Day 21! Yay!

Today is the last day of the 21 day fix. Here are a couple things I have learned in the past 21 days:
-2 grains a day is NOT a lot....and I had been eating many, many, many more!
-Detox water is the way. to. go! I LOVE having fruit in my water! It makes it way more interesting.
-I really like quinoa and flax seed....and I need to add them to more recipes.
-I have lost 10 pounds. The pounds FLY off the first week...and then it's harder to get them off.
-Now I am not nearly as hungry as I used to be....and I do not eat half the amount of food that I normally did.
-I still tend to bloat on days that I am stressed, don't get enough sleep, and don't get enough water.

And....things I want to start doing on the second round:
-More interesting meals..........more recipes
-Working out harder! Not giving up!
-Having sleeping patterns
-Bubble Baths :)

So- anyway... I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite, quick, meals with you. (I am REALLY bad at cooking/trying new recipes...so I tend to stay inside my comfort zone... :/)

 Breakfast really is my favorite part of eating. I love eating breakfast in the morning AND at night :) 

All I did was pop some turkey bacon into the toaster oven (my Favorite thing to do)

Scramble some eggs in Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

And cook some green peppers in some EVOO! :)

Another breakfast delight:

Greek yogurt, dab of raw honey, banana, and turkey bacon!

LOVE DETOX WATER!!!!!!

And....here are the results as of yesterday:

Start weight: 161

Ending weight: 150

Here's to round two starting tomorrow!

Do it with me!

Happy Day 13!

Happy Sunday: Happy Day 13!

It's day 13 of the 21 day fix. I will admit: this week I did not do a workout video over the weekend. However, today is Yoga day....so I might throw in a "Dirty 30" with the yoga! I can definitely tell that I missed a couple of workouts! Gotta get back in the routine! However, I did attempt to make homemade spaghetti sauce and it's **maybe** a success. I looked for a lot of recipes online....and I took from other blogs.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce:

2 - 28 ounce crushed tomatoes: nothing added

1- 6 ounce tomato paste: organic

3 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp homemade Italian seasoning (not the seasoning in the bags at the store...)

dashes of onion powder (a small sweet onion works better)

garlic and onion in pan first. then add other ingredients. let cook on low for 1 hour.

21 day fix containers:
Whole Grain pasta=1 yellow
Tomato Sauce= 1 green (in my case it was 1/2 green)
Broccoli= 1/2 green

YUM!

I also ordered Amazing Grass' plant based superfoods protein shake! :) I've been reading a lot about superfoods, so I thought I would give it a try. It has protein (quinoa, pumpkin seed, brown rice, & hemp), probiotics (supports digestion), and superfoods! Super healthy! :) I just haven't tried it yet....if anyone has any awesome recipes that make it a better drink, share!

Finally, my roommate and I have decided to start #5KSundays. Our goal is to walk a 5K every Sunday. Today was our first one. I will say.....it was quite the adventure. We live in a hilly community and lets just say I need to keep exercising! Haha.
However, we did burn some calories!

And then we had a snack....

Greek Yogurt with Granola! :)

21 Day Fix containers:

Plain Greek Yogurt- 1 red
Bare Naked Granola- 1 yellow
1 dab of raw honey


Now....I have to go prep all my food for tomorrow AND seriously get a start on my gifted endorsement! SUCH a Procrastinator!!!!


Have a great Monday....Prepare for success!

Week 2 :)

Hi all!
Today is day 11. So---- I've officially completed the Advocare cleanse (10 days) and now I'm taking vitamins! Still working hard on the 21 day fix: eating healthy and correct portions....and the exercise of course! :)

Wanted to share a couple of food/treat ideas....This week has been crazy busy so I haven't had time to create many new dishes or try interesting combinations.... But here are some of my favorites this week.

Just wanted to say how AWESOME the banana & egg pancakes are!! :) If you need the recipe, read the older post!

I did try tuna & greek yogurt! Greek yogurt is a great replacement for mayo! Plus- it's much more healthier! My roommate also said she likes her tuna with mustard!

