We Are The People

Sooooooo, that happened last night.  I didn’t think it would actually come to be, but here we are with Donald Trump as our president.

This is a really hard and scary time for a lot of people, and those fears are valid.  So what do we do?  Where do we go from here?

The only thoughts that I have are this: Love. Peace. Tolerance.

What we stand for, what we fight for, what we believe in, are those three things (in a very small, all-encompassing nutshell).  The people who are devastated by the outcome of the election, myself included, we need to remember this.  We stand for love.  We stand for peace.  We stand for tolerance.  We will not achieve these things by giving into and participating in the ugly.  We will achieve these things by practicing what we preach in our everyday lives.

Now is the time that we need to go above and beyond.  We need to really practice the love that we want reflected in our country.  We need to show that we are peaceful and we want peace, no matter our differences.  We need to put into action our tolerance towards those who do not believe the same.

If we fight ugly with ugly, where is the beauty that we’re fighting so hard for?  It will get lost in all of the hatred if we don’t do something about it.

We are the people.  We make up this county.  We decide if this country is great.  We need to up our game now more than ever, when everything seems so dark, to bring out the light that we so desperately want to see in this country.

PRACTICE an act of love today.  Go out of your way to intentionally put that into the world.
PRACTICE peace today.  It’s easy to get malicious when you’re feeling so attacked, but we don’t need any more hatred out there.  There’s too much already.
PRACTICE tolerance.  This might be the hardest one of all today.  Maybe that looks like un-following someone on social media because you understand that their feelings don’t match yours, and you don’t want to fight with them anymore.  (Please don’t confuse tolerance with ignoring a problem – that’s not what I mean here.)

This wasn’t the most eloquently put or detailed blog post, and I know that I have failed to express how deeply I feel, but I needed to get these points out there.

How will you practice your beliefs today?  How will you stand up for what is right?

Things that Lift You Up

Daaaaang that’s a good quote!

I’ve always been drawn to stories, quotes, videos, etc. that focus on self-love, inner peace, growth and acceptance.  I find that type of content to be inspiring and uplifting, and that’s the type of attitude I want to exude and put out into the world.

This isn’t always easy — in fact, it rarely is.  Life gets hard.  People can be awful.  Circumstances can knock us down.  Keeping up the practice of being mindfully happy, choosing joy and finding the silver linings can get exhausting.

When things get exhausting, I turn to content that will lift me up.  Here is what I have found immensely helpful and inspiring lately:

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, as well as her Big Magic podcast.  This is all about overcoming fear and living a creative life – whatever that means for you.

The Gifts of Imperfection, as well as Daring Greatly by Brene Brown.  This amazing woman has spent years and years researching shame and vulnerability.

Dear Sugar Raido podcast with Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond.  They’re awesome writers who give amazing advice.

What resources do you use that put a smile on your face?  Comment below so I can share with you in the awesomeness!

Awesome, Crazy, Busy September

Our Texas Bachelorette Party!

September has been such a busy month, and it’s really all gearing up towards a more crazy October – but in a great way.

This weekend Renee and I signed a lease on a new apartment, and we move in three weeks (two weeks before the wedding). We’re moving from a 500 sq. foot, one bedroom apartment, to an 800 sq. foot loft apartment with more storage space, cabinets and a cool layout. My favorite part so far: a washer and dryer!!! The freedom to do laundry whenever I want and not have to leave my apartment is going to be excellent. We want to take this first year of our marriage and save for our future, so hopefully in a year we can buy a house.

Money has been on the forefront of my mind recently, but not in the same panicked way it always has been before.  Something has started to shift in my mindset, from one of “not enough money ever,” to being appreciative of everything that I have been blessed with.  For acknowledging how much I do have, and for being thankful of having enough.  Sometimes it doesn’t feel like “enough,” but Renee and I are able to live somewhere safe and comfortable.  We have enough food to eat and don’t go hungry.  We can help out with our family.  We’re able to make our car payments.  Those are our basics needs, and those needs are met.  The things that we consider our “basic needs” are actually luxuries to many people, so I’ve found that if I take time to acknowledge and be grateful for that, the stress is less.

