Valentine's Day: A Self-Love Reflection

I feel like we can all agree that Valentine’s Day is one of those “Hallmark Holidays.” There’s no real deep tradition and it’s a generic holiday that isn’t tied to any particular religion or culture. A day where you get to appreciate those that you love. Now granted, you should appreciate the ones you love everyday but it’s nice to do something a little extra every now and then. I’m a hopeless romantic and the idea of “love” is amazing but I also think that love can appear in so many different forms. I don’t love my brother the same way I love my son. I don’t love my dog the way I do my cousin. I’ve always hated that we didn’t have more words to describe all the different kinds of love that exists. Yes, Valentine’s day has been seen as purely a day for couples but you know what? Screw it! This year I was single for Valentine’s Day and honestly it didn’t bother me one bit. I’ve actually been single for over a year now and in that time I’ve learned so much about myself. Maybe it’s because I am getting older, wiser. Who knows? All I know is that I learned this year to finally love myself. So for Valentine’s day I celebrated ME!

Yes, that can come off sounding a bit narcissistic and self involved but I don’t care. I’ve spent the last three plus decades loathing the person I am. I’ve obsessed over every decision I’ve made, every imperfection I can pick out in the mirror. I’ve beaten myself down so many times throughout the years and have given every ounce of love I had to everyone else. I will thank quarantine for one thing. It made me hunker down and really, truly get to know myself and reflect on the life I’ve lived. I learned what makes me happy, what I truly need in life to feel complete and a partner is not one of them. I complete myself and you should too. Stop looking for someone to fill the You-shaped emptiness in your heart. I feel whole, empowered and ready to take on the world with a new perspective. You are worth everything you feel you deserve and when you are ready there will be someone out there for you. It’s like your an ice cold Coke, tasty, desirable. Once you find that perfect partner it’s like their the koozie supporting you. You don’t need the koozie, but it’s beneficial and comforting and prolongs your life. That probably made no sense, but hear me out. What I’m basically saying is that you complete you and anyone else that comes along the way is a bonus.

Learn to be comfortable with your thoughts. Tap into the deeper levels of you. A lot will happen when you do this, it’s not all pretty either but DAMN if you don’t feel better when you get to the other side! I did a lot of self-reflection this last year and pandemic or not, my life overall was very different. I had to learn to be alone again. I’ve always considered myself a very independent person. Doing things alone, whether scary or everyday never phased me. Growing up I learned to rely on myself so this shouldn’t have been any different. The thing that I think truly hit me was, why? Why am I here again alone? What the heck am I even looking for? What do I want? Why am I not happy? All of those answers were ME. I needed to finally realize who I am. Not who I am as a partner, or a mother, a student or a friend. I needed to really come to terms with who I am as me. Did I lose you?

I realized I’ve been playing a role all my life. Although genuine, the roles I played were to satiate those around me. I thought that if people were happy with me then I will be happy with me too. I neglected my true self and what I needed from life and those around me. I finally have clarity and I have learned to put my needs first. I can’t be everything for you if I can’t even be everything for myself. I used to lose myself to those around me. I felt empty even though I was surrounded by others. I constantly chose partners who would take from my cup and barely fill it. I allowed that to be ok because I had no self-worth. I didn’t know what I had to offer was precious.

So here we are alone on Valentine’s Day, not feeling an ounce of sadness or pity. I am happy for those who have found deep, meaningful, healthy relationships and I celebrate you! I also celebrate the people in my life that have truly supported me without expecting anything in return. This is a day of LOVE, every kind. If you are still on your journey I commend you for taking the initial steps. I want you to be proud of yourself, love yourself. You are worth it.

Happy Valentine’s Day <3

Shantece G.