21 Day fix containers: Tomatoes- 1 green, tuna (Light in water): One can- 1 red, A spoon full of greek yogurt- 1/4 red, whole grain wrap- 1 yellow

If you substitute for mustard......It's a free food! :) Eat as much as you want!

I also cheated last night....shhhh..... I found these awesome BROWN RICE rolls at publix!

21 Day Fix containers: 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green! I sat and ate them in peace and it was fantastic! So yummy! Also....you can put a little bit of soy sauce on them....just make sure it's low sodium! :)

Here's my favorite creation from this week! It's a "Protein Pop".....Will created that name for it!

Here's how I made it! :)

Protein Pop!

1 pack of Advocare meal replacement shake: Vanilla

1 teaspoon of Hershey's 100% unsweetened cocoa powder

3 strawberries

8 ounces of water (You can use soy milk....but remember- that replaces a yellow container)

4 cubes of ice

I put all of those ingredients in my roomies Bullet and mixed them all up into a smoothie. Then I poured the smoothie into the tupperware popsicle molds and pop them in the freezer!

It's an EXCELLENT treat after a workout! Like an incentive! :)




I was told not to take "in between" pictures.....but I thought I would give you a sneak peek! Sorry I'm in a bathing suit.....but it's the only way to truly see the difference! This was taken on day 7!  So......Keep working hard! Keep going!! Finish the week strong!

Here's the last pic. When I bought these pants, they were too tight and I could barely bend over.

Work hard! Fuel yourself with Advocare's vitamins. Work hard with Beachbody's meal plan and workout program.

You can do anything you want to! Just depends on how bad you want it! :)

-Staci

Week one of 2015 New Year's Resolution to Get Healthy!

Last Monday I started BeachBody's 21 Day fix and Advocare's 24 Day Challenge. Normally you should do these either or, but since I already had all the required items, I went ahead and just started both! Since then I've been feeling healthier and stronger! I've also relied on many other blogs along the way for encouragement, support, and meal ideas! It has been so great seeing results on the scale and in my pants that used to be oh-so-tight! So...with that said, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite foods/times from this past week and maybe some of my not-so-favorite moments!

Before I share....I want to give you a heads up on what each challenge does/looks like:

Beachbody's 21 Day Fix is made up of color coded containers for portioning of your food and workout DVDs. Each container is a different food group (for example: the green container is for vegetables, the purple container is for fruits, and so on). You just do a simple equation based on your weight, and it gives you your daily intake of each container. Here's what my daily intake looks like!

Autumn Calabrese also gives you a "guide" that helps you throughout this process....it has a list of items you can eat in each container, cheat items that can be replaced with a given container, seasoning recipes (which are Delicious!), dressing recipes, and many more! :) You also have a workout DVD for each night of the week..... The best part: they're only 30 minutes a piece! Which makes working out SO MUCH NICER! I've calculated....and most of the workouts will burn around 300 calories for me! Least favorite: Cardio. Most favorite: Yoga. duh!

It is so easy!!! All you have to do is fill up the containers and you're done! Easy peasy! If you're interested in learning more, here's a link to my Beachbody coach's website: http://www.beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/BMILLWOOD44

And here is what the 24 Day Challenge looks like for advocare:

Your eating habit is basically the same as the 21 day fix.....there's no specific amount of intake. All you have to do is stay away from anything white, sugary, saucy, and dairy. :) You are required to do a cleanse for the first ten days. This is where you drink fiber drinks, take fiber cleanse pills, and probiotics. After the first ten days, you are free to eat dairy and you just take yummy vitamins throughout your day to build your healthy body back up. It's all fun and games until you have to chug the fiber drink, which strangely resembles bird seed.

Don't worry......there are only 6! Just mix it with a couple shots of Spark and CHUG! PS: Spark is the BOMB! It helps me stay awake, focused, alert, and on top of my game! Here's a link if you're interested in learning more: https://www.advocare.com/13058872/24DayChallenge/

Now that you know what I'm actually doing.....I thought I would share a couple of really great recipes I made this week. They aren't hard at all (I'm not really that great of a cook). But, they turned out SUPER yummy!

