{In the days of Facebook and Insta~Life}

There's days when you wonder if you're coping well, like most human beings would, or if you're emotions and and inner voices are being their dependable, over sensitive, dramatic, exaggerating selves.

Somethings seem to have hit me harder than I would've ever had guessed.  Too hard.  Things I'm stuck on, and no matter what seem to have a death grip on how I behave from that moment on.  Even though I'm positive I'm insane for clenching to those events.  Like when the phone rings at uncommon times, my heart instantly hits my toes, because I can't forget a single instance in my life, which only seems like yesterday.  

I am 100% percent a sensitive, over-feeling individual.  Don't tell me not to take it personal because I can promise you I've already thought of 5 novels worth of ideas on how it is personal, whatever "it" may be.  Not in the, "Hey! Look at me!!!" way, but in the, "I know I did that wrong, somehow, I must be to blame, and I know I must fix it, yesterday!" way.  My inner voices have complexes, and I'll blame it all on them.

That's just me.  

With age, as young as I still am (and I swear most days I'm positive I'm still only 16, and not sure why everyone claims I'm an adult), I've been trying to adjust my filters and buttons.  Learning to fight only the battles that are worth fighting, learning that people most likely will never change unless they hit rock bottom, or experience a life changing, touch from God (or whom ever they claim it to be).  I've learned a lot in just the past few years.  Realizing that we all have a form of PTS inside of our hearts.  Learning we all have our triggers, sounds that make us clench, words that stab...While some of us function normally everyday, and some need all the help they can muster to walk out the door... The level of hurt does not cancel out someone else's level of hurt.  Your opinion of someone's struggle does not change how hard their struggle is to them.  Obviously, or I could heal every wounded soul in this nation, just by saying, "You know, it could've been worse."  Pain is still pain. 

I've been shying away from social media more and more lately.  The internet is so thick of hate and judgement. and people's very own skin, hearts, and souls are seeming to grow more and more blind to their own actions.  I almost miss the days when there was no such thing as internet and social media.  Especially the past 2 weeks.  Perhaps it's my thin skin, perhaps it's not.

We're all so busy, so absent minded, unless Facebook sends a notification to our phones, we forget everything.  Edicate seems to have been redefined.  Friendships weak, and only the best snapchats saved in our timelines.  It's easy to push aside those who don't fit into our bullet planners.  

Or maybe it's all in my mind...

Except for this week, as I was fretting about a scheduled test for non-ending stomach troubles.   I learned my baby cousin died from cancer.  How did I find out?  You guessed it, Facebook.  Were we super close, no.  I won't even lie that we had some great relationship, where we chatted for hours, and knew each other like sisters or best friends.  Did I care and love her?  With every ounce of my soul.  No matter what, if you are my blood, you are my everything.  And her extremely horrible, tragic, early death left me just as heartbroken as anyone I've lost.  Learning about it via someone's status update was even worse. I dare say Heartless and Selfish. When did this become the norm?

Again, maybe it's me being over sensitive.  But it's like pouring your heart out and getting a "like" and nothing else.  

We can't even spare the time to type words anymore.  

I'm not innocent from being too busy towards those I call friends.  I am just as flawed as the next person if not more.  And maybe this is where society is breaking apart.  And maybe this is where we can change it.  More words.  More honest understanding.  More thought.  Less comparing.  Less judging.  Less busy.  More real life, less snapshots.  Less followers, and more friends.  Less likes, and more real emotions.  More family.  More values.  Less fads.  

Less lonely souls in a crowded and hectic world.  

More anything real.  Slow.  Honest.  True.

And to my kid cousin.  Thanks for watching over us this week.  <3  

~Emily

{Notes from a Friend} Book Review

If you haven't noticed I've been big into personal development books lately.  I suppose it has a lot to do with all the bad in the news, on the internet... ending my day with some encouragement and affirmations has been something I've grown to look forward to, rather than a thriller, or heartbreak, or murder mystery.  I need all the hope and confidence I can some days, I'm sure others can agree.

I also tend to find an author I like and stick with them, and Tony Robbins is turning into one of those authors.  I'm sure you've heard of him, he has tons of books, television shows, pod casts, apps, and so forth.  For me he's easy to listen to, and doesn't spend a lot of time on mumbo jumbo stuff that I have a hard time believing in.  (I am the queen skeptic about a lot of things, and it's only getting worse as I grow older.)

