This week was challenging in terms of workouts because I felt sick for a lot of it…but I managed to get some good walks and weights in to keep me going.

The interesting thing about me and migraines is that when I get a nice workout it actually relieves the migraine better than pain meds.

Believe me, working out is really the last thing I want to, but when I start breathing through my workouts it regulates my breath and blood flow to the brain.

I really enjoyed this second week of heavier weights in smaller reps for Best Body Bootcamp because my muscles were a little more used to the extra push from last week. It felt great to feel the strength continue to take shape, especially in my upper body.

During yoga class I am able to lower myself from plank to floor in chataranga without going to my knees and that feel amazing to be able to do.

Yesterday was also a great test of strength and endurance because my sister and I went on a 6 mile cross country jog, and my muscles were much better at enduring the strain of it. Having good company, good tunes, and a beach view from the bluffs didn’t hurt either though!

My sweet tooth was also put to the test this weekend when my sister and I made real French Macarons!

We had been talking about making them for awhile and finally did it.

We made literally melt in your mouth oh my gosh the sugar foment neopolitan ones where one side was vanilla, the other chocolate, and red berry frosting was sandwiched in between.

They were very labor intensive and very picky cookies to make but they were so worth the effort!

We modified a recipe we found on YouTube for a Kirby macarons so I will include the link below.

Also pictures:

Also HAPPY MOTHERS DAY if you are a mom!!!

Cheers,

Christin Joyful

So I made this week I was able to get all five bootcamp workouts in, plus review some great blogger recipes and re-create a few!

Firstly, let me just say that I really enjoyed Best Body Bootcamp this week. The focus was on strength training sessions that really pushed me to use heavier weights, and I was really proud of the results. I was secretly grinning inside the whole time I was doing my Arnold Presses during Workout B especially.

I don’t know about you, but as much as I enjoy dance classes, yoga, and (ahem) attempt to enjoy running and plyometrics (I love to hate you, burpees), there is something so empowering about burning through some good old fashioned heavy free-weight sessions.

I feel strong and challenged, and never really to out of breath. But the sweat still pours, and the muscles burn, let me tell you!!

I read on Tina’s blog that the next round of Bootcamp is going to have some amazing new features, including videos of each workout!

I strongly encourage you to at least check it out if not join. Sign-ups begin May 20th, and you can find out the deets at www.tinareale.com

Now…on to the recipes!

I am really proud of myself, I have to say. We are having a potluck at work tomorrow for Cinco De Mayo, and I decided to take a crack at baking some delicios new dessert recipes that I found whist perusing some of my favorite blogs!

The first one I found the link for on CupcakesandCashmere but it was a recipe from Foodbeast.com and you can review the original recipe here.

It’s a Pinata cake!

Seriously…you bake a cake in two round bowls, hollow out the middle, put candies inside, and seal it up, frost it, and then cut it open for a candy surprise!

I know. Total mind blow.

I’m going to have to update this post with pictures tomorrow after we cut it open, but for now, here is the process and the end result!

Mixing the batter, placing in bowls…

Slicing the finished cakes in half, preparing to scoop out the middles…

Filling the middle with Reese’s Pieces and M&M’s…frosting the edges for glue…

All done! Glued, frosted, and decorated

The second recipe was for chocolate chip cookies using avocado instead of half of he butter.

Say Whaaaaat???

This one I found via eatliverun, and it is from the cookbook Absolutely Avocados. Fortunately for me though, Jenna provided the whole recipe and great pictures.

As of this moment, I have the dough chilling in the fridge, but I will update you later on how the turned out.

If you wanna see the finished product now though, go ahead and jump over here to see what they lok like.

I get bonus points for this recipe either way though, because I am taking the cookies to work, and I got the avocados from my boss who brought them in to work to share.

sharing is caring.

But for now this is the only teaser you get of how my cookies are turning out:

Yeeeaaahhhh Buddy.