Banana & Egg Waffles with Turkey Bacon! :)

Just mix one mushy medium banana with 2 medium or large eggs. Fry them and add a teaspoon of peanut butter and a teaspoon of raw honey on top! Delicious! Turkey bacon is also SO yummy. Oscar Meyer Selects is what I currently eat. Just pop 4 pieces in the toaster oven and let them bake for 10 minutes! 

21 Day fix containers: Turkey Bacon (4 pieces)= 1 red, 2 large eggs=1 red, 1 medium banana=1 purple, peanut butter=1 teaspoon!

Another delicious, fast breakfast is an egg and turkey bacon wrap. Just make sure your wrap is whole wheat with 100% whole grains. Each wrap=1 yellow!

Chicken Vegetable Noodle Stir-Fry!

 Cut up a half (or a small whole) breast of chicken. Put one teaspoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a frying pan. Once it's hot, cook your chicken! Feel free to season your chicken with any seasoning that excludes salt! 

While the chicken is cooking, place a handful of whole grain noodles into boiling water! :)

Here comes the fun part!- I just purchased a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies from the store (I think it had mushrooms, green beans, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, and peppers mixed together). Put the veggies in a pan to cook. (You can put a teaspoon of evoo if you'd like). Then, I used a sauce inspired from the 21 day fix....I didn't have all the ingredients so I modified just a tad:

Awesome Asian Sauce:

-a dab of gluten free low sodium soy sauce

-a teaspoon of raw honey

-orange juice squeezed from half an orange

After you add the sauce and have cooked the veggies for a bit, add in the noodles and the chicken. Let the sauce soak in to all the ingredients! Then, ENJOY!

21 Day Fix Containers: Chicken= 1 red, Whole Grain Noodles=1 yellow, Veggies=1 green, EVOO=1 teaspoon, Asian Sauce=1 orange

Chicken Taco!

I used the left over chicken from another meal to make a delicious, and very healthy, taco. I originally baked the chicken in the oven and seasoned it with the 21 Day Fix "Smoky Southwestern Seasoning" mix. Of course, I didn't have ALL the ingredients, so I modified.

Modified Smoky Southwestern Seasoning Mix:

-1 Tbsp. Chili Powder

-2 tsp. Ground Cumin

-1/2 tsp. Onion Powder

-1/2 tsp. garlic powder

-1/2 tsp. Paprika

-1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano

Then, since I had leftovers, I pulled the chicken apart and added it to 1/4 avocado, a pinch of lettuce, salsa, and a whole wheat 100% whole grain wrap. YUM!

21 day fix containers: Chicken= 1 red, salsa & lettuce= 1 green , 1/4 avocado= 1 blue, whole grain wrap=1 yellow

LAST thing!!!!! Don't forget to drink that water!!!! An easy way to make sure you're getting a ball park range of enough water a day......is to just take your weight and divide it by 2. That's approx. how many ounces you should be drinking a day! And don't forget: always add fruit to make your water yummy and detox friendly!

Turned out to be a pretty successful week. As of today, the scale says I have lost 6 pounds in 7 days!

Happy Monday to everyone! Work hard this week. Don't give up! 

-Staci

Back in Business

Hey all! I have been wanting to blog for soooo long. I want to blog about all the awesome things we are doing in 2nd grade. I really want to start sharing ideas, showing off cool projects, and even getting into teacherspayteachers.com like all of the other amazing bloggers that I follow. I've been reading blogs on things I am doing currently: Beachbody 21 Day Fix, Advocare 24 Day Challenge. I also want to start blogging about my journey with God in bible studies and my Celebrate Recovery experience.

Every time I think about all the things I just typed, I get so overwhelmed with what all I want to share. I think about it ALL the time and often show pictures on Instagram of all the above. But......with life so hectic, it is hard to find time to even blog (why? I don't know....you think it would be easy!). As you can tell, I attempted to start a blog a couple years back and today I just remembered that I had it. SOOOOOOOO......with that said I'm going to "attempt" to get back in the habit. I would really like to get a blog going for school, getting healthy, AND a personal blog. Will that happen???? DOUBTFUL. Either way, it's fun to hope right!