Notes from a Friend, by Tony Robbins, is a condensed version of a few of his best selling works.  Cliff notes of personal development if you would.  So if you've read his writings before, many of the ideas will be a repeat... I'm not so sure anyone would mind though.  This book moves fast, and is a very easy read, a great starter book into the world of personal development.  He touches on our beliefs, and motivations, why some succeed and others don't, and why you can succeed as well.  He shares about many who started with nothing, and became more than they could've ever imagined.

What this book isn't is your complete how to change your life guide from step A to step Z.  Again, think cliff notes.  His other books go into much greater detail, and much more into depth as to why somethings work, and somethings do not.  That said, it still motivates, and get's the reader thinking.

Go check it out, even if you've read his other books, it's a great refresher course.  And I'd even recommend Notes from a Friend for those in college or entering a new career, like the pep talk we all need from time to time.  Or if you're just simply looking for more in life, anything Tony Robbins writes is pretty much for you.  Trust me here.

Tip of the day:
Always read personal development books at least twice.  The good ones, who grab at our hearts, and fill our wins with air sort of speak, are so jammed packed full of great information most of it struggles to sink in the first time or two we read through.  Life is always changing, give yourself the time to read through moving pieces more than once before you set it aside.  <3

~Emily

{Spring Cleaning}

I'm fighting to keep my motivation strong for this season's "Spring Clean".  There's been an urge in my heart to clean out, and change everything around me.  I need fresh, I need clean, I need inspiration, I need new.  From routines, to meals, to habits, to reading... I found a new interest while searching for what I needed in natural healing, foods, and exercises, and while I'm still a skeptic on much of it, so far, I'm excited to keep learning.

I'm still on my more alkaline based "diet".  In one week I had lost 5 pounds without much exercise.  The key pieces of the plan are cutting way back on sugars, dairy, processed foods, caffeine, and hard to digest grains.  And then you up your veggies... which I'm still not succeeding to well at, I'm hoping to tackle that more next week, hopefully with the help of juiced and powdered greens.

As we all know you can't fix your body by not moving, and although I'm restricted heavily by the doctors for my ribs, I decided to make the investment in myself and bought "3 Week Yoga Retreat" from my Team Beachbody page.  Some of the moves are restricted for me, but I'm at the point of needing to move, and since Yoga is about stillness, and breath, and not pushing yourself, I'm just going slow about it all.  I'm only 2 days into the program and I'm loving it, to the point of wishing the 30 minute sessions were longer.  The first week focuses on the foundation and building blocks of Yoga, and while I'm pretty limber by genetics, I still find myself sweating, and muscles shaking, and getting a great workout from the sessions... without needing to quit halfway through, or feeling that "I can't do this" feeling.  I might have found my thing.

And that's the trick with any betterment in life.  Finding "Your" thing.  It's not about making her thing work for you, or his thing, it's all about finding your very own thing.  Never stop searching, there are role models out there fit just for you, one's that inspire you to be you, while working harder.  I'm happy to finally have found a few of my own that inspire me to be more me.  <3

I'll be sharing more on this journey real soon!

~Emily

{Shakeoloy Recipes} Salted Caramel Mocha, and Peanut Butter Shake

Two of my favorite Recipes today!

Salted Caramel Mocha

Ingredients:

• Chocolate Shakeology
• Almond Milk (unsweetened, original)
• 1 cup cold coffee
• A sprinkle of Sea Salt, or Himalayan Salt
• A dash of caramel flavor (found online, or Walmart has a great selection of flavorings next to where the Vanilla Extract is found).
• 1 cup ice.

Directions:

This is one of the few ones I use my shaker cup for but you could blend into a smooth shake if you'd prefer.  Add all ingredients into your cup (always add Shakeo last) then blend or shake.  Play with the salt and caramel to get your desired levels of taste!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Shake

Blend together

• 1 cup ice
• 1- 1 1/2 cups almond milk
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1/4th of a banana
• 1 scoop chocolate Shakeo

{Shakeology Recipe} Cookies And Cream

Ready for a fun twist to your every day vanilla shake?

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
• 1 chocolate graham cracker
• 1 cup ice
• almond milk (original not sweetened)

To Make:

Blend together ice, vanilla Shakeology, and almond milk (add enough to make a shake consistency that you prefer).  Then break up half of your graham cracker, and add it to your blender, pulse just long enough to mix it into your shake.  Then break up the second half and add it the top as a garnish.  Enjoy!

{Shakeology}

I've had a lot of friends asking me about Shakeo, otherwise known as Shakeology.  You’ve heard of Shakeology right? You know, that amazing superfood shake that tastes like a decadent cheat meal that really feels more like a dessert? Sure there are many different shakes, programs and diets on the market, so it can be difficult to choose the right one for you BUT in this post, we’re going to discuss what you should look for in a product and when you get to the end of the post, having learned how to compare products, you will know why Shakeology truly is the best.