Honest Review: Makeup Eraser

So I purchased this randomly. I had no idea if it was worth it and I’m not sure that it was super cheap enough for me to not care if it was total crap but I got it anyway. I was at my nail salon and was waiting to pay and leave and those little vixens knew what they were doing when they strategically placed this product among many other little knick knacks by the register. As I stood there waiting for my turn, this product caught my eye. They carried it in hot pink and black. Initially the hot pink box is what caught my eye and when I started reading the box I knew I had to try it. Naturally I picked the black one because it’s my favorite color. The Makeup Eraser claims that it will replace makeup wipes, FOREVER!! I was a bit skeptical, but I am a sucker for gimmicks. I bought the item and I went home thinking this is probably not gonna work, at least not as well as a makeup wipe. I was pleasantly surprised! I created a whole unboxing/blind reaction video if you want to see my actual reactions and comments. The product itself is about 10in long and about 5 inches wide, it seems like it’s made of microfiber maybe? It feels super soft which is great cause you’ll be putting it on your face. So the instructions basically say that you just need to wet the cloth with warm water. Make sure that the cloth stays pretty wet, don’t just wring the whole thing out. Once wet, literally just wipe your makeup off. It’s really that easy. I had a full face of makeup along with smudge proof lipstick and Urban Decay’s All-Nighter setting spray. Makeup wipes are my usual go to and have been able to do the job but this….this product did that but BETTER! It felt like it wasn’t doing anything but it was working overtime. It wiped the eye shadow off in one swipe and that smudge proof lipstick had no chance. Normally with regular makeup wipes I have to continuously rub the lip color off and a lot of times it will also smear all around my mouth and then it’s a whole mess. The makeup eraser worked like a charm! No mess, all the color came off, nice and clean face. I was actually really happy with this product. I definitely recommend it.

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PROS:

• soft

• reusable

• fairly decent price

• less waste (happy Earth)

• removed smudge proof lipstick with few swipes

• no toxic/harsh chemicals

• variety of colors

CONS:

• the shape/size of the cloth

• price (if you tend to buy cheaper/generic makeup wipes)

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I had no idea where else these cloths could be purchased since it was on a whim that I had gotten them in a nail salon of all places. So I relied on my good old friend Google. The website is so fun and colorful! I also saw that not only can you purchase these cloths in an absurd amount of different colors, but they also sell different sized clothes. I think I will actually purchase the smaller square sized ones because I feel like it would be easier to use and toss in the wash when soiled then trying to remember what corner or part of the longer one I had already used. They also have cool themed ones which I thought was nice. So if you want to purchase these here you go! Enjoy them, I know you will!

Shantece G.

Holiday Tree: February

Continuing my stubbornness of not wanting to take my pretty Christmas tree down, I decorated it for the month of February. As you may have guessed it, it is indeed a Valentine’s themed tree. I was so excited when I went to Michaels and saw all of the Valentine decorations. I even found heart shaped ornaments! Clearly I’m not the only lunatic who is still decorating their tree well into the new year. I wanted to make the tree look romantic not just plastic hearts everywhere. What could be more romantic than roses? I mean it’s a symbol of love and probably the most sold item that day! I guess I could have incorporated boxes of chocolates some how, but knowing myself they wouldn’t have lasted. Regardless, I set out to make this tree look elegant and not cheesy. I was really proud of how it came out and was excited to share it with the world!

I got everything from Michaels so if you are wanting to purchase anything you see on the tree there you go. The tree it's self was from Target. Here’s a link to my original post about it. Before going into the store I had no idea what I was going to put on top of the tree. I was like…. a big ass heart?…. maybe a cupid? I really had no clue what I was going to find, if anything at all. How many people really show out for Valentine’s Day? So I walked around Michaels just trying to get inspired, and let me tell you, as someone who doesn’t consider herself very creative or crafty, there is something about that place that makes you want to create something. I look at all of these supplies and spools of fabric and glitter and frames and think to myself… what can I make? Then I remember I have no patience for things that don’t come natural to me and that my many past attempts at being creative have ended up in total frustration and haphazard junk. Regardless, something about this store just gets those juices flowing. When I saw the giant rose, which turned out to be my tree topper, I fell in love. No pun intended. I knew it had to be the topper. There were two different sizes and I went with the larger size, cause bigger is better right? Once I had picked out the ginormous rose I had the idea to grab some plastic roses so that I could weave them throughout the tree. This was that delicate romantic touch that I was looking for. To my surprise, they had ornaments for Valentine’s day so that was an easy grab. I also found these heart shaped doilies, I wasn’t sure how I was going to get them on the tree but I loved how elegant they looked with the lacey pattern and the inscribed “love.” I also found these loose glitter hearts that came in different sizes. They didn’t have any way to attempt to hang them on the tree but I knew that it would look great sprawled across the bottom. It just gave it that extra oomph to make the tree go from oooh to aaahhh. The red blanket I already had in my home.