So.....As of now, I'll just collect everything into one! (until I forget to blog and leave it empty for two more years :))

So- here's to a new year and to new adventures! Here's to adding yet another thing to my plate of many things. Here's to sharing all the happenings and exciting life events.

Currently:
-Teaching 2nd grade
-Busting my butt with the 21 Day Fix challenge
-Hungry and tired :)

We'll see how it goes! YAY!

Love, Staci

Day 72

As you can tell I got busy with other things and haven't posted recently. I received an email this morning from Passion City Church saying that today is day 72 of the freedom hand and "72 days for freedom". which means, it will come down. Even though the hand cannot remain in the parking lot forever, it doesn't mean the fight for freedom is ending. At Passion 2012, an event for college aged students, we stood 40 thousand strong against slavery, brought it to attention in the community and city of Atlanta and throughout the world. Now we stand, united together, WAY more than 40 thousand strong. Passion students brought back the passion to end slavery to their hometowns literally all over the world. We collectively raised funds for organizations throughout North America, Canada, and other countries world wide for the process of freedom, justice, and love. We have already began to make a difference and we will continue this journey. It doesn't end here. The freedom hand will always be in our hearts and we will always raise our own hands to fight for freedom for women, men, and children all around the world. Everyone deserves to be free and NO ONE deserves to be a slave.

Together we can make a difference. Together we can end slavery. Together we can make sure history Does NOT repeat itself. Together we can choose to educate and inform ourselves so that we are not ignorant about this situation. Together we can decide that indifference simply is NOT an option. Together we can raise awareness. Together we can support, pray, and encourage those that have been and are enslaved. Together we can keep raising our hands. TOGETHER WE ARE A FORCE FOR GOOD.

Raise your hand as I raise mine!

For Freedom

day fifty

I 

I visited the hand for the first time since passion 2012. It's still has as much of an impact. 

www.72daysforfreedom.com

April 16: Pray for A21 team bringing awareness and training to young people in the Ukraine as they aim to stop trafficking before it starts.

A21 is dear and near to my heart. A21 is the people that send out the letters of encouragement to sex-trafficked girls who have recently been rescued. It's one of the 21 ways to help that is listed on their website. That was a great experience for my students, for their friends, for their teachers, and for me. In the process of encouraging people, we ended up learning so much more.

I encourage you to take the time to write a letter of encouragement. You'll be surprised at how much YOU are the one that is being encouraged through the process.

Here's the A21 website for more information:
www.thea21campaign.org

Day 44

April 10: Pray for awareness and action to stir in the hearts of the CEO’s of America’s largest corporations. Pray the would be challenged to take another look at their supply chain sources and use their influence to fight for freedom.

day thirty-three

March 30: Pray for the women being restored at the Suti Sana project in Bolivia. Praise Jesus for the way these women are learning a new trade and learning a new lifestyle away from the brothels.

Here is a website for the Suti Sana Project:  http://www.sutisana.com/

although this website is under construction and does not give a ton of information, the project is still happening and hope and restoration is still being poured out into lives.

END SLAVERY in the 21st Century.

This image is from Passion 2011. At passion 2011 one of the causes at the "go center" was to restore ten girls through the Suti Sana project. Just ten. and we thought that was a HUGE accomplishment back then....Who knew we could do soooo much more for so many more beautiful women in just one year at passion 2012. If we keep this up, we can end this thing.
Together we are a force for good!


268generation.com
72daysforfreedom.com

Day Thirty

The freedom hand is still standing. And it CAN be seen from the interstate! dosomethingnow!

I have fallen behind this past week in my posts. But I haven't forgotten about freedom. I'm so encouraged, excited, and impressed that I see the talk of ending slavery daily. The more I know about slavery, the more I open my eyes to God's love, the more I pray, the more I spend time reading the bible the more I see how we really are one body. We truly are one and together we are a force for good. It's like the term "it's a small world" , and it really is a small world when you think about the power of God and how God's people, no matter where they are in the world, are working together for the same cause. :) crazy.