But really. Don’t take my word for it. Read more about the ingredients, the process and the science behind Shakeology and compare for yourself.

{What to Look for In a Weight Management Product / Program}

When it comes to weight management and a healthy lifestyle, it’s not only about calories. You could easily cut back on calories by eating less, but:

●  you need to consume sufficient HEALTHY calories, so blindly cutting back on calories will do more harm than good.

●  if you don’t learn a new, holistic approach to develop a healthy lifestyle, and you stop the diet, you will simply balloon right back to your ‘before’ weight.

Finding a low calorie nutritional supplement that is power ­packed is a much better option. When you combine good nutrition with focused workouts, you develop a healthy lifestyle. Let’s face it, though, getting the nutrition you need from food alone is simply impossible and that’s why you need a decent supplement.

{What to Look For In a Nutritional Supplement?}

With so many different supplements on the market, you would think you could simply grab the cheapest one off the shelves and keep going, but that is not the case.

Here are some of the things you need to look at when you zone into a product:

➔ The Ingredients

Before you worry about what it does contain, check what it does NOT contain. Your DON’T list should include:

●  MSG

●  Soy

●  Dyes

●  RBGH

●  antibiotics

●  corn syrup

What SHOULD it have? It should have vegan options and be corn­ and gluten ­free, and it s​hould​ contain, as a minimum:

●  Protein

●  Vitamins and Minerals

●  Phytonutrients

●  Antioxidants

●  Digestive Enzymes

●  Probiotics

●  Essential Amino Acids

These ingredients are available in most of the well­-known shakes on the market. Having these basic ingredients is a start, but if you want a shake that packs a lot more punch than the average, look for something that has more natural ingredients. In addition to the minimums above, Shakeology also contains a variety of superfoods:

●  Acerola powder (fruit)

●  Gingko powder (leaf)

●  Schisandra

●  Lycium (Goji) powder (berry)

●  Rose Hips powder (fruit)

●  Blueberry powder (fruit)

●  Citrus bioflavonoids

●  Bilberry powder (fruit)

●  Reishi powder

●  Pomegranate powder (fruit)

●  Maitake powder

●  Camu­Camu powder (fruit)

●  Cordyceps

●  Acerola powder (fruit)

●  Wheat grass

●  Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus)

●  Holy basil powder (leaf)

●  Kamut grass

●  Green tea decaffeinated extract

●  Barley grass

●  Grape seed extract (seed)

●  Ashwagandha powder

If that’s not enough, it is brimming with healthy bacteria (probiotics):

●  Streptococcus thermophilus

●  Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS­1

●  Lactobacillus casei

●  Lactobacillus acidophilus

●  Lactobacillus bulgaricus

●  Bifidobacterium longum

AND, it contains a special Proprietary Enzyme Blend (135 mg) of:

●  Lactase

●  Cellulase Bromelain

●  Papain Protease

●  Amylase Lipase

{The Process}

Shakeology is manufactured following strict processes required by the FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), and this includes:

●  immediate breaking down and cleaning of equipment after every batch production,

●  proper air filtration systems

●  ingredients obtained using Fair Trade

Instead of potent extracts, Shakeology uses whole plants and there’s good reason for this. When food technicians or scientists want a certain active ingredient in a plant, they use a process to distill the desired extracts from the plant to add to their nutritional blend.

Shakeology on the other hand, prefers to use the plant in its natural, whole food form. This process helps to preserve nature by avoiding over­processing. All the ingredients in Shakeology work in harmony to deliver an effective product. Each one of the hundreds of nutritional cofactors and phytochemicals work together in their own unique roles to deliver the best results.

{Shakeology Goes a Few Steps Further}

In addition to the superior nutrition, Shakeology forms part of the Beachbody program, which contains a range of fitness products and programs, such as the 21 Day Fix and newly ­launched Yoga Studio. E​ach program is designed to provide you with the right amount of nutrition, a healthy eating plan, plenty of exercise and the motivation you need to reach your goal weight and stay there. Through the Beachbody system, you can obtain the results you want and continue to build a healthier body!

Shakeology is aimed at people who are serious about good health, not just a quick fix.

If you’re interested in giving it a try shoot me a message and let’s chat more.

{Essential Oils}

I met essential oils about 3 or 4 years ago.  Several of my favorite homesteading (yes, homesteading) bloggers were talking about cleaning with oils, and making homemade soaps, and their increased overall wellness.  Now I'm a natural born skeptic, so I followed their post, did tons of reading, stalked way too many facebook groups, and eventually bought an economical collection of oils focused on lessening my anxiety, relieving minor pain, and making my house smell fresh (a hazard of having dogs).  

