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Friday, September 30, 2016

Foodie Friday --- Orange & Parsley Chicken Cutlets served with Arugula


Makes one Serving
  • 1 Chicken Breast
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/4 cup Coconut Flour
  • 3 tbsp. Golden Flax Meal
  • 2 tbsp. Italian Parsley, finely chopped
  • Zest of one orange
  • 1 Egg, beaten
  • 2 cups Spinach and Arugula mixed, or whatever greens you prefer
  • 1 orange
  • 2 tbsp. Yellow Onion, chopped
  • Oil for frying
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste

Combine the Parmesan cheese, golden flax meal, orange zest, and parsley in a shallow dish then set aside. 

Prep two more plates, one will have the flour and the other a beaten egg. Add about a 1/4 cup of vegetable oil to a non-stick skillet and place over medium heat. To pound out the chicken breast into a cutlet you will need to butterfly it (make sure you don't cut all the way through the breast, just enough to open it up) as well as wax paper or plastic wrap over your cutting board. Make a cut in your chicken, then place the chicken between two pieces of non-stick wrap and place on your cutting board. Pound the chicken out until it's very thin. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then dredge through the flour, egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. Fry in oil until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side. Meanwhile while the chicken is cooking, prepare your salad. I used a mixture of arugula and baby spinach that I garnished with chopped onion and a few chunks of the orange. Let the chicken drain over a cooling rack or between paper towels and serve warm on top of the salad. 

Enjoy!


Thursday, September 29, 2016

#JudgingYou

The look…


...that you get occasionally when you talk about meditation.
I am a perfectionist and with that comes stress and awful anxiety!
I promised myself that 2016 would be my year for self care.
I started mediation consistently every morning in mid August 
and I seriously can’t imagine ever going back!
Do you meditate or are you curious?

It’s a technique… not necessarily a spiritual practice. You can incorporate it into your spiritual practices but otherwise you can use it to quiet the chaos. (And we all have a LOT of chaos don’t we?)
It reduces stress, gives mental clarity, reduces anxiety 
and is just pure AWESOMESAUCE in my book!
I have felt so calm and clear since I started taking it seriously. I’ve only been doing it for 5-20 min in the AM and it sets such a KILLER vibe for the rest of my day! 
My productivity is THROUGH THE ROOF friends!
I’ve meditated in the past but it was a “here and there” practice.
I have no doubt that the rest of 2016 is going to be amazing and that 2017 is going to be the best year of my life and I credit that to me putting me first… 
so that I can show up in a bigger and more audacious way for those around me.
What do you think? Woo woo or awesomesauce?
What’s one thing you’re going to do for YOU this year? Comment below, I want to know!

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

The "I want it all urge"...


There’s a point in every woman’s life when the “having it all” debate starts to ring pretty loudly. It’s somewhere around the time you’ve stepped into a job you can actually see yourself kicking ass at (or, maybe just one that’s paying the bills), and the time where your uterus starts speaking to you through the eyes of really delicious babies. It rolls on throughout our thirties, and well into our forties and fifties. And it lingers, taunting us in form of a FB status, tweets, and blogs.
But I have always had one burning question: What the hell is “all” of it, anyway?
I thought back to all the time I felt the "I want it all urge". Its's been in various stages of my life; married, single mom, and in a brand new relationship. 
Society seems to deem women who “have it all” as those who juggle careers and families. And I think that’s bullshit. Who’s to say that a woman who stays home with her kids doesn’t have it all? Who’s to say an CEO of a Fortune 500 company without children is lacking something? Having it all is a very, very personal choice and one that only WE can decide for ourselves.
Let’s stop buying into this notion that we have to pile our plates high with things that may feel uncomfortable or foreign to us just to prove that we’re some sort of superwoman. Let’s stop comparing ourselves to other women and panicking that we’re not doing enough. The trick is being comfortable in your own skin; your own story. Loving what you’ve got because it feels right for you.
So my answer is this: you can have it all, so long as you’re willing to create it. And to me, that is the most empowering notion of all.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Stop saying "hope"..