Well,

Hope you had a blissful Cinco De Mayo weekend, and have a great week!

Cheers,

Christinjoyful

This week was a tough one!

It was all about pressing on and pushing myself forward when I didn’t really feel like I had it in me to keep going.

On Monday I was still feeling sick, so I waited to until Tuesday to resume BBB. I really didn’t feel like exercising but I made it through anyway. I made it through yoga class on Wednesday the same way.

But Thursday went better, and Friday better still. Saturday’s workout was great, and even though I was sore the next day, I had the added bonus of playing a little disc golf for a 6th day of activity!

I ended up getting more exercise in this week than any of the other 3 weeks so far. Even though I wasn’t feeling it at the beginning, my perseverance paid off in the end.

I think that exercise and other goals are just like that sometimes. Your going to have good days and bad days. Good weeks and bad weeks.

But you just gotta keep going…it will pay off in the end!

It really helps to have a plan to fall back on. Something to push you…to motivate you when your not feeling up to it!

Having a workout plan ready to go at my fingertips is incredibly helpful. I don’t have to think about what exercises to do, what order, and for how many reps. I already have a plan to rely on.

Some weeks I am much more motivated. I will pull together different workouts based on various exercises I have learned from magazines, blogs, trainers, and bootcamps. But this week I was grateful to have something ready to go.

Thanks Tina for another great week at Bootcamp!

Looking forward to this next week where I really get to push myself with heavier weights…it will be a great challenge!

I I was just reading Tina’s blog and she mentioned she is working on some great new changes for Round 6 which starts July 8th…I’m looking forward to that as well!

If you would like more info on joining bootcamp, please visit Tina’s website at http://www.tinareale.com/

Week 3 of BBB started out great, did Workout A on Monday, and then cardio on Tuesday.

The rest of the week slip-slided downhill because not only did I have to go to Chicago for work, but there was a tragic chain of events that occurred…not tragic in the general sense necessarily, but these events definitely did me in as far as maintaining my workout plan.

I had planned on doing some restorative yoga in my hotel room Wednesday night after I arrived. I was supposed to be in Chicago by just after 9pm, so with traffic, etc I should have been checked in and settled by 10pm. But no. that unfortunately was not the case.

My first flight was delayed 2 hours due to mechanical difficulties, which meant that I missed my connecting flight, and had to scramble and wait in lines and scurry to get my checked back on the right plane and ouch my toes hurt so bad from those darn boots I wore and I was tired and frustrated. But I finally got on a connecting flight with my checked bag, but that flight was delayed as well. so I finally got to Chicago just after midnight. It was raining and thunderous and cold. I’m a Cali girl and therefore the concept of weather is foreign enough, let alone the the storm that awaited me.

I grabbed my bag from the baggage claim (thank goodness it made it) and headed out into the weather. I noticed a long Disneyland-like line that curled from one end of the walkway about a city block down and back around. Then I realized the awful gut churning truth: it was the line to get a taxi.

CRAP.

So over an hour later I finally got into a cab and sat in there through traffic, accidents taking up every lane, and rain so hard I don’t know how the driver could see the road.

I finally arrived after 2am and crashed after taking the following picture of the awesome stormy 15th floor view of the overlook to Lake Michigan:

I then also took one of the bathroom, because how cool is the decor?? I loved it and needed a picture before I mussed everything up:

After that I crashed out.

Needles to say, zero yoga was accomplished that day.

I did, however, in lieu of the gym workout I had planned (there is a fitness center in the hotel), I opted for some restorative yoga because I was so sore and stressed from the adventures of the previous day. It ended up being a wise choice.

I started feeling sick later that day, and came down with a cold by the next day, from which I am still recovering.

Although my flight home was far less horrific, I was sick, and so I have been resting the past few days.

I still accomplished my other Bootcamp goals: lots of water and daily devotionals. Those are easy and helpful when one is sick.

I am looking forward to next week which I am sure will be much better as far as workouts.