I quickly was hooked.  I think I went through all the stages of the oil world.  Started off shy.  Went overboard and got burned out.  Tried them one more time, and discovered how mush difference they really make in my life and home.

Some things work for me, some don't.  All the oil treatments for your face did not.  Hello cystic breakouts from heck.  It's still possible I never found the right blend.  Special blends to boost confidence for public speaking, worked amazingly.  It's all about finding what works for you and your home.  Lavender calms some people, other's it can actually rev up.  

And then you have the online groups, and guides to essential oils.  Everyone's an expert, and no one will ever agree on anything in the oil world.  You'll find this out quickly if you join any facebook oil groups.  Some will have you so convinced that if you look cross eyed at a certain oil you might just die right then and there, others will try and sell you on eating your oils 5x a day.  Always research more than one source before you make any decision on where you stand on things like oils and consuming them.  I'm not a huge fan, but I don't think you'll melt right then and there either.  

Some general safety guidelines that make everyday use a wee bit easier that I think everyone can agree on for the most part:

• Always dilute an oil with some type of carrier oil before applying on your skin.  I've been burnt before on accident, trust me here.  
• Don't use the same oil everyday for weeks on end.  Mix it up.  Your body will adapt to using just one, and you might find it doesn't work anymore for you.
• When pregnant or using oils around small children, talk to your doctor, or an expert in the field. 
• Do research before using on animals.  Dogs generally do real well with oils.  Cats are said to be a no with oils.  I've heard conflicting info there.  Birds are always a no with their lungs.  
• And relax.  :)

Obviously there's more than that, always read your bottles and all of that good common sense.  I don't have the time nor the education to go into all the cautions, and uses out there.

There's so many ways to use oils, I'll write more on all the methods later, but the best way to get started?  I'd recommend an affordable diffuser, and 2 or 3 blends that call out to you.  Or you can mix the blend in a little bit of coconut oil or almond oil (grab them from NOW on Amazon, they have a great selection, just look for carrier oils), and rub them right into your pulse points, temples, and more!  

Why sell essential oils with Young Living?

I just signed up with YL to get the benefit of their wholesale prices, and to be able to offer them to my training clients.  I've had so much success diffusing calming blends and lavender while training, both with relaxing myself with all of my anxiety, but the dogs calm down, and so do their Veteran handlers!  I'll post some great dog friendly options later on.  It just made sense to expand my oil collection, while being able to share it with others as well.  

Have questions?

Leave them in the comments or email me, I'll get back to you as quickly, and as honestly as I can!

Would you like to order, or even join my team?  

Follow this link: https://www.youngliving.com/vo/#/signup/new-start?sponsorid=11548765&enrollerid=11548765&isocountrycode=US&culture=en-US&type=customer

{The Miracle Morning} Book Review

The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
(I grabbed my copy via Amazon, and receive nada for this review)

When one of your mentors recommend a book, you go and grab it, asap.  When they talk endlessly about how it changed your life, you start stalking the mailman or wish that you weren't too cheap to go Prime.

The Miracle Morning is a book about how most of us aren't living the life we dream of, and how most of us never will, because of our lack of discipline, drive, motivation, and habits.  How we set the tone for each of our days with the simple thought of how much we don't want to get up, how much we don't want to start our days, and how that funk and dislike overshadows every single thing we do.  And how with some easy simple changes, and new habits, how we can wake up every morning feeling like it's Christmas.  With drive, and energy to tackle the day, to make something out of ourselves, and to leave those old gloomy clouds far behind us.

Easy methods such as a few minutes of pure quiet, meditation, or prayer.  A glass of water.  Some exercise.  A few minutes to journal.  Some affirmations.  A vision board, and more.  And he formulates it in a way where we can spend 6 minutes on our Miracle Morning, or 60 minutes, taking away many of our excuses.  He goes into why reading matters, why healthy living matters, why clearing our minds matter, and how it all fits together into a package that actually works.

A pretty quick read, that demands a few re-readings.  The book was very easy to follow, and not filled with too much fluff.  You do have a chance to go online and download some follow-up material that I wish had just been included in the book, but I get it, he's big on community and that's how he gets you looking around on his site.

You can also go to his site at miraclemorning.com to get a free preview of the book.