One of the words that I try to catch my clients or coaches from saying is “Hope”. Not because I don’t believe in the word but I don’t believe in it as a STRATEGY to get what we want.
When I hear someone say “I hope this workout program works for me.” Or, “I hope I can hit my business goals this month” it’s like NAILS ON A CHALKBOARD for me!

There’s no HOPING! There’s choice. You either do, or you do not. It’s not about the results.
It’s about the journey.
It’s about the effort.
It’s about the hustle.
It’s about the belief.

You might not lose exactly 10 lbs.
You might not make exactly $100.

We don’t always have control over the EXACT outcome. But that’s not the point.
The point is to stop “hoping” your way through life and make a CHOICE to succeed through your effort.
The rest is up to God ‪#‎girlboss‬ and he’s GOT YOUR BACK so trust in that.
You with me on this???? If you are hit that “share” button sister and spread the word!

Monday, September 26, 2016

So I lied...

A while back I started a youtube channel and I was determined to start a family vlog. In Sunday's blog I even said I'd be back to vlogging starting today. Well I lied. 

I tried it and I did record video's from yesterday to upload for todays vlog but I'm just not feeling it. It actually kept me awake last night because I just couldn't decided if it was something I REALLY wanted to pursue. So I decided to meditated on it this morning and here is what I decided. 

I honestly just express myself better by writing rather than speaking but that's just 1 of many of my reasons...


1. You can go as fast as you wantThis is the number one reason why I prefer blogs over vlogs is that. One paragraph is boring? Move on to the next one. Blogger writes too much? I can only read the head titles, or look at the photos.  But you can't do that with YouTube videos. Sure, you can skip parts, but you have to make a guess and trust the YouTube is done with the part you're no longer interested in, and that you didn't miss anything too important.

2. Multitasking. I can write my posts while I'm watching a tv show, or listening to music. I sometimes even write posts on my phone while commuting. You try doing a vlog with a 4.5 yr old and 2 yr old running around screaming at each other. Yep my point exactly.

3. Writing posts whenever you want. When you want to film a video, you should be in a quite place, with daylight… Well, I write most of my posts from my couch while watching trashy tv after the kids are in bed. I like being able to write whenever I want. If my 2 & 4.5 yr old are quite in the morning and I get an idea for a blog post, I can just start working on it. I wouldn't be able to do that with a video.

4. Cute templates. I love designing my templates. (Which I'm working on a new one right now, hoping to have it up in a day or two.) And it would not give that up for anything. And I love visiting blogs and seeing all the different and beautiful blog designs, and, unfortunately, that's something youtubers don't have.

5. Not worrying about how I look. As I said, I write most of my posts at at night. In my pj's, with a messy bun, and no makeup. And I may not look my best like that it's just so comfortable! I would never film a video looking like that. 

6. Camera. I don't have a camera that's good enough for filming videos. I can barely take a decent photo for my blog posts.

7. Language. Ok, I get tongue tied often. My brain works a lot faster then my mouth and I end up stumbling over my words or stuttering. For this reason, I'm a lot more comfortable writing than speaking.
    Note: I obviously to watch YouTube videos, and I definitely did not mean to offend any YouTubers because I really do admire what they do. 

    Sunday, September 25, 2016

    Thyroid Madness & New Dr!

    So if you follow me on FB or IG you probably saw my picture of our two little boys and me talking about how I survived my first alone trip to Norwich. Don't judge me. Norwich is a big scary town. And when you are in a US spec mini van driving on the wrong side of the road with crazy UK drivers it gets very intense. 

    Anyways, if you saw my pic and read the description you would have saw that I mentioned the reason we were up there was for a dr appointment. I finally had enough of my PCM (military dr) telling me there is nothing wrong with me and that my thyroid function has NOTHING to due with the fact I can't drop these last 35 lbs and I've been stuck on a plateau for a whole year now. I finally had enough and 3 months of researching this dr in Norwich I decided to call him up and chat with him. The clinic was super sweet and booked me in for an appointment and said they most defiantly could help me. 