So the weekend leading up to the start of February, I went to work removing the January themed ornaments and began decorating the tree with the new theme. Now here’s where I got into a pickle. I recently adopted a kitten… more on that in another post. Well I never really had a kitten before and although I have seen many Facebook videos of cat’s fascination with Christmas trees, the thought had never crossed my mind. I mean the tree had been up already with my MLK/BLM decorations when I brought the kitten home. The tree didn’t seem to phase him. It wasn’t until I began to take the decorations down that I think he finally noticed it. It started off with him just kicking around and chasing an ornament I had placed on the floor. Well this playfulness turned into a major problem once I started putting the new ornaments up. The kitten was hell bent on ensuring that he knock each and every one of them down. I had to constantly fling him off the tree. Something that would have taken me about an hour to do suddenly became an epic battle of Man VS Cat. About two or so hours later, I finally had the tree up. I gave up and let the cat play/destroy the old ornaments I had taken down to occupy him while I finished the current task. The tree was done and it looked amazing. I was really proud of myself. Knowing that it was completely possible that the tree was never going to look as good as it did in that moment I started to take pictures. Thank Buddha that I did because the series of events that would unfold in the next few days would not have made it possible to share my work with you all. The damn CAT! He was obsessed with the tree. You would have thought it was a monolith of catnip or something! He could not leave it alone. It started with just kind of tussling with the glitter hearts that were at the bottom, then knocking down a few of the low hanging ornaments. But this wasn’t enough for him, no, he wanted it ALL! I started finding him inside the tree! Eventually I came home to this…..

The tree was destroyed. The cat has won the war. I was both pissed and relieved that it was over. I was exhausted from constantly shooing the cat out of the tree, coming home to ornaments strewn across the floor. I was a little disappointed that I had to make the decision to just cut my losses and finally put the tree away. I had so many great ideas for the rest of the months, and this tree had not even lasted a week. I knew I didn’t have the patience to keep dealing with the cat’s obsession. I knew I would just grow more frustrated with the situation and decorating the tree would not be enjoyable anymore. So sadly, I bid adieu to my endeavor. It was nice while it lasted.

Shantece G.

Week Wrap-up

I haven't looked forward to a friday in a long time! Like I said in one of my previous posts, since I'm in school the work is non-stop. The weekend is normally not an actual break from the monotony of the week.  This week seemed rough though. It wasn't anything particularly terrible or different than the norm, actually I had less work due this week than I have had in a while. I think it's just that point in the semester when you're just over it all and the light at the end of the tunnel still seems so far away. Regardless of how shitty I felt about getting through this week, I still accomplished everything that I had set out to do, which I think makes this Friday more of a relief. I am done. I feel accomplished and ready to take a break. I went to the gym every single day this week and even took the plunge and headed back to my old Kickboxing gym to crank my workouts up a notch. I fulfilled the yummy recipe I posted about on Monday (pictures to come), and I have been delagent about carving out time for some other financial endeavors I have been working on. I have been one busy little lady. So all in all this Friday and weekend is going to be good, and unlike the rest of this year, I hope that it doesn't fly by. 

Shantece G. 

