21 Day Fix // Day 1 Recap

Day 1 // Recap

So I got through day one perfectly fine. I was happy that I prepped because it help me stay motivated, even though it only being day one. Prepping is key, if you have to make something every time you are hungry you tend to put it off. Then you end up eating something you aren't supposed to because you are hungry and don't want to take the time to prepare what is right for you. I will say this, the exercise was a little hard for me, I still enjoyed it and it went quickly. I did soak in an Epsom salt bath because I knew I would be sore tomorrow (today) and I was hoping it would help. Well, I am sore, it's not horrible but my body knows whats up now! LOL it is TIME! 

Here is some of the meals I had yesterday, I didn't skip breakfast, I just wasn't hungry so I started right with lunch. 

Lunch: 

Salad with tomatoes and some shaved carrots with jack cheddar cheese and the Fix approved Dijon Vinaigrette [2 Greens 1 Blue 1 Orange]

Dinner

For dinner I grilled some chicken and zucchini. I also had whole grain veggie couscous. I love couscous, its nice and light you can add anything to it, similar to a rice and risotto. The chicken I just seasoned with salt pepper and cajun seasoning and for zucchini I used a little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. For me grilling is fun, I have this little grill that is super easy and convenient to use so grilling up some chicken, beef and/or seafood will be a nice help to keep on track! [1 Green 1 Yellow 1 Red ]

Snack // Sweet Tooth

Okay so after my work out I decided to have my shake and make a little something for my sweet tooth, which of course I never have but I was in the mood for something! The shakes are great! I love them and I've tried chocolate, vanilla, coffee and strawberry. I like vanilla and strawberry the best. The shakes are great because you can add anything to them: fruit, veggies, oats, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc) and flavor extracts (almond, vanilla, hazelnut, etc). When I am working morning shifts I usually add a lot to my shake like 1/2 banana, cinnamon, oats (1 yellow) sometimes spinach, and it really holds me through the day until lunch time if not a little after depending on when I get a break. 

For my little sweet treat I made a banana & peanut butter quesadilla . (how to make here)

[1 Red 1 Purple 1 Yellow 1TSP]

For Day 2:

Things I would like to improve tomorrow would be to: 

• Drink more water. I did drink 6 glasses which is still good but I do love water, and would like to drink more of it.
• I'd like to prepare a couple more meals and get them ready for the rest of my week 1. 
• Drink less coffee. I love, love, love, LOVEE coffee and I have it everyday because I love it. However, I would like to scale it down a bit, so maybe just 1 cup today (day 2).
• Incorporate more protein (red). I had 2 all day which I'm aloud 4, doesn't mean you "have" to have all 4 but protein is good for you and it helps repair muscles too.   

Day 2 I am ready for you! Any recipe ideas let me know! If you have any questions or want to signup for 21 day fix email me at: patiooforchids@gmail.com. I would love to help any way I could! :-)

Banana & Peanut Butter Quesadilla

This is perfect for a sweet treat or a little snack, even good for breakfast!

[1 Yellow 1 Purple and 1 TBSP]

I got this idea from a group challenge I did when I first started 21 day fix! Group challenges are great because everyone works together to help motivate each other. You can also share recipes and advice! Definitely recommend them, they are worth a try!

For this little meal you will need:

• 1 medium or small skillet
• 1 small whole wheat tortilla 
• 1 TBSP of Peanut Butter
• 1/2 of a Banana (not even)
• Small sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)

Heat skillet to medium and spray with butter cooking spray. 

You take your small whole wheat tortilla and put 1 TBSP of peanut butter on it, spreading it out. Slice half of banana into small round circles, not too thick, place on 1 half of the tortilla only. Sprinkle half with bananas with some cinnamon, or any other spices you'd like to use. Fold over and place into hot skillet. I usually leave it for a minute or 2 on each side. Doesn't take very long at all. You can leave it as is or cut into small triangles like I did! Enjoy! 

After you can cut into small triangles if you would like to! I think this goes perfectly with your shakeology but its also a great snack or breakfast idea and takes about 5 minutes to make! :-)

How I did iT: Paying For Family Vacation In $1.00 bills and Change

Okay! So figured my comeback post could be about something we all wish we could do and were better at: SAVING!

Saving money wasn't something I was always good at or thought about doing. It actually really wasn't that easy for me until about a couple years ago. I work in the hospitality industry, so 5 days a week sometimes 6, I am bring home all cash. This gave me the advantage of dividing my money up and depositing what I had into my account only when I needed it because I was receiving checks too. What I started doing was taking part of what I made every time I worked and setting it aside. My goal was $200.00 a month. When I would reach my $200.00 goal I would deposit it into my savings.

$200.00 became $400.00 then $600.00 and then before I knew it I had $1000.00! WOAH! (lol) What my thought was exactly, when I was 22-23! Now I am rich and I can go shop at Target and buy whatever I want, right?! WRONG! Granted yes at the time this was a lot and yes it still is a lot, most people don't have $1000.00 just sitting in their savings account and there are some people who do. Regardless 94% of people today would like to have a better grip on their finances and have more savings. It's a security thing, you feel safe and secure, and to say at least I have something to fall back on even if it is "only" $1000.00. 

Well, it wasn't until a couple years ago that I actually started saving all my $1.00 bills. Now my boyfriend helps and so whenever we spend cash or when I come home from work, no matter how many $1.00 bills I have I save them all. It is easy and simple, it doesn't seem like it will ever be a lot or that it will take forever but you will be surprised. Before you know it you will have more than you ever expected. 

We decided that we would use our $1.00 bills and all our change we save for our family vacation we take every summer. We have a separate account that we put our $1.00 bills in and for the change we just take to a coin machine, even though you have to give a percentage to the company it is easier for us. Its nice because we use that account for our trip and things we need for the trip so we don't feel like we are going out of pocket or worry about bills coming out because its all separated, its a nice reward for us and stress free! 

What are some ways you save and how do you plan you family vacations for summer?

Quotes...

I love looking on Pinterest for inspiring quotes! I could pin all day long quotes that are meaningful now, were meaningful and could be in the future! Here are some for today that I stood out to me:

Kitty Caps

We have two cats that are inside cats. The two things that we constantly struggle with is the hair and the fact that they like to claw at the furniture. I've read that cats need to claw at things because it helps to stretch their arms and it is also a way for them to mark their territory. We have tried everything; spray bottles, tape, scratch off spray and nothing works until I discovered Kitty Caps. 

Kitty Caps are these caps that go over your cat's nails, you glue them on and in about 2-3 weeks they grow out and fall off. It doesn't hurt them or anything, it is perfectly safe and our cats don't even know they are on. So far, so good! This also helps preventing them from accidentally scratching us or the kids when we are playing with them. I really think this way is a lot better than getting them declawed and the product comes with enough caps to last about 4-5 times if you have one cat or 2-3 times if you have two cats. I only put them on their front paws too. 

They have different color caps too, they have clear, which is what I chose, blue and pink!

Kat Williams

CocoPuffs. 

xoxo |bS|

Meowww ^..^

Cheetahs:

Love cheetahs. Such beautiful and graceful animals! This is such a cute photo of a mother and her cub. The other is a picture of an adorable baby cheetah cub! <3 What's your favorite wild animal?

xoxo|bS|