I'm diving into the printouts tonight, and hope to begin utilizing what I just read in the morning, and will be posting follow-ups as I go.  With all the craziness here lately of extra dogs, sick kids, sick adults, electric issues, storms... my morning routine has crashed.  So I'm really excited about giving this all a go.  And actually pretty optimistic as well after finishing this book.  I'd love for all my dreams and goals to happen, and he swears this is the on-ramp to success.  :)

He also really encourages accountability partners while beginning this, so if anyone's up for the challenge, shoot me a message!  <3

~Emily

{Starting Over} Day 1

I've started over many times.

I have more meal plans, and programs than I can count on one hand.

Why keep going?

My body helped me remember why this morning, oddly enough on Day 1.  In between modifying the heck out of PiYo, and running to the bathroom, my chronic health issues have gotten the best of me.  I have IBS, with no determined trigger so far.  Entire days can be spent playing Disney Emoji Blitz in the bathroom.  And top that with some fancy named tilted rib cage causing extreme chronic pain, that I just gotten my fifth opinion on last week, it's not curable.  I can only manage the pain, and try to keep flares down.

I'm a meds type girl.  Actually I'm an ignore it until you're dying, then take meds type girl.  But when the words chronic, no cure, lifetime battle popped into the picture, I decided I can't spend my life stuck on bed rest, and sick.  And don't get me wrong, I'm 100% blessed that my lifelong issues are so small and within my abilities to handle.  But that doesn't mean I need to keep living like they're not there, and allowing my self the chance to get worse.

And as we all know, you can paint a car, wax it up, put in top notch gasoline... but if the engine isn't there, you're not going anywhere.  True health and change come from within.  I believe to start moving forward the soul itself has to be healed, then the inside of the body, then the outside will begin to reflect the health inside of us.

Step by step I'm hoping to clear the clutter in my mind, home, and my daily life.  And I'm hoping to slowly heal my guts, to cut back on inflammation, to support healthy muscle, in hopes to lesson my flare ups.  Lot's of goals.  And I'll touch on them more as I progress.

Today is a fickle day, starting off with a flare in both departments, but none the less, we keep going.  I started my day with a very modified version of PiYo Core (I'm not supposed to be doing planks or push ups, or anything putting all my weight on my chest, I choose to modify with squats, cardio, crunches and the like when they were doing things I couldn't do.  Progress not perfection.  Movement is movement and I refuse to quit).  My diet for the next 7 days is a gentle alkaline based plan.  Cutting out harsh hard to digest carbs, dairy, and sugar.  I planned on doing before pics today, but the ick of the say has won, and it's not happening today.  :p

Morning devotional right now is "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young since I already had that on hand.  And my personal Development book is "Grace not Perfection" by Emily Ley.

Today's Shakeo: 1 scoop chocolate.  1 cup ice,  1 cup almond milk, 1 tbs peanut butter.  1/4th banana.  Blend.

As I move forward I'll try to pretty up this format a bit to make it easier to follow if you wanted to join in as well.

Thanks for stopping in!

{A Season of Change} and my list of 101

I have 2 times of year that I crave change.  Like clock work, every spring and every fall call out their chant of deep cleaning of my house, and of my self.  I want to scrub my counters, and scrub out my worries.  I want to eat clean, while cleaning off the shelves.  And I always want to set out new resolutions and goals to match.  

I keep a special place in the back of my Erin Condren planner for my big list of 101 things I'd like to do for the year.  I say year, but there's no definitive time line of this "year".  There's no punishment if I don't get it completed.  Some years I tackle tons off my list, some years get copied right onto the next year's list.  The list isn't meant to ridicule my progress, but to remind me to keep moving forward, and some days to show just how far I have come.

There's no rules to my list.  I can edit as I please, and include vacations, shopping lists, and even washing curtains.  

And when the seasons change I can change my list as it fits me, like today, as I face a new season in my life, I find myself needing to re-grounding, and much self care.  And with that, a new list.  

(you can get a $10 credit for a planner using my referral link here: 

https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/emilyjohnson0814 )

My list consist of things such as re-reading and trying The Happiness Project, and The Love Dare.  Knitting something for myself, pictures with the kids, finishing an exercise program.  There's reminders to take a vacation, and to plant the garden.  Since I'm editing it once again today, I'm not going to post the whole list here, but I'll be trying to post about accomplishments as they happen.  Under my 101 tab if you'd like to follow along!

Do you keep your own similar list of things you'd like to do?  Are you starting a list?  Drop a link in the comments, I'd love to see your's!  (And I'm always looking for tips and tricks too!!)

Have an amazing weekend!  

~Emily 

{Rebuilding}

Hey there!  I'm changing things up around here once again.  Lots of new things are on the way, so please check back soon!

~Emily