All the ingredients I used for the Coconut Tofu w/ Spicy sauce. I substituted coconut almond milk for regular almond milk because it's my favorite kind and the meal was coconut flavored anyway. I also went with gluten free bread crumbs which I think make things slightly crispier which I actually liked. 

Here's what the tofu looked like after it was bathed in flour, egg, almond coconut milk and the breading which consisted of the gluten free crumbs, coconut flakes and salt and pepper to taste. I also decided to use coconut oil instead of the recommended vegetable oil. I think coconut oil is just healthier and again... coconut tofu so why not right?

My kitchen smelled amazing while this was frying and it was so easy to do, I think it was like 10-15 min tops. Ugh I just love coconut!!

While that was frying, I whipped up the spicy sauce which was bomb!! I actually made a bit too much and used it to dip other foods into it later. I will definitely be making this sauce again, it's only three ingredients!! 

The finished product! This came out so much better than I expected, mainly because I'm not the greatest cook and I've never made tofu. I will for sure be making this recipe again. I even got my skeptic boyfriend to try it and he thought it was really good too! 

Never Miss a Monday Pt. 4

Okay, okay so I missed a monday last week. I was driving back from Colorado which was an 8hr trip so needless to say I was thrown off of my whole routine. I for one am a creature of habit. Although I can adapt when there is change, I prefer to be consistent in the things that I do, it just makes things a lot easier. This past week was a bust. I was on spring break and I didn't do a damn thing all week that was particularly productive. I kind of am disappointed with myself for not having continued the workout and fasting routine I have been doing the past few weeks. All that hard work and lbs lost were for nothing because I gained it all back this week. I won't be completely hard on myself because this semester has been very stressful and having a week to literally veg out and do nothing felt pretty good. There were no obligations or commitments to deal with. I know that had I also gone to the gym I probably would have felt even better, but I didn't and that's ok too. Monday is the start of a new week and I am ready for its challenges. I am going to hike up my big girl panties and just throw myself right back into it. No excuses, back to my routine and structure. This week I am going to try and incorporate push ups into my routine. We used to have to do them alot in the Navy and it's just one of those basic things that you should master.  I like to practice them because you can clearly see and feel your progress the more you do them. Also this week I am going to try to ease my way back into eating vegetarian. I truly and honestly feel a huge difference in the way my body feels and reacts when I don't eat meat. I have way more energy and I don't feel like taking a nap after I eat or feel super bloated after a meal. Well I bid you all good luck this week in any and all of your endeavours.  I am so hyped and ready for this new week! 

Shantece G.

Music:

1. Beyonce - Upgrade U
2. Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy
3. Jax Jones - Instruction Ft. Demi Lovato & Stefflon Don
4. Wiz Khalifa - Letterman
5. Alien Antfarm - Smooth Criminal

Workouts:

Like I said, I am going to incorporate push ups into my routine this week. I will add this set of three different push ups at the end of my workout. I'm going to attempt 10 of each. I might have to end up doing them from my knees depending on how terrible I've gotten and /or how tired I am after the workout. 

So this would be your standard push up. Hands and arms should be positioned about under your shoulders. I tend to bend my elbows outward, but I am going to practice keeping them close to my body as shown here.  (10x's)

These are Wide-grip push ups. I honestly like to do these better. It just seems easier for me. Either way it hurts different muscles than just doing regular push ups. Make sure your arms/hands are positioned wider than your shoulders.  (10x's)

These are so much fun, and such a challenge. Diamond push ups are awesome! You basically create a diamond shape with your hands which creates a close-grip form. This also targets different muscles. These are not easy for me at all, but I do like to keep my feet apart when attempting these because it makes it slightly easier to manage your balance.  (10x's)

Recipe:

Since I am trying to get back to eating vegetarian again, I thought I would find a tasty recipe to go along with it! I personally like tofu and don't mind its texture. I think for most people trying this recipe will give them a different perspective. Enjoy!