Here's today's prayer:
March 27: Pray for the families who are searching for their lost daughters who have been trafficked. Pray comfort to cover them daily. Pray for the rescue of their daughters. Pray that the Gospel of Jesus would be made known and bring healing to the families.

Learn more:
www.72daysforfreedom.com

Do more:
 -Teach young people that slavery still exists and challenge them to get involved. Parents, educators, youth and college pastors can help raise up the next generation of abolitionist. Parent and Educator Discussion Guide:
cnn.com/2011/US/studentnews/04/04/freedomproject.teacher.guide/index.html

-Volunteer, teach a life skill class, be an academic mentor, or participate in home improvement project to help restore the women at Wellspring Living recovery shelter in Atlanta, GA. wellspringleague.org/?page_id=163

-Eat Fair Trade chocolate and tell leaders in the chocolate industry to stop using child slave labor and institute labor standards among their suppliers.

day twenty-two

March 19: Pray for Gary Haugen, IJM CEO. As a leader in the fight for freedom pray for favor, wisdom, and vision.

 http://www.ijm.org/

DAY NINETEEN

Today was the final day for the students to finish their letters of encouragement for rescued a21 sex-trafficking victims. I told you in early posts that since we were reading a book on Harriet Tubman, I thought I would incorporate this activity to let the students know that slavery still exists. I got all of my information on how to write the letters, what to put in the letters, how to address the letters, and where to send them from the A21 Campaign Website: http://thea21campaign.org/WRITE-A-LETTER.PHP&lang=en

I thought this would be a fun activity and the students would write so-so letters that were decent but not fantastic....But I was completely wrong. The letters they wrote turned out to be fantastic! Since they are younger, I didn't want to mention sex-trafficking so we settled for just saying "slaves". Today many of the students asked me if they could turn their letters in on Monday. I told them they had to finish today because I was going to mail them over the weekend. To my surprise almost all of the students said, "Wait, these are real girls? You're really mailing them to people?" ---this is the problem we are facing today. It's so easy to not care if you do not know or are not involved personally in a situation. It's so convenient to say, "oh yeah, there are slaves today, but I'm not really sure whats going on and I'm not really sure where they are..I just have heard about it..."

Well, for my students and I, indifference is not an option. and ignorance is not an excuse. So students from ages 9-12 banned together in my classroom this week and became modern day abolitionists. While they couldn't raise a lot of money, donate from their pockets, or host an event to spread the word, these students wrote letters of encouragement, restoration, respect, and love to girls, the exact same age as them, to let them know that people do care and are doing something about it.
and i'm so proud.

Together we can end this thing. To do something more about slavery, you can visit 72 days for freedom website and read the list of ways to help. Pick a way, and pour your whole heart into it. Let Freedom Ring!
Here's that website: www.72daysforfreedom.com

And since the final drafts are now written, I thought I'd share them:)

Letter 1 :
Dear lovely,
You are beautiful. You are great. You are magnificent. I think you are outstanding just the way you are. Follow your dreams and you can achieve great goals. Love, Blayne

Letter 2:
Dear Gorgeous, 
You are important! Don't let anyone get you down. You are perfect the way you are, so keep your head up high and don't ever let it down. You are my role model and a lot of people love you. You are sweet and intelligent and brave. So always keep your head up and keep being strong. Your Friend, Kayla

Letter 3:
Dear Friend, 
You are as cool as music. I think of you all the time. I think you are intelligent. I think you rock. You are also brave. You are powerful. You are my friend. You are special. Keep on being great. Love, Michael

Letter 4:
Dear Beautiful,
You are the sweetest thing in the whole world. You're courageous and you're gorgeous in all the ways you can imagine. You are perfect the way you are because you are special and brave. You can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Plus, don't ever think you're not beautiful and special because you are. You are strong, powerful, and glorious! You're magnificent! You're unstoppable and you're smart. I hope I see you one day.  Your friend, Tasha