    I had a very successful visit with my new dr and I walked away feel confident and pleased. He's given me a plan and I'm to follow it to a T for the next two week. He specializes in weight management but has extensive knowledge in people with thyroid conditions. I will officially start my new plan tomorrow and will be sharing it on our vlog on youtube (and yes I'm a completely slacker when it comes to my vlog but I'm getting back into it tomorrow...promise).  

    My goal is to share my journey of healing, losing weight & living with this condition. 

    So make sure you subscribe to our vlog so you can follow me along this journey!!!




    Saturday, September 24, 2016

    Shakeology Saturday --- Snickers Blizzard

    As a girl, there are just those times when you crave some decadent chocolate dessert. Instead of undoing all of my hard work, I will just whip up this Shakeology recipe :) 

    It tastes like a Dairy Queen Blizzard....it's the perfect pick me up with 26 grams of protein and 28 carbs.  You can experiment with some of the ingredients to find what you like best, but here is my recipe:



    I have sensitive teeth, so I start with a little ice and blend it up till it's like one of those icees! We have a ninja blender so it does the job perfectly. 

    Then I add a little sliced almonds and chopped walnuts. I try to limit these because if you get carried away you could end up with too much fat.

    Blend away! Sometime I will just pulse it a couple of times depending on what I want the texture to be like. 

    Add half a cup of skim milk  or soy milk (for the dairy free people, like myself) for creaminess! I was out of Almond extract and vanilla extract, but you can experiment with those and add a little if you want! 

    Add your scoop of Shakeology (chocolate obviously, I use our vegan chocolate because again, I'm dairy free) and tbsp of PB2 and blend up! 

    Voila! You're finished! Enjoy the most delicious shake EVER!!!



    Thursday, September 22, 2016

    Foodie Friday --- Dark Cocoa Raspberry Oatmeal

    Dark Cocoa Raspberry Oatmeal 


    (Makes 1 serving)


    Ingredients
    1 cup cooked oats
    2 tbsp. flax seed (meal)
    1-2 tsp. dark cocoa powder
    1/2 cup raspberries
    1/3 cup Greek yogurt (non fat)
    1 tbsp. agave
    1 scoop plain or vanilla whey protein powder

    Directions
    Step 1 – Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir well and serve.
    Eat and Enjoy!

    Nutritional Content
    Calories: 334
    Total Fat: 7 gm
    Carbohydrates: 61 gm
    Dietary fiber: 11 gm
    Sugars: 21 gm
    Protein: 16 gm



    The MLM Jumper!

    I see it popping up in my social media feeds daily…network marketers joining more than one company and then trying to promote them all at the same time.
    I get it. You have this idea that if one MLM marketing opportunity is good, then two (three...four...) will be even better!! You decided you are going to work 2 (3....4...) companies at the same time, maybe you were in one and you went to a another business opportunity or saw a Facebook post for a ‘BRAND NEW opportunity’ or the next ‘BIG MIRACLE product’ that sounded good and you don’t want to miss out on.  
    Maybe you’ve decided that if people don’t want to get on board with one company they can buy or join from the other. 
    Maybe you think your 2 MLMs go together and compliment each other where people may want both services or products.
    Wow genius, now you are going to double your income, recruit double the people and have double the chance you will succeed in at least one.  And, if you join every new company that looks good to you, you won’t miss out on the next big company!


    Sorry to be the one to break it to you, it’s NOT going to work! As a matter of fact it will backfire in your face.

    So let me be brutally honest here for a moment and break it down with 5 reasons why running multiply MLM companies will just lead you to failure.

    1. When you are in more then one MLM companies and you are trying to work them all...It makes you look really unsuccessful

    If one of your prospects knows that you are in multiply MLM businesses then they will probably be curious as to WHY. After all, if you were truly successful, why would you need to be involved in so many opportunities??? In other words, it makes you look like a giant flake that can NOT be trusted.