Coconut Tofu w/ Spicy Sauce

Recipe Link: https://www.seasonlycreations.com/coconut-tofu-with-spicy-sauce/

Amazon, my best friend! Pt. 1

So for most people they might consider me to have a shopping problem. The first step is admitting you have a problem right? I don't know if I am ready to admit that yet. I look at it more as a hobby really then a problem. Well if I do have a problem, Amazon is definitely my enabler! I literally buy almost anything I need on Amazon except for fresh food (no Prime now in these here neck of the woods).  It's just so convenient, I can browse or search for whatever I want without someone breathing down my neck asking me if I need help... "No Janet, I can handle this myself. SHEESH!" I also like how quickly most of my orders get to my home. If there was Prime Now available I would probably never leave my house. I also like the excitement of ordering something online and then getting excited again when it arrives, it's like two christmases or something. Well I thought I would let you in on some of the crap... I mean beautiful things I buy! This one will be for January-February orders. I'll try to do one every month for items I purchased throughout the month... yes I shop that often! I'll add links to every item and a description of why on earth I needed/wanted it.  Happy Shopping!

Shantece G.

So I am always buying books that I think I am going to read and well one day I will eventually get around to it I guess. I saw this book literally 4 times in one day at the airport while I was traveling back from Seattle. I thought that maybe it was a new best seller or something but when I looked it up it's actually not new at all. That just made me think that I needed to read this book, it must be that good! I'll let you know if it is once I get around to it... teehee. 

Buy Here

So this little nifty thing is supposed to help remove blackheads and pimples and what not. I love picking at things and watching those gross youtube videos where people pop stuff for a living. I thought I would enjoy popping things too! So I got this tool kit which honestly impressed me for the price. It is very sturdy and not cheaply made at all! I've attempted to use it before for this really ouchy pimple I had between my nostril and face... yea that weird ass crevice. Well, it turns out I have no clue how to actually use the tools, or I am terrible at it because I just couldn't quite get it to do what I thought it was supposed to do. Either way, if you think you can take a better crack at it... then it comes highly recommended.

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Oh, this is a must!!! Amazon has the cheapest packs of batteries. I always buy batteries from Amazon. I am a proud owner of like 100 AA & AAA batteries. It's one of those things that you should keep stock of at home. I can't even tell you how many times I needed a battery. For sure the way to go! 

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So first off... I do not have a baby. This was just the best picture of what the gate looks like when it's up. I have my little bulldog puppy who is a terror and I feel bad leaving her in the kennel while I'm at school so we decided to section off the kitchen (easier floor to clean) for her to have some roaming ability. Well we used to have the wooden ones but I damn near broke my face when I tripped over the gate in what I would call a cartoon-like fashion. Needless to say we needed something with a door. I loved the design of this one, it makes it look kind of fancy. It took a little bit of time trying to put it together and you do have drill little holes in order to keep most of it in place, but it's amazingly sturdy and I haven't had any issues with it at all. Babies... puppies... whatever, I recommend it.

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This thing right here!!! I used to dread mopping because I hate having to deal with wringing out a wet nasty stinky mop. I used to own something similar to this with a removable and reusable mop head but you still had to figure out a way to wring it out in between dunks (which I didn't and it left a very very wet floor). This O-cedar mop has a pedal you push and it uses mechanical energy to spin the mop which helps release the excess water. It's so easy, simple, light and fast! I seriously love mopping the floor now. 

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I got these on the cheap cheap. I just needed a pair of headphones for when I do homework. I use it to listen to jazz music and try to drown out my boyfriends incessant clickety clack keyboard! We share an office and both are usually doing homework at the same time. Regardless, they are pretty good for it being around $20. I also trust Sony to deliver a decent sound. If you are looking for a pair of cheap noise-ish canceling headphones that you aren't going to be rough with, then I suggest these. 

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Road trippin with my dogs and Hello Denver!