In dealing with money, we also have a wedding that we’re paying for!  Weddings are not typically cheap, but they absolutely can be – if you shift your perspective.  What’s important to you and your beloved?  Is the venue worth shelling out thousands of dollars for?  The food?  The decorations?  The photographers?  The dress?  For us and our tight budget, we really had to think: what’s the most important thing for us on that day?  The answer was simply, “to be surrounded with love by our friends and family as we celebrate our love for one another.”  That’s what we wanted – love and people.  Do I remember all the table settings of previous weddings that I’ve been to?  All the decorations?  The types of flowers?  The dress, even?  Honestly, no.  In the end, what sticks out to me is how happy the couple looked on that day and how much fun we all had.  That’s it.  So when we started planning the wedding, we kept that in mind and let everything else fall into place without much stress or worry.  Is it going to be the most gorgeous, well-planned and meticulously decorated wedding ever?  No.  But I bet there will be enough love and happiness surrounding us that day that we’ll never forget it.

How have you been dealing with the stressors in your life?  How have you changed your thought process to encompass the “enough” mentality?

 

37 Days

37 days until we say “I do.”

#HereComeTheBrides

Raven Lake, Huntsville State Park

All About Those Plants

Grandma teaching Bruce about the awesomeness of plants. As much as you can teach a 1 1/2 year old.

Let’s talk about plants for a minute.

Plexus (which is an amazing natural health and wellness company) products are natural, mineral and plant-based products.  If you’ve watched My Why video, you’ll know that even I was a skeptic of these products at first (for TWO YEARS!). I’m all about being natural, but when it comes to RESULTS, I was a huge skeptic that natural products would even come close to doing what prescribed medications do. I mean… they’re plants.

But then I had a thought the other morning. If you eat the wrong plants or berries, they can kill you. ACTUALLY KILL YOU. A tiny berry! (Anyone read “Into The Wild?) If you touch the wrong plant, it can spread horrible, itchy hives all over your body like wildfire. (Ever get poison ivy or poison oak as a kid?) Just by TOUCHING the plant! Coffee, which comes from a berry, has the power to give us energy and keep us up all night if we drink it too late.

We know all of this to be true, so why do we have such a hard time believing that the opposite can be true, too? Why do we have a hard time believing that plants could actually bring us back to life?  Or at least help get our body on the right track again!  For example: beet root is a natural detoxifier and antioxidant that aids in maintaining healthy blood pressure and helps prevent heart disease (found in Plexus Slim).  Grape skin extract is a powerful antioxidant that also aids in heart health and lowers blood sugar (also found in the Slim).  Ahiflower oil is used in the Plexus MegaX softgel, which supplies your body with amazing Omegas.  Omegas are super important for both brain and cardiovascular health, and can also aid in stress reduction and relaxation.

There are so many more examples that I could recite after I started doing some research, but my point is this – for all the skeptics out there (I was one for a loooong time!), you should definitely give plants a shot.  Thankfully, Plexus has done the research and science and has formulated life-changing products that can help with an entire slew of health issues.  Plexus does not claim to “cure” anything, but I can tell you from my personal experience, and from those who have given Plexus a shot, these products have amazing BENEFITS.  Medications have side-effects (you just need to listen to a pharmaceutical commercial, and most likely more than half of it is the list of the harmful things that could possibly happen), and I like to say that Plexus has benefits.  You want to lose weight? So many of the products have that benefit – but it first stems from correcting the root problem of unbalanced blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels and poor gut health.  The products are working to naturally balance your body, and once your body is consistently balanced, the benefits include more energy and possible weight loss.  I’ve experienced both of these benefits and a lot more.

It’s OK if you think that maybe Plexus is a bunch of natural hooey, but then again – what if this changes everything for you?  And with a 60-day money back guarantee, what’s there to lose?  Message me for more info!

Pre-Wedding Festivities

August has been a total whirlwind!

We kicked off the month by having a bridal shower here in Texas with some close friends.  We walked into our friend’s house and were welcomed by a “Here Come the Brides” banner, balloons, and delicious homemade food.  My favorite: the cupcakes with natural edible lavender in the cake and in the frosting.  We were super happy to be able to spend the day with great friends from all over, and for Mekia and Paige who took time out of their busy schedules to make this day extra special.

Afterwards, we came back to our apartment and Renee cooked a seriously delicious Korean meal.

The following weekend we headed up to Michigan for some wedding festivities!  On Friday, a handful of close friends got together and we hit some local breweries around Kalamazoo for my bachelorette party.  We ate a seriously delicious dinner at Gonzo’s Biggdogg Brewing Company, where my friend is head chef and GM, and then we headed back to a friend’s house to have a Pure Romance Party hosted by another amazing and passionate friend.  My ridiculously talented sister-in-law surprised us all by making what she calls “Paint a Pussy” cookies!  It was pure perfection.