I will be able to get all of them in, provided I avoid catastrophe, and oh yeah, my tooth getting fixed doesn’t interfere too much. I also chipped a tooth whilst in Chicago. I know.

Don’t get me wrong, Chicago is a fun and amazing city, I just wish I had had more time, wasn’t sick, and hadn’t chipped a tooth.

That being said, I couldn’t appreciate more the fact that Tina allows for such weeks as this in the overall points for the drawings. I still have plenty of time to catch up.

If you would like more info on how you can join the next round of Bootcamp, please visit Tina’s website below.

http://www.tinareale.com/best-body-bootcamp/

Cheers!

Christin Joyful

Hooray for Sunday!

I get the day off from both workouts and work. I get to go to church and worship and be fed, relax and bake brownies and play silly time-wasting games on Facebook, and also reflect on this week’s BBB workouts via blog post!

We have now completed Phase 1 of BBB: The stability phase. This one has always been my favorite, because it not only sets a great foundation for the rest of the Bootcamp, but it is also an area where I get to shine, and experiment a little bit outside of my comfort zone. I have arguably good balance from my years of ballet and martial arts, so I like to try to test my balance limits by adding extra weight and/or reps when I can.

In addition to feeling a little bit awesome and strong (teehee), I also experimented during this phase with working out at home versus the gym. There are pros and cons to both of course, and so I decided to provide you with a list of my top criteria for a good workout, and then measure each location (home and gym) up to my criteria on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being terrible and 10 being awesome…

…And then I have a crappy picture of myself working out at each location as well, for your own amusement. You’re welcome.

My Criteria:

1)      Comfortable and functional outfit to complete my workout in

2)      Enough time to be able to give my workout my all

3)      Enough space to be able to give my workout my all

4)      Good tunes to work out to

5)      Good strength training equipment

6)      Good cardio equipment

7)      Minimal distractions

8)      Lots of sweat and muscle fatigue

9)      Hydration resources available

10)   Minimal cleanup and recovery

At Home Workout: Workout A from Phase 1

Gym Workout: Workout C from Phase 1

1) Comfortable and functional outfit to complete my workout in

At-Home Rating: 8 out of 10

Gym Rating: 6 out of 10

Haha! Okay so as you can see at home I couldn’t care less how I look. I’ve paired animal print bike shorts with a tank top I got from a concert I went to at the House of Blues on Sunset. (You should absolutely attend a concert there by the way if you haven’t. It’s a smaller venue with lots of standing room and great drinks. Much more of an intimate setting, and yes, it’s on the Sunset Strip in LA.) I’m not wearing any shoes because I like to keep my carpets clean. For this particular workout I didn’t feel the need to wear shoes, but for some workouts this could prove problematic.

At the gym I tend to care slightly more what I look like because, you know, I’m in public and don’t want to scare people or get kicked out for looking homeless. I didn’t wear any makeup that day though, so the flash on my camera phone is accidentally on purpose.

2) Enough time to be able to give my workout my all

At-Home Rating: 8 out of 10.

Gym Rating: 6 out of 10

When I work out at home, it saves me drive time to and from the gym. On the flipside, I haven’t packed my workout outfit with me to bring to work, so when I get home, I tend to want to shuffle about and waste time sometimes. I have to be careful of this. But otherwise, if I’m not lazy, it saves me time. At the gym, I often find myself in a hurry to get home or to the store, or whatever else needs to be done, so most days I feel like I have less focused time on working out even though it tends to be more quality time than at home.

3) Enough space to be able to give my workout my all

At-Home Rating: 4 out of 10

Gym Rating: 6 out of 10

I live in a cardboard box seized apartment, so needless to say, space is a bit of an issue in general let alone finding enough for a workout. If I rearrange some things and move a couple thins I have a passable amount of room, but only enough for one person. I couldn’t really work out with any pals at my home.

At the gym there is more focused and dedicated space, but I often compete for space with other members, depending on what time of day I go.