Spring break couldn't have gotten here any faster! As a college student you look forward to this day more than graduation sometimes (the ultimate spring break). Maybe not, but it is a huge relief to be able to spend a few days not having to think about school and schoolwork and deadlines and exams. I don't ever go anywhere wild and crazy for Spring break. I personally am not into that kind of shenanigans. I mean I love to party too, but I prefer a more intimate crowd and less frat boys puking on my shoes, ya know? So I missed my Monday this week because I was traveling back (8hrs) from my mini spring break vacation to Denver, CO. I had never really been to Colorado before, unless you count the one time I chose to drive back to Kansas from Denver or sleep at the airport for a morning flight. I've always been intrigued by Colorado. In my mind I pictured this metropolis sunken into the deep valley of a ring of mountains. I pictured looking out the kitchen window and seeing those pearly ice caps peeking out over the tops of trees. I was very much mistaken when I arrived. It was night time when we got there so the mountains disappeared into the dark cloak of night. Once the morning came I finally saw the mountains, but they were so far away. My uber driver told me it was approximately 45 min away! I was disappointed. Denver was still a beautiful city regardless, it was just less fantastic then I pictured (my imagination is very vivid). The entire trip actually felt very short. I was there for 4 days, but it felt more like 2 because of the 8 hour drive to get there and then to go home. I brought my dogs along because I found an Air B&B that allowed pets and I figured that they would enjoy a change of pace. I realize now that dogs are good creatures of habit and that leaving them alone in a new place is not the greatest idea. We could barely leave the apartment without them or have to deal with them barking at the door for us to come back for god knows how long. We did get to carve out time to eat at some great places, and visit the Denver Museum of Nature and Science which was pretty cool. I love going to science museums!! All in all it was a pretty fun and quick trip. I've always been used to moving alot even before the Navy so I love to travel to new places. I like to pretend I live there and see if I would like it. I am constantly looking for "the" place to live. I have yet to find it really. In all honesty most places are all the same. I am quick to adapt so it doesn't take me too long to settle in somewhere, but the whole time I'm settling in I'm thinking about "where to next."  In order to avoid further ramblings here is a list of my suggestions when traveling with pets as well as some of the places I visited while in Denver, CO.

Shantece G.

Road tripping with Fido

1. Bring some blankets or their dog bed if possible.  (It's a comfort thing.)
2. Garbage bags and wee wee pads (My little bulldog hates car rides and was so nervous she threw up in the car.)
3. Bring their favorite toy(s). (Another comfort thing)
4. Make sure you are going to a pet friendly area and that your dogs are accustomed to meeting lots of new people and animals. (My husky is very friendly but for some reason little dogs are always trying to fight her. On the other hand my bulldog is well... a bully, she is small but insanely brave and likes to rough house a lot!)
5. Mucho treats. (They are going somewhere new and unfamiliar so I like to give them treats when they are behaving themselves in a new place.)

The view from the balcony. 

Capitol Hill, Denver CO. 

Bella "the bully" Rose enjoying her stay at the dog park on site at the Archer Apartments. 

Capitol HIll, Denver CO.

Great Mexican food and DRANKS! 

100% de Agave 

975 Lincoln St. Denver, CO

Health exhibit at The Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Space Odyssey exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. 

"Planet Adult" on the tickets makes it seem like we are about to go see a dirty movie... "Black Holes" doesn't help much either (lol). 

Literally our third choice because the other two options were packed and/or closed. There is apparently an area in Denver called "Den Corner" where these three Japanese/Sushi restaurants are located. Ototo was amazing!! I can only imagine what the other two would have been like. I highly recommend checking this place out along with the other two if you have a chance. They import their fish daily from Japan!  

Ototo

1501 S Pearl St. Denver, CO

Yummy foods! 

