Introducing: Scout

Wednesday morning I saw this picture on facebook.

I texted it to my husband and he fell in love right away.  Our conversation went from, "He's so cute," to "Let's go see him!"  We were going to the Pentatonix concert that night, so I knew that we couldn't come home with a dog.

Well, we met at down at the APA and tried to find him.  He was SO popular.  They closed at 5, we got there at 4:45 and there were 3 other people wanting to see him as well.

We found out that he was the "Puppy of the Week," and we had to apply to get him if we wanted him.  With the application, we had to submit a short essay about why we wanted to adopt him.  So we figured, why not?  It's not like we were really gonna get picked to adopt him.  They told us that we should know by noon the next day if we got him or not.  If we didn't receive a call, we didn't get him.

Tyler calls me at 12:30 on Thursday to tell me we got the puppy!!  So we are introducing Scout as part of our family.  Enjoy the photos:

2 Years...

Dear St. Louis,

Wow!  It's been two years now since we've lived here.  I will admit that I like you more than I did last year at this time.

A lot has happened in this last year:

I got a new job.
We bought a house.
Tyler got a promotion--which I didn't write about.  Shame on me!  He got promoted to managing (and traveling) for his company!
We got a puppy! (I'll post about him tomorrow.)

Okay, so maybe that doesn't look like a lot, but those things are definitely life changing events.

When we got back from Hawaii (which I still need to post about...I have a TON of pictures to go through), I finally felt like I was home.  St. Louis is not an awful city.  It's actually a very fun city with lots of things to do.  We've really enjoyed living here (especially during baseball season).  

I don't feel like I need to go out and do things on the weekend as I did when we lived in our apartment.  Since purchasing our home, I've wanted to stay home on the weekends and turn this house into a home.  And maybe having all the extra space has been a factor in that as well. :)

Anyhow, it's been a really good year here in St. Louis.  We are really enjoying our time here.  We are really seeing God's plan play out when we had no idea why He would lead us here.

And for the yearly "out the front door" picture:  today it was cold and blowing flurries.

Home Update: Guest Bath!

Well, we've lived in our house for almost 5 months now.  I really can't believe it's been that long!  I am so thankful that we left our apartment when we did, because if we waited until our lease was up, we wouldn't be moving for another 2 weeks.

Coming from a 900 square foot apartment to a 2400 square foot house has been a wonderful challenge.  It's taken a bit of time to get settled (we still don't have every box unpacked), but we're slowly working on filling the rooms.

One vision I had right away was for the guest bathroom on the second floor. 

I knew that I wanted to do it in white and black.  I got all of the bathroom rugs and towels for Christmas, which was a HUGE help because those things are expensive!

I had several different shower curtains picked out, but I couldn't decide on which one to get!  I originally wanted a ruffled curtain, but they were back ordered every time I went to buy it.  I soon found one in Target, fell in love, and bought it.

I really love how it turned out.  Some of Tyler's friends gave us the gorgeous "Love" picture that is now hanging in the bathroom as a house warming gift.  I knew it would go perfectly in there.

I may still purchase a soap dispenser, but for now this will work.  Now we just need some guests to come stay with us!! :)

Towels:  Here
Shower Curtain:  Here
Rugs: Thomas O'Brien...looks like they aren't sold online anymore (from Target)

Meal Prepping

It is no secret that I have been meal prepping for the past several months.  I typically post pictures on instagram, so if you follow me on there, you've probably seen them.

I've had several people ask how to go about meal prepping, so I thought I'd share my process.

I meal plan on the weekends.  I plan my breakfasts, lunches, and suppers.  I write out exactly what I plan on eating and then make my grocery list from that plan.

I generally make a list of all of the dishes that I need to cook/bake/prepare for the week and the amount of time it will take me to complete them (from prep to cook).  This helps me use my time wisely so that I'm not in the kitchen all day long.

I pretty much use my whole counter space when I'm prepping and cooking.

After the food is cooked, I split it all up into containers for the week.  I use my meal calendar to tell me how many containers of each food I need for the week.  

I am not a morning person at all.  So this helps me in a couple of ways:  

• I can pack my lunch box at night and just grab what needs to go in there according to my calendar; OR
• I can just grab it in the morning.

Either way, it's super quick and I don't even have to think about it.  

When I don't meal plan or meal prep, I feel like my week is all out of whack.  This helps me keep on schedule and helps me achieve my goals (both fitness and for the week).

If you try meal prepping, let me know how it goes!!

My First VLog

Here is my first VLog!!  It's kind of weird talking instead of typing, but I wanted to try it out and see what you thought about it!  I may incorporate VLogs to my blog more regularly!

So I may look like a hobo since I just got done working out, but I wanted to stop in and share some exiting news and explain a few things!

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My First Fix

Okay...I caved.
I got my first Stitch Fix last week...and let me just say this:
It was a BLAST!!!  
...and just like that, I'm hooked!

So you may be asking, "What is Stitch Fix?"

Stitch Fix is a personal styling service.  Basically, it's a personal shopper. :)  When I registered, I gave them my sizes, my body shape, my style, and my budget.  Then, they gave me an awesome personal stylist, Stephanie, who picked 5 pieces based on the information that I gave them.  And they shipped them right to my door.  I got to try those pieces on in the comfort of my home.  Uh...no trying things on in the dressing room hoping that they'll fit with the actual clothes that I want to wear them with?  Yes, please!!