4) Good tunes to work out to

At-Home Rating: 10 out of 10

Gym Rating: 7 out of 10

At home I have an entire world of music at my disposal to work out to. My hubby and I are both hoarders collectors of music. At the gym, I have whatever is on my ipod or phone. I do like listening to book downloads from Audible on the elliptical or treadmill though. It’s a welcome distraction.

5) Good strength training equipment

At-Home Rating: 6 out of 10

Gym Rating: 10 out of 10

I have a basic set of free weights, a kettlebell, a stability ball, a weighted ball, exercise tubing, and a mat. I wish I had a bosu ball, some more weights and kettlebells, a bench, and of course I’m missing all of the strength machines my gym offers.

6) Good cardio equipment

At-Home Rating: 5 out of 10

Gym Rating: 10 out of 10

For cardio really all you need is yourself and maybe some good music. At home I tend to dance around, and also do a series of plyo movements. But I really tend to get more lazy with cardio at home than at the gym. I like to use the elliptical, treadmill, rowing machine, stairmaster, and stationary bikes. Not to mention there’s Zumba and other cardio classes available.

7) Minimal distractions

Rating: 2 out of 10

Gym Rating: 9 out of 10

This one probably goes without saying, but at home there are a million distractions! At the gym there might be some noise or people watching, but for the most part my energy is pretty easily focused on my workout.

8) Lots of sweat and muscle fatigue

At-Home Rating: 8 out of 10

Gym Rating: 9 out of 10

Whether at home or the gym, it doesn’t matter as long as I am willing to push myself. Either way I know I’ll work up a sweat doing BBB workouts! J

9) Hydration resources available

At-Home Rating: 8 out of 10

Gym Rating: 6 out of 10

At home, I can pretty much always grab some more water or amino powder, etc. At the gym I’m stuck with whatever I brought unless I want to brave the water fountain. I do not brave the dreaded water fountain unless I’m dying of thirst.

10) Minimal cleanup and recovery

At-Home Rating: 6 out of 10

Gym Rating: 6 out of 10

At home I have the shower and my closet right there. On the other hand, there is always equipment to put away and furniture to move back in place when I’m done working out. At the gym of course the reverse scenario is true.

So there you have it!

It appears my gym has a slightly higher rating overall, but a lot of times it just depends on convenience and mood. I think variety is key to keeping myself going, so I am happy I have both options available.

I am looking forward to Phase 2 of BBB starting this next week!  The first week will be a bit challenging since I have to spend a few days in Chicago for work…but I already planned in advance, and I know they have a gym at my hotel so I am good to go.

If you would like more info about Tina Reale’s Best body Bootcamp and how you can sign up, visit her at her website, http://www.tinareale.com/best-body-bootcamp/.

Cheers!

Christin Joyful

I’m still going to finish my review of Fitmixer’s bootcamp, as I know I still need to conclude part 3, and only gave you 1 and 2 so far…

But before I do that, it has meanwhile already been and entire week into Tina’s BBB Round 5, and I have just got to share my thoughts!

This is my fourth round with BBB, and I have to say I am more impressed with every round. As Tina develops her bootcamp over time, it just keeps getting more challenging and more professional yet proportionately approachable.

The workouts are very similar to how I remember week 1 from previous rounds, however it was the rollout and organization that really hit the mark for me.

The email notifications with clickable links, pictures, and instructions were thoroughly helpful, unique, colorful, and fun to go through. I felt prepared and intrigued!

And as I went through each workout this week, I definitely felt the change in my body. I hadn’t been using weights for Fitmixer’s workout, so this week was a bit of a challenge for my muscles…they felt fatigued and satisfied with those strength training sessions!

My other goals were 1) daily devotionals and 2) at least 100oz of water per day. I didn’t hit the mark every day with every goal, but I made it through at least 5 days over all, and that felt good.

I feel like I will be a little more prepared next week since I (and my muscles) now remember how it all works.