    2. Isn’t the whole point of network marketing to create total time and financial freedom for yourself? How can you possibly expect to have freedom while running two or more different MLM companies? I have seen a few people on my Facebook feeds or posting in groups that are doing 4 or 5 different companies!! 


    WOW! that’s got to be stressful! Think of all the different events and meetings – you have no time left in your day to enjoy your freedom because you have no freedom. 

    You also will not create financial freedom because you have to keep hitting minimum sales goals or pay for autoships etc and splitting your advertising and marketing budgets. 

    Why would you shoot yourself in the foot by spending the money you are trying to earn and “robbing Peter to pay Paul” to do that? Why would you take away the freedom of time you are creating for yourself and your family? 

    Running a successful MLM business takes a lot of passion and time. If yours is divided over two, three, four or more businesses then how can you expect to dedicate the time and passion it takes for each one to be a success? The more likely scenario is that you do not have the time or passion to give to each business, which will probably cause them ALL to fail.

    3. You always hear about duplication being key.  Guess what happens to your downline when you work multiple companies? Your downline will feel that they have to join another company like to be successful as well. Your downline won’t know which company to promote or join and might cross recruit between 2 companies with people getting confused and flipping back and forth. 

    People eventually then see you as a weak leader with no commitment to your business or to your team. And, it won’t matter what you say, all your team will see is that you don’t believe the company is sustainable or why wouldn’t you be all in. 

    If you are working at different companies then what is to stop your downline from doing the same? You want people in your downline that are motivated and focused on your business, but you can hardly blame them for seeking out multiple opportunities if you are doing the same thing. By showing dedication to one business your downline will see that you are loyal and will in turn show more loyalty to you. If they become disengaged your checks will reflect that – which is once again taking away from the purpose of network marketing – creating freedom for yourself.

    4. You feel that you should build more than one business in case you company fails. 


    Yeah I'm gonna stop you right there. If you join a company and happen to think "oh but what if the company fails, I should join another one just to be safe"...just do yourself a favor AND DO NOT JOIN THAT COMPANY!

    Some will argue that you should have multiple streams of income. Well those people are a little bit confused by what that truly means. What it means is you do not want something that will interfere with your business nor take away the time you need to dedicate to that main source. More than one MLM is not multiple stream, multiple streams means things like adding affiliate links to your blog or producing eBooks or videos for purchase. Multiple streams of income should be ones that do NOT ever interfere with one another.

    5. You can also send the wrong message to your upline and the company itself. The people “above” you (aka me, if you are apart of our team) in your MLM business will probably not be too happy when they find out that you are dividing your time and focus between multiple opportunities. 

    In order for your upline (cough, cough me) to know you are committed you need to concentrate on one opportunity and work your business with you full heart. 

    Most true leaders respect the downlines who work their business and set goals and they want to help those downlines accomplish those goals – they pour their own heart and soul into their business and their team. But leaders are less likely to continue to invest their time and efforts into someone who is not loyal to the team or the company they represent. 

    Also do you think the company will give recognition to disloyal distributors or send referrals to you if your interests lie elsewhere?  UM NOOOOO. 


    So, why would you give yourself anything less than the best opportunity to create that true freedom and success – doing multiple opportunities and pushing away your upline, downline, and/or your company you are basically ‘cutting off your nose to spite your face’?

    I don’t know why so many people think multiple opportunities will lead to bigger success. Its a failure in logic for so many reasons, the above being the most prominent of them. 
    I mean think about it, you should be married to your business the way you are married to your spouse. Now I don’t know about you but for me ONE HUSBAND IS ENOUGH – could you imagine dedicating yourself to 2, 3 or more spouses? 
    OH HECK NO! So why give less passion to your career than you would to your marriage? Five little businesses would very likely NOT earn you the same as one big business.
    Look, no one said network marketing was easy, it’s not nor should it be. The opportunity we have here to live an incredibly amazing quality of life is a rare thing and it only comes to those who FOCUS on their success by helping others achieve success and that includes the success of the company.
    There’s a learning curve and it DEMANDS you to focus and get good at it. 
    Don’t do it – DO NOT join multiple MLM companies and try to promote them all. 
    Be more decisive or one of those companies may make the decision for you by cutting your check.


