plus I'll be able to come back here when Caroline is invited to a party and get ideas for gifts for her friends.  Although as I was cleaning out the gift closet in my basement last week, I realized I already purchased several items for other kids. I 'd rather find good deals throughout the year and grab gifts rather than scrambling to shop for gifts at the last minute.  The I pull out 3-4 choices for the girls to "shop from the closet." This limits stress of shopping at the last minute and allows our ...

I received this recipe from a friend and wanted to share it with those in my current challenge group and other looking for healthy summer recipes. I haven't tried it myself but will likely include it on my meal plan next week!! What about you...will you try this one?!? Ingredients 20 ounces Ground Turkey Burger (I buy 99% Fat Free) 6 Large Peppers – makes 12 servings (some might eat 2 halves) Pint of Cherry tomatoes Pint of fresh mushrooms Half a jar of tomato sauce or jar of salsa Corn – optional Black Beans- Optional Spinach – chopped and cooked in with burger *Use whatever you have fresh in the fridge and pantry. Cooking Instructions: While Turkey Burger is cooking on stove top in skillet, prep the rest... 3 large Green Peppers 3 mix red, yellow and orange peppers (1 of each) *Cut them in half and clean out. So they are like small bowls. Heat in microwave 2 bags of 90 second Uncle Ben’s Brown rice. Slice Cherry tomatoes in half Chopped container of mushr...

So I went shopping recently and noticed clothing has shrunk for the summer season?!?! REALLY it has!! Don't get frustrated when you shop for shorts and capri pants....know that it's the retailers changing the sizes!! I was SOOO excited in the winter that I was in the smallest size of my life, but I think it was just the retailers making me feel good and buy more in the winter!! It was nice getting that smaller size, but then when I shopped a few weeks ago everything had shrunk!! I KNEW it wasn't me....while I've had a few more cheats than usual and only followed my meal plan 70/30, I have stayed consistent with workouts measured myself regularly. But then it got me second guessing myself, so when I got home, I asked Matt to take measurements of my waist and hips AGAIN. Sure enough, I was right!! I was the same size that I was when I shopped 3-4 months ago, but now I have to buy 2 sizes bigger. I am sharing this for others to know...

So you had a crazy, busy holiday weekend!! Maybe you went to a picnic or the pool or a party.  You relaxed, had some treat and drinks and now you are beating yourself up for what you ate and drank. STOP!!! Don't beat yourself up!! You had fun, you SHOULD enjoy yourself every once and a well...or more!! It's TOTALLY ok to have fun with friends and family, especially  on the weekends and holidays!!  You need to do that, but you should be aware of what you are eating and drinking and do it within moderation!! As I told my support group last week, you may prepare and plan for the weekend, but you won't be perfect. Hopefully they took my advice on moderation and being better than the last weekend or holiday!! What is being better?  It's having a glass of water between each drink when before you had no water between beers.  It's having 1-2 drinks instead of 3-4.  It's having a bite of an ice cream sandwich rather than having an entire ice cream sandwich. ...

While I can go several days without chocolate, there are other days I could eat an entire candy bar!  But I am trying to cut out sugar because it is so addictive and the more I eat the more I crave it!   Plus, I am following the 21 Day Fix meal plan with limited cheats and treats.  The cool thing is I have found healthy foods I can make feel like a treat and this is one of them! Shakeology chocolate!   I will be honest, you can add this to the list of the things I was skeptical of!  As I was mixing it  in the kitchen both my husband was rolling his eyes at me. The recipe is simple 1 scoop of Chocolate Shakeology and 1 spoon of coconut oil melted. Stir it together.  Then I put it in cookie molds and put into the freezer until it was solid.   I cut into chunks and literally enjoyed a chocolate bar with zero guilt. 1 spoon of coconut oil is a good fat and 1 shakeology serving is 1 red. So I counted it as a red and as a spoon.  If you want t...

Please help me congratulate my lovely friend and ROCKSTAR Melinda Davidson – Butkis on her AMAZING fitness journey!  In the last 150 days, she has completed Insanity Max: 30 and Body Beast and she lost 20lbs and 16.25 inches! What a TERRIFIC transformation! In regards to her fitness journey, Melinda says "Was I perfect for 150 days? No. But I was consistent. I pressed play each day, ate according to my meal plan (80% of the time) and kept myself accountable by checking in with my challenge group everyday." Melinda is a wife and mom of 2. She is a fitness instructor and teaches P90X, CIZE and Insanity in her local gym in Idaho. We met last summer online and were roommates at the Beachbody Leadership Conference in Nashville TN in July. Our amazing weekend included working out on Broadway, enjoying fun dinners KIDFREE, and celebrating the Dream Team's accomplishment as Top Team in the entire company!! We've continued our friendship throughout the year online. We ...

This morning I decided to try a different type of pancakes.  These were quick and easy and I thought they were yummy but I couldn't get the kids to try them.  2 eggs 1 cup oatmeal 1 tsp Vanilla 1 tsp Cinnamon Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Cook on pancake grill or pan on stove.  Top with Sugar Free syrup or peanut butter and strawberries.