If you haven’t tried Tina’s Best Body Bootcamp, I would encourage you to visit her blog and website for more info, reviews, and great workouts and tips! Click here to go to the Bootcamp landing page…

Until next time,

Cheers!

Christinjoyful

Yesterday I began my review of Fitmixer’s Bootcamp, and talked about the positive changes for my body overall. Today, I am going to discuss how it changed my view of food. If you missed part 1, you can catch up here.

But now, without further ado, her’s part 2!

2) My view of food

I have always loved chocolate. And sugar. I blame my genetics for that one entirely, because then I don’t have to take responsibility for my sugar addiction…right?

WRONG!

Well at least now, after the fact, but before Bootcamp I would have used genetics and a host of other excuses. Probably the most valuable part of Fitmixer’s Bootcamp for me was getting my eating habits on track. They gave me all the tools to succeed, and all I needed to do was use them.

I honestly don’t know where to begin other than to say that planning all of my meals was key to my success. When I first got my meal plan I was a little shocked. They had me down for a 1400 calorie a day meal plan which included their two shakes, plus fruits and veggies and lean proteins and whole grains. No processed foods. Also, they had my meals broken down into 3 meals at around 200-400 calories for breakfast and lunch, and around 500 for dinner, plus 3 100-200 calorie snacks. 6 times eating total.

Then there was the water intake. Holy smokes it was a lot of water. I peed a lot. The ocean was jealous of me. At first I made excuses in my head, which is an old habit with me. I told myself things like, “how am I supposed to keep my Invisalign trays in for enough hours if I’m eating 6 meals. Can’t I just do 3 bigger healthy ones?” or “How am I supposed to have enough energy to work out every day if I’m only eating 1400 calories…isn’t that too few?”

But then something inside me clicked. I told myself, it’s only eight weeks. What have I got to lose by just following the plan the way it was created? The only way to go was to simply embrace everything. That was key. Letting go of everything I knew or thought I knew, and just following the plan. I kept track of my calories on Myfitnesspal for the first 4-5 weeks of Bootcamp pretty religiously. I needed to see how my meal choices stacked up both calorie-wise, and nutrient-wise. How ‘wise’ of me. LOL.

I learned a couple important things:

1)      You don’t need as many calories as you think to feel full.

2)      Quality over quantity is the key to both satiety and health.

3)      Most of us underestimate how many calories we eat, because everything adds up.

4)      It’s amazing how many fruits and veggies and protein you can eat for the same amount of calories as starchy carbs or fats.

5)      It’s easier than you think to stay within your calorie goals, even when eating out, if you plan ahead.

6)      Necessity truly is the mother of invention. I got to be very creative with my meal choices!

As I made it through the first week, and realized I wasn’t starving to death, and that I was staying on track with my calories, it became clear to me that I had been eating too much, and too much of the wrong things before. I hadn’t been a terrible eater per say, just a terrible snacker, and had also been eating too much of the good things. It was simply more than my 5’3” frame needed!

Fitmixer’s meal plan had proven that to me. Around mid-week two I began to realize that I could be a little more creative with my calories. I played around with different combinations of fruits and veggies and lean proteins. By staying clear of processed foods, dressings, etc, I could actually still have a bowl of popcorn and some fresh berries with a drizzle of chocolate “sauce” made by combining almond milk with chocolate protein powder.

I began to realize that I could actually live like this, with the occasional treat thrown in here and there and be totally happy. Totally satisfied and more healthy! Totally not gag myself with a spoon. Yep, just put my age out there. That just happened. My terrible puns I actually CAN blame on genetics. I get it from my Papa’s side of the family.

By week 4, I realized that my shopping cart was full of mostly fruits and veggies, plus lean proteins and some unprocessed carbs. I did it without barely blinking. So I started to wean myself off of Myfitnesspal.