    Wednesday, September 21, 2016

    "Why Not Me God?!"

    A year ago I was in one of the most frustrating months of my life.

    I was watching people pass me by and I was being consumed with jealousy, bitterness, resentment. I had many moments where I’d be in the middle of a workout and wind up with my face buried into my hands sobbing, wondering, “Why not me God?”
    One morning recently I was on a run (like most days), trying to let go of some of my frustrations and it hit me. I wasn’t co-creating WITH God. I was holding on to control of everything. My business, my finances, children, marriage…

    During the middle of my run I had a revelation that brought me to complete stop on my treadmill in tears.

    I needed to surrender and put it all in his hands. I was trying to do it alone. My ego said I could, and should. My spirit said, “Surrender. Let go. Let God.”

    Since that day of surrendering, I've seen a huge shift within my business.

    I have to surrender daily. It’s not a one time deal. You have to wake up EVERY day and put your goals, hopes, dreams, prayers into God’s hands with total faith that he’ll multiple it.

    I think the word hope and faith are totally different. Hope leaves room for error. Faith is 100% all in for God.

    You can’t be kinda shorta all in. There is no 99% option. It’s 100% or nothing.

    Are you co-creating with God? Can you do that alone?

    I realized today that now more than ever I know my purpose isn’t to give people fish to feed them. While giving is my love language and I LOVE LOVE LOVE to give, that doesn’t teach people how to live a lifetime of abundance. My purpose is to teach people to fish. To help them create wealth, stability, abundnace, joy… BUT…to teach them to co-create it all with God. Because that’s when miracles happen!

    What’s one thing you’ve been holding on to, trying to control?


    Monday, September 19, 2016

    It's OK to have a meltdown!

    This topic hit me last night because I realized how important it is to be able to have a moment. Things happen to us everyday, those who believe in a higher power are not exempt from facing situations that bring about sadness, anger, negativity etc... 
    Meltdowns Happen.  It’s How You Deal That Counts.
    Anytime you’re up to BIG things in your business and life, expect  some kind of a meltdown.
    Think about it.
    Getting out of your comfort zone and stretching into new areas means you’re going to be uncomfortable. And not just internally in terms of your thoughts, feelings and emotions. But externally in terms of systems, structures, and technology.
    You’re doing things you’ve never done before.
    Of course some shit’s gonna break!
    Our minds would love us to believe that we’ve made some tragic error when we’re having a rough time or when things “appear” to fall apart. But the truth is, sometimes we need to meltdown in order to wake up. It’s the Universe saying, “You’ve outgrown your old life, sweetheart.  Time for an upgrade.”
    Fire is symbolic of clearing and purification.  A little meltdown in your business creates fertile ground for fresh opportunities. And when the heat turns up, the only power you have is in how you deal.
    Option A: Totally freak out.  Get paranoid.  Assume that everything and everyone is conspiring against you.  Scream and kick – especially at the people who love you.  Fire everyone.  Close shop and run away.
    Option B: Stay engaged. Breathe. Laugh at how your life sometimes mirrors the Twilight Zone.
    Feel all the wild, uncomfortable, crazy-ass sensations happening in your body.
    Handle each issue as it arises, trusting that there is a greater intelligence at play that is serving your highest good and the highest good of those around you. Of course, I flirted with Option A for a hot minute last night. But thank sweet Jesus my ‘live in the moment’ training is strong enough to help me stay firmly planted in Option B.
    Yes, I know.  In a perfect world we’d all experience massive growth without this inconvenient messiness. But when meltdowns happen, as they will, it’s how you deal that counts.
    YOU Don’t Have to Have All The Answers.
    Halle-freakin’ lujah for smart friends. For some of us, it can be really hard to ask for help because some silly part of our minds says that asking for help means we’re weak and incompetent. Especially if you’re an expert/consultant/coach or teacher type.
    Last night I was on a team call, our leaders who were speaking helped me accomplish more in that hour what may have taken me months or years if left to my own devices. My husband, my coaches, my team, my students and my friends all have given me awesome insight and resources since I started my business.
    While I’m damn good at what I do, I’m committed to surround myself with people who are genius in areas that, quite frankly, I suck at. It’s no failing when you find yourself in a vulnerable space to reach out to others for guidance, council and direction. In fact, I’d say leveraging other people’s experience and expertise is the number one (and fastest) way to get where you want to go.
    Look For The Systems Failure vs. Blaming Yourself Or Your Team.
    This is a biggie.  Anytime the shit hits the fan it’s natural to look around and want to point a finger at someone else. It can’t be you, right?  You’re a freaking genius. It must be “their” fault. 🙂 Or maybe you’re more of the masochistic type and point the blame finger at yourself. I’m such an idiot. I’m not smart enough to run a big business. Who am I kidding anyway? (<----this is 100% me!)
    Of course, when you’re the head cheese of your business, the buck does stop with you. But whenever you find yourself in business meltdown land, it’s better to look for the system failure first rather than blaming yourself or your team. Because nobody wakes up in the morning and says, “I think I’ll go to work to fail today.” When a meltdown hits, here are a few questions to ask:
    • What system failed here?  What structure, if any, are we working within?  How have we collectively created a mess?
    • Is everyone on the team doing what they are best at? If not, how can we change that now?
    • How can we simplify, streamline and put better checks and balances in place?   How can we support each other to get where we want to go?