Ototo

1501 S Pearl St. Denver, CO.

Never Miss a Monday Pt. 3

Agghhhh you guys, last week was the busiest week I have had in a very long time. I had three tests on three consecutive days along with all of the regular school work that I have to do. It was a mess. I was super stressed out and I felt like I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off (what a terrible saying...). I have to admit that somethings did fall to the wayside this week. I did not have a chance to make that awesome curry soup I suggested last week (although I have all the ingredients for it), I also didn't get to complete one of my homeworks and study for my quiz at the end of the week (cross my fingers paying attention in class pays off). Needless to say I was swamped. The one thing that I was determined to not give up on was going to the gym. I did it! I woke up and went to the gym all 5 days this week. I did my 30 min fasted cardio everyday and added the upper body workouts from last week every other day and a 20 min ab workout I threw in on the other days. I was amped. I was ready this week to conquer the gym. My fasted cardio was not enough for me, I wanted more. Getting up and going to the gym got easier and easier as the week progressed and I honestly was looking forward to it! I am really proud of myself because normally I wouldn't need even half an excuse to not go to the gym, let alone the pile of shit I had to do this week. Despite it all, I did it. I went to the gym, I gave it my all, and I loved it! I think that starting my day with a workout has really helped with my anxiety. I don't know if it's the endorphins, or the fact that my body is too tired and sore to care about stupid things that normally drive me crazy. Whatever it is, it's working. So my message, I guess, is that no matter what carve the time out that you need for yourself. If you set a goal, try as hard as you can to achieve it. Life happens and sometimes you won't be able to do it, but at least you know you tried.  So this is a new week, a fresh start once again. What will you accomplish?

Shantece G.

Music:

1. Britney Spears "Work B**ch" (one of my favs!)
2. Era Istrefi "Bon Bon"
3. Major Lazor "Wind Up" ft. Elephant Man & Opal
4. System of a Down "Toxicity"
5. Justin Timberlake "Hair Up" (just added this one to my playlist and it's FIRE!)

Workouts:

So this week I want to do what I call "bake my cakes" which basically just means work that booty! I will be incorporating this every other day along with my fasted cardio and on the other days I will be adding my ab and upper body workouts. Enjoy!

Back Squats

My gym has a Smith Machine, which I personally like better because I know if my dumbass drops the weight I won't kill anybody. 

4x10 w/challenging weight  (also notice that your knees go outward when you go down)

Weighted hip raises

These are killer if you are doing them right!

4x10 w/challenging weight

Donkey Kicks

These look easy, but after enough of them you feel the burn.

4x10 (each leg)

Clam shells w/bands

Another easy looking one, but if you use challenging bands, you are gonna feel it for sure. 

4x10 (each leg)

Recipe:

So this week I really don't have a recipe since I am going to attempt to make that damn curry soup that I have been dying to have. Instead I will be incorporating one of my favorite weight loss boosters....... Apple Cider Vinegar! Now I know that it seems like a fad, but Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV), is actually extremely beneficial to your health in so many ways. Go ahead and google it, or read this  brief insert. 

Told you!

I personally only by Bragg's brand, it's literally everywhere but I added a link to order it anyway. 

Bragg USDA Gluten Free Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, With the Mother 16 ounces

There are so many ways that you can use this product, I am going to be making myself a super foods green drink to have as my first meal after my fasted workout. Super greens are also very good for weight loss and overall good health. The brand I use has probiotics and a gazillion vitamins and minerals your body needs. I use the Genesis Today brand. It's a little on the pricey side and you have to make sure that once you open it you keep it in the fridge. From my research though it's one of the best. I've added a link to the exact kind I use and then a less expensive version. 

Genesis Today Vegan Greens with 75 superfoods and 25 billion probiotics, 29 servings

Purely Inspired Organic Greens, USDA Organic, Super Greens Powder, Unflavored, 8.57 oz, 24 servings

So what I am going to do is follow the instructions as far as how many scoops per oz of water, but then I add about 2 tbl of the Apple Cider Vinegar to the mix. It might be an acquired taste for some people. The Genesis Today brand, personally, seemed easier on the taste buds. I'm going to try and drink this at least every other day if not every day (I don't like drinking/eating the same things over and over again).  Let me know if you guys try it! 