Letter 5:
Dear Beautiful, 
You are pretty as blossoms from a tree. You are as sweet as honey. You are very intelligent. You are always in my heart. You are kind. I love you. love, Jacob

Letter 6
Dear Lovely, 
You are amazing just the way you are. I am very inspired by all of your kindness. Your soul is like a rainbow of colors. You're also talented. You have been a huge inspiration to me. You have taught me so much, but most importantly: to never give up.  You're sweet as sugar, delicate as a rose, and pretty as flowers on a hot summer day. And most of all, you're awesome. Your friend, Anna
P.S: You're the best! Forever and always.

Letter 7:
Dear Beautiful,
You are so wonderful. You need to stay brave because you as sweet and wonderful. You are as pretty as roses growing on beautiful bushes. Roses are red, violets are blue, the roses are beautiful and so are you. You are so beautiful! Love, Randy

Letter 8:
Dear Lovely, 
You are an intelligent girl who is capable of anything. You are perfect, brilliant, and courageous. Always try to live your dream. You Rock! What an outstanding girl you are. You're very strong and brave! Don't let anyone tell you that you can not accomplish anything because you can! You are a super star. I believe you can do anything you try to do. What an inspiration you have been. You encourage me and so many others. Live your dream the way you want. Keep being courageous! Don't put your head down because people want to see your face! Love, Madison            

Letter 9:
Dear Beautiful,
You are perfect in any way. You are as beautiful as the gorgeous sun flowers that the sun shines on. You are as delicate and gorgeous as a red pretty rose. I know you can always accomplish your goals. You are so pretty. You shine like the morning sun every day. Every time you light up a room. You are special just the way you are. You don't ever need to change the way you are. Your friend, Emilee

Letter 10:
Dear Beautiful, 
I think that you are very POWERFUL! I think of you every second! you are brave and strong. I think that you are glorious. You are nice and pretty as a flower. I think that you are friendly. Never think that I don't love you because I do! Smile and keep being strong like you already are. Love your friend, Katherine

Letter `11:
Dear Beautiful, 
You are so inspiring! Never say you aren't loved because we love you. You are gorgeous and you are so important to me and every body else. You are so wonderful and sweet. You are so smart and intelligent. Love Samantha

Letter 12:
Dear friend, 
You are strong inside and out. You are brave, beautiful, and lovely. You are inspiring to every one. Believe in yourself like I believe in you. Let your dreams fly. Don't let anyone tell you you can't dream big. You are awesome, outstanding, and VERY important. You will stay the same through your life. You rock! Love, Savannah

Letter 13:
Dear Gorgeous, 
Everyone thinks of you every second. You are powerful, brave, and glorious! I know you're beautiful! You are like a perfect sun on a horizon. You inspire everyone! They see how gorgeous you are! You're so sweet! Your friend, Ashley

Letter 14:
Dear Sweetie,
You are beautiful like roses. I think of you every second. You are special and powerful. Don't ever stop believing in yourself. You are so courageous and awesome! I wish I could meet you some day. You are a popstar! You are a good friend! Your Friend, Rachel

Letter 15:
Dear Gorgeous, 
Never think you're not amazing because you are. You don't know how inspiring you are to me. Never ever give up because what ever you set your mind to truly soon you will accomplish it! Never put your head down because everyone wants to see your beautiful face! Your friend, Nicole
             

Here's Today's Prayer:
March 16: Pray for President Obama (and the President/Prime Minister/Primer of your nation) as he leads the United States. Ask God to awaken his heart and provide him wisdom as he makes decisions that impact freedom and modern day slavery.

For More Info:
http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/15/human-trafficking-a-national-security-issue-obama-task-force-told/

Day 17

 March 14: Pray for David Batstone and the team at Not For Sale as they partner with large corporations to bring justice and raise awareness about modern day slavery.

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

Day 16

PRAY:

March 13: Pray for the team at CNN Freedom Project as they gather and tell stories of slavery and rescue.

Ways to do more:

spend some time on CNN Freedom Project's website:

  http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/