"How much does it cost?"
It costs $20 for the styling fee.  When you get your items, the $20 is then applied to your purchase.  If you keep all 5 items, you get 25% off the total.  It's pretty nifty!

So just let me say this...I am not a fashion guru.  And I sure as heck am not a fashion blogger.  And I'm not a model or a photographer.  So I will show you the pieces that Stephanie picked for me, but you have to promise me one thing.  You cannot laugh.  I'm dead serious.  No laughing allowed.  Deal?  Okay...let's move on.

I took these in my bathroom with my point and shoot camera.  The lighting is a little off, so I apologize.  I told you...I'm no pro.  And my husband was out of town.

Oh...before I show you the goods, do you want to see the funniest video?  Yeah...I was a tad bit excited.

Okay...now that that's out of the way, I can show you my goodies!

It was wrapped so pretty!!  Isn't unwrapping a beautiful gift so much fun?  I think so.

I saw the colors that were chosen for this Fix and I was so excited and couldn't wait to try everything on!

I saw this top first.  It was a beautiful navy and white striped shirt with longer sleeves on them.  I knew I was going to like this one.  And I did.  It's a keeper.

This next top was so vibrant.  I couldn't wait to try it on, either!  But it was made from sheer, stretchy material and I knew it would cling.  I do not like clingy clothes.  I kind of feel like a stuffed sausage in this top.  It was definitely a no.  Adorable, yes!  But I sent it back.

Now, if you know me, you know that I have very muscular legs.  I have such a hard time finding jeans that fit.  When I do find a pair that fit, I buy 5 pairs of them...no joke.  So when I saw that there were jeans in my Fix, I was hesitant.  And then I saw that they were skinny jeans.  I knew that there was no way I was going to like them.

I decided I was going to give them a fair shot, like everything else, but they were like panty hose trying to put them on.   I was surprised I could get them up past mid-thigh.  But they did fit.  They were way too tight for my liking, so they went back too.

I fell in love with this sweater before I even put it on.  For some reason, I really love lightweight sweaters, and this would be perfect for spring!

But the more than I looked at it and wore it around, the more that I didn't like it.  So it went back as well.

My last piece was absolutely gorgeous.  If I see anything that sparkles, then you better believe I will be checking it out!!

The sad thing about this piece is that I don't go anywhere fancy enough to wear it.  I really loved, loved, loved this piece!! It was so beautiful.  But I had to send it back.

So there you have it!!  I adjusted my preferences so that next time I might have another great experience!  It was so fun getting to try things on in my own home, using clothes that I already have in my closet.  

The pieces that I'm not keeping get sent back in a prepaid package!  It's super easy to just drop it off at the post office!

I don't typically like showing people the clothes that I try on in the store...unless it's my mom.  So you got lucky, because you got to see all the pieces I tried on!!

Want to try Stitch Fix?
Just go here to get started and find out all the details!
It really is a lot of fun!
I can't wait to get my next box of happy!! :)

21 Day Fix: Week One

I've been doing this new program called 21 Day Fix.

You've probably seen me talking about it on facebook.

I just completed my first week of it and can I say that I feel great!?

This program is super easy to follow.  

You eat and you workout.

It's that simple.

I am so obsessed with this new program because of a few things:

1.  It comes with color-coded containers and an eating guide.  This isn't a an eating guide that tells you what to eat and when.  It's an eating guide that gives you ideas of what to eat and you choose your menu and when to eat.  It tells you how many times to fill your containers during the day, which is based on a calorie goal.  However you don't count calories or points or anything.  Super easy!

2.  The program comes with workout DVDs.  There is a 30 minute workout for each of the 21 days.  And let me tell you...THEY WORK!!!  I was so sore for the first 3 days!  But it's a good kind of sore, because it lets you know that your body is getting stronger.  And the workout calendar is fab!  It tells you what workout to complete on each day.

3.  Autumn Calabrese, the creator of the program, instructs you on each move.  This is great for those who haven't done a whole lot of training before.  Doing the exercise correctly ensures that you won't injure yourself and you're getting the most out of it.

4.  There are modifications for each move.   This is especially great for those days that you're extremely sore and need an adjustment for the 30 minutes.  You can still get a great workout with these modifications, so it makes it that much sweeter.

I wanted to post my meal plan for the whole first week.  It is sooo much easier to follow the plan if you've got your meals planned out for the week.  If I don't have a plan, I will fall off the wagon in an instance.  Meal planning is the reason that I can stay on track...that and not buying junk to eat at the grocery store.  :)

If you're interested in this program, email me at TheFitnessPrincess13@gmail.com or connect with me on my facebook page, The Fitness Princess.  I would love to talk with you about it!

Our Challenge Pack discounts and free shipping deals have been extended through this weekend (3/2)!  So act fast if you want to take advantage of them!!

Anyone can do this program...beginner, intermediate, or advanced fitness "student" (because we're all still learning, right?).  And anyone can stick to a plan for 21 days.  It's as simple as that!  I can't wait to share my results with you at the end of my 21 days!!

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