Never Miss a Monday Pt. 2

Another Monday is slowly approaching again. I used to dread mondays because it meant that my freedom was gone and I had to go back to the rigmarole of working again. Now that I'm a student the lines of freedom and responsibility have blurred and my weekends are now spent doing homework and studying. So to me the weekend just isn't as exciting to me anymore. With the new outlook I have on life, Mondays are starting to look more appealing. It's the start of a new week, it's a way to sort of cleanse your mind of the past and start fresh again. Last week I didn't meet my gym goal of doing my fasted cardio for 5 days, all though I did do more than the week prior, so win? But I'm not going to dwell on that. I have a new week and new goals to achieve. So  here are this week's challenges. 

Shantece G.

Music:

1. Darude, "Sandstorm"   (What a throwback!)
2. Azealia Banks "212" ft. Lazy Jay
3. J-Lo "Booty" ft. Pitbull
4. Papa Roach "Last Resort"
5. Jason Derulo "Swalla" ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign

Workout:

So, I really like the fasted cardio and I'm going to continue doing that again this week. My goal is to actually get through all 5 days this time. I am also adding upper body workouts into the mix. I will incorporate the following 4 exercises every other day on top of my fasted cardio. This week I'm also going to be joined by my boyfriend which is great! I think that having the right kind of support and structure is key to meeting your health goals. 

Bench Press 4x10 with challenging weight

Bent over rows 4x10 with challenging weight

Dumbbell curls 4x10 with challenging weight

Tricep pull downs 4x10 with challenging weight

Recipe:

I love soup and I love curry so when I saw this recipe I knew that I had to try it. There aren't any really crazy ingredients to find and I hate complicated recipes so this one should turn out all right. It's vegan and paleo friendly to boot so that's always a plus. 

 https://reciperunner.com/thai-sweet-potato-carrot-soup/

THAI SWEET POTATO CARROT SOUP

March right in why don't ya...

I can't believe that it's MARCH already!! As I get older I feel like my life is flashing right by me. Like I'm standing in place but the world keeps changing around me and I'm still an awkward little girl just watching in awe. What happened? Where did it all go and what do I have to show for it? 

I've been contemplating these kinds of things lately. I'm a grown woman and I need to take control of my life. If I'm unhappy I need to do something about it. Honestly this blog was something I had been wanting to do for awhile now but just never took the steps to make it happen. I vowed some weeks ago that I would be more proactive in my life and things that I want out of it. 

Accountability is key... and so is putting things out into the universe. I feel that with this blog I have more of a reason to continue moving in the right direction with my life. No excuses, no bullshit, just me, being real and owning up to my shortcomings. It's therapeutic in a way. 

So this week I really hit the ground running. I set goals for myself and I achieved most of them. It happens, we can't always win right? If you follow my stories on Instagram then you would have seen me hitting the gym every morning for that fasted cardio workout. I made it through 4 out of 5 days (this morning I felt really ill). The first day seemed fine, the second day I was sore and sluggish but I still pushed through. Wednesday, I almost didn't make it because I felt so tired, but I just got up and did it anyway and Thursday was a breeze. I think I finally got used to the routine.

I also made the salad I posted about at the beginning of the week and it was bomb.com and nourished my booty for 3 days straight. I've included photos of how mine turned out. I didn't have parsley, I didn't follow the instructions too well either because I cut the veggies all kinds of fucked up, and I took my own initiative and added tuscan herb infused organic olive oil and italian seasonings instead of just olive oil with salt and pepper. Regardless, if you haven't tried the salad you should, in whatever manner it may please you. 

I've got a lot more ideas in the works for how I would like to move forward in my life and what I feel is going to make me happier, so stay tuned! 

Shantece G.

Cucumbers, Avocado, Mozzarella, and Tomatoes. 

Lemon juice, Tuscan Herb infused organic olive oil, salt, pepper, and my rebellious italian herb seasoning. 

The finished product!