WHERE HAVE I BEEN?!?

Well great question!! I have been LIVING, LAUGHING, FALLING DOWN, GETTING BACK UP, RE-PRIORITIZING AND CREATING. I am sorry I left you blog world, I have missed writing and sharing, but I plan to get back on track FULL STEAM AHEAD! But let me catch you up a little!

Since my last post so much has happened...

One of my best friends came to visit from Virginia and we got to do so many wonderful things. Museums, Aquarium, Space Center Houston, Movies and SHOPPING lots of shopping :)! It was wonderful, I have lived in Houston 23 years and I got to experience some things I never have in those 23 years. 

While she was here she introduced me to the wonderful world of Tone It Up. It's a community that supports and encourages each other in living a healthy and happy lifestyle. Two women, Karena and Katrina created the community and a nutritional plan that is like a membership you can join, my mom and I joined on the Gluten-Free Plan and some of their recipes are AMAZING!! You also get every add on edition before your time of joining and after for free. They also make workout videos on YouTube, I highly recommend the Bikini Series Bikini Arms and Thailand Tush!! I really encourage everyone interested in living a healthy full lifesytle to look into the community it doesn't cost you a penny (membership/nutrition plan is what costs)! Their website is ToneItUp.com, and if you want to check out their videos just type in Tone It Up in the search bar on YouTube. I also have a personal Tone It Up Instagram if you would like to follow me @tiu_amandamarie I would love to send encouragement and support to you no matter what your goals and dreams are!

I also made a big step to becoming more financially responsible while she was here. I left my families phone plan at AT&T and switched to Sprint and I now pay my own phone bill! This may not be a big step for many but it was for me. When people take care of you, help you, etc. for an extended period of time or your whole life haha, it is terrifying to rely solely on yourself for that support. I jumped off the plank, dove into the dark, unknown waters, and prayed I could stay afloat! Two months on my own phone bill and I'm floating nicely along the waves. 

Although, a month after I got this new phone, it dropped once and the sensors on the phone completely stopped working.  My computer broke, my glasses got chewed up by a dog I was watching, I went through withdrawals of a very strong ADHD medication, and my dad was being sent away to China right before my birthday. The first half of June was difficult to say the least. At times I didn't know if I could see light at the end of the tunnel. I hate to admit it but for a little bit I would wake up in the morning and think "I wonder what is going to happen today to kill my positive, happy, healthy lifestyle I am trying to live!" I realized after expecting bad things to happpen, and the feeling of disappointment and unhappiness to come over me for a couple weeks that happiness is a choice! If I am only happy when things go right in my life then I am not truly happy. Breaking my phone was devastating at first but being without a phone for a couple week became exactly what I needed, it helped me unplug from so many other stresses in my life and regroup. My computer is old and I need a new one anyway. My glasses can be replaced, maybe I needed to get in the habit of wearing contacts again so I can see all the time instead of part of the time. The withdrawals were tough but I got past them and am doing pretty good without medication, through a healthy and balanced diet. My dad missed my birthday day, but my birthday became an entire week celebration which is even better than just one day. HAPPINESS is a choice. Don't let your circumstances in life determine your happiness, IT IS UP TO YOU!!!

June 19th I turned 24 :0!!!!! I know I am getting old. My birthday week was phenomenal, I had dinner with my family at Pappadeaux, dinner and a night out in Houston with one of my best friends, Falon, and an entire day in Galveston with my Best Friend and Mother, Joyce!!! It was a fantastic birthday week and I couldn't of asked for more.

Lastly, the biggest change since my last blog has been EXERCISE. I finally started exercising again, and not just any exercise, I started running!! I have never been a runner EVER, but it has recently become a beautiful outlet for me and I am training to run my very first 5K at the end of August. I know I am crazy, 1st 5K in August in Houston Heat, what am I thinking?!? Well I am thinking I am not going to make excuses and I am going to prove to myself I can do anything I set my mind to!!

What Have You Been Up To? Are you planning or preparing for anything BIG before the end of Summer? Whatever it is, visualize and BELIEVE

I look forward to posting again very soon! Stay tuned I have very exciting things coming in the near future, like new recipes, awesome favorites I have discovered in the last couple months AND A GIVEAWAY!!!

Till Then... Have a Once In a Lifetime Summer!

Mandisa ft. TobyMac- Good Morning
BTW: It's Very Hard to have a bad day when you Start Your Day with This Song!