The next day was our bridal shower/my birthday!  This was a chance for us to celebrate our wedding with our loves in Michigan who won’t be able to attend the wedding in Texas.  I felt so loved and blessed that so many people came, and it made my birthday that much sweeter.  The theme was “Adventure Awaits,” and so much thought, help, time and beauty went into making this day so so special.  I was overwhelmed and humbled at the thoughtfulness of it all, and my thank you notes just don’t do my feelings justice.

I of course LOVED seeing my little nephew and chasing him all over the house. Miss this baby all the time.

And to top it all off, my mother decided that she loves the Plexus products she’s taking so much that she decided to become an ambassador!  I’m so happy that she’s feeling better and loves the natural products.  When you’re feeling great and you find something that works, you want to share it with everyone!  Welcome to the team, Mom!!!

The best woman I know.

Super Tired?

Quick thought from Melissa Eickenhorst:

“How does society teach us to make extra money?
• A nurse takes extra shifts.
• A police officer works through the night.
• A teacher tutors after teaching all day.
• A hairdresser books more clients.
• A graphic designer takes on freelance clients.
• A single mom works a second job.
• A father works overtime.
All of these ways involve spending more time AWAY from your family and friends. Isn’t the goal to spend more time WITH the ones you love?”
I was able to quit my third job because of the awesome opportunities with Plexus. Now I get to sleep in every weekend morning, wake up with my fiancé and FaceTime with my family in Michigan. ❤️

Freedom Friday

Just wanted to share some happiness & blessings in my life recently!

As you may have read, I started taking Plexus products recently, and I loooove them.  I have way more energy, I’m super motivated, and I dropped 5 lbs. in a week (thank you, TriPlex Combo!).  Since I saw such a difference in such a short time, I decided to share the love of the products and become an ambassador.  Already, just by sharing how these products have shaped my life, people have been interested and eager to try the products for themselves  (and with a 60 day money back guarantee, why not give it a shot?!).

On top of feeling excited to hear how others like the products, here’s where my Freedom Friday comes into play: I have been able to quit my job at Starbucks.  

I was working at Starbucks only one day a week, which gave my income a little boost each paycheck — something I needed to pay a bill or two.  But now, because of the sheer awesomeness of the products and my team, I’ve been able to quit that job and am no longer required to get up at 3:30AM on Saturdays!

It’s a small victory, but it’s making a big difference in my life.  More time relaxing with my fiance on a weekend morning after a long week makes me happy.  I can’t wait to see where this takes us!

If you want to quit your second or third job, please feel free to ask me any questions you have!  My end goal is to be able to work Plexus from home and raise my family — a goal I’ve seen reached and I know is totally obtainable.

 

Detoxify Your Beautiful Insides

I have been on some diets, let me tell you.  The cabbage soup diet, the shake meal-replacement diet, this Chinese medicine diet (which was BY FAR the worst), etc. etc. etc. And here I am, years later, after trying all of these fad diets, and STILL trying to drop some weight.  We all know the fluctuation game: lose 20 lbs. with this or that diet, but eventually gain it all back PLUS more over time.  These fad diets don’t work because they’re not sustainable! Are you really going to replace one meal out of your day, every single day, for the rest of your life, with a shake?  Probably not.

But would you take natural products filled with vitamins each day to help you lose weight in a sustainable way, PLUS detoxify the waste and toxins in your body?  No meal replacements, no restrictions — just vitamins.  Ummmm heck yes!

With Plexus, my favorite combination of products is the Tri-Plex Combo.  Tri-Plex features Slim (which I posted about here), along with Bio Cleanse and ProBio 5.

Bio Cleanse helps clean your gastrointestinal tract (which stores all of the waste and toxins in your body that makes you feel sluggish), and it promotes regular digestive health.  It has 95% of your daily magnesium value, which contributes to healthy muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control and blood pressure regulation.

While you’re cleaning out the toxins in your body with the Bio Cleanse, you’re then replacing the bad stuff with your ProBio 5, which is a powerful probiotic that aids in regular digestive health and promotes a health immune system.

When you clean out the toxins that make you feel sluggish and bloated, your weight will drop and you will have more energy!  You will feel the results of the Tri-Plex combo. right away, and you will be able to visually see the results soon after.

No more fad diets that leave us feeling grumpy and lacking!  Visit my website here to check out all of the products and different combinations that will make a difference in your life.