    These types of questions help everyone stay solution focused and out of defensive-ville.
    Looking for systems failures also creates a safe space for each person take personal responsibility for their part in the systems failing in the first place. Pretty cool, right?
    So what about you?  Ever experience your own weird version of a meltdown + breakthrough?  Tips or strategies to share?  I’d love to hear.
    XOX-Mandy

    What is this magically 21 day program you speak of?

    The 21 Day Fix is a REDONKULOUS new workout program that not only nails it with simple workouts that are over and done with in 30 minutes BUT it also comes with a perfect portion container system to ensure you’re getting a well rounded diet and not over or under eating.
    This program is for you if you’ve ever said any of these things when trying to get physical results:

    “I wish I could rock that dress — I just don’t have the body I used to.”

    “I want to workout, but I’m just too tired by the time I get home.”

    “I don’t have a problem starting a program, but if I don’t see results right away, I quit.”

    “Diets leave me feeling bitchy. I just end up binge eating and gaining it all back. Why bother?”



    Check out these results after just one week in our test group:


    The best part, NO deprivation! If it fits in the container, you can eat it. Which means you don’t have to give up all your favorite foods. Because what kind of life would that be without CHOCOLATE AND WINE?! You get my point.


    Check it the 21 Day Fix results my girl Chelsea got just before her wedding… 14 inches GONE!


    But wait…there’s more! Still not sure if the 21 Day Fix works? Check out Ashley’s results after just 7 days!


    Can I participate if I’m not already in shape?

    This program is appropriate for any fitness level! The workouts includes modifications for beginners. Check out Dion’s story… Yes, he’s done SEVERAL rounds of the program but ANYONE can do this no matter the fitness level. This program is for men AND women so get your spouse in it with ya!


    Shannon was so excited to share in our test group page that she lost 6 lbs in the first week!



    Want your own 21 Day Fix success story?

    I’ll be accepting TEN people into my virtual test group per month  and you’ll receive personal daily coaching with me.
    What our test group will include:
    • VIP Facebook accountability group
    • Workout program – 30 min workouts!
    • Nutrition plan & recipes
    • Perfect portion containers
    • Shaker cup
    • 30 meals of Shakeology – My DUH high energy, flat belly meal of EVERY day!

    Apply for Mandy Irizarry’s test group here. 

    (If you are already working with another coach, you’ll need to apply with them directly. Thanks!)