Now, this is not to say that la dee da, life is perfect and I just clicked right into gear without issue. I definitely had some road blocks, but the attitude I had overall continued to be “I can do this” and that is what made the difference. My friends and loved ones questioned my choices and got irritated with my meals…especially ones they had to share. I had a tough time at restaurants and movie theaters, and got weird reactions from others, and even some scoldings. My husband kept forgetting, and offering me all kinds of treats. I slipped up a little on Valentines day and my birthday. Also, Girl Scouts are evil. They truly are the spawn of the devil. Stupid cookies. Argh!

But each event taught me better how to manage a my new healthy lifestyle and the choices that correspond with it in a real life setting. I brought apples and peanut butter to the movies. I got steak with sauce on the side and salad with dressing on the side on Valentines day. I overindulged on my birthday, yes, but I did it with permission from myself. I learned to ask myself, “Will I be able to have this treat again soon? Is it worth the indulgence?” And my birthday qualified for the indulgence, whereas going to the movies did not.

I kept my healthy habits up so that I could choose my indulgences. I made it work in real life, and learned to plan ahead. The thing is, it got easier as time went on. I learned where I could have treats and where I should skip them. Without even trying, I have found that most of my meals are vegan or vegetarian, with only  a handful of meals a week being meat-based. I didn’t do that on purpose, it just worked out that way. And I feel better for it! I feel like my choices are making a difference! I feel that by letting go of control, I gained control. I learned the lessons I had never bothered to before, because I was able to let go and try something new.

So far this first week out of Bootcamp I am doing well with my new eating habits, and I know that I will be able to keep up these habits because I have made them work for me, and my lifestyle.

So there you have it. My view of food has changed for the better. And I feel better for it!

And, on that note, I feel like I have once again blathered enough for a day…come back tomorrow to hear about how Fitmixer changed my view of exercise.

Cheers!

Christinjoyful

Today I am reflecting back on an incredible experience that concluded on Friday…

Oh, what was it you ask? You didn’t ask? Ah…

Well too bad i’m gonna tell you anyway!

dah Dah DAH!!!

That’s right, I participated in a very cool, very gnarly and very awesome 8 weeks of  Christin shaping.

And it was everything I ‘d hoped it would be!

It was an incredible journey with a nice long story of how I won a spot and cut away the bad calories, and did lots of burpees…lots of burpees. OMG so many freaking burpees.

But let me start from the beginning.

Back in December I was looking for a way to start off the new year. I know. An amazing and unique concept, right? And while I absolutely LOVE Tina’s Best Body Bootcamp, and had signed up for it, I saw a contest on Fitmixer’s website for a chance to win a spot in their January Bootcamp through Pinterest, and couldn’t resist. It included a meal plan and lots of supplies to help get my body in gear. Who wouldn’t want to join, right?!

So I read the rules, logged onto Pinterest, created a Fitmixer Bootcamp pinboard, and started pinning. I honestly didn’t think I would win the spot. I knew a lot of people would be interested in winning a spot because it is valued at over $150, and because of  the exercise plan and meal plans and protein powders and aminos and blender bottle, and so forth…so I decided to just pray and put it in the Lord’s hands.

But guess what…I DID WIN!! Haha! woot woot!

Party hats and protein drinks!!

Fitmixer products are awesome…

So I gave up my spot in Tina’s amazing bootcamp to let someone else have a try (promising Tina that I would be back for the next round, of course!!) and bit my lower lip and furrowed my almost nonexistent blonde brows in determination and anticipation.

I knew I was going to need to commit to exercise. Lots of exercise. And a diet plan. And by diet plan, I mean healthy eating habits in a lower calorie range. In other words, cut out the junk and put in the whole foods!

Foods that are whole…not full of nutritional holes!

I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and no idea how much it would change the way I view my body, food, exercise, and my very sense of self in general!!

So lets break it down then shall we? Let’s review how Fitmixer Bootcamp changed each one:

1) My body

2) My view of food

3) My view of exercise

4) My sense of self

1) MY BODY

When I say Fitmixer Bootcamp changed my body, I mean that it changed in the way it looks, but also in the way it acts and reacts. It was a much needed makeover from the inside out, as opposed to the outside in which is a very important distinction to make. Why? Because in order to create a permanent change, you need to create new habits. Changing habits  implies a lasting commitment from deep down inside somewhere in order to create a lasting, or long term effect.

Yes, all those workouts and meal plans helped change the way my body looks on the outside. My muscles are more defined, I lost body fat, as well a a few pounds. I lost inches, and gained muscle mass. heck, I even went down a clothing size! Those things are valuable to me in that I look better on the outside, but in reality the important thing for me is that when I look in the mirror, it is a visual reminder of what has changed on the inside.

So what are these inside benefits I gained through changing my habits?

To put it as plainly as possible, my body just works better now!

Think about it this way…when you give a plant sunlight, nutrient rich soil, and plenty of water, what does it do? How does it look? How does it feel to the touch?

Well your body is the same way. Makeup can only go so far. Deep conditioners can only go so far.  Nail polish, perfume, hair dye, and plastic surgery can only go so far.

Just like plants will wither up and look unhealthy when you don’t give them nutrients and sunlight and water, your body will too! You are a living organism! You need vitamins and exercise and water to be healthy!

You’re not getting these things from soda and chips and cookies. They are empty calories. your body gets these things and doesn’t even know what to do with them. Your insides seriously scratch their little cell heads and think; “Really? What am I supposed to do with this stuff? how am I supposed to run a body on this? Maybe I can use…nope. Nevermind. Nothing here to work with. Just send it on through to the dump.”

This is your cells. This is your cells on junk food.

You can see where i’m going with this. You’re not an idiot. (I know this because you are reading my blog…hehe)

It makes sense that if you give your body what it needs to function well and feel well…it will do just that. And your appearance will reflect that! The hard part is getting into the habit of drinking plenty of water and cutting out soda. Eating whole foods and cutting out the processed junk. Eating regularly throughout the day. Exercising regularly. Pooping regularly. (Yes. I said poop. Pooping regularly was a very big thing and another benefit. It’s not to be taken lightly. Poop is a serious thing in the blog world. you need to know that.)

Fitmixer’s plan provided a way to develop these healthy habits. Fitmixer gave me the tools, and all I had to do was use them!

So there you have it. My body is changed for the better. Poop and all.

This is already a long post, so I will continue on tomorrow with Part 2!!

Cheers,

Christinjoyful

This is me today…joyful and hopeful

In the midst of it all, I kinda lost sight of my identity: Who I was, who I ought to be, and who the Lord made me to be.

As such, toward the end of the year, I really just fell away from blogging…not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because I didn’t feel like I could write honestly and fully about what I was going through. I didn’t want to share it with the world, but it was too much on my plate to allow time to blog about other things.

So i’ve spent some time really just soaking up scriptures, and advice, and more positive influences. I have continued reading blogs I enjoy reading, and really analyzing why I like them.

I will be redesigning this blog a little bit, to give it new flavor and new appeal.

I want to use it to express ME. the joy I now actually feel, and the things I enjoy doing. Christinjoyful should be just that…me being joyful! Finding balance and enjoying all the gifts i have been given. Sharing my struggles and praises with others.

Bare with me while I go through this face lift of life and of this blog. I will be changing it a little bit at a time, and sharing what I am learning.

With that in mind, I want to give you a little preview of some upcoming posts:

1) Blogger posts and books on how to blog successfully. (reviews)

2) Blogs I currently read and love and why.

3) Blog design ideas and thoughts.

I don’t know if I can commit to a certain number of posts per week at this time, but I hope to start with at least a few…and start participating in some linkup posts so that I can keep the ball rolling while I redesign.

Best wishes to all, and hope you enjoy your day.

Cheers!

Christinjoyful